I was very excited when I heard this author would be releasing a series featuring smoke jumpers. As expected, the setting and storyline in Burn Zone was fantastic, complete with some great action scenes as well as a glimpse into the harrowing job of wildland firefighters. Overall, I really liked the plot and slow-burn romance, but found some aspects of the characters frustrating to the point that it pulled me out of the story a bit.

Burn Zone keyed in on a number of tropes: best friend’s brother, May-December, hurt-comfort, coworkers, and out-for-you plotlines, making Linc and Jacob’s relationship cumbersome to navigate to say the least. Add in a less that accepting family and the recent loss of a family member, and this couple had to navigate a lot to get to their happily-ever-after. While I liked both main characters straightaway, I did find Linc’s incessant waffling and frequent self-flagellation off-putting. That isn’t to say the characters’ backgrounds didn’t explain their personalities, actions, or hesitation to publicly pursue a relationship, it just got tiring after a while. Similarly, while I fully accept that Jacob’s family’s reaction to his and Linc’s relationship is a reality for many within the LGBTQIA community, I didn’t love its resolution. I wanted better for these two, and it’s always hard to settle for a good-enough outcome to a major conflict.

In the end, though I struggled with some aspects of Burn Zone, I did like the story and will be continuing the series. I think this romance is best suited to readers who love slow-burn romances with a good amount of pining and don’t mind some angst over coming out.

I love Annabeth Albert. I stumbled up on her on Goodreads somehow and my life hasn't been the same since. Linc and Jacob's story was one of my absolute favorite reads. There is something about a brother's best friend that just does it for me. This was no different. Their chemistry is off the charts and it wasn't a one and done deal. They couldn't get enough of each other and being together finally proved to Linc that he deserved happiness.

Review

This was awesome! It’s about a slow burn – ha – see what I did there? – romance with elements of age gap and loads of secrets and a little angst.

It’s super sexy and really sweet and very satisfying in the end.

I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to the next book in the series.

I’m giving it 4.5 (instead of 5 stars) because I got a little tired of the waffling that Lincoln does.

4.5 of 5 stars

Stevie‘s review of Burn Zone (Hot Shots, Book 1) by Annabeth Albert
Contemporary Gay Romance published by Carina Press 27 Apr 20

I’m always excited to see a new series from Annabeth Albert, to meet a new set of characters linked by location and profession. This time we find ourselves with the firefighters of rural Oregon as they begin the season with new recruits to the team joining seasoned veterans, some out of both groups still mourning the loss of a loved member of their actual and work family. Nine months after Wyatt Hartman died in a fire, his younger brother Jacob is keen to join Wyatt’s old team, much to the displeasure of Wyatt’s best friend Lincoln Reid, who had long before promised to keep Jacob safe – including from himself.


Jacob has harboured a crush on Linc for at least as long as he’s wanted to be a firefighter, but the age gap between them, not to mention Wyatt’s homophobia, always kept them apart. Having achieved one ambition, Jacob is keen to work on the other, especially since Linc’s behaviour at Wyatt’s funeral gave him reason to believe his feelings are reciprocated. Linc is having none of it, however, especially since he’s not out to the rest of Jacob and Wyatt’s family, who have always been more supportive of him in other areas of his life than was his father.

Working together ramps up the tension between the two men, and Linc makes plans to move away, but not before he’s reluctantly agreed to a no-strings liaison with Jacob – just to get things out of their systems. The plan doesn’t have the expected effect, and the two grow closer, even as Linc continues to conceal his identity from his co-workers and his family-of-choice. Eventually, of course, circumstances conspire against Linc, and he’s forced to make some big decisions, which he fears will cause him to lose all of those he holds dearest.

While I liked the glimpses we saw of Linc and Jacob’s work and home lives, not to mention all the descriptions of the area in which they live, I found the constant emphasis on how a relatively small age gap by my standards was such an insurmountable obstacle to the two of them getting together. Yes, it was a factor in them not getting together when Jacob first came out, but once he was in his mid twenties and Linc was only just into his thirties, it was hardly something that would create alarm in any couple of whatever genders. That aside, this was an excellent start to another highly promising series, and I’m keen to see who the author will introduces us to next.

Grade: B

This was an interesting and exciting series opener. It centers around a team of smoke jumpers, or wildfire firefighters. Lincoln is the seasoned member who lost his teammate and best friend on the job. Lincoln made a promise long ago to steer clear of his younger brother when he came out, and he had every intention of keeping that promise.
Needless to say Lincoln was less than happy when Jacob showed up wanting to join the team. Not only is Lincoln fighting to get past his bff’s death and his promise to stay away from Jacob, he now has to deal with him doing the same thing that took his brother’s life, for which Lincoln carries a lot of survivor’s guilt.
So, this is a slow burn with a pretty obvious age gap, but Jacob is old enough, knows what he wants and has worked hard to get it. Jacob was pretty likable, unlike Lincoln, who was pretty dreadful to Jacob for a good part of the story. It took a long time for me to warm up to Lincoln. His stubbornness was a total downer. But, they have good physical chemistry and lots of steamy sex, but the relationship takes a while to get on the same path.
One thing that bugged me was the family dynamics and their reactions to things, such as Lincoln and Jacob’s relationship.
All in all, it wasn’t as exciting as I was expecting, but it was enjoyable and interesting, and I am looking forward to seeing where the story goes next.

A good romance book, quick read. Very fluffy haha Overall I enjoyed it, though some parts did lag for me. If you like romance than I definitely suggest picking this one up!

Annabeth Albert is one of my favorite authors, but I have to admit that I didn’t love Burn Zone as much as I loved many of her other books. However, that doesn’t mean that I disliked the book or wouldn’t recommend it. I thought the job of smoke jumper was really intriguing to learn about, and I did enjoy both main characters – Lincoln and Jacob. Despite that, I felt worse for Jacob, since he’s the one who really wanted to try a relationship with Lincoln. He was putting his heart on the line a lot more than Lincoln, who kept trying to say it was a summer thing and that was it.

I did feel bad for Lincoln. He had his reasons for wanting to keep Jacob away, and I could understand them, but that doesn’t mean that I agreed with them. Him and Jacob were adults and they should have been able to talk to each other as adults – but Lincoln still sees Jacob as his best friend’s little brother and therefore, he doesn’t always treat him as well as he should.

Burn Zone is the first in a new series – with the next book following a different couple – and I will definitely be reading it!!

This new series is aimed to feel similar to Off Base and subsequent novels in the Out of Uniform series. Instead of military officers, this series will revolve around those who fight fires.

As I'm an Australian reviewer, the idea of reading this one earlier in the year sat a little close to home, so I've bided my time before starting it. And I'm glad I did. The novel isn't hugely graphic on fire fighting sequences, but it is a major plot point at about three quarters of the way through, inclusive of injuries of two major characters.

The first chapter of this book happens six years before the majority of the rest of the story. It is a conversation between Linc and his best friend Wyatt where Linc promises that he will never make moves on Wyatt's little brother Jacob - who has just come out as gay.

Flash forward and it's just under a year since Wyatt's death due to a malfunctioning piece of safety equipment. Jacob is just about to join the smoke jumpers and Wyatt and Jacob's mum is reasonably having a bit of a meltdown over it. Because of that, she asks Linc to try to talk Jacob out of doing this kind of work. Or, at the very least, keeping him out of trouble while there.

The trouble is that Linc and Jacob haven't really talked since they had sex after Wyatt's funeral. Linc can't look at Jacob without wanting him and the feeling is pretty mutual. But there's that damn promise that Wyatt got Linc to make to him six years ago that's getting in the way of everything.

This was a sweet novel, a good start to the series, that made me want to shake Linc at times for his emotional constipation. Something I really did love about this book, though, was the way that so much of the last quarter of the novel was dedicated to these boys actively finding a way that worked for them both to be together rather than it being a rushed conclusion after so much of a slow burn. Pun intended.

Expect some fire in the Burn Zone. Lincoln and Jacob are finally getting closer. But things get complicated between them.Lincoln has promised Jacob's brother that he won’t pursue Jacob. Things have changed especially since Jacob is starting his training in his squad. I definitely feel for Lincoln because he wants to keep his commitment but he has a very strong attraction for Jacob. And Jacob is not making it easy for Lincoln either. Jacob may be over his head but he wants to make it through the smoke jumper program. It’s going to take it all. And it does not hurt that he has Lincoln. He has always been Jacob's dreams, and he is more than willing to go for it. Their attraction is on fire. But their constant back and forth was not. If they could have removed it, it would have been better.

3.5 stars

This was a very sexy and steamy MM romance. It featured several different tropes including: best friend's little brother, workplace/forced proximity, age gap, and even a little second chance. Linc and Jacob share a lot of history, which complicates the growing feelings between them. I understand why Linc held back, but his hot and cold behavior did wear on me. Through the book they grow and open up to each other and I loved seeing their more vulnerable sides. It was such a contrast to the rugged and macho men they were at work. The sexy times were smoking hot and the sexual tension and chemistry made for some very explosive scenes.

This is my first book by the author and though I enjoyed the writing overall, the pacing was a little slow at times and the book felt overly long. It was still an enjoyable romance though and I'm excited for Garrick's book next!

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

3-3.5 stars

I consider Annabeth Alberts one of my go to authors. I really enjoy MOST of her books. I was really excited about this new series! I mean... the cover is everything! I love it! I’ve read a couple of smoke jumper books before... but all have been MF. So, I was super excited that I was going to read a m/m one!

First impression of this book was that it was a slow burn. I had a hard time staying focused. I kept putting the book down. I also want to say I fell madly in love with this book! And that I couldn’t put it down. But I can’t. I struggled with Linc... the main character. He was very hard to connect with. I really didn’t like Wyatt either. But Linc was so wishy washy for most of the book. It was just hard for me.

Their first kiss felt off. There was no build up to it. Especially how it happened. I even reread the page before leading up to the kiss to see if I had missed anything. Because it just felt weird.

Linc’s hot and cold feelings towards Jacob was over the top. It went on for a good chunk of the book. Jacob had a big crush on Linc for years. I felt that played a big part in way Jacob was willing to let his heart get crushed by Linc. He didn’t care how Linc treated him... as long as they could be together. I felt bad for him.

I wish Linc’s frame of mind didn’t last as long as it did in this book. Linc was holding on to this promise he made years ago. And it effected how I felt about him. It was hard for me to fully embrace him. I kinda felt Like Jacob deserved better.

But, I’m happy how it all ended. And somewhere towards the end... I was pulled back into this story. So I am interested to reading the next book in this series High Heat! Hopefully the next book in this series is more my speed.

I really loved the set building in this one, and I'm a huge fan of man-angst. This for whatever reason just didn't resonate with me the way that other books from this author have, I'm thinking it was a "me" thing.

I’ve read several books by Annabeth Albert and I have to say that Burn Zone wasn’t my favorite out of all of them. (That would be Squared Away, but that’s another book in another series and pretty tough to beat… ❤ ) That doesn’t mean I disliked it though – it just didn’t blow me away.

I liked Linc and Jacob, but I have to admit that it took me a while for Linc to win me over and I still wasn’t “team Linc” by the end of Hotshots. Jacob was nothing but honest and sincere from the beginning. It wasn’t that Linc was dishonest, but he spent a lot of time hiding – even from himself. I also had a hard time with Jacob’s family, but you’ll have to read Hotshots to see if they redeem themselves for you or not. In my opinion, even by the end, they still had a long way to go.

The rest of the supporting characters were great and I’m looking forward to getting to know the rest of the crew, if that’s where the series takes readers. I’m hoping so because there were a couple that I’d really like to get to know better. 😉

Very well written. I loved the relationship with these two characters. The author clearly did a lot of research on the subject of dropping into fires, etc. What a fantastic look at that world. Can't wait to see what is next for this group.

It took me a while to get through 'Burn Zone'. All the ingredients for a sure-fire win were there, but ultimately it just didn't deliver.

First, what I liked: a friends-to-lovers romance with lots of sizzle!

Linc and Jacob spent years circling around each other, and that's obvious from the almost tangible pull between them.

From the moment they gave in, they were hot.

But it wasn't just the physical - the emotional connection was also apparent. They didn't have an awkward getting to know each other phase, or any major secrets that the other didn't know.

They'd been in each other's lives for years, and their developing relationship built on top of the friendship they already shared. It was sweet how both men went into caretaker mode for each other.

However, the third person in the relationship really put a damper on things. Wyatt - Jacob's deceased brother and Linc's best friend - was an absolute toxic tool.

And yet his ghost was there at every turn, forcing Linc into self-recrimination and loathing. And in turn, Linc treated Jacob very unfairly. It seemed that Jacob had to fight Linc every step of the way in moving their relationship forward.

Maybe I just wasn't the right head-space, but it really irked me the way Linc behaved with Jacob, and how he never saw past his friendship with Wyatt to recognize what an awful person Wyatt was.

In fact, the latent homophobia in Jacob's family as a whole is never really resolved, which just left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth.

In the end, while I found it easy to root for Linc and Jacob - and I was glad to see them get the HEA they deserved! - I just wasn't fully invested.

annabeth's latest series focuses on a group of smokejumpers and it's oh-so-hot. like so, so hot. burn zone finds lincoln reid battling the attraction he's always felt for his best friend's younger brother, jacob.

oh, and by the way, the best friend is dead. and he died on the job.

so jacob joining the smokejumping team makes no one happy except for poor jacob who has been working toward this for years. and also he's basically spent the same amount of time dying to jump lincoln's bones only to be denied at every turn.

but then they just can't stop the fire that burns between them. and the risks of the job, the risk of loving each other, it's all worth it. and annabeth just delivers on another emotional and sexy story.

**burn zone will publish on april 27, 2020. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/carina press in exchange for my honest review.

I've waffled back and forth on how I feel about this book, and that has made it hard to review. On one hand, I really liked some things. I liked Jacob especially. He's a likable guy, focused, and he's got a lot going for him. He's also surrounded by over protective friends and family and I felt like he handled them really well. I liked so many of the side characters, too.

Where I had trouble was really around Linc. And the thing is, I liked Linc a lot, I just had a very hard time with how he allowed others to treat him. Specifically someone who was supposed to be his best friend. The complications of that relationship and how it impacted his life and happiness made me really angry. Sometimes I'm okay with situations like this. Linc had his reasons for putting up with the crap his BFF inflicted on him. But this time it really hit me wrong and it made me too angry to enjoy the book all the way through.

Of course there is that eye opening moment when Linc takes the leap and decides his happiness if far more important than keeping promises to his best friend who had, honestly, treated him poorly and never understood him or had his best interests at heart. So this was a hard one for me because so much of the story is Linc getting his head straight and doing something for himself... something that makes him happy. Linc and Jacob's happy ending made up for a lot of the anger I had, but maybe not enough.

Oh man this book was steamy in more ways than one (haha see what I did there!?!) But in all seriousness I really enjoyed this book, it was my first read by Albert but I'm already excited to pick up more and I'm in luck as the next 2 books in this particular series are both released later this year! I loved that the book is centered around a smoke jumper crew, it upped the stakes without relying on forced drama. I would have loved to get to know some of the other new recruits more and I would have liked a little more background on what exactly happened to Jacob's brother but it was great getting to see so much of Linc and Jacobs' relationship unfold. I also really appreciated that issues in Linc and Jacobs' relationship weren't focused around not communicating, it's such a common plot point in romance that it's always nice to see a plot that doesn't focus around it.

4.5
Burn Zone is the first book in a new series, Hotshots, by the fabulous Annabeth Albert. I love when one of my favorite authors starts a new series! The Hotshots are a group of smoke jumpers who have a very dangerous job. Burn Zone is an older brother's best friend romance! It's sexy, suspenseful with a side of fun. Lincoln promised his friend he would stay away from his brother. It has been easy to do until Jacob lands in his crew as their new rookie. Now they have to see each other every day and their chemistry is as hot as the fires they are fighting. Jacob has had a crush on Linc since he was nineteen. He's all grown up now and he's not going to walk away from the connection he feels with Linc. Even if Linc wants to try to ignore it. After one kiss, will the promise of a short term affair kill their need for each other? Or will it ignite into something neither one of them can ignore? I love a good forbidden, older brother's romance! Jacob and Linc were so hot together, but they were also funny and sweet. I loved that we also got to see them doing their job. It added that little extra for me! I loved the push and pull and the little bit of angst. Looking forward to the next on in the series!

"I believe I was promised couch sex, but you've got old-man recovery issues and I don't want to overstay my welcome"
"Simmer down."

I didn't have any idea what a smokejumper did (besides the most obvious aspect) before reading this book, so it was both entertaining and educational. I really enjoyed the characters and their interactions. The romantic progression made sense and that's a big thing for me.