I’m a big fan of Annabeth Albert’s and a new book from her is always a red letter day on my calendar! Burn Zone is book one in her new Hotshots series which features a group of guys who work as Smoke Jumpers in the fictional Painter’s Ridge in central Oregon – and I admit I had to look up Smoke Jumping as I’d never heard of it before! There are undoubtedly shades of the author’s excellent Out Of Uniform series here in terms of the camaraderie and close-knit relationships between team members, as well as the obvious fact that the characters from both series work in dangerous – potentially life-threatening – professions, but I enjoy the character types and sorts of through-thick-and-thin friendships Ms. Albert is skilled at creating, so those similarities worked for me.

Lincoln Reid has always been something of a loner. After the death of his mother when he was young, he was either ignored or knocked around by his drunken, abusive father, the one good thing in his life his best friend Wyatt Hartman and Wyatt’s family, who pretty much adopted Linc as one of their own. Linc and Wyatt always intended to become Smoke Jumpers together, and years later, have achieved that ambition and are still friends, even though Wyatt’s obvious bigotry when he found out Linc was gay made some dents in their friendship, and his tendency to make unpleasant comments about it mean they’re not as close as they once were. When the book opens, Wyatt is pissed because his nineteen-year-old brother Jacob has just come out, and he warns Linc to stay away from him. Linc tells Wyatt there’s no need to worry and tells him to mind his own business… although he can’t deny that he does enjoy Jacob’s company and finds his youthful confidence, his outgoing nature and most of all, the warmth of his smile, very appealing. But Jacob is ten years his junior and his best friend’s little brother. Firmly off limits.

Six years later, and nine months after Wyatt’s death in an accident, Linc is surprised – and not in a good way – when Jacob turns out to be one of their squad’s newest recruits. It’s bad enough that the Hartmans lost one son to the job, and Jacob must surely be aware what signing up for this could mean for his family – but worse, all the feelings of attraction Linc has steadfastly buried over the past six years come rushing back… and he’s not sure how long he’ll be able to keep them at bay.

At nineteen, Jacob had a massive crush on Linc, but has come to accept that nothing is ever going to happen between them – or had, until the day of Wyatt’s funeral when, devastated with grief and unable to hold back any more, Linc kissed him and all Jacob’s buried – but never abandoned – hopes and wants came roaring back. He knows he’s the last person Linc expects to see at the start of training, but he’s worked hard for his shot and isn’t going to let Linc’s obvious disapproval or his mother’s fears get in the way of fulfilling his dream. And now that he knows that there is more than one-sided attraction between them, he’s also determined to show Linc that they deserve a chance at pursuing something more than friendship.

Even though Linc and Jacob embark on a sexual relationship early in the book – and yes, Ms. Albert trots out the old ‘one time to get it out of our systems’ trope but she tempers the corniness of it by having both guys realise it’ll never work even before they jump into bed – their romance is (befittingly) a slow burn as they go from secret booty calls to overnight stays to simply hanging out and enjoying each other’s company out of bed as much as in it. The relationship is lovely – for the first time in a very long time Linc realises he’s happy, and so is Jacob, who at long last has the man he’s wanted for so long by his side, both personally and professionally. But the conflict in the romance – supplied by Linc’s doubts, his secrecy, his attempts to keep Jacob at arm’s length and his blow-hot-blow-cold attitude – go on for a little too long, and I started to dislike the way Jacob kept making allowances and accepting the crumbs of affection that were all Linc was prepared to offer. Jacob’s a wonderful guy and at times I almost began to agree with Linc’s assessment that he deserved better! I admired the understanding and patience Jacob displayed, but I wish he’d called Linc on his crap earlier.

Linc has a lot of baggage to work through, and his loneliness and sadness, the longing he feels for Jacob are so superbly rendered that they leap off the page. I’ve never been a big fan of the best-friend’s-sibling trope with its invariable ‘stay away’ order from the bestie, but Annabeth Albert makes it work here because of the way she’s characterised Linc as a man so bound up in his perception of honour, of himself and what he owes to others that he feels he’s not entitled to put his own wants and needs before anyone else’s. He has to learn to choose himself before he can choose to be with Jacob.

Ms. Albert has obviously done her research as regards the work of the Smoke Jumpers and all the other work they do throughout the season to try to prevent fires as well as the work they do when fighting them, which is interesting and adds a sense of authenticity to the story. She also creates a strong sense of camaraderie between the crew members, men and women who do an incredibly dangerous, highly skilled job they obviously love, but who work for a living to provide for their families and sometimes struggle to make ends meet. There’s an extraordinary ordinariness (if you will) about these guys and their family lives and relationships, and I really liked the way that those two things balanced each other throughout the story.

Linc and Jacob are engaging, three-dimensional principals, plus there’s a strong secondary cast I’m sure we’re going to see more of in future books. The well-established setting, well-written relationships and a sexy, slow-burn romance combine to make Burn Zone a solid start to the Hotshots series and an enjoyable read overall.

I'm a big fan of Annabeth Albert's MM romance novels and was excited to see she had a new series coming out. Burn Zone is book #1 in the Hot Shots series and we are introduced to a team of smoke jumpers, a highly dangerous job that can save many lives, but also take lives too.

After his older brother dies, Jacob joins the smoke jumpers squad. His brothers best mate, Lincoln, also a smoke jumper, is not happy to see him there. But it's not just the danger that makes him upset about Jacob being on his crew. 

These two have a complicated history of attraction between them and Jacob is out to make it even more complicated. I really did enjoy the friendship that developed between Jacob and Lincoln and I liked how it turned into much more despite the reservations that Lincoln had. 

I wasn't a big fan of Jacob's family, I have never understood the way people can treat others just because of their sexuality, and I certainly don't understand how family or friends can behave in such an unsupportive manner. Learning how Jacob's brother treated Lincoln who was supposed to be his best friend, really made me question whether you'd really want a friend like that. 

I look forward to the next book in this series. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for a digital copy of this novel in return for an honest review.

This is my first Annabeth Albert read and I have mixed feelings about it.  First the good stuff, Lincoln Reid is an interesting and deep character.  He is the type of man that feels too deeply to see that he is hurting himself.  The type of man that needs a strong yet light-hearted partner to bring him out of his head.  Jacob is the perfect partner for Lincoln.  The type of man for whom life is a challenge that he readily meets but not at the expense of the people around him.   Also, a plus was the smokejumper training and action scenes. They were well done and developed making for a realistic feel to the read.   Where my mixed feelings come in is that this is a very slow burn with Lincon's rejection of Jacob becoming repetitive and throwing the flow of the story off.  I found my interest waning and had to put the book down and come back to it.   

Overall, a good romance story with solid characters.

MM Romance Set In The World Of Granite Mountain/ My Lost Brothers. This is book 1 of a new series that takes a fairly bold and atypical approach - it sets a MM romance in the hyper masculine world of hotshots and smokejumpers - paramilitary firefighter specialists seemingly primarily employed in the western part of the US. (Having spent my life in the southeastern corner of the US, I've never heard of these groups outside of this book, Smokejumper by Jason Ramos - which I still need to actually read - and Granite Mountain/ My Lost Brothers by Brendan McDonough / Only the Brave, the movie based on that book.)

And Albert does an excellent job of combining the genre expectations of MM romance, where the sex seemingly plays as big a role as the actual romance a lot of times, with the real world implications of such a romance in such a world. At least based on my reading of Granite Mountain - my only view into that world before reading this book - the details provided seem accurate, from the way the teams work and effectively live together to the dangers they face both in training and in actual firefighting missions. And even in the larger world, with how uncommon anything beyond "normal" MF romance is within that community and thus the resistance a "non-standard" couple could/ likely would face there with family and friends.

Truly an outstanding effort in the field, I very much appreciate the author being willing to take risks and go into atypical areas. Very much recommended.

Outside of my usual genres, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. I was pleased to find a decent love story with the usual trials and tribulations, exacerbated by family beliefs and loyalty. The firefighter training scenes were realistic and gave great insight into the threats and stress that the men and women deal with daily. Oh, and it does get steamy (both out in the job and between the sheets!). For more thoughts, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. Thank you to Carina Press for a digital ARC of the book.

This is the first book in a new series from Annabeth Albert, and I think fans of her Out of Uniform series are going to really enjoy this one!

Linc is a smoke jumper - he jumps out of planes to land in forests to contain/control/putout wildfires. We learn through flashbacks and also some scenes 6 years prior to the present story, that Linc promised his best friend that he would steer clear of his younger brother, Jacob, who was 19 at the time and had a major crush on Linc, who is ten years older. However, now Jacob has joined the same smoke jumper unit that Linc works for, and Linc struggles with how to come to terms with honoring his late friend's request.

These two had great chemistry together! I love the intensity of feelings between them both, and how it sort of just exploded after a while. Linc and Jacob start things off as a FWB type of deal (which, honestly, was kinda a shaky deal from the get go - if these two had just talked things out!), but of course the feels are going to come out into play. But I also loved their softer moments together, bonding over food and Linc's homegrown food, and their love of dogs.

I also loved that this spanned such a long period of time. We get the initial background 6 years prior to the story, as well as some flashbacks in-between what's currently going on. And then the story doesn't just end when things have calmed down - I like that we get some of Linc and Jacob making things work and also 6 months after, too.

My main issue was just Linc - how stubborn he was, how insistent he wasn't worthy of Jacob and he couldn't wrong his friend and risk losing his extended family. There was just so much push-pull in the middle of the book, and it was a bit frustrating, to be honest. I wouldn't have blamed Jacob if he had dipped out on him.

I really liked when the action around their job took the spotlight and became the focus of the story. Annabeth definitely did her research on this, and I think this is something she excels at (look at how detailed and realistic her SEALs were!). I don't know much about smoke-jumping, but what I read felt pretty legit. I feel like the smoke-jumping and work should have been the conflict of the story, rather than Linc's constant struggle to do the "right thing."

I can't wait for more stories in this series! I think - and hope - that we will get to see a group of friends and loved ones, much like her Out of Uniform series. Garrick needs a story, pronto!!

I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Reading this just after the terrible Australian bushfire summer, made smoke jumping seem all to real and all too dangerous. And people do risk their lives here, so the author offers a very realistic depiction of the important job Wyatt and Linc do. But they are best friends, colleagues and have each other's backs, so there's a strong sense of brotherhood here too.

But when Linc looks a bit too closely at Wyatt's little brother, Jacob, well, that changes the dynamic and tensions rise.

Jump ahead six years -- lots of guilt and grief have built up. And this is where our story starts really. Jacob is now 26, so he's certainly old enough to know his own mind. I am a bit despairing that Linc would ever find his way through and give Jacob a chance. Be aware, there is mild homophobia, and the boys do the secret thing for a long time, and that wears me down too.

But I engaged. I like this author's writing, and I keep my eye for potential future pairs, and they always have the most excellent epilogues.

Thanks Netgalley and Carina Press. This first book in a new Annabeth Albert series. I am looking forward to continuing it. Out on the 27 of April.

Burn Zone is a great new series by Annabeth Albert. It's very emotional, romantic, sexy and exciting book with firefighters jumpers. Linc lost his best friend Wyatt and he's dealing with guilt and trying to avoid the advances of Wyatt's brother Jacob. Jacob has been attracted to Lince since he was a teenager and after his brother's death, he joined the team. The book allows you to see the POV's from the Linc and Jacob, all the characters are likeable and it will have your attention from start to finish. Looking forward to the next book in this series.

Pleasant if somewhat basic m/m romance read.

Content warnings include: homophobia, death of family members, best-friend's-younger-sibling/older-brother's-best-friend trope, age gap (~25/35), forest fire, parachuting, disabling injury, sex on-page.

If you want a romance between buff men who do high-risk jobs, Annabeth Albert is the author for you, and Burn Zone delivers exactly that. There's pining, there's "this is only sex, nothing more" (except it totally is,) secret dating, a bit of angst and a lovely HEA.
I loved the extra touch of family and shared history between Linc and Jacob, and their different perceptions of Wyatt and acceptance of those differing views was a complex addition that I appreciated - obviously Wyatt-the-older-brother isn't the same as Wyatt-the-best-friend.

The smoke jumping was interesting - I had no idea such a job even existed, and personally I would have liked to see a bit more basic information about what the job entails. It seems to be some sort of special firefighting devision that works on preventing and containing forest fires and includes a lot of parachuting to the important locations? I'm not 100% clear if that is the definiton on not. What was in the book was more than enough to follow the plot, though, I just like to know details.
The Rookie plot with Jacob just starting out as a smoke jumper while Linc has a lot of experiences and helps with the training by taking him in his team worked very well.

Linc being in the closet was handled respectfully, one angsty emotions-are-running-high scene aside.

Burn Zone is a shortwhile read and pleasing romance with a bit of adrenaline, dogs and muscled men holding babies. It doesn't particularly stand out but slots in seamlessly with the author's backlist and starts of a new loosely connected series. I'm looking forward to book two, which features a disabled pansexual smoke jumper, and I'm hoping to see more of the f/f couple mentioned on the side.

Burn Zone takes us into the world of smokejumpers, and while I don't pretend to know a lot about them other than the fact that they have dangerous jobs, that didn't prevent me from thoroughly enjoying this book. As the start of a series, it gives us the ins and outs of training and the lives these guys live, but primarily the book is about Linc and Jacob and their romance. I'm a sucker for an age gap romance anyway, so that combined with a touch of the forbidden and two sexy smokejumpers, and there was no way I was gonna miss this one. Linc was a hard nut to crack, and I struggled with him in the beginning while Jacob had me from the word go. Linc's problems with the relationship are understandable, and these guys do have great chemistry, so I ended up liking them together and rooting for their happy ever after. The story is maybe a little more angsty and drawn out than I cared for, but it still kept my attention, and there are certainly some exciting and danger-filled moments along with some steamy goodness along the way. All in all, this one's a good start to a promising series, and I'll be interested to see what's next.

Burn Zone by Annabeth Albert is the first in her new Hotshots series. Lincoln Reid is an experienced smoke jumper who is reeling from the loss of his childhood best friend and work partner. When his best friend's younger brother Jacob shows up for training he knows he needs to keep his distance and encourage Jacob to quit before he gets hurt. What he doesn't expect is that Jacob is not only completely dedicated to smoke jumping but also to getting to know Linc in every possible way. Linc does his best to keep control over his emotions when it comes to Jacob but as they continue to get closer keeping things just physical starts to take their toll. The job is dangerous enough as is but will Linc and Jacob be able to work out when things between them heat up.

Lincoln has been working as a smoke jumper helping to control wildfires for years. He is cool under pressure and this icy exterior also extends to how he treats Jacob even after they start their physical relationship. It's so tough to like Linc because his actions express how much he cares about Jacob, but then he just says all the wrong things. It's like every chance he gets he just completely disregards Jacob's feelings and says he's too young (he's 25!). When he is finally able to express his feelings to Jacob I don't blame Jacob at all for taking a while to believe in this change of heart.

Jacob was a likable character with his easy jokes and caring personality. In some ways I think he gave too much of himself away in attempts to win Linc's affection. He was willing to let himself be spoken down to and that was really unfortunate. I'm glad he was able to show just how strong he was when it came to work as well as Linc. When he finally stood up for himself and his feelings I was inwardly cheering. I am also glad that he didn't just take Linc's words after the work accident and needed action to show they were really together and all in.

It's a weird book when you aren't sure if you want the main characters to end up together at the end of the book. Quite a few times during the book I didn't think Linc really deserved Jacob after everything he's putting him through. It's funny because that was the question that Linc kept asking himself too but in the end I am glad that they ended up together. I also couldn't stand Jacob's family. They were so important to Linc but they regarded 25 year old Jacob as a kid that couldn't make adult decisions and were bigoted even though they "accepted" him. On top of those things, I discovered that I am not the least bit interested in the ins and outs of smoke jumping. These factual type of scenes dragged the overall story for me.

I definitely see this new series by Annabeth Albert having potential based on the other smoke jumpers we were introduced to. Sadly my favorite parts of the book were the intimate scenes and Jacobs characters, the others and story line missed the mark for me.

A new series by Ms. Albert, BURN ZONE introduces us to the smokejumpers in the PNW region of the states. The intro and first chapter took a re-read for me to see if I'd missed something but after that, things flowed smoothly. Much of the book is daily drama and the ins and outs of the job as well as a forbidden romance with push-pull, near slow-burn start between two men with an age gap of about 10 years that have known each other since the younger was born!
There was not a LOT of action-adventure but there were a few exciting scenes. There was not a lot of undue angst. Communication was pretty decent, Linc was a little reluctant to open up about things but never really hesitated to speak... sometimes to his downfall.
Overall, it was a solid read with a satisfying enough ending and I look forward to HIGH HEAT and FEEL THE FIRE, hoping their story will continue in the background.

Thanks to Netgalley and Carina Press for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Man, I really enjoyed this MM romance. Two hot firefighter-type dudes? Check. A little angst? Check. Some sexy times? Check. A happy ending? Check.

Honestly, one thing I really liked about this one was the realistic nature of their relationship and the reactions of people around them. Jacob's family isn't necessarily homophobic, but they have issues with it and have to come to terms with it. That's the real life situation many gay people have to contend with. Not super-outspoken bigots, though we do have a fair share of those to deal with, but the less vocal and slow-to-be-won-over-gradually-changed-mindset people, those who have to separate what they've been told their whole lives and what they actually feel when confronted with a real case in their own life.

I also really like the age difference and the growly, dominant, sexy older man. He wasn't that much older, but it did add some enjoyment for me, as that's my favorite type. :)

I very much enjoyed this one and will definitely pick up book two when it's available.

With Annabeth Albert’s books I have luck more often than not, but sometimes the relationship dynamics just aren’t my cup of tea, and I’m sorry to say this is the case here. Also, with everything going on at the moment it’s difficult for me to read something about people risking their lives like that. Despite all that, I will buy this as an audiobook because while I haven’t been able to read all her books and enjoy them, listening to them usually works for me.

A brand-new series featuring firefighters and written by Annabeth Albert? SIGN ME UP!

Linc is a veteran fire jumper. He’s been through hell and back. After facing an incredible loss, he doesn’t expect his best friend’s little brother to follow in their footsteps. The warning to stay away from Jacob still echoes loudly in his mind. No matter how attracted to Jacob he is, he gave his word to stay away and that is what he intends to do.

Jacob is pure temptation. After coming out, he goes after what he wants and that’s Linc. A few rushed kisses isn’t enough for him. He takes the time to grow up, work his way to fire jumping, and deals with the fears his mother has after the death of his brother. Everyone treats him like a kid, that he needs to be protected rather than utilized as a team member.

The chemistry between the two, *fans self* it’s intense. It was a constant struggle between should they or shouldn’t they. Once they give in, it was every bit as explosive as you would hope for. Two alpha men, taking the time to bring each other to pieces with burning touches. What made this better, was the fact that it wasn’t all rose between the two men. Linc had to fight something that he had programmed into his mind. He had to learn that it was okay to be himself, yet still remain part of the family that had claimed him for so long.
Jacob challenged Linc to become comfortable with himself. Jacob stopped hiding his sexuality and his wants at the age of nineteen, it was high time for Linc to realize he could do the same. There was something about Jacob that I adored. He wanted to be an equal on the jump-team. He went after what he wanted in his professional and personal life.

The only thing that drove me crazy was how self-sacrificing Linc was. If it wasn’t so extreme this would have easily been a five-star read for me. I’m already looking forward to the next in the series.

I love stories where the author actually incorporates a person's job when it's their passion into their love story. This book presents a unique take on the best friend's brother trope because the best friend is dead plus there's still some animosity between Lincoln and his dead best friend. I appreciated the story between Jacob and Lincoln and watching their relationship evolve. It was definitely not instalove which I really appreciate because I like watching relationships develop especially ones like this one which had multiple hills to overcome including realizing they were different people than when they last spent time together as well as coming to terms with loving a vary dangerous job (parachuting into forest fires). However, at times, it was hard to understand Lincoln's internal monologues as I felt like I was missing something to his character frustrated me out of the story at times. Overall a solid read and I hope to hear more from these characters even if it's just cameo's in their teammates stories.

3.5/4:
Linc Reid is an experienced hot shot who has suffered the loss of his best friend and fellow firefighter. Linc promised his friend before he died that he would not respond to his little brother's crush. But Jacob is his own man and does not care what Linc promised his brother. Sure he has has been attracted to Linc for years even though there is an age difference. They even shared a moment in the past. But Linc is only partially out, guarded, and very private. He feels guilty, is resistant, and still considers Jacob off-limits.

Jacob is a flirt, persistent, energetic, and now is a rookie on Linc's team. So they are in close contact and the sexual tension is mounting. They are being put in tense and dangerous situations, and Linc is finally starting to cave in.

When Jacob suggests sexing each other out of their system it seems like it could work so they could move on. But is that really going to work?

I really liked how different these two were. Linc tries to be in control, but Jacob just pushes his buttons. Their chemistry is off the charts, but they also connect on a deeper level due to their history. But Linc often feels he is too old or not good enough for Jacob. And he fears how Jacob's close-knit family would respond to any whisper of them together. So then Jacob often feels that he is not enough or not worth fighting for due to Linc's resistance.

I felt for them while they struggled with going back and forth and at times was just as frustrated as they were. Sometimes I seriously wanted to shake Linc because he was so self-deprecating and so focused on things that were external to the possible relationship. But I also had to have faith that their connection would pull them through and that eventually Linc would put his needs first over old promises.

This is about priorities, overcoming fears, being vulnerable, and fighting for happiness. The camaraderie with their team and the family dynamics added depth to the story. Although I thought some of the issues just seemed too dramatic for the situation. The smoke jumper adventures added more intensity and danger. I am really interested in Garrick's book after the events in this one.

In Burn Zone, book 1 in a new series centered around Smoke Jumpers we are introduced to Linc and Jacob. These men have known each other for years, but Linc is Jacob's older brother's best friend and there is a 10 year age difference so you don't have a couple of friends to lovers situation here. You have a younger kid with a huge crush that plays out as they get older. I adored Jacob, truly. He really DID deserve far better than Linc. You see, Line is a stubborn man, Hard headed and holding on to promises made in the past. And Jacob's mom and brother(s)? I did NOT have any warm and fuzzy feelings for them. But in the end, as always, we get the HEA that Jacob deserved and I guess in the end Linc grew on me!

Burn Zone by Annabeth Albert
Hotshots #1

Lincoln Reid and Jacob Hartman have known one another for decades. Jacob is the little brother of Wyatt, Lincoln’s best friend. That Jacob had an unrequited crush on Lincoln is not a secret but Lincoln has avoided Jacob and the chemistry between them for a long time. When the two men find themselves on the same fire crew preparing for the next season it is a wee bit uncomfortable for both of them...in more ways than one. Will Jacob wear Linc down? Will Linc be able to set aside the promise he has made to Wyatt in the past? Will the two be able to find a happily ever aver or not? Well, since this is from HQN-Carina the odds are pretty good their relationship will work out just right for both of them.

What I liked:
* Jacob – a bright, happy, positive man with a goal he wanted to achieve.
* Lincoln – conflicted for more than one reason and not willing to take a chance on happiness
* The team the two men work with – seem like a good lot to work with
* Jacob’s family – there for one another, for the most part
* The bits about fire fighting
* The dogs – dogs always add to a story
* Domestic scenes: cooking, TV, family events
* The reminder that a person can have both good and bad – thinking of Wyatt – and how two people who know that person with two sides will not see that person the same way
* That the two finally ended up on the same page together

What I did not like:
* Being reminded just how dangerous being a firefighter is.
* The reminder that bigotry and homophobia are a real thing

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? I think so

Thank you to NetGalley and HQN-Carina for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

While known best – at least by me – for her Out of Uniform series, Albert takes readers into the world of smokejumpers. I had the opportunity to visit the Smokejumper Training Center in Montana several times so I may have taken some liberties with Albert’s scene description and subbed in familiar bays and forest. Sorry, Central Oregon.

Character-wise, I adored Jacob! The dear man had so many layers and best of all seemed to be a complicated mix of youthful zest for life and a pulled-together professional. Throw in his major attraction to his big brother’s bestie and I was grabbing for popcorn. Linc, the older of this duo, has so many issues tangled into a giant mess of emotions and strange loyalties to what I consider a toxic friendship. Watching Jacob and Linc navigate their professional lives while attempting to keep personal beefs and longing under wraps was definitely enjoyable.

I did struggle a bit with the pacing in some places. In particular, I found myself frustrated with Linc, and his self-flagellation really slowed the book for me. I loved the happy, relaxed scenes with the couple. Jacob made the relationship work, which kudos to him but also, come on Linc. It felt forced rather than overcoming obstacles. It is a shame because some of those intimate scenes were scorching!

Overall, I don’t think this is Albert’s best but I thoroughly enjoyed Jacob and the glimpse into the intense and often risky career of fighting forest fires. I’m a reader that struggles with some types of angst though so my inability to connect with Linc may just be related to that quirk.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed a review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.