What do you think?
Rate this book
Firefighters of Station Five #2
Under Fire
it doesn't get hotter than this! Zack fights fires and saves lives, yet his own thirst for life has run dry-until he comes to the rescue of a sharp-tongued exotic dancer named Corrine Shannon who soon has the normally shy hero burning out of control. But just as they are consumed by flames of passion, they find themselves under fire from two relentless enemies with fifty million reasons to succeed. Can they withstand the heat while trying to save their own lives-or will their newfound romance be extinguished as fast as it began?
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 5, 2009
39 people are currently reading
1337 people want to read
About the author
Jo Davis
36 books752 followersNational Bestselling author Jo Davis is best known for her popular Firefighters of Station Five series written as Jo Davis, and her dark, sexy paranormal series Alpha Pack, written as J.D. Tyler. PRIMAL LAW, the first book in her Alpha Pack series, is the winner of the National Reader's Choice Award in Paranormal. She's also been a multiple finalist in the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence, a finalist for the Bookseller's Best Award, has captured the HOLT Medallion Award of Merit, and has been a two-time nominee for the Australian Romance Readers Award in romantic suspense.
Jo's books regularly appear on the Neilson Bookscan, Barnes and Noble, BooksOnBoard, and Amazon bestseller lists, among others.
Jo is currently at work on the SUGARLAND BLUE series, a spin-off of her Firefighters of Station Five series, and her new contemporary romance novella trilogy TORN BETWEEN TWO LOVERS, scheduled to debut in October 2013 with RAW. She's also publishing a new FBI series, ARMED AND DEADLY, set to debut in Fall 2013 with ONE LAST KISS. Jo lives in Texas with her two kids and a cute Boston terrier.
Jo's books regularly appear on the Neilson Bookscan, Barnes and Noble, BooksOnBoard, and Amazon bestseller lists, among others.
Jo is currently at work on the SUGARLAND BLUE series, a spin-off of her Firefighters of Station Five series, and her new contemporary romance novella trilogy TORN BETWEEN TWO LOVERS, scheduled to debut in October 2013 with RAW. She's also publishing a new FBI series, ARMED AND DEADLY, set to debut in Fall 2013 with ONE LAST KISS. Jo lives in Texas with her two kids and a cute Boston terrier.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews
April 19, 2011
Before I begin, I’d like to remind you, dear readers of my review, that I think of ALL of the characters I read about as real people, with real hopes and real fears, who just want to be loved and cared about like the rest of us do. If I can’t connect, I don’t care about them the way I really hope to. Unfortunately, that can be a double edged sword, because if I love a character, I sometimes find myself upset with the author for giving that character a miserable storyline.
So, that said, here’s what I loved about Under Fire:
Zack. He’s one of the most caring, kindest, sweetest, honorable, dependable, loyal heroes I’ve read in a long, long time. I adored what little I saw of him in book 1, Trial by Fire and came to adore him even more in his book, Under Fire. Zack is a man completely devoted to his father, who didn’t deserve an ounce of anything from Zack, especially not his loyalty. We have a brave soul whose only real family members are the firefighters of Sugarland Tennessee’s Station 5, who he would do anything for, including risk his own life. He thought of everyone else first, opened himself up to scorn if it meant someone else would be spared the same. He’s the kind of man I would absolutely, without a doubt, want on my team. All that and he was a virgin, too. Wow… where was Zack when I was looking for my happily ever after?
And I really enjoyed revisiting the other team members of Station 5 as well. Howard “Now That I’m Married I’m Getting Lucky Every Freakin’ Night” Paxton was every bit as macho, yet ‘mothering’ as he was in the first book. Eve, dear Eve, is such a great, unconditional friend, and Sean is every bit the tormented a$$ as he ever was. Great cast of characters who I loved getting to spend time with again.
Now, let’s talk about the story itself. First paragraph of chapter 10 sums up the theme of this book better than anything I could write:
Zack stared into the glowing embers, his arms full of soft, sleeping woman, and wondered how many times a man had to gain the top of the mountain and fall ass over elbows before he quit reaching for the impossible.
I don’t know how Zack kept going. He’d take a hit, get back up, only to have one thing after another knocking him back down. Over and over and over (the actual list is included below.) And while I like a little tension, some angst in my romantic suspense reads, this was over the top. And there came a point when I could no longer suspend believability and accept the waaaaay too many coincidences and still enjoy the book, which is a shame because I loved Zack, who is such a cute, sweet guy and I just don’t think he got a fair shake with this story. He deserved so much better.
Spoilers - In about a 3 week period he deals with::
Now perhaps you’ll understand why I gave this a lower rating than I usually give. Unfortunately, with all the crap Zack and Cori had to deal with, and will continue to have to deal with, this is a happily ever after that I just can’t buy into. They had a miserable past, and I don’t see the future looking any brighter.
Anyway, if you love a story where the hero is one of the most awesome men you’ll ever meet, who is beaten to hell, both literally and figuratively, over and over, and if you can look past the many unbelievable coincidences, you might really enjoy this book.
The highpoint for me, and the only reason I’ll give the next book a try, is because I love all the members of Station 5 and hope that their stories will be better.
2/5 for storyline - 4/5 because I love Zack.
May 11, 2009
After reading and enjoying author Jo Davis's first book in this Firefighters of Station Five series, Trial by Fire, I was really looking forward to the next installment. While I enjoyed it for the most part, I did find myself frustrated at times with the hero and rolling my eyes at the twists and turns in the plot. And I had to ask myself the question --how much physical abuse can one hero be forced to endure in a book?
This story focuses on young twenty-something Zack Knight. Zack's the FAO (fire apparatus operator) of the crew, the guy responsible for driving and maintaining the fire engine, and he's also a paramedic. One rainy day while running late for work, he's involved in a minor accident with his classic Mustang and a beautiful woman's SUV. Zack's a handsome but shy guy with a genius IQ, but hasn't had much experience with women (he's a virgin). Cori Shannon, the woman he wrecks into, is studying to be a nurse but moonlights as an exotic dancer to pay for school. Although her abusive late husband left her a ton of money (50 million) in his will, she refuses to use it because she considers it 'blood money'--she wants to accomplish her goal of being a nurse by her own means. She's ticked off about the accident, and at first gives Zack a hard time, calling him names like "Forrest Gump" and "Fireboy". But she can't deny to herself that she's a little attracted to him physically, and there's something about the look on his face that gives off an impression of vulnerability that makes her want to take him in her arms and hold him.
Fast forward a few minutes later, and Cori finds herself in another accident (someone shot out her tire) with her SUV dangling precariously from a bridge, just a few feet from the rain swollen river. Guess whose fire crew comes to the rescue? And guess who bravely rescues Cori from a watery grave? And guess who nearly loses his life while doing that? And guess who finds herself falling for the person who heroically placed his life in jeopardy in order to save hers?
Yep, after a rather inauspicious first meeting, Cori and Zack find that they are attracted to each other after all. When Zack is released from the hospital and Cori offers him a (very familiar) place to stay (he's been evicted from his shabby apartment--this guy has terrible luck), you know it's just a matter of time before things heat up. Corri thinks she has a stalker (so do the police, since that was a bullet hole in her tire), and Zack wants to do everything in his power to protect her.
Zack is in a world of financial trouble. His always disapproving father, who is in a nursing home following a stroke, has left Zack with a huge gambling debt (over $750,00) which somehow Zack must repay to the mobster who is threatening his life. The police won't do anything about the threats (hard to believe) since it's a 'legal debt', and Zack is forced to empty his bank accounts and sell the beautiful home that he took such joy in restoring. Because of his stubborn pride and his desire to always 'be the best', he hasn't burdened anyone with his problems--especially not his buddies at the station house. Zack carries his burdens all on his own, but maybe it's time he finally 'fesses up to someone who could understand--like Cori?
Well, to make a long story short, Zack and Cori open up to each other. She tells him about her past with her abusive husband and her overly controlling brothers, he tells her about his uncaring and demanding father and about the mother who never wanted him, and about his younger days as the overweight geek who the kids liked to bully. He tells her how his father wanted him to use his genius IQ for a job other than that of a firefighter, but how it's always been his dream job. The reader gets a real sense of what a wonderful man Zack has turned out to be, but you also get a feeling that at times Zack is entirely too hard on himself. And just when things really heat up and it looks like Cori will take care of that 'virginity' of Zack's, the reader is thrown a new wrinkle about the identity of the mobster who wants his loan repaid...lots of coincidences in this story.
Cori and Zack finally make it to the bedroom (and elsewhere), and for a guy with no experience he sure knows what to do with a woman! (Get the fire extinguisher!) Things are looking up for Zack, except whoops! Was that a bullet that just tore through his shoulder? Looks like Cori's stalker has upped the ante. Will the police ever be able to figure out who's after Cori (and Zack, it seems) before poor Zack ends up in the hospital again?
I liked Cori and Zack together--I thought she was perfect for him. She was patient and understanding and he needed that sometimes, especially when he was struggling with his inner-alpha. Zack was so sweet and had a strong desire to protect and be all the things to Cori that her first husband wasn't, but sometimes his lack of self-confidence and a little lack of maturity got in his way. He often got frustrated with himself because he demanded and expected a lot of himself, and he didn't like to make mistakes. You could tell that he was young (I'm guessing early twenties) and still developing emotionally. With her patience and love, Cori helped guide him and showed him that sometimes you'll make mistakes, but that's okay. I liked Cori, and I respected her desire to want to make it on her own without the use of her husband's money.
I have no complaints about the love scenes. Jo Davis has no problem steaming up the bedroom with these two. Their scenes are hot, hot, hot! Zack goes from unsure virgin to dominant lover in the space of a few short chapters!
Now, what I did have problems with was the utter lack of protection that Cori and Zack got from the police department (how many times did the stalker have to make attempts on their lives or destroy their property before thay could catch this guy?), and the violence directed at Zack. How many times did he have to be shot at, beaten, stabbed, had his head pounded over and over, before he had no brains left? I think it was a little over-kill. And other than installing some security lights, what else did Cori and Zack do to protect themselves? How about using some of that 50 million (even if it's dirty money) to buy a guard dog, a gun, or hire some bodyguards or a P.I. to find this guy? And the over-the-top kidnapping at the end of the book? After all that was (physically) done to Zack he was still able to fight for his life? A tad hard to believe. Those were just a couple of things that irked me.
So overall, if you can block out some of the coincidences and unbelievable moments (like I usually can), a pretty good read. I was entertained. All the characters from the first book are back. Captain Sean Tanner is still struggling with the death of his family, Evie is still gazing at him longingly; Six-pack and Kat are blissfully in love, and Salvatore and Skylar are getting on Zack's nerves. I look forward to reading all their stories. While this book had its moments with believability, it was still good enough to keep me reading and entertained. Not quite as good as the first in the series, but good enough. Now bring on Hidden Fire, Julian Salvatore's story! 4 stars.
This story focuses on young twenty-something Zack Knight. Zack's the FAO (fire apparatus operator) of the crew, the guy responsible for driving and maintaining the fire engine, and he's also a paramedic. One rainy day while running late for work, he's involved in a minor accident with his classic Mustang and a beautiful woman's SUV. Zack's a handsome but shy guy with a genius IQ, but hasn't had much experience with women (he's a virgin). Cori Shannon, the woman he wrecks into, is studying to be a nurse but moonlights as an exotic dancer to pay for school. Although her abusive late husband left her a ton of money (50 million) in his will, she refuses to use it because she considers it 'blood money'--she wants to accomplish her goal of being a nurse by her own means. She's ticked off about the accident, and at first gives Zack a hard time, calling him names like "Forrest Gump" and "Fireboy". But she can't deny to herself that she's a little attracted to him physically, and there's something about the look on his face that gives off an impression of vulnerability that makes her want to take him in her arms and hold him.
Fast forward a few minutes later, and Cori finds herself in another accident (someone shot out her tire) with her SUV dangling precariously from a bridge, just a few feet from the rain swollen river. Guess whose fire crew comes to the rescue? And guess who bravely rescues Cori from a watery grave? And guess who nearly loses his life while doing that? And guess who finds herself falling for the person who heroically placed his life in jeopardy in order to save hers?
Yep, after a rather inauspicious first meeting, Cori and Zack find that they are attracted to each other after all. When Zack is released from the hospital and Cori offers him a (very familiar) place to stay (he's been evicted from his shabby apartment--this guy has terrible luck), you know it's just a matter of time before things heat up. Corri thinks she has a stalker (so do the police, since that was a bullet hole in her tire), and Zack wants to do everything in his power to protect her.
Zack is in a world of financial trouble. His always disapproving father, who is in a nursing home following a stroke, has left Zack with a huge gambling debt (over $750,00) which somehow Zack must repay to the mobster who is threatening his life. The police won't do anything about the threats (hard to believe) since it's a 'legal debt', and Zack is forced to empty his bank accounts and sell the beautiful home that he took such joy in restoring. Because of his stubborn pride and his desire to always 'be the best', he hasn't burdened anyone with his problems--especially not his buddies at the station house. Zack carries his burdens all on his own, but maybe it's time he finally 'fesses up to someone who could understand--like Cori?
Well, to make a long story short, Zack and Cori open up to each other. She tells him about her past with her abusive husband and her overly controlling brothers, he tells her about his uncaring and demanding father and about the mother who never wanted him, and about his younger days as the overweight geek who the kids liked to bully. He tells her how his father wanted him to use his genius IQ for a job other than that of a firefighter, but how it's always been his dream job. The reader gets a real sense of what a wonderful man Zack has turned out to be, but you also get a feeling that at times Zack is entirely too hard on himself. And just when things really heat up and it looks like Cori will take care of that 'virginity' of Zack's, the reader is thrown a new wrinkle about the identity of the mobster who wants his loan repaid...lots of coincidences in this story.
Cori and Zack finally make it to the bedroom (and elsewhere), and for a guy with no experience he sure knows what to do with a woman! (Get the fire extinguisher!) Things are looking up for Zack, except whoops! Was that a bullet that just tore through his shoulder? Looks like Cori's stalker has upped the ante. Will the police ever be able to figure out who's after Cori (and Zack, it seems) before poor Zack ends up in the hospital again?
I liked Cori and Zack together--I thought she was perfect for him. She was patient and understanding and he needed that sometimes, especially when he was struggling with his inner-alpha. Zack was so sweet and had a strong desire to protect and be all the things to Cori that her first husband wasn't, but sometimes his lack of self-confidence and a little lack of maturity got in his way. He often got frustrated with himself because he demanded and expected a lot of himself, and he didn't like to make mistakes. You could tell that he was young (I'm guessing early twenties) and still developing emotionally. With her patience and love, Cori helped guide him and showed him that sometimes you'll make mistakes, but that's okay. I liked Cori, and I respected her desire to want to make it on her own without the use of her husband's money.
I have no complaints about the love scenes. Jo Davis has no problem steaming up the bedroom with these two. Their scenes are hot, hot, hot! Zack goes from unsure virgin to dominant lover in the space of a few short chapters!
Now, what I did have problems with was the utter lack of protection that Cori and Zack got from the police department (how many times did the stalker have to make attempts on their lives or destroy their property before thay could catch this guy?), and the violence directed at Zack. How many times did he have to be shot at, beaten, stabbed, had his head pounded over and over, before he had no brains left? I think it was a little over-kill. And other than installing some security lights, what else did Cori and Zack do to protect themselves? How about using some of that 50 million (even if it's dirty money) to buy a guard dog, a gun, or hire some bodyguards or a P.I. to find this guy? And the over-the-top kidnapping at the end of the book? After all that was (physically) done to Zack he was still able to fight for his life? A tad hard to believe. Those were just a couple of things that irked me.
So overall, if you can block out some of the coincidences and unbelievable moments (like I usually can), a pretty good read. I was entertained. All the characters from the first book are back. Captain Sean Tanner is still struggling with the death of his family, Evie is still gazing at him longingly; Six-pack and Kat are blissfully in love, and Salvatore and Skylar are getting on Zack's nerves. I look forward to reading all their stories. While this book had its moments with believability, it was still good enough to keep me reading and entertained. Not quite as good as the first in the series, but good enough. Now bring on Hidden Fire, Julian Salvatore's story! 4 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2009
4 ½ stars – Romantic Suspense
A little ditty, about Zack and Corrine, two American kids doing it as often as they can.....
I was really looking forward to this second installment in the Firefighters of Station Five series because the first book Trial by Fire was a smoking hot, thrilling romantic suspense read. After reading some less than stellar reviews, I had lowered my expectations for Under Fire and mainly read it for the sexy firefighters and steam factor, but I wound up really enjoying it.
It does have a rather convoluted plot with a few (okay lots of) holes that requires the reader to have some willing suspension of disbelief and the hero is repeatedly battered and bruised, which got a tad annoying. Still, I liked the characters, the romance between the H/H is sweet and scorching hot, and the suspense is good.
I liked Zack’s character, even though it’s pretty hard to believe that a sexy-as-sin firefighter with a killer body, who also happens to be choirboy-sweet, caring, and smart (a genius with a 150 IQ), would still be a virgin at 26. And not just a virgin, but one with virtually NO experience with women whatsoever! Of course, he quickly morphs from innocent, inexperienced virgin to a sex-god with a master’s degree in dominance and dirty talk...riiiiight...cause that’s realistic. Then there’s the lovable heroine Corrine ‘Cori’ who’s a stripper (sorry...I mean exotic dancer) with a heart of gold who’s dancing to pay for her nursing degree.
Overall, it’s an entertaining suspense read with a cute H/H couple, several steamy sex scenes, and some twists and turns...just be prepared to turn off your disbelief checker. 4 ½...almost 5 stars!
A little ditty, about Zack and Corrine, two American kids doing it as often as they can.....
I was really looking forward to this second installment in the Firefighters of Station Five series because the first book Trial by Fire was a smoking hot, thrilling romantic suspense read. After reading some less than stellar reviews, I had lowered my expectations for Under Fire and mainly read it for the sexy firefighters and steam factor, but I wound up really enjoying it.
It does have a rather convoluted plot with a few (okay lots of) holes that requires the reader to have some willing suspension of disbelief and the hero is repeatedly battered and bruised, which got a tad annoying. Still, I liked the characters, the romance between the H/H is sweet and scorching hot, and the suspense is good.
I liked Zack’s character, even though it’s pretty hard to believe that a sexy-as-sin firefighter with a killer body, who also happens to be choirboy-sweet, caring, and smart (a genius with a 150 IQ), would still be a virgin at 26. And not just a virgin, but one with virtually NO experience with women whatsoever! Of course, he quickly morphs from innocent, inexperienced virgin to a sex-god with a master’s degree in dominance and dirty talk...riiiiight...cause that’s realistic. Then there’s the lovable heroine Corrine ‘Cori’ who’s a stripper (sorry...I mean exotic dancer) with a heart of gold who’s dancing to pay for her nursing degree.
Overall, it’s an entertaining suspense read with a cute H/H couple, several steamy sex scenes, and some twists and turns...just be prepared to turn off your disbelief checker. 4 ½...almost 5 stars!
April 21, 2011
Opening Line: "The back end of the SUV filled Zack Knight's windshield before his exhusted brain jolted to awareness, screaming the belated message to slam on his brakes."
Zack Knight loves to save lives and fight fires along with the other members of his `family' at Station Five yet outside the firehouse his private life has hit rock bottom. In trying to pay off his ailing fathers gambling debts he's managed to lose his house, his life savings and with this latest instalment he's also going to lose his baby, a 1967 silver Mustang. Its while pondering the loan sharks increasingly hostile demands that Zack rear ends Cori Shannon in what will become the first of many accidents he suffers throughout this book. The beautiful exotic dancer wants nothing to do with Zack or his crumpled Mustang and succeeds in destroying what's left of his pride before she leaves too.
With Zack's job on the line for being late, A shift's first call takes them to an MVA on Sugarland bridge. A car is teetering on the guard rail, precariously close to falling into the violent waters below. A car that contains one terrified and somewhat familiar exotic dancer. Zack makes it his personal mission to rescue Cori, climbing into the back and urging her forward to safety just as the car topples over the edge taking Zack with it.
The opening of UNDER FIRE is super exciting and I can't remember ever reading a romance where the author actually kills the hero within the first few chapters. (Okay it was only for a few minutes but still) Jo Davis just loves to torture her men and by the end I truly felt sorry for Zack; he drowns, gets pneumonia, is shot, drugged, stabbed, tortured and hit in the head with a 2x4. It's exhausting. Through it all Zack maintains his nice guy persona and between hospital visits even manages to lose his virginity (I know sweet right, he was saving himself for the right girl)
His `right girl' is very likable, feisty, and independent plus she made me laugh with her sassy comments. Cori is also older than Zack and no virgin which was an interesting dynamic. Together they both have a ton of secrets and I kept waiting for the inevitable explosion of truths, particularly after Cori's crazed stalker entered the scene.
This is a great read full of action, suspense and hard-bodied men. Although the love scenes here aren't as scorching hot as (Trial by Fire) Zack makes up for it in sweetness, solo shower scenes and role playing games, yeah he's a keeper.
Thankfully there are still several hot team members waiting to have their stories told, (Hidden Fire) is the next instalment.
Zack Knight loves to save lives and fight fires along with the other members of his `family' at Station Five yet outside the firehouse his private life has hit rock bottom. In trying to pay off his ailing fathers gambling debts he's managed to lose his house, his life savings and with this latest instalment he's also going to lose his baby, a 1967 silver Mustang. Its while pondering the loan sharks increasingly hostile demands that Zack rear ends Cori Shannon in what will become the first of many accidents he suffers throughout this book. The beautiful exotic dancer wants nothing to do with Zack or his crumpled Mustang and succeeds in destroying what's left of his pride before she leaves too.
With Zack's job on the line for being late, A shift's first call takes them to an MVA on Sugarland bridge. A car is teetering on the guard rail, precariously close to falling into the violent waters below. A car that contains one terrified and somewhat familiar exotic dancer. Zack makes it his personal mission to rescue Cori, climbing into the back and urging her forward to safety just as the car topples over the edge taking Zack with it.
The opening of UNDER FIRE is super exciting and I can't remember ever reading a romance where the author actually kills the hero within the first few chapters. (Okay it was only for a few minutes but still) Jo Davis just loves to torture her men and by the end I truly felt sorry for Zack; he drowns, gets pneumonia, is shot, drugged, stabbed, tortured and hit in the head with a 2x4. It's exhausting. Through it all Zack maintains his nice guy persona and between hospital visits even manages to lose his virginity (I know sweet right, he was saving himself for the right girl)
His `right girl' is very likable, feisty, and independent plus she made me laugh with her sassy comments. Cori is also older than Zack and no virgin which was an interesting dynamic. Together they both have a ton of secrets and I kept waiting for the inevitable explosion of truths, particularly after Cori's crazed stalker entered the scene.
This is a great read full of action, suspense and hard-bodied men. Although the love scenes here aren't as scorching hot as (Trial by Fire) Zack makes up for it in sweetness, solo shower scenes and role playing games, yeah he's a keeper.
Thankfully there are still several hot team members waiting to have their stories told, (Hidden Fire) is the next instalment.
June 25, 2010
^^MMMM! IT BURNS SO GOOD^^
This book was way better for me than the first. Jo brings the heat in this one, and great story telling. Where I found the first book as being more of an intro to the characters this book definitely made them more solid. The fire fighters of station 5, they don’t just out fires they bloody well start them.
Zach Knight is having a bad day or I should I say a bad life. He is paying a debt that belongs to his father while he is laying comatose in a nursing home. He lost his beautiful house emptied out his life savings and is contemplating crawling into a hole and dieing. His bad day leads to him causing a fender bender to another vehicle, and the driver who is the hottest female he has ever seen can’t stand him. Things go into the ditch when he drowns and almost dies. The upside is that the hottest chick now digs him and the hell hole that is his life, is starting to look up.
Cori has got her issues, a past she is trying to get away from and the life she is trying to build. Underneath all the smart comments and cheeky attitude is a woman who has been through hell and is just trying to make her way back. In school to become a nurse and earning her keep by dancing and you know the kinda dancing I am talking about. Until she runs into Zach, in eyes she can see he has a beautiful soul and he just might be the most genuine man she has ever met. The younger man is making her want things that she never thought she would again, and that’s to settle down and just love him.
Well Zach and Cori are thrown into a relationship quick quick, where that would seen unrealistic it works in their case, because nothing brings two people together like almost dieing and hospitals. Where Zach was having a bad day the weeks ahead turn into something out of an action movie. He gets shot, boinked in the head by a 2x4, burned with a poker and things that would leave a less determined man dead. Someone wants them dead and will not stop until they are. Do not be discouraged this book isn’t just about the destruction of Zach its got hot sex, with little Zach who was a virgin, he becomes the ultimate alpha male all sex and attitude on legs. Seems he’s been waiting on the right woman to pop his man cherry and it turns out Cori was it. So nerd fire fighter turn sex god, you cant lose with this one.
I loved Cori she was all woman no simpering female, she got attitude and knows what she wants. Zach is everything I love about a male character, sweet, sexy and hardcore when he needs to be plus I just love me a nerd and a man in glasses. Thinking of hanging out in the geek area of Best Buy or hightailing it to the Sony store, there has got be some nerds who need corrupting. Under Fire is hot, and with all those other hot men at Station 5 this series is gonna be burning for a long time.
Hidden Fire I am hot on your trail.
This book was way better for me than the first. Jo brings the heat in this one, and great story telling. Where I found the first book as being more of an intro to the characters this book definitely made them more solid. The fire fighters of station 5, they don’t just out fires they bloody well start them.
Zach Knight is having a bad day or I should I say a bad life. He is paying a debt that belongs to his father while he is laying comatose in a nursing home. He lost his beautiful house emptied out his life savings and is contemplating crawling into a hole and dieing. His bad day leads to him causing a fender bender to another vehicle, and the driver who is the hottest female he has ever seen can’t stand him. Things go into the ditch when he drowns and almost dies. The upside is that the hottest chick now digs him and the hell hole that is his life, is starting to look up.
Cori has got her issues, a past she is trying to get away from and the life she is trying to build. Underneath all the smart comments and cheeky attitude is a woman who has been through hell and is just trying to make her way back. In school to become a nurse and earning her keep by dancing and you know the kinda dancing I am talking about. Until she runs into Zach, in eyes she can see he has a beautiful soul and he just might be the most genuine man she has ever met. The younger man is making her want things that she never thought she would again, and that’s to settle down and just love him.
Well Zach and Cori are thrown into a relationship quick quick, where that would seen unrealistic it works in their case, because nothing brings two people together like almost dieing and hospitals. Where Zach was having a bad day the weeks ahead turn into something out of an action movie. He gets shot, boinked in the head by a 2x4, burned with a poker and things that would leave a less determined man dead. Someone wants them dead and will not stop until they are. Do not be discouraged this book isn’t just about the destruction of Zach its got hot sex, with little Zach who was a virgin, he becomes the ultimate alpha male all sex and attitude on legs. Seems he’s been waiting on the right woman to pop his man cherry and it turns out Cori was it. So nerd fire fighter turn sex god, you cant lose with this one.
I loved Cori she was all woman no simpering female, she got attitude and knows what she wants. Zach is everything I love about a male character, sweet, sexy and hardcore when he needs to be plus I just love me a nerd and a man in glasses. Thinking of hanging out in the geek area of Best Buy or hightailing it to the Sony store, there has got be some nerds who need corrupting. Under Fire is hot, and with all those other hot men at Station 5 this series is gonna be burning for a long time.
Hidden Fire I am hot on your trail.
April 20, 2011
I get knocked down, but I get up again, your never gonna get me down, I get knocked down....
This is book two in the hunky fire-fighter series appropriately named ‘Under Fire’. I liked this book better than the first, simply because I felt I knew the characters and were getting to know their little quirks a lot better.
Let’s introduce Zach. He is adorable, sweet, hunky and completely drool worthy with his cute little Clark Kent glasses. As a boy he was the frumpy geek with who never got over playing with his fire trucks. He was raised by his gambling addict father who went and got himself into over three quarters of a million dollars debt. But when his father becomes an invalid, Zach is left with the bill and a casino mogil breathing down his neck. He is forced into financial ruin and just when he thinks he cant take anymore – the fun begins! Oh and did I mention he is a virgin , whats that you say – yes my ladies a V.I.R.G.I.N. Zach has been waiting for the perfect woman his whole life to give this precious gift to. *SAM JUMPS UP AND DOWN – ‘GIVE IT TO ME, GIVE IT TO ME ‘ - *
My ZACH -
Introducing our Heroine, Cori. This chic has got it going on. We’re talking drop dead gorgeous. And to add to that she is an exotic dancer, going to nursing school ( hmm...haven’t heard that story line used before *cough*not*cough*). Cori has escaped a past abusive marriage and fled to Sugarland to start new. Finally months away from graduating from nursing – Zach rear ends her Explorer and her world is turned upside down.
I really did like Zach, but he often reminded me of a pre pubescent teenager. He was a little awkard and well a litte girlie. And honestly how many times can one person be knocked down and still get back up again – were talking, Shot, drowning, phnemonia, beaten, hit by a 4x2, whipped in the face with a chain, poked at with a fire poker, gased and sliced up with a knife – but yes he gets up and somehow manages to find the time to make love to his woman and build her a bridge – awwwww.... And although I loved the virgin angle, I didn’t understand what made Cori different from other girls. He only knew her maybe a week before he knew that he wanted to loose his innocence to Cori. Meh...I guess when you know, you know – right ?
My favourite scene in the book is the shower scene, were Cori not so accidently walked in on Zach in the shower giving the old turkey a slap and moaning out her name –HAWT!!!
Im glad I was introduced to this series. Ms. Davis knows how to bring passion, mystery and suspence to our pages. I cannot wait to read the rest of the firefighters stories.
This is book two in the hunky fire-fighter series appropriately named ‘Under Fire’. I liked this book better than the first, simply because I felt I knew the characters and were getting to know their little quirks a lot better.
Let’s introduce Zach. He is adorable, sweet, hunky and completely drool worthy with his cute little Clark Kent glasses. As a boy he was the frumpy geek with who never got over playing with his fire trucks. He was raised by his gambling addict father who went and got himself into over three quarters of a million dollars debt. But when his father becomes an invalid, Zach is left with the bill and a casino mogil breathing down his neck. He is forced into financial ruin and just when he thinks he cant take anymore – the fun begins! Oh and did I mention he is a virgin , whats that you say – yes my ladies a V.I.R.G.I.N. Zach has been waiting for the perfect woman his whole life to give this precious gift to. *SAM JUMPS UP AND DOWN – ‘GIVE IT TO ME, GIVE IT TO ME ‘ - *
My ZACH -
Introducing our Heroine, Cori. This chic has got it going on. We’re talking drop dead gorgeous. And to add to that she is an exotic dancer, going to nursing school ( hmm...haven’t heard that story line used before *cough*not*cough*). Cori has escaped a past abusive marriage and fled to Sugarland to start new. Finally months away from graduating from nursing – Zach rear ends her Explorer and her world is turned upside down.
I really did like Zach, but he often reminded me of a pre pubescent teenager. He was a little awkard and well a litte girlie. And honestly how many times can one person be knocked down and still get back up again – were talking, Shot, drowning, phnemonia, beaten, hit by a 4x2, whipped in the face with a chain, poked at with a fire poker, gased and sliced up with a knife – but yes he gets up and somehow manages to find the time to make love to his woman and build her a bridge – awwwww.... And although I loved the virgin angle, I didn’t understand what made Cori different from other girls. He only knew her maybe a week before he knew that he wanted to loose his innocence to Cori. Meh...I guess when you know, you know – right ?
My favourite scene in the book is the shower scene, were Cori not so accidently walked in on Zach in the shower giving the old turkey a slap and moaning out her name –HAWT!!!
Im glad I was introduced to this series. Ms. Davis knows how to bring passion, mystery and suspence to our pages. I cannot wait to read the rest of the firefighters stories.
July 1, 2009
Whew! Oh my! I couldn't put this one down. I liked this one more than Six Pack's story--the first in this series. Zack--oh poor Zack. He's the ulitmate beta hero. He's going on my hero keeper shelf. He's a firefighter that has inherited his fathers gambling debt. 75 Large. Yikes. The debtor is a scary mob-like villian that takes Zacks house, bank account, and everything else to try to settle some of the old man's debt. Cori is an exotic dancer going to nursing school. (aren't they all?) She meets Zack when he rearends her after a double shift at the station. Sparks fly immediatly. Back to Poor Zack--he has pneumonia, gets conked on the head bya chian, thrown over a cliff in a car into a river and almost drowns, gets shot, gets cracked in the temple twice with board and left to inhale natural gas, gets injected with an unknown drug, ribs get broken...hmm I think that's about it. Cori's profession is only mentioned, and she never does any stripping (for customers). I didn't want that to put any one off of the book. I don't want to give too much of the story away, but I think you'll love it!
May 3, 2009
Frustrating. That would be the short version of how I felt about Under Fire. This is the second installment in the Firefighters series and it picked up right up where Trial By Fire left off. The first problem I had was how the main characters, Zack Knight and Cori, met. Yikes! Secondly, the author did not take the time to reintroduce the squad and I've read a few books since Trial.... Names were used (first, last, or rank) interchangeably and it was frustrating to figure out the characters. The plot of Trial was mentioned a few times and, again, I don't remember much of the specifics and the author didn't elaborate. The captain's (Sean Tanner) horrible tragedy was detailed in Trial, but was only referred to--many times--in Under Fire without any detail. Fortunately, I did remember and was able to role with the story as he played a significant role.
There were too many unbelievable moments and I felt like I was playing that game where one person starts a story and adds to it without planning. I was rolling my eyes as the plot developed with the utter absurdness.
Zack was supposed to have a genius IQ. He sure didn't act like it. He felt alone and kept his problems to himself not realizing he had friends at the station. The reason for his problem was ludicrous. How he handled it was even worse. What a moron!
The next thing that had me gasping in horror at how stupid the storyline went was the author made Zach a virgin. Kid you not! This supposedly hot, good looking, fireman never had sex. The author doesn't say EXACTLY how old he is, but it appears he is in his late 20's or early 30's. There is a brief mention that Cori was a few years older than Zack.
Cori! Her role in the book just added to the frustration. She was putting herself through nursing school while exotic dancing for private parties. I could have rolled with that. Then her lifestyle is introduced--WHERE and HOW she lives--then the fact that she comes from money and has $50 million dollars in the bank. No kidding this sounded more like "make it up as it went."
Next, Zach ends up in the hospital a few times too many and is injured so often I was annoyed. There was a known stalker whose threats escalated and the h/h continued to walk around HOPING for the best. Zach thought about buying a gun, but decided not to. Idiot.
Ugh! As the story progressed, I just couldn't believe the corny plot. Zach is threatened by a loan shark in Atlantic City because of a $750 million gambling debt his FATHER (no love lost) owed. So he sells his beloved country home for a dollar and commences to work himself to death to make $50,000 payments to said loan shark. WITHOUT telling his co-workers. He does manage to keep his beloved car, though he lives in the slums and gets evicted for failure to pay his rent for several months. How did his car NOT get vandalized? Good question!
Guess who turns out to be Cori's brother? Guess who turns out to be living in Zach's old house? Guess who left his wood shop materials in the shop and got to conveniently get to work building things for the house even though he was healing from drowning, being shot, hit in the head--twice, gassed and had pneumonia? That's only what happens to him in the beginning and middle!
I just couldn't get over how stupid they both were. NEVER let a kidnapper move you to a second location. Idiots. Then to inject himself with what he hoped was only going to knock him out because the kidnapper threatened to hurt them. Give me a break.
Pitiful. That would be another word I could use to sum up this book.
There were too many unbelievable moments and I felt like I was playing that game where one person starts a story and adds to it without planning. I was rolling my eyes as the plot developed with the utter absurdness.
Zack was supposed to have a genius IQ. He sure didn't act like it. He felt alone and kept his problems to himself not realizing he had friends at the station. The reason for his problem was ludicrous. How he handled it was even worse. What a moron!
The next thing that had me gasping in horror at how stupid the storyline went was the author made Zach a virgin. Kid you not! This supposedly hot, good looking, fireman never had sex. The author doesn't say EXACTLY how old he is, but it appears he is in his late 20's or early 30's. There is a brief mention that Cori was a few years older than Zack.
Cori! Her role in the book just added to the frustration. She was putting herself through nursing school while exotic dancing for private parties. I could have rolled with that. Then her lifestyle is introduced--WHERE and HOW she lives--then the fact that she comes from money and has $50 million dollars in the bank. No kidding this sounded more like "make it up as it went."
Next, Zach ends up in the hospital a few times too many and is injured so often I was annoyed. There was a known stalker whose threats escalated and the h/h continued to walk around HOPING for the best. Zach thought about buying a gun, but decided not to. Idiot.
Ugh! As the story progressed, I just couldn't believe the corny plot. Zach is threatened by a loan shark in Atlantic City because of a $750 million gambling debt his FATHER (no love lost) owed. So he sells his beloved country home for a dollar and commences to work himself to death to make $50,000 payments to said loan shark. WITHOUT telling his co-workers. He does manage to keep his beloved car, though he lives in the slums and gets evicted for failure to pay his rent for several months. How did his car NOT get vandalized? Good question!
Guess who turns out to be Cori's brother? Guess who turns out to be living in Zach's old house? Guess who left his wood shop materials in the shop and got to conveniently get to work building things for the house even though he was healing from drowning, being shot, hit in the head--twice, gassed and had pneumonia? That's only what happens to him in the beginning and middle!
I just couldn't get over how stupid they both were. NEVER let a kidnapper move you to a second location. Idiots. Then to inject himself with what he hoped was only going to knock him out because the kidnapper threatened to hurt them. Give me a break.
Pitiful. That would be another word I could use to sum up this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2020
If it wasn’t for the hundreds of times I thought to myself “there’s no way, that doesn’t make any sense” while reading this book I might’ve liked it more. The characters weren’t actually that bad. Zack and Cori were pretty decent characters and I liked them together. There relationship was nice and they had a good balance of adorable and steamy scenes together.
My big problem with this book is how terribly put together the plot, characters reasons for doing things, and how inaccurate the medical issues were. I just find it super hard to believe Zack could do some of the things he enjoyed/did to Cori with a cracked check bone. But far be it from me to make assumptions. Zack, got so beat up in this book it’s amazing how he made it intact to the end.
I’m a hundred percent aware that these aren’t the books one reads for stellar plot, and I’ve read many a book that has a bad or ridiculous plot. I don’t care if it’s ridiculous. But for me it just needs to make sense in its own ridiculous world.
Aside from that, the ending was way too rushed. There was unnecessary drama one second that seemed to have no way of fixing, and then instantly characters changed their minds and everything is ok now here’s the happy ending.
There was just too much about the plot line and background that didn’t work that not even the likable main characters could make up for.
My big problem with this book is how terribly put together the plot, characters reasons for doing things, and how inaccurate the medical issues were. I just find it super hard to believe Zack could do some of the things he enjoyed/did to Cori with a cracked check bone. But far be it from me to make assumptions. Zack, got so beat up in this book it’s amazing how he made it intact to the end.
I’m a hundred percent aware that these aren’t the books one reads for stellar plot, and I’ve read many a book that has a bad or ridiculous plot. I don’t care if it’s ridiculous. But for me it just needs to make sense in its own ridiculous world.
Aside from that, the ending was way too rushed. There was unnecessary drama one second that seemed to have no way of fixing, and then instantly characters changed their minds and everything is ok now here’s the happy ending.
There was just too much about the plot line and background that didn’t work that not even the likable main characters could make up for.
September 12, 2016
Last night I finished the second book in Jo Davis' Firefighters of Station 5 series, Under Fire. I have to be honest, I was really disappointed.
First, the set up. Zack Martin is a young firefighter and paramedic with Station 5. He's a sweet guy, who has a passel of issues. His dad is an inveterate gambler, who ends up in debt to Joaquin Delzcruz, a bookie in Atlantic City, for $750K.
Zack must pay off the debt or Joaquin is threatening to kill his father, who is institutionalized after having a stroke. So far Zack has sold his house and most of his belongings and is working like a dog to try to make ends meet. One night, he is in a fender bender with a beautiful woman, and exotic dancer, Corrine Sheridan. Cori basically tells him off for not knowing how to drive and takes off in her SUV. Zack, completely bowled over, realizes he'll never see her again. But no, fate has a different plan. Later that night he's called to an accident scene where that same SUV is now dangling over a swollen river. Zack rushes to save Cori (which he does), but ends up being swept into the river and nearly drowning. Cori, who is studying to be a nurse, visits him regularly in the hospital and the two of them begin an attraction. When Zack gets out of the hospital, he goes home to find he's been evicted. Cori to the rescue! She invites Zack to come and stay with her. Because, you see, Cori is pretty sure she's got a stalker. Zack, whose protective instincts are on red alert, agrees to come and stay. Thus allowing them to further their attraction and soon fall in love.
The Good: Jo Davis writes some *smokin'* sex scenes. The FUTA scene notwithstanding, all of Zack and Cori's encounters are very steamy. Zack is a virgin at the beginning of the story, but apparently, he has mad skillz because he catches up damned quickly. I'd say our boy had either been watching a lot of pr0n, or he read Joy of Sex cover to cover. Because he apparently needs NO guidance whatsoever. Go Zack.
The Bad: Oh the issues -- let me count them! First of all, Zack is like Job. Every freaking bad thing that could possibly happen to this guy does. He gets the snot beaten out of him on such a regular basis, I began to think that he was a human punching bag. Second, ugh, the secretz. So many of them. He owes money, doesn't want to tell Cori. Cori is living in his house, which he renovated and then had to sell to pay off his dad's debts, he doesn't want to tell her that. Turns out, Cori's brother is Joaquin Delacruz (what are the odds?), Zack doesn't want to tell her his relationship w/Joaquin. Mean time, Cori's stalker. He's EEEEEEEEEEEEvil. Get it? EEEEEVIL. He's mean and threatening, and apparently willing to stop at nothing to do something. Except that he's the most inept killer like, EVAR. The number of times he tries and fails to kill Zack are ridiculous. The final confrontation between Zack and Cori and the killer is far-fetched and silly. And then, of course, once the killer is dispensed with, there's one more final big misunderstanding which is resolved in like, a page and a half, so why even put it in there? It's like throwing one more in for good measure, for no discernable reason except that you can't figure out how to get the couple together on your own. The book suffers from a terrible case of tell not show. If there weren't so many returning characters from Trial by Fire, I'd think that a different author wrote it.
My advice? Buy Trial by Fire, and read and love it. Then pretend like this book never happened -- that's my plan.
Final grade: D+
First, the set up. Zack Martin is a young firefighter and paramedic with Station 5. He's a sweet guy, who has a passel of issues. His dad is an inveterate gambler, who ends up in debt to Joaquin Delzcruz, a bookie in Atlantic City, for $750K.
Zack must pay off the debt or Joaquin is threatening to kill his father, who is institutionalized after having a stroke. So far Zack has sold his house and most of his belongings and is working like a dog to try to make ends meet. One night, he is in a fender bender with a beautiful woman, and exotic dancer, Corrine Sheridan. Cori basically tells him off for not knowing how to drive and takes off in her SUV. Zack, completely bowled over, realizes he'll never see her again. But no, fate has a different plan. Later that night he's called to an accident scene where that same SUV is now dangling over a swollen river. Zack rushes to save Cori (which he does), but ends up being swept into the river and nearly drowning. Cori, who is studying to be a nurse, visits him regularly in the hospital and the two of them begin an attraction. When Zack gets out of the hospital, he goes home to find he's been evicted. Cori to the rescue! She invites Zack to come and stay with her. Because, you see, Cori is pretty sure she's got a stalker. Zack, whose protective instincts are on red alert, agrees to come and stay. Thus allowing them to further their attraction and soon fall in love.
The Good: Jo Davis writes some *smokin'* sex scenes. The FUTA scene notwithstanding, all of Zack and Cori's encounters are very steamy. Zack is a virgin at the beginning of the story, but apparently, he has mad skillz because he catches up damned quickly. I'd say our boy had either been watching a lot of pr0n, or he read Joy of Sex cover to cover. Because he apparently needs NO guidance whatsoever. Go Zack.
The Bad: Oh the issues -- let me count them! First of all, Zack is like Job. Every freaking bad thing that could possibly happen to this guy does. He gets the snot beaten out of him on such a regular basis, I began to think that he was a human punching bag. Second, ugh, the secretz. So many of them. He owes money, doesn't want to tell Cori. Cori is living in his house, which he renovated and then had to sell to pay off his dad's debts, he doesn't want to tell her that. Turns out, Cori's brother is Joaquin Delacruz (what are the odds?), Zack doesn't want to tell her his relationship w/Joaquin. Mean time, Cori's stalker. He's EEEEEEEEEEEEvil. Get it? EEEEEVIL. He's mean and threatening, and apparently willing to stop at nothing to do something. Except that he's the most inept killer like, EVAR. The number of times he tries and fails to kill Zack are ridiculous. The final confrontation between Zack and Cori and the killer is far-fetched and silly. And then, of course, once the killer is dispensed with, there's one more final big misunderstanding which is resolved in like, a page and a half, so why even put it in there? It's like throwing one more in for good measure, for no discernable reason except that you can't figure out how to get the couple together on your own. The book suffers from a terrible case of tell not show. If there weren't so many returning characters from Trial by Fire, I'd think that a different author wrote it.
My advice? Buy Trial by Fire, and read and love it. Then pretend like this book never happened -- that's my plan.
Final grade: D+
June 15, 2010
OK, the plot is pretty silly, but let's face it, if you're looking for a book with a stellar plot then you shouldn't be reading this one! This is one smokin' hot romance, with the same characters as the previous book in the series, this time focusing on the genius of Station 5, and a nursing student, with interesting family connections, who moonlights as a stripper. Actually, the moonlighting as a stripper bit was probably the most believable part of the whole plot, and every time the hero got injured again, I did wander just how much more the poor boy could take, but don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed this book.
The characters are well-developed, and their past histories are revealed in a great way as the book evolves, rather than in a couple of pages shoved in the middle. But the absolutely best bits are the steam scenes! The author is just absolutely superb at writing the steam scenes in a sexy, fun, more-or-less realistic, and totally non-icky way, something I really liked in the previous book in the series also.
Loved it.
The characters are well-developed, and their past histories are revealed in a great way as the book evolves, rather than in a couple of pages shoved in the middle. But the absolutely best bits are the steam scenes! The author is just absolutely superb at writing the steam scenes in a sexy, fun, more-or-less realistic, and totally non-icky way, something I really liked in the previous book in the series also.
Loved it.
June 28, 2011
4.5 star would have been a 5 star if the ending didn't feel so rushed!
Zack is an amazing hero that I fell in love with almost instantly. Corrine, the heroine, never once had a TSTL moment.
The ending was wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly for me, but it is a HEA so I need to just deal with it.
Zack is an amazing hero that I fell in love with almost instantly. Corrine, the heroine, never once had a TSTL moment.
The ending was wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly for me, but it is a HEA so I need to just deal with it.
October 21, 2010
I enjoyed 'Under Fire' but not as much as Jo Davis last Firefighters of Station Five book 'Trial by Fire'. Although it is a really good book I thought the ongoing violence to Zack very over the top, it was almost like slapstick. I thought this detracted from the story, which otherwise would have been 5*. I think both Corrine and Zack excellent characters and I loved reading their story.
December 17, 2011
WOW hott, sweet and so intriguing...who woulda thought reading a story about a HOTT 26 year old fireman that's retained his innocence could be so DAMNED SEXY? not me, but holy cow was i proved wrong!
Read
May 31, 2009(Book 2, Firefighters of Station 5)
Reviewed by PJ Ausdenmore
Publisher: Penguin
4.5 Stars
I strongly encourage you to make sure your fire extinguisher is in good working order before you start reading Under Fire because this book isn’t just hot, it’s smokin’!
With the second book in her Firefighters of Station 5 series, Jo Davis brings us the story of Zack Knight, a brilliant, gorgeous, hard-bodied, virginal firefighter. Yes, you read that right. Zack is a virgin. Growing up as a motherless, chubby geek, Zack was subjected to constant taunting from school bullies and indifference from his self-absorbed father.
Socially awkward and unattractive, he was rejected at every turn until he joined the fire department and evolved into the hunk he is today. Now women throw themselves at him but Zack decided early on that he was through being rejected and won’t give himself sexually to a woman unless he loves her and is confident she feels the same. Got to admire a man who knows what he wants and has the discipline to wait for it, even if that waiting has him ready to implode.
As the book begins, Zack is just about at the end of his mental and emotional rope after losing both his home and savings to the man his no-good father owes $750,000. He’s bankrupt, his father mentally incapacitated from a stroke, and there’s no more money for the man who doesn’t intend to take “no” for an answer, all of which causes Zack’s mind to be elsewhere when he rams into the back of Cori Shannon’s SUV on a rain-slicked highway. Zack is immediately smitten with the tall, gorgeous, smart-mouthed Cori, which causes him to come across as bumbling and inept. Cori is late for class and on edge because she thinks someone is stalking her, causing her to be short-tempered and sarcastic. She’s less than impressed with Zack, calling him Forrest Gump. Ouch! The next time they meet, Cori’s SUV is dangling from a bridge after someone shoots her tire and calm, confident firefighter, Zack is the one sent to rescue her. He almost dies, willingly placing her safety above his, causing the bold exotic dancer and nursing student to take a second look at this quiet, kind man who put his life on the line for her.
Cori is working hard to make a new life for herself. She’s survived an abusive marriage, three overbearing, overprotective brothers and a former jet-setting life that she no longer wants any part of. She’s ready to settle down with her nursing career and a good, honest man who cares for and respects her. Cori is also a highly sexual woman who put that part of her life on hold after her abusive husband’s death but when Zack moves in with her to help protect her from her stalker her sexual flame ignites…big time, especially after she accidentally catches Zack living out a fantasy (involving her) in the shower. Hot! Hot! Hot!
Zack may be inexperienced but he’s ready and willing and Cori is the only teacher he wants. Once he decides to take the plunge, pun intended, it’s clear he’s going to be an excellent student. The sex between these two isn’t just hot; it’s four-alarm fire hot, with their bold, inventive and very erotic encounters setting the pages on fire. But their relationship isn’t just about sex. Davis carefully tends to their emotional needs as well as these are two people who don’t trust easily and, even though they are falling in love, they both have issues from the past that make them reluctant to place themselves in a vulnerable position by sharing their secrets. Added to that are two villains with their own agendas who are determined to separate the couple by permanently removing Zack from the game, and only by being open, honest and working together will Cori and Zack be able to defeat the unknown enemies and have a chance at happiness.
Davis once again has brought us a passionate love story with tightly woven suspense, a likeable hero and heroine, plenty of sizzling hot sex, secrets that must be faced head-on and obstacles that can only be overcome through trust and love. Happily, the rest of the FS5 firefighters have plenty of face time in this book, though the primary focus remains on the hero and heroine, and the groundwork continues to be laid for their stories in future books - books that can’t come fast enough for this reader.
Reviewed by PJ Ausdenmore
Publisher: Penguin
4.5 Stars
I strongly encourage you to make sure your fire extinguisher is in good working order before you start reading Under Fire because this book isn’t just hot, it’s smokin’!
With the second book in her Firefighters of Station 5 series, Jo Davis brings us the story of Zack Knight, a brilliant, gorgeous, hard-bodied, virginal firefighter. Yes, you read that right. Zack is a virgin. Growing up as a motherless, chubby geek, Zack was subjected to constant taunting from school bullies and indifference from his self-absorbed father.
Socially awkward and unattractive, he was rejected at every turn until he joined the fire department and evolved into the hunk he is today. Now women throw themselves at him but Zack decided early on that he was through being rejected and won’t give himself sexually to a woman unless he loves her and is confident she feels the same. Got to admire a man who knows what he wants and has the discipline to wait for it, even if that waiting has him ready to implode.
As the book begins, Zack is just about at the end of his mental and emotional rope after losing both his home and savings to the man his no-good father owes $750,000. He’s bankrupt, his father mentally incapacitated from a stroke, and there’s no more money for the man who doesn’t intend to take “no” for an answer, all of which causes Zack’s mind to be elsewhere when he rams into the back of Cori Shannon’s SUV on a rain-slicked highway. Zack is immediately smitten with the tall, gorgeous, smart-mouthed Cori, which causes him to come across as bumbling and inept. Cori is late for class and on edge because she thinks someone is stalking her, causing her to be short-tempered and sarcastic. She’s less than impressed with Zack, calling him Forrest Gump. Ouch! The next time they meet, Cori’s SUV is dangling from a bridge after someone shoots her tire and calm, confident firefighter, Zack is the one sent to rescue her. He almost dies, willingly placing her safety above his, causing the bold exotic dancer and nursing student to take a second look at this quiet, kind man who put his life on the line for her.
Cori is working hard to make a new life for herself. She’s survived an abusive marriage, three overbearing, overprotective brothers and a former jet-setting life that she no longer wants any part of. She’s ready to settle down with her nursing career and a good, honest man who cares for and respects her. Cori is also a highly sexual woman who put that part of her life on hold after her abusive husband’s death but when Zack moves in with her to help protect her from her stalker her sexual flame ignites…big time, especially after she accidentally catches Zack living out a fantasy (involving her) in the shower. Hot! Hot! Hot!
Zack may be inexperienced but he’s ready and willing and Cori is the only teacher he wants. Once he decides to take the plunge, pun intended, it’s clear he’s going to be an excellent student. The sex between these two isn’t just hot; it’s four-alarm fire hot, with their bold, inventive and very erotic encounters setting the pages on fire. But their relationship isn’t just about sex. Davis carefully tends to their emotional needs as well as these are two people who don’t trust easily and, even though they are falling in love, they both have issues from the past that make them reluctant to place themselves in a vulnerable position by sharing their secrets. Added to that are two villains with their own agendas who are determined to separate the couple by permanently removing Zack from the game, and only by being open, honest and working together will Cori and Zack be able to defeat the unknown enemies and have a chance at happiness.
Davis once again has brought us a passionate love story with tightly woven suspense, a likeable hero and heroine, plenty of sizzling hot sex, secrets that must be faced head-on and obstacles that can only be overcome through trust and love. Happily, the rest of the FS5 firefighters have plenty of face time in this book, though the primary focus remains on the hero and heroine, and the groundwork continues to be laid for their stories in future books - books that can’t come fast enough for this reader.
July 17, 2009
Really this book is more like 2.75 stars. I really wanted to like this book and I did in some ways but in others you just had to suspend belief in order to keep reading.
This book is about Corrine Shannon, an exotic dancer who is paying her way through nursing school, and Zach Knight who is a firefighter at Station 5. (This is book 2 in a series). The book starts out with the two of them having a fender bender then later that day progresses to Zach's engine company saving Cori (as she likes to be called) after her SUV nearly plummets off a bridge during a storm. Turns out she is the victim of an attempted murder - someone shot out her tire.
Zach on the other hand is a down on his luck firefighter who has lost it all trying to pay debts owed by his father who is in a nursing home. I liked that he wasn't rich or had a gorgeous home or women falling all over him. The average joe is kind of appealing. And I liked that Cori was putting herself through school instead of using tainted money left to her by an abusive dead husband or gambling shark brother.
Here's where you have to suspend disbelief however. 3 times Zach is nearly killed and one time he actually dies and is brought back to life. The first time he drowns trying to save Cori from the bridge accident. They revive him and he spends a week in the hospital. The second time he is shot the very day he returns home from the hospital and is treated at the scene and not taken to the hospital. Um, ok. The third time he is beaten in the head with a board and left in a building full of propane gas. Miraculously he recovers. Oh wait, I also forgot that he and Cori are kidnapped by the bad guy and Zach is tortured and stabbed. Yet through it all he recovers in record time.
Also, Zach loses his house due to gambling debts. What are the odds his newfound girlfriend Cori is the one who bought his house? Pretty good if you're reading this book.
What are the odds Zach, a studly handsome firefighter in his 20s is a virgin? Again, pretty good if you're reading this book. I get that he was a nerd with glasses growing up, had a genius IQ etc etc, but come on! He hasn't been for years now and is in a group of guys who are players. He's NEVER had sex? Not that there's anything inherently wrong with that, just that its unbelievable.
I will continue the series for now in the hopes that this book was a fluke. I really like the first book and the trailer for the 3rd book looks very good.
This book is about Corrine Shannon, an exotic dancer who is paying her way through nursing school, and Zach Knight who is a firefighter at Station 5. (This is book 2 in a series). The book starts out with the two of them having a fender bender then later that day progresses to Zach's engine company saving Cori (as she likes to be called) after her SUV nearly plummets off a bridge during a storm. Turns out she is the victim of an attempted murder - someone shot out her tire.
Zach on the other hand is a down on his luck firefighter who has lost it all trying to pay debts owed by his father who is in a nursing home. I liked that he wasn't rich or had a gorgeous home or women falling all over him. The average joe is kind of appealing. And I liked that Cori was putting herself through school instead of using tainted money left to her by an abusive dead husband or gambling shark brother.
Here's where you have to suspend disbelief however. 3 times Zach is nearly killed and one time he actually dies and is brought back to life. The first time he drowns trying to save Cori from the bridge accident. They revive him and he spends a week in the hospital. The second time he is shot the very day he returns home from the hospital and is treated at the scene and not taken to the hospital. Um, ok. The third time he is beaten in the head with a board and left in a building full of propane gas. Miraculously he recovers. Oh wait, I also forgot that he and Cori are kidnapped by the bad guy and Zach is tortured and stabbed. Yet through it all he recovers in record time.
Also, Zach loses his house due to gambling debts. What are the odds his newfound girlfriend Cori is the one who bought his house? Pretty good if you're reading this book.
What are the odds Zach, a studly handsome firefighter in his 20s is a virgin? Again, pretty good if you're reading this book. I get that he was a nerd with glasses growing up, had a genius IQ etc etc, but come on! He hasn't been for years now and is in a group of guys who are players. He's NEVER had sex? Not that there's anything inherently wrong with that, just that its unbelievable.
I will continue the series for now in the hopes that this book was a fluke. I really like the first book and the trailer for the 3rd book looks very good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2012
Another sizzling addition to the Firefighters of Station Five series... Everyone knows I love me some firemen... Under Fire meets up with the station boys and continues with FAO Zach Knight, a man with a genius IQ but was the guy that "grew out of playing with firetrucks". He meets Cori after he gets into a fender bender with her in a moment of inattention, and the rest? Well, I guess the rest is traumatic history.
Zach has some big secrets that he is keeping from the station and anyone who tries to come close. His father was a major gambler and has accumulated a debt of $750,000. His father now lives in a vegetative state due to a stroke, so who do you think is left to pay?...
After Zach saved Cori's life, she felt that it was the least she could do to take care of him in the hospital and then drive him home when he was released. Only, what she found was a slum of a neighborhood and a roach infested building. And then, she found the pink note on the door: "EVICTION NOTICE". He may be embarrassed but no matter. Cori decided to take him to her new house. Poor Zach, as soon as they pulled into the drive his stomach dropped... It was his old house that he lost to the debt. :(
It's a small world. Call it fate, destiny, kismet, whatever. Zach and Cori's lives were interwoven into the same tangled web. The details leave you hanging until the very last page!
Zach has some big secrets that he is keeping from the station and anyone who tries to come close. His father was a major gambler and has accumulated a debt of $750,000. His father now lives in a vegetative state due to a stroke, so who do you think is left to pay?...
After Zach saved Cori's life, she felt that it was the least she could do to take care of him in the hospital and then drive him home when he was released. Only, what she found was a slum of a neighborhood and a roach infested building. And then, she found the pink note on the door: "EVICTION NOTICE". He may be embarrassed but no matter. Cori decided to take him to her new house. Poor Zach, as soon as they pulled into the drive his stomach dropped... It was his old house that he lost to the debt. :(
It's a small world. Call it fate, destiny, kismet, whatever. Zach and Cori's lives were interwoven into the same tangled web. The details leave you hanging until the very last page!
January 18, 2011
Another Fantastic book in the Firefighters of station five!!!
Where to begin,Zack Oh My GOD!!! he was Sweet, hunky, Strong, Lovely oh so Sexy and he was a Virgin!!! Totally cool... I fell in love with him and Cori!! Poor Zack has had it hard with a drop kick dad,in a nursing home and Zack left with all his gambling crap!! Cori wow she has had it bad with an Drop kick Dead husband Crazy protective big brothers and 50 Million bucks.........
Cori Oh My god a crap up!!! She and Zack were perfect for each other I loved the Drama the suspense the falling in love with each other!!
JO Davis has written an awesome story who you fall in love with there world and all the characters...
In Jo's Words Firefighters at play.Yum.
I just loved this line!!!
'Don't they stop at red lights where you're from,Forrest Gump?"
"You're my heart and soul,Corrine Shannon.As long as i have you by my side believing in me,....." Dont want to give anything away but you got to read this one!! lots of Action!! Poor Zack really cops a beating in more ways then another!!!
Cant wait to read the next one!!!
Where to begin,Zack Oh My GOD!!! he was Sweet, hunky, Strong, Lovely oh so Sexy and he was a Virgin!!! Totally cool... I fell in love with him and Cori!! Poor Zack has had it hard with a drop kick dad,in a nursing home and Zack left with all his gambling crap!! Cori wow she has had it bad with an Drop kick Dead husband Crazy protective big brothers and 50 Million bucks.........
Cori Oh My god a crap up!!! She and Zack were perfect for each other I loved the Drama the suspense the falling in love with each other!!
JO Davis has written an awesome story who you fall in love with there world and all the characters...
In Jo's Words Firefighters at play.Yum.
I just loved this line!!!
'Don't they stop at red lights where you're from,Forrest Gump?"
"You're my heart and soul,Corrine Shannon.As long as i have you by my side believing in me,....." Dont want to give anything away but you got to read this one!! lots of Action!! Poor Zack really cops a beating in more ways then another!!!
Cant wait to read the next one!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2010
Okay, 3.5 stars. I loved the first book in the series, Trial By Fire so I couldn't wait to start this one about Zack and Cori. Well, I think I can suspend reality with the best of everyone, but c'mon, there is only just so much suspension, if you know what I mean. I felt Zack was like a little weeble wobble, he kept getting pushed, but just wouldn't fall down. I'm sorry, it's just hard for me to believe someone could experience so many injuries (and a lot of them MAJOR) and get up and do the things Zack does (make love, repair a house and let's not forget - BUILD A BRIDGE, among other things) within in a couple of weeks. Then there was the ending, I wasn't a huge fan of why Zack decided he wasn't good enough for Cori. All it took was Cori to say one thing and Zack instantly changed his mind. I don't know, it just didn't gel with me. However, I really enjoyed visiting with all of the firefighters again (Howard & Kat, Tommy, Julian, Sean and Eve). Can't wait for all of their individual books.
July 15, 2012
This one was alright. I agree with others in that there were almost too many things happening to poor Zack to be believable, but i suppose it was done to add more drama to the story. I really liked Zack and the relationship that he and Cori built, although it was a bit rushed, it was still very sweet. I definitely enjoyed it but unfortunately, i don't have much desire to continue on with the rest of this series. I'd said in my review for the first book that i was most excited for Zack and Sean's books, my opinion on that matter still stands...i've just read Zack's and i think at some point i may come back to this series just to read Sean's.
October 23, 2011
Not a great book, but still ok. I wasn't totally enamored with Zach - very much a nice-guy beta (and there's nothing wrong with that), but I would have appreciated him with a bit more gusto. Still, you have to feel bad for the guy as he spent much of the book in less than optimum condition.
Anyways, these books are fluffy, with a bit of suspense thrown in on the side (not the hair raising kind, but enough to move the plot along) and if take them for that then you have a somewhat entertaining read.
Anyways, these books are fluffy, with a bit of suspense thrown in on the side (not the hair raising kind, but enough to move the plot along) and if take them for that then you have a somewhat entertaining read.
dnf
December 15, 2018There is NO way in hell all this shit can happen to one person in 3 weeks. And I’m like one of those really clumsy heroine’s I do passionately hate and I am extremely accident prone.
But this, nah-ah.
I’m giving up.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
But this, nah-ah.
I’m giving up.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
July 22, 2016
The second book in Jo Davis' Firefighters of Station Five. I finally got my hands on this one. I've read #1, 3 and 4 already, but wanted to read Zack's story. It was good. Poor feller had NO luck, though. Not my fave of the series but I did like it.
September 15, 2009
I'm really enjoying this new Firefighters series by a new author. After the second, I can't wait for Julian's story. I think it will be well worth the wait!
July 2, 2015
I enjoyed this book, but I have to say, the first installment was much better. I"m not even sure why. But I felt less "sticky" about it if it makes any sense. I mean, when I'm obsessed with a book, my hands feel glued to the kindle, not being able to un-glue them to handle everyday life and putting the book aside almost feels like "withdrawal", as in "must-get-back-to-my-book" whenever life gets in my way of my reading. With this one, life DID get in my way of my reading (quite a lot!) but I wasn't as obsessed with it as I was with the first installment, I like both MC but much more the heroine than the hero who I didn't really "get". With Howard "Six-Pack", hell, he can be my book boyfriend FOREVER, but Zack? he's a nice enough guy I guess but maybe a tad too sensitive and not enough "in tune" with himself. Cori on the other hand was strong, capable, she had enough dark days in her past to know what she wants now and is determined to get it (Zack included).
We met Zack in the previous installment he is the sweet, gentle one in the team, best friends with Eve and unlike most of the others (well, Julian and Tommy) he isn't a "player" he is actually a virgin.. There is something going on with Zack, we didn't get any real details in the previous one, only that he asked "Six-Pack" for days off and has a "clash" with Sean(their boss) about him not being focused enough and missing out in shifts. All is revealed in the beginning when we learn of the mess he got into because of his father. It's really sad, his past as well as his present all screwed up, never having any kind of real family who cares about him besides his firefighters he works with, but even with them, he can't "dump" these things on them, they can't help, it's too big, and he doesn't want to show people this vulnerable side to himself.
Cori and Zack meet by accident. Literally. and actually TWICE. First one being quite harmless but the second - another thing entirely! There is someone after Cori, who that is and what he wants takes time to unravel (even though, like in the previous installment we don't get only Cori and Zack's POV but also the villain's) but in the mean while there is A LOT of bashing to poor Zack who seems to be always in the way of harm, making Zack re-consider if Cori is actually the one "whoever it is" tries to kill and not him!
While the previous book had somewhat the romance in the beginning and the heart clenching sitting at the end of your seat suspense in the end, this one, the action started maybe 10% into the book and the romance came right after. While I realized the MC can't die and not that soon in the beginning of the book, I still couldn't relax until everyone hurt got better, yet that didn't happen until the book was concluded.. As Cori put it near the end -
"You know, if you keep coming back, the hospital might have to assign you a mailbox".
It was a nice enough romantic suspense. I liked the progress of both characters. Cori delivered quite the bomb on Zack in the ending, making him realize if she can "suck it up" so can he. I think that was part of my problem with him. He took things to heart and WAY too much. Cori had a sad life story (same as Zack had) but she overcome it and become an amazing woman, strong yet still sensitive and sweet. I loved how she took care of Zack even before they actually had any sort of relationship.
I'll be continuing to the next one - It's going to be of Julian and Grace (Kat's sister) I'm really interested in getting Julian's story and then seeing how it works between the ice queen and the "Don Juan".
More Reviews HERE
We met Zack in the previous installment he is the sweet, gentle one in the team, best friends with Eve and unlike most of the others (well, Julian and Tommy) he isn't a "player" he is actually a virgin.. There is something going on with Zack, we didn't get any real details in the previous one, only that he asked "Six-Pack" for days off and has a "clash" with Sean(their boss) about him not being focused enough and missing out in shifts. All is revealed in the beginning when we learn of the mess he got into because of his father. It's really sad, his past as well as his present all screwed up, never having any kind of real family who cares about him besides his firefighters he works with, but even with them, he can't "dump" these things on them, they can't help, it's too big, and he doesn't want to show people this vulnerable side to himself.
Cori and Zack meet by accident. Literally. and actually TWICE. First one being quite harmless but the second - another thing entirely! There is someone after Cori, who that is and what he wants takes time to unravel (even though, like in the previous installment we don't get only Cori and Zack's POV but also the villain's) but in the mean while there is A LOT of bashing to poor Zack who seems to be always in the way of harm, making Zack re-consider if Cori is actually the one "whoever it is" tries to kill and not him!
While the previous book had somewhat the romance in the beginning and the heart clenching sitting at the end of your seat suspense in the end, this one, the action started maybe 10% into the book and the romance came right after. While I realized the MC can't die and not that soon in the beginning of the book, I still couldn't relax until everyone hurt got better, yet that didn't happen until the book was concluded.. As Cori put it near the end -
"You know, if you keep coming back, the hospital might have to assign you a mailbox".
It was a nice enough romantic suspense. I liked the progress of both characters. Cori delivered quite the bomb on Zack in the ending, making him realize if she can "suck it up" so can he. I think that was part of my problem with him. He took things to heart and WAY too much. Cori had a sad life story (same as Zack had) but she overcome it and become an amazing woman, strong yet still sensitive and sweet. I loved how she took care of Zack even before they actually had any sort of relationship.
I'll be continuing to the next one - It's going to be of Julian and Grace (Kat's sister) I'm really interested in getting Julian's story and then seeing how it works between the ice queen and the "Don Juan".
More Reviews HERE
August 30, 2017
An improvement from the first book concerning the H/h, and a little more story than just a fuck fest. One of my favorite lines by Corrine,
"Being independent and being stupid are two different things."
Yess, preach girl! If she was told to duck she went "horizontal" real quick then asked questions. She didn't "bristle" at Zack because he told her, not asked, to check in with him as much as possible during the days he couldn't be with her and to stay with her friend because she knew there was a very real threat to both their lives. None of that I am woman hear roar bullshit, trying to prove she didn't need anyone at all costs.
I would have loved though to see more of Zack's genius. It's constantly brought up yet the only thing I know of Zack is he has a high IQ and can hack into the FBI's database. Fact remains though, he is the sweetest and most innocent-with-a-naughty streak of the firefighters, and I adore him.
I do stand by my review of the first read through, however this time I was missing the camaraderie between the firefighters. It just didn't feel quite like a family as I thought the first time around. However the tension and rush of the unexpected still remains solid throughout the book; and if you think Zack's luck can't get any worse, try again loves. (;
--------------------------------------------
Second book in the Firefighters of Station Five series and I'm sure pleased. Their stories are relatable if not realistic. The men and women sacrificing their own lives to save that of others are sometimes overlooked as non-human, emotionless, detached. But like everyone else, they've got heart, and a past sometimes too painful to remember.
I loved the story of Zack and Corrinne, her feisty nature and his good heart and kind spirit made for a very intriguing story of first love, trust, and battling your demons of the past. What people wont do for money, it amazes me; and the loyalty family gets from those they never deserve it from... unbelievable. The suspense and mystery of this book kept me on edge, and though I made an assumption that turned out wrong, I was shocked at how close I was to figuring out who the mysterious stalkers were.
I loved Zack. He was so sweet and innocent, yet there was something very naughty about him. His willingness to protect those he loves might have ended him in the hospital one too many times to count, but his determination to keep Corrinne and his father safe would melt the ice around anyone's heart :))
I was glad to also get to see Six-Pack return with his lovely Kat. And the interactions the main characters have with them as well as the others in the series. You get a more-than-co-workers vibe with every joke, argument, and on the job scenarios. They worry for each other, they're more than team mates, they're family. Its good to see.. well, read ^-^
Love it. Can't wait to start reading about Julian :D
January 27, 2013
Zack fights fires and saves lives, yet his own thirst for life has run dry, until he comes to the rescue of a sharp-tongued exotic dancer named Corrine Shannon who soon has the normally shy hero burning out of control.
But just as they are consumed by flames of passion, they find themselves under fire from two relentless enemies with fifty million reasons to succeed. Can they withstand the heat while trying to save their own lives, or will their new found romance be extinguished as fast as it began?
The second book of The FireFighters Of Station Five Series and the main focus is on Zack Knight, the FAO of Station Five and somebody going through a heck of a lot and the only family he has to rely on are his fellow Firefighters, when he lets them in. On his travels to work he rear ends Corrine Shannon, after his collision with Corrine, Zack makes it to work to be called out to a MVA and Corrine is once again brought into his life and world, the journey for them is defiantly one you think was written in the stars. Zack owes Joaquin Delacruz the better part of three quarters of a million dollars due to his fathers gambling but all is not as it seems and as you read Under Fire it all starts to unravel. Corrine has inherited fifty million dollars but won't touch it due to the fact that it belongs to her dead husband Alex, she up'd and left him for reasons you read about. Her brother brought her a house in Sugarland but this house connects Zack and Corrine way more then you can imagine. What entails is a story of love, trust, emotions, shock and above all couple who make it through all the odds that are thrown at them, and they have alot thrown their way.
Once again I was unable to put this book down and it held my attention, as I thought it would. The characters draw you in and make you want the best for them. Jo's writing has a way of doing this to you. Even though each book is focused on two main characters, you still get your fill of the rest of the FireFighters from Station Five. I'm already dreading finishing the Series, I for one don't want The FireFighters of Station Five to ever end.
"Don't sweat it, fireboy. You can't afford me."
"In truth, she hadn't been able to take her eyes off the way his rain-splattered shirt clung to the hard muscles of his chest. Had feasted on the sight of his wet pants plastered to his long legs and tight, perfect rear end."
"Don't they stop at red lights where you're from, Forrest Gump?"
"No. A man like Zack was a hero everyday of his life. She'd been too blind to notice."
"Okay, um.... I once read Stephen King's IT. Worst mistake I ever made. Didn't sleep for a month."
"And, boy, were those boxers pink. Electric pink - with bright yellow happy faces all over them. One smiley, larger than the rest, graced the front escape hatch, a strategically placed tongue sticking from between its lips."
But just as they are consumed by flames of passion, they find themselves under fire from two relentless enemies with fifty million reasons to succeed. Can they withstand the heat while trying to save their own lives, or will their new found romance be extinguished as fast as it began?
The second book of The FireFighters Of Station Five Series and the main focus is on Zack Knight, the FAO of Station Five and somebody going through a heck of a lot and the only family he has to rely on are his fellow Firefighters, when he lets them in. On his travels to work he rear ends Corrine Shannon, after his collision with Corrine, Zack makes it to work to be called out to a MVA and Corrine is once again brought into his life and world, the journey for them is defiantly one you think was written in the stars. Zack owes Joaquin Delacruz the better part of three quarters of a million dollars due to his fathers gambling but all is not as it seems and as you read Under Fire it all starts to unravel. Corrine has inherited fifty million dollars but won't touch it due to the fact that it belongs to her dead husband Alex, she up'd and left him for reasons you read about. Her brother brought her a house in Sugarland but this house connects Zack and Corrine way more then you can imagine. What entails is a story of love, trust, emotions, shock and above all couple who make it through all the odds that are thrown at them, and they have alot thrown their way.
Once again I was unable to put this book down and it held my attention, as I thought it would. The characters draw you in and make you want the best for them. Jo's writing has a way of doing this to you. Even though each book is focused on two main characters, you still get your fill of the rest of the FireFighters from Station Five. I'm already dreading finishing the Series, I for one don't want The FireFighters of Station Five to ever end.
"Don't sweat it, fireboy. You can't afford me."
"In truth, she hadn't been able to take her eyes off the way his rain-splattered shirt clung to the hard muscles of his chest. Had feasted on the sight of his wet pants plastered to his long legs and tight, perfect rear end."
"Don't they stop at red lights where you're from, Forrest Gump?"
"No. A man like Zack was a hero everyday of his life. She'd been too blind to notice."
"Okay, um.... I once read Stephen King's IT. Worst mistake I ever made. Didn't sleep for a month."
"And, boy, were those boxers pink. Electric pink - with bright yellow happy faces all over them. One smiley, larger than the rest, graced the front escape hatch, a strategically placed tongue sticking from between its lips."
February 2, 2010
First he rear-ends her Explorer, then he goes all hero and saves her life. I guess it’s Zack Knight’s good night. Not really, since he almost dies that same night, ends up in the hospital with an untreated pneumonia, and gets evicted a few days later. But things soon turn for the better since the lady he rear-ended herself invites him to stay with her, and apparently likes to play nursemaid.
The deal just might make him forget the facts he ends up beaten up every other day, he’s completely broke with casino moguls after him, and there’s someone determined to get the lady that has turned out to be the second half of his heart.
Yet another Firefighters of Station Five book that started promisingly, but soon lost some of the wind in its sails. Ms. Davis yet again failed in achieving the perfect balance between romance and suspense, once more concentrating a little too much on the budding romance between Zack and Cori and slightly neglecting the suspense and intrigue surrounding them. I loved Zack and Cori as characters, felt they were good together, and their romance really brought a goofy smile on my lips, but still, I couldn’t help but feel there was something missing.
And there was the obvious "flaw" with Zack. Yeah, right, a healthy 26-year-old male that is still untouched and completely inexperienced in this day and age…And while this might still might gel (great emphasis on "might") he goes and graduates from alpha-male sexual school with growling honors in matter of days.
Sorry, can’t buy that.
Sadly, the suspense and tension paled in comparison to the Zack-Cori relationship, the suspense subplot appeared not to have a head or tail, the chameleonic villain was a little too one-dimensional for my taste, and it all ended a little bit too "easily"…With, of course, Zack getting a bit more roughened up, and the redundant (and a little obsolete) "you’re better off without me, I don’t deserve you" spiel.
3 ½ stars
The deal just might make him forget the facts he ends up beaten up every other day, he’s completely broke with casino moguls after him, and there’s someone determined to get the lady that has turned out to be the second half of his heart.
Yet another Firefighters of Station Five book that started promisingly, but soon lost some of the wind in its sails. Ms. Davis yet again failed in achieving the perfect balance between romance and suspense, once more concentrating a little too much on the budding romance between Zack and Cori and slightly neglecting the suspense and intrigue surrounding them. I loved Zack and Cori as characters, felt they were good together, and their romance really brought a goofy smile on my lips, but still, I couldn’t help but feel there was something missing.
And there was the obvious "flaw" with Zack. Yeah, right, a healthy 26-year-old male that is still untouched and completely inexperienced in this day and age…And while this might still might gel (great emphasis on "might") he goes and graduates from alpha-male sexual school with growling honors in matter of days.
Sorry, can’t buy that.
Sadly, the suspense and tension paled in comparison to the Zack-Cori relationship, the suspense subplot appeared not to have a head or tail, the chameleonic villain was a little too one-dimensional for my taste, and it all ended a little bit too "easily"…With, of course, Zack getting a bit more roughened up, and the redundant (and a little obsolete) "you’re better off without me, I don’t deserve you" spiel.
3 ½ stars
June 11, 2011
Full review to come...
Full review reposted from my Smitten with Reading blog
(****slight spoilers included, but only the first 2 chapters****)
My Review:
One word for this book...emotional...OMG, is it ever! Poor Zack just can't catch a break. Over the past few months, he has lost every single thing that has mattered to him. As this book starts, his despair is palpable and you just want to cry for him.
And then he dies.
See, I told you- E.MO.TION.AL! And that's only the first 2 chapters.
Zack is the geek of the group. He has a crazy-high IQ, hacked into the FBI computer system when he was only 12. He grew up as the overweight, awkward kid. He is not that way anymore- the physical conditioning of firefighting has him in prime shape, but he has never moved past that awkward kid with girls so he is an innocent- a virgin.
Cori is a nursing student/exotic dancer. The book starts with Zack running into the back of her card because he's sick and exhausted from working overtime. Later she has a second accident which leaves her car hanging off the side of the bridge. Station Five is called to the scene of the accident where Zack saves her life at the cost of his own safety. She has lots of skeletons and secrets in her closet (which also intertwine with Zack's issues, they just don't realize it,) but at heart is a really good and kindhearted person just wanting to make a difference in people's lives (i.e. nursing school.)
I loved this book. The odds are so stack against Zack & Cori making it, but they love each other so much and are such good people. As a reader, you are pulling for them throughout the entire book and honestly at the halfway point, I still could not see how Jo Davis was going to manage a HEA for them.
Every second of this book pulls at your heartstrings and I loved it. I think that this one is going to be my favorite of the entire series because I can't imagine any of the others being able to top it.
Full review reposted from my Smitten with Reading blog
(****slight spoilers included, but only the first 2 chapters****)
My Review:
One word for this book...emotional...OMG, is it ever! Poor Zack just can't catch a break. Over the past few months, he has lost every single thing that has mattered to him. As this book starts, his despair is palpable and you just want to cry for him.
And then he dies.
See, I told you- E.MO.TION.AL! And that's only the first 2 chapters.
Zack is the geek of the group. He has a crazy-high IQ, hacked into the FBI computer system when he was only 12. He grew up as the overweight, awkward kid. He is not that way anymore- the physical conditioning of firefighting has him in prime shape, but he has never moved past that awkward kid with girls so he is an innocent- a virgin.
Cori is a nursing student/exotic dancer. The book starts with Zack running into the back of her card because he's sick and exhausted from working overtime. Later she has a second accident which leaves her car hanging off the side of the bridge. Station Five is called to the scene of the accident where Zack saves her life at the cost of his own safety. She has lots of skeletons and secrets in her closet (which also intertwine with Zack's issues, they just don't realize it,) but at heart is a really good and kindhearted person just wanting to make a difference in people's lives (i.e. nursing school.)
I loved this book. The odds are so stack against Zack & Cori making it, but they love each other so much and are such good people. As a reader, you are pulling for them throughout the entire book and honestly at the halfway point, I still could not see how Jo Davis was going to manage a HEA for them.
Every second of this book pulls at your heartstrings and I loved it. I think that this one is going to be my favorite of the entire series because I can't imagine any of the others being able to top it.
July 25, 2011
After this, I'm going to stop reading terrible books less than halfway through. It took me weeks to finish this because it was just that bad.
This book was all about the Wal-Mart product placement, right? I've never seen so much small town discount shopping in any one book in my life. Unfortunately (?!), the Wal-Mart references ended halfway through the book, but that's likely because the hero was in the hospital the rest of the time (or recovering) and unable to get his shopping on.
I picked up this book, despite the terrible reviews I'd read, because it featured my second favorite romance trope (after friends to lovers), and that's the virgin hero. After saving himself for so many years, our intrepid hero gave it up rather quickly to - you'd never guess - the stripper with the heart of gold (oh, and fifty million dollars she refuses to touch).
The virgin hero angle was just that, an angle, not important to the book at all. And (spoiler alert) the half-brother working with a stalker, and other brother threatening the hero for a debt that wasn't his - oh, my gawd, it was a series of terribly unrealistic coincidences.
This book was all about the Wal-Mart product placement, right? I've never seen so much small town discount shopping in any one book in my life. Unfortunately (?!), the Wal-Mart references ended halfway through the book, but that's likely because the hero was in the hospital the rest of the time (or recovering) and unable to get his shopping on.
I picked up this book, despite the terrible reviews I'd read, because it featured my second favorite romance trope (after friends to lovers), and that's the virgin hero. After saving himself for so many years, our intrepid hero gave it up rather quickly to - you'd never guess - the stripper with the heart of gold (oh, and fifty million dollars she refuses to touch).
The virgin hero angle was just that, an angle, not important to the book at all. And (spoiler alert) the half-brother working with a stalker, and other brother threatening the hero for a debt that wasn't his - oh, my gawd, it was a series of terribly unrealistic coincidences.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews