I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This was a very quick read but too predictable for me.

I think this was my first book by Avery Giles. It won't be the last.

It was cute at times, and angst and with secrets at other. Just the way I like my books. Exactly what I was needing.

Eli doesn't believe he is a hero, he just thinks of himself of a normal guy doing his best as a firefighter, trying to make his mother proud. Charlie is most definitely not a hero, even though he has gone into a couple of different fires to help people. When Eli keeps seeing Charlie at the fire scenes he starts to get suspicious about Charlie.


The secrets that both Eli and Charlie are harboring almost destroy their relationship and each of these men are so stubborn and don't want to be the one to bend or trust the other that with that secret, but if they don't, the serial fire artist might just be the end of them.

I really enjoyed this story and watching both Eli and Charlie grow through the story and seeing the secrets that both men are hiding come out.

This was a quick sweet read but also very predictable and a bit forgettable. Eli's a local fireman and he meets a mystery hero who happens to be at every fire lately, which causes Eli to speculate when they realize the fires are from a serial arsonist.

Charlie is intrigued by Eli right away but he can't tell Eli the truth even though it could ruin his chances with him. And the longer he doesn't tell him the worse it is for him.

And you can pretty much guess where it all goes, which it does but it doesn't but that too was predictable.

Sweet but too predictable.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆
This is a gentle romance with some firefighting action. Firefighter Eli has a checklist for a prospective life partner and Charlie ticks most of his boxes – except for Eli’s slightly alarming suspicion that he might be a serial arsonist.

I didn’t get on terribly well with this story. I found the writing quite choppy and there weren’t enough clues to the arson investigation for me to attempt to solve it. Eli’s dating checklist made him seem more Bridget Jones than macho firefighter and I’m not sure we ever see enough of Charlie to really care about him.

This book doesn’t fall neatly into a genre. It’s a romance where readers can’t trust one of the men for most of the book. It’s a police procedural where readers don’t know enough about the investigation to follow along with it. There are constant references made to race but the references aren’t developed into storylines or themes.

I don’t feel like I ever really knew Charlie or Eli and it was difficult to invest in the romance while mistrusting Charlie. I didn’t find the sex scenes terribly sexy and I didn’t understand the overreaction to the secrets at the end of the book.


Veronica – ☆☆
Eli and Charlie’s relationship takes place during the chase for the arsonist and I liked this aspect of the story. But I felt like we never really got to the know the men very well. There was too much tell and not enough show, especially when they were getting to know each other. More time could have been spent getting to know the men and less time on inconsequential description of stuff.

I struggled with Too Hot. I liked Eli but the obvious secret that Charlie was keeping made it hard for me to feel anything but annoyance towards him. And Charlie’s behaviour when his secret was revealed was jaw-droppingly selfish and any hope I had of liking him went out the window.

Too Hot did not do it for me. 2 stars.

While the writing was fairly good and Eli at least was likable, I had some issues with the relationship aspects. It felt like a lot was glossed over with just a quick side note from a character. The fight portion especially seemed strange to me, though. Only a month of dating and you expect unconditional trust? Charlie should also have had some sort of cover story, and since he didn't he should fully expect people to be suspicious. It seemed very unreasonable of him to think Eli was "betraying" him at all. His reaction to Eli even suggesting something he should know is perfectly reasonable made him difficult to like. After that it got hard to really follow the fight and the reasoning since it just didn't make sense to me. I will say again, I did like the writing and the characters, though.

This was my first book by Avery Giles and I think this is her first book overall (at least from what I can infer from her GR profile).

I enjoyed this book and thought the writing was good(though the pacing lagged at times). The highlight for me was how the author wrote a POC MC(Eli) without the usual stereotypical attributes while maintaining his "blackness". That is, she didn't try to erase it by glossing over attributes, mannerisms, etc. and a fellow POC, I thought she did a pretty decent job of it.

I liked Charlie and Eli as a couple and found their interactions to be sweet & funny. I got why they had the big misunderstanding and as they both admitted, they were both at fault so I was glad they worked it all out and got their HEA.

Would I read another book by Avery Giles? Certainly. Her characters made me smile.

TOO HOT by Avery Giles is a short story about a policeman and a fireman. Finding Love and solving a crime along the way.

Too Hot! is Avery Giles' debut novel and it's not a bad start at all.

I loved both Charlie and Eli, even though Charlie was a mystery throughout most of the story. I had a hard time buying that he was a "bad" guy though, even when Eli wasn't so sure. I never doubted him though and I have to admit that I got kind of aggravated with Eli when he did. I just knew that there was a logical explanation.

The author did a great job of keeping readers in the dark... even though they got Charlie's POV. I liked that added suspense.

To be fair, I understood where both characters were coming from. Charlie had his reasons for keeping his secret and Eli had his reasons for suspecting him... They were both in a bad situation, but in the end they had each other. ;)

FYI - this author is now on my radar. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

If you like your romances sweet but with a bit of angst and a dash of action and secrets, this might be for you!

Eli and Charlie are both very likable, as is the rest of the cast. Their romance began with a house fire which I found very appealing. I don't have a firefighter kink, heh, but who can resist a charming guy helping people in need?

I found the overall pace quite fast which made it seem like a quick read, which I enjoy.

Also, I'm one who enjoys a good secret, even if it makes one of the two main characters appear kinda shady. Maybe I don't have a firefighter kink but an 'asshole' guy kink.

Charlie wasn't exactly an asshole kinda guy but I understand that some readers might not have been instantly smitten with him. He was kinda shady though. And personally, he was my favorite. *shrug*

As a couple, Eli and Charlie didn't spend too much time together on page, or at least it felt that way to me. Whenever they got together intimately though, it was very sexy.

Highly recommended!

Can Eli, a fireman, and Charlie, who runs into burning buildings to save people, have a relationship? A serial arsonist might keep them apart, especially since Charlie seems to be at the scene of each fire. Great characters and plot.

The title is perfect this was too hot. The way it all comes together is a perfect flow. It had a few dumps but picked right back up. I read it in one sitting and it was a nice getaway.

I like this book, both the writing style and the plot. I especially enjoyed the dual POV, though Charlie had many fewer chapters than Eli. The focus was definitely on the relationship between the two, and there were times when it felt like the 'mystery' was a little manufactured to bring tension and misunderstanding between them. Still, I liked Eli's work ethic and the relationship between the two. I think my biggest complaint is how angry Charlie got with Eli when Charlie's own dishonesty played such a huge role, as well. But I'd call this a fun and easy read with a sweet romance.

Suspense, drama and sexy firefighters. I liked Too Hot, I found Eli so loveable and Charlie is awesome. Great character, a good story, this made for a fabulous afternoon read. I look forward to exploring more by this author

A serial arsonist brings two men together. One's a firefighter with hero issues and the other a man with laughing eyes and secrets. I couldn't resist a firefighter romantic suspense and it was a good call.

Too Hot! is a light romantic suspense where firefighter, Eli Johnson, meets an attractive man at his latest fire call. Charlie rescued a small child, but oddly, wants no recognition for it, but he does want Eli's phone number. Eli hesitates because he isn't sure if Charlie's interested because of some misplaced hero complex or if he's interested in Eli who isn't just his uniform. Slowly they start dating, but then Eli is faced with a growing suspicion that Charlie is keeping secrets and coincidentally appears at each of the arson fires. Will Eli's self-sabotaging suspicions and Charlie's secrets put a permanent wedge between them?

I enjoyed the blend of a cute pair of guys fumbling their way into a relationship with both having issues that might blow up in their face at any time along with the arson case and the setting of firehouse, firefighting, and cute cat cuddling at Eli's place (he's a cat guy!).

This was not a complicated story and I liked that. It was quite obvious at some point that things in that hesitant romance were going to blow up and I was ready for it. Eli is looking for a reason to pull back and Charlie is determined to hold his secrets longer than he should. Fun twist there, by the way.

They are hotter than the fires the arsonist lights, but they are also sweet and cuddly and enjoy laughter together. I was really rooting for them to get past their struggles and suspicions.

In summary, this was heartwarming and hot, exciting and fun. I can definitely recommend it to m/m light romantic suspense fans.

Eli talks to his cats, just thankful they don’t talk back. A firefighter, his days swing between boredom and heart pounding intensity. When he meets a man at a fire, the inappropriate interest he feels is overwhelming. He there to save lives not flirt with a bystander.

Charlie rushes into a burning building without a second thought. While rescuing a child he meets Eli. He feels the same attraction as the other man. Again totally inappropriate in the circumstances.

They meet again and there is another fire. Eli sort of suspects the arsonist might be Charlie. Even though he doesn’t like Charlie’s secrets he still wants him, getting closer. But when Eli can’t deal with the secrets and Charlie can’t deal with the mistrust, the relationship is in jeopardy.

I went back and forth on this one. I liked the characters but not the fact that neither was willing to fully trust the other. The issues between them were huge but they seemed to get over them very quickly. This was a sweet romance with way to much angst.

Too Hot should be titled Lukewarm--from the plot and characters to the sexy times, it all felt one-dimensional and lacking. The writing itself was decent.

Too Hot is just the right level of hot! All cheesiness aside, this was a delightful read that will leave you smiling. The plot isn't tortured to lead to a specific end, the drama isn't overdone, there's no unnecessary angst. I will definitely look for more stuff from this author.

I love the idea of this book. Charlie and Eli are both engaging characters and their personalities are fleshed ouot for the reader. I thought the arson plotline was intriguing and the initial relationship development was definitely sucking me in. However once the relationship was on track, the angst seemed contrived and overblown. I can definitely see being upset at the situation. Both overreacted and that part of the book dragged out too long. That being said, I did enjoy the characters in the book and rooted for them till the end.

I love that the MC is a person of color and that it's reflected on the cover. I enjoy reading books featuring unconventional characters and characters different from me. One of the great things about Too Hot! is that a majority of the characters are persons of color.

Eli is a hot (pun intended) firefighter, and Charlie is his equally hot love interest. From their initial meeting and on, these two are sizzling with the chemistry. I may have had to fan myself while reading the sexy firehouse scene.

I may be biased because I am a cat person, but I adored Eli's cats and the distinct personalities Anderson gives them. I don't know what's more adorable, Eli and Charlie's interactions with them or their names (Pistol, Moxie, and Chutzpah).

I also enjoyed the suspense plot. It added extra depth to the story and the romance.