Gavin is the youngest guy in his fire house. He's just doing his thing and living his life thinking he's got plenty of time to be single. Then he has a run in with EMT Cait Tasker. Cait has moved back home with her mom and step brother to help out since her step father passed away. Throwing all in with helping her mom and step brother cope she doesn't have time for a man. The sparks fly though whenever Cait and Gavin are in the vicinity of each other. I fell right into this book. I loved both Cait and Gavin. The guys from the firehouse and Cait's partner were awesome secondary characters. Gavin and Cait try to navigate their relationship at the same time dealing with busy dangerous careers and Cait's troubled family. It not always easy but it is interesting. The author drew me into this couple and got me invested in what happened with them. Of course with all the drama there was also plenty of laughs to make it a well rounded romance. I can't wait to read the next installment.



Find out more about Shannon Stacey and this series here www.shannonstacey.com

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance
Triggers: Loss

Gavin is a successful firefighter who is newer to his company. He takes his job seriously, but also knows how to let loose and have a great time. He has always liked to push the local ambulance EMT, Cait's buttons. He doesn't know why he likes it or why she's so easy to tease. However, when things get serious, Gavin makes a concerted effort to make sure that everyone around him is safe and healthy.

Cait is a serious EMT. She has a family that she is making sure stays as put together as it can. Her mom and younger brother are having difficulty adjusting to a family death and Cait is there to help them through. However, with her job and her family, that leaves little time for a personal life. Despite her attraction to the annoying firefighter, Gavin, Cait can't really do much about it.

When Cait and Gavin decide that their friendship is worth it, to see what might be if they give themselves a chance, both parties will need to make sacrifices and concessions. Cait will need to decide if her personal life can overcome her work and family life and Gavin has to decide how hard he'll push to have his personal life exceed what he's expected.

This is a story about loss, love, friendship, and finding the right balance between work and family. These characters have great chemistry and banter. I really enjoyed watching their relationship and their own personal struggles develop and find a resolution.

I have not read the previous books in this series and didn't ever feel that I was missing anything.

Hot Response, I immediately got hooked on this story because they are both first responders, Cait is EMS and Gavi is a firefighter. I enjoyed the love hate relationship between Cait and Gavin. There was so much chemistry between them, yet Cait struggles with her attraction to Gavin until he steps in to help Cait save a child. It was fun to watch the feelings the have between them develop into so much more. Great story of family, love and the devotion to the job first responders have.

I have really enjoyed this series. I enjoyed Hot Response because it touch me on a personal level Like Cait I felt so much responsibility to help my family that I couldn't move on with my own life. When Cait's stepdad passes away, he Mom is devastated and she moves home to help he and teenage brother try to get back on their feet. The problem is they seem to depend on her more and more.
Gavin is intrigued by Cait, but for some reason she seems to dislike him a lot. He is a firefighter and she is an EM, so their paths cross every so often.
When they have a moment during a fire they both find that a few misunderstandings have led to the weird vibe. But once they get past that, they find they a alike in many ways. I found the character believable and the supporting cast was awesome. Gavin's parents advice to him was spot on. I found myself crying in the end because I was rooting for them so much I was afraid they weren't gonna make it.

Shannon Stacey's Boston Fire series takes an in-depth look at the lives and loves of those who work for the fictional fire department, Ladder 37. I've read and thoroughly enjoyed the previous books in this series and like how the author has balanced the seriousness of the vocation with the less intense and fun side of falling in love. In Hot Response we get a genuinely nice guy hero who crosses paths with an (at first) prickly heroine. That initial friction serves to heat things up in this emotional and ultimately quite lovely romance.

Cait Tasker is competent and no-nonsense when it comes to her job as an emergency medical technician. Trained to respond quickly to emergency situations, she's adept at providing immediate life-saving care on the scene. What she can't fix is her family. With her mother's second husband having recently passed away, Cait has moved in to help her mom and her teenaged half-brother cope with the loss.

When the 911 calls come in, it's common for Cait and her partner Tony to cross paths with the team at Ladder 37. Gavin Boudreau is one of the youngest members of his fire department, but he's just as skilled as the rest of the team and very confident. He's not sure what he said to rub Cait the wrong way on their first meeting, but she clearly isn't impressed with him. That changes when they are both at the scene of a house fire where they get trapped together briefly while rescuing a child. It shows Cait that her impression of Gavin as a cocky playboy is wrong. Feeling the need to apologize, she asks him out for breakfast, which he is happy to accept, hoping to put the tension between them to rest. Indeed Cait feels kind of foolish at realizing that what had initially upset her - Gavin calling her 'ma'am which she believed was a reference to her being a few years older than him - is in fact just an example of the manners with which he was brought up.

With their truce established, a hesitant friendship starts, and then more. With both of them working shifts, they spend time together when they can. But Cait feels that her responsibility to her mom and her brother is too great to commit to a full time relationship. Will her reluctance to move forward out of concern for them ruin her own chance at happiness?

There's a really funny set of scenes that evolve from a chance meeting of Cait, her brother Carter, and Gavin in a grocery store. It's what sets off the knowledge that there might be something more to their friction than dislike and truth be told, made me laugh out loud. It also leads to some sweetheart moves from Gavin that cement him as a bona fide hero. Cait is pretty stressed out about her home situation, with her mother's constant depression and the effect it has on her younger brother and their mother-son relationship. When she confides this to Gavin, even though he doesn't know her very well at this point, he offers her the use of his house to have a private evening on her own. She can treat his house like a hotel and he'll vacate to stay on a friend's couch. It's such a wonderful offer that Cait is taken aback by his generosity, especially after she had not been treating him nicely. But she accepts, and in the morning when he returns, they come to a mutual agreement that they want to explore the mutual attraction they feel. Gavin had been adamant about not doing anything to make Cait feel obligated to return his favor, and insists that they first go out for lunch so that anything that happens between them is separate from her staying overnight. But hoo boy, when the gloves are off, they heat things up in some pretty sexy scenes!

Gavin shows that sweetheart side in other ways, too. He asks Cait to extend an offer for her brother to join a group of his friends in some pickup basketball games. He brings her to meet his co-workers at their favorite pub and makes sure she meets everybody properly. He insists on walking her out to her car and always seeing her off safely. He is patient and understanding with her need to sometimes break their plans so she can be with her mom when she gets overwhelmed in her grief. From the outside he can see that Cait's role in her household is holding back her mother from moving on with her life, and when he tries to broach the subject, Cait is not ready to hear it.

Cait has spent the last six months worried that her mother won't be able to pull herself out of the depths of her grief, yet she is unable to see that her presence makes it easier for her mother to stay dependent on her. Her relationship with her brother is normal for the most part (as normal as one can get with a teenager) but he also feels the effects of that loss. Trying to balance her needs with those of her family is stressful. When she feels pressured by Gavin to start prioritizing her own needs and their relationship, the resulting friction leads to them both assessing whether they should cut their losses or find a way to make amends and get the happy ending that's waiting for them. Fortunately they choose the latter.

Since both Gavin and Cait are involved in first responder situations, there are some pretty intense and emotional on-the-job scenes in the book. Fires, car accidents, slips and falls all come into play as does the reality of the loss of life that can occur. Gavin and Cait have good relationships with their co-workers and there are some fun and teasing scenes that show this, as well as how they cope with the more difficult situations. But having similar occupations makes them uniquely able to share their experiences with each other and have that extra emotional backup when needed. With its combination of laughs, tears and sexy moments, Hot Response is an excellent addition to the Boston Fire series.

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

HOT RESPONSE is the fourth instalment in Shannon Stacey’s contemporary, adult BOSTON FIRE erotic, romance series focusing on Boston’s first responders. This is fire fighter Gavin Boudreau, and EMT Cait Tasker’s story line. HOT RESPONSE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Gavin and Cait) HOT RESPONSE follows the acrimonious relationship between fire fighter Gavin Boudreau, and EMT Cait Tasker. For some unknown reason Gavin, and his fellow fire fighters at Ladder 37, got the distinct impression that he had done something wrong to EMT Cait Tasker. With her angry demeanour and less than friendly attitude Cait gives off a persona of don’t touch, don’t talk, don’t ever look my way. A chance meeting at the local first responders watering hole meant Gavin had the opportunity to uncover the who and why of Cait’s acerbic attitude. What ensues is the slow building romance between Cait and Gavin, and the potential fall-out as Cait is unable to break free from the family responsibilities she has placed upon herself.

Cait Tasker moved back home to help support her grieving mother and embittered teenage brother in the wake of her step-father’s death but Cait’s overwhelming home-life is affecting her attitude towards the man with whom she will fall in love. Gavin Boudreau struggles with Cait’s co-dependency and need to jump every time her family calls but letting her know how he feels will build a wall between our leading couple, a wall that continues to grow until Cait’s mother opens her eyes and sees how the drama has been affecting her children.

The relationship between Cait and Gavin is one of immediate attraction but Cait’s reaction and apparent hatred of Gavin Boudreau is questionable and without merit. Gavin is a sweetheart, whose patience with our story line heroine begins to falter with Cait’s inability to cut the chord. The $ex scenes are intimate and seductive without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

Most of the previous story line couples play secondary and supporting characters including Lydia and Aidan (Heat Exchange #1), Rick Gullotti (Controlled Burn #2), Jamie and Scott (Fully Ignited #3), as well as single father Derek Gilman. Derek’s story line is next in Under Control (August 2018).

HOT RESPONSE is a sexy and sassy story line. The premise is entertaining, engaging and encouraging; the romance is tender and provocative; the characters are energetic and real.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

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I love Shannon Stacey's Chicago Fire series and was surprised how much I loved this story that is completely outside of the Kincade family. The Boston firefighter setting that she has created makes for a great backdrop to each of these love stories in the series and for fans of the series to this point don't worry because the Kincade family is still there and the family bar is still a central part of the story. Gavin and Cait have the feel of a normal couple that I could easily relate to. The attraction is there from the beginning but the romance is slow and builds at the perfect pace. Anyone who loves books with real characters and real stories will love this book.

So far, I’ve loved the Boston Fire books I’ve read. I hoped it would be continued and was thrilled when I saw “Hot Response” on offer to review. The opening scene set up the relationship to date between Gavin and Cait – not great yet but the heat is kinda there. Then … the book slowed down. A lot. To the point where I sat looking at my ereader and saying, ten more pages and if it doesn’t pick up, I’m done.

Once I got past the recap of series events and characters and the local bar there was more information on Cait, her family, her family problems and the still rough-around-the-edges professional relationship she’s got with Gavin. The attraction is there but Gavin busted it down a little when he initially called her ma’am. Nothing kills a woman’s thoughts of asking a hot man out faster than to be “ma’am-ed.” Ouch. Then she says something to him that offends him professionally and their next not-date meeting is an apology. Good that she made it but the pace was crawling.

Then it was like the book kicked into gear. Gavin gets publically caught in the semi-embarrassing act of checking out Cait’s ass – yay for social media. And the ribbing he gets from his fellow firefighters gets him to admit his interest. Learning of her home issues tenders an offer of his apartment for the night so she can have some alone time from the tensions of her recently widowed mother and sulky teenaged brother. Soon things have moved quickly to the point where Gavin is bringing Cait to the firefighters’ local bar as a girlfriend and enduring the attendant teasing.

He thinks they’re ready to take it further but is frustrated that Cait can’t seem to understand that her mother is using her as an easy crutch during her lingering grief. Cait is furious that Gavin can’t understand how depressed her mother has been nor the way Cait thinks Gavin tried to force the issue. With each feeling that they’ve lost half of themselves, is there a way to keep all sides happy as they work on the cracks of the relationship?

So yeah this one took a while to take off for me. Since it’s the fourth book in the series, I can understand some catch-up information both for those of us who have read previous books and more importantly for those who haven’t but this really seemed to drag. Then Cait and Gavin might have felt some sparks but for about a third of the book they were ones that rubbed them the wrong way. It was a lot of meh.

However I will be the first to admit that once I got past all this, things really picked up and got going. After their pizza date, things click for them and their chemistry is sweet as well as smoking. And it’s not just hot sex. I could feel that they were getting along and deepening their relationship in a “could be the one” fashion. They understand and “get” each other and have more in common than just both being first responders and living in Boston. I could feel the frustration as they try to work out what’s bothering them and keeping them from moving even closer. The hurt and pain of thinking they’ve lost each other – over something that feels realistic – is palpable. The way the impediment to their HEA is dealt with might be a little fast but then the situation has been going on for months and had been showing some signs of improvement.

The initial third – hmmm, was not exactly on fire (I know, bad pun in a book about firefighters). The rest though, I enjoyed a lot and especially since it didn’t rely on just first responder incidents to create conflict nor spend all the time in the fire station. So a C+/B+ averaged to a B.

I'm so glad to see this series from Shannon Stacey back with another installment of Boston's hot firefighters and the women who capture their hearts!

In Hot Response, EMS Cait Tasker has a reaction every time she bumps into Gavin Beaudreau -- she's pretty sure she doesn't like him, or is it that she does? It takes a few meetings for these two to get on the same page, and it's a really sweet falling-in-love story. If you rather a slow burn over insta-love, this might be the book for you.

I really liked this romance, mostly because of the slow way Gavin and Cait fall for each other. It's a surprise to both of them, but Cait has some family concerns about their ability to handle things on their own and rightfully so.

When push comes to shove and Gavin wants more, there's a whole lot of tears going around. Shannon Stacey does a great job of capturing not only Cait's sadness, but Gavin's too, which sets the stage for a totally sweet and wonderful epilogue that just left me smiling and feeling good. I think I read that ending more than once.

There's some nice action sequences and a solid supporting cast in Hot Response. I always appreciate when previous characters from the series make an appearance, even if it's a short one. I just really enjoyed this story.

I'm looking forward to more in this series.

An ARC was provided for review.

What a way to start a book...

From the very first scene, I was on Team Gavin. He was so charming and caring and gaaaaah. I wanted him. His cockiness never came across as arrogance; it was just fun and endearing and sexy. He and Cait talked about how he might joke too much, and that sometimes he didn't know when to quit, but I never saw that. Gavin was basically perfect; flawed, but nicely so. And maybe one of my favourite things about him? He had so much respect for Cait's professional competency; there's a scene that I wanted to share but won't for spoiler reasons, but a man letting a woman take charge is definitely swoonworthy.

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And why did he have to have such a great smile? “See, you’re doing it right now.”
“Doing what?”
“That smile that probably makes women’s pants fall off.”
The eyebrow went up before he pushed his chair back a few inches. Then he bent over, as if he was picking up a dropped fork. A second later, he sat up and pulled his chair back in.
“What are you doing?”
“I was just checking to see if your pants fell off.” The lift of his left shoulder matched the curve of his mouth. “I guess I’ll have to try harder.”
----------

Initially, Cait was very hung up on the fact that Gavin once called her "ma'am". At first, I rolled my eyes a bit, but then I took a long hard look at myself and remembered I've also been put off by people calling me that. (It started at the age of 23 from young cashiers and ugh.) But her biggest battle was her family life. I felt so terrible for her, but I could also see what Gavin did: she cared about her family almost too much and was very much like a mother scared to let her kids grow up and make their own choices in life. Cait was incredibly patient and practical, and while I got frustrated with her at times, I had a lot of respect for her.

I think the only thing about this book that could have been improved for me is some more sexiness. I mean, it was incredibly sexy. I was giddy before they'd even really done anything. Heated looks, some banter, a touch on the arm, and a quick hug was all it took to get me fanning myself, that's how hot the fire between them was. (Hot...fire...tehe...) They did get a few semi-explicit scenes, and I appreciated that Cait was very open and comfortable about asking for it, but wow was it not enough for me.

Having a little brother of my own, I thoroughly enjoyed Cait's interactions with her teen brother. He reminded me so much of my brother when he was younger. Of all the secondary characters, he was my favourite. That being said, I loved all the other characters. It definitely made me want to pick up the previous books in the series to see the other firefighters, especially considering how interwoven their lives are. In fact, the two books planned for after this one feature storylines already being teased in this one. For example, Gavin's best friend Grant is starting to date in this, and I've already seen in book 6 that he and this woman get their own book. Plus, I'm already a little bit in love with Derek, the hero of book 5. Yes, I've added all the books to my TBR.

Last thing, I promise. Sometimes, characters are given jobs in name only, and if they're referred to, it's only in very general terms, as if all they did was write emails or push papers around on their desks. Not in this. There was just enough detail about emergency situations and what Cait and Gavin did as an EMT and a firefighter respectively. Not only did it show that Shannon did her research, but it also made their professions real parts of their lives and gave them an aura of competence. She notes at the end that she had to take some creative liberties with how things work in emergency services, which I can appreciate, but it was so clear that she knew her stuff before she started tweaking things. I almost felt like I was watching a medical or emergency drama show while reading because she managed to evoke so much of the world in my mind.

Anyway, I loved this book. So much. And now I want to read everything by Shannon Stacey ever. One hit, and I'm addicted.

Working as an EMT in Boston keeps Cait busy. Couple that with the time spent taking care of her grieving mom and teenage half-brother, she has no time for a social life. And while she is attracted to Gavin Boudreau, he's always gotten under her skin, especially after he referred to her as “ma’am”. But when she implies he doesn’t take his job seriously, Cait recognizes the need to make amends, offering him an olive branch in the form of breakfast.

Gavin isn’t sure what he did to tick off Cait, but he’ll gladly accept a breakfast out, and then treat her to lunch. He finds Cait attractive and after spending some quality time talking, he realizes he genuinely likes her.

Hot Response is the fourth, standalone romance in the awesome Boston Fire series by Shannon Stacey. The story is a lovely mix of romance, family time, and hanging with the firefighters. The love between Gavin and Cait grows organically; it is sweet, sexy, and well-paced. There is an initial attraction that leads to physical intimacy and spending time together. The more time they spend together, the more they like each other.

Even though they have chemistry, there is room for conflict. Gavin is in a place to want more from Cait as their relationship grows. He’s frustrated with the amount of time she spends helping her family; but only because he feels she’s a crutch for her mom and brother. Meanwhile, Cait isn’t emotionally available after a certain extent. She is afraid of rocking the boat, and for good reasons, but it clouds her heart and causes problems. I like that this couple is great together, but has real problems and deals with them to get to their HEA. The story is well written and simply enjoyable.

Once again, Ms. Stacey makes big city Boston feel like small town family in Hot Response. She has created a tight-knit neighborhood filled with friends and romance. The stories are light but real, giving readers a solid love story complete with all the feels.

My Rating: B+ Liked It A Lot

The last thing EMT Cait Tasker needs is to be thinking about fireman Gavin Boudreau. Their interactions are typically more antagonistic than friendly ever since she was working up the courage to ask him to coffee and he called her: ma'am. Plus, for the last six months Cait has been the only thing keeping her family afloat after the sudden and tragic loss of her step-father. Adding a man to that mix just isn't something she needs, regardless of what she may want.

Gavin won't deny that he's attracted to Cait, but he can't figure out what he did to make her dislike him. All that's put to rest when Gavin helps Cait out during an emergency. Once they start talking and getting to know one another, they can't help but want to be around each other. While neither will admit to want a commitment, their growing feelings for each other say otherwise. But Cait isn't able to step away from the family that needs her, and looking in from the outside, Gavin sees Cait's family relying on her more than is necessary, denying Cait from being able to move on with her own life. Will their differing of opinions keep them from moving forward?

I liked getting back to the Boston Fire series. I loved the enemies-to-lovers trope we get with Gavin and Cait. Light on the enemies side though it is. I appreciated that, in this relationship, Gavin and Cait are equals. There's not really any alpha-maleness happening which I liked for a nice switch-up. Instead, a lot of the story focuses on Cait and Gavin trying to build their own relationship around the conflicts of family. I like that both Cait and Gavin's view of Cait's current family situation are valid and, to me, neither was completely off base. Except for a little of the way things were handled toward the end, the opinions were true. When is a good time for Cait to move out of her mother's home again and let her mother start relying on herself for the day-to-day as well as start taking care of her teenage son again? When does Cait get to move forward with her life? The commentary on loss and how everyone handles loss in a different way was definitely front and center.

I loved the camaraderie between Gavin and his Ladder 37 team as well as Cait's familial bond with her EMT partner Tony. This, too, speaks a lot in regards to families are made and not born into.

There's no shortage of interesting characters in this series, and I'm looking forward to the next firefighter who get's their HEA in Under Control.

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars!

I had to laugh at the initial reason Cait was not-so-fond of Gavin. Even in my mid-40’s, there’s just something about being called “ma’am” that irks me. Maybe if I was born and bred in the south I’d feel differently; but being a full-on Yankee, that title just doesn’t sit well with me. So, while I laugh at Cait, I also sympathize with her.

It also amuses me that Gavin cannot figure out what he did to annoy Cait just by being in her vicinity. The fact that he gets asked if he slept with her friend or sister by his firefighter buddies cracks me up. Cait tends to think that Gavin is cocky…Gavin says it’s just confidence. But when it comes to him thinking the reason she dislikes him is because of another women, that’s cocky! Like he can’t even imagine a woman not falling victim to his charms.

These two are great together. Cait has a lot on her plate in her personal life, while also finding she has to always be sure to show she can and will do any and all things her male partner does while on the job. Because Gavin has experienced a female boss in the very testosterone and male-oriented field of rescue workers, he actually doesn’t give the fact that she’s a female a second thought. Cait quickly realizes she doesn’t have to have her back up when talking to Gavin and that he respects her on the same level he respects the other rescue workers in their house.

Even though Gavin is very close to his family, it’s hard for him to understand Cait’s position. Although I tend to agree with Gavin’s view of the situation between Cait, her mom, and her brother, it’s also a sticky situation he steps into. His dad is spot on with his advice…but there’s only so much Gavin can take before his feeling on the situation are made known. Not because he’s trying to be an alpha-male or “fix” the situation, but because he truly cares about Cait and what the situation is doing to her emotionally. Gavin is not the first, or only, person to express his concern, but his thoughts on the subject are the ones that feel like a betrayal, of sorts, to Cait.

I love how the guys at the fire station can laugh and joke and rib each other one minute, but totally have each other’s backs no matter what the next. They’re not afraid to call each other on their bull, but will also lend an ear if need be. I’m so glad Shannon Stacey decided to continue this series. I absolutely love the ladies and gents of Boston Fire!

Shannon Stacey takes us back to the Boston firefighters we love making me so happy I could burst. Things heat up fast as firefighter Gavin Boudreau and EMT Cait Tasker find the spark between them too hot to contain. This is a nice slow build as they try to resist their connection and chemistry but it's just too strong. These two along with all the secondary characters are fantastic! There is humor, witty banter, and fun sexy times. All the things I love in my romances. I highly recommend this one.

Hot Response by Shannon Stacey is book four in the Boston Fire. This is the story of Gavin Boudreau and Cait Tasker. I haven't yet read the previous books so for me this was easily a standalone book.
Gavin does love the ladies just not the commitment and hasn't found a issue with that yet. But being around Cait is starting to change that. Cati is dealing with a family tragedy that has her taking care of her family and trying to do work too. Feeling she doesn't have time for a relationship but and for sure not with Gavin...but things change.
Misunderstanding started off this relationship I would say, but once things were worked out love came.

A genuinely real and emotional romance story that touched my heart. The characters are not only likable, they are relatable, they are solid, deeply feeling, kind and considerate people I loved hanging around with.
The world the author has created is so down-to-earth realistic, that it could be the fire station around the corner from my house.
The relationships in the firehouse, the teamwork, the camaraderie, is a warm, caring, competitive (in a positive way) place where people are comfortable and enjoy working in, and that atmosphere of positivity in face of challenges and exultations of life is transferred to the pages of the story.
Gavin Boudreau and Cait Tasker have a sizzling, tangible chemistry between them. They balance each other, they match, they bring stability to each of their hearts and thus are perfect for each other, it is like coming home when they are in each other's arms. They have a lot in common with their jobs in the service. The way they love their families and set them above anything else, their generous and kind hearts, their professionalism sets them apart. No, they are not perfect, they are struggling just like any one of us, they have challenges, they have stubborn streak, they have room to learn and grow and develop as people, and I think that is what made it so easy to love them, to care for them, and to admire them, because they truly were so real, true-to-life, honest people with everyday challenges, triumphs, and joys.
Shannon Stacey is one of my favorite authors, I have devoured every book of hers that I have gotten into my hands, and loved them. She writes from her heart and it shows. The characters feel like dear friends and the world they live in like my old neighborhood. I savored every word of the story, wanting to linger in that creation the author had drawn with her words.
The tough choices and sacrifices Cait has made for her family touched my heart, the struggles Gavin and Cait have with building their relationship were heartfelt and true. The danger the first responders face, the fear of possible peril the firefighters might experience was palpable, even brought me to tears at times. But mostly Hot Response made me smile, laugh, sigh, and fan my face while blushing cause the kitchen is not for just dancing anymore...
An absolutely fantastic story, and series, that I can highly recommend
~ Five Spoons!

It’s been a while since our last visit with the firefighters of Ladder 37, and having enjoyed the previous three books hugely, I dived straight in being quickly reminded just why I love the Boston Fire series.

“I don’t know what it is about you that rubs me the wrong way.”

EMT, Cait has bit of a dim opinion the youngest of the firefighters, Gavin Boudreau whose life loves are his job and the ladies. Going on that, you may expect a bit of a player, however what we have is a cheeky, funny, sexy, thoughtful guy who loves hard, and I loved him for that reason.

“I came here to see how many beers it takes to get you to go in the store room with me and show me what you’re wearing under that shirt.”

He and Cait were fabulous together and we see the man Gavin truly is when we find out what she is dealing with personally, showing her she doesn’t have to deal with everything alone.

“I’m glad I’m in your pond.”

Hot Response brought everything I’ve come to hope for from this author and the couples she plays matchmaker to. Romance is blended with just the right amount of emotion, drama and action, I loved catching up with the rest of the crew and I’m looking forward to more when we’re treated to Derek’s story later this year.

4 1/2 STARS!

Boudreau is heating up the house! With the latest in her steamy Boston Fire series, Shannon Stacey knocks it out of the park! The connection between Cait and Gavin is H-O-T, and the fact that they’re both down-to-earth good people make it really easy to admire and root for them. Their road to forever hits some speed bumps along the way, but it’s quite the thing to see them get there! Really enjoyed it!

Cait Tasker has her plate full working long hours as an EMT and then picking up the pieces of her family after a tragedy strikes. The last thing she needs is an arrogant firefighter constantly pushing her buttons.

Boston firefighter Gavin Boudreau might be the youngest in the firehouse, but he’s a hard worker and is well respected. He’s proud of the job he does and confident of his place. He can’t figure out why Cait has disliked him from day one, but despite her constant snark, he can’t help but be attracted to her! He’s got plenty of time to play the field before he even considers settling down, but it might be nice to have the same woman in his bed more than once now that he’s found one that intrigues him so!

I don't think Shannon Stacey can go wrong in her Boston Fire series. In previous books, when Gavin was mentioned, I didn't think I would be a fan, but it seems he was just a little misunderstood. It doesn't take long to understand why Cait is so annoyed with Gavin, and once we get past the annoyance and she sees that he meant no harm when he called her ma'am, sparks fly. I love their chemistry. This was such a fun read, and a great addition to the series.

I really had trouble getting into the book initially and getting caught up in the emotions of the characters. The storyline was good, but it just didn’t stand out in my mind amongst other books in the genre. The blurb was great, but overall the book just fell flat for me.