I was so excited to see one of my favorite authors J.R. Ward was starting a new series about firefighters. Book 1 deals with Danny and Anne. From an early age Anne knew she was going to be a firefighter. It was in her DNA. Danny is a little bit of lady's man, but 1 night with Anne and he is feeling something unexpected. Anne on the other hand is not going to mess up her career by getting involved with another firefighter. It only took 1 fire and an life altering moment to change everything. Danny and Anne have to figure out how to move forward after that one moment. 
This story starts off with a bang and ends the same way. As with many new series, there can be some slow spots as the author sets up the new series, many new characters to get to know and love. I am really looking forward to the next book and the next great story.

After reading the two prequel novellas, The Rehearsal Dinner and The Reception, I was very excited to dig into Consumed. I felt like I had gotten an outline of Anne and Danny's characters and now I wanted to see them in real life.

J.R. Ward jumps right into the adrenaline-filled life of a firefighter and put our characters straight into a life-changing and story-changing situation. I think because of reading the prequels I was even more devastated by this situation the 499 find themselves in. It puts a huge damper on anything we thought might happen coming out of the prequels!

After that powerful and intense scene, we end up jumping forward quite a few months. Our characters have gone through some major changes and I wondered whether the situation I wanted was going to work it's way out. The jump puts Anne in an investigative position which helps get the "suspense" part of this romantic suspense series going. It's an adjustment for Anne, but Anne is determined to make her life work. Anne finds herself in the midst of an investigation that could put her in a deadly situation. The adrenaline of that really fulfills that part of Anne that craves and misses that rush. In a way you really feel for Anne and her struggle, but that helps you cheer for her as she makes progress towards getting her life back. I love that she found a friend that she could lean on. That friend is a favorite part of the story for me.

Danny is still the maverick at the 499 and is dealing with his PTSD over the traumatic incident months before. I loved Danny. He may not have been at his best but he was still all that I wanted for Anne. 

Ward does a great job introducing all the characters and establishing the connection and relationship between them all. Anne's family and work struggles as well as those surrounding the guys at the 499. The investigation into the warehouse fires from the previous years drops into place leaving just enough pieces that we don't have concrete evidence of the hypothesis. However, by the way things start happening to Anne, you know that she has to be on the right path.

Then it happens. The bomb I didn't see coming. It blew the book out of the water. I was so surprised and shocked I had to stop and try to wrap my head around what happened. It was stunning. Ward really pulled that surprise at the right time and laid the build up perfectly. I was a big fan of the Bourbon Kings series but I think I enjoyed this even more. It was an emotional ride with these characters that kept me glued to my Kindle. Ward has me hooked and I can't wait to see how the next one plays out, what more can these characters be put through? I highly recommend this new series and can see book two being a preorder. As if a Ward book wouldn't be on my preorder lineup!

I’m  happy to see this is the first of a new series.  This book is heartbreaking and yet a heartwarming romance to it.  This story just is emotion all the way through.  Anne and Danny keep you guessing if anything will work out with them.  Throw in a brother and mother who have major problems going on, toss in a few other firefighters and their problems, one new boss and a one of a kind dog and there is just no slack part to this book.  I really had a hard time setting it down.  I am hoping the next story will be about Tom.  I received a free copy from Net Galley and this is a voluntary review.

Anne was the only female fire fighter at her fire station, her nickname was sister as her father had died a hero during a fire and her brother- Tom was captain at another fire station. There is a fore at an old warehouse and Anne and her partner- Amy- Chevez go into the warehouse looking for people who were squatting in the warehouse to get out to get out before things get worse. When they were almost done with the bottom floor Anne told Amy to go ahead and do the upstairs at first Amy said no  as that was going against the order to stay together at all times but then Amy  went up giving into Anne. Anne had a one time fling with Danny who was the one man that was always with a lot of women. But what Anne doesn’t know is Danny is in love with her but he knew Anne refused to settle down and marry and be like her mother who she had no respect for and had nothing in common with. What Danny doesn’t know is Anne is in love  with Danny. Danny is another firefighter from the same station.  Anne gets trapped and the fire blazes toward her. She can’t free her hand. Then she sees someone through the smoke and it’s Danny and even though he was told not to go in the warehouse he went in after Anne anyway. He tells him to leave she can’t free her hand and neither could Danny. Anne told Danny to go she was done. Danny told her if she died he would die with her. So Anne then told Danny to cut off her hand finally that is exactly what Danny did and handed her out of the  warehouse that was collapsing but Anne screamed for Danny as she didn’t see him come out. Danny got trapped himself but he is pulled from the warehouse but barely alive. When Anne comes to she is in the hospital and Tom is there and he told her he had been waiting for the day when he had to tell their mother she too had died in a fire like their father. Tom and Anne always argued just like today and it always ended up in a standoff every since she had entered the fire academy.  Anne felt like maybe she would have been better off dying as she could no longer be a firefighter and that had been her life. Anne forced her self up from her hospital bed and was determined to see Danny she had called and he had a room in the hospital. The nurse tried to talk Anne into going back to bed but Anne didn’t listen. As Anne got to the elevator and her head was swimming she felt something hit the back of ehr legs and she fell back into a wheelchair Moose- a brother firefighter from their station- and he took Anne to the ICU to see Danny. No one would admit how bad Danny was and he may not make it. Moose was Danny’s former roommate before he married. But Danny was Moose’s best friend and he was so afraid for Danny. Anne went into Danny’s room and whispered to him “ why didn’t you leave me?” Danny woke and with tremendous will he said “couldn’t leave you”and then all kinds of alarms went off and Anne was passed back out to Moose by the ICU staff but Danny was still looking out to Anne until he was blocked by  some staff. Ten months later Anne was a Fire Inspector that was as close as she could now get to her old job. She was now part of the Arson Investigation and Fire Inspection Division of The New Brunswick Fire Department. Anne hadn’t seen Danny since that day in ICU , with both of them doing what they had to do to recover. Then she heard Danny was back on the job at the 499. Three months earlier Danny had left a drunk voicemail on her phone , it was the middle of the night then a female said his name. So no contact. Then Moose called her to talk to Danny as he was on a downward destructive spiral path.
I loved this book. When I first started reading this book I wasn’t so sure as I had so loved J R Ward’s series Black Dagger Brotherhood. But this was a great book and I was happy I read this. I loved Danny and Anne together. I was so happy when Anne worked things out with her family. I also loved when Anne finally gave into her feelings. I was so sad the way Moose turned out. As you maybe able to tell I felt like I was there and knew these characters. This draws you in and doesn’t let go until the very last page. I loved how close the firefighters all were. I felt like the author let us know what is was like to be a firefighter and the dangers and gave us the chance to read about some situations that happen. It just read very realistically. Happily I could find nothing to criticize in this book. I loved the plot and pace also. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I highly recommend.

I have been a J.R. Ward fan for years. Over time I have devoured her Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Consumed mostly stays true to the writing style her fans have come to expect and love with an added mystery twist. 

The book opens strong with a 2 alarm fire that has devastating life-altering consequences for two of our main characters - Anne and Danny. As to be expected from Ward we have strong-willed, emotional and flawed lead characters. The book takes a turn from the initial opening scene and takes us through Anne and Danny's road to recovery as they deal with the physical and emotional scars left by the devastating decisions they had to make in the fire.

This was very much a first book in a series. It introduces us to the cast of characters and begins to offer us some backstory while setting the stage for more to come. I found the characters flawed and likable. The plot was interesting and the mystery twist with Anne becoming an arson investigator and having to uncover the truth behind a series of fires in the warehouse district. 

Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable read. It did feel a bit slow towards the middle but it started and ended off strong for me which brought it all together. I understood it was only book 1 and was laying a foundation for the series so I did give some allowance for that. The title was very appropriate as the characters dealt with various things that "consumed" their lives - love, lust, work, ambition, desire, alcohol, etc. I am definitely looking forward to seeing what happens next with these firefighters.

I was excited to see that JR Ward was writing a new romantic suspense series. I loved the Black Dagger Brotherhood series but also enjoyed her romance books written as Jessica Bird. There was a set of prequel novellas called Thr Wedding from Hell which introduced us to the main characters of Danny and Anne.
This book is hard to put down. Danny and Anne’s backstories are emotional and their characters are so compelling. All of the secondary characters are interesting. It’s a suspenseful story as well.
I enjoyed the setting in the world of firefighters. With both Danny and Anne you see the after effects of incidents that happened while firefighting. We see Danny and Anne interact through their personal connections as well as through their profession.
Anne is now a fire investigator for the first time. It’s hard for her that she can no longer be a firefighter. The mystery in the book comes together when Anne tries to find out who is behind some deadly fires. It was well done and kept you guessing until the end. I’m looking forward to the next book and am excited to see who will be the hero in the next book.

Which emotion will prove stronger?  Will it be guilt, lust, or love?
A horrific act changes the nature of the relationship between  Anne Ashburn and Danny McGuire..  And while readers know there will be an HEA, you cant help but wonder how.  The two main characters are firefighters and well on the way to exploring a possible attraction, but that changes on one tragic day.  While the story is pretty good,   I think I enjoyed these two separately but not necessarily as a couple..

I never believed in love . . . I thought it was just a word, a title folks gave to daydreams and misconceptions about destiny, a lie folks told to themselves to make them feel solid in this imperfect, unreliable, and mean-ass world. Now I know it can happen between two people. And it doesn’t have to make sense because it’s not about logic. And it doesn’t have to have good timing because forever is like infinity, without beginning or end. And it doesn’t have to be defined because truth is like faith—it just is. So, let’s toast to love.”

Firefighting is in Anne Ashburn’s blood. She’s tough, brave and fiercely independent. Love is for other people, not her. As a female in a male-dominated profession, she’s not about to give up her career. She’s a thrill junkie, great at her job and assigned to one of the Top firefighting stations in the city.

Written in J.R. Ward’s trademark brisk, no-nonsense style, the dangers faced by firefighters are thrillingly outlined and painstakingly described. Called out to a brutal fire one night. Anne’s life changes forever, and Danny McGuire feels responsible. Anne distances herself from Danny and is assigned to an arson investigation detail. No one works harder than Anne but she lives a very lonely life. Her family, her fellow firefighters and her friends all try to stay close with her but Anne is determined to keep everyone at arm’s length.

”Anything that was provided by someone other than yourself, whether it was money or position or emotional support, could be, by definition, taken away from you.”

Danny and Anne’s story begins in the free prequel novellas, The Wedding From Hell. I highly recommend you read these first so that you get a sense of the characters and story. Although each ends on a cliffhanger, ‘Consumed’ is a stand-alone story. Danny and Anne h e incredible chemistry and their relationship develops with a great deal of poignancy and their scenes together are perfectly sexy.

“I don’t care if you forget my name right afterward. I just . . . I need you, Anne.”

Although it took me a little time to get into this book, I couldn’t wait to get back to it every time I JD to put it aside. The author really did her rear hand and she doesn’t shy away from the problems and PTSD faced by firefighters on a daily basis. The brave men and women risk their lives over and over again in life-threatening situations. This is a thrilling romantic suspense story that’s the beginning of a series of books about the members of Station 499 and is sexy, fast-paced and wickedly funny.

”I’m going to think about you,” he whispered. “You can stop us from ever doing this again, but you can’t control my mind or my dreams.”

JR Ward begins a new series with Consumed. A story about firefighter Anne Ashburn the only woman at the New Brunswick 499 station who suffers a life-altering injury when responding to a warehouse fire. An injury that ends her firefighting career, but puts her on the path as an arson investigator. When Anne starts putting together pieces of the puzzle in regards to a string of warehouse fires over the last couple of years, she brings unwanted attention upon herself. Attention that will cause someone with big connections to try to silence Anne for good. 

Danny McGuire was involved in the same warehouse fire as Anne and while he got out a little less scathed, his emotional state is spiraling. He blames himself for what happened to Anne, and he mourns the loss of what could have been between them as they had started tentatively exploring a relationship. 

When Anne and Danny reconnect on the road to healing, they don't want to give up what's between them, but with everything that's happened, can they have a relationship? Danny thinks so, he's not giving up on Anne, and he's definitely not going anywhere once he finds out someone has set their sights in silencing Anne. 

I was pretty surprised by Consumed. I sped through it and devoted about a day and half to being able to think of nothing else but reading / finishing this book. So in that regard I guess you could say I liked Consumed, and I did, but part of me is still wrapping my head around my thoughts for this book. 

Fresh off of finishing Ward's The Bourbon Kings series, it was difficult not to compare and contrast them. In all respects, Ward has, of course, written something completely different than the aforementioned series. Where that one seemed sprawling and steeped in a kind of dynastic legacy charm, Consumed kind of goes in the opposite direction. There's still plenty of family drama as Anne begins to come to terms with her relationships (or lack thereof) with her mother and older brother, and the legacy left behind from her hero-worshiped father who died in the line of duty (he was also a firefighter). I found Consumed presented the problems and, usually, answered the questions pretty quickly. I felt like this first book dealt more with Anne and Danny on a precipice of sorts. They can either continue down the paths of self-destruction they've set for themselves, or they can begin to heal, try to put the past behind them, or if not behind them at least taking the feeling of guilt and / or blame out of the equation. 

The secondary storyline with Anne's investigation, while interesting, pretty much pales in comparison to seeing Anne and Danny make their way back to each other. For me, Anne was, at first, not an easy character to like. I immediately admired her strength (for what she went through, no doubt requires it), but she seemed gruff and almost unapologetic in how she views people. I loved watching her development through this first book, and by the end I had changed my opinion. I loved that she let her defenses down and learned that sometimes it's ok to be vulnerable, especially as it comes to her interactions with Danny, that it's not a show of weakness. 

Danny was the a guy who could be counted on for a good time, and he's had plenty of women who can attest to this. I loved seeing the almost reverence he has for Anne. Ward perfectly captured in a very limited scope the idea of a relationship that blossomed out of friendship. Anne is different for Danny than every other woman he's been with. It was sweet, it was heartbreaking, but I loved seeing him crawl out of the darkness he slide down after the fire, but still struggle everyday with the things he sees / does as part of his job. It's a job that takes a toll, not only physically but emotionally as well. 

As stated above, I was surprised at how quickly we got some of the resolutions, not unhappy about it, but definitely surprised. I was glad that we didn't have to wait until the end of the series or until the next book to figure some things out, but that also leaves me wondering where JR Ward plans to take the series next. I'd love to have more Anne and Danny, but I feel like there were so many secondary characters just begging to get their own time front and center that it would be nice to see, but the investigation is linked so intrinsically to Anne, and it far from completely resolved by the end, that I don't know how the next book would pick up if Anne wasn't a focal character. I guess we'll see. 

For those who don't know, JR Ward released two short prequel stories The Rehearsal Dinner and The Reception which sort of tie into Consumed and give a little background. I don't want to say they're necessary to read (I read the first one before Consumed and the second one after I finished Consumed) but I did find some of the context of previously mentioned happenings a little easier to understand once I had read the prequels. But bonus: they're free reads! And as far as I can tell will remain that way. 

I think fans of JR Ward will definitely find a lot to like about Consumed. If you're new to her books, I think this series is as good as any place to start (unless you prefer paranormal romance)

OHHHHHH where do I begin? I prob should start with how much I LOVE J.R. Ward…but I will. I fell in love with her writing with the Black Dagger Brothers….. I think that series really got me back into reading. So I was BEYOND excited to see a new series by her and requested without reading the description….why would I have to its J.R. Ward. 
Consumed was AMAZING. I was totally drawn in to this suspenseful tale…..one would say I was CONSUMED by this story…..hahah sorry but I had to! Ward is cream of the crop for me so every time I read a book from her I have high expectations and Consumed did not let me down. The twists and turns kept me glued to my kindle. The other thing I have come to expect from Ward is awesome bad ass characters…..and let me tell you this book was had them! 
I cannot for the next book in this Firefighters series! My only advise to you is…… GET THIS BOOK NOW!!! Enjoy!

4.5 Stars

Anne Ashburn has spent her entire life proving herself to be capable of doing anything her father, or brother could do. Having achieved her goal of being a firefighter to only have it cruelly ripped away from her, she is forced to reinvent herself and to deal with limitations she never thought possible.

Danny McGuire's career is slowly bringing him down. After the incident with Anne and her disappearance from his life, every fire he walks into threatens to pull him in deeper in his despair. 

Anne and Danny were on the verge of something amazing, but when their lives fell apart, their connection was impossible to sustain. And with whats left is two people who once wanted the same things, but are now as far apart in realities as they could be... 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This book was an engrossing, suspenseful read that will... ahem... consume you from the very first page. I loved the twisted and complicated story that focused on the tough and all-around bad ass character, Anne Ashburn, and how she turns her life around after a fire that changes her life forever...

Anne has never let the fact that she is a woman keep her from doing anything. When she finds herself with a new reality, and a new career path, she dives into like everything else she has in the past, with a focus and passion to do her best work. Unfortunately, investigating fires turns out to be almost as dangerous as fighting them. 

Danny can't move past what happened with Anne. Replaying the horrific scene in his head is something that will never seem to end. And when she extracted herself from his life, he is left with a void that she could only fill. So when she shows up again as a fire investigator, he is prepared to keep her in his life in any way he can... and as something more permanent this time...

While this book was a romance, the focus was mostly on the investigation and the storyline of Anne rebuilding her life after tragedy. I enjoyed the angst and the completely realistic details that were included in the story, it was superbly written and an extremely engaging read. With a backdrop of the darker underbelly to such a dangerous profession, the complicated romance between Anne and Danny is in for the fight of a lifetime to become something more than they ever imagined...

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.

3rd Person. Multi POV.
Everything I love in a book. Found Family. Curmudgeonly Hero. Kick Ass Heroine. Competence P0rn. Suspense. Broken, fallible people.

I really, really enjoyed JR Ward's Bourbon Kings Series. There was a kind of grandeur, & vastness to it, within the confines of a familial unit. I likened it to Dallas/Dynasty; It's about one family, but also their impact on the world around them. They knew they had impact, but some members knew and cared, others knew and truly didn't care.
This had the same feeling of expansiveness but within a "Found Family" this time. As the first in a series you know you're going to get introduced to a whole cast of characters, and as a romance reader it's always fun to try and spot the sequel bait. However, you also have to be careful to keep the main pairing central to the story. This story wasn't just Danny and Anne's story however, they were consistently central, the lynch pins holding this tale together. Their internal and external conflicts,  and their relationships with other characters, were realistic and well balanced. 

Given the subject matter, I'd liken it to Dick Wolf's Chicago (Fire/PD/Med) franchise with the overlaps of those Emergency Service providers giving JR Ward the perfect breeding ground of characters and storylines. 5 Star Read from me, can't wait for more. (Also a few clicks & I've discovered JR Ward also writes/wrote Contemporary Romance as Jessica Bird)

ARC received via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I wasn't totally sure how I felt about Ward starting a new series. I enjoy her brothers but wasn't a huge fan of her Bourbon King series, so I was on the fence here. But since for the most part I do enjoy her I thought to myself  'why not try this new one' remember it's not bad to talk to yourself as long as you answer. 

So I gave this new series a chance. 

Right away I could feel the brothers in the story. Now don't get me wrong I love those guy but kinda wished I did have as much of them in the story. Of course this did come from the same author who wrote the brothers so I sort of understand that. 

Since I decided it was what it was I started to just read the story for what it was. That did help me a lot. In the beginning I was sure how I felt but as the book went on I got into it more and more. One great thing about Ward is that no matter how many pages a book is you can fly right though hers. 

And that just what I did. I really love Danny. He's a great character and one I liked reading about. Can't say the same about Anne. She flipped flopped a lot. Made it hard to always be on her side. Just when you are she does something I think is wrong. 

Another great thing that Ward does with her characters is make them very flawed, human. I really understand the stupid things they do. For me the story is fuller that way. There are tons of twists to the story that you want to know more about and she leaves you hanging on what's happening with the main thread of the story, I have a feeling that this bad guy is going to continue for the most part throughout the series.

As much as I wanted to love Consumed, it did not work for me. After reading the two short stories and then 50% of the actual book, I did not care for any of the characters, whether they were main characters or supporting characters. The writing was well paced and the plot was interesting, but because of my issues with the characters, I ended up not finishing after several tries.

To be honest, I went into Consumed not expecting to enjoy it. I know that Ward always writes a brutal and intense world, which works so well in paranormal romance. I wasn’t sure how her writing style and dangerously damaged characters would translate to a contemporary setting. Of course, Ward proved me wrong.

I loved this book. Ward had me on the edge of my seat the entire story. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, I was proven wrong. The beginning of the book (OMFG) literally had me in shock. I am so, so invested in all of these new characters and their crazy Boston lives.

This is a J.R. Ward novel, so of course, there were lots of storylines and abrupt scene changes, but I loved the general focus on our heroine, Anne. Anne is not the type of heroine I usually connect with, and I am astounded by how much I appreciated her. She’s tough, independent, and doesn’t take flack from anyone. What I enjoyed the most about her was her character development. She showed real and believable growth as a sister, daughter, and lover. She made mistakes, learned from them (sometimes the hard way), and I loved her by the end of the book.

Danny was an exceptional hero. He was the most beta Ward hero I’ve ever read, and I relished it. Danny was a badass, tough firefighter but loved Anne with an unwavering devotion that cemented my adoration for him. The way he makes Anne feel beautiful just the way she is, makes me want to cry reflecting on it.

I feel like this always is my only “complaint” with J.R. Ward novels: I wish the main couple had more screen time. I wanted to see Danny and Anne grow more together.

Overall, this book was one I am going to be thinking about and talking about for a while. The secondary characters were fantastic, I am ready for the second book, like, yesterday. I think I am going to go reread now!

P.S. – I am still not over the beginning of this book!!! GAH.

**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**

First and foremost I want to give a huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for supplying me with what is, probably, my best read of 2018 so far! It’s safe to say I was obsessed with this book, it quite literally consumed me. See what I did there?

On a more serious note, and I’m aware I’ve said this several times, but J.R. Ward is such a phenomenal writer. In fact, I’m pretty mad at myself that I haven’t picked up any of her books before this year, I’ve been missing out on so much greatness. Her books have this way of being both incredibly well researched but at the same time aren’t boring in the same book report kind of way. They pack a lot of information about the subject, like here it was firefighting and arson investigation, in The Bourbon Kings it was money laundering and just the atmosphere of the rich, and she manages to weave this totally believable and interesting world. She writes in a way that you can get completely lost in her books and you’ll find yourself reading for hours on end without noticing, you think about the story every spare moment and just want to be reading, or, in my case, it’ll leave you with the biggest book hangover.

I had never read much romantic suspense, in fact, I hadn’t even been aware this was a wide genre, but I really enjoyed this and it made me want to read more. This novel centers on Anne Ashburn and Danny Maguire, two firefighters who share as much turmoil as they do passion. I enjoyed all the characters in this book immensely, they were all an absolute joy to follow and learn more about. Ward has this amazing ability to make all her characters, no matter how small, seem vital and completely lifelike. Anne was so strong and controlled, but we got to see the sides of her that were scared and insecure, something that a lot of the other characters were oblivious to. Danny may have seemed strong, confident, and laid back but on the inside he was dealing with so much that he wasn’t able to process alone. Seeing these two come together throughout this book was amazing. I couldn’t have loved them more.

Consumed doesn’t hold back and instead catapults you right in the middle of fires, family drama, and political conspiracy theories. The book starts out with a bang, both Danny and Anne rush to the scene of a fire and immediately put in life threatening danger. It’s probably the most intense start to a book I’ve ever read, and I was hooked immediately. It only gets better from there and this book is just one big dangerous thrill ride from fires to murders to steamy hook ups and tragic events. It was a big mash up of all these deep moments and events, and I couldn’t have enjoyed it more.

Since this is written in the third person we get to see things through a lot of eyes, which is great for a book that deals with so many topics and has so many little plot points. That twist at the end though, and you’ll know it when you read it, literally steals the air from your lungs. This ending was something I never saw coming and it almost kept me awake that night, realizing how wrong I had been the entire time. It was such a delicious feeling because I haven’t read a book this good in a while, and I have a feeling I’ll be stuck on this one for a long time.

This book was phenomenal, I cannot recommend it enough. I’m already dreaming about book two and all the things we have yet to learn about this tight knit group of firefighters, but at least I have plenty of her other books to read while I wait! Consumed releases this Tuesday, so be sure to pick it up! You won’t be disappointed.

While I am a fan of J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood and Black Dagger Legacy series, I find that I am not a fan of her contemporary romance and unfortunately, Consumed was not for me. 

“Stay in the present with me. I don’t want to waste a second of this if it’s my only chance.” - The Reception (The Wedding From Hell #2) 

While the story is detail rich (so many details I found myself skimming), it is lacking in regards to the characters. I don't feel any connection to them or their connections to each other. And I personally would like to follow the two main characters, Anne and Danny, rather than multiple side stories that occur simultaneously within Consumed. (That's an issue I've started having with her BDB series as well now that there are so many characters.) I feel like I'm missing huge pieces of information into these characters backstories and know so little about them that I don't understand their motivations. The best character in the book is Soot, the dog! The lack of character focus and building emotional connections really hurt the story.

I was interested in the story when I began the freebie (at time of posting) prequels, but Consumed just didn't work for me. I found myself skimming after a certain point just to find out the ending. Consumed has great detail (some of it extremely traumatic), good suspense, but no romance, and no character development. It felt very sterile with it's details and lack of emotions. 

I am an outlier though, since there are many favorable reviews for Consumed . If you haven't read J.R. Ward before I'd recommend the BDB and BDL series over her contemporary romance. I struggled through The Bourbon Kings book #1 and never continued that series. 


The Rehearsal Dinner (The Wedding From Hell #1) 2 stars
The Reception (The Wedding From Hell #2) 2 stars
Consumed 1 star

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

This book starts out to a hell of a start. Although, it felt like one really long prologue because I had read the summary which made it feel like the story would start after the incident.... but the incident was a good chunk of the book. 

Yet, the writing is really good. My mind was very dedicated to the book and I kept wanting to read more. I was hooked and wanted to know what was going to happen. The harsh world and lives of the characters are gripping. 

At the same time, whenever I thought about what I was reading or between reading session, I began to wonder why I was reading it. I didn't feel the relationship was building much nor did the investigate do much. There is just so much going on about their injuries, the lives of those around them, and adapting to new circumstances. 

So, I'm conflicted about this book. I enjoyed reading it, but felt like nothing much happened. I was slightly invested in the characters, but my interest in the investigation was not really fulfilled. Conflicted!! 

In the end, I would recommend this to people who like romances with lots of drama. Don't go in this wanting a mystery, like I did, go in for the characters and the drama.

Consumed starts off with a seriously tragic event. We are introduced to our main characters on what is to become the worst day of their lives. Anne and Danny are both firefighters with the same company. During a warehouse fire, Anne is trapped. Danny attempts to save her. This results in both of them nearly dying and the course of their lives forever changed. After you are given the story, the plot moves ahead 10 months from the fire. Anne and Danny have a bit of a second chance story; not much time has passed, but because of the fire, their relationship ended abruptly. They still live in the same town but haven't spoken since that day.

Anne wasn't my favorite heroine, mostly because she has a big chip on her shoulder. She is a woman in a man's job and is constantly fighting for equality. I appreciated that, but she was fighting when there wasn't anything to fight against. She was really derogatory about her mom as well, saying she never wanted to be like her mom and just stay home waiting for her husband. I totally support a woman's right to NOT want to be a stay at home mom or wife, but I also support the right to do those things. Being a woman who stays at home to raise a family isn't something you should shame, especially if you are another woman! It really just rubbed me the wrong way. However, Anne is a dynamic character who does grow throughout the story. I think she was very immature in the early parts of the story but because of the tragedy and the aftermath she matures. While I might have really not liked her to begin with, she did get more likable in my mind.

Danny is a beta hero for sure! It was a bit odd at first, because I don't think I have ever read a beta hero from Ward! But, I loved him. He really struggled with what happened between him and Anne. The guilt he carried was immense and he just didn't know how to manage it all. He was a very sympathetic character (more so than Anne in my opinion!).

Consumed is so much more than just the story of Anne and Danny. There is a serial arsonist on the loose and people are getting hurt. I will admit I didn't guess correctly on what would happen with this plot line! The book also sets up what I think will be future characters. They are all pretty damaged and drama filled-typically of Ward characters! Consumed is a fascinating start to a new, angsty series that I am curious to continue!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the start to a new series by this author.  Anne has always been destined to be a firefighter, she was born into the business but one wrong move and she is caught in a fire and her life will never be the same. Danny McGuire may be a wild man but he is one tough firefighter and the best there is. He is injured in the same fire but his injuries are not career ending as Anne's were.  Anne has now reinvented herself and as an Arson Investigator she has found her passion once again.  This book kept me riveted from page one and I was consumed with not only the story but the characters. I can see this series going in so many directions and looking forward to seeing what comes next. 

**Received this ARC for review from the publisher via NetGalley**