Zander's Firecracker

The Holiday Firecrackers #1

by Ember Flint

In this Protective Alpha Billionaire Older Man & Curvy Beauty Romance

Zander Markos is a commanding neat-freak who likes things in perfect order… until he meets a certain little firecracker and she messes everything up.

34-year-old, strait-laced, straight-faced Zander Markos is a lawyer who never cracks a smile if he can help it. As one of the heirs to the ubiquitous and all-powerful Markos Inc’s empire, no one could argue with him if he’d say he has no time to even think of having fun, let alone actually do such a mundane thing.
In light of all of this, it remains a mystery why his brother thought it would be a good idea to put him —a no-nonsense, micromanaging, security freak— in charge of overseeing the preparations for the company’s July 4th retreat and beach party at their estate on Lake Tahoe. And yet here he is, neck-deep in organizing funny family-friendly activities within an inch of their lives, until there’s no fun left whatsoever in them.
Of course, any Independence Day party worth its name’s got to have a firework display and the Markos must have only the absolute best. And therein lies the problem, because ‘the absolute best’ this time is not what Zander expected.

24-year-old Alexandra ‘Alexa’ Tinley may be short compared to most kids, let alone adults, but she’s a tough spitfire through and through. She’s been ‘one of the boys’ all of her life and still has the mouth and scrapping abilities to prove it.
She could not tidy a room if her life depended on it because she’s in constant motion and wherever she goes, disorder rules, but when it comes to her art no one could say she’s not the absolute best.

A man and a woman can’t get any more different than these two: he’s order, she’s chaos, he’s ice, she’s fire, he’s Scotch neat and she’s… nitroglycerine, and yet they can’t look away. The explosion is inevitable.
This little voluptuous nuclear firecracker might have ‘handle-with-care’ written all over her, but she’s still the spark he was missing and he’s the tether she didn’t know she needed.


Dear Reader:

Man, these two are gonna butt head!
But don’t worry: it won’t last much since Zander and Alexa are only safe from each other if they stay away from each other, which they don’t, because… duh: this is one of my books so that’s never gonna happen!

This is a quick, fun, steamy novella.
Here’s what you get is:
NO-cheating
NO OW/OM drama
A passion that’s gonna set the summer sky on fire with a white-hot display you won’t forget.
As always, your sugary shot of guaranteed Happily-Ever-After is included in the kit, but do bring your own safety-goggles!


*Please note that ‘Zander’s Firecracker is part of ‘The Holiday Firecrackers’
collection of standalone books brought to you by some of your favorite insta-love romance authors out there.

Genres: Contemporary

107 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 27, 2020

About the author

USA Today Bestselling Author Ember Flint is a hopeless romantic who loves tea, steamy unrealistic reads, and anything colored or scented lavender. She believes in love-at-first-sight and has been your HEA-Defender since 2017.
She writes sinfully-sweet feel-good stories with a happily-ever-after-guaranteed and NO-cheating-allowed where the romance is over-the-top, the sizzle-factor is always high and the men are rough, dirty-talking hunky Alphas who are possessively-in-love with the curvy and sassy AF all-around women that they cherish.


She loves hearing from readers—be sure to check out her website emberflint.com or the back matter of her books for ways to connect and find out more about her upcoming projects.

Get all my links in one place: linktr.ee/emberflintauthor

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful love story. Steamy and so romantic. I loved Zander and Alexa. She is so sassy and he is a sexy lawyer. The detailed future epilogues with 5 kids and pregnant heroine melted my heart! Safety: virgin heroine, celibate hero. I highly recommend this book!

[♡Tonya♡]

DNF - 20% into a book this short and the hero and heroine still haven’t met

[Darlene I read WAY to many books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast pace novella with some steam.

Zander is what we call a workaholic control freak who has to have his way and alittle cold. Even his brother tells him to chill out. And he's already a pain in the butt to Alexa who is doing his family firework show, the emails and stuff has her already painting him as a rich douche and when they meet face to face fireworks exploed between them. Even if she tries to keep the distance thats a no from Zander he finally found his happiness and hes going after it. It takes him a few tries to get his woman to see ;) but its quick.

No ow/om drama, no cheating, slight secondary character, sexy times, virgin gal and no manwhore guy celibate also

Recommend-maybe
Cover-⭐⭐⭐

Slowish-insta
Older/younger couple
Tiny tiny tiny push away from h
34H/24h
No condom
Safe
Hea
Epilogue

[lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and steamy with 2 epilogues and lots of kids loved it 👍👍

[Oriana Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freaking loved this story. Mr. Bossy Pants and his curvy mess🤣 Two people that normally should avoid each other like the plaque, were perfect for each other. A sweet and romantic story with a sweet neat freak and his hot mess of a woman. A totally safe and sweet story without drama. zjust freaking sweet and steamy romance.👍👍👍

[Jami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this story of Zander!!! Zander is straightlaced and never seen Alex coming. Watch as their love ignited for each other!! Can’t wait for more.

Safe read
No om/ow drama
Good epilogue!!

[Shelly Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of "The Holiday Firecrackers" series ,,,, book 1 is from the amazing Ember Flint ,,,,,

Zander Markos is a 34 year old strait laced, strait faced lawyer ,,,,, one of the heirs to the all powerful Markos Inc empire ,,,, he has a brother Anthony who is married to Violet and they have children ,,,, Zander is single,,,, he is a workaholic who micromanages everything ,,,, and he is in charge of this years company's 4th of July retreat and beach party at their estate on Lake Tahoe,,,,, his brother Anthony is his best friend, but they couldn't be more different ,,,, his parents were going to sail around the world after Zander and Anthony took over the company,,,, but mom died suddenly and left dad in a world of depression ,,, Zander has a double major in business and law with a particular focus on environmental issues,, now he is trying to get a fireworks display with this company "Tinley Pyrotechnics" and they are sending him a 24 year old girl to do his perfect fireworks display,,,, and she won't comply with anything he's asked,,,, Her brother's are saying she's just very busy,,,,, he thinks she's doing this to him on purpose ,,,,, either way, he's going to win this battle with her ,,,,,,

Alexandra "Alexa" Tinley is a 24 year old pyrotechnics wizard,,,, She is the youngest of the Tinley siblings,,,, she has been handling firecrackers and explosions since she's been small, her dad taught her from a very small age just as he did her brother's before ,,,, their parents died in a car accident when she was 10 then her brother's raised her ,,, Brothers are Emmit, Emerson, Eric and Eli,,,, she has been working side by side with her brothers since she was 14 ,,, she has a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering also has her Pyro certificate over 2 years ago and is also working on a career with a degree in environmental science,,,, now she's been taken from her ending job in Atlanta and picked up by Markos private jet ,,,, they have their own airstrip and helipad,,,, now she not only needs to concentrate on getting everything set up for the perfect light show for the 4th,,,, but now she has to meet Mr Zander Markos,,, she's never met him, but she doesn't like him already ,,,, she's got to meet with him, in private, go over her whole itinerary with this man when she should be with her team talking about the event they gave coming up for the Markos,,, but she didn't expect what she saw when he finally showed up for their conference ,,,

This was a great short read from Ember Flint,,,, this is story 1 (One) of 8 (Eight) of this "Holiday Firecracker Series",,,, each is a standalone and by a different author ,,,, I am going to go check out the other 7 stories right now ,,,, I would so totally recommend this book to anyone,,,, I got this ARC voluntarily to leave an honest review,,,,,

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This installment in The Holiday Firecrackers stories may have two people being instantly attracted to each other, but I definitely did not feel as though there was anything hasty when it came to describing any of their very engaging encounters. Zander prides himself on being able to achieve perfection in all that he does, and he thinks hiring Alexa to supervise his family’s fireworks presentation will not be up to his expectations. Yet once the two finally meet, his thoughts are not only on how well she can handle the huge production. I smiled at times and certainly laughed a lot, while the intensely steamy moments had me experiencing the blazing passion between them.

Though Zander Markos is not thrilled being asked to organize the upcoming Fourth of July celebration for business employees and his family, he agrees and then manages the project like he does every aspect of his life, verifying each detail no matter how small. There will be a fireworks display, and this part of the festivities is particularly important because of its personal significance, thus the need for it to be flawless. Although the company hired seems competent, Zander has doubts about the young woman in charge, Alexandra ‘Alexa’ Tinley. When he finally gets the chance to talk with her in person, both are stunned with how they react to one another.

While Zander and Alexa may have similar beliefs when it comes to the environment, few of their other viewpoints are alike at all. Their discussions contain some very laughable comments, especially her quick-witted comebacks, causing me to grin more than once. What Alexa was wearing could also cause a chuckle. I really enjoyed her spunky attitude, as she stood up for herself no matter the situation or person. Zander usually seems quite serious and seldom appears happy, and it was great watching him lighten up around Alexa. This couple is very passionate, and neither holds back when it comes to conveying how they feel about the other. Ember Flint makes ZANDER’S FIRECRACKER truly entertaining with constantly captivating situations and a couple whom I found to be enchanting. Rating – 4.5 Stars

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keep the magic happening in real time

This book is about Zander and Alexandra. They’re polar opposites. He’s all about order. She’s all about chaos. She’s fire, and he’s ice. But there’s just something there when they’re together. Despite their obvious differences, they have off-the-charts chemistry, and it’s both funny and hot to see it all unravel.

They both have the wrong impression of each other straight off the bat, but they can’t deny their obvious mutual attraction to each other. Their first meeting is anything but smooth. He thinks she’s a lost child (because of her small size), and she thinks he’s deserving of all the negative things she’s heard about him – but he’s also a gorgeous giant that has her all tongue-tied, and has her spunkiness flying out the window!

They share their first kiss at that meeting, and don’t really see each other for a couple of days. They both don’t bode well during that time, and can no longer stand to be apart. When they do talk things out after that time, they admit their feelings for each other, and consummate their relationship in the most special and beautiful way. They’ve sealed the deal so-to-speak, and become inseparable.

Their life becomes the perfect mix of tidy and somewhat chaotic, but it’s full of laughter and love and joy. The two epilogues show how perfectly their entire extended family mixes and belongs together. I just wish the story didn’t have to end. The characters were incredibly likeable, making for an incredibly enjoyable read! And I can’t wait to read more about these characters in the (hopefully) near future!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zander is a workaholic. He thrives on having order in his life & everything has its place. He is busy with a pro-bono case & has also been trying to organise the 4th of July gathering at the family's Lake Tahoe residence, including a huge fireworks display. It has been a tradition since before he was born, but for a few years, they haven't celebrated because his mother died & his father's heart just wasn't in it.

Alexa is a pyrotechnic wiz. Her & her 4 brothers own a company that specialises in "green" environmentally-friendly fireworks & they are in demand all over the world.

Zander's brother has entrusted their fireworks display to Alexa - only trouble is, she's not conforming exactly to what Zander wants. He is due to meet her at their residence a few days before the festivities & is not impressed by her lack of communication.

As soon as they meet, they instantly butt heads. Alexa thinks he's too stiff & very brusque - Zander thinks she's too flighty & not experienced enough to carry off his vision.

What ensues is a gripping, steamy romance that's off the scale Hot!

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone - It's a really beautifully written story of how opposites really do attract!

Well done Ember. I need more & soon!

[Latecia Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet and Steamy Enemies to Lovers

The book started off hilarious. Zander and his brother Tony banter had me in stitches. Shows a true/real relationship between close siblings. The comedy continues when Alexa comes into the story. From her crazy shirts to her quick wit personality she was indeed a firecracker. After one meeting with Alexa, Zander initial hostile impression melted away and he had truly fallen for her. The attraction was intense and mutual. I thought it was real cute how Alexa tried her best to avoid and hide from Zander and their growing feelings for one another. Zander with his alpha/cocky/bossy personality was determined to get his girl...his firecracker at all cost. When they finally got together...whooooa Nelly...the author lighted fire to the pages...very steamy...very HOT! Instant love at its Best! Loved their HEA and those epilogues were sweet. I cannot wait to read Alexa' brothers stories.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[KMH · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did enjoy this book.
My most favourite parts were the last few chapters and the epilogues.
I found the book I but difficult to get into.
The first few chapters where such an information overload, it was like I had to know everything about both main characters straight away instead of learning as you go along.
I loved both main characters.
The heroine was very enjoyable and relatable, and I have to say I loved her range of tshirts.
The hero I found difficult to get at the start, his interaction with his brother came across as quite confusing and the sudden change when he met the heroine whilst I loved it, it just wasn't a smooth transition, it was like he was a different person than we met in the beginning.
However, saying this I did like the way his character became after he met the heroine as they then complimented each other well.
He was used to being in control as she took some if not most of his control away.
I loved the secondary characters too.
The book set up the series quite well and left you wanting more even though the ending left you satisfied.

[lf · Rating 5 out of 5]

They set off more fireworks than the Fourth of July celebration

Zander's Firecracker by Ember Flint is the first book in The Holiday Firecrackers series with each book by a different author. This is the story of Zander Markos and Alexandra "Alexa" Tinley. Zander is roped into organizing the Fourth of July celebration for the family company, Markos Inc. Part of that is always fireworks so he hires the best in the business, the Tinley family. What this straight-laced, uptiight, micromanaging lawyer gets is Alexa. She is a twenty-four year old wizard with pyrotechnics as she grew up in the family business. These two are opposites but also very much alike. Let's just say that between them they set off more fireworks than the display Alexa has planned out.
This is a wonderful short story that has great characters which are well developed and a solid story-line. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to other readers.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

First things first; I love the cover of this book!
Zander’s firecracker is book one in the ‘’holiday firecracker’’ series. This story is short, fast paced and an enjoyable read. I read this book in one sitting and was satisfied throughout. I found the writing style easy to follow, the characters likeable and the storyline enjoyable. Zander is a businessman and a control freak. He wants everything done his way. Whilst organising the annual 4th of July party he hires a fireworks company. What he doesn’t expect is to fall for the girl in charge of the fireworks.
The chemistry between Zander and Alexa is clear to see and I liked them together. I thought Alexa and Zander were perfect for one another. They were similar yet complete opposites and I thought that worked perfectly.
I really liked the ending and the epilogue for this story.
The storyline for this book is easy to follow and it is an enjoyable read.

[Raecharmed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zander is in charge of the organizing the business and family's July 4th celebration. He wasn't happy with the task and when Alexa the person he has picked for the fireworks refuses to give them a digital display he is satisfied with that answer. Alexa wants the clients to enjoy her work but when they see the digital it ruins the effect of the live show. Sparks fly when Alexa and Zander meet in person and he knows as soon as he sees her that things won't be the same. Will the party go off as planned? Will Alexa give Zander a chance at her heart?

This is an amazing holiday story that will hook you in the first chapter. The chemistry between them is scorching hot. This is a well written and very entertaining story. I would recommend this book to any book lover.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Debbie Caswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun read in the multi author world of the Holiday Firecracker series and what a fun read it is there was many a place where i was laughing away getting some very funny looks in the process

What happens when you have a straight laced workaholic having to deal with a free spirit That is what happens when Zander the CEO of his family company and a environmentalist having to deal with Alexa the only daughter in a family run fireworks company who is doing their 4th July fireworks He is a guy that likes everything to run like clockwork and even though she is great at her job she tends to have a messy way of doing it But the attraction between them is through the charts Can she teach him how to unwind a little and do they have a chance at a future together You will have to read to see

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I kind of loved this story. It was sweet and entertaining. The characters were interesting and likable. Zander and Alexa were awesome together. I really enjoyed the dynamics with the families as well as between the two of them. Alexa's clothing options were wonderful and I think I need a couple of them! The way that Zander and Alexa were drawn to each other immediately was both sweet and steamy. Alexa was a great character that was smart and capable and not in need of rescuing, while still being able to knock Zander off balance. Zander was a control freak that wasn't prepared for the "firecracker" that was Alexa. I loved their happy ever after and I recommend reading this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[CS · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took almost fifty percent of the book to get the point across that Zander was the borderline OCD, reserved, tightly wound brother, while Anthony was the more relaxed fun living one.
The Fourth of July bash that Zander was planning had a lot of emotional meaning for their family.
Once he met heroine Alexa, the pyrotechnics genius hired for the climactic celebration fireworks show, his reserved personality was tossed out the door.
His personality changed so much, he was like another person.
Storyline turned cute with lots of graphic scenes as this couple “got better acquainted”.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Syd Springer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man the banter in this book will have you laughing long and hard! Zander and Alexa were fantastic together even though they are completely different. I really loved the banter with each of the siblings as well; that's were a lot of the laughing comes from too! If you are looking for a great holiday themed book with a great insta-love, OTT control freak alpha and a sassy, fiery heroine then I would highly recommend this book to you!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Charity Esparza · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is sooooo fun! Zander and Alexa are the perfect example of opposites attracting. He's an uptight micromanager; she's a messy creative type. He's massive; she's tiny. He's stony; she's effervescent. But from the first email. there's something there. Something that explodes when they first set eyes on each other. Instalove, meddling families, a massive 4th of July event, snarky banter, and passionate encounters, this is an excellent fast summer read!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zander has been put in charge of this year’s Fourth of July company party. He is upset that the new fireworks company they hired is not calling him back to discuss what he wants! When he meets Alexa he falls instantly for her! Alexa and her brother’s run their family pyrotechnics company. She is crazy chaotic and knows what she’s doing and doesn’t appreciate being told what to do! Especially by Zander who is too serious! Can they find their happily ever after?

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Granger McGringot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked how the two opposite characters crashed and fallen together. The sparkling romance between those characters usually burned brighter and passionate; two unlikely matched was always interesting to see. One OCD alpha billionaire H met one messy brilliant independent h. Sweet, passionate, and absolutely smutty from the beginning. Onse short story that I wished was a bit longer.

Virgin h
No contraception
Billionaire Alpha H, hired brilliant pyrotechnician h
Safe read, No cheating, No OW/OM, No drama/angst
Overall score: 4.5 instalove stars

[Kristine L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun story. Mr. perfect meets Miss mess. Zander and Alexa are two peas from a different pot. But they all say that opposites attract and these two are total opposites. He's a workaholic, who grouch, straight, no sense of humor who ends up an alpha, possessive man who his in love with Alexa who is a little spitfire, mess, chaos wherever she goes. Love how these two fall in love. Wonderful story and I can't wait to read more. I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[ENE · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read. The first in the holiday firecracker series by separate authors.

Workaholic Zander is organising his family's annual getaway, but feels more pressure to get it perfect for his father since it's the first one since his mother's death.
Alexa is youngest of her family and put in charge to deliver the amazing firework display.
These two but heads before they even meet, but when they do the fireworks fly.

Looking forward to reading about Alexa's brothers in future titles.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[A-reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars
Zander is a very stick up your ass, grump, lawyer, who likes to micromanage everything. Alexa is a messy, happy, pyrotechnics engineer. The two meet when Zander’s brother hires Alexa’s company to do their July 4th fireworks show. The two don’t get along even before they meet. But once they see each other, it’s instalove!! They have tons of chemistry and it’s sizzling hot. Alexa is a virgin, Zander has not been with anyone in ten years. Cute epilogues three and ten years later with lots of kids.

[Jill K. Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lacked some sizzle

I realize this is a short book, and I am good with that... however, the first chapter was 24% of the book, and chapter 2 took us to 48%! Too much of the set up was JUST exposition from the characters. I would have rather less exposition and more action in the getting together stage. When they finally do kiss, there is a cut scene to two days later, and then we get a memory! I felt like there were a lot of wasted words/pages.

[Kristianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so darn much! Zander was always so serious and did nothing but work. Alexa was at the top of her game with her family’s firework company despite the odds being against her being young and female. I love how Alexa swooped in and created chaos to Zander’s strictness. They were just the cutest together and I loved reading this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, what a fun read of Zander and Alexa, total opposites but such chemistry. Loved the sexual tension between the characters, not to mention the verbal sparring that just builds ups more. Wonderful storyline with fun characters and the supporting characters definitely add so much to the story. Absolutely, thought all the epilogues were a delight into how this couple progresses on with their lives.

I am voluntarily leaving a review for this book that I received free.

[Mildred Campana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holiday fireworks

A wonderful story of two completely opposite people being perfect together. The hero might have started as a grouch but a little firecrackers loosen him up. Zander and Alexa are like yin and yang but when put together they make a perfect pair. Zander might scare people but he met his match with Alexa. A great heroine that is the same level as the hero. A wonderful 4th of July story.

[Mzlegz · Rating 5 out of 5]

To say Zander and Alexa were as different as night and day would be the understatement of the century. Those two jumped head first in their love affair and it was fun to watch their battles of will. She may have been small, but her personality sure wasn’t...and Zander wasn’t ready for his little firecracker!! Boom. Can’t wait to see what Ember Flint does with Alexa’s overprotective brothers!!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.