Saturday, July 31, 2021

All Consuming - Jaci Burton (Penguin - Mar 2021)

Series: Brotherhood by Fire (Book 3)

When firefighter Kal Donovan transfers to the Tactical Rescue Team, he's determined to succeed by giving work one hundred percent of his attention. This proves more difficult at his ten-year high school reunion when he runs into Hannah Clark, his first love. She's still the smart, funny, beautiful girl he loved in high school, but everything has changed. She's divorced, has a son, and has zero interest in exploring an old romance.
 
Hannah has moved back home after a disastrous end to a marriage that never should have been. Now her only focus is getting her hair salon up and running, and making sure her son is happy. She doesn't have time for love -- especially not with Kal. She intends to look forward, not backward, and Kal is most definitely part of her past.
 
However, as Hannah and Kal start spending time together, Hannah realizes that what she's feeling for him isn't nostalgia, but red-hot attraction. Kal's intent on showing her what it's like to be cared for, romanced, and consumed with passion -- and Hannah loves it. But she wonders if she has the courage to risk her heart again, even as Kal vows not to lose her a second time.
 
Good second chance romance. Kal is the youngest of the three firefighter brothers and recently transferred from firefighting to the Tactical Rescue Team at another station. He loves what he does and is determined to give it one hundred percent of his attention. That is especially necessary as two of his new teammates seem determined to find fault with everything he does. After a rough shift, he's happy to go to his ten-year high school reunion and hang out with some of his friends. Then his high school girlfriend walks in the door, and distraction becomes the name of the game.
 
After she and Kal broke up, Hannah ended up marrying someone else and moving out of state. After years of a miserable marriage, Hannah and her son returned home. She plans to concentrate on getting her new hair salon set up and focusing on her son Oliver's needs. The last thing she's interested in is rekindling her old relationship with Kal. She's learned that the only person she can depend on is herself.
 
I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Kal and Hannah. From the moment they saw each other again, the sparks flew. Kal never forgot his feelings for Hannah, and he likes the idea of getting to know her again. Hannah makes it clear she's not interested but spending a little time together as friends would be okay. Kal is such a sweet, laid-back guy that it doesn't take long to start breaking down Hannah's walls. Hannah is wary of getting deeply involved with Kal. She doesn't trust her judgment any longer, but Kal is hard to resist. I loved how he connected so quickly with Hannah's son, which warmed her heart and made her very nervous.
 
I enjoyed seeing Hannah and Kal grow closer the more time they spent together. There were some terrific scenes of ordinary, day-to-day activities that showed how right they were for each other. Kal is fantastic at showing Hannah the love and respect she deserves, but she worries that depending on him opens her up to the possibility of more heartbreak. When Kal's patience wears a little thin, and he pushes for more, Hannah panics and pushes him away. It takes some deep soul-searching for Hannah to let go of those fears and trust Kal with her heart and Oliver's. I loved Hannah's big moment of sharing those fears with Kal and admitting her love. The epilogue was excellent, with a terrific look at the futures of all three couples.
 
I liked the parts of the book that showed Kal on the job. His love of his work is evident, as is his frustration at his issues with his two coworkers. I wondered how Kal would resolve those problems and loved that he did it by simply doing his job.


No comments:

Post a Comment