This is a solid story, just not tropes I normally go for.

Thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for my chance to review.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Another spicy, hot, m/m ready from Annabeth Albert.

Burn Zone is the first book in Annabeth Albert's Hotshots series—which follows members of a fire crew in Central Oregon as they fall in love. This book centers on smoke jumper Lincoln Reid and his late best friend's younger brother, Jacob Hartman. Linc promised his friend he'd stay away from Jacob, but as they begin working together he's finding it difficult to keep his word. Meanwhile, Jacob is struggling to prove himself in a world where he's constantly compared to his older brother, Wyatt.

Wyatt isn't on the page in the book, but his presence is strongly felt through both characters. He's described as being homophobic, something which Jacob brings up over and over, and Linc struggles with. I think Albert did a good job of showing how difficult it can be to love someone who doesn't love all of who you are in the way that Linc loved Wyatt as a friend, but it was hard to read Linc standing up for Wyatt over and over and the idolization of him.

Still, Albert brings what I've come to rely on her to which is great chemistry between her leads, building tension, and a sense that their community will continue to grow around them and that they'll find acceptance, happiness, and joy in their future. And I particularly loved Jacob's journey of finding his own path and standing up for himself and the career he's chosen.

Readers who love age gap romance and brother's best friend/best friend's brother tropes are sure to find a lot to enjoy here!

This is a high-octane book in terms of heat and action set in rural Oregon. The two men are a few years apart. One is a seasoned veteran smoke jumper and the younger one is a new recruit. Jacob's older brother was Linc's best friend and team member, and he has had a crush on Linc for years. Both men have had eyes for each other, but Jacob's family's homophobia had kept them both in the closet. This is a sort of an enemies-to-lovers story because Linc wants to keep Jacob safe, even from himself, at first. But then they fall into the classic romance trope of "let's have a brief affair to get it out of our systems." The story does a bit too much navel gazing with one of the "obstacles" keeping them apart being the age gap -- ten years. No biggie, but this story makes it a biggie. The other source of tension is Linc's desire to keep his sexual identity a secret from people at work and others in his life. The author does an OK job of having Linc deal with this, though his blowing hot and cold goes on for too long.

Review will be published on http://keirasoleore.blogspot.com

Thank you so much to the publisher for approving me. This was a DNF for me. I think I’ve just fallen out of love with Annabeth’s books since they all read pretty bland to me now and this is more of the same.

This book was slightly hard to read because of the douchebag homophobic "friend" and while I felt sad for Lincoln and the other guy's family, I couldn't gather much sympathy or grief for the douche. I did like how the relationship between Lincoln and Jacob develop, although honestly, I did want to punch Lincoln several times and tell him to sort shit out and just be with Jacob, but his hang ups were kind of reasonable.
Full review to come soon.

Fans of angsty romances and flashbacks will love this Annabeth Albert book. Linc and Jacob have a complicated history together and it makes for a lot of pining and repression when they have to work together.

I'm not a huge fan of angsty romances, but f you are - grab this book! Loved smoke jumpers setting and this is the start of a great series!

So, I had previously read book 2 in this series (High Heat) and I'm so happy I went back to read this one. I loved Jacob and Linc's relationship.

Linc is haunted by the past. Jacob's brother was his best friend and he had clearly told Linc his brother was off limits. Now that he's gone, Linc feels like he has to hold on to this promise forever. Jacob has always had a crush on Linc, but they've never done anything to pursue the attraction.

Now that they're on a crew together, they can't help but spend more time together and Linc can no longer outrun his feelings. They start a "let's just get it out of our system" relationship. Which honestly is my favorite, cause we all know they'll end up together, but, they're just like, maybe one more time will do the trick? I love it.

They have obstacles to overcome with their work and Linc has a tough time getting past his friendship duty to Wyatt, but Jacob is steadfast both in his decision to be in this relationship as well as in his decision to pursue this career. Linc is more reluctant, but once he fully opens his heart, he doesn't let anything else come in their way.

Now I'm excited to jump again and get into the third book in this series.

Ohmygoodness--loved!

Lincoln is a smoke jumper. His childhood had been rough, and what made it bearable was his best friend Wyatt and his family. Wyatt was there for him at crucial times--he literally saved his life more than once--which made it easier for Linc to excuse his friend's less admirable qualities, especially his OTT homophobia.

As Wyatt's much younger brother, Jacob unfortunately saw more of the bigot in his older brother and less of the hero. He chose to become a smoke jumper more in spite of his brother's legacy than because of it--and that fact that it will bring him closer to Linc, his teenage crush? Could be a plus, or it could be torture. Because Linc made a promise to Wyatt that he'd stay away from his brother...

The push and pull between these two was really something--they were just wonderful together. Linc, though, had all kinds of hangups--technically, he's still in the closet; his promise to Wyatt hangs over him; Jacob is ten years younger; and they're coworkers. He has so many reasons to not pursue a relationship, and just one to give it a chance: jacob. Will it be enough?

Of course it will--this is a romance! But how will they get to their HEA? Read Burn Zone to find out!

Burn Zone is the first book in Annabeth Albert's new Hot Shot series, and does it ever get off to a great start :) I cannot wait for book two! (I will, of course. But that teaser... OMG.)

Rating: 4 stars / A-

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book

Ohmygoodness--loved!

Lincoln is a smoke jumper. His childhood had been rough, and what made it bearable was his best friend Wyatt and his family. Wyatt was there for him at crucial times--he literally saved his life more than once--which made it easier for Linc to excuse his friend's less admirable qualities, especially his OTT homophobia.

As Wyatt's much younger brother, Jacob unfortunately saw more of the bigot in his older brother and less of the hero. He chose to become a smoke jumper more in spite of his brother's legacy than because of it--and that fact that it will bring him closer to Linc, his teenage crush? Could be a plus, or it could be torture. Because Linc made a promise to Wyatt that he'd stay away from his brother...

The push and pull between these two was really something--they were just wonderful together. Linc, though, had all kinds of hangups--technically, he's still in the closet; his promise to Wyatt hangs over him; Jacob is ten years younger; and they're coworkers. He has so many reasons to not pursue a relationship, and just one to give it a chance: jacob. Will it be enough?

Of course it will--this is a romance! But how will they get to their HEA? Read Burn Zone to find out!

Burn Zone is the first book in Annabeth Albert's new Hot Shot series, and does it ever get off to a great start :) I cannot wait for book two! (I will, of course. But that teaser... OMG.)

Rating: 4 stars / A-

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book

Both Linc and Jacob have been attracted to one another for years. But as the older brother's friend, Linc takes it upon himself to distance himself. He distances himself even further for the sake of his best friend, a homophobic jerk who has his back, but with conditions. Linc's history is a lonely one and a bit sad too so it's far more complicated for him than just opening his heart to love from the young man he secretly yearns for.

Jacob isn't as complicated, he's far more brave in the face of expectations and others' comfort levels. He's determined to live his best life and that includes finally having Linc after being pushed away so many years ago. But nothing is ever easy and his youth makes him blind to the homophobia and expectations that trap Linc.

Together they were so very hot and also incredibly sweet. They have such a hard road to travel before they can be together and it mainly circles around Jacob's family. There was a bit too much self-denial and Linc's martyr attitude for my liking. In addition to that I found Jacob to be incredibly selfish at times. His courage was brazen, but it was often at the expense of Linc. Yes, Linc totally needed to get out of his own way and finally stand up for his own heart and be as brave as Jacob, but Jacob's pushing was a bit too much for me at times.

They do get it together and when they do it's all kinds of sweet. Jacob stands up to his family and brings up excellent points that essentially slap his family in their faces with hypocrisy. And, damn, were they sexy together. Linc was such a good man and finding his heart belonged to Jacob only brought out all that good even more. Jacob evolved in such positive ways over the course of the book through both his hotshot training and with Linc. If the rest of the series plays out like this one I'm going to be one very, very happy reader.

I was in a fireman romance kick when I requested this book. At first I was interested in this book but quickly came to realize it was an erotica which isn't something I'm a fan of. I figured I'd read this book anyways but just that I would skip the graphic steamy scene and just stick to the story in general. I feel like I skipped most of the book and the story that was left was okay. I was hoping for more out of this knowing more about the characters, their backgrounds and such. The story overall was overdone I've read plenty of LGBTQ books and got more out of the story then just steamy scenes. Now that I'm finished reading this book I would say its okay.

I wanted to love Burn Zone. I’ve tried to read this one a couple of times and unfortunately it’s been a struggle to feel engaged with the plot. I will try other books from Annabeth Albert in the future. DNF at 19%

This book starts off by introducing the reader to a cast of mostly male characters who are smoke jumpers in a small town. Each man has been on the crew for a long time and understands the risks that are involved with stopping fires within the area. Lincoln is a long time member of the crew who is concerned when his friend’s brother wants to join the team after his brother’s death. Lincoln wants to save the new young hot shot, Jacob, from the deadly nature of their jobs.

Lincoln is a man who has mostly kept to himself over the years since it is not widely known that he is gay. Jacob on the other hand has been out with his family for a few years and he knows there are old sparks between him and Lincoln. The two spend time circling around each other and their feelings for one another. They eventually decide to let their passion be unleashed one night and sparks fly.

I have to say the strength of this book was the connection between Jacob and Lincoln. I really loved reading about the pair of them and how they were so attracted to one another but had issues forming a relationship and also making it work. It felt very real to me and I enjoyed watching them triumph and also have moments of doubts. Jacob was certainly a favorite of mine because he knew what he wanted and he wasn’t afraid to try new things, to take a leap of faith that things would work. I do have to say one small element that is a little drawn out is Lincolns refusal to move forward with his life in a more positive way. Lincoln provides all of the issues in their relationship and while I understand why he was hesitant about issues, he does hold up the story for quite a long time with his way of thinking and attitude.

Overall, if you are looking for a good M/M romance where there is depth of feeling and passion then this is the story for you. I really can not wait to read more books set in this world because Albert is a new to me author but you can be sure this isn’t the last book of hers I will read. Now to wait impatiently for High Heat, the second book in the series.

While I enjoyed this book I didn't love it as much as I would have liked. I just didn't connect with these characters and found Linc to be a little off putting at times. I'm glad that he and Jacob found their HEA but overall this story was just so-so for me.

I love anything Annabeth Albert writes, some books more than others. Burn Zone is now one of my favorites, and recommended to anyone who is a fan of Ms Albert’s books or new to them.

Hello smoke jumpers!! These daredevil firemen are a new world for me, and a new series for Annabeth Albert, and I enjoyed my first excursion into their hot and hectic lives.

In Burn Zone, we first meet Linc, a seasoned veteran on the smoke jumper team. Continuing to beat himself up over the loss of his close-as-a-brother best friend and work teammate, Wyatt, Linc feels a sense of responsibility when Wyatt’s younger brother Jacob joins the team.

Linc had always been close to Wyatt’s family and watched Jacob grow up. But a promise to Wyatt to leave Jacob alone, a promise he intends to honor regardless of how much he wants Jacob, haunts Linc even after Wyatt’s death. And yet, despite this, there is a growing attraction between the two men. An attraction that Jacob felt as a teenager, and now intends to act on as a grown man.

First of all, I have to say that I absolutely loved Jacob. He was so full of life, energetic, and just an all around good guy. He may have had a carefree past, but he was now focused on what he wanted: to be a smokejumper like Wyatt, and to love Linc. And Linc was an interesting guy himself. He grew his own food and stayed to himself, preferring to spend the time when he was not at work alone with just his dogs, beating himself up over a promise he made to a man that is no longer alive. I enjoyed both of these characters, and the attraction between them was intense and satisfying.

That is not to say that I didn’t have an issue with this story, however.

The main premise of why Linc could not be with Jacob was that he had made a promise to Wyatt. Wyatt had been his best friend, but frankly, Wyatt had seemed narrow minded. I understand how Linc could have had a best friend that didn’t share his same sexual preference. But to have one that looked down upon him for it? Wyatt seemed to have been extremely judgmental, and Linc forgoing a mutual attraction and newfound love for a promise made to a homophobe, a promise that should never have been made, grated at me. As did the reaction of the rest of Jacob’s family. Everyone seemed to be more concerned with their own opinions and prejudices than in the happiness of two people that were genuinely in love.

I was happy that Jacob’s love for Linc was greater than Linc’s hatred for himself because I thoroughly enjoyed these two men, and wanted them to find their happily ever after.

I was supposed to be part of the blog tour for this book back in April, but my anxiety-induced reading slump kept me from reading it in time. But, since I’m also on the tour for the next book in this series out this month, I wanted to still get this review in here. And I am so glad I did!

I loved this book! It was my first 5-star read in months and is the perfect combination of swoony and sexy {cw: explicit sex scenes}. The characters are amazing, the plot is solid, and Linc and Jacob have skyrocketed onto my list of favorite couples.

Linc is the absolute best person. He feels like upholding his word and keeping promises to others is more important than his own happiness. Growing up, he dealt with a lot of pain and abuse from his alcoholic father, and only his best friend Wyatt, and Wyatt’s family got him through it. He feels like he owes them everything. A because of a promise he made to Wyatt a few years before he died, Linc has done everything he can to deny his attraction to Wyatt’s youngest brother Jacob.

While Jacob has been open about his own sexuality since he was 19, he knows that Linc is very private and that he is not out openly to everyone. So while he’s had a huge crush on Linc for the last 6 years, and isn’t above flirting with him in private, Jacob remains professional at work, even after the ultimately give in to their mutual attraction.

They are both filled with so many insecurities about their relationship, especially Linc who just breaks my heart. But their chemistry and joy in each other just leaps off the page. I found myself heavily invested in their course towards a happily ever after.

I absolutely adored getting to know Jacob and Linc and experiencing their love story. I can’t wait to dive into the second book in the series!

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book as part of the Harlequin-Carina Press blog tour and through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Six years ago, Jacob Hartman came out to his family. They didn’t all handle it well, including his big brother, Wyatt. While Jacob was crushing on Wyatt’s best friend, Lincoln Reid, Wyatt was extracting a promise from Linc to stay away from his little brother. Now, Jacob has returned home to join an elite firefighting team, the smoke jumpers who parachute into the forests to fight dangerous blazes. Jacob has been preparing for this job for years, and he is ready, but Lincoln is definitely not happy to see Jacob show up as a new recruit on his team.

Lincoln takes his word seriously and he promised Wyatt he would stay away from Jacob. Wyatt’s family helped raise Linc when his father fell down on the job, and he feels he owes both the Hartmans and Wyatt to not get involved with Jacob. While Lincoln is out to a few people, most don’t know, and he isn’t sure how the Hartmans would react. Not to mention that after the Hartman family suffered the devastating loss of Wyatt being killed in the line of duty, they are not happy about having Jacob join the team as well. But Lincoln can’t help the attraction he has felt for Jacob for years, and having him on the same crew is bound to cause problems. Linc would be much happier if Jacob quit, but if he won’t, at a minimum Linc is determined to protect him.

Jacob knows that Lincoln feels the same connection that he does, but getting Linc to admit it is difficult. No matter what Jacob does, Linc keeps putting up walls and making excuses. When the sexual tension gets too high, Linc agrees to a hook up to get things out of their systems, but that plan fails when things just grow hotter between them. Jacob is dreaming about a life with Lincoln, but Linc is still more worried about his obligations than his own happiness. Now Lincoln has to decide what he really wants out of life and take a leap to find happiness with Jacob.

Burn Zone is the first book in Annabeth Albert’s new series about smoke jumpers. One of the hallmarks of Albert’s writing for me is the way she really immerses the reader in her world. Whether it is Navy SEALS or the Alaskan wilderness, or in this case, elite firefighters, I always feel like the details shine in her books. The parts of this story I enjoyed the most were the glimpses into the life of the smoke jumpers. The idea of parachuting into a fire is terrifying to me (and most people), yet these heroes risk their lives to help protect others. I love the details worked in, like the training these guys do, or what a jump is like, or the very real dangers that they face. There is a nice sense of camaraderie we see here among the firefighters that also works nicely (and makes great fodder for a series). I really felt like I could picture all of the elements of Jacob and Linc’s job and it added so much to this story.

Where I struggled here is on the relationship end. I just found I had trouble warming to Lincoln, as it felt like he was putting up needless roadblocks and it made the story drag in places as we retread the same territory over and over. I also was frustrated by Lincoln’s sense that he knows what is best for Jacob, both personally and professionally, despite the fact that Jacob is an adult who is old enough to know his own mind. He comes to the smoke jumper job having trained and gained work experience, as well as passed rigorous interviews. It is not like he just walked into this job; he is good at what he does and dedicated to working hard. Yet Lincoln’s first response is that he knows better than Jacob that Jacob shouldn’t be taking this job. Linc feels like it is too hard for Jacob’s family after losing Wyatt and he decides for him that Jacob shouldn’t be doing it, to the point where he tries to find a paperwork loophole that will get Jacob fired. I’ll admit, one thing that makes me nuts is when people make decision for others about what is best for them, so this didn’t sit well with me. While Jacob’s family may be pressuring Lincoln to “take care of” Jacob, his insistence that Jacob is wrong for this job felt unfair.

Outside of the job, things are even more frustrating. Jacob is clear he wants Lincoln, and has wanted him for years. He is 25 years old, and while there is a 10-year age gap, Jacob is not an inexperienced child. Wyatt was a homophobe who didn’t accept Jacob coming out, nor did he accept Lincoln. He made homophobic comments and had Linc swear to stay away from Jacob. Yet even after Wyatt’s death, Lincoln feels honor bound to keep this promise. It isn’t even just Wyatt being an overprotective big brother; he wants Lincoln to stay away because of his homophobia. Yet Lincoln time and again prioritizes Wyatt’s desires over his own or Jacob’s feelings. And that feels like just the first of the excuses: he doesn’t want to upset the Hartmans, the guys work together, Lincoln may be leaving town soon…. So this whole story feels like a push and pull where Jacob is trying to convince Lincoln to act on his feelings and Lincoln coming up with a million reasons why he can’t. Even if some of them are legitimate, this whole idea of prioritizing his homophobic friend and his quasi-homophobic family’s desires over Jacob’s feelings didn’t sit well with me. I just got tired of the repetition and watching Jacob basically begging for some scraps of affection. Meanwhile, Jacob acts like the sun rises and sets on Lincoln and feels he is not worthy of the man. So by the time they get together, I just didn’t have much excitement over their connection as I was kind of fed up with Lincoln.

Things picked back up for me toward the end when there is some excitement surrounding their job and things get nicely intense. While I saw the conflict coming, Albert gives it a spin I wasn’t expecting and it gave the book some momentum I felt like it really needed. I liked the way things all came together and enjoyed the intense scenes and more glimpses into the world of the smoke jumpers.

So for me, this one was good, but had some issues that made it hard for me to fully get excited about the story. The next book features a side character we meet here that has me intrigued, so I’ll be giving that one some consideration.