Growing up in a town named after his family, Ian Conrad has always known what would eventually be expected of him: run the family business, marry someone who fits the right mold, and secure his family’s future in the small town of Lake Conrad.
Those expectations have become less important to him over the past year though—ever since he met Annie Hoffman. While Ian is uptight, stalwart, and neat, Annie is fun, easy-going, and messy. As impossible as it seems to him, their differences make him want her even more.
Annie has always appreciated Ian’s friendship and loyalty, but she sometimes can’t help but notice how tall and strong he is, his shiny dark hair, his bright blue eyes… He’s her roommate's cousin and one of her best friends, though. He would never be interested in her so why mess up what works?
One sparkling, firework-filled night forces both of them to come to terms with the reality of their relationship. But when Ian’s obligations refuse to be ignored, will he have the courage to overcome them and fight for Annie?
Don’t miss the next installment in Emily North’s Lake Conrad series, a steamy friends-to-lovers contemporary romance.
I think this book was good but it definitely had it’s flaws.
There was points in which I loved it, where I felt the chemistry between Annie and Ian, especially their day at the Fourth of July and also when they behave as grownups and decide to have a dialog instead of keeping secrets or misunderstanding each other or running away without listening to the other persons explanation of what happened.
I felt that a lot of the time the characters felt immature also the side characters especially Morgan (Ian’s cousin).
Another thing I had some issues with was all the descriptions of the houses(inside and outside), all the furniture and also the clothes they wore.
It was way too much and unfortunately I skimmed through those because it bored me.
But I thought that it was so sweet that Ian(this big, though business guy) had this huge crush on Annie and that he got all shy around her. That was very cute and I loved the ending when he fell completely apart because she wanted to show him that he couldn’t keep trampling on her heart.
I also liked that Annie wasn’t afraid to befriend some people that was disliked by the friend group, because when her friends kind of left her in the lurch she needed someone to talk to.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Emily North is a new-to-me author, but I can't wait to remedy that by reading the previous book in the series, because if it is anything like "Flame," then I am in for a treat! Typically, I prefer stories that are told in alternating first-person accounts, and I am usually not a fan of dual third-person POV, but North's writing style was so strong that I did not mind. This story had it all: a sweet-yet-sexy romance, dramatic family dynamics, class differences, and a forbidden attraction that just could not be denied, no matter how much outside forces intervened.
Ian and Annie, our likeable protagonists, are the epitome of the adage "opposites attract." Ian is the quintessential golden boy who always strives for perfection, tries to make his (very wealthy) family proud, keeps his thoughts and feelings close to the vest, and craves neatness and order in all aspects of his life. Annie, on the other hand, is more easy-going than her crush, and she accepts that messiness is sometimes a necessary consequence of having fun. Similarly, Annie is more open with her emotions, and in the beginning, she is unafraid to wear her heart on her sleeve, which is one of the traits that Ian likes most about her. In fact, I loved that Ian was immediately smitten with Annie from the moment he first saw her, to the extent that he cannot stop thinking about "her smile. Her caring nature. Her nurturing personality. She wasn’t like anyone he’d ever met before. She was all he wanted. Despite the drama. Despite the mess."
I also appreciated how the author showed — rather than just told us about — the connection between the two characters. Through silly banter, tender touches, lingering stares, and thoughtful gestures (such as when Annie cleans up the apartment to ensure that Ian feels comfortable and welcome while staying there), it becomes increasingly evident that Annie and Ian have feelings for each other that go way beyond friendship. The chemistry between them is easy, undeniable, and palpable, even when they are just engaging in innocent behaviors or mundane activities — like putting on sunscreen at the beach, which was one of my favorite moments early on in the story.
This was nearly a five-star read for me, but on one or two occasions while reading "Flame," I felt that Ian's actions did not always align with his character or fit with his internal musings about Annie. I understand that this is not necessarily a bad thing — after all, characters are supposed to be flawed, because in real life, people are not perfect — but I still wish that Ian had shown more of a backbone throughout certain parts of the book, and I believe he could have been a better partner and support system for Annie. Lastly, I think that parts of the story dragged a little in the middle, but with just a small adjustment to the pace, "Flame" could have been one of my top reads of the year. All in all, I am excited to see what Emily North has in store for the future, and I have already added "Flight" to my TBR pile.
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Gotta be honest here. I loved the first one, but I had some issues with this book. There were a few glaringly obvious spelling errors that just irked me (like "course" instead of "coarse" and "per say" rather than "per se"). There was also an overwhelming use of the word jovial. Not sure why, but it was all over that book. And it felt kinda unrealistic. I mean Ian did some terrible shit to Annie and I thought she was too forgiving. Maybe this book just wasn't for me, but I don't know if I'm going to read any more. It just felt really rushed.
I really enjoy this series. The books are good, quick reads with steam. I like getting to know the characters and the setting is fantastic and charming. This book gave me more conflict which I enjoyed. The FMC was forgiving but it felt in her character to be optimistic so I'm not entirely put off by it. I do hope we see the MMC "bloom" a bit more emotionally in the next few books if given the chance (he's got a lot of groveling ahead of him).
I cannot wait for the rest of this series (Grumpy, eccentric cat dad, sign me up!).
I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A well written plot line and intresting to read. The characters were well potrayed and were refreshing. The love the drama between the characters were enjoyable.I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I was super excited to read this book because I loved the first one. Ian and Annie had intrigued me so I was excited to see their stories unfold. While this book didn't capture the small town and outdoorsy charm like the first book had, it divulged important elements to the overall series. We get a better glimpse into Ian's life and how he was raised. I understood Ian and Morgan's characters a little more and why they are the way they are. I know this will help float the rest of the series.
Communication is a huge factor in Flame. I personally, as a reader, get overly frustrated with the communication trope. But communication played a part in every character's role in this book; main and side characters. It was well written here though and Emily North put me out of my misery pretty quickly instead of dragging it out for 400 more pages than necessary.
This is an “opposites attract” story featuring Annie and Ian. Annie is a fun, easy-going woman who is not afraid to show her emotions. She is also a bit messy. Ian Conrad, on the other hand, is a perfectionist, neat, compartmentalized, always aware of the future that is planned for him running the family’s business, and keeping his emotions in tight control.
Ian was a frustrating character, pulled in two directions once he meets Annie and feels drawn to her. Things shift for him, and he is uncomfortable at times. And yet he can’t stop wanting her.
Annie is very aware of Ian, her roommate's cousin and a good friend. So she figures he wouldn’t be interested in more with her. And why mess up a good friendship? But life happens, and they finally see their relationship in a new way. As they watch the fireworks display, they finally come together, she tells him she loves him, and wakens the next morning in her bed – alone. Is Ian ready to go against family expectations to have Annie in his life? Or will he back down and continue to do what the family expects of him?
This story picks back up in beautiful Lake Conrad, California as a friends to lovers romance. Nothing has been the same for Ian Conrad, after meeting Annie a year ago. Since the moment he met her he has had a secret love for her. What Ian didn’t know was that Annie was secretly in love with him too. Ian was destined to take over the Conrad dynasty and marry someone from his social standing and that person was not Annie. Annie was messy and fun, light-hearted and a school teacher while Ian was uptight and stoic. The two finally make their feelings known to one another just as Curtis Conrad(Ian’s father) steps in and ruins everything! Ian leaves Annie high and dry after a night of passion as he leaves town and breaks her heart. There are a few plot twists that I really enjoyed in this book and some new characters introduced. I was mad a few times at Ian but ugh I do love his character so much. The author did a great job of tying book 1 and 2 together! I can’t wait to read book 3. So many possibilities on the next love interests that we might discover.
Fighting for love: I enjoyed this friends to lovers, small town romance. It was fun reconnecting with this group of characters and I liked how I felt I really got to connect with them and feel their emotions. Ian was being pulled into his father's world of wealth and business meanwhile his heart longed to be free. Poor Annie was caught in the middle and my heart went out to her. Whilst I found myself getting frustrated with Ian, I also felt for him and liked the personal growth that he eventually displayed. All in all this was a sweet and encouraging story and I look forward to seeing what is in stall for the next couple. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Not going to lie, this was my first small town sort of romance and so I didn’t know what to make of it exactly. The romance was good and the bumps in the road that Ian and Annie had were exactly as bumpy as you could think. I felt that there were so much of just telling, not showing, in a sense that the telling wasn’t exactly hooking me despite there being no/not much conversation in that certain part/s and that turned me off. I found it nice that the romance didn’t move so fast yet my ship radar isn’t exactly shooting up to the roof right now, not because I don’t ship them but probably didn’t feel much of my heart beating fast compared to other romance books. So two stars for the romance and the interesting small town dynamic that I was introduced to.
She's sloppy and free-spirited. He's an uptight neat freak. It'll never work. I really like Annie, dedicated to the kids she teaches, and a great friend. Ian walked away from her without a word, completely ghosting her. And the longer he was gone, the more I disliked him. I can't believe that he gave his father so much control over his life. I can't even begin to comprehend his crazy family. There are lots of twists and turns in the story, and a happy ending that I wasn't sure would happen. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
What a fantastic read. Ian & Annie are opposites. He's uptight & she's carefree. The attraction between them is undeniable & one night they are forces to deal with the reality of their friendship. Ian has obligations & when they refuse to go away will he stand up & fight for Annie? Worth more than 5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Emily North is a newer to me author and I love her writing style. I absolutely loved the firs book Fight in this series and I thought this one was great also. I loved the characters and really like the opposites attract trope. This book kept me hooked and was a quick page turner read for me. I definitely can't wait to read more by Emily in the future.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Flame by Emily North is a good, and enjoyable steamy friends to lovers small town romance read. The story has a good story line. This is Book 2 of the series that can be read as a stand-alone. The characters are good, relatable, and they have good chemistry. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I love a good friends-to-lovers, opposites attract romance, and this is exactly that. While I usually read 1st person romances, I can and will read 3rd person it just takes a minute or a few chapters to get back into the swing of it. I didn't have that problem with this book though! I was right into it by the third or fourth page.
This book was okay. I thought there were times when it was a little slow. I did enjoy the characters and I’m wondering what is next with Morgan and Cole.
Side note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review
This is the second book of the series but it can be read alone. This is a refreshing contemporary romance. It does have third person POV. Over all it is an easy enjoyable read.