Firefly

Speakeasy Taproom #6

by Krystyna Allyn

It’s my last night in New York. And the woman of my dreams is three feet away, expertly twirling a bottle of vodka behind the bar and making the perfect pour. I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as Melody, with her enigmatic eyes and a gorgeous smile. All I have to do is introduce myself. And then...

I choke. And my chance for something--anything--with her is gone.

Months later, I think I’m dreaming when I see her doing bartender tricks here in Vermont. Now all I can think about is having those long, beautiful, fingers performing their magic on my body.

But I’m pretty sure she’s hiding something. It’s painfully obvious she’s keeping me at arm’s length just when I need to hold her close. She brings out my protective instincts, but I’ve got problems of my own. If I’m not careful, I’ll destroy everything I’m trying to build.

Losing her again might break me this time, because now I can’t imagine life without the light of my Firefly.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Audiobook, Small Town Romance, Amazon, Ebooks, Second Chance

233 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 2, 2021

About the author

Krystyna Allyn lives in somewhere USA with her amazingly awesome husband. Though she works full time, blogs and reads like a maniac, she still manages to find time to write all of her crazy stories.
Her hobbies include baking, skydiving, karaoke and general mischief.

Reviews

[✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melody + Trevor

Mel is a bartender. She's going to college and dreams of having her own bar one day.
But her family life is horrible and she has to escape her mom's Brooklyn house. So she ends up in Vermont working at Speakeasy.
Trevor was in New York for a few months for a job. But now he's back home in his beloved Vermont, trying to get his own company started.
And then he sees her at a bar. The girl he never had the guts to ask out back in New York ...

LET THE FUN TIMES BEGIN! ☺

══════════════════




Adorable!

I really liked reading this. It was cute and funny and sparky. I just didn't love the way it developed. You just know that her insecurity and his not telling her about his life would break them up. They were so immature and idiotic. I hated the last 30% - well not the very end. But it was just not my type of drama. I want creative drama if there has to be any drama at all.
I still liked reading it, but I got so mad at everything toward the end.

But still - like I say in all my World of True North reviews ... I could read these kinds of books every day for the rest of eternity!

I also wouldn't mind seeing this whole world on Netflix one day!

Can't wait to get more Vermont soon!

FIREFLY was a sweet + funny + sad + frustrating romance! Run to your nearest amazon for your own Trev - he'll be sold out in no time!


💜 💜

[Jessica Alcazar · Rating 1 out of 5]

le sigh *drops head* what to say … what to say …

Okay. There’s a good story here. Unfortunately, not right now. The bones of this story are good. I can imagine a really kismet and lovely journey for these two, but I didn’t read that. I don’t even know what to tell you to be honest. This entire book was one eye twitch after another for me and I almost gave up. If you write drama into your stories just to be dramatic, I am not your reader. Unfortunately, one doesn’t know that before they begin the reading journey so here we are … I spent most of the time I was reading too frustrated with both Mel and Trevor to feel much of anything except well, frustration. I didn’t believe in their connection which made it really hard for me to see their HEA. I know what I read but I don’t believe it.

One of my favorite Maya Angelou’s quotes goes something like this; “People will forget what you said but they will never forget how you made them feel”. The quote is more elaborate than that but that’s the gist. I’ve always said that readers may forget the details of a particular book, especially if they are a voracious reader, but they never forget how they felt while reading a particular book. For me, that’s the most important thing; how I felt while reading a book. If a book only evokes a negative vibe within me then …

I’m gonna exit stage left now because I’m not being very positive in this review and I hate when I can’t spin anything (sorry) but this might just be a hit for you, who knows …

[ItaPixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trevor sees Melody in the New York bar where she wroks as a bartender but he gets the nerve to speak to her his last day in the city, so he goes back to Vermont without even knowing the real name of the woman with the Firefly tattoo. He is surprised to see her again working in a Vermont bar but this time he won't waste this second chance the fate gave him. Melody has to run away from the big apple and she ended up in Vermont where she finds a job as bartender at the Speakeasy. She doesn't want to make friends but it is impossible to ward off the handsome guy who wants to break the walls she raised to keep her heart safe at all costs. Will she trust him? Will she stay long enough to build a relationship?

Trevor is my favourite character, I liked the perseverance he showed in order to win Melody over, but at times I wanted to throttle him when he kept his family issues to himself. Melody is a tough woman who learnt early in her life she couldn't trust anyone, I can understand her and most of the time I wanted to hug her. Mel and Trev are more alike than they think and I've appreciated how they get closer chapter after chapter.

Krystyna Allyn wrote a good story but the very slow burn and the lack of communication between the characters was a little frustrating.

Grab this book and get swallowed up in it.

Copy kindly provided by the Publisher/Author.

[Wendy'sThoughts · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Speakeasy For The Win Stars
* * * 1/2 Spoiler Free-A Quick Review
This series rocks and every entry has its own personality. Looking forward to the entire series.

Touchstone (Speakeasy Taproom #1)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Heartwood (Speakeasy Taproom #2)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Homecoming (Speakeasy Taproom, #3)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Sideways (Speakeasy Taproom, #4)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Wildflower (Speakeasy Taproom, #5)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Firefly (Speakeasy Taproom, #6)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Starlight (Speakeasy Taproom, #7)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Stargazer (Speakeasy Taproom, #8)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Safeguard (Speakeasy Taproom, #9)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways

[maggieandteddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the start of this book. The meet cute between Trevor and Melody.
I was pulling for them. They meet in Brooklyn. Someone ghosts the other/or they both do.
Ah, then comes Vermont. A second chance! What are the odds? Another meet cute.
It doesn't go so well. A couple steps back.
Trevor and Melody have a lot going on in their lives. Melody's mom and Trevor's dad seem to be more of the focus. They gave their kids a lot of angst,
This really took me away from the relationship building and the romance took a back seat.
I would like to read more of this author's work. The writing is great, but I could not feel this.
All 3 stars for the author's great writing. I think that this could fit in the contemporary fiction category or women's fiction.

[Darcy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was just ok for me. I felt for both Trevor and Melanie and what each was going through with their families, glad that they had each other to sort of get away from their troubles. But Melanie was right when she told Trevor that he was keeping her at arms length. He took the time to get to know her, but kept himself to himself. By the end of the book I was glad to be done with this one.

[Vonne · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF-ing at 34%... Chapter 8...

You know I often dislike when I find myself needing to bring in outside books [that have no connection to what I am reviewing] in order to drive a bit of my point home.

This book has two choices at a certain point, maybe about Chapter 2-3. Well, scratch that, 3 choices because one of them can be to do exactly what they have done.

The first choice is...keep writing but make this book about the heroine's journey into healing, especially if she considers the same Hero. The second choice would be to stop writing about this particular couple and move on to a New Hero.

This book did something early on and brought the couple together at a meet-cute moment, and then the Hero dropped the ball and ghosted our Heroine. So, you know what? It showed the Heroine she could not trust the Hero, nor was he AS INTERESTED as he was making himself out to be.

I call it Wrong Place, Wrong Time, so let's allow the Heroine to breathe and figure her shit out.

But apparently, that is not what this story wants to do. So, we are simply gonna jam this particular Hero into this Heroine's face, put them in the same spaces at very coinkydink moments of time...granted it is a small town, but STILL!! I wish the Hero knew what NO MEANS NO means.

I spent two books prior continuing to read books where an author had, literally, "trapped" their heroines in the same space/spaces as the men, or Heroes, who had brought past trauma onto them. In one heroine's case, it was the moment in her life that bent and shaped whom she was today. The other heroine had time and space to find other ways and means to better her life, but the decisions she made for herself and her marriage kept her in a state of perpetual ruttness--never allowed to break out of that rut to find a new place to exist.

Now, I find myself in the midst of a story where a heroine has not only rejected our Hero, but she took his phone number [written on paper] and eventually Deleted it out of her phone. She is not just bitter about how he, himself, rejected her months ago...she had gone home to learn toxicity permeated her life to an emotional and mental state of anguish and upheaval...and she HAD TO BAIL out of her life, and then out of town.

Mainly, the Hero makes her constantly recall THAT VERY DAY her life turned to utter shit and she learned she was all alone in this world.

Now, the Heroine is IN the same town as that Hero who tried to come onto her in a bar in New York City. Since this is a small town bar [Speakeasy]...she will get a job here and then eventually BUMP into the Hero again.

I stopped counting how many times she rejected him, even when he gave her HIS number, HIM saying she could call him any time. And, well, since he gave her the option and she had not called? Would this not simply be yet a 2nd or 3rd rejection, so, ya know. STOP!

What ends up happening is...she goes to have her oil changed in a local mechanic shop...and GUESS WHO is having his four wheels changed/rotated? So, yeah... here comes rejection 3rd or 4th...so, somehow the Hero finally gets a bit upset...and mangry [man-angry because he is being rejected more times than he expected but is still a NICE GUY] and pouts about not getting his own way. Or even another chance to be with her.

Here's the thing at this point in time...I don't care how sympathetic or empathetic you try to make the Hero's personal life be...he has been using his own savings in the bank to pay off his parent's debt as his alcoholic father allows bills to lag and go past due, so now The Hero cannot even get a measly bank loan since his account always fluctuates so unsteadily, month to month. And in some way, I am supposed to find my heart yearning for this young man to get cut a freakin' break in romance?

By the way, it's not working.

I am now in Chapter 8...the author is giving us little Header titles and this one is called, Taking a Chance. It's a scene where the Hero stumbles upon the Heroine having a solo picnic, reading a book and once he has his "lunch" in hand, he wanders over to plop down and is determined to make her not just suffer his presence again, but then try to tempt her to deny she will like this personal pizza he has...

By the way...it's a "gross" artisanal pizza that has, like, APPLES on it--kind of like the shaming of Pineapple on pizza.

...and I feel like DNF-ing at this point because this is not a romance when the woman is denying the man at every turn, for her own sanity because she knows she doesn't have her shit together yet, and he will not allow her to breathe without him being near.

The writer is doing something I dislike a lot with heroines and it is giving her an opportunity, in her private POV thoughts to second guess herself and then keep second-guessing her second guesses. Because of ALL OF THE REJECTIONS and the fact that this last one at the mechanic shop seemed to hurt harder where the Hero actually FELT rejected... she now feels like maybe she was TOO HARSH and hurt his feelings or something. Like she is chattering in her head about how NICE, SWEET of a guy he seems and this is just a bad time to be considering a relationship.

This will culminate into her churning and churning those feelings of having liked the guy--she called him Handsome, he calls her Firefly because of a tattoo on her nape/neck... because somehow this is now HER FAULT that he won't leave her alone. AND that the Author keeps pitting her heroine in the same breathing spaces the Hero so now the Heroine has to keep being combative and upset...re-churning and re-traumatizing her over and over...and I am flabbergasted in wonderment.

This is not romantic nor Romance. I find none of this sexy or endearing, nor do I want to be given an opportunity to "see" into the Hero's life, nor his POV anymore.

Playing hard to get is not what she is doing, so this "waiting shit out" and "trying to be her friend" so he can be in her space 24/7 and still in her life so he can coerce her to BE something more, eventually as he wears her down...it feels like a revolving record skip.

Perseverance is fine elsewhere. Not in pursuit of a woman who does not want to be caught and has rejected you several times.

I need heroines who have better resolve and can stick to their inner guns where they keep saying a mantra of "I NEED NO MAN" and kind of, ya know, mean it...until she is good and ready.

Yeah, okay, 34% in, Chap 8...and this whole piece is exactly why this book is Red Flag City and a buttload of toxicity waiting to happen...

He does not even want to be a "friend"... he thinks they already have "something brewing" and they are just gonna take it NICE AND SLOW...???

I seriously do not know where this manchild gets any idea there is A THING... a DRIP... a DROP of anything between them, and yet he will sit there and put his number in her cell, calls himself so now he has HER NUMBER...and makes a unilateral decision of...

“I know you’re afraid of what this might be, but you shouldn’t let the fear rule you. We’ll take things slow and easy.”

Heroine says this to end her portion of the chapter...

Who am I kidding?

The man is determined to have me, so he won’t let me get away.

Thanks to my upbringing, I’ve always felt like less of a person. It all changed the moment Trevor called me Firefly. He rattles me like no other man has before, making me want more than I deserve. At this point, I’m not sure I want to run from him anymore.

RUN, FIREFLY, RUN!!!!!

[Steph's Romance Book Talk · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Stars / 2.5 Steam Fans

CW: Drugs, Parental Abuse, Alcoholism, Running Away

Video review available in Week 16: Apr 17 – Apr 23, 2022, total weekly book reviews on Steph's Romance Book Talk Patreon.

For other bookish content, check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.

[Claudia Fosca Stahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Firefly is the sixth book in the Speakeasy series, set in Sarina Bowen’s World of True North, but it is definitely a standalone. You don’t need to read any other books to understand the story.

I liked the Vermonty aspect of this story. Melody and Trevor originally meet in Brooklyn but he misses his chance with her. They later meet in Colebury, a small town in Vermont, wher she’s starting over and he happens to live. It was meant to be. I liked the Vermonty feel of the story. The feel of Colebury and the Busy Bean, the Gin Mill, and the Speakeasy. It felt very real and it fits perfectly with the World of True North. The farmers’ markets and all that jazz.

My problem with this story has more to do with the conflict between Trevor and Melody. Melody’s personality changed a bit in a very weird way, turning her extremely insecure to the point of being a bit annoying. And Trevor’s reasons for not being honest with her also seem a bit unreasonable and childish. To me, it’s like the story went a bit off track and never quite recovered.

[✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰Janeane ✰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC received for an honest review

Want to meet me at the Speakeasy (really, you do) want to meet me at the Speakeasy, No ifs or buts about it.

I mean, who doesn't want some Cocktail-esque entertainment while they drink.

Trevor does, that's for sure. I loved that they found each other in Vermont. I liked that they acted on the spark - eventually.

But ugh, communicate people! This hiding stuff from each other just asks for drama, and it was drama for drama's sake in my opinion. You say you love each other but can't talk about this - ugh, it got me not liking the story as much. I disliked most of the last 25% because of it.

But this is just a me thing, it won't bother most people I am sure.

I did like that they did eventually remove heads from sphincters and TALKED to each other hahah

I say it all the time, but these books would be a great Netflix series that I would watch the sh!t out of!

a>

[Laetitia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Melody and Trevor first meet in Brooklyn in the bar where she worked but they miss their chance that same night. Trevor moves back home to Vermont and Melody goes about her life. Months later, Melody finds herself working at the Speakeasy and once again runs into Trevor. Moving back home to Vermont, Trevor is happy to be away from a big city and one night after work he goes to Speakeasy for a drink and comes face to face with Melody who doesn't recognize him at first. Once again Trevor takes his hot with her but Melody turns him down. Each time they would see each other again, Trevor would try to ask her out, and Melody would once again turn him. Melody had some deep seeded issues which stemmed from her mother and for that she didn't trust anyone especially men. But eventually, Melody realized that Trevor was a good guy who liked her for herself. I liked Trevor, he was a good man, who loved his family and was trying to start his new business. He was very patient with Melody, because he saw how skittish she was when it came to their relationship. One minute Melody was confident with her new life in Vermont and the next she let her mother get into her head. Trevor was also dealing with his own family issues and it felt at times they were both keeping things from each other. The drama with their parents took center stage at times and that resulted in both Melody and Trevor sabotaging their relationship. I liked the book and the premise, but Melody's insecurities was too much and she let herself get drowned into it. But I liked that Trevor believed in her and wanted her to believe in them. It was great being back at the Speakeasy and seeing everyone there welcome Melody with open arms. I liked the ending, Trevor got Melody to get her head out her ass and give their relationship one more chance.

[Ruthie Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

~~I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads ~~

This is the sixth book in the series, and a great addition to the collection of books all set in Sarina Bowen's True North world. I would recommend that you read them all, but you can definitely enjoy this as a standalone too.

Trev is an electrician keen to go out on his own. But he is seriously held back by his Dad's inability to pay the family bills. He steps up time and again, much to the detriment of his own life. So when the woman who had attracted his attention in NY months ago turns up working at the Speakeasy, he thinks life may be on the change. But Mel is not impressed with him not taking up her offer back in NY, and he really has to work to break through her walls.

As she grows to trust him, she explains how come she ended up in Vermont, and it is a big and ugly story. It also spills into her Vermont life, which is both dangerous and embarrassing to her, so when Trev's truth comes out, she builds those walls straight back up ...

I loved how these two people mirror each other, and are just slightly out of synch which leads to some really painful moments, that one can see from the sidelines could have been avoided. It makes for a good story with a level of drama that feels sadly believable.

Very enjoyable read, tying in a meaningful romance, with the difficulty of ordinary life.

[Kari Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite Mel’s attempts to build a good life for herself every attempt she makes is derailed by the one person who should have been there to support her. If she ever wants to break this destructive cycle she knows she needs to leave town and she now finds herself working in Vermont as a bartender.

When Trevor comes into Speakeasy, he is both surprised and elated when he sees Mel behind the bar. Although they have never met, he was enchanted when he saw her in NY a few months earlier, but he never expected to see her again. Now that fate has brought them back together, he is determined to show her they belong together however they both have secrets they are keeping.

Trevor and Mel have more in common than they know but it is only when they are willing to open their hearts and pasts to each other that they will be able to overcome the obstacles that stand between them.

[Dana aka Book Nerd Knits · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Trevor and Melody! There was an intensity with both Melody and Trevor (individually and together), and also with the subject line. The way Ms. Allyn was able to bring so much into the story and make it flow, perfection!

[Arielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Melody and Trevor

This was a decent addition to the Speakeasy Taproom series but it just wasn't entirely for me. It was well written and I enjoyed the characters, new and old but I just felt like Trevor came on too strong at first and I just KNEW shit was going to hit the fan eventually with Melody's mom's scumbag boyfriend so I was so nervous the entire time just WAITING for that ball to drop. And THEN, that idiot get MAULED BY A FUCKING COYOTE?! lol I mean was I mad about it? No. Did I think it was entirely unrealistic? Yes. And that's coming from someone who grew up in the country so I've heard coyotes and seen bears on our property at a distance. Anyway I just didn't feel that special spark with this one that I normally do but I think that's just because it had certain tropes that are never my cup of tea. That doesn't mean that plenty of other people won't enjoy this! The big gesture at the end was very sweet and well thought out.

Huge thanks to Heart Eyes Press for allowing me to read an aARC in exchange for my honest opinion ♥

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Note: An ARC was provided by Heart Eyes Press.

Oh, dear. I struggled with this one, and it always pains me to admit that because I love reading in general, but when I come across either a new-to-me or debut author, I'm like an eager beaver who hopes that I'll find a new author to keep my eye on. Krystyna Allyn is a new-to-me author and Firefly is her contribution to the Speakeasy Taproom series, making it the sixth book in the multi-authored World of True North collection. Trevor Nickelson's and Melody O'Hare's paths cross in Brooklyn, and it's a case of a missed opportunity. Their paths intersect once again when she makes a much-needed move away from Brooklyn, leading her to Colebury, which is where Trevor lives. The Melody in Brooklyn is very different from the one who makes her way to Colebury, and while I understood how certain events may have triggered changes in her, I simply wasn't a fan of hers, not that I was much of a fan from the get-go. And Trevor? Well, I just wanted more. Of what, I'm not exactly sure, but his presence felt a wee bit lacklustery to me. The story itself held promise; alas, it was an unfulfilled one. 2.5 stars for Firefly.

[Lenore Kosinski]

DNF @ 26% (end of Chapter 6) -- Trevor rubbed me the wrong way, almost from the start. It was subtle at times, but I noticed it from their first interaction in the bar in NYC. And when it seemingly increased in Vermont, I decided to cut my losses. He was just...proprietary and dickish?? Like touching her when she's giving don't touch vibes, smiling at her when she's obviously upset, and then the weird teasing comments that almost chastised her. Honest to God, these might have been the only instances, and they might have been explained if I'd continued (and some parts might have been unreliable narrator), but I'm tapping out. Sometimes a book just isn't the right fit, and my sensitivities were peaking...

[Emma Szalai · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author tried to do this thing with the main male character where it seemed like he didn’t give up and was fighting for the chance to win over the girl, but I found him to be super possessive and toxic the whole time.

But on top of that issue, this was a very forgettable read.

[Amy Dickinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall Grade: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Firefly by Krystyna Allyn is a story about moving beyond your past or your circumstances. In this book, her heroine, Melody, has endured the pain of absentee and emotionally abusive parents. As a protection, she has created a vault of her bad memories and shored it up with walls to protect her emotions. She encounters the hero of the story, Trevor, a man trying to create a good future for himself as an electrical contractor. They meet haphazardly in Brooklyn where Melody resides and Trevor is staying for a short time. It’s a quick meet-cute that doesn’t progress beyond some flirting, but they each make an impact on the other. Fast-forward a bit, Melody has had to leave Brooklyn to escape her mother and her mother’s criminal boyfriend; she finds herself in Colebury, Vermont, very much in Trevor’s “neck of the woods.” They once again meet at Speakeasy, the setting for Allyn’s story, and the initial attraction they felt in Brooklyn returns. However, Trevor’s family is a mess, threatening his future plans, while Melody avoids any romantic entanglements. All of this is set up for Trevor breaking down Melody’s walls, and Melody forcing Trevor to deal with this family’s issues. Firefly becomes this emotional story about the need to drop your emotional walls and become vulnerable to find the best version of yourself.

Overall, I liked Firefly. However, I wasn’t in love with it. Allyn’s hero, Trevor, is a strange amalgamation of bedroom alpha, empathic good guy with a side of stupid hero. From one chapter to the next, you’re never quite sure which side of Trevor you’ll get, and it makes for an uneven characterization. I understand that heroes can have more than one identity, but his alpha in the bedroom mixed with his unwillingness to tell Melody about his family mixed with his insistence that she share all parts of herself with him while he holds himself back...yeah, that makes him hard to like at times. When he’s working hard to crumble Melody’s protective walls, he’s lovely because he seems to “see” her. However, he makes decisions that undermine that compassion when he fails to tell her about his family and sets her up to rebuild those walls.

Additionally, I think Allyn takes too much time in her story with Melody becoming more vulnerable. The focus of Melody’s journey is her issues with her horrible mother and absentee father. She must overcome them in order to find her happy ending with Trevor. However, she fails to see the family she’s carefully constructed. She’s surrounded by people, in both Brooklyn and Colebury, who are wise and provide her with great advice. Yet, she takes most of the story to realize that her parents don’t really matter if her constructed family adores her. Allyn takes a bit too long to help her get there.

All of that, though, are minute issues. For the most part, Firefly is an enjoyable read, connecting us to some of our favorite Speakeasy Taproom series characters, while also introducing us to some new ones. I love that Krystyna Allyn has taken us back to this world that so many different voices are creating. If you’ve been following the Speakeasy Taproom series, then you will not want to miss this story. If you’ve yet to read it, don’t start here. Start at the beginning. You won’t regret it.

[Crystal Stafford · Rating 4 out of 5]

can you say perfect meet-cute X 2??!!! I loved this story. I loved the way the first chapter hooked me. I loved the characters. I loved the setting and I loved the pacing. This is my first book by Krystyna Allyn and I will definitely be reading more of her. She writes very well, kept me hooked, kept it sexy, and ended Firefly perfectly!

I adored both Trevor and Melody. Trevor totally got me swooning the minute this book started and I loved how he approached Melody and how he caught her attention without being too overbearing. I love how he immediately nicknames her Firefly because pet names make me crush, HARD. He's a rugged, sexy, smooth talking, and kind Vermontier who puts others first in his life. He is immediately captivated by Melody while he is New York for business and when he finds the perfect opportunity to finally speak to her, he does. And it is instant sparks on both sides even if Melody doesn't want to fully admit it. Sadly he decides it is time to return home before he can show her just how special he thinks she is and this instantly turns her off. Melody is awesome and a "take no crap from any man" type of woman. Trevor's disappearing act doesn't impress her in the least and she immediately deems him unworthy like all the rest. I loved her personality and I loved her attitude. She is strong and independent and just wants to make something of herself and get away from her careless and toxic mother. Melody finds herself escaping to Vermont after an unforgivable act by her mother and tries to settle in on her own two feet with really nothing to her name. Luckily she meets some great people and unintentionally finds the family she has always been hoping for in her new job at Speakeasy. And one night Trevor finds her working there in his hometown and just cannot say no to this second chance with her. So, meet cute number 2 happens and from there it's a push and pull, keep away but can't stay away, try to impress the girl type of scenario that really puts Trevor to the test. He doesn't back down and I loved that about him.

Their relationship is sweet and funny and sexy. Trevor and Melody are really awesome together and are both such strong characters that it's nice to see them come together and make it special. Their are so many sweet moments between them but there are also still secrets that Trevor his keeping about his family and Melody still feels she is not good enough due to her past. Their chemistry is what I loved most about this story as well as the supporting characters like the Speakeasy crew and Mabel and Edie! I also loved the storyline brining in Melody's father and rectifying their relationship to an extent and that felt important to me. AND THE ENDING!! Trevor's declaration of love is one of the sweetest things I have read in a long time. I recommend Firefly 100% and look forward to more Speakeasy awesomeness!

[WycEd Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out our full post for FIREFLY on Wicked Reads.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the sixth book in the series, and a great addition to the collection of books all set in Sarina Bowen's True North World. I would recommend that you read them all, but you can definitely enjoy this as a standalone too.

Trev is an electrician keen to go out on his own. But he is seriously held back by his dad's inability to pay the family bills. He steps up time and again, much to the detriment of his own life. So, when the woman who had attracted his attention in New York months ago turns up working at the Speakeasy, he thinks life may be on the change. But Mel is not impressed with him not taking up her offer back in New York, and he really has to work to break through her walls.

As she grows to trust him, she explains how come she ended up in Vermont, and it is a big and ugly story. It also spills into her Vermont life, which is both dangerous and embarrassing to her, so when Trev's truth comes out, she builds those walls straight back up...

I loved how these two people mirror each other and are just slightly out of synch, which leads to some really painful moments, that one can see from the sidelines could have been avoided. It makes for a good story with a level of drama that feels sadly believable.

Very enjoyable read, tying in a meaningful romance, with the difficulty of ordinary life.

Reviewers received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.

[Reading to Escape · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firefly is a somewhat intense at times and emotion-filled read with characters I found fairly easy to like, but who are weighted down with heavy family issues. Melody is a talented bartender with a deplorable family situation, who decides she has had enough when things get really unsafe and leaves New York and finds herself the newest bartender at the Speakeasy. She fits in right away and makes friends quicky finding some sense of calm but never being completely comfortable.

Trevor initially met Melody in New York while he was on a temporary job. He is surprised to see her in Vermont working at the Speakeasy and is not going to let his second chance with her pass him by, but Melody is skittish and a bit standoffish for a variety of reasons. Trevor is charming and persistent, but also real, and so begins a lot of back and forth between them.

I struggled at times with Trevor's father and the impact Trevor let him have on his own life. I also wish both Melody and Trevor could have been a little more honest about their family situations a little sooner in order to avoid a lot of the unnecessary drama, but I am aware that this was the premise of the book. I did appreciate Trevor's persistence, his romantic nature, his overall good intentions and how much he cared for Melody and his family.

Firefly is my first book by this author and I was overall pleasantly surprised. I overall enjoyed the writing style, story line and the characters and look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

[Booklover Judy Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 STARS
#SmallTown

This is my first book by this author in preparation of meeting her at Indies Invade Philly next month. It is written in first person from an alternating dual POV.
Melody is a bartender in Brooklyn who has perfected her bar flare skills when Trevor sees her and is captivated. Trevor returns to his home in Vermont. After some events in Melody's life, she ends up in Vermont where Trevor runs into her again.

I appreciated Trevor's patience and persistence with Melody. Unfortunately, they both have a lot of baggage that do not do a good job communicating. Melody has a personal journey to complete to where she feels like she deserves love and happiness. I found her journey both understandable and heart-breaking. There are some dramatic moments and the characters share some physical heat between them. I love the True North world. I really just felt like this was missing something for me. Maybe it was that I never really felt the connection between the characters. Maybe it was irritation with the lack of communication and the secrets between them. That said, this was a good book. I just wanted more. I look forward to reading some of the author's other work in the future.

[Katie Koziczkowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firefly is a cute and emotional book. I liked Trevor, he's a good guy, definitely determined to get what he wants. He has good intentions, he just doesn't always think things through fully when he should. He has some family issues going on that are causing problems for him and also causes him to not be as open as he should be, especially with Melody. I had mixed feelings about Melody. I definitely felt bad for her and what she's been through in her life, her mom and Sammy are terrible people. What's she's been through and how her mom raised her has clouded her judgement and she doesn't see things clearly when it comes to relationships. Like Trevor, she has a hard time opening up and talking about her life which makes it hard for her to give Trevor a chance. She's quite stubborn and does what she wants and what she thinks is best for her. This made her a bit irritating at times because she couldn't see that something good was right in front of her, she just had to open herself up and make an effort. Trevor and Melody are quite the cute couple and I think they're perfect for each other, they just need to try. It was a solid book overall. *I received an ARC in exchange for an honest.*

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A flashy, crowd-pleasing bartender relocating from New York and the local who hasn't forgotten their brief encounter. It wasn't even a sex-ay encounter. Just an encounter at the bar Melody worked at. Trevor liked her, but didn't want to start something when he was on the verge of moving back to Vermont so they became a missed connection.

Except circumstances have Melody unexpectedly ending up at Speakeasy and (potentially) that missed connection can turn into something more substantial.

On Melody's end, she might possibly have a few trust issues. Given her mother's stellar parenting skills, that's not surprising. Regardless of the reason why, Melody's guarded. Trevor's disappearance in New York after she opened up to him, has her a little wary of the big guy when he shows up. But Trevor is patient and dogged and eventually these two are able to meet halfway. I mean, it takes time and there's baggage to deal with, but they get there.

A city gal in the country, a small-town guy who likes what he sees, a little danger, family dynamics of the dysfunctional variety, friends, steam, and flash. I must say, I'm enjoying my time in Colebury very much.

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

On Trevor's last night in New York he meets Melody. Immediately he is drawn to the talented, kick ass, and beautiful bartender with the firefly tattoo on her wrist. He gathers his courage to talk to her and then he leaves. Realizing that he'll be back in Vermont in the morning and starting something would be unfair. Months later, he is surprised to see Mel working at Speakeasy. He may have lost his chance once, but he won't be doing that again. He'll do whatever it takes to prove to Mel that he isn't going anywhere and that the spark between them is worth fighting for. Mel's life hasn't been easy. Her mother is basically the worst. She has the worst boyfriends, treats Mel horribly, and has taught Mel not to trust anyone, especially a man. But Mel finally puts her foot down when her mother's latest boyfriend, no fiancé, steals thousands of dollars from her. In retaliation, Mel calls the cops and leaves Brooklyn. Months later, she is finally making a home for herself in Vermont and she sees Trevor again. The sparks between them are still there but can she let her guard down enough to let him in? And Trevor has his own family issues, can he open himself to show Mel he means to stick around and won't throw her aside? This book had such great characters and lots of plot twists. I was wary thinking that I could probably predict Mel's attitude and the blow up of keeping secrets. But! There was a lot of story to be told and plenty of twists to keep you on your toes. Another great story to this series!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[KristieReadsBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great addition to the Speakeasy series by a “new to me” author, Krystyna Allyn.

I really love this series and this story is really good, angsty and entertaining.

Melody is a bottle flipping, fancy bartender who is trying to get away from her current life/living conditions. Her mother is a disaster and has betrayed her trust for the last time. She’s leaving town and ends up in Vermont.

Trevor wants to start his own electrical business in Vermont. He has some family business that is weighing him down but he is determined to get a fresh start.

They set eyes on each other one night but don’t think their paths will cross again…until they do. Both of them are dealing with major family issues/embarrassments but they are not willing to share with one another. They are very stubborn which causes their relationship to suffer.

Great characters that eventually realize they can trust and lean on each other as they work through their insecurities and family issues.

I requested an arc and I am proving my honest review.

[Kate H · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the World of True North that Sarina Bowen has created so I was beyond thrilled to find out that other authors would be writing books set in this world in this new Speakeasy Taproom series. I had not previously read anything by Krystyna Allyn and although I did not love this book I would like to try others of her works.

I wanted to love this book but it was just okay for me. I found both Melody and Trevor hard to relate to and this frustrated me and marred my enjoyment. I would recommend this book as worth reading if you like this series but on its own I think its not the most engaging read.

I am excited to read more books that take place in the World of True North and more specifically the Speakeasy Taproom as I know there will be several by a variety of authors coming out soon. This is a relatable place with characters you care for and want to see a happy outcome given to. Speakeasy Taproom is a wonderful series on its own and a great spin off for Sarina Bowen's True North world.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firefly, book #6 in the Speakeasy Taproom series by Krystyna Allyn, is yet another amazing addition to the True North / Speakeasy Taproom world that Sarina Bowen has brought to life.

All of the Speakeasy Taproom books are the best kind of books in a series … books that can be read as standalones and feature previous characters … you can start with this one and then catch up in the order you wish.

Ms. Allyn has woven a creative tale with Firefly, featuring Trevor and Melody, who first meet in NYC where Melody is a hot-shot bartender close to finishing her degree and getting out from her leech of a mother who seems to hitch herself to the wrong kind of guy. Trevor is a Vermonter through and through, who happens to be in NYC to help out a friend and earn some extra cash to fund his business. Melody, and her unique tattoo catch Trevor’s eye, and despite his best attempts, she rebuffs him.

When they meet up months later in Vermont, the sparks are burning hotter than ever before. As they each work through their family issues and realize that they can trust each other, family drama starts to escalate and threaten their relationship.

If you like a hot romance with realistic characters and a well-written storyline, Firefly is one you won’t want to miss!
I received an ARC and this is my honest review!

[Amy Dufera - Amy's MM Romance Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Firefly is a nice small town romance. This is Krystyna Allyn's contribution to the multi-author Speakeasy Taproom series.

Mel and Trevor get a chance at love when they both move from New York City to the same small Vermont town. What follows is cute and sweet.

I definitely hate some of the drama though. The issues with Trevor's dad drove me insane! Like, I seriously wanted to scream at him often to just stop already. And I didn't love the drama between Trevor and Mel either.

Their story is one with family problems, insecurities, doubts, secrets, and plenty of trust issues. They are definitely hot together and their tale has some serious angst towards the end.

It's a decent read. It just isn't my favorite of the series by any means, but I still like it.

Firefly is a second chance romance of sorts. Krystyna Allyn does a good job entwining these characters into the series and further bringing the small town setting to life.