I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book one in the Phoenix brothers series. I have tried starting this a few times but couldn’t finish. I finally got it finished this time around. I just wasn’t in love with this. It was hard to finish. I think it had a good story just didn’t pull me in.

HOOKED ON A PHOENIX by Ashlyn Chase. While the story sounded good, it took a lot for me to get through this one. I have read other stories by this author and enjoyed them, but this one was a bit rough for me to connect with. I can't put my finger on it. I liked the characters and the plot was interesting but, the writing seemed to not flow well for me. It was a bit simplistic and that made me struggle through it. (received ARC from NetGalley for honest review)

This was the first book of Ashlyn Chase have read. Though I do own the first book in her dragon series even if I haven't gotten around to reading it yet. As there is some smallconnection between the series, I have to wonder if it would have changed much reading those first but this was still an enjoyable read nonetheless.

The start was a little heavy handed by the author and you could really see that hand moving the chess pieces as she set up the story but as the story got further in, the hand disappeared and I was able to enjoy the ride. The story itself was a little cliched in parts but ultimatly a sweet story and I found myself interested enough to not only want to continue on with the series but also go back and read the dragon series.

An enjoyable read i gave it 3 1.2 stars

A Phoenix, paranormal character really adds interest to this book and of course Gabe and Misty being locked in a vault doesn't hurt to keep this readers interest.

But seriously how many brothers ask their male buddies to keep an eye on their sister thinking all will be well. The author does a great job of interpreting this for the reader in a sometimes-humorous manner. Quite honestly, I was amused watching Gabe continually shut Misty down while Misty continually worked at breaking his walls down.

Throughout the book the reader will see numerous examples of Gabe trying to honor his boyhood friend and yet struggling to come to terms with his feelings for Misty. This area was handled realistically and with finesse.

Misty is unique with her life experiences which make her appear older than her years. The way she pushes against Gabe's walls in her attempt to get him to see her as a woman was at times painful but also rewarding in her strength of character to give it one last try.

Even more prominent in this book was the relationship between tight families and secrets.

I give Hooked on a Phoenix by Ashlyn Chase 4 STARS for its entertainment value.

Hooked on a Phoenix is the first book in the Phoenix Brothers series, which is a spin off of the Strange Neighbors and Boston Dragon series' by Ashlyn Chase. It works fine as a stand alone and series starter, but I think that fans of the author and her previous series' will enjoy the read more than newcomers. There is some carry over in world building that might make it hard to understand certain relationships and paranormal quirks without that prior knowledge.

Misty Carlisle works as a bank teller in Boston's financial district. She's had more rotten luck in her life than most, except when her childhood crush shows up to cash his paycheck. Then her heart races and her mouth goes dry. Gabe Fierro is a firefighter―and a phoenix. Like his brothers, his biggest challenge is finding a woman open-minded enough to accept a shapeshifter into her life. When his boyhood friend asks him to watch over his little sister Misty, he reluctantly agrees. But when the bank where she works gets held up, Gabe does everything he can to protect her. The two of them end up locked in the bank's vault...where things get steamier than either of them ever imagined.

Hooked on a Phoenix is a nice addition to Chase's body of work. Misty is a solid character, and I liked her combination of strength and vulnerability. Gabe is more sensitive than most of the supernatural heroes, but he still has his fair share of macho over protectiveness and stepping in to help when not asked. I found the relationship to move quickly and slowly at the same time. Since they already knew each other there was none of the getting to know you build up, but they still slowly got to know each other better while dealing with some health issues and family. I liked Misty's character a lot, and how she rolled with the punches- and she had plenty to face. I found that Gabe's thoughtfulness was nice, and I enjoyed getting a better look at the phoenix family that has played a part in the previous series. I did find the wrap up to be a little too easy, but when this level of supernatural characters are in play anything can happen.

Hooked on a Phoenix is a good paranormal romance, and while giving a solid conclusion for our couple, left enough characters in play to whet the appetite to read more. I liked the characters and the story, and enjoyed the read, but was not wowed by it. I think I just might have read too many of these and am no longer surprised by the turns the stories take.

Hooked on a Phoenix (Phoenix Brothers #1) by Ashlyn Chase
Sourcebooks Casablanca, 2018
Romance/Fantasy; 352 pgs
Source: Review copy provided publisher via NetGalley for an honest review

Looking for a quick read, I came across Hooked on a Phoenix by Ashlyn Chase on my e-reader. I enjoy a good shapeshifter romance and had yet to read one featuring a phoenix before. From what I can tell, this is the first in a spin-off series, and my first by the author.

Our hero is firefighter Gabe Fierro, a man who is determined to never marry or be involved in a serious relationship due to a guilt over a past experience. The heroine in this story, Misty Carlisle, is the younger sister of Gabe’s best friend, who had a big crush on Gabe when she was growing up. Gabe has been asked by his friend to watch over Misty while the brother is away on military duty. Gabe takes this duty very seriously. He hasn’t seen Misty in quite a while, and when he walks into the bank where she is working to check up on her, he is blown away by the beautiful grown woman he finds she’s turned into. A bank robbery, stuck in a locked vault, and a shared kiss, Gabe and Misty stumble right into romance almost immediately. Gabe tries to ignore his feelings and keep it platonic, but finds he cannot resist Misty’s charms.

What I liked: I liked both Gabe and Misty and feel they were well suited for each other. Gabe is a stand up person who will do anything for his friends and family. Misty has a strong head on her shoulders, is independent but also knows when to ask for help. I generally do not like it when characters are not honest about their feelings with one another, but considering how little the two knew each other in this case, despite their obvious attraction to one another, I can understand their hesitation to open up to each other. There was the occasional misunderstanding, particularly the obvious one: Gabe not wanting to pursue a relationship out of fear of repeating the past, and Misty thinking he wasn’t interested as a result.

Misty has health issues that seem to grow worse as the novel wears on. It is not often you see a heroine with a chronic illness in a romance novel, and I was glad to see it here. Yes, even knowing this is a paranormal romance and the likelihood of her being “cured” or something similar would beyond high.

What I didn’t like: We get a little Phoenix action, with “little” being the operative word here. I was hoping for more, especially given this is a paranormal romance novel. There is also my issue with the side story line involving Misty and her immediate supervisor. Maybe it is because I like intrigue in my romance novels that this bothered me. I just felt like that particular story line did not live up to its potential.

At the risk of giving away the end, I am going into spoiler alert mode now, so be warned. Highlight the below text if you want to read on. I had a big issue with the twist at the end. As I mentioned before, I was expecting Misty to get her cure given the type of novel this is, however, I wasn’t too happy with the way it came about. Gaia, creator of everything, makes an appearance and offers Misty a job as a modern muse (which would mean an automatic cure). The modern muse of motherhood. Seriously?! Misty gets pregnant by Gabe during their first sexual encounter, and hasn’t even given birth yet. She has no experience as a parent, working with kids, or anything having to do with raising them. She just doesn’t seem like the best choice to take on such a big role right out of the gate. Maybe Gaia thinks all you need is common sense and a big heart, which Misty does seem to have. Still. Even as the mother of a seven year old, I don’t think I’m qualified for that kind of position. I am assuming Gaia knows something I do not know. It just didn’t work for me.

Hooked on a Phoenix did turn out to be a fast read liked I hoped. Unfortunately, it was that last part of the novel that pretty much ruined an otherwise entertaining, even if not perfect, book for me.

Hooked on a Phoenix is book #1 in Ashlyn Chase new paranormal series about paranormal beings that could rise from the ashes. However, if you followed AC’s other paranormal romances Boston Dragons then you know all about the Fierro family.
For those how doesn’t know the Fierro’s are all firefighters, but not your ordinary firefighters, they all have the ability to rise from the ashes.
In Hooked on a Phoenix, we have a sweet love story about overcoming your traumatizing past. Gabe Fierro was requested by his childhood friend, to look out for his baby-sister. A favor that took some coaxing from his mother before Gabe decided to do the favor. But when he meets Misty again under non-favorable conditions, Gabe does everything in his power to protect Misty from a bank robbery.
Throughout the story Hooked on a Phoenix will keep readers entertained well into the night. With a fast-paced story plot and pleasant characters. I will recommend this story for any die-hard fan of Paranormal Romance.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆
M/F Romance, Paranormal

I really had a difficult time with this book. I wanted to like it so much, but it just didn't deliver on the premise.

Misty is your typical girl. She is just trying to get through life and find someone who she will fall in love with. She actually comes across as very naive to me. She has an older brother who wants to look out for her always, but when he's deployed, he asks his good friend to do that.

Gabe has been in Misty's life for a long time. He remembers when she was just following her brother around. Now, all grown up, he's attracted to her and when her life is in danger, he doesn't hesitate to protect her.

Where the story goes a little wonky is between the romance part. Gabe and Misty have known each other for years, but they don't really seem to know each other. It is also strange that they don't have great chemistry – at least for me.

Then, to top that off, you have the brother who is angry that his friend is with his sister, but at the same time, there really is only a slight issue and then everything is okay? Plus with the supernatural aspect, this whole story just didn't flow well for me.

Overall, it had great potential, it just didn't deliver for me.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆
This is the first book in a new series, but involves the Fierro family that also featured in the Boston Dragons series. I have a feeling that reading those first would give more context to this book. We are dropped in rather abruptly, with little explanation of the paranormal elements, until late in the day. I think that for a reader who chose this for that reason, it is a shame that it is not a stronger feature. For example, modern muses as a concept were rushed for me, but I am guessing are in Boston Dragons (I haven't read them, I looked them up, as I was certain there was background I was missing).

The story itself is sweet and has some interesting twists. I was not entirely convinced by some elements, but the ingredients for a good story and plot were definitely present. I think I was confused by the constant change between hot and cold, whether it was Gabe's reactions, Parker's behaviour, or Misty's realisation of her boss's intentions. And why did she end up with nothing after caring for her grandparents? It was mentioned, then ignored. There were some fun scenes too, especially when Julie has a toy party at Misty's!

I am sure that the second book will bring more to the story and will look out for it with interest.

Perhaps it's an odd sort of deja vu or I've read too many paranormal romances but towards the end of HOOKED ON A PHOENIX I started to feel like I've read this story before. Granted this is a unique story but it just felt done before in regards to certain plot points of what is a pretty decent and standard paranormal romance. The things I enjoyed about the book are what made it unique and why I picked it up in the first place. I loved the phoenix shifters and loved the mythology inserted in this story, especially how the whole phoenix rebirth was incorporated into modern times. The thing is that we were well towards to end of the book before any of the paranormal aspects that I liked were even relevant to the plot. The plot rolled along pretty steadily with the conflict being more internal than external which is what I am going with as the "villain" was kind of a dud and just left randomly.

While the plot was only interesting when phoenix shenanigans were happening, I enjoyed the character relationships throughout the story. The phoenix brothers' banter and relationship with each other was hilarious and seemed pretty realistic to siblings in real life. Gabe and Misty's relationship is very sweet and their first meeting is fun and awkward which is the best kind of meeting for a couple. They go through a lot together and you definitely begin rooting for them in the end just so they get a break from literally all of the bad things happening to them at once.

HOOKED ON A PHOENIX was decent romance with fun character relationships though I wasn't a fan of the deus ex machina ending especially since it resulted in a pretty jarring tonal shift in the story.

Gabriel Fierro never plans to marry or have children because of the guilt he continues to carry around from an incident that happened in his teenage years. Gabe is a firefighter and has the paranormal ability to shift into a phoenix. When his best friend, Parker, is about to be deployed, and asks Gabe to keep an eye on his little sister, Gabe wants to refuse, but knows he can't. Much to his dismay, the little girl he remembers is now twenty-two and a beautiful young woman. When Gabe and Misty meet for the first time in years, it's instant lust for both, and the crush that Misty had for years burns with a new intensity. Though Gabe puts up a token resistance, he and Misty soon give in to their passion.

Gabe is riddled with more guilt at having sex with his best friend's younger sister, and it becomes even worse when he realizes that Misty has genuine feelings for him. Gabe does a lot of waffling and acting hot, then cold. He treats her with care, then he disappears. I felt that the reason for all his guilt was not sufficient for him to feel the way he did. He also seriously fell short of the mark when Misty needed him, though he later redeems himself.

Misty is not afraid to tell Gabe how she feels, and I admire her for that. She also develops some serious health issues, which she faces head on, and realistically. I think she may have been too lenient with Gabe, just accepting the crumbs of affection he initially doled out. At one point, she had a serious and personal matter to discuss with Gabe, and when her brother shows up unexpectedly, she includes him in the conversation which should have been strictly private. That had me shaking my head, wondering what she was thinking.

The shifter element of the story doesn't come into play much until later in the book, and the phoenix world is explained so that readers, like me, who haven't read the previous books in the series will not be lost. HOOKED ON A PHOENIX felt a bit uneven to me, both in the characters and the story. Throughout the book, there is an ongoing situation with Misty's boss, which appears as though it's going to be a major issue, then just fizzles into nothing. I didn't understand the purpose of it. While I didn't love either character, I did end up liking them and wanting them to be together. It seemed to me that Gabe's lifelong baggage disappeared far too quickly, and Misty accepted the paranormal world without batting an eye. If you enjoy a passionate, contemporary romance with strong family relationships, and an atypical shifter element, HOOKED ON A PHOENIX may be a perfect fit.

I did enjoy this book and would recommend it. However, it was a little flat for me in regards to plot. I loved the characters especially their interactions. Brothers teasing each other. The story interested me from the description and I did finish the story but it wasn't a I really want to know what happens.

I do enjoy that it is Phoenix shifters and mentions dragon shifters though the paranormal aspect isn't extremely heavy in the story especially to start. I did like the incorporating other myths into it including having Mother Nature, Gaia, show up. Talking about muses and how they are changing with the times.

I don't quite agree with how the conflict between our lead, Misty's character, and her boss got resolved because it seemed anti-climatic. It is a good read that will pass time but I don't think it is something I would rave to everyone about. It is a storyline that has been done before and didn't have anything extremely special to make it rise above others in the same genre.

Ashlyn Chase has created another great series in her fascinating paranormal world with wonder and exciting characters and her own unique elements that add spice to each and every story. The Phoenix Brothers were introduced in the Boston Dragons series and now star in their very own series.

Gabe and Misty are strong, captivating characters that draw readers in and hold them hostage until the very end, their romance is sweet and full of sizzling attraction and fiery passion as they work through their differences. The plot is fast paced and full of suspense and action, which keep readers on their toes throughout while intriguing twists add thrills and excitement to the story.

I find that Ashlyn Chase has a knack for bring her stories to brilliant life making it easy to get caught up in them and since she injects just the right amount of humor and mixes in her own unique elements which really make them a delight to read. Add in the wonderfully fascinating characters and their unique personalities and I just can’t get enough of, which ensures that I keep coming back for more. Hooked on a Phoenix was an exciting read and I found Gabe and Misty to be enchanting characters that made it easy for me to become captivated by their story and Gaia really just added charm and interest to the story and along with a bit of a snarky attitude added spice to the story, so I can’t wait to read the next Phoenix Brothers’ story.

This book was a little disappointing to me. I found myself irritated by Gabe quite frequently - he's hot/cold/hot all the time about having a relationship with Misty (for fairly puerile reasons) until the to be expected HEA ending. Where did the rest of the plot go? The author is a talented writer so I think this was just a one-off for me.

My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I had fun with Hooked On A Phoenix – especially since I’m addicted to Shifter Romance considering I have a separate blog completely about this sub-genre of Paranormal Romance.

Gabe never saw himself as a man who would settle down with a wife and family. He has his reasons, and one is finding that one unique woman who could accept every aspect of his life, including his firefighter career and, oh yeah, the phoenix he shifts into when necessary. He certainly didn’t expect to find that she’d been right under his nose for a long time. She simply needed to grow up a bit. When his friend asked Gabe to watch over his little sister while he was deployed Gabe couldn’t turn him down. He remembered Misty as the little girl who hung around all the time, it would be no problem to keep an eye on her. Except Misty isn’t that little girl now and from their first current meeting onward Gabe would never think of her as a kid again.

Misty has had a crush on Gabe Fierro for years now. Oh, he never noticed. She was always his friend’s little sister. And even if he had noticed back then there was that stupid bro thing where the friend never asks out the friend’s sister because… she’s his sister. Men. Who can understand them? But today Misty is certainly glad to see Gabe at the bank where she works as a bank teller. Being robbed is not something she had gone through before and being trapped in a time locked vault with Gabe certainly took her mind off the danger outside those thick steel doors.

There are a few things going on in Hooked On A Phoenix that make this story interesting on several levels. There is Gabe’s internal battle with himself about his feelings for Misty. There is also Misty’s mysterious medical problems. Then there is a slimy known stalker, a dangerous event for Gabe and the reality of an injured phoenix. There are several things going on and at times Gabe frustrated me, even when I could sort of see his point. I adored his mother, such a strong lady with the right attitude. You’ll find danger in this story from several fronts. You’ll definitely find a steamy romance. And you’ll find two people discovering that needing someone else isn’t a bad thing especially when that someone is a perfect fit for them. I enjoyed my time in this world and would recommend this story to any Paranormal Romance or Shifter Romance reader. Now the wait for the next story in this series.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

I am in love with this world! This book is a spinoff from the previous boston dragon series, but I don't think you even need to start there first (but you should, because they are awesome!).

This book lets us continue with the wonderful, wild, wacky world of the Fierro brothers. The family of phoenixes is mostly filled with firefighters (except one black sheep cop) and they are all being urged by their mother to find mates and give her grandchildren. This is a little hard when you are forced to keep a secret or awkwardly explain that you can turn into a mythical bird if needed (and reincarnate). To combat this, Gabe is determined to not settle down.

Of course, all of this is called into question when his close friend asks him to watch out for his little sister while he is deployed. Misty, said little sister, is not so little anymore, though. She's also going through a little bit of a rough time that immediately calls out Gabe's protective instincts. One thing leads to another and now Gabe might actually be breaking his own rules about commitment.

This quick and quirky read was filled with everything you could want from a paranormal read - smutty goodness, solid characters, wonderful world building, and the lead in for even more books about these brothers finding their mates. I can't wait to see who gets their own book next!

Best friend’s little sister is one of my favorite tropes, and while I loved many aspects of this book, I did find myself getting frustrated with the main characters at time.

I did like both Gabe and Misty individually, but when these two came together I did get frustrated at times. The whole time when they were stuck in the safe I just wanted to give Gabe a good shake and tell him to comfort Misty for goodness sake! He was so wrapped up in himself and what his actions might be perceived as he totally missed the boat – and for him to be the “sensitive” one of the brothers, nope, just didn’t see it! And I wish Misty was less “I wish he would call me to show me he cares” and more “I wish he would call me but I’ll be ok on my own”…she was independent and strong, I just wanted a bit more of that from her.

Even though I had some issues with both Gabe and Misty, there really was a lot to love. Gabe’s family – I’m such a sucker for the big, in-your-face family and the Fierro’s fit that bill. Gabe’s mother was perfect, as was his dad, and all his brother’s and their wives – this family reminded me of my own over-the-top, in-your-face, Italian family…such a good time! I loved the world that Ashlyn Chase has created and loved the mix of shapeshifters and the tie in to Mother Nature - Gaia was such a hoot! There were so many great elements in this book that I am definitely interested reading more from this author.

A well-written, and easy to read book, although this one didn’t work on all fronts for me, there were so many things I did like that I would recommend this author, book, and/or series (or related-series) to anyone looking for a contemporary paranormal romance with some laughs and some great characters.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley for an honest review.

I am loving this series! The characters and world building are well-developed. This series has laughter and has a lot of snarky dialogue.  A friend asks Gabe to watch out for his Sister (Misty Carlisle) while he is away. Gabe has not seen Misty since they were kids. Misty has had a crush on Gabe since she was a kid, and now her crush is walking into the bank and to her to cash his check.  Now here is where it gets good. The bank is now getting robbed. Misty and Gabe are being marched down to the vault. When Gabe gets his chance, he pulls Misty in it and pulls the door closed. Locking them both in the vault. The chemistry between these two quickly steams up the vault very quickly. Gabe falls for her fast and must tell her he is a Phoenix and hope she doesn't run screaming from him. I recommend this book and series to everyone. I give Hooked on a Phoenix (Phoenix Brothers) 5/5 stars.

Did you read the Harry Potter books when they were first release. If so you might recall that Professor Dumbledore has a phoenix as a pet(or is he more of a friend/familiar). Also, that bird gave one feather, part of which is embedded in Harry's wand. This is partly what prompted me to read this book, and also because I haven't come across a phoenix paranormal book previously.

Parker Carlisle is about to be stationed overseas when he asks his best friend, Gabe Fierro, to keep a brotherly eye on his younger sister Misty. Gabe doesn't really want to do this, but how can he refuse his friend. It's only Misty, the little sister that he hasn't seen in years. It shouldn't be any trouble. When he does see her sparks fly, little Misty has grown into a beautiful and appealing woman. Gabe quickly realizes that it's going to be harder than he imagined to 'just' keep an eye out for her.

I really enjoyed this story. It was fun and romantic. I like the way that Misty turned the tables on a traditional romance. The side line jealousy added some good plot twists that I wasn't expecting.


Once the story got going and I learned more about the phoenix shifting, I had no problems believing it. It fit right in with the family career choice of fire fighting. I absolutely love Gabe's mom. She is the loving but no nonsense kind of mom that could easily handle a bunch of shifter males. I could imagine her having a positive influence on Misty if her and Gabe's story were to continue. This book is listed as the first book in a series, so I am hoping that future books will share the stories of his brothers and their partners. Some of Gabe's brothers are introduced in Ms. Chase's earlier series Boston Dragons.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

Overall, I enjoyed the book but had a hard time liking Gabe as he kept being so hot/cold with Misty. I guess I felt if he was really committed to not having a wife and children then stay with one night stands and don't sleep with someone who meant more!

It was also disappointing that the villain of the story kind of went away so that part of the story seemed like it fizzled out.

Parts were kind of funny, when Gabe was trying to come back as a phoenix and there was a surprising mixup.

Kind of nice way for Misty to get her health and HEA!

3.5 Stars.

This is a story about a Firefighter and Phoenix named Gabe and how he must come to terms with a childhood trauma and pick up the mantle of responsibility. For all intents and purposes, he must rise from the ashes of his past and rise from the fire of his pain to become the man he needs and wants to be.

I had a hard time liking Gabe in the beginning. He was indecisive and I found his character a little soft. He made me angry when he left her to cope on her own. As for Misty, I found her character could have been developed more. In my opinion, Gabe’s character overshadowed that of Misty’s.

There was a plotline with Misty’s boss that I found ended abruptly. So not where I thought it was going.
With that being said, I love the paranormal aspect of this novel. I just wish it had been explored more. We are given a taste towards the end but that was it.

Overall, a well written and entertaining read. The intimate scenes were hot and I enjoyed the premise of this novel. Would definitely read another book from this author