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Fire Universe #1
The Fire
Twenty years ago, Ripley Fox’s entire family was killed in a fire. After years in the foster care system and trying to rebuild her life, she’s once again confronted not only with the horror of what happened that night, but also with the truth about who was responsible.
Kenna Crawford is the very definition of a hard-nosed reporter. She always gets her story, never takes no for an answer and never lets go once she’s got something or someone in her sights. When she comes across the story of Ripley Fox, she’s not only intrigued by it but also by Ripley herself.
As the two women attempt to discover if there’s something between them, they’re forced to deal with the realities of what happened to Ripley and how Kenna’s career doesn’t make it easy for Ripley to let go of what she’s tried to forget for the past twenty years.
82,000 words
Kenna Crawford is the very definition of a hard-nosed reporter. She always gets her story, never takes no for an answer and never lets go once she’s got something or someone in her sights. When she comes across the story of Ripley Fox, she’s not only intrigued by it but also by Ripley herself.
As the two women attempt to discover if there’s something between them, they’re forced to deal with the realities of what happened to Ripley and how Kenna’s career doesn’t make it easy for Ripley to let go of what she’s tried to forget for the past twenty years.
82,000 words
280 pages, ebook
First published September 20, 2018
297 people are currently reading
546 people want to read
About the author
Nicole Pyland
79 books820 followersNicole Pyland is a bestselling author of lesbian romance novels, including No After You, All the Love Songs, and the series like Chicago, San Francisco, Tahoe, Sports, Boston, and more. Since 2017, she’s published over 30 novels (not including her What Happened After shorts), and more books are on their way!
Nicole grew up in Indiana, studying English & Film and then getting a MS in Behavior Analysis and moving to California, working by day as a Head of Training at a start-up. She lives with her wife and their opinionated cat, who spends his evenings helping her write stories by occupying half the chair.
Website: nicolepyland.com
Newsletter: nicolepyland.com/newsletter
Twitter: @nicole_pyland
Facebook: @nicolepylandauthor
Nicole grew up in Indiana, studying English & Film and then getting a MS in Behavior Analysis and moving to California, working by day as a Head of Training at a start-up. She lives with her wife and their opinionated cat, who spends his evenings helping her write stories by occupying half the chair.
Website: nicolepyland.com
Newsletter: nicolepyland.com/newsletter
Twitter: @nicole_pyland
Facebook: @nicolepylandauthor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
November 16, 2018
Damn, what a book. I inhaled this. On a rare occasion, the ending of the book sneaked up on me!
Our main players are Ripley Fox, social worker extraordinaire, and Kenna Crawford, a top-notch investigative journalist. If their names aren't dynamic enough, their communication skills should impress you. They have a fun case of nearly insta-love, but in a good way. It's done right, if you ask me.
Two decades ago, Ripley became the sole survivor in a house fire that killed her entire family. It left her to fend for herself in the foster care system until she aged out. As the story develops, you see that there's more to the fire and trauma and we follow the characters pursuing the truth.
Okay, so let's mention Ripley for a section. She's shy, quite awkward, talented, and as foxy in bed as her name. Crush material! Her and Kenna's emotional intelligence is quite high, compared to the scheme of our small lesbian fiction world. When they have issues, they do this thing called talking? I LOVE it.
The mood of this story, similar to All The Love Songs (another great one from Nicole Pyland), isn't one spiked with sharp ups and downs. It's a smooth progression, even during the angst, and I appreciate Pyland's style here. It makes for a pleasant read that could be much more traumatizing in another writer's hands.
I mentioned foxy in bed. This book has oodles of sex scenes! My, my, Rip and Kenna love each other's bodies. Yay!
While this story is comprised of many parts, it's a smooth read. It's exactly what I needed. Five stars!
Our main players are Ripley Fox, social worker extraordinaire, and Kenna Crawford, a top-notch investigative journalist. If their names aren't dynamic enough, their communication skills should impress you. They have a fun case of nearly insta-love, but in a good way. It's done right, if you ask me.
Two decades ago, Ripley became the sole survivor in a house fire that killed her entire family. It left her to fend for herself in the foster care system until she aged out. As the story develops, you see that there's more to the fire and trauma and we follow the characters pursuing the truth.
Okay, so let's mention Ripley for a section. She's shy, quite awkward, talented, and as foxy in bed as her name. Crush material! Her and Kenna's emotional intelligence is quite high, compared to the scheme of our small lesbian fiction world. When they have issues, they do this thing called talking? I LOVE it.
The mood of this story, similar to All The Love Songs (another great one from Nicole Pyland), isn't one spiked with sharp ups and downs. It's a smooth progression, even during the angst, and I appreciate Pyland's style here. It makes for a pleasant read that could be much more traumatizing in another writer's hands.
I mentioned foxy in bed. This book has oodles of sex scenes! My, my, Rip and Kenna love each other's bodies. Yay!
While this story is comprised of many parts, it's a smooth read. It's exactly what I needed. Five stars!
February 13, 2019
"Stay and fight with me. Stay and fight because it matters, because I matter to you."
Kenna Crawford is one of the swooniest heroine I've come across in Lesfic. Besides being a partner anyone could wish for, she does this one small thing but makes such an impact to me. What is it?She carries Ripley's bag for her a few times.. sigh..
" I like you. I like what we're doing. I'd like to do more of it" - That's right, Ripley. To heck with falling too quickly. The chemistry is strong from the start, why fight it.
It is such a beautiful love story, I enjoy myself sharing their journey and will definitely be rereading the many highlighted scenes and bookmarked pages.
The hs' first and next few encounters are still one of the best written, I absolutely love them. If you enjoy stories that have loads of scenes with the hs in them, witty dialogues, good old conversations, steamy sex scenes-Ripley and Kenna truly enjoy making each other scream in pleasure, a strap-on joins in their sexy times, twice ;) and a swoony heroine, then this might be good for you.
Worth buying, rereads and recommending even to your partner who doesn't read romance but curious enough to know why his partner is rolling all over the place and squealing at the same time while reading The Fire.
Kenna Crawford is one of the swooniest heroine I've come across in Lesfic. Besides being a partner anyone could wish for, she does this one small thing but makes such an impact to me. What is it?She carries Ripley's bag for her a few times.. sigh..
" I like you. I like what we're doing. I'd like to do more of it" - That's right, Ripley. To heck with falling too quickly. The chemistry is strong from the start, why fight it.
It is such a beautiful love story, I enjoy myself sharing their journey and will definitely be rereading the many highlighted scenes and bookmarked pages.
The hs' first and next few encounters are still one of the best written, I absolutely love them. If you enjoy stories that have loads of scenes with the hs in them, witty dialogues, good old conversations, steamy sex scenes-Ripley and Kenna truly enjoy making each other scream in pleasure, a strap-on joins in their sexy times, twice ;) and a swoony heroine, then this might be good for you.
Worth buying, rereads and recommending even to your partner who doesn't read romance but curious enough to know why his partner is rolling all over the place and squealing at the same time while reading The Fire.
November 23, 2018
Another great book by Pyland. I expected a lot more angst in this book but that was kept to a minimum. The author instead chose to focus on the budding friendship and romance between the two main characters. Once they got together, their chemistry really became sizzling and there are several scenes that will definitely make you hot under the collar.
A surprisingly sweet and sexy read. Full 4* rating.
A surprisingly sweet and sexy read. Full 4* rating.
April 10, 2019
I just stumbled upon Nicole Pyland's 2018 novel, "The Fire," whilst browsing through my Goodreads timeline recently. Its blurb piqued my curiosity, tbh, because I've always been fascinated with stories evolving around past memories. Memories about unfinished business that resurface one day out of the blue in the present time. After reading some great reviews and a high rec from one of my GR mates, I just had to read it and explore Pyland's craft. And was I immensely glad I did because I simply loved it! Everything about it, really. Pyland's writing was brilliant and her story weaving was superb. The overall tone, word flow and feel of the story and its main characters were just right up my street!
Speaking of the story, I thought "The Fire" was original, creatively constructed and presented with the appropriate physical, emotional and psychological effects of someone suffering from chronic PTSD as a result of a devastating childhood trauma that persisted throughout her adulthood. Furthermore, I thought Pyland aptly and mindfully handled Ripley's (MC) process of "coming out for air" in the presence of love from its inception to the possibility of a future after years of living under the fog of her trauma. Needless to say, I was enthralled by Ripley's journey which Pyland brilliantly depicted with every stage of the her character development and growth.
Ripley was the lone survivor of a deadly house fire from arson that killed her entire family when she was only 8....
Full commentary here.... In Bugs' Own Words
Speaking of the story, I thought "The Fire" was original, creatively constructed and presented with the appropriate physical, emotional and psychological effects of someone suffering from chronic PTSD as a result of a devastating childhood trauma that persisted throughout her adulthood. Furthermore, I thought Pyland aptly and mindfully handled Ripley's (MC) process of "coming out for air" in the presence of love from its inception to the possibility of a future after years of living under the fog of her trauma. Needless to say, I was enthralled by Ripley's journey which Pyland brilliantly depicted with every stage of the her character development and growth.
Ripley was the lone survivor of a deadly house fire from arson that killed her entire family when she was only 8....
Full commentary here.... In Bugs' Own Words
December 16, 2018
Fantastic. Wow.
April 18, 2021
Another enjoyable Pyland story on Kindle Unlimited. My only issue if after reading this back to back with another of her books The Disappeared I couldn't help but notice a lot of character and story choices that are similar, and I worry her other works just follow the same formula. So maybe others can let me know if that is the case.
It just felt like deja-vu, while the main plot points are different, the characters seemed the same, both books having an antagonistic meeting and then a super quick insta-romance that went into a heap of sex romps very quickly, while the mystery played out. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, but when you've just read exactly the same thing and end up reading it again, you can't help but feel kinda disappointed.
But onto good things! As I said in my other review I haven't read any Pylands works but other review friends sing high praises. I can absolutely see why people praise them. The writing is fantastic, and the situations unique. I loved that there wasn't a huge amount of angst in the relationship. While there is some general upsets and disagreements, as the couple learn to deal with their emotions and sudden insta-relationship after both admit they've never been this committed before - they are all played out rather well, no black moments or bad feels - just acceptance of feelings and encouragement of said feelings with discussion and communication which I sing hallelujah for!
You really feel for Ripley and her situation, and Kenna is so beautifully supportive. I did sometimes feel that sex was used too much, to show their love and resolve issues. But again, I can't really complain.
Solid, well written and emotional tale, I would recommend! Kindle Unlimited.
It just felt like deja-vu, while the main plot points are different, the characters seemed the same, both books having an antagonistic meeting and then a super quick insta-romance that went into a heap of sex romps very quickly, while the mystery played out. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, but when you've just read exactly the same thing and end up reading it again, you can't help but feel kinda disappointed.
But onto good things! As I said in my other review I haven't read any Pylands works but other review friends sing high praises. I can absolutely see why people praise them. The writing is fantastic, and the situations unique. I loved that there wasn't a huge amount of angst in the relationship. While there is some general upsets and disagreements, as the couple learn to deal with their emotions and sudden insta-relationship after both admit they've never been this committed before - they are all played out rather well, no black moments or bad feels - just acceptance of feelings and encouragement of said feelings with discussion and communication which I sing hallelujah for!
You really feel for Ripley and her situation, and Kenna is so beautifully supportive. I did sometimes feel that sex was used too much, to show their love and resolve issues. But again, I can't really complain.
Solid, well written and emotional tale, I would recommend! Kindle Unlimited.
November 11, 2018
Wow ! A very solid 5 for this one! I was quite impressed with the writing and the plot.
November 17, 2019
How is it that I hadn't read Pyland's work until now. Thank you Farah for making sure I read this!! But, damn, this was fun!!
May 31, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
This may be my favorite Nicole Pyland so far 🔥
I loved Everything about it, The writing, The plot, the little mystery, and of course the MCs
What Riplay went through is so heartbreaking and made me cry so many time! My baby deserve the world, watching her healing process and dealing with the everything she went through is amazing, and i am glad Kenna was there to protect and support her
While people may say it’s insta love i say it’s love first sight and it DONE RIGHT ans that’s what matters
Riplay and Kenna relationship is so precious, the way they communicated with each other and figured everything out together is so amazing, they didn’t let anything break them instead they sit down together and TALK and that’s what relationship should be like
What I liked most about them was the light touches when they comforted each other 🥺🥺
I may have liked these moments more than the sex scenes!
And let me tell you! The sex scenes was Fantastic I didn’t expect that! It was definitely a nice surprise 🥵.
She turned to Kenna who smiled at her. “It does feel new in that way all new relationships do, but it also feels like I should have been with her all along. She’s like a missing piece to me.”
This may be my favorite Nicole Pyland so far 🔥
I loved Everything about it, The writing, The plot, the little mystery, and of course the MCs
What Riplay went through is so heartbreaking and made me cry so many time! My baby deserve the world, watching her healing process and dealing with the everything she went through is amazing, and i am glad Kenna was there to protect and support her
“Ripley had, apparently, lost her voice. Kenna would be her voice whenever she needed.”
While people may say it’s insta love i say it’s love first sight and it DONE RIGHT ans that’s what matters
Riplay and Kenna relationship is so precious, the way they communicated with each other and figured everything out together is so amazing, they didn’t let anything break them instead they sit down together and TALK and that’s what relationship should be like
”I didn’t want to fight about it because I don’t want to cause problems for us, Ken. I don’t want this to end.”
“Babe, this isn’t ending because you’re a little messed up. We’re all a little messed up.”
What I liked most about them was the light touches when they comforted each other 🥺🥺
I may have liked these moments more than the sex scenes!
“Ripley’s head made its way to Kenna’s lap. They sat like that, with Kenna playing with her hair and applying soft touches to her skin, for a long time.”
And let me tell you! The sex scenes was Fantastic I didn’t expect that! It was definitely a nice surprise 🥵.
March 23, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
My first book by Nicole Pyland and certainly not the last.
A story about loss and tragedy, about career ambitions and what else life has to offer, to finding love in an unexpected place. What I really liked was that while a few actions were predictable, the MC's reactions to them then don't lead to harsh reactions and disappointment as they mostly do. Ripley and Kenna talk about what happened and they listen to each other and find a solution together. They help each other see what is important and evaluate and process the past and grow from it and stand up for each other.
Fluently written, entertaining, and emotional. A wonderful love story with two down-to-earth, lovely women.
My first book by Nicole Pyland and certainly not the last.
A story about loss and tragedy, about career ambitions and what else life has to offer, to finding love in an unexpected place. What I really liked was that while a few actions were predictable, the MC's reactions to them then don't lead to harsh reactions and disappointment as they mostly do. Ripley and Kenna talk about what happened and they listen to each other and find a solution together. They help each other see what is important and evaluate and process the past and grow from it and stand up for each other.
Fluently written, entertaining, and emotional. A wonderful love story with two down-to-earth, lovely women.
February 1, 2023
I have read some lesbian romance novels that had a lot of sex scenes and I found myself skipping some and felt distracted from the plot. Not in this one. First of all I was amazed how well the sizzling hot sex here worked as a fantastic plot device, as it gave the reasons and impulses to the charater's emotional development.
The other thing that sets this book apart, is that not once one or the other of the lovers leaves or even threatens to leave, althoug the plot gives more than just one instance, in which another writer would have tried to create tension by moving the protagonists apart. Not so here, both ladies stick with one another through even the most difficult situations, sure to know exactly who the partner is they want for life and why.
The story itself has a rather harsh topic and two wonderful characters who time and time again find a way to help each other through the experience. I never thought such a "heavy" story could have such an icrediby cute end. The last scene before the epilogue is one of the cutest I have ever read!
A read I well and truly enjoyed a lot and do warmly recommend!
The other thing that sets this book apart, is that not once one or the other of the lovers leaves or even threatens to leave, althoug the plot gives more than just one instance, in which another writer would have tried to create tension by moving the protagonists apart. Not so here, both ladies stick with one another through even the most difficult situations, sure to know exactly who the partner is they want for life and why.
The story itself has a rather harsh topic and two wonderful characters who time and time again find a way to help each other through the experience. I never thought such a "heavy" story could have such an icrediby cute end. The last scene before the epilogue is one of the cutest I have ever read!
A read I well and truly enjoyed a lot and do warmly recommend!
October 18, 2018
I loved the dialogue. Loved the characters. Loved the story. Also, I'm a bit prudish and tend to skim quickly through intimate scenes in most books. But for some reason I couldn't do that with this one.
March 14, 2019
Wow!! Did I love this one or what. A real emotional rollercoaster & as an ex Social worker was I there or what! Might have to sit down & read it all again. Superb. Thanks Nicole - all six read have 5* - except your short stories!!
January 15, 2019
A worthu read
I really like Pyland's books and believe I have read all of them that have been available on kU. I was honestly going to pass on this book and I won't lie at the beginning I was going to stop reading because Ken was annoying the heck out of me when she was badgering Ripley but as I read I liked them both more and more. The story is a good one and the character developlent of the two MCs was done very well individually and as a couple. I know this was about the Fox fire but I would have liked more of glimpse in Rip's Child Whispering skill and maybe more drama in Ken's reporting work situation. Regardless, it is a solid read with little drama and a lot of love :)
I really like Pyland's books and believe I have read all of them that have been available on kU. I was honestly going to pass on this book and I won't lie at the beginning I was going to stop reading because Ken was annoying the heck out of me when she was badgering Ripley but as I read I liked them both more and more. The story is a good one and the character developlent of the two MCs was done very well individually and as a couple. I know this was about the Fox fire but I would have liked more of glimpse in Rip's Child Whispering skill and maybe more drama in Ken's reporting work situation. Regardless, it is a solid read with little drama and a lot of love :)
October 11, 2018
This is my first book by Nicole Pyland and I enjoed it a lot!
"The Fire" is a well-written romance, has a good dose of humour and amazing main characters, Ripley and Kenna, but it was also hard to read at times, given Rip's background story.
I liked Ripley a lot, for how sensitive and shy she was before meeting Kenna and all the changes that happened to her character once they became closer. I also liked Kenna and how persistent, protective and attentive she was towards Ripley. The communication between main characters was great, so was the banter between Kenna and her sister.
The book is full of amazing sex scenes, really hot and creative. I actually think that I've found my new favourite author who manages to write steamy hot scenes in a great amount and quality without being repetitive.
Overall, it is a very sweet romance with likable characters. I'm looking forward to reading more books by the author!
"The Fire" is a well-written romance, has a good dose of humour and amazing main characters, Ripley and Kenna, but it was also hard to read at times, given Rip's background story.
I liked Ripley a lot, for how sensitive and shy she was before meeting Kenna and all the changes that happened to her character once they became closer. I also liked Kenna and how persistent, protective and attentive she was towards Ripley. The communication between main characters was great, so was the banter between Kenna and her sister.
The book is full of amazing sex scenes, really hot and creative. I actually think that I've found my new favourite author who manages to write steamy hot scenes in a great amount and quality without being repetitive.
Overall, it is a very sweet romance with likable characters. I'm looking forward to reading more books by the author!
December 19, 2018
I really enjoyed this one. This story is about Ripley and Kenna. Ripley became an orphan at age 8 after her entire family died in a fire. She is now 28 and is a social worker. She decided she wanted to help children because she grew up in the system. Kenna is an investigative Reporter who sorta has commitment issues because she has focused more on her career than her love life.
Before Kenna and Ripley meet we already know that Kenna finds Ripley attractive. She decides she wants to do a story on Ripley for a few reason. She is intrigued by the fact that Ripley is a child whisperer (my term). She also wants to know more about What happened the night of the fire. Kenna also just has that feeling that there is more. Anywho....Ripley isn’t feeling Kenna doing a story on her. She is however attracted to Kenna.
I really liked the interaction between Kenna and Ripley. Ripley shuts Kenna down but eventually because Ripley is attracted to her she goes out with Kenna. The chemistry is WOW! As the story evolves, the sex is WOW. YEAH WOW!!! i remember from the second Chicago series that Pyland knows how to write a sex scene whew! The fire has alot of good sex scenes
Now with those things said, i really liked the story line. I like how the two MCs interacted. I love how Kenna took care of Ripley. I loved how the story of figuring out who started the fire (just the right amount of suspense). I really like how Ripley evolved. There was only one thing that bothered me. I felt the love connection moved to fast for Kenna. She is older and has decided that her career is more important. Her mindset just doesn’t fit a person who would be this ready after such a short amount of time.
I rate this one a 4.25.
Before Kenna and Ripley meet we already know that Kenna finds Ripley attractive. She decides she wants to do a story on Ripley for a few reason. She is intrigued by the fact that Ripley is a child whisperer (my term). She also wants to know more about What happened the night of the fire. Kenna also just has that feeling that there is more. Anywho....Ripley isn’t feeling Kenna doing a story on her. She is however attracted to Kenna.
I really liked the interaction between Kenna and Ripley. Ripley shuts Kenna down but eventually because Ripley is attracted to her she goes out with Kenna. The chemistry is WOW! As the story evolves, the sex is WOW. YEAH WOW!!! i remember from the second Chicago series that Pyland knows how to write a sex scene whew! The fire has alot of good sex scenes
Now with those things said, i really liked the story line. I like how the two MCs interacted. I love how Kenna took care of Ripley. I loved how the story of figuring out who started the fire (just the right amount of suspense). I really like how Ripley evolved. There was only one thing that bothered me. I felt the love connection moved to fast for Kenna. She is older and has decided that her career is more important. Her mindset just doesn’t fit a person who would be this ready after such a short amount of time.
I rate this one a 4.25.
November 18, 2024
I enjoyed this so much that I ended up binge-listening to it. The story was unique with the mystery to trying to find the perpetrator.
There was a lot of sex but the scenes weren’t really sensuous. They reminded me of another book by this author, Voyeur, where the sex was matter of factly commentated on. Voyeur was much more sensuous than this one that had none-to-very-little seductive quality.
None of that really mattered because I loved the book. The narrator was good, although maybe she was the problem with the description of the sexual scenes.
There was a lot of sex but the scenes weren’t really sensuous. They reminded me of another book by this author, Voyeur, where the sex was matter of factly commentated on. Voyeur was much more sensuous than this one that had none-to-very-little seductive quality.
None of that really mattered because I loved the book. The narrator was good, although maybe she was the problem with the description of the sexual scenes.
September 21, 2018
Couldn't put it down
I'm going to have a very rough day at work today because I started this book last night and got very little sleep because I read the book cover to cover. I couldn't put it down for more than a quick couple of minutes at a time.
I wasn't sure about the plot description to this story; a family being killed in a fire sounds horrible. I've thoroughly enjoyed every single book this author has written though, so I didn't hesitate in purchasing it. I wasn't disappointed. The story is excellent. I loved both main characters. Ripley is strong and amazing and Kenna is the same. I found myself in tears at one point, not because of the story of the fire, but because of something incredible Kenna does for Ripley. Their relationship is beautiful. Kenna is a dream come true kind of partner.
This story is well written, well edited, and frankly I'd give it six stars if I could. Fantastic job.
I'm going to have a very rough day at work today because I started this book last night and got very little sleep because I read the book cover to cover. I couldn't put it down for more than a quick couple of minutes at a time.
I wasn't sure about the plot description to this story; a family being killed in a fire sounds horrible. I've thoroughly enjoyed every single book this author has written though, so I didn't hesitate in purchasing it. I wasn't disappointed. The story is excellent. I loved both main characters. Ripley is strong and amazing and Kenna is the same. I found myself in tears at one point, not because of the story of the fire, but because of something incredible Kenna does for Ripley. Their relationship is beautiful. Kenna is a dream come true kind of partner.
This story is well written, well edited, and frankly I'd give it six stars if I could. Fantastic job.
dnf
March 30, 2020For whatever reason the chemistry is just not there for me between the MCs. I guess I didn't get enough story to understand what the compelling attraction was between them other than they are both good looking. Please don't let my review stop you from trying it as I am overwhelmingly in the minority. Just for one reason or another this book and I are not connecting and it's probably me. :)
September 29, 2022
”You love all of me. You don’t try to fix me. You don’t force me to do things I’m not ready for. You’re there for me, and you just love me.”
5 stars. This book had me hooked right from the prologue. It was a great and intense opener to the book. I’ve been meaning to read Pyland’s books for a while now and I think this was the perfect place to start. The writing is fantastic, the plot was great with some mystery thrown in and the romance.
Ugh, that romance between Ripley and Kenna was everything. I loved it so much. I loved their chemistry and how they communicated with each other. There’s no third act break up which I’m always happy when that trope is avoided. Doesn’t mean there wasn’t conflict and drama going on because there definitely was. I adored how patient and supportive Kenna was of Ripley but she also never let Ripley get in her head and push her away when things got tough. They worked through all of their obstacles because Kenna fought for their relationship and I loved that about her. Ripley’s character development was superb and I was so proud of her by the end. Watching her work through her grief and trauma was fascinating and I think handled with care by the author. What she went through as a child and losing her family in that manner was heartbreaking to read and I just wanted to hug her. I loved Kenna for her and their HEA.
Side note, I was not expecting all of the spice that this book has. Hot damn! It’s abundant and so well written. Each scene was hotter than the last. If this is how all of Pyland’s books get down then sign me the hell up immediately!
5 stars. This book had me hooked right from the prologue. It was a great and intense opener to the book. I’ve been meaning to read Pyland’s books for a while now and I think this was the perfect place to start. The writing is fantastic, the plot was great with some mystery thrown in and the romance.
Ugh, that romance between Ripley and Kenna was everything. I loved it so much. I loved their chemistry and how they communicated with each other. There’s no third act break up which I’m always happy when that trope is avoided. Doesn’t mean there wasn’t conflict and drama going on because there definitely was. I adored how patient and supportive Kenna was of Ripley but she also never let Ripley get in her head and push her away when things got tough. They worked through all of their obstacles because Kenna fought for their relationship and I loved that about her. Ripley’s character development was superb and I was so proud of her by the end. Watching her work through her grief and trauma was fascinating and I think handled with care by the author. What she went through as a child and losing her family in that manner was heartbreaking to read and I just wanted to hug her. I loved Kenna for her and their HEA.
Side note, I was not expecting all of the spice that this book has. Hot damn! It’s abundant and so well written. Each scene was hotter than the last. If this is how all of Pyland’s books get down then sign me the hell up immediately!
October 20, 2018
The Fire had potential.
I really like Nicole Pyland's work. She's an amazing author. This book started off so amazingly good! The only reason I gave this 3 stars, was because the Fire could have been so much more. I think I expected more. Maybe that's not fair. In the beginning it felt as if it was going to be a mystery possibly even suspenseful. I thought maybe the at arsonist would come after Ripley and Kenna would save her and in turn, discover the arsonist. Perhaps Beverly Wilks would try to kill Ripley to protect her son. Like I said, maybe my rating is unfair, but I'm my defense I was disappointed.
I really like Nicole Pyland's work. She's an amazing author. This book started off so amazingly good! The only reason I gave this 3 stars, was because the Fire could have been so much more. I think I expected more. Maybe that's not fair. In the beginning it felt as if it was going to be a mystery possibly even suspenseful. I thought maybe the at arsonist would come after Ripley and Kenna would save her and in turn, discover the arsonist. Perhaps Beverly Wilks would try to kill Ripley to protect her son. Like I said, maybe my rating is unfair, but I'm my defense I was disappointed.
August 28, 2022
If ever there is a true love story this is it! Ripley and Kenna are made for each other. They give each other strength. Ripley grew up in the foster care system after losing her family in a fire. Kenna is an investigative reporter. She finds out about how Ripley was in the system and became a social worker. She wants to do a story about her, but Ripley doesn't want anything to do with it. And that is how the love story begins.
I devoured this book and you will too. 5 stars!
I devoured this book and you will too. 5 stars!
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November 20, 2022The Fire
Nicole Pyland is extremely talented. She tells an amazing story that was intriguing since the first page. I loved the chemistry and the low angst. I look forward to coming back to this book in the future as well as any additional books that comes our way.
Nicole Pyland is extremely talented. She tells an amazing story that was intriguing since the first page. I loved the chemistry and the low angst. I look forward to coming back to this book in the future as well as any additional books that comes our way.
September 15, 2024
Romantic mystery
I haven't been interested in romantic novels for some time, but I was hoping this would be more of a suspense/thriller. The MCs have great chemistry and the plot and pacing are good. It didn't seem to have a final, dead-sure purpose for the arson and murders, though. The abnormal behaviors and evidence against the arsonist lock in the conviction, but I didn't get a "why."
I know this is part of a series, but I saw that the next book in the series has different characters. I didn't look into them enough to see if they are standalone novels. My preference is for a series with the same characters, however, the Fox County series has crossover characters, and I like that, too. I will read the remaining books, but not right away.
I haven't been interested in romantic novels for some time, but I was hoping this would be more of a suspense/thriller. The MCs have great chemistry and the plot and pacing are good. It didn't seem to have a final, dead-sure purpose for the arson and murders, though. The abnormal behaviors and evidence against the arsonist lock in the conviction, but I didn't get a "why."
I know this is part of a series, but I saw that the next book in the series has different characters. I didn't look into them enough to see if they are standalone novels. My preference is for a series with the same characters, however, the Fox County series has crossover characters, and I like that, too. I will read the remaining books, but not right away.
September 4, 2020
The story is great. Ripley, social worker, I didn't feel was written as completely as Kenna, reporter. Ripley's emotion, and even physical description, That just felt lacking through the whole book
January 31, 2022
3.5 stars
Solid if predictable romance.
Solid if predictable romance.
February 1, 2023
Read in a couple days
Very good read. Ripley has gone through so much in her life with the fire and living in foster care. Living in the past but not looking into the fire, she lives on with nightmares. It takes an investigative reporter Kennan to turn things upside down and dig into Rip's past to help with some closure while their feelings ignite, and the heat is all around very spicy.
Very good read. Ripley has gone through so much in her life with the fire and living in foster care. Living in the past but not looking into the fire, she lives on with nightmares. It takes an investigative reporter Kennan to turn things upside down and dig into Rip's past to help with some closure while their feelings ignite, and the heat is all around very spicy.
March 12, 2019
A friend recommended this story after I read ‘The Disappeared’ and I thought this was the better of the two by the author. Both stories were interesting but this was just put together better. It was a better balance of story telling. Solid 4 stars for me.
September 26, 2018
A must read!
As usual Nicole Pyland did not disappoint. Absolutely loved this book and everything about it. The story was great, the characters were beautifully written, and the sex scenes were HOT!
As usual Nicole Pyland did not disappoint. Absolutely loved this book and everything about it. The story was great, the characters were beautifully written, and the sex scenes were HOT!
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