Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.

Taming Fire is the second book in the Braving the Heat series. The story centers on Louise and Nix. I enjoyed the development of both main characters and their romance. The story just left me wanting more in regards to the firebug plot. Enjoyable read. I will continue the series. Thanks Kensington Books and NetGalley for ARC of this title.

This was a great read. The characters were funny. The story was interesting. The Romance hot, just the way I like my books. It was a littlw obvious what was going to happen but I still really enjoyed it.

This story is written as a third person omniscient narrative. The characterization is done in a indirect method. The conflict battles between internal and external, they battle themselves, other characters and nature. The theme does include popular elements such as love, survival and courage and heroism, but also struggles of family, friends, love and balance that is needed in daily life.

Louise Pine is a dedicated aunt who is not afraid to step in and help but often finds herself being walked over by family who thinks she can just take it all on. She is a round character who goes through a dynamic change as our main character. Her nephew Junior does play a role as a stock character who does have some fun of his own in a way of growing up. Phoenix Jones is a firefighter who is always there lending a helping hand even when others think he should be resting. He is a round character who goes through a dynamic change as our antagonist. His firehouse co-workers often act as his confidants and good friends. The introduction starts off with introducing us to Louise and Junior and their situation and adding in Nix and a false 911 call. The rising action shows how much Louise and Nix have on their plates with everything that they need to balance. The climax is reached when Louise realizes that she needs help from her family but they are not willing to sacrifice their time in order to help out. The falling action shows how a firehouse comes together when one of their own is need of help, while the resolution wraps up some problems but leaves doors open for a whole new world of possibilities.

The story was written in a clear and concise manner that made it easy to follow the stream of ideas and where the story was going. It was well thought out and did contain some choice words (please beware of swearing) but also showed us the inside life of a firehouse with little to no drama inside but mostly with lives outside of it. The word choice and voice had you clinging on to find out what happens next with tackling some family issue and society issues. Yes, I would recommend this book. Readers who enjoy first responders, steamy romance, dedicated family and good amounts of drama will find this a good read. Those who do not enjoy family arguments, sisters fighting, swearing or heavy described love scenes may want to stay away.

This was okay for me. The writing flowed okay, but it did start to get hard to get through about half way through. I liked Lou for the most part. Her family was pretty crappy, and I was glad to see her start to stand up for herself, I just wish it would have happened sooner. Nix came off as a big jerk to begin with, and honestly it was hard to like him. I don't mind the bossiness in the bedroom, but I'm not a fan of thinking everyone's just going to do what you want because you say so. Also, I know that Nix and Maggie only have one outing, but it's weird for me to see Lou going out with the same person her sister did. I was able to eventually put that out of my mind, and the ending was sweet. This was a first for me in this series, but I wasn't lost at all. I would give this author another read.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.

Taming Fire in the second novel in the Braving the Heat series, but it is the first book I've read in this series as well as the first book I've read by this author, and to say I have mixed feelings about this novel is putting it mildly, but for the reasons which I'll get to, I am giving it a 3-star rating.

The heroine in this novel is Louise (Lou) Pine, a somewhat overweight yoga instructor, and the person her many family members turn to when they need something from her, a babysitter, money, having her walk their dog--so she's basically the family doormat, and when we meet her she's two weeks' into caring for her nephew, 4-year-old, Junior, while her brother, Junior's single father, is in a rehab facility for his alcoholism, and Louise is happy to help her brother, especially since her mom and her siblings all refused to put themselves out for the little boy.

After a busy day, Junior has been put to bed and Louise is in her fenced backyard, enjoying a bottle of wine at her blazing fire pit, when suddenly sirens are blaring, and hunky firemen pour into her backyard, and knocking down her gate. Apparently, after visiting the firehouse for a safety lesson, Junior saw the fire and called 911 to report it. The sirens and crash scare Louise, who then spills her red wine all over herself. The hunkiest and first fireman into the backyard is Phoenix (Nix) Jones, who checks out Louise by opening her bathrobe because it looks like she's bleeding, and gets an eyeful, and very sexy eyeful at that. When Nix tells her she's going out with him the following night, she refuses, and Nix is dumbfounded.

Nix is what I'd call a manwhore, and he's had sex with most of what he refers to as pole bunnies, sluts who hang around the firehouse and are happy to service the sexy firemen for no questions asked, no promises made, one-nighters. Nix can't recall ever being turned down, and oh yes, he's sexually dominant and always wants to be in control. To say I found him to be crass and vulgar is understating my feelings about him in this novel. I read quite a bit of erotica, and have no problem with dominant men who are into BDSM, but Nix and his references to women really an d their body parts, put me off, and no matter that he eventually somewhat redeems himself, I couldn't forget his crassness.

However, I really got to like the heroine, Louise, who wasn't afraid to tell him off and who didn't like taking orders from him. I liked the fact that she was a kind and caring person with a good heart, but she was taken advantage of by her parents and her siblings from age 10. Well, she's not 10 anymore and I enjoyed watching her finally begin to speak up for herself, both to Nix and to her family. Eventually she and Nix develop a friends with benefits relationship, a first for Nix, and again, what happens in the bedroom becomes quite frequent and quite graphic, and if BDSM is a turnoff for you, you may be offended by some of it. I wasn't offended by the sex, but it's hard to like a novel when you really dislike the hero, even if he somewhat redeems himself by the ending.

As I stated at the outset, this in the second novel in a series, but I had no trouble becoming acquainted with the cast of characters, who, except for Louise's bitchy sister, Maggie, were all likable. There's also an arsonist in town, who is occasionally mentioned, but we are given no clues as to his identity, and I'm assuming he'll be apprehended in a later novel, but I do wish the author had given this reader a little more in the way of a plot that extended beyond Nix and Louise's sexcapades, and her clueless, self-centered, and dysfunctional famil,y because in my opinion, there simply wasn't enough of a plot to hold this story together.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

Louise and Phoenix did not have an auspicious first meeting, but sparks fly and seemingly opposites attract. I enjoyed watching them (and their families) navigate their relationship as they fell in love. Fun read!

Louise is startled when her back gate is knocked down by a bunch of firefighters while she's in her backyard trying to enjoy her fire pit along with some wine and chocolate. Her nephew had seen the fire and called 911. Oops. But it was pretty fortunate because she met Nix (Phoenix), the hot firefighter who lead the crash into her backyard. When Nix comes back to fix her gate the next day, Lou's not exactly at her best, but Nix is still so smitten that he asks her out. Well...he doesn't really ASK as much as demand, and it gets Lou's back up. She's not one to be bossed around, so no is her only answer to his command.

Thankfully fate has other things in mind for them, and their mutual friends invite them both to a barbecue. Maybe Nix can do things right this time because he still wants Lou and he knows she wants him, too. But can Lou submit to being bossed around in the bedroom, and keep her independence outside the bedroom?

I liked Taming Fire much more than I liked the other book I've read in this series, Melting Snow. Nix and Lou are a hot couple and the way they work through their issues as a couple makes for a very entertaining read. If you like hot firefighter romances with a bossy alpha and a sassy heroine, Taming Fire should definitely be on your TBR list.

Total easy read - great romance and likable characters. Louise and Nix are relatable and easy to like. Not a super long story but long enough to cover all bases and make sense. Not to miss the sexy hotness too!! Definitely recommend!

A sizzling hot, fun, and quick read with plenty of intriguing points brought up, from charming characters and their dysfunctional families to the stress of loving a firefighter, and the dangers that lay within the job.
Louise Pine is a loyal, caring, kind, and hardworking woman. She has a big heart, dirty mouth, and a family that drives her mad. She is no prude, by any means, but she is not looking for a relationship at the moment, yet one has landed into her life and is not thinking about moving out.
Phoenix “Nix” Jones is a man who needs to be in control and in charge of everything affecting his life. He used to sleep around more than most, yet lately, he has felt the desire for settling down, finding the one, falling in love. He grew up as an only child for a single mom (despite what the blurb informs) and he is not used to sharing his life, the challenges of his job, or his home with anyone.
The chemistry between Nix and Louise is tangible, the detailed sex scenes proving the connection between them to be true. Nix's interest and need of being in control, a little spanking, some toys, and ropes come clear yet it is done tastefully and the story doesn't go too deep into the world of S/M.
I truly enjoyed the story, the characters easily won me over with their wit and charm. It is a delightfully sexy tale yet it has some serious points in the backstory that brought some 'meat' into the pages.
There's absolutely nothing I didn't like about the book, but all the possibilities to dig even deeper with the dysfunctional family issues, dangers to the firefighter's job, Nix's need for control, or even the conflict arising between Nix and Louise, were not taken advantage of and thus the scoring of four Spoons.
But it is great as it is; an entertaining, tantalizing, and engaging tale!
~ Four Spoons

4 stars

Taming Fire by Leora Gonzales is a well written, sweet, fund and very entertaining read.
I enjoyed the storyline, it held my interest all throughout the book and I loved watching Nix and Louise relationship unfold.
Overall, Taming Fire is a lovely read and a great way to spend your Sunday afternoon and I highly recommend it.

*Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the advance copy.*

Are you looking for a hot romance with an even hotter firefighter? Then you may enjoy this book.

The heroine Louise is relaxing in her backyard in front of her fire pit when suddenly a fire truck comes crashing through her back fence. She soon realizes her four-year-old nephew, whom she is taking care of temporarily, called 911 because he thought there was a fire in the backyard. The hero Phoenix, or Nix, the firefighter responding, is instantly drawn to Louise and the relationship develops.

I found the plot to be very unique. Romance novels tend to follow the same script but this was a refreshing change with the nephew instigating the 911 call.

Louise was a relatable character to some. She is dumped on and treated horribly by her family and usually takes the role of responsibility. She is also “not skinny”. This is my first romance with a “thick” heroine and I liked it. It was nice to read that an incredibly hot man would be interested in someone with a little weight and he emphasizes how much he loves her body.

Nix is not a true alpha male, in my opinion, but extremely masculine. I didn’t see the bondage aspect with this particular couple and their personalities and I felt awkward reading those scenes. Overall the sex scenes are very explicit.

I highly recommend this book. It is well written with excellent dialogue and chemistry between the couple. You root for their HEA which is the reason we read romances in the first place.

This was a great story! They way Lou and Nix meet is a great lead in to the rest of the story! Lou and Nix fit perfectly together! I have read both books in the series and can’t wait to see more writing from this author.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

This is a romance book with a bit of intrigue thrown in as Nix and his fellow firefighters are putting out fires started by an arsonist. When Nix meets Louise, he knows that he has met the type of woman that he could see spending the rest of his life with. There first meeting is hilarious as Nix and the firefighters respond to a call and realize that it is Lou sitting out by her fire pit!

The second meeting is kind of a disaster because Nix asks Rose to go with him to the fellow firefighters BBQ party, and Lou is there. I won't give away any details but Nix has to know that showing up with Rose doesn't look good for him when he sees Lou.

Lots of "mean girl" moments and to make it worse, one of those mean girls is Lou's sister. Lou's family was also pretty demanding and I was so glad when she finally put her foot down and quit letting them use her as an errand girl!! I loved that Nix was the first person to help Lou out with doing small things for her.

Louisa is taking care of her nephew when out of the blue her back gate gets knocked off its hinges and a firefighter is looking at her and saying where is the fire? Nix is surprised to see the women in the back yard and the surprised look on her face when they came through her gate. Now he cannot get her out her out of his mind. Going back the next day to fix her gate she says no when he says go out with me instead of asking. Not ever having any women say no to him he is surprised when she shows up at one of the guy’s party with her nephew. After clearing up some confusion she decides to go on a date with him. After the date you are left with a very good story about two people getting to know each other and some very hot scenes. A well written book with good characters.

Can be read as a stand-alone...a story with palpable chemistry and unique characters. Not your typical Firefighter romance, this one definitely has substance and will keep the reader turning the pages.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing Corporation and Leora Gonzalez for an ARC ebook copy to review. As always, an honest review from me.

Taming Fire is certainly an intense steamy romance that at times almost borders on erotica — at least I think so, based on never having read it before. It was a bit more than I bargained for. Let’s just say that Nix likes things rough, is dominant, and aggressive at times. He knows what he wants and communicates that to his partner, but it’s not for me. Also Nix is very presumptuous that Louise will like him and the things that he enjoyed. This is explained later, so we learn to understand him more. Also the descriptions of women’s bodies, “fat” or “thin” sometimes worked and many times didn’t.

Now onto the things that I did like. Louise’s family takes advantage of her generosity and kindness. I’m glad the book focused on her learning to stand up for herself. Louise as a person is wonderful. I would love to read even more about her, not necessarily with the romance.

Overall, I enjoyed many aspects of the book, but was put off by some of the bedroom happenings. Maybe it’s for you though. Not for me, but I can still recommend it to others.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars
M/F Romance
Triggers: Addiction

This is the second book in this series and I did not read book one. However, I never thought that I was missing something.

Louise is always willing to help out her family. She knows that since she is the oldest, her family has come to rely on her to pick up the slack. She knows that she is not what some would think of as typically beautiful, but she's comfortable with herself and her friends.

Nix is a seasoned firefighter who has been around the block in terms of the pole bunnies that hang around. He has also started to notice that his friends have begun to find women who are worth holding on and having real relationships with.

On a call, Nix meets Louise, who is flabbergasted why there are firefighters breaking down her back gate. When she realizes that she scared her nephew, who is staying with her temporarily, she immediately goes to comfort him. But not before Nix gets an eyeful of Louise's robe clad body.

What follows are several events that help Nix and Louise develop a friendship and relationship. They have amazing chemistry and I love how Louise isn't afraid to stand up to Nix and how Nix isn't one bit threatened by Louise's ability to say what she wants, means, and needs. Louise's family, for the most part, leaves something to be desired. I wanted to yell and scream at some of her family members, and found myself thinking some choice words whenever they came up in the story.

I hope we get to see more of this fun loving group!


Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
The characters in this book meet under unusual circumstances. Louise's 4-year-old nephew calls 911 when he sees a fire in the backyard not knowing that his aunt is outside and there is no danger. The fire department shows up with sirens and flashing lights and breaks down her gate to put out the fire. Nix is immediately taken with the distraught Louise, but Louise has her hands full and is no mood to flirt.

Nix and Louise meet again at a friend's backyard barbeque and sparks fly. As they get to know each other, they have to decide if what they have is real and if they can make it work with the demands of a firefighter’s life.

A cute story of how a chance meeting can lead to so much more.

I really enjoyed this fun, entertaining and steamy read. The characters are great with steamy chemistry and their story has plenty of drama and emotion. I was hooked from beginning to end. A good read.

Book 2 in the Braving the Heat series, Taming Fire is a terrific read. Nix and Lou are great characters, the interaction is engaging and the storyline well written. I will definitely be reading more by this author