Flash Point

Island Fire #7

by Amy Knupp

An alternative cover edition for this ASIN B079Q6RMZS can be found here

Her secret connects them in a way he’s never imagined.

Becoming an ER doctor is the second hardest thing Rachel Culver has ever done. The hardest was losing her beloved twin sister two years ago. As a medical resident living far from her family, Rachel was able to keep her grief at a distance. But now that she’s back on San Amaro Island, there’s no avoiding her anguish…or her guilty secret.

Cale Jackson is a rescuer at heart, both in his job as fire lieutenant and outside of it. But his fiancée’s heartbreaking death derailed him, and he’s been focused on healing himself ever since. When he runs into her sister, Rachel, in the ER, he suspects she’s struggling even more than he is, and he reaches out.

Rachel’s an expert at keeping people at arm’s length, but the secret she’s keeping from Cale connects them in a way he’s never imagined. If she tells him the truth, will it bring them closer…or scare him off forever?

Flash Point is a stand-alone novel with a happy ever after in the Island Fire series. This book was previously published as A Time for Us

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Amazon, Harlequin, Firefighters

292 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2013

About the author

Amy Knupp is a USA Today Best-Selling author of contemporary romance and a freelance copy editor. She loves words and grammar and meaty, engrossing stories with complex characters.

Amy lives in Wisconsin with her husband, and has two sons, four cats, and a box turtle. She graduated from the University of Kansas with degrees in French and journalism. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, breaking up cat fights, watching college hoops, and annoying her family by correcting their grammar.

Reviews

[Beeg Panda]

The not so cute chapter 1, page 1, meet cute through the H’s POV excerpts:
Noelle: the deceased ow = the hero's fiancée = the heroine's IDENTICAL twin sister
Rachel: the heroine
Cale: the hero

~~~start of excerpts~~~

“… She was the shorter-haired, serious version of the woman he’d loved …

… Rachel’s current intense, focused expression had seldom been found on fun-loving Noelle’s face, but they’d shared round cheekbones, a narrow nose, and those eyes …

… Cale braced himself for the deep green-blue gaze, but still, it struck him like an electric current when their eyes met. Beautiful eyes so achingly familiar they made something inside him twist into a tight coil …

… “Cale,” she said in a voice reminiscent of Noelle’s but lower in pitch and volume. More restrained. Restrained wasn’t a word he’d ever used to describe his fiancée …

… They were connected by tragedy and not much else, but he suddenly had the urge to talk about Noelle like he hadn’t since her death. With someone who’d known her as well as he had. Better even…

… “Noelle would want us to be friends …”

~~~end of excerpts~~~

No.
Nopittynope no.


Rough private NTS to be continued

❌ So no one, not even her immediate family knew that her sister, the bright shiny well loved butterfly inadvertently, unknowingly made the heoroine feel inadequate to the point where the h is so emotionally vulnerable to the point where her whole personality was…
❌ He’s constant flip flop push pull irritates me and was so out of character for this H who is known to be the perfect caring man. They kiss, he pulls back. The have sex, he pulls back. To and fro he goes.
✅ Best thing about this read for me is the writing style
✅ In his copious amounts of comparisons between the h and ow, I don't feel like he finds the h lacking, as such. Just different.
❓how long were the H and ow together?

[BookAddict · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, hats off to the author for tackling this subject. Cale was engaged to marry Rachel's identical twin sister when she died unexpectedly about two years earlier. As they each begin to heal from that loss, Cale and Rachel's feelings for each other become harder to ignore. As you can imagine, this book is about so much more than romance. It’s about loss and grief, and the accompanying anger and guilt that those left behind might face, as well as healing and acceptance. And Ms. Knupp handled it realistically, delicately, and beautifully.

This author has quickly become a favorite of mine, not only for her writing and storytelling ability but for the flawless final product which is such a delight to read, so it's no wonder I was eager to read an early copy of this book. Amidst the difficult subject and storyline, I found both Cale and Rachel to be imperfectly human, authentic, and endearing, evoking a great deal of empathy and emotion as I worked my way through their story. Interestingly, there was nothing but support of their relationship from family and friends, which is the one thing readers might find improbable. But really, these two had enough challenges along there journey that to add that into the mix would have been too much, in my opinion. My heart was completely invested and I had a full reading experience, and I would have felt wrung out at the end with that additional conflict. Instead, I was left believing in hope, healing and second chances. If you want a realistic romance that flows effortlessly and pulls at your heartstrings, you’ll love Flash Point.

*I reviewed this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide a review and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source for this review.

[Kerry Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books by this Author, and this was exceptional and also deeply emotional and heart rendering. I could relate to Rachel in some ways.
I've never had a twin or lost one. but I have lost a brother, so this book strikes a huge chord in my heart ❤️
Amy's writing is beautiful and her characters are deep, beautiful and like the neighbours you'd love to have.
This one was a roller coaster and the theme of sibling loss, extremely well written with deep understanding.
You can always depend on Amy to write emotionally charged, swoony romance.
Kerry Kennedy Author

[Shelley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really don’t know how to rate this one. I’ve said it before I love a widower trope but at times it has to be convincing that the h isn’t second choice, this one just has too many strikes against it to make the HEA believable: spoilers ahead:
❌ 1 - the h met the H first but he chose the sister
❌ 2 - identical twins
❌ 3 - they were very different personalities, and he fell head over heals for the sister first
❌ 4 - over 50% of the book is spent with the H still grieving for the dead sister
❌ 5 - the dead twin was an amazing person and their relationship was perfect no flaws, if she was still alive they would 100% have never separated… which I know this is a moot point BUT given the other 4 points it just makes it’s hard for me to believe that she’d ever be his first choice putting her firmly in second place - I know he says he doesn’t love the sister the same way now because she no longer around but it just didn’t sell it to me.
I whole heartedly believe that the h deserved better and should have gotten a new H who chose her first. And for that I just can’t believe in their HEA
Do I think they loved each other sure but she was only being loved by him because her sister was no longer around
2-3 maybe stars because it was well written just couldn’t sell me the HEA

[Wendy Keel · Rating 5 out of 5]

FLASH POINT is book 7 in Amy Knupp's Island Fire series, however it does work fine as a stand alone novel. You will find yourself eager to read the stories of others who live on San Amaro Island and are part of this series so just know you are in for some binge reading! Now for my thoughts on FLASH POINT, this story is very emotional, but at the same time it's one of those stories that makes you smile. The characters are realistic, and engaging. The story itself is well written and makes you feel like you are a part of everything. I adored everything from the setting to the characters to the emotions that are revealed and healed throughout the story, add in the romance and you have a story that is one of the best of the year. I highly recommend this story to everyone. I do want to mention while I LOVED this story, there are some very deeply emotional situations and feelings tackled within this story. The loss of a loved one, no matter if it's your spouse/love interest, or relative, it's hard to deal with, and to learn to move on from,even more so if it's unexpected. So be prepared to laugh, cry, sigh, and in the end to smile. Then be ready to read more of Amy Knupp's writing! You'll be glad you picked this one up, just be sure to keep a few tissues handy.

[Marija · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another well written story about love, loss, grief, second chance, lot of twists and turns,well developed storyline and characters.
It makes you feel for Rachel and Cale, and their delicate relationship that looks so realistic.
When I started the book I didn't thought that I will stay late in the night just to finish it in one sitting, It just had me going and wanting to know what will happen next. It made me emotional, sad, made me smile...and now I want more.
Well done Amy Knupp, you have another great story for us and I am looking forward of reading your next one!

[Deepa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very very boring. It's kind of a grief odyssey but the writing is not powerful enough that you are drawn into the character's grief and there is simply no chemistry between the characters.
Give it a miss is my opinion.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an incredibly emotional book. Rachel is back on San Amaro now that she finally has her medical degree. She is working crazy amounts of time which is enabling her to get her career going at an accelerated rate. It also allows her to avoid dealing with her grief over the death of her twin sister. The only person who really seems to understand is Cale, the man that Noelle was going to marry. He appears to have made it his mission to be there for her, to push her into dealing with that grief. Unfortunately, Rachel isn't just dealing with grief, she is also dealing with guilt. The night that Noelle died she and Rachel had fought over the fact that Rachel also had feelings for him and now she blames herself. The time that they spend together only increases those feelings, good and bad. I really liked Rachel. I ached for her unhappiness and the way she couldn't give in to her grief. Also for the way that she always felt like she came up short when compared to Noelle who was pretty much her opposite. Her love for Cale is strong but her feelings of guilt just won't allow her to move on with him.

Cale was devastated by Noelle's death, to the point where he still can't live in the condo he bought for them. He feels that his love for Noelle will last forever and that there will never be another. When he first sees Rachel again he is first struck by their resemblance but is quickly reminded of how different they are. He senses her grief and sees the way that she isn't dealing with it. He also sees how alone she is and decides that he will be there for her. He doesn't expect to find her constantly on his mind or to be feeling things he never thought he'd feel again. I really loved the way that he was sensitive to Rachel's feelings but that he also wanted to get her through the hard parts so she could start to live again. He was stunned when she told him about the reason for the fight with Noelle but it also forced him to face his own feelings.

I liked the way that the two of them were able to find strength with each other to deal with their grief. There are times when it becomes too much and they lash out, but they always find their way back. I really liked the way that their grief was shown and the various ways they dealt with it, both with each other and with others.

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d like to preface this review by saying that I’ve enjoyed every Amy Knupp book that I’ve read. I agreed to read this book without really knowing the subject matter. It was an Amy Knupp book and that was good enough for me. Once I found out what the book was about, my stomach dropped. Since the premise of the book is obvious from the beginning, I don’t believe this will be a spoiler. I really dislike it when the female lead is the sister/cousin/best friend of the male lead, especially if there was no break up and the male lead loves the sister/cousin/friend until death separates them. This is magnified when the female lead and the former significant other are twins. Add to that the fact that our heroine, Rachel, met our hero Cale first and had a wonderful conversation with him and was totally attracted to him before he spotted her outgoing twin, Noelle, and she had to watch as they became a couple. I read 40% of the book and was heartsick for Rachel. I didn’t know how I was going to get through the rest of the book, but I had agreed to do a review and didn’t want to go back on my promise. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed the rest of the book. I laughed and, yes, I cried in parts. The developing relationship between Rachel and Cale was only part of the story. There were also other aspects – different ways of dealing with grief, insecurities and guilt. I still don’t like the fact that Noelle and Cale had a relationship first. I somehow felt that poor Rachel was second choice, but the story was well done. A lot of people probably don’t have the same hang up that I do and will probably get even more enjoyment reading this emotional and touching story.

I am providing a voluntary and honest review for an ARC I received from the author.

[Flirting With Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a huge Amy Knupp fan for years and, as expected, this book was right up there with her other excellent Texas Firefighters series. From page one, we're drawn in to the characters and the emotions involved. At first I thought this storyline would be too sad, and it was sad, but it was impossible to put down. I became so invested in the characters, so pulled in to their grief and despondency that I spent several nights reading way past my normal bedtime hours.

What I loved most was the obvious pull these two main characters had on each other – their apparent need for one another. By chapter two, I was screaming for them to come together, even though they fought it page after page (of course magically building the tension and the conflict). Rachel and Cale were both haunted by Noelle’s death, Rachel’s twin sister. Noelle’s tragic death brought much sadness to those around her, but especially these two main characters who were involved emotionally. Rachel, her twin sister, happened to be the complete opposite than bubbly, socialite Noelle. Rachel had always been the brainiac sister. Yet, they had that connection that is so often referred to with twins. Cale, her fiancée, loved Noelle and didn’t know how to stop loving her. Neither of them ready to move on in life, drew upon each other to get past their personal hurdles and learned to live in life rather than death.

This was a beautiful love story. Two people who fought every step to be together were actually meant to be together in every way. Amy Knupp tied this whole cast of characters, storyline, and another great firefighter tale into one perfect romance I’m glad I didn’t miss.

FIVE WINKS!

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enthusiastically received an ARC of Flash Point in exchange for an honest review. I was recently introduced to Amy Knupp’s Island Fire series and I really enjoy the books. One thing that I really like is that you do not have to read them in order and they truly are standalone books. Although the characters from other books appear, you do not feel like you are missing something by not knowing their story. They are not integral to the plot.
In this story we follow Cale, who has lost his fiancé and is recovering from her death. As the book opens we meet Rachel who is the identical twin sister of Cale’s fiancé and has just returned to the island to start her residence at the ER of the local hospital. Besides their grief, Cale and Rachel have a back story where they met prior to his meeting her sister. Although it was not a long period of time, it seems to stay with both of them.
As the book progresses they both work through their grief and build their own relationship separate from the woman that connects them. I really like this author and her ability to tell a story that develops over time without taking 600 pages to do it. In many cases it feels like resolution comes quickly or easily, but in these books the passage of time and storyline is well paced. This relationship was one that I thought was difficult from the beginning but came together in an interesting and genuine way.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flash Point by Amy Knupp is a 5 star read.
Cake Jackson is a Lieutenant for the fire department and is only just trying to move his life forward after the sudden death of his fiancée Noelle almost 2 years prior. When he’s taking a shift with the ambulance crew he bumps into Noelle’s twin sister,Rachel, who he hasn’t seen since the funeral. They are planning a benefit concert in Noelle’s honour and when he starts working closely with Rachel he starts to have feelings for her.
Dr Rachel Culver is working in the ER she’s spend most of the last 2 years trying to hide the grief she feels over her twin sisters death, she has feelings of guilt as they fought the last time she spoke to her. Not wanting to help with the benefit concert her mother is planning for her twin , she uses work as an excuse but ends up helping to try and show everyone she is handling things.
At first I worried that a story where a grieving fiancé falls for his dead fiancée’s identical twin would be weird but this story was well written and the characters get right together especially as Cole could always tell the twins apart. This story broke my heart, I struggled to read some parts as I couldn’t see through the tears pouring from my eyes. Well done Amy Knupp on another wonderfully written story.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

[Emabubby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rachel Culver's story is not a happy one. Two years after losing her sister, Rachel is still in deep mourning. Unable to let go of her grief she busies herself by working 24/7 or as close to it as she can get. Cale Jackson fiance's was Rachel's sister and though he still misses her he is now ready to move on with his life. When Cale runs into Rachel he soon realizes that she is still struggling and as a natural born rescuer he tries to help her get over her grief. Ms. Knupp is an amazing writer and his storyline and character development are the best. Yet I could not enjoy this book. It was very depressing and even though it ended on a happy note it just wasn't my cup of tea.

I received this book from the author and I have freely posted this fair and balanced review.

[Kate Vale · Rating 3 out of 5]

What would you do if you harbored almost overwhelming guilt following the death of your identical twin sister AND had always had the hots for her fiance? That's the dilemma Rachel faces--and tries to deal with by burying herself in her work as an ER doc.

Cale, the EMT/firefighter, isn't in much better shape. The condo he bought thinking he would share it with Noelle is now half-destroyed and he can't bear to live there.

How these two get together forms the basis for this story. I only wish it hadn't taken so long to the happy ending.

[Jacquie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A hard to write story of the pain and loss of a twin and a fiancé

[Cindy Boesl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too sad for my taste.

[Rita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Likeable characters and a difficult story. A lot of character growth on both sides.

[Char (1RadReader59) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Losing a family member is heart-wrenching and is something that can make or break a family. But, for a twin, it is like losing an arm or a leg. At least, that is what I have been told. I mean, this was their first roommate. Unlike at college, you can’t kick them out if they invade your space. I know that it is now at an even worse level than that. Now, Rachel the twin who is still alive is feeling guilt.

There are several reasons, all valid, but unless she talks about them with anyone, they will continue to haunt her. They were much easier to ignore when living off the island. But, now the daily reminders of being without her sister, the remorse on people's faces, the disappointment it's Rachel, and not Noelle. That is one look she feels comfortable with. It had happened all her life.

Her sister Noelle was an outgoing, fun, party-girl sister. Rachel on the other hand had a goal set at a very young age. She wanted to be a doctor like her mom. To do that though she had to pull in the good grades. So, never wanted to go to parties or any of the other things teens do. She wanted to study. Just because her mom was a cardiologist, and would pay for her undergrad, like she’d insisted that her older brother, Sawyer, pay his way through med school.

She was expected to do the same. She didn't hesitate. Her hometown hospital is reputable for being a small one. She’d do three years across the bridge doing her residency and then be back on the island. Of course, that was all before the family tragedy. Hindsight, can you guess what she would do right about now? Since she is midweek of her first week. As if, it all hadn’t been bad enough. She ran right into Cale the man she lost her heart to. No wait, wrong sister. NOELLE lost her heart, too, right?

You’ll have to read it to find out, but let's just say in the end the friendship forged between the two of them also lays the foundation for so much more. Never blurring the lines of the true identity, that she is who she is and someone he wants back. Although he will always love and have Noelle in his heart, Cale wants Rachel in his life forever. They seem to have found they have even more shared interests than they thought and are soothed by the same simple moments there in their hometown. Spending time together has given him the feels. Finding himself falling in love with Rachel.

Not easy for either to admit to themselves, let alone to each other. You have to understand they are dealing with survivor guilt and the guilt of just moving on with their lives, especially with each other. This was a very good book.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seem Rachael has lived in the shadow of her twin sister, Noelle, all of her life. Noelle always ends up with the guy Rachael likes. When Caleb comes along, it was love at first sight, but when he meets Noelle, they soon become a couple. Rachael is away finishing up med school, doing her residency, when Noelle, calks to tell her Caleb has proposed. Some time later there is a phone call between the two sisters and Rachael finally tells Noelle, how she has treated her in the past and how she saw Caleb first. They argue, Noelle storms out of the house, to her car and suffers from an asthma attach. She is found sometime later, dead. She did not have her inhaler or cell. Rachael feels she caused her sister’s death and Carrie’s the secret and guilt for almost 2 years. She finally returns home to honor the commitment to work in the local hospital in exchange for them paying part of the medical school. Caleb sees how lost and alone she is and realizes that she has not grieved her sister. He tries to be her friend. Rachael can’t get past that he was her sister’s fiancé. They end up falling in love, even thought Rachael fought it. She had a heart to heart with her mother, told her what happened and mom told her she knew that Noelle, had stolen several boyfriends from her in the past. Mom felt that Noelle was very self centered and selfish. Rachael needs to seek her happiness now and not hold back. She and Caleb get their HEA.

[Angel Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've lost loved ones, but cannot imagine the grief and all that it contains of losing not just a sibling, but your twin...identical twin.

Rachel lost her twin about 19 months earlier, due to a severe asmatha attack that caught her twin, Noelle, without her inhaler. Rachel has felt guilt for those months, due to an argument she had with Noelle when Noelle left the home with onlly her keys. No purse, no inaler. It would be hours before anyone found her.

Cale was Noelle's fiance. He loved her dearly, but as his time of mourning ends, as his grief begins to subside, little by little, he is finding himself attracted, again to Rachel. It feels like betrayal to him. Rachel's attraction to Cale feels like betrayal to her.

Grief can be so overwhelming, so all encompassing. It doesn't always make sense. It's never linear. No two people will ever grieve the same. It can take months, years, or a lifetime to find a way to allow the grief to have less of a hold on you. It never goes away, it becomes more managable. Sometimes, a flicker; sometimes a flame. Allow it to be what it is.

In the end, this is what Rachel, Cale, and Rachel and Noelle's mother were able to do. Each in their own time, their own way.

[W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bound together by loss and love

Rachel and Cale are great characters, but at the beginning of the book, both are doing little more than existing and trying not to feel their mutual devastating loss. Her popular identical twin sister is also his deceased fiancée. Coming to terms with her death has not been easy for either as they chose different ways to cope over the prior year and a half. Needing to work together on a memorial benefit fundraiser in Noelle's memory forces Rachel and Cale to confront their feeling about her death and their undeniable attraction to each other. I loved how the twin sisters had such different personalitiies and unique qualities that they were each allowed, even encouraged to embrace. It was also wonderful to see the large firehouse families as they embraced and supported the main characters as they processed their devastating loss.

I purchased a copy of this story and voluntarily chose to share my review.

[Conna N Condon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a compelling story about the effects of asthma which takes an average of 10 American lives a day, often due to not having an inhaler handy (fact not provided in story; it caused me to look it up). In this case it is significantly impacted by the victim being an identical twin (also looked it up, only both have it 20% of time). The surviving twin feels very guilty for his twin’s death due to an argument and admission just before the asthmatic runs out of the house without her inhaler. This is the story of the survival of the fiancé and the sister and her mom. The impact on each of their lives. At times it dragged a little. At times I struggled to believe the story.

[Melody Tregear · Rating 2 out of 5]

Skimmed through the book

The story is basically about a family, particularly the twin sister, working through her grief, as well as the deceased sister's fiancé. I thought this was a clean read but the blasphemy and bad language ruined it for me and I skimmed to the end. So I don't know how the sister died but I'd already lost interest in the story. The book length is nice, but a lot to wade through when grief is front and center most of the time.

[Susan Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flash Point

This book had so much heart.
Rachel’s twin sister Noelle died alone from an asthma attack.
Rachel lost her twin and Cale lost his fiancée.
They become each other’ support in their grief.
This book is about negotiating the grief that comes upon you suddenly at random moments and finding peace.

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forbidden Love

What a wonderful story. Came and Rachel had so much to overcome, as well as deal with the grief over Rachel's twin, Noelle's death. Losing a twin is like losing a part of you, but then falling in love with her fiance was another layer of grief. There was a lot of baggage to overcome before they could give in to their true to feelings.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Cale and Rachel's story even though it was tragic due to the death of Rachel's twin sister due to an asthma attack (she didn't take her inhaler nor her cell with her, which was made quite clear in the story). It was a rough road for Cale and Rachel, and I'm so glad they made it!

[Pria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know why he didn't see her before and why he sees her now. Most of the book he's all about Noelle and then suddenly it's all Rachel. Can't get over the fact that Rachel's his second choice.

Also, the timeline is so confusing. How long has he actually been with Noelle?

[Roy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Vulgar language

Vulgar language and inappropriate behavior in a book I do not want to read and other reviews did not report the deficiencies

[Susan Lovett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story

Book 7 in the Island Fire series is as good as the first six. I really enjoy the books Amy Knupp writes. This is a nice, sweet read with a good plot, romance and a HEA. I recommend this series.

[Henar · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was difficult to understand the timeline and also it went from 0 to 100 in no time.