ARC Review: Burning Desire (Turn Up the Heat #2)

Burning Desire (Turn Up the Heat #2)

by Marie Harte

Blurb:

Firefighter Tex McGovern struck out with Bree Gilchrist the first time. And the second. And the third... He should probably just stay away. After all, Bree's father is his boss, and pursuing her goes against the firefighter brotherhood. No matter how much he desires her, Bree is off limits. Period. But as things start to heat up between them, Tex decides some codes are meant to be broken...

Bree distrusts Tex. The displaced cowboy-turned-rescue-worker is too wild and wicked for his own good. Then she sees him helping people with no thought to himself, and she can't help wondering what could be if she were suddenly his. But her father will not have his daughter dating a firefighter, and he can break Tex's career. That's a heavy burden to place on anyone, and Tex and Bree are forced to decide if the sparks between them are enough to risk the fallout to them both.

Themes:  Contemporary, Firefighters

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

The sexy firefighters of Station 44 return in the continuing series that grabbed my attention with the realism and dedication to conquering emotional and relationship issues that so many other novels just gloss over. Marie Harte has a unique writing style and she has never shies away from the problems that real people face in life, from physical trauma to PTSD and all manner of emotional trauma in between and it brings her characters to life for the readers. This series began with the story of two enemies finding love when forced into proximity and having to come to terms with the fact that sometimes the truth of a person is much deeper than at first glance. In that story we got glimpses of the coming plot for Burning Desire but Marie took it so much further with Tex and Bree and the love that developed between them.  The connection between Tex’s brother in arms and the group they call family continues to grow stronger as they find love with their mates, but the dynamic is ever hilarious and has true moments of support than many of us never find in our friends.  I am dying for the next story in this series and truly cannot wait to again be immersed in the brotherhood of Station 44 and find out who loses their hearts next.

Tex McGovern has been in serious want of Bree Gilchrist since he met her on a dating app and connected, but their first attempt at a date was truly disastrous, and then he finds out she is the battalion chief’s daughter.   Even knowing that it could be putting his career in jeopardy, Bree continues to captivate him, despite her chilly response to the catastrophic mistake on their date and when his second attempt is thwarted by a mix-up after a fire, he knows he has some serious work to do in order to have a chance with the sexy and sultry photographer.  Bree knows she should never have given Tex as chance, much less a second one, but he just draws her like no other man she’s ever met.  When she wins a project that involves taking photographs of the department and fires they work around the city for a grant, in order to make her mark professionally, she never imagined she would be paired with Tex.  Keeping a professional and personal line is more and more impossible as the sexy Texan pours on the charm and sweetness and when Bree finally gives in, the line burns away like it never was.  The relationship between them puts so much in danger—Tex’s job with the department, Bree’s relationship with her father—but neither can deny that the love between the has become worth those risks.  Only by standing up together will they have a chance at the happy future they both need and want.

Tex is the quintessential man’s man and he has never denied that in the past he has been more than a bit of a ladies man, but the minute he sees Bree something changes for him. Tex has some issues that make him resistant to commitment, but once he meets the woman that is his, it isn’t so much a fear of committing at that point, it’s more a resistance to change.  The deck is certainly stacked against him with the woman that fate chose for him, but Bree is worth it and he is willing to deal with the crap that everyone throws at him in order to have her.  I loved the fact that he was an alpha man, protective, and strong, but at the same time he was sweet and supportive of Bree.  When she asked for space or time, he was considerate of that, and once they committed to one another he never looked at another woman.  I would like to find a man just like Tex for myself to be honest.  Bree never imagined herself settling down with a firefighter, it cannot be denied, but meeting a man like Tex showed her that there are some things that just cannot be controlled.  Bree has worked hard all her life, trying to make a place for herself in her chosen profession(s) and she is finally finding her way and the project she is dedicated to is truly important to her.  I loved the way she stood up for herself in making sure that Tex knew her work was just as important to her as his was to him, that playing with him would not come first while the project was on a deadline.  She obviously had some issues with her family that needed working out and stressed her, but Tex even offered support in his own way with those troubles and though she didn’t know it, she needed and appreciated it in the end.  In the end the love that she had for Tex made her strong enough to finally stand up to her father and make him understand that he would not dictate who she fell in love and made a life with and he would not make her lover/husband’s life hell just because he happened to be his boss.

Burning Desire was a hilarious story of two people that kept having their worlds collide and then catastrophe would send them bouncing away again until the time was finally right for them to be together.  Sometimes, first or even second impressions aren’t enough to show the true nature of a person and if you feel that connection you have to keep trying.  Tex was a sexy and dedicated hero that was willing to put up with a lot in order to have the woman he loved in his life and ultimately was willing to give her everything she needed as well.  Bree was the perfect match for him, both fun and determined to succeed, smart and sassy, and ultimately strong enough to stand up for him and their love in order to give them the chance they both needed to have an HEA.  The chemistry between Bree and Tex was there from the very first moment they met, in the previous novel, and we could see that chemical reaction heating up until it finally exploded in their passion and then mellowed into an intensely burning love.  I am dying to know what comes next for this little group and see who falls in love next.  Marie Harte always captures my attention and steals my heart with her realistic characters, endearing antics, and deep understanding of relationship dynamics.  If you are looking for a sexy, deep, and fun read you cannot go wrong with Marie’s Burning Desire.

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.