Jude's Sweet Fire

Savannah Heat #1

by Jessica McBrayer

A strong and sexy NHL captain.
An independent southern woman who unknowingly steals his heart.
A ruthless stalker who’ll stop at nothing to prevent their Happily Ever After.

When Jude Christensen, the Captain of the Savannah Heat hockey team, sets out on his morning run, he has no way of knowing that this particular run will change his life forever. Rescuing a tattered kitten from a feral dog leads him to meet Dr. Megan James, the captivating veterinarian who treats the cat, and catches his eye.

Megan wonders about the man who doesn't hesitate to pay for the treatment of a kitten that wasn’t even his own and as fate continues to throw them together, Jude and Megan explore their mutual attraction.

But when Megan becomes the target of a stalker who doesn’t like the attention she is getting from the handsome Captain who dominates on the ice, things take a sinister turn. The stalker will stop at nothing to keep Jude away from “his” Megan. As the danger increases, Megan refuses to be intimidated, and Jude must find a way to save her life as he earns her heart.

Genres: Romance, Hockey, Contemporary, Sports, Hockey Romance, Amazon, Sports Romance

282 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 18, 2019

About the author

Jessica McBrayer lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family. She enjoys reading voraciously as well as writing and is often daydreaming about her next book. A die-hard San Jose Sharks fan, you can find her during hockey season wearing her favorite player’s name on the back of her jersey and yelling at the TV. She never wants to find out what the world would be like without hockey in it.

You can connect with Jessica by emailing jessica@jessicamcbrayer.com

***Join Jessica's Bookinistas Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/56862...

*Follow Jessica on Instagram @jessica.mcbrayer *

*Follow Jessica on Facebook @JessicaMcBrayerAuthor *

Be sure to visit www.jessicamcbrayer.com for info on new releases, bonus material and inside information on characters from Jessica’s books.

Don’t miss Jessica’s next book, Jude Sweet Fire - the first book in her new series, Savannah Heat, a hockey romance series chock-full of hunky men, the women that steal their hearts, and all the best feels.

Reviews

["Avonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out all of my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com

JUDE’S SWEET FIRE (A Savannah Heat Hockey Romance Book One) by Jessica McBrayer is the first book in a new series of contemporary romances by a new to me author featuring Savannah Heat NHL hockey players.

Jude Christensen is the captain of the Savannah Heat NHL hockey team. On a morning run, he rescues a kitten being attacked by a feral dog. He runs all the way to the veterinary clinic he passes on his route to see if the kitten can be saved. He meets Dr. Megan James and asks her to save the kitten at any cost.

Dr. Megan James is intrigued by the gorgeous man who is willing to pay for the surgery of a kitten that does not even belong to him. She is able to save the Maine coon kitten which Jude names “Gordie Howe”. Even though Megan is not looking for a relationship, fate continues to bring them together.

As the press tries to identify the mystery woman with Jude, someone else is watching their growing relationship, also. Megan thought she was done with an abusive ex-boyfriend, but he is not happy that she has found someone new.

As the danger escalates, Megan refuses to be intimidated and hide from the life she has built for herself. Jude will do anything to find a way to protect and save her, but will it be enough?

I loved Jude and Megan together! Jude is so sweet with Gordie Howe and how can you not love a man who loves animals while also being considerate, hot and sexy. Megan is a combination of grit, determination and a loving heart so her father’s nickname of “Sweet Fire” is very appropriate. The sex scenes are smokin’ hot and explicit, but I never felt they were gratuitous. Their relationship does move quickly, but that is due to the danger posed by Megan’s ex.

Ms. McBrayer writes realistic dialogue that had me laughing out loud and blushing with the characters. The plot escalates in pace along with the increased suspense. I also, enjoyed that the suspense climax was resolved before the very end of the book, so the HEA is not quickly written into the ending.

This is an enjoyable romance read that left me satisfied, but also interested in reading the next book in the series.

[Tricia Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read and reviewed an ARC copy for an honest review on behalf of Everything Marie http://everythingmarie.com

Jude- Sweet fire- the title is perfect!! There is sweet and boy is there fire! Humor, danger, sexy chemistry, ... it’s all here!!

Jude- sexy NHL captain... who has a sweet mushy side right off the bat- he sure won my heart right away with his actions on saving a stray cat that was near death- then it just gets hotter when he steps into the vets office ... chemistry sizzles between Megan and him right away-
Their chemistry was so strong, but fear gets in their way. Megan has a dark past that follows her around- Jude is clueless to it until fire strikes- He wants nothing but to keep Megan safe- She is frightened it will all push him away but it does the complete opposite-

So much more unfolds in their story along with other characters that are just simply amazing!

Definitely a must read!

[Bibliophile Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new to me author and I was excited when I read the blurb.

This is the story of Jude and Megan.

Their chemistry was amazing, and it was a insta love that gets me every time.

I will admit there was some hiccups with the flow of the story but overall it was sweet and fiery which makes the title really mean something.

I like the suspense element, the bit of a scare and angst that really brings a story home for me.

The secondary characters bring a lot to this story and I believe it was a good set up for continuing stories set in the Savannah Heat hockey world.

I received an ARC for an honest review. I am also hoping that this means that it still has some final edits, there was some continuity errors that kind of threw me.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had an interesting blurb that caught my attention and while the plot was indeed interesting, the book seemed to drag a bit for me and seemed too drawn out. I liked the characters and it was an okay read but not one of my favorites. Maybe because I still had a book hangover from my previous read! I would still suggest it if you like hockey romances. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (4/2/2021)! 🎁

[Becky Burciaga · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting plot with a charged chemistry clearly evident in the main and secondary characters. At times the characters seems flat, lacking distinct personalities, yet other times they were quite dynamic. The dialog flowed well enough, dragging at times with extraneous tidbits that only served to lengthen the story. All in all, a promising start to a new series.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

[Marieke ~ Marieke's Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meeting ‘The One’ can happen in the weirdest of places. Rescuing a kitten and bringing him to the vet certainly falls in that category in my opinion. Jude’s Sweet Fire tells the charming story of Jude and Megan, I love them together.

Jude is a hockey player, captain to his young team. He’s a good guy, who takes his job and his responsibilities very serious. His family lives back in Norway, but they’re still very close. Jude’s last relationship left him a bit wounded, and all he needs these days are hockey and renovating his own house. Megan has had a very bad experience with men, swearing them off for the foreseeable future. Building her vet practice is her main priority right now and takes a lot of time. One tiny little wounded kitten however, changes all of Jude and Megan’s plans in the best way.

There’s only one word to describe Jude; swoon. He’s a big, sweet guy who doesn’t have a bad bone in his body. Of course, he’s human and therefore has made a few mistakes like we all do, but he’s just amazing. It’s not very strange that skittish Megan falls for him big time, and that Jude is an animal lover like herself, only adds to the appeal. Megan has a horrible ordeal with her ex, and I’m so happy for her that she found her Jude. They are an amazing couple who deserve all the happiness in the world.

Jude’s Sweet Fire is my very first read by Jessica McBrayer, and I love it. It’s also the first book in the ‘Savannah Heat Series’, following a hockey team and its players. Therefore, you get a lot of sports beside the romance. I love how the author has written Jude, Megan and their relationship. It’s sweet and not over the top. There happen some bad things (otherwise the story would be a bit boring), but Jude and Megan are a solid couple. I’m happy I picked up this book by a new-for-me author, it certainly isn’t my last book by her.


www.mariekesbooks.com

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who doesn't love Hockey Romance? This trope is my favorite of the sports genres. Jude's Sweet Fire is the first book in a brand-new series from author Jessica McBrayer. While this book is sweet and has likable characters, there is also a suspense aspect which gives the book the push it needed not to be boring.

Jude is the captain for the Savannah Heat and Megan is currently a veterinarian. Jude is not the alpha you would expect from a hockey player. I would say his persona is more gentlemanly. He is a loyal, considerate and protective man. Jude loves his family and his attraction to Megan brings his protectiveness to the forefront. This book has some dark moments caused by the suspense going on. I don't want to give anything away so I really can't say more about that.

Megan is a sweet woman. She truly loves her job and her heart swells with love when it comes to the animals she cares for. This says a lot about her character. Megan has danger following her but luckily for her, she finds herself receiving the attention from a gorgeous, protective hockey player. And while experiences from her past are telling her to keep to herself when it comes to men and relationships, there is something safe when it comes to Jude in addition to making her heart soar. I will say that Megan was very lucky to have Jude come into her life when he did.

This book is written well and flows nicely. Because this is the first in a series, the author introduces us to quite a few characters. These secondary characters gave the book more depth and has definitely piqued my curiosity as to what is coming next in the series. I'll definitely be looking out for more.

This is my honest and unbiased review. Thank you for taking the time to read it. :)

[Diane Lynch Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jessica McBrayer heats things up with JUDE'S SWEET FIRE (Savannah Heat #1). NHL star, Jude Christensen rescues a kitten. He rushes it to the vet where he meets Dr. Megan James. He attempts to get her to go out with him. Simultaneously, Megan’s ex is out of prison for the attempt of murder, and he found her. This story takes place in Savannah, Georgia. It is suitable for adult readers.

I love both hockey and animals, so this book was perfect for me. I love that the kitten Jude rescues is a Maine Coon. I have a Maine Coon. They are great cats. I thought it was appropriate that he named him Gordie. The name suited him.

I liked Jude and Megan. Jude is brave and persistent. Megan is smart and a fighter. The two have great chemistry. Megan’s ex, Charles, made a good antagonist. He added suspense and drama to the story.

This is the first book that I have read by Jessica McBrayer. I enjoyed her writing style. The plot was skillfully executed. There were interesting twists in the story. It was believable and well laid out. The novel had a great ending that felt properly concluded. I look forward to Xander’s and Rachel’s story, WINTER’S WARMTH. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

[Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the characters and the plot isn't bad, but the writing style isn't my taste. Better than OK, enough to round up, but not a super solid 3 star either.

Jude (H) is still a fairly recent transplant to Savannah, the captain of the new hockey team. Megan (h) is a local vet. Their paths cross when he rescues a stray kitten on his morning run and brings it into her clinic. Their paths keep crossing (or colliding), and Jude looks forward to seeing where their chemistry goes. Megan, however, is dealing with a threat from her past who's once again in her life. Will their connection be able to grow, or will her stalker keep them apart?

I liked the characters. I liked having an intelligent h who - when she's in danger - actually acts like she's in danger and respects the input of the professionals. Like asking the team if boutique or mall shopping would be easier/safer. Compared to TSTL h characters like the lead in Fear Inc Volume 1, it's refreshing. And I liked how patient Jude was. Yes, there's some steam and definite chemistry, but he's willing to be patient while she's dealing with the stalker (and later with recovering from the fallout - which, BTW, big plus for seeking therapy after the attack, and even bigger plus for Jude seeking help too. Yay for Hs who are willing to work through issues!). I liked the teams of friends on both sides - no one too annoying, all good relationships, and several future books hinted at with other characters.

This is a new to me author, though, and it was really the writing style which dropped stars for me. The pacing was weird. We got soooooooooooooo many minute details about daily life that it threw the pacing of the suspense and the romance off. Like after the shooting - someone's in the hospital, the leads are worried about the stalker escalating, and the suspense is building. Or it should be. Instead we get a long step-by-step dinner about Jude trying cheese grits for the first time. Brought the building suspense to a standstill. And the whole book is like that. We get tons of details about clothes and food, for example. We probably were told every time she took her boot on or off. We not only get him grilling the salmon, but also soaking the plank before grilling. I'm surprised we didn't get a step-by-step of her homemade dill mayo. Some of these details are good - give us a sense of the characters, flesh them out - but it was just too much for me.

And it was all in first person, which I normally don't mind if the characters are likable (like they are here). But here, lots of sentences begin with "I [verbed]". It was like an elementary school paper giving instructions. You know the one: "First I took the bread out of the pantry. I took the peanut butter out too. I grabbed the grape jelly instead of the strawberry this time. I reached into the drawer for a knife." There were paragraphs where literally 8 of 10 sentences began with "I [verbed]." It made for a very clunky style.

The editing was OK, for the most part. One 3rd person/1st person mistake (a personal pet peeve, so those always stick out for me). And quite a lot of comma issues - missing or extras or in the wrong place. Not frequent enough to be truly frustrating, but common enough that I was noticing that I regularly had to reread sentences to figure out what was going on.

Alternating 1st person POV. No cheating, no love triangle, no OW/OM drama (stalker storyline is above and beyond). Decent characters in a fairly stereotypical plot (a few of my favorite tropes, though). The writing style wasn't totally my taste. Too many details derailing the flow of the story, and way too many sentences beginning with I. Slightly abrupt ending chapter covering quite a lot of time after the climax. After so many tedious details in the rest of the book, it felt rushed. Still, they did get their HEA and a look down the road. No cliffhanger.

Would I read more in the series? Or by the author? Maybe. If it's another KU or free Kindle find, then more likely. There are other hockey team series I love more, but I wouldn't avoid the Heat either. Not one I'd seek out, though - just not a huge fan of the style.

[Robin Reviewer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not great - read on KU

I live in Savannah and love reading series set here. Ms. McBrayer did an excellent job with getting details about the city, specifically, right. The only thing not correct is Savannah is no where big enough to carry a NHL team.

While she did get the location details right, she missed some other things. This is small, but things added up. Jude says he just turns on his AC at bedtime. In 90 degree heat, it takes hours to cool a house down. And no one, especially an athlete that probably runs hot, would tolerate the heat of the day in a house without AC when they have it and can afford the power bill. Also, you save money by keeping the thermostat at the same temp. It wouldn't save money to only turn it on at night and would be more wear on the unit. The only time you would so this is during early spring and late fall. There's about a 2 week period in each when it's cool enough to open the windows, but most people don't because everyone has allergies to the wide variety of pollen that is at the highest in spring and fall.

Another thing is the vet charges him $5K for the surgery on the cat. A single simple surgery wouldn't cost this much, even with a day or two or boarding, the meds, x-rays, etc. And most vets give discounts for animals that were strays that someone is taking in.

She seems to make some generalizations about the south. She seems to think everyone here listens to country music and eats grits. I know fewer people who don't do either of those things than people who do. Inside of the city, country music would be less likely. One county over, you probably would find more country music fans.

The book is just badly written. The dialogue is cheesy. This reads like someone's first book, but it isn't. There are some editing errors that were missed, including a formatting issue. There are a few chapters that don't transition smoothly from ine to the next.

I like Jude and the other characters. This is a little too instalove for me. I don't mind instalove, but they were saying I love you to each other in under a week or so.

I liked that the drama is with an outside protagonist. I prefer the couple against the world stance instead of drama between the two MCs. The stalker seemed to escalate quickly at one point. Seems like he skipped some steps.

I'll turn on my highlights in Goodreads to demonstrate some of the things that aren't realistic and some of the editing errors.

I'm going to read the 2nd book to see if it is any better only because the series is based in Savannnah. I will ditch the series and the author after that if the book isn't a lot better. I really can't recommend the book u less you live in Savannah and are curious. And I definitely don't recommend reading it outside of KU.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I live hockey romance books and this one was great with good twists too. My big complaint was the story just kind of stopped. It wrapped up and there wasn’t a cliffhanger but it didn’t really wrap it up if that makes sense. It would be one thing if the characters were going to have a book two but book two will be different main characters so I would have liked a bit more of a resolution for them than what they got.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an okay read, the blurb is good and that's what attracted me. It is sugary sweet at times but there is a place for that, I just don't think I was receptive enough. The story may be a little slow. I hated that someone would go to the lengths her ex went to and glad she had someone looking out for her. The cat held the story together and then is a happy ever after although I thought the ending was a little abrupt.

[Norma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful Story

This story about Hockey player Jude, & Megan the woman he met at a coffee shop was truly exciting story. A lot of emotions. Jude wasn't interested in a relationship, & Megan just got out of a bad relationship, yet the feelings that had for each other grew strong real fast. This story was exciting & kept you on the edge of your seat. This is a new author to me & thoroughly enjoyed this story.

[Slick · Rating 2 out of 5]

For me this book was too long, too descriptive of mundane every day activities. I felt like the incidents with Megan’s ex dragged on and were a bit over the top, not to mention the fact they had top of the line security that this amateur, stockbroker guy was able to get the better of, it just didn’t ring true. I’m not a fan of angst, but the relationship between Jude and Megan just seemed bland, and frankly uninteresting.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Beginning!

A really good start to the series and I hope each book gets better! This story is a reality for many women and I think everyone should be reminded that life is not always what you see first hand. Great interaction between lovers and animal lovers, of which we should all be both!

[Marc F Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Abrupt ending

Storyline was good with interesting characters and engaging tension. But the characters stayed superficial and the dialogue often seemed stilted. The book needed another read by an editor. The ending was week;it felt like the author ran out of steam or interest and just wanted to be done with the book!

[Ann Tosti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the story and the characters but there are sections where it felt like I was reading a grocery list of actions- boring and tedious. Also, the formatting drove me buts (no break or even change of fonts to mark a new chapter- the heading of each chapter blended in with the story lines).

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay read

An okay read that had the potential to be great but it started waning a bit half way through. Didn’t like the friends calling the father daddy James, seemed weird to me. Abrupt ending considering the mayhem. Was just okay.

[Meryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay read.

I liked the bare bones of the story. Hero and heroine meet after he saves a kitten and she is the vet. There is the added intrigue and suspense of a stalker.
For me the writing was quite ‘stilted’, like maybe reading a journal and not a flowing story.

[Crystal · Rating 2 out of 5]

The storyline was very promising!!!! I just could not get over the style of writing. It was very formal and I tried a few times to get back into the groove. Give it a go if you want to learn about a stalker, pro hockey player, and a vet, in one book!

[Dray Hack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super Sweet

Jude is definitely one of my favorite book boyfriends. He is so sweet and caring and I can't forget protective. I love Megan's strength as well. I have definitely reread this book. The hockey elements were also awesome.

[Dawn Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Read!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read the novella. I really enjoy hockey romances and this one just made me happy!

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. I got really bored midway thru the book

[Becky Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book

I really loved this story. Jude and Megan were so sweet together.I look forward to reading the rest of this series

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Kathryn Munsell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

Excitement, danger, sweetness, animals, friendship and then there is live. Oh my just a really good book! Give it a read.

[Elaine Barker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good look at hockey players

Well written but a little short and didn't tell as much as I would have liked. Not much sex either.

[VoraciousReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very sweet. 2.5 stars

[Nicola · Rating 5 out of 5]

interesting book

It was a really good read, with great story lines and characters. Definitely a few good laughs in this book.