An old flame……a new beginning?
Dana Warren almost doesn't recognize the man Dr. Travis
Russell has become. He's far from the carefree guy she once spent an
unforgettable summer with years ago as they trained to save lives and fight
wildfires. Now an experienced smoke jumper, Dana must take the guarded doc
through stunning but dangerous wilderness to reach a vulnerable patient -- and
take care not to lose her own scarred heart along the way…
Good second chance romance that is fast-paced, emotional,
and has some intense action. Years ago, Dana and Travis became good friends
while training to fight wildfires. Dana also had quite a crush on Travis and was
embarrassed and heartbroken when he didn't return her feelings. At the end of
the summer, Travis went on to medical school, and Dana continued her training.
Dana is not happy when instead of leading her team of
smokejumpers into the latest fire, she must lead a doctor to a critically ill
patient in the path of the fire. Shocked to discover the doctor is Travis, Dana
hastily throws up walls to protect her heart. Travis is equally surprised to
see Dana and looks forward to renewing their friendship.
I enjoyed seeing the development of the relationship
between Dana and Travis. It got off to a rough start, thanks to their awkward
parting years ago. What Dana saw as his rejection of her had a profound effect
on her view of herself and her subsequent relationships. Travis always felt a
little guilty about the way he handled it, but he was committed to someone else
at the time. I liked Travis's attempt to clear the air between them even though
Dana wasn't very cooperative. Fortunately, Travis persisted, and their previous
camaraderie returned.
With that camaraderie came a growing attraction, but both
Dana and Travis had issues that held them back. Though supremely confident in
her work, Dana's personal life suffers from her fear of rejection and belief
that she isn't good enough. Once upon a time, Travis had his life all planned
out, and when it didn't work out, he resorted to just taking life as it comes
instead of living it. Thrown together under extremely stressful circumstances, Dana
and Travis discover emotions as turbulent as their surroundings. I loved how
Travis's vocal respect and appreciation helped Dana see herself in a new light
and consider letting Travis past her walls. At the same time, seeing Dana
embrace her life helped Travis see what he was missing by closing himself off.
There's a brief hiccup when they let their fears push them apart, but advice
from those they care about put them back on track. The ending is intense with both
overwhelming fear and healing love.
The setting of this book, in the midst of a forest fire,
was portrayed so vividly I felt as though I were there. I loved Dana's job as a
smokejumper, a woman in a primarily male profession. Her confidence in her
abilities was a significant part of the story. The action kept me glued to the
pages as each twist added to the danger that Dana and Travis experienced.
Thanks to Travis's training that long-ago summer, the teamwork between him and
Dana was fantastic.
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