Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Beautiful balance of romance and suspense. I read this book in one sitting, unable to put it down until I finished it. The all-too-believable premise gave the story an extra layer of realism. Kenzie, a female firefighter, is stuck on administrative leave while being sued by a recent victim. The man claims that she screwed up his rescue because she was a woman trying to do a man's job. While on leave, she works as a waitress at Philly's Escape Club, whose owner helps off-duty law enforcement and first responders, as well as those let down by standard justice. After work one night, her car won't start, and a firefighter coworker calls his brother Stephen to help.
Stephen is a man mired in grief and guilt. Three years earlier, his fiancée was murdered while leaving her work at the local community center. Angry that the man who shot her was found not guilty of her murder, Stephen deals with his grief by haunting the area where she died and photographing the criminal activity that takes place, and sending anonymous tips to the cops. He can't imagine ever being interested in giving his heart to another woman.
When Stephen arrives to tow Kenzie's car, he also notices her suitcases in it. When he finds out she's essentially homeless while her apartment building undergoes fumigation, he offers her the camper he lives in behind his garage. Kenzie, whose second love behind firefighting is cars, offers to help Stephen around the garage when she's not at the Escape Club. As they work together and bond over their love of cars, Kenzie's determination and ability to still laugh draws him in. His growing attraction and feelings for her surprise him, and he fights hard against admitting them. Kenzie tries to resist falling for the man who is clearly not ready to move on, but it's a losing battle. I loved seeing Stephen's walls crumble the more time he spent with her. Giving in to the attraction complicates matters, especially when Kenzie tells Stephen how she feels. I ached for both of them as Stephen froze when his fear of losing her kept him from saying anything back, and Kenzie felt her heart break when he just stood there. I loved seeing him realize his mistake and rush to fix it. He gets a slight assist from both Grant and Jason, but it's his emotional confession that wins the day. An unexpected interruption delays the rest of their big moment, but it is sweet and touching when it comes.
The suspense of the story kept me hooked from start to finish. The irrational behavior of Kenzie's accuser kept me glued to the pages as I waited to see what he would do next. Just when things started to look up, Murtagh began a new campaign of intimidation while hiding his involvement. I loved Kenzie's strength of will as she refused to give in. The escalating attacks led to a terrifying final confrontation. Kenzie's calmness in the face of danger showed her strength as a firefighter. The resolution was heartbreaking but not unexpected.
One of the other things I enjoyed about this book was seeing Kenzie and Stephen's bonding over cars. From his surprise at her talents to her appreciation of his skill, you could feel their love of classic cars. I loved their joy at test driving the Camaro at the race track and seeing the buyer's over-the-moon happiness when he picked it up. I liked how working on the cars provided Kenzie with stress relief and how she even liked helping with the office work. I foresee a lot of happy together time for them in Stephen's garage.
Stephen is a man mired in grief and guilt. Three years earlier, his fiancée was murdered while leaving her work at the local community center. Angry that the man who shot her was found not guilty of her murder, Stephen deals with his grief by haunting the area where she died and photographing the criminal activity that takes place, and sending anonymous tips to the cops. He can't imagine ever being interested in giving his heart to another woman.
When Stephen arrives to tow Kenzie's car, he also notices her suitcases in it. When he finds out she's essentially homeless while her apartment building undergoes fumigation, he offers her the camper he lives in behind his garage. Kenzie, whose second love behind firefighting is cars, offers to help Stephen around the garage when she's not at the Escape Club. As they work together and bond over their love of cars, Kenzie's determination and ability to still laugh draws him in. His growing attraction and feelings for her surprise him, and he fights hard against admitting them. Kenzie tries to resist falling for the man who is clearly not ready to move on, but it's a losing battle. I loved seeing Stephen's walls crumble the more time he spent with her. Giving in to the attraction complicates matters, especially when Kenzie tells Stephen how she feels. I ached for both of them as Stephen froze when his fear of losing her kept him from saying anything back, and Kenzie felt her heart break when he just stood there. I loved seeing him realize his mistake and rush to fix it. He gets a slight assist from both Grant and Jason, but it's his emotional confession that wins the day. An unexpected interruption delays the rest of their big moment, but it is sweet and touching when it comes.
The suspense of the story kept me hooked from start to finish. The irrational behavior of Kenzie's accuser kept me glued to the pages as I waited to see what he would do next. Just when things started to look up, Murtagh began a new campaign of intimidation while hiding his involvement. I loved Kenzie's strength of will as she refused to give in. The escalating attacks led to a terrifying final confrontation. Kenzie's calmness in the face of danger showed her strength as a firefighter. The resolution was heartbreaking but not unexpected.
One of the other things I enjoyed about this book was seeing Kenzie and Stephen's bonding over cars. From his surprise at her talents to her appreciation of his skill, you could feel their love of classic cars. I loved their joy at test driving the Camaro at the race track and seeing the buyer's over-the-moon happiness when he picked it up. I liked how working on the cars provided Kenzie with stress relief and how she even liked helping with the office work. I foresee a lot of happy together time for them in Stephen's garage.
