Wildfire

In Vino Veritas #1

by Garrett Leigh

A gorgeous new sexual awakening romance with sizzling first times, snarky British banter, and off-the-charts chemistry.

Life doesn’t always pan out as you expect. When it explodes in my face, literally, an old friend offers me a place to heal and a job renovating the kitchen of Burlington’s coolest wine bar.

V&V is a chill fest. Living above it should be a blast. But I’m not built to be a social butterfly. Not anymore. I’m a damaged man.

And I’m not its target clientele.

At least, I think I’m not until I come face to face with the most beautiful human I’ve ever seen. Joss is the new chef and my roommate. He has hair like spun gold and it’s as pretty as the rest of him. Crystal blue eyes. Megawatt smile.

I can’t stop staring. Or thinking about him. He chases my nightmares away. And when he spots my crush a mile off, his solution to our chemical attraction blows my mind.

An experiment of sorts. Science. Is this sexual exploration or sex education?

Either way, Joss is only here for the summer. He’s leaving.

I can’t fall in love with him.

I can’t.

Shame my foolish heart never got the memo.

WILDFIRE is a heartfelt MM friends-to-lovers, hurt/comfort romance in the True North world, with a brooding lumbersexual, a wild-hearted chef, sweet angst and all the Vermont food. Content warning: contains mentions of depression, ADHD, suicidal ideation, and PTSD recovery.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Friends To Lovers, Audiobook, LGBT, Disability

284 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 8, 2022

About the author

She/Her

Bonus Material available for all books on Garrett's Patreon account. Includes short stories from Misfits, Slide, Strays, What Remains, Dream, and much more. Sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/garrettleigh

Facebook Fan Group, Garrett's Den... https://www.facebook.com/groups/garre...

Garrett Leigh is an award-winning British romance author and artist. Her debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and she is a 4 time LAMBDA finalist.

In 2017, she won the EPIC award in contemporary romance with her military novel, Between Ghosts, and the contemporary romance category in the Bisexual Book Awards with her novel What Remains.

Garrett is also an award winning cover designer, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at blackjazzdesign.com

Reviews

[Snjez · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This was such a great story. Compared to most of the other books I've read by this author, I would say that this one is on the lighter side. It's still emotional, but also sweet and romantic, even funny at times, and it never felt too heavy to me.

Joss and Kai are such well-developed characters and I loved them both. Joss describes Kai as calm and grounded, and I couldn't agree more. Joss is the complete opposite, chaotic and impulsive, but they complement each other perfectly. They are drawn to each other right from the start, but it goes beyond simple physical attraction. I loved the slow and gradual build up of their relationship and all the little things they did. That was so cute.

I really liked the representation of Joss’s ADHD and non-verbal Tourette’s, and Kai’s PTSD. This author is really good at writing about different conditions in a way that feels realistic. I liked how they are not seen as ‘flaws’ and both Joss and Kai are accepted exactly as they are.

Another thing that the author is good at is writing stories that revolve around cooking. I always find them comforting and heartwarming. They are among my favourite.

Talking about writing, this felt a bit different from the author’s previous books that I’ve read. There were more inner monologues and short sentences. I really enjoyed it here and I think it went well with the story.

I’d like to add that Tanner and Jax from Heartscape play a big part in this story, but not in a way that this one couldn’t be read as a standalone. I haven’t read Heartscape and I had no problems following the characters here. Though I might check it out now. 😉

[Florence . · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 "As long as we’re together, I don’t fucking care" stars

“I’m so fucking in love with you I couldn’t leave this place if I tried.”

I was really excited to read this book. I have recently found myself to be a massive fan of anything that Garett Leigh writes, and they are always auto-reads for me. Basically, if Garett Leigh writes it, then I will read it. And most of them, I will absolutely adore it. And I’m happy to read it that this one ended up being such a hit for me. I just had a lovely time reading this book and it was one hell of a reading experience for me, one I really really appreciated.

Brief Summary
Kai has suffered a traumatic event that is really taking a toll on him. He’s trying to get by and that’s when the place he works for employs a new cook, Joss. They end up spending a lot of time together and they fall in love.

I enjoyed this book, a lot. This was just so romantic and it really made me swoon a lot. I found myself so invested in the characters and their lives and I just keep cheering for their romance but mostly for the characters. I found myself getting very emotional while I was reading this one, just because I was so invested in the characters and I just had so many emotions about them. Which is always a good thing in my book. I read this book in one sitting due to how invested I was in this story. I just really enjoyed reading this one.

I just adored the romance in this book. Everything about it just really worked for me. I loved how they slowly got to know each other and accepted each other no matter what. I loved how they got to know how each other worked and how they were exactly what the other needs. I loved how well the characters balanced each other and how perfect for each other they seemed. I loved how cute the romance in this book was. It was heart meltingly swoony and I loved every seconds I spent reading all of the cute interactions between these two characters.

I just loved Kai and Joss together, so so much. I loved everything about their relationship. I loved how much they cared for each other and how they always wanted to try and make the other feel better, no matter what. I loved how they were always there for each other and how they supported each other. I loved the care that they had for each other and how they showed that care through their every action. I loved their interactions so much. They were just made for each other and it showed heavily through their every interactions.

Also, Joss loves to cook and he kept cooking for Kai and leaving him nice meals so that he would always have something to eat and it was just the cutest thing ever.

I really loved the relationship progression in this book. Kai and Joss start off as friends and they both start being attracted to each other and pining for each other. And the more and more time that they spend together, the more they realize that they are made for each other. I loved reading all their friendly interactions and their pining before they got together, it was just so lovely to read about. This book is more of a slower burn but it really worked for me in this case because I just loved seeing all of the little interactions between Kai and Joss, it was just so much fun to read about.

I really enjoyed the sexual discovery of this book. Kai thought that he was straight and he had never been attracted to a man before. And I really enjoyed seeing his sexual discovery. It just felt so realistic to me. It was portrayed in such a way that reminded me of my own sexual discovery and I really appreciated reading all about that.

I have said it before and I will say it again, Garett Leigh always does flawless descriptions of trauma and I loved the ones in this book, so much. Kai has witnessed an event that really affected his mental health and resulted in him having PTSD and I loved how the book dealt with this. I loved how the book showed how witnessing this event deeply traumatized Kai and how it affected every seconds of his life. I love how the book treated this topic with so much care and how wonderfully it described it. It was done in such a brilliant way and it was deeply fascinating to read.

Also, I really enjoyed the representation in this book. Joss has ADHD and non-verbal Tourette’s and I loved the way in which this was shown in the book. It was handled with a lot of care and love and it truly was a wonderful thing to read. I just found this part of the book so fascinating and really lovely to read about. I really liked how the author didn’t shy away from making it a super important part of Joss’ character, as it should be. It just really enhanced the reading experience for me.

I always love hurt / comfort and I especially liked the one in this book. It was just so full of care and love and it was wonderful to read about. I just loved how much comfort this book provided to the characters and how their romance was their safe place where they could be with each other and make each other feel better, it was just the cutest thing to me. And it was just so great to read about.

Overall, I just had the best of time reading this book. It was everything I wanted it to be. It was realistic and full of trauma, but also full of the cutest comfort that was just such a joy to read. And it was just so romantic. I just adored the romance in this book, it made me swoon a lot and that’s always a win in my book.

I received an ARC of this book, and this is my honest opinion.

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wildfire by Garrett Leigh, is book one in the In Vino Veritas series. We are back to the V&V Bar. I love visiting here!



Kai Fletcher, I think about twenty nine years old, is suffering from severe PTSD. Tanner, the manager at V&V, gave Kai a job of renovating the kitchen. They want to add food to their offerings at the bar. And, they gave Kai the other apartment above the bar to stay, next door to Tanner and Jax.

“Sometimes in life, another soul calls to yours and you don’t walk away. Don’t turn your back. And maybe Kai Fletcher is one of them.”

Joss is twenty six and is a good friend of Jax’s. He is a cook with a wandering soul. He never stays in one place for long. They hope he’ll stay for the summer to get the restaurant side of V&V off the ground and then hire someone to replace him.

“His touch does something to me, and I know as long as I’m here, I’ll seek it out.”

Kai is straight, or always thought himself to be until he met Joss. The attraction between them was immediate. I loved that Joss kept referring to Kai’s hands as lava hands. Because his touch affected him so much. These two just accepted each other. Joss accepted Kai’s struggles with his PTSD. And Kai accepted what Joss struggled with. I adored their first kiss. Done for the sake of an experiment, for science, of course!

“One kiss doesn’t hold all the answers. It opens a door he didn’t know existed. A path. A journey.”

These two were so sweet. Their journey was a bit of a slow burn but when they did get together, burn they definitely did. I loved the effect they had on each other. Just being in proximity to each other gave them peace. I also loved that we got to spend so much time with Tanner and Jax, from Garrett’s other book, Heartscape. You don’t need to have read it at all but I loved knowing their story. I’ve read a bunch of Garrett’s books now and have loved every one.

For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...

[Lyn❤Loves❤Listening to Real Voices Only!!!!❤️🎧📚 Addict ON HIATUS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio - 4.5 stars
Story - 4 Stars

[Cadiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know how she does it but each time I pick up a book by Garrett Leigh, she blows me away.

Her characters are never given an easy life, they have challenges to break the strongest of backs but they are always resilient, they persevere and, ultimately they triumph in a way which works for them.

Her men are never "cured" by falling in love, there's no magic dick pill to end mental health issues or to smooth away the edges of neurodivergency, there's no therapeutic kiss to end the symptoms of PTSD.

Instead, what they get are blocks of support, coping mechanisms and unfailing love which means it becomes easier to deal with the stresses and strains.

Here we get two beautiful men who have huge hurdles in their daily lives. For Joss, his is part of his being, his Tourette's and his ADHD are an intrinsic and permanent factor and he accepts that and deals with it through medication and strategies.

Kai's is trauma related, a recent catastrophic situation that he's still coming to terms with and, unlike Joss, there's an air of melancholy and sorrow that drives his daily routine.

But when they meet it's like lightbulbs and flashes of neon and the overwhelming chance for change to come. Kai brings calm to Joss' whirlwind mind, and for Kai, Joss is a breath of air drawing him out of the darkness.

We're then taken on a journey of not only deeply emotional friendship between the two, but also a bisexual awakening on Kai's part which feels completely organic and which brings comfort in a myriad of ways.

The sex, for Garrett, is perhaps less steamy than in some of her other works, but it's perfect for this romance. It's exploratory, it's healing, it's lustful and heady, it's quiet and calming.

But most of all it's tethering, creating an invisible force between them which ties the two men together against all the odds to deliver a truly compelling happy ending.

There's all the British banter you'd expect from a London boy uprooted and it's also a quiet paean to the glory of good food cooked with love.

Keep an eye out for Easter Egg references to a couple of Garrett's other fabulous series and, of course, there's lots of Jax, Tanner and Molly in this one too 💗

#ARC kindly received from the author via Sarina Bowen's Heart Eyes Press in return for an honest and unbiased review.

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time)]

DNF at 26% with no rating. Didn't hold my attention.

[Cat the bookworm (semi hiatus ish) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly heavy topics for the mostly lighthearted V&V anthology, but despite the trope it’s not a heavy book.

Both MCs have their issues: firstly, we have Kai, who used to work in mountain rescue and who now has PTSD after a failed rescue attempt. And then there’s Joss, a genius chef who starts working at V&V, and who has ADHD and non verbal Tourette syndrome. In the authors note, there’s mention that the book was reviewed by sensitivity readers, so I assume the representation of Joss is correct.

Joss is only supposed to stay in Burlington for a few months to kickstart V&Vs new kitchen menu, so he gets to room in with (straight) Kai. And different as they might be, and despite all the issues they deal with, they become friends. And later on, lovers.

There’s a quote from the epilogue that sums up their relationship perfectly. It’s from Kai’s pov:

For everything he forgets, I remember.
For everything I remember, he helps me forget.

I won’t lie, living and loving a man like Joss would drive me crazy. But I guess one part of why I didn’t empathise with him more was the way his pov was narrated.

And yes, despite that I didn’t switch to reading. I had a lot of weeding to do in my garden and I needed my hands free 😅

The audiobook is narrated by Tim Paige and Dan Calley. I guess Tim Paige was Kai’s voice, so it’s Dan Calley I had an issue with. I can’t even pinpoint why. He just… didn’t do it for me. A shame, because I guess the long haired beauty on the cover is supposed to be Joss, and I’d have loved to love him.

Anyway. To wrap it up: an ok audiobook, but you’re probably better off if you decide to read it. 3.5 stars rounded down because of the narration.

[NicoleR.M.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 stars.

I loved the Vino&Veritas series and I was thrilled when I found out there was another series planned. And when the opportunity came to request an early copy, I could not resist.

This is the first book, Garrett Leigh's contribution and it's Joss's and Kai's book. You might remember Kai from the first book (Tanner's book Heartscape), but if you don't, no worries, because this book can be read as a stand alone.
It's written in Garrett Leigh's gritty style - it's raw and, as is often the case with her books, the main characters are damaged and scarred. For different reasons, but still.
The title, Wildfire, is perfect for this story. That’s how the attraction feels between Kai and Joss-like wildfire roaring through their veins, all consuming. Wild and out of control.

Kai and Joss are such characters. Kai suffers from PTSD after witnessing a terrible accident. He can't go back to his old job because of it, and he has fears that he finds irrational, but fears rarely are rational, are they?
One day, when he's installing the new kitchen in Vino&Veritas, because Harrison (the owner) has gotten the idea to start serving food as well, he meets Joss. Joss is English and Jax's friend (Jax being Tanner's English boyfriend) and he's the cook who's going to make it all happen. He also has ADHD and Tourette's and therefor is quite unpredictable in his behavior. Recognizing something in each other about how difficult life can be when it throws all these different curve balls, they hit it off as friends. Kai has always thought of himself as straight, but there's something about Joss that mesmerizes him and at first he can't decipher what exactly that is. Until he realizes he's attracted to him.
This was a well written, genuine bi-sexual awakening. I loved how Kai just accepted his feelings as something that was part of him, but he just never realized it was. I loved how Joss taught him the art of loving another man. It felt real and their connection was just as real and sparky.

What annoyed me a bit were the inner dialogues. I noticed Garrett Leigh seems to do that more in her recent books than she did in her past ones, and I honestly don't always enjoy them.
The dialogues between Joss and Kai were sometimes too cut off short, and too unnatural for my liking. Very gritty, and that's just not my usual style.
But, this is Garrett Leigh and she sure knows how to tell a story. And inner dialogues or not, I found myself invested in Joss's and Kai's journey to find each other, specially for Joss to find a reason to stay. To believe someone could love him the way he was, with all his flaws and all his hidden and unexpected behaviors. To believe he was worth loving and therefor worth to keep his job and keep the man he had fallen in love with.

Again another great addition to this world of True North. I really loved being back in Burlington, VT, and see old acquaintances (like Molly!). The bar, the bookshop, Tanner, Jax...it sure was lovely to spend some time with them again and to feel myself surrounded by the famous Vermont air and the Vino&Veritas vibe. I'm very much looking forward to the rest of the books!

I was kindly given an advanced copy of this book and this is my honest, unbiased review

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So happy to be back in the V&V world!

This book is a lot more character driven than plot driven, with pages and pages of internal dialogue. While normally that isn't my jam, it worked really well in this book. It took me a while to get into, but once I did I really enjoyed it! Loved both of these characters and seeing some other familiar names! Excited for more of the series.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really quite liked this one! Loved the characters and their connection, and there was some nice tension without feeling like an angst fest. Super hot, and generally just a solid read!

[Gustaf · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I did like and enjoy this one I think I might have had a little too big expectations.

[D.L. Howe · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
🎧🎧🎧

BR with my girl Cass!

I would take this review with a large grain of salt.

Considering I just came off of reading one of the best books of my life, it’s rather hard to compare anything else.

Having said that, here’s what I liked; I appreciate the perspective of two men that have some sort of mental health and how they cope. I like that one is a cook, for some reason I haven’t seen that a lot.

Otherwise nothing really stuck out to me, the entire story felt like something I had read ten times over. I thought there was some witty banter and it flowed well but nothing I could remember the next day.

Even the steam felt run of the mill and I’m a huge fan of bi-awakening but even that wasn’t enough to catch my full attention.

Same deal with the audio, I like Tim Paige but I find his voice comforting and with nothing interesting it grew monotonous. As for the other guy, at first I thought he was an Aussie, he reminded me of Crocodile Dundee. But then it grew more British reminding me of Jason Stratham.

Overall just a middle of the road read.

[Jenny (Nyxie) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This just didn’t work for me. DNF at about 80% in. I struggled to connected with either character, and the cast of side characters was a bit overwhelming - I think there might be a previous series with these guys in it (that I haven’t read) because while there was some attempt at a backstory, I also got the feeling that we were supposed to know some of them more intimately than just the events in the book would have suggested. Also this store / place seems too have more history as well.

I also really struggled with the dual narration. Dan Calley and Tim Paige are both excellent narrators who I usually enjoy, but in this format I just got taken out of the story too often whenever they switched because they have very different voices.

Overall just didn’t work for me.

[Simona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Swooniing

[QuietlyKat]

DNF at 27%. Why oh why do I keep trying with Leigh? I used to love her writing but in the last few years her more recent stories have rarely worked for me. I guess my tastes have changed.

Wildfire isn’t working for me at all. Joss comes across as stereotypically hypermasculine: crude, arrogant, cocky, super slobby, etc. I thought his ADHD and Tourette’s would be worth reading and those parts are interesting but hypermasculine dudes are as far from what I want to read as can be and ~that~ aspect is far more prominent than his neurodivergent characteristics. Plus he’s a creeper. He stares at Kai while he’s sleeping and takes deep breaths to smell Kai when he passes close, etc. 🤢🤮 I had a partner that did those things and it was creepy and gross AF. Maybe it’s just triggering, but I wasn’t feelin Joss even before the creepin.

Kai, on the other hand, seems much more my kind of character in as much as he seems to have a gentle soul. However, he’s constantly thinking things like “I’m straight why am I so intrigued by Joss? Why can’t I look away? Why am I staring? Why do I just want to stay in his presence? Why am I popping a boner? Why am I staring? Why can’t I look away? I’m straight. I’m straight. I’m straight.” 🙄 Hello? It’s so repetitive and feels so juvenile. It feels like it’s written by a straight woman for straight women. At least that’s how it feels to me. And not just that element, but all of it. And it feels like it’s at the very least edging on biphobic. I mean, he’s surrounded by queer people, his closest friends are queer and his understanding of queerness is this binary and lacking nuance? Idk, maybe it’s realistic. It took me forever to recognize I’m bi/pan and somewhere on the ace spectrum but the way this is written doesn’t feel authentic given the context, the way it’s portrayed, his age, that was written in and presumably takes place around 2022. It makes sense to me that I was bi-ignorant given I grew up in the 70s/80s in an extremely heteronormative environment and a relatively homophobic culture. But that’s not Kai’s situation. Regardless of whether it’s realistic and organic or not, it’s not vibing with me 🤷🏻‍♀️

Note to self: stop trying with this author, it’s not working for you anymore!

[Vanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Beautiful Stars!! 😍💕 This books was simply marvelous. 😍 I couldn't put it down it was so enthralling. Both Joss and Kai were such powerful characters; with Joss outwardly being so full of effervescence but inwardly struggling with insecurity due to ADHD and Tourette's ; while Kai projected calm and strength from the outside despite his exposed vulnerabilities due to his PTSD. They were both a little broken, but they fit each other perfectly. ❤️
Overall this was a sweet but slightly angsty story with some great supporting characters (Jax and Tanner from Heartscape) I could have done without the added tension towards the end throwing Kai's life in danger , but I truly loved and enjoyed the story. 💖 Highly recommended to all fans of M/M romances who are looking for a deeply resonating story with some remarkable characters 👍👍

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always love books with an English person in them because I can hear the specific accent instead of a generic American one 😂

Was nice to revisit Jax and Tanner. Joss and Kai were weirdly good together, very co-dependent but it worked.

[Lilly [Hiatus due to School] · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first read by Garrett Leigh. Watching Kai and Joss's relationship bloom from roommates to friends to lovers was sweet. Kai carries trauma from an accident, and Joss has dealt with both ADHD and Tourettes his whole life. Seeing two very different men come together was touching to read. I also got to learn what it is like living with non-verbal Tourettes. I think the author did an excellent job of making the reader understand. The issue I did have with the story was that it was hard to get immersed because Kai is linked to another related series. There are a lot of aspects of the story that feels like something is missing. Information that is presumed I should already know. Thus, there is an expectation you have read the related series, it does not go into depth, so it feels like there are gaps. I also felt like the pacing of the story was a bit too slow. Overall it was a good read and a nice introduction to Garrett Leigh's writing and stories.

[Kaity · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-3.5 stars

Waaaaay better than the other Garrett Leigh’s book for this universe (Heartscape). Joss and Kai communicated pretty well and we weren’t lost with their internal issues.

Joss and Kai were great compliments to each other, but I felt like things were still missing.

Also side note…the accident that happened towards the end.. that came out of nowhere.. hahaha! Felt like that didn’t flow.

Overall cute read, interesting to get in the head of a character with ADHD and Nonverbal Tourette’s haven’t read about that before. I did enjoy the book but I don’t know if other Garrett Leigh books are for me.

And I don’t know if Dan Calley works for me as a narrator… he didn’t really change his voice up so I would get lost sometimes figuring out who was talking. Both him and Tim Paige need to work on their accents.. haha (TP, his British one. And DC his American)

[Ele · Rating 4 out of 5]

So very good and romantic.

[.Lili. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wildfire by Garrett Leigh

Kai's & Joss's love story is signature Garrett Leigh. Her writing style is gritty and poignant, and this book is no exception.

This story has~
•Slow burn
•Hurt/Comfort
•Great relationship development
•Chemistry
•Sexual discovery

My favorite part of the story; is how perfect they were for each other.

Loved it.

[AngelFire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the MCs and their relationship but the lack of interesting conflict and repetition made it a struggle not to fall asleep. Up until the midway point, I was still hopeful that things would pick up and the author would do something interesting with the MCs but then I realized that wouldn't happen and I had to skim through the last third so I didn't fall asleep from boredom.

The highlight of the story was the MCs and how the author made them click instantly. The author used a common technique that I love: give both MCs strengths and weaknesses that perfectly complement each other. Kai used to be a mountain rescue team leader and after witnessing a bad car accident that led to multiple deaths, he's been struggling with severe PTSD. It manifests through various symptoms, including panic attacks, nightmares, insomnia and depression (which includes a lack of appetite). His friends know that Kai sleeps a lot better if he's not alone in his apartment so making Joss his new roommate and also making Joss be a chef solved nearly all of Kai's problems. Joss has ADHD and minor Tourette's, which can be hard for some people to deal with but Kai's laidback nature and joy at having Joss's sunny personality around means Kai is fully committed to understanding Joss' issues and how to deal with them. Not only do they adore each other from the start but they're also instantly committed to helping the other person live a good life. They're a match made in heaven and I had no problem believing that they clicked from the moment they met. The author explains this instant connection in a beautiful quote:

'I [Joss] don't give a fuck that I just met him. Sometimes in life, another soul calls to yours and you don't walk away. Don't turn your back. And maybe Kai Fletcher is one of them.'

Specifically, Kai's adoration of Joss is summed up in this wonderful quote that explains the book's title:

'My grandma once told me every human born had a bit of magic in them. A wildfire that burns bright until you fuck up your life enough to snuff it out. I haven't got much of mine left right now, but it's okay. I think Joss has enough for both of us.'

Another thing I loved was the author's decision to give Joss multiple neurodivergence issues but to have him be an old hand at handling them. He's been diagnosed for ages and has been on a successful medication regiment for years. He fully understands his ADHD and Tourette's and he also knows exactly what he needs to do to deal with both. In contrast, Kai's PTSD is recent and while he's been attending therapy, got prescribed medication and has a good support system, none of that has been helping. Kai is really struggling and when Joss shows up and throws him a lifeline, it's exactly what Kai needs. What I loved was that Joss was in the caregiver role for the majority of the story. Kai did help Joss from time to time, but the story mostly revolves around Joss helping Kai with his issues. I loved this because authors usually have the MC with neurodivergence issues be a helpless victim who heavily relies on others for everything so it was a nice change that Joss had a solid handle on his issues.

Suffice it to say, I loved the MCs and their relationship. The fact that they were roommates and spent tons of time together made it even better. But unfortunately, I started to get bored when I realized that the author had no intention of adding any significant conflict into the story.

The only conflict that exists is one that's introduced from the start: Joss claims he's a wandering soul so he only intends to stay in town for the summer. Joss leaving is something that we're supposed to believe is solid fact, but I hate this type of conflict because it's lazy and dumb. We already know that Joss won't leave because that's how romance novels work. And because the author gave Joss and Kai such a great connection, Joss had no solid reasons to want to stick to his original plan of leaving. Nobody wants Joss to leave, including Joss. But the author has everybody wring their hands and keep fretting and moaning about the possibility of Joss leaving and the whole thing was dumb and repetitive.

It's aggravating because the story had so much potential for solid conflict. For example - we're told at the start that Kai has horrible nightmares. I assumed this would be an issue between him and Joss. But no, Kai never has a single nightmare after Joss moves in. They go to visit Kai's old house in the woods at one point and I thought Kai would freak out about that, but no. We're told many times that Kai can't handle the crowds at the pub/bar/whatever but all Joss has to do is be there with him and Kai makes it through with few issues. We're told that Kai avoids driving cars (yet he's comfortable driving trucks, which I thought made no sense) so Kai and Joss bike everywhere and I assumed his phobia of cars would be worked on, but nope.

Not only did the author not take advantage of the built-in conflict potential that was there, but this story was much longer than it needed to be because there was nothing interesting to fill the pages. I did like the progression of the MCs' sexual relationship but everything surrounding those scenes was repetition. Multiple times the MCs would take a step forward in their relationship, only for that to be followed by them conveniently not seeing each other for days or weeks. First of all - that's impossible. Second of all - the only reason this happened was so that the MCs' internal angsty rambling could fill page after page and this rambling was always the same. Joss angsting over fearing he's growing too close to Kai when Joss is going to leave soon. Kai angsting over fearing he's growing too close to Joss when Joss is going to leave soon.

The author added in a few different scenes in an attempt to shake things up (like them going hiking or Joss attending Kai's mom's card night thing) but the majority of those scenes were boring, filled with internal rambling and only progressed the sexual relationship between the MCs.

By the 70% mark, I was so bored and annoyed that I skimmed to the end. Other readers have labeled this book as being low angst and I don't know if that's an accurate label or if the story is just legitimately boring and repetitive, but it doesn't matter. I was expecting something a lot more interesting.

Sidenote: I found Molly so incredibly annoying that I wanted to reach into the book and strangle her. She was a childish, irritating presence who didn't add anything to the story except act like a two year old who needed all the Strong Men around her to help with the simplest of things. This woman is an adult, yet she runs to Kai for a bandaid when she cuts her finger on the cash register, she's close to tears when she can't unfold a chair and Kai comes to her rescue with his Manly Strength and when she lies to an online date about something and decides she doesn't like him, she comes whining to the boys to get rid of the guy. Joss actually goes up to the poor guy and threatens to beat him up if he doesn't GTFO immediately. W...T...F...? I was both annoyed at Molly's childish and ridiculous behavior and I was also offended at her I'm-A-Silly-Girl routine. I started skimming every scene with her in it by the halfway mark because my blood pressure would shoot up anytime I saw her name on the page. If I hadn't already decided that the book was only getting 3 stars, then the Molly thing would have dropped the rating down to 3 stars anyway.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gracious. It’s GLORIOUS. To use an American metaphor (although come for the British terms), Garrett knocked this one out of the park. It’s edgy and sweet, relatable and romantic, with full-on DRAMA! but still funny. Overall, you get the sense that these two belong together, and it’s AWESOME.

I did a kind of live-tweet note taking thing while reading, and while I’m editing it so no spoilers, here are some of my comments:

Running commentary:

Omg this opening!! I’m soo hooked!

“Trying to stay sane is a full time job”—I feel that

I love Joss immediately and care about Kai immediately

I have lots of family with (Joss diagnosis)—nice to see the rep.

Anddddd love their meet cute

“Retie it (Joss mermaid hair) into a new clusterfuck” LOVE HIS ATTITUDE

I adore how Joss calms Kai: “stay with me”

I actually love Branston and have some in my fridge right now

“Good lad.” I DIE.

I now have a Joss competence kink.

“Guess we’re both a bit messy, huh?” THEY BELONG TOGETHER

Aww I love their honesty with each other

“Emotional comfort fish” lmaoooo

I have a Kai competence kink too

Awww Farmer McHotstuff shoutout

Oh, the line about bit of magic and wildfire SIGH

I like Joss energy and I love visiting Tanner again

Metaphor of fallen tree 🥰😍

I LOVE KISSING SCENES

“Sometimes it seems the only way I get anything done is to have something more important I’m supposed to be doing.” RELATABLE

Awww I like that Joss just listens to Kai

Joss methods of saving Molly from bad date are 💯

I love Kai’s honesty so much

Their hug just got me

Sweet and precious and fragile 🥺🥺🥺

I love Kai cooking for Joss

(reference to Garrett other book)?!! Happy Easter egg to us!

“Start in the middle if the beginning is hard to find.” DAMN

Poor poor boo. (Kai.)

His self esteem on a puddle on the floor. Sobs.

Now it’s all tense and I can’t stop reading
(I’m reading this in one sitting)

I know they’re fighting but I am still swooning when Kai … (no spoilers)

Oh noooooooo

Oh yayyyyy

THIS ONE WILL BE A HIT. Do not miss!

[Rachel Ember · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joss and Kai took me apart and put me back together again!

A snarky chef and a stoic builder are roommates. Oh, and one of them is "straight"--or is he? I mean, I'm here for that setup seven days a week. But WILDFIRE gave me everything I wanted and then, for good measure, surprised me again and again with its depth of emotion, lol-worthy humor, and startling insights.

Seeing Joss and Kai accept and celebrate each other--and themselves--took this sexy, sensual, and ultimately joyful story to the next level.

(Also, there's food!)

I loved every word.

[Zaza · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

Ohlala j'ai vachement aimé ce nouveau roman de Garrett Leigh ! D'ailleurs, je l'ai quasiment lu d'une traite ! J'avais un peu peur que ce soit une histoire vraiment trop rude, sombre, avec des personnages qui souffrent, comme cette autrice le fait très souvent (parfois, c'est vraiment trop pour moi), mais pas du tout.
Là, c'est parfaitement dosé alors que pourtant, sur le papier, ça envoyait du (très) lourd, avec un héros souffrant de PTSD d'un côté, et de l'autre, quelqu'un "combinant" le syndrome Gilles de la Tourette (mais sans les tics verbaux) ET des TDAH !

Nos deux gars matchent très bien, comme chacun a ses propres troubles, ils n'ont pas de rôle à jouer, n'ont rien à cacher (ou presque), ce qui fait que les choses évoluent très naturellement entre eux, sans chichis, sans faux semblants. Ils sont tous les deux très attachants, ils forment le genre de couple avec qui j'aime passer du temps. Ce que j'aime, c'est que même s'ils ont des histoires compliquées, au final, leur relation reste simple et plutôt fluide.

J'ai retrouvé le bar, Tanner, Molly et Jax avec plaisir, et j'ai aussi aimé retrouver cette "british touch" qui apporte un vrai plus à l'histoire. Je n'avais pas été super convaincue par la précédente contribution de l'autrice à cette série (le tome sur Tanner et Jax, donc), mais alors là, je suis conquise !! ♥

[Nalan ***Logan--Tate*** · Rating 5 out of 5]

i sooo do love GL :) probably i read anything she writes even a shopping list :)
and this book is no exception.
you will love and adore the MSc. Joss and Kai's story is heart warming and make you long for the same.. thanks GL.. always privilege to read how you tell a story about love..

[Jessica Alcazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

eBook & Audiobook Review

5 STAR story
4.5 STAR audio

Wildfire grabbed my attention from the very beginning and did not let go until the end. It’s a heartfelt journey of growth and acceptance and a romance so swoony my heart almost exploded on more than one occasion. The slow-burn of the story lent so much to its realistic and relatable nature that I can’t really see any other way these two men could have been written. This was the best choice the author made in this story, and she made a whole bunch of great choices when she penned this storyline! She incorporated very real circumstances in both lead characters with reverent respect to real life. Well done!

I had the opportunity to not just read this story in advance of publication, but also to listen to it (which I do with many books) and I can honestly say I do not favor one over the other. Most times, I can easily tell you which of the two will give you the best experience, but not this time. Both formats made for an excellent experience! Except this one tiny thing (lol) … Dan Calley (narrator for Joss) has a very thick brogue and sometimes speaks quite fast so it will take a minute (at least it did for me) to get used to it and push thru. It was worth it :)

[Denise H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deeply thought-filled tale and romance! British, GFY.
Tanner gave Kai a job remodeling his bar's kitchen, to be ready for the new Chef. Kai used to work Mountain Rescue until an accident changed everything for him. Then the Chef enters the story and he's just as screwed up as Kai, and they don't know what to think about each other at first, when they are set as roommates.
Kai, tall, beefy muscles, brown hair,

has PTSD, and doubts himself a lot.
Joss, 26, ADHD, blonde with a bun,

blue eyes, has piercings and tattoos, works hard to plan his new menu.
As roommates they are in close contact, and talk to learn about the other. It is fun to see the other characters we have met previously.
The two men have topsy-turvy brain functions at times, but find peace and refuge in each other's company.

"... his lightest touch sets me on fire. A wildfire, that I have no interest in trying to control."

Garrett Leigh gives us a pair of guys who seem like misfits in the world, and gives them each, the other half of themselves that makes them whole.


The story is marvelous, serious, and is heartwarming, and left me with a big smile.
ENJOY !

========

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a comfy place.
No wonder all the boys stay.
Hot, tender, romance.

[Valeen Robertson (Live Thru Books Blog) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazon / Audio

Kai's got a new roommate and something about Joss has Kai very intrigued and very turned on. Though Kai's never been with a man, he's more than willing to experiment with him. He'll just have to make sure he doesn't develop feelings for him, though, because Joss is a nomad, never growing roots, never staying in one place for too long.



Joss certainly didn't expect his new roommate to be a gorgeous man wanting to experiment with him, to explore his sexuality. Something about Kai is so grounding for him, calms his sometimes chaotic mind. But Kai's soon coming to mean a lot more to him than just someone who's trying things out with him. But Joss knows he can't stick around any longer, so that means no feelings. Pleasure only. Right?



Forced proximity, hurt/comfort, bisexual awakening - three of my favorite tropes, and Garrett Leigh did fantastic by them! I love Kai and Joss together. The emotional moments are tearjerkers, but there are also lots of witty, fun scenes, and the chemistry Kai and Joss have is smokin' hot. I want a lot more of this couple and their circle of friends.



ARC provided by HeartEyes Press for an honest review.

Review: Live Through Books Blog.

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