Chain Reaction by Dee Davis

From the back cover:

Artist Mia Kearney has the perfect life: a successful career, a home she loves, amazing friends…until the hot August morning her world explodes. Lone survivor of a nuclear accident, Mia awakens in a government facility, faced with Homeland Security agent Nicholas Price, a man who wants answers she knows she doesn't have.

When Mia escapes, Nick has a choice to make. The CIA wants him off the case, but instinct tells him not to let Mia out of his sight.

Now the web of deceit that's woven tightly around them is about to unravel, and someone out there won't be satisfied until Cedar Branch's last surviving resident is dead.…

I don't care what certain people say. I did not pick this book up because it takes place in Idaho. I already have to live here, why would I want to read about it, too? I do have to admit that I did google Cedar Branch b/c I had no idea if it actually existed in the state of Idaho. Nerdy, I know.

OMGosh, the first chapter of this book is SAD. Sooooo sad. Cedar Branch is a small town that has a cafe, a gas station, and a small grocery store. The book opens in the cafe where the whole town of, like, 8 people are eating breakfast. Davis does a great job of portraying camaraderie between these people. Which makes it all the more horrific at how the chapter ends. After hearing what sounds like a car backfiring, they look out the window and see what is described as a "haze" or "mist". Soon, they're all gasping for air and collapsing. The last thought that the owner of the cafe has before she dies is that at least she doesn't have to live without her husband (who already seconds before). See what I mean? Sooooo sad.

Mia Kearney wakes up in a hospital-like room and is told that she survived a nuclear accident that happened a few miles outside Cedar Branch. When Homeland Security agent Nick Price comes to question her, he tells her that all the residents of Cedar Branch are dead and she is suspected as the person behind the "accident". See, Mia's mother was a big political activist and one of her passions was stopping nuclear testing on Amercan soil. How this computed to Mia somehow having possession of a nuclear weapon was never made clear. Oh, Mia was also found in a crude, man-made nuclear bomb shelter. That would seem a little suspicious, I suppose. But as in most books, it was explained in a very satisfactory way. Mia's grandfather was in WWII and was a little paranoid when he returned home. So he made his very own bomb shelter in the basement of his house. Lucky for Mia, when the bomb went off, she was down in the basement-turned-art studio.

Anyway, Mia senses something fishy going on. Cuz she's one smart girl. So she escapes. She escapes a government facility that is in the middle of nowhere and gets back to her grandfather's ranch where she lives in a line shack that is on the property. Fortunately for her, she told Nick about the line shack, so he's there when she starts getting shot at. Nick went after her after his boss called him back to Washington after telling him that the CIA was taking over the investigation and Homeland Security was no longer needed. Nick being Nick, was a little suspicious. It didn't help that the man in charge of that branch of the CIA was a longtime nemisis and the man (we find this out later) that was part of the plot that killed his sister. He goes after Mia, determined to get some answers about what really happened in Cedar Branch.

Together, Nick and Mia go on the run. Don't forget, you can't go on the run in a romance suspense novel without there being a tracking device on someone or something. #1 rule of thumb. Check belongings and person for tracking device. They obviously didn't know that rule, so they didn't figure it out until after they were tracked down by the evil CIA guy, Davies. Things got very interesting from then on out.

In between Nick and Mia falling in luuurve and heating up the sheets, they were following leads that would uncover what really happened in Cedar Branch. So far they had an Idaho Senator (damn those Idaho Senators), the evil CIA guy, and another guy Kresky who owned the Environmental study company that was a front for all their evil doings.

Let me just tell you how it ends, m'kay? What killed the whole town was actually a deadly toxin called K-19. It's a mutated version of some toxin that is found in frogs in Colombia. The original toxin can only be deadly if it goes directly into a cut or open wound. The bad guys mutated it so it would be deadly when inhaled or when it goes directly through your skin. So basically if it's released in the air anywhere near you, you're fucked. The nuclear bomb was really to cover up what really happened b/c of course the government had no idea what these psychos were doing.

The reason Mia survived, you ask? A number of reasons that all combined, saved her life. Apart, she would have been dead like the rest of them. #1 - Mia was in a nuclear bomb shelter. #2 - As a sculptor that uses chemical, she wears a mask and protective clothing. #3 - Something in her genes gave her a sort of immunity to the original toxin. Why? Because her father is Colombian of course and she used to play w/ the frogs as a little girl.

Overall, I would recommend trying it. The plot was an interesting one and the character development was good.

4 out of 5 stars.

The Suicide Club by Gayle Wilson

From the back cover:

Lindsey Sloan teaches the best and brightest students at Randolph-Lowen High School—exceptional teens with promising futures far from their small Alabama hometown. So when brash detective Jace Nolan arrives from up north and accuses her kids of setting a series of fires in local black churches, Lindsey is furious.

No matter how Jace tries to convince her, Lindsey can't believe her pupils could do something so horrible, let alone be addicted to the rush of getting away with it. But when her attraction to Jace places her in mortal danger and people begin dying, Lindsey can no longer be sure just what her students are capable of.

If Jace is right, it's up to the two of them to outsmart these criminal minds—before they carry out the ultimate thrill-kill.

Sounds like it would be good, no? Well, it sounds better than it is.

Lindsey Sloan is a goody-goody. She's too idealistic...holier-than-thou, if you will. It got annoying as hell.

When Detective Jace Nolan goes to Randolph-Lowen HS, he is sure that one of Lindsey's gifted students (read: genius) are behind the three church fires in Randolph, Alabama. [Side note: Jace was first introduced by the Principal as Lieutenant Jace Nolan, but somehow it changed to Detective.] Now how Jace is sure, I still haven't figured out. Since there isn't a shred of evidence at any of the scenes, he apparently thinks that only a kid could pull that off. Huh. Needless to say, Saint Lindsey is stunned by Jace's beliefs. I mean come on, Lindsey spends an hour a day with these kids. She knows exactly what they're capable of.

From the beginning we know that it is a student b/c we get little snippets from his/her POV. After Lindsey is seen talking with the Detective, those involved decide to teach the teacher a lesson. How? By sticking a rattlesnake in her clothes hamper. She barely saved herself from being stuck. Again, you ask how? Well, she knows the smell of a rattler contained in a clothes hamper, of course. How else? So she calls the police. Which sounds really pathetic, but I probably would have too. Jace ends up knocking on her door at 3am to see if she's all right. Again, keep in mind, Saint Lindsey took an instant dislike to Jace. It's only been a day since they first met. But, being the strong manly-man that he is, Jace gallantly stands guard outside her house. A few days after that, Jace makes Lindsey spend the night at his place b/c he can see she's not sleeping.

About halfway through the book, students start to committ suicide. Lindsey's students to be exact. Now she realizes that she might not know them as well as she thinks she does. The first student that comitted suicide actually came to talk to Lindsey the day she did it. Lindsey didn't have time for her, though. So now Saint Lindsey will feel guilty for the rest of her days. Maybe I should call her Martyr Lindsey. From reading Wilson's acknowledgement, Lindsey was intended to be portrayed as a devoted teacher who is only trying to protect her students. She fell a little bit short with that.

Any-hoo, together Jace and Lindsey start piecing together the mystery. Lindsey soon realizes that everything revolves around her "special" students. Oh dear. There's another thing she has to add to her list of things to feel guilty about. Obviously she wasn't challenging them enough, or they wouldn't feel the need to burn down churches or drive their fellow classmates to suicide. It was when the Principal seemingly committed suicide, that the author lost me.

The character development was really bad. So was the relationship development between Jace and Lindsey. Lindsey won't help him, but she'll sleep in his bed with and without him. Jace doesn't want a relationship, so he'll sleep (read that as have sex) with her but he won't break it off with her until after the mystery is solved? Why? Because it's his duty to make her feel safe. Yup.

This book really didn't seem that bad as I was reading it. I'm glad I took a couple of days to review it. Wilson's books are really hit and miss for me. The last two she released were really good. This one, not so much. Sorry for the letdown, Rowena. *g*

3 out of 5 stars.

The Summit by Kat Martin

From the back cover:

Autumn Sommers knows the danger of ignoring such powerful omens. Twelve years earlier, she could have prevented a tragic accident if only she had acted on those horrible nightmares. This time, she knows what she has to do.

Her research into local missing persons suggests that the girl in Autumn's dreams could be Molly, the daughter of businessman Ben McKenzie. Still emotionally shattered from his loss and unwilling to trust this stranger, Ben is angered rather than relieved to hear her theory that Molly is still alive. Certain that she may be the girl's only chance, Autumn persists, until Ben grudgingly agrees to explore this tiny, if improbable, shred of hope.

As Autumn's dreams become more and more vivid, she and Ben pursue their leads—leads that point to more murders, and to the only person in control of whether they live—or die.

I love Kat Martin's paranormals. Unlike most paranormals these days, this seems like it could actually happen. Maybe. Or maybe I should say that it's not as far fetched as being a vampire or werewolf.

When Autumn Sommers (I didn't even get *that* until 3/4 of the way through the book) starts having dreams about a little girl who was taken from her front yard, she knows that she has to do something. When she was 15, she had a dream that her two best friends died after the car they were in ran headlong into a tree. She was horrified when they actually died exactly how she dreamed. Because of this, she knows that she has to stop the kidnapping from happening, or help the little girl's parents find her. She just doesn't know how to find out who she is because she doesn't recognize the little girl in her dream nor does she recognize the kidnapper.

After checking school photos (she's an elementary school teacher) and then going to the library, she realizes that the kidnapping she's dreaming about happened six years before. According to the newspapers, Molly McKenzie was taken exactly how Autumn dreamed it. Realizing that seeing Molly's father, Ben McKenzie, at the gym where she teaches rock climbing classes has triggered the dreams, Autumn sets out to convince Ben that she's not crazy. Right. I think that was the hardest part of the book for me. Not that she's psychic, but that she actually convinces Ben she's not crazy. Once I got over that hump, I really enjoyed it.

Even though he isn't totally discounting what Autumn has said, Ben still doesn't trust her or her motives. After going through six years of hell, Ben has no desire to bring the nightmare back to life. For himself or his family. Eventually, he knows that if there is even a chance Molly is out there alive, he can't just ignore it. Poor Ben. I felt so bad for this guy.

Autumn only has dreams after she has been with Ben. His bright idea is to start spending the night at her house so he can be there when she dreams. Actually, so he can be there *after* she wakes up from dreaming. You see, now Autumn is having dreams of Molly in the present day. Or what she thinks is the present day considering that Molly now looks like she's about 12. So each night she dreams the same dream over and over, she sees new things. Like the other women in the house with Molly, the simple clothes they're wearing, the mountains in the distance. Things that aren't really helpful...until Autumn and then Ben's ex-wife remember where they first saw the kidnapper.

Things move really quickly after that. A little too quickly, actually. Of course, in between trying to figure out clues, Autumn and Ben are both falling for the other. Autumn is really insecure though. I mean really insecure. I'm talking about bang your head into the wall insecure. Her dad was never faithful to her mom, so that means all guys are scum. Not that her dad is scum, though. No, he's just a man. And men can never be faithful. Of course Ben is the type of man that only dates supermodel types. Which isn't hard for him since he's stinkin' rich. In Autumn's book, that's a huge mark against him. So even though she's falling in love with him and the sex is so good, she knows that she'll never be able to satisfy him forever. Seriously people. It got old. Yes, I understood she was insecure. That was readily apparent every time you read "she knew that he would get tired of her eventually". Autumn is insecure, check. In the meantime, Ben fully admits to himself that he has to have her. How does he woo her? By having sex with her. Because Autumn lurves sex. No girly feelings for her, just sex.

Other than Autumn's serious self-esteem issues, I really liked this book. A lot.

4 out of 5 stars.

In Darkness Reborn by Alexis Morgan

From the back cover:

Once a warrior for the Others, Barak q'Young is caught between two worlds—exiled from his homeland, and a pariah among his enemies, the Paladins. While hunting a betrayer who's selling the precious blue gems that light the Others' world, Barak must aid geologist Lacey Sebastian in her research for the Paladins. Barak is instantly drawn to the fiery, beautiful woman, but Lacey initially despises the enemy intruder. Soon she sees beyond his violent past, though, finding the dark warrior intriguing—and extremely sexy.

Though neither can resist the passion that blazes between them, Barak is torn between loyalties, hiding a secret gift that could prove useful to Lacey's research, at the sacrifice of his own people. But when Lacey is kidnapped and held hostage, Barak realizes that he will do anything to save her . . . even risk his own life.

This is the 3rd book in the Paladins of Darkness series. Barak q'Young was first introduced in Dark Protector when he saved Laurel Young's life. As an Other, Barak expected to be slain as soon as he crossed the barrier, which is why he crossed over. Instead, Laurel stood between him and his Paladin enemies and Barak found himself living in the very place that his people died trying to reach.

Barak broke my heart in this book. Living among the Paladins, his lifelong sworn enemies, Barak is more than an outcast. He's despised. The only reason that he was allowed to live was because he saved the life of the Paladin leader's mate. Laurel Young was the only thing standing between him and certain death. When he realizes that his presence is hurting Laurel, he goes to Devlin Bane and tells him that he needs to be moved. Little does he know what he's getting into.

Lacey Sebastian has made it her life's work to find out a way to know when the barrier will go down. Though she is at first appalled that she has to work with the enemy, she soon realizes that Barak is as good of a man as her brother is. Unfortunatley for her, her brother is not only a Paladin, but a Paladin that is injured and unable to fight. Since he injured his sword hand, Penn Sebastian has made it his duty to protect Lacey, even more than he usually does. He is more than furious than she has to work with an Other.

Barak wants Lacey, but he refuses to be her dirty little secret. Can you blame the guy? Lacey wants Barak, but she is torn between her desire for Barak and her loyalty to the Paladins. Imagining Penn's reaction to any type of relationship with Barak makes Lacey shudder. The more she gets to know Barak, the more she falls until she realizes that she is in love with someone she has been taught to hate. You really get caught up in the dilemna of these two. Barak wants to take anything Lacey will give, but wants more. Lacey wants Barak, but is scared to reach out and take it.

But Barak has a secret. One that is pretty explosive. See, even though Barak left his people, he still refuses to help the Paladin's kill them. That means that he doesn't tell them that he knows when the barrier will go down. His senses are extremely hightened. He can hear and smell things that an ordinary human and even a Paladin, can't. Though he knows that he can help Lacey achieve her goal, he keeps quiet because he refuses to be a part of the deaths of any more of his people.

One of the best parts of the book was when Devlin and four other Paladin's came over to Barak's house. It was a total "man" get together, compelte with pizza and beer. Barak feelings of friendship with these Paladin's made me want to cry. For months he was barely tolerated by these men and suddenly he finds himself friends with them. Now, when they call him "Other", it's not a derogatory name , it's said with friendly affection. It was also funny to see Devlin Bane becoming friends with Barak when from the time he saved Laurel, he insisted that he only protected Barak out of love for Laurel. Hah.

Alas, there are still people that are trying to find a weakness among the Paladin ranks. When one of these people try to recruit Penn Sebastian, it is with little luck. Though Penn is bitter at his inability to fight, he'll never betray his people. Unfortunately for him, that means that they have to go to further lengths to get his cooperation. Which means that they kidnap Lacey.

When Barak finds out that Lacey was taken, he was just getting ready to cross the barrier back to the other side. That meant certain death, but Barak was determined. Lacey couldn't be with him, he couldn't betray his people, and he couldn't really have a life. It was sad to read. When Penn comes to attack him, accusing him of taking Lacey, Barak has to go after her. Penn and Barak have to work together to find a woman that they both love.

The ending was a good one. I absolutely loved how Barak was accepted within the ranks of the Paladins. I also loved seeing his happiness when he realized that Lacey loved him.

You definitely have to read the first two books before this one.

4 out of 5 stars.

Raintree: Sanctuary by Beverly Barton

From the back cover:

War with their archrival, the evil Ansara clan, is unavoidable. For Mercy Raintree, a war means she must assume her position as guardian of the Sanctuary—the sacred Raintree home place deep in the Smoky Mountains. But doing so threatens to disclose her most prized secret—one Mercy has kept to herself for six years.

As the solstice looms and the battle heats up, Dranir Judah Ansara gathers his forces, intending to wipe every Raintree from the face of the land. Including Mercy, whom he's claimed as his to kill. Then he comes face-to-face with her—and with her daughter, Eve. Will Mercy's closely guarded secret change not only the outcome of the battle…but also Judah's own bitter heart?

This is the last book of the Raintree trilogy (1st - Raintree: Inferno by Linda Howard 2nd - Raintree: Haunted by Linda Winstead Jones). This is my favorite in the trilogy. After a rocky start with Howard's Inferno, the series really picked up with the 2nd book and got even better with this one.

Wow. This book was intense. The two previous books were spent telling the story between the Raintree and Ansara clans. All we know is that the Ansara clan tried to kill both Dante, the Raintree Dranir and Gideon, the Raintree Prince. So they're some evil freaking people, obviously. Needless to say, it makes for darn good reading when the hero of the third book IS an Ansara. And not just any Ansara, but the Ansara Dranir.

The Raintree obviously got cocky in their belief that the Ansara were no longer a threat to them. Hello? Dante seemed like a smart guy. So the fact that after 200 years, the Raintree thought the Ansara were still wiped out was pretty arrogant.

Cael Ansara was first introduced in Raintree: Inferno when he tried to have Dante killed. We follow him through to this book where we learn that he is one crazy S.O.B. He is half brother to Judah Ansara, the Dranir of the Ansara clan. Cael is the older brother, so he thinks that he should be Dranir even though he's a psycho and a bastard. In the 1st chapter of the book, Cael tries to have Judah killed. So it starts out with a bang. Soon after Judah kills his attackers, he finds out that Cael sent an assassin to the Raintree Sanctuary to kill Mercy Raintree. That's when Judah says that as Dranir, he claims Mercy Raintree as his kill.

So what kind of romance can this be when for over half the book, Judah is determined to kill Mercy, while Mercy is determined to kill Judah? A damn good one! See, Mercy has a secret that she has kept for six years. Her daughter, Eve, is half Ansara. Seven years ago, Judah seduced Mercy just because she was the Raintree Princess. Mercy had no idea who Judah was until she realized she was pregnant. Then she ran. Both Mercy and Judah had never forgotten each other or the night they spent together. For Mercy, she has a reminder every day in her daughter. Judah just knows that he'll kill Mercy quickly. It was a little distasteful that Judah acknowledged that he would kill any Raintree children. Other than that, I had no problem with Judah wanting to kill Mercy. It was his inner struggle that made it especially good.

During the course of the book, Mercy knew that she would eventually fight Judah to the death for their daughter. She was still oblivious to the fact that the Ansara were once again a powerful clan and that the Ansara Dranir was the father of her child. Seeing how Judah bonded with his daughter, you knew that he wouldn't kill Mercy. Of course it took him forever to realize that, but then again, he is a man.

Cael Ansara was still determined to take on the Raintree and kill Judah because he wanted to rule the whole Earth. Including all the humans. Oh joy. That is fun to think about. The final battle at Sanctuary is intense. Mercy is the type of heroine I love. Though she is strong, she's still a mother who is trying to save her child. She's still the keeper of Sanctuary, who is trying to save her clan. She's still a healer. By the time the battle begins, she admits to herself that she still loves Judah, but she knows she'll still have to kill them for the sake of her daughter's future. She is a little slow because she didn't realize that Judah came to fight against Cael instead of with him.

One small issue I had. It really is a small one. Eve is six years old. I have a six year old. Six year olds don't talk like she does. Maybe magical ones do, but my six year old doesn't use logic like this one did. She was more like a 10 year old. So that got me hung up in places, but I tried to excuse it b/c she was magical. Or I tried to ignore it.

Overall, this was a fine ending to the series. I definitely recommend all three books in the series.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

Prince of Magic by Linda Winstead Jones

From the back cover:

The firstborn children of the Fyne witches have finally come into their own, each with a special gift...

Independent Ariana Kane Varden, daughter of the Sun Witch, has never let family duty keep her from reaching her dreams. She learned the practice of her gift, the power to heal others, at her mother's knee. And now she is the Palace healer, tending to her emperor...

The last prophecy of magician Sian Chamblyn's late grandfather points to Ariana as the one to save Columbyana from a growing evil. Sian has hightailed it from lands afar to deliver the message. When he must prepare her for the fight of her life, Sian intends to remain undistracted by his sensuously beautiful protege. But in the heat of battle-and passion-diligence might be his downfall...


I am so annoyed. I just realized that this trilogy continues a previous trilogy. *sigh* Now that there was a slight cliffhanger, I'm going to continue on before going back and reading the first trilogy. Maybe. My anal-ness about reading in order might change my mind.

Ariana is a a healer. Her primary role as a healer is for the Emperor himself. Having been sick for many months, Ariana isn't quite sure why she can't heal the Emperor, but she knows she can't let him die. With his son and heir missing, Columbyana can not withstand the unrest that would come with the Emperor's death. So with the Emperor's permission, only a select few know exactly how sick he really is.

When Sian Chamblyn shows up on the scene with dire predictions of death and doom, Ariana isn't sure she believes him. Sian is sure of the prophecy that his grandfather wrote before he died and he is sure that Ariana is the key to saving Columbyana.

This is why I think I need to go back and read the first three books. Is Columbyana a country? A Kingdom? Another word? I wish I could answer that...

So Sian is a powerful wizard and he believes it's his destiny to teach Ariana the magical skills that she will need to fight the upcoming evil. Because of the fact that the prophecy states Ariana will die fighting, Sian is a little chagrined when he realizes he's falling for her. Too bad he didn't tell her that she's going to die. Cuz she is pissed when she finds it, the morning she's supposed to lead her men into battle. She's also pissed because she'd been sleeping with him for weeks and fell in love with him. He couldn't even have the decency to tell her that she's going to die. WTF is up with that?

The evil dude is none other than Prince Ciro, the Emperor's missing son. Back when he lived at the palace he was posessed by the Isen Demon when he was on Level Thirteen. Level Thirteen is another thing that must have been explained in previous books. So he's possessed, he drinks blood and he sucks up souls. He can only take gray and/or black souls without permission from the person he is taking from. He can't take white souls, which is really making him angry. Because the white souls are what he really wants. He also has these creepy people following him called "Ciro's Own". They're like his own souless army and they will make you shudder.

Back to Sian and Ariana. He realizes that he can't leave for home when she goes to battle like he originally intended. Though he doesn't want to care, of course he does. He's majorly tortured. He was married and when his wife was in childbirth, both her and the baby died. Poor guy. No wonder he was afraid of commitment. Eventually Ariana makes him realize it's okay, though I don't know how because the likelyhood of her dying is extremely high.

This book was just okay for me. Nothing spectacular, but not bad either. I like the storyline, but it felt like something was missing. Obviously there was, but I didn't know that at the time. The excerpt for the next book, Prince of Fire, sounds really good though. I guess Sian and Ariana as characters just didn't do it for me.

3 out of 5 stars

Daring Devotion by Elaine Overton

From the back cover:

Nights of passion

Detroit social worker Andrea Chenault has always believed she can live with the fear that every firefighter's wife knows. But as her long-awaited wedding day approaches, she's tormented by secret doubts. Because it's becoming clear that deadly fires are targeting the man she loves beyond all reason.

Days of fear

Calvin Brown is the bravest, strongest man she's ever known, and he's taken her to heights of passion she never knew existed. But as the circle of flames draws ever closer, Andrea wonders if even her overwhelming love for this man is strong enough to survive the terrible thought of a life without him . . .

I just noticed that the description said that Andrea is a social worker. She's actually a nurse. Of course I had to check the back of my book and yep, it's wrong.

I read the excerpt of this book and it sounded really good. The fact that the characters are committed to each other when the book starts makes for good reading.

The book opens up with Cal getting a promotion within his Firehouse. Andrea is having serious doubts about marrying him because she is already dreading the day that she’ll lose him to the fires he fights. As a nurse, she sees more firefighters die than the average person. Overton did a really good job of writing Andrea’s fears. On one hand she was completely in love with Cal. On the other hand, she didn’t think she was strong enough to be a firefighter’s wife. Gotta give the girl props for not turning a blind-eye to her fears. I could feel her inner struggle coming off the pages.

When Cal is injured in a fire after saving the life of a child, everything changes. Not only does it affect his relationship with Andrea, but it also affects his career. He starts having nightmares that he refuses to share with Andrea. He freezes up during a fire when he relives the fire he almost died in. Eventually he is diagnosed with PTSD, but he refuses to accept it.

So as Cal and Andrea get closer to their wedding day, Cal seems to be obsessed with the recent fires in abandoned warehouses while Andrea becomes more and more sure that she will be making a mistake if she marries him.Meanwhile, Cal is convinced that the man starting the fires is one of the guys in his firehouse. This guy is a weirdo who seems to be skulking around where he shouldn’t be. He also resents Cal for the promotion that he felt should be his. This is where the book started falling apart for me. Jeff was described in the beginning of the book as someone who felt he was passed over for a promotion and wanted to make Cal look bad. But later it came up that he had only been with that Firehouse for a few months. Why would he think he deserved the promotion? The way Overton made it sound was that Jeff and Cal were both serious front runners for the job. Then Cal sees him with accelerant, which obviously leads him to believe that Jeff is responsible for the fires. It’s a logical thought. In actuality, Jeff was trying to mess things up around the firehouse so Cal will look bad. Huh. Jeff eventually gets arrested, yada yada yada. As it turns out, the kid that Cal saved in the beginning of the book is the one that has started all the fires. See, this 8 year old kid is a pyromaniac. The way the kid is described in this book doesn’t fit him being a pyro. Cal knows him. There were no signs whatsoever. It's like on page 258 (or whatever it was) the author just decided, "Hey, Marco is going to be a pyro". Oh and what gets me is that it's Cal that figures it out. Like he hadn't just almost ruined a guy's career (whether the guy is stable remains to be seen). Also, the situation with Jeff was never resolved. We get insight on Jeff by reading from his POV, so the fact that there was so resolution made it seem as though part of the book was unfinished.

I also didn't feel that Andrea really faced her fears where Cal was concerned. She decided to take a leap of faith, but it was so sudden that it seemed like a letdown after all the build up from page 1. She doesn't really tell Cal how she feels about him being a firefighter or how she feels about the thought of being married to him. She's just privately hoping that almost dying in a fire will make him quit. After an intense beginning, the last part of the book just seemed rather shallow. I can't think of a better way to describe it. Andrea and Cal then go on to live happily-ever-after. The end.

2.5 out of 5 stars