Flare Up by Shannon Stacey

I wish I had read this book closer to the time I had read the others in the series because I had forgotten most of Wren and Grant's back story (some of which was seen in other books) and I couldn't remember most of the rest of the characters which made me feel slightly disconnected. I think it would have been different if I just hadn't read the series at all but knowing that I had read about these people but just couldn't remember their stories frustrated me a little. I also didn't realize that there were two or three chapters at the end of the book from another of Stacey's series and was sort of startled at how quickly the ending wrapped up when I was expecting so many more pages.

Grant Cutter was well on his way to the HEA that all of his other friends were experiencing. Then Wren Everett just disappeared, breaking his heart. He is therefore fairly shocked to see her again when he is called to a fire in a not-so-great part of Boston. 

Wren is also surprised to see Grant again. She ran to protect him when she feared that her abusive ex had found her again. But now that Grant is back in her life, she isn't sure she can walk away again.

I liked that Grant didn't immediately try to swoop in and rescue Wren when she lost almost everything in the fire. Instead, he was respectful of what she needed. He was a little less understanding about why she ran in the first place but I was actually more shocked that some of the women in his life were less understanding as well. 

Three stars

This book came out 

Follows Under Control

Hard copy I didn't keep

Opinions are my own

Under Control by Shannon Stacey

Olivia McGovern has a plan for her life and she's going to follow it to a T even if that means that life is all work and no play. But then she gets trapped in an elevator with Derek Gilman. It's not love at first sight by any means but he's not exactly disappointed when he sees her again at a local fundraising group.
Derek is definitely not on Olivia's list. Nor are his two kids and divorced wife who he is somehow still friends with. But she's ready to open herself up to the chance, if only he can do the same.
An okay book  and I think most readers of the series will be happy with this story.

Three stars
This book came out August 28
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Hot Response by Shannon Stacey

Gavin Boudreau isn't sure why Cait Tasker is so prickly around him. As a firefighter, he generally gets along pretty well with the EMTs he works with. But Cait stymies him. She doesn't seem susceptible to his usual charms.
Cait had toyed with asking Gavin out. But then he Ma'amed her. She assumed that it was his way of letting her know (rather rudely) that she was too old for him. But, after an intense call, the two bond and Cait takes Gavin to breakfast. And then she spends the night at his apartment (he's not there; she just needs to get away from her family for a little while). And then... well.
I liked that Gavin and Cait actually talked to each other (for the most part). I didn't like that Gavin was such a jerk but it was nice to see his family talk to him and tell him when he's stepping out of line.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out April 24
Follows Fully Ignited

Fully Ignited by Shannon Stacey

Jamie Rutherford is used to being the new girl on the block. Well, since she's in her mid-thirties, really she's used to being the new woman in the firehouse. Some times are easier than others, depending on how the crew feels about working with a female. Luckily, Engine 59 seems to be be very accepting. Even the crew's Romeo, Shawn Kincaid.
Shawn is super-attracted to Jamie the minute he sees her. Yes, she's a lieutenant and therefore outranks him but he doesn't see that as an issue, because why?
As someone who's experienced sexism in the past, Jamie knows that there will be repercussions if she and Shawn even start hooking up and she explains that part . But then she decides to go for it anyway. Well, they decide to go for it.
And... well, I didn't love the ending. But I did love that Jamie was older than Shawn and it was never mentioned as the issue.

Three stars
Book comes out February 23
Follows Controlled Burn
Followed by Hot Response

Controlled Burn by Shannon Stacey

When Jessica Broussard was contacted about her grandfather taking a fall, she was shocked. She knew her father hadn’t spoken to his parents in years. But he wasn’t dealing with the problem and she was curious about the family she’d never known so she hopped on the plane from San Diego, deciding along the way that she was going to help them however she could, even if that meant helping them move into a new home.

Rick Gulotti also thinks that Joe and Marie need to move out, but he doesn’t think they should do it just because some granddaughter they never even knew about is pushing them out. He has been renting their third floor for years and has been taking care of them the whole time. This long-legged blonde from California isn’t pushing them out before they want to go.

This is a romance, so of course they start to find some middle ground. And that does start with some great sex. It was a little… shallow. I never got the sense of a deep connection between the two but that didn’t destroy the book for me. Maybe not as good as the early Kowalskis but still good.

I didn’t finish the first book in the series before reading this one and was just fine with catching up. Quite frankly, I appreciated the light touch of bringing in some of the characters from the first book without being hit over the head with them.

Three and a half stars
Followed by Fully Ignited