The Review

This is definitely an emotional, steamy, and engaging read for those who like passionate LGBTQ romance reads with a hint of action, drama, and intensity. The character development and ongoing struggle of the characters felt relatable.

From Linc’s growing desire and a mixture of guilt combining with his own identity within the fire rescue crew community he had been engaged with for years to Jacob’s desire to honor his brother’s legacy and finally earn the respect of his family and the people his brother and Linc had worked with for years, the struggles of these two’s lives when combined with the intense romance brewing between them made for a compelling read.

The Verdict

A gripping evenly paced read, author Annabeth Albert’s “Burn Zone”, the first in the Hotshots series, is a must-read for any fans of the LGBTQ romance/contemporary genre. A fantastic setting and heart-pounding look into the world of fire rescue crews, the story of these two men, and the journey they go on together is something readers will not be able to put down. Be sure to grab your copy today!

A promising start to the Hotshots, Burn Zone is an overall enjoyable read. I liked Linc and Jacob but felt the stories angst pulling the characters back and forth was a little drawn out in some part. In saying that I did enjoy this story and would recommend you read it for yourself. I will be reading more of this series.

This is a gay firefighter romance and oh my goodness, I need more of that in my life! It’s the story of a man who falls in love with his best friends younger brother. There’s a lot of will they – won’t they… and of course a satisfying happily ever after.

I love reading books about people with unique professions and this book certainly delivered. Best friends brother is one of my most favorite tropes ever and this book took it a step farther than more by delivering some real angst and a heartbreaking reason why the couple couldn't be together.

This is a new-to-me author and, let me tell you, I’m very happy to find she has a decent size library for me to delve into. I loved this book and want to read more, more, more. There were butterflies and heat, I felt angst and joy. Everything I want from my romance books I got.

Although Lincoln is 10 years older than Jacob, there’s a definite feeling that Jacob is older in the ways of the world. Linc had a rough childhood. Once he found people that were kind and giving he kept himself in that bubble. Sure, when he grew up he struck out on his own and traveled to different places to hone his firefighting and lifesaving skills. But he didn’t bring that life into his life in Painter’s Ridge, and vice versa. Linc didn’t venture outside of the community of firefighters, regardless of where he traveled. While Jacob is one of those guys who’s never met a stranger. He is the life of the party, kind to all, and open and honest about who he is. That puts Jacob at an advantage when it comes to being true to himself and his heart. Linc just isn’t quite there yet.

Watching the back and forth between these two is (forgive the pun) fire. They heat up the pages of this book in an amazing way. Jacob worries about proving himself to Linc and the other firefighters, while Linc does all he can to be what he thinks those around him want to be. Yet when they’re together, all of that falls away. They calm each other and in ways nobody else can.

I’m beyond curious as to how Linc’s best friend (Jacob’s brother) Wyatt is viewed by others. It’s obvious his parents adored him and it seems possibly even put him on a bit of a pedestal, but we don’t hear from the other siblings or his wife very much. I understand, to a certain extent, why Linc stayed loyal to Wyatt even though it seems Wyatt would not have done the same for Linc as they got older. But what about his wife? Did she only get the kind side of Wyatt? Did she ever speak out about his beliefs and actions toward Jacob and Linc? I don’t know that any of these questions will be answered in this series, I doubt they will be since the series is about the firefighters and not Jacob’s family. Just thing that had me curious I wanted to express.

I’m a huge fan of firefighter stories. I’ve read some disappointments in the past that seemed to skew what these men and women do to a ridiculous extent. Since I hadn’t read this author before I wasn’t sure what to expect. Now, I’m no fire jumper expert so I may be way off base here, but I felt she handled the firefighting aspect of this story beautifully. It wasn’t too detail laden to be boring, but I got details that were interesting and helped me to see what the day to day is for these characters.

Now that I’ve found a great new-to-me author, I can’t wait for the next story in this series. This book is amazing.

The last thing Lincoln Reid expects to see in the squad's new recruits is Jacob Hartman, his best friend's little brother. Linc promised his late friend that he would stay away from his brother, but that is proving harder than he thought it would be. Jacob is everything he didn’t know he needed.

After reading a few of Albert’s Out of Uniform books, I couldn’t resist requesting this book. Jacob was a man of many layers. He was the perfect blend of youthful excitement with a professional adult. I really liked him. Linc struggles to fight with his feelings for Jacob. He has been pushing him away for years because of his promise to Wyatt but he doesn’t want to do that anymore. Once he had a taste of Jacob he didn’t want to let go, he just had to stop fighting his feelings and admit it before it's too late. I liked Linc, but his constant self-doubt weighed down the book and messed with the pacing for me. That said, watching Linc and Jacob keep their relationship personal and under wraps was still enjoyable.

Overall, I think this is a great start for a new series from Albert. The relationship was sweet, the romance scorching, and the story was pretty dang good. I look forward to the next book.

*ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.*

Rainbows and Sunshine
April 28, 2020
This is a wonderful start to a new series. It’s got so many of my favourite tropes!!

✔best friend’s brother
✔May/December(10 years)
✔slow burn
✔hurt/comfort
✔dual POV

Linc and Jacob are sooo stubborn. Oh the angst! There were so many times Jacob’s POV hurt me so much. And Linc pissed me off a couple of times. But they do get a very well deserved HEA! These two are perfect for each.

Okay, I didn’t know smoke jumpers were a job before I read this book (I think they exist only in a few countries). It is so dangerous and they are really brave. Thank you for writing these amazing stories.

Highly recommended if you like action, super hot sex, MC’s being stubborn arseholes dancing around their feelings and angst with a happy ending, then this book is for you!!

*ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

Fantastic start to a new series!

Annabeth Albert is one of my favorite MM authors. It's always exciting for me when a new book of hers comes out and Burn Zone did not disappoint. I haven't stayed up all night reading a book in quite a while but I stayed up for Burn Zone; I didn't finish reading it until 6:30 a.m. Once I started, I just couldn't stop.

The blurb gives you the details of the story so take a look at it. One of the things I love most about Annabeth's writing is how her stories get all of my emotions involved. There were definitely some hard things to read in this story – homophobia, injuries, an MC who blames himself when he shouldn't – but the HEA is wonderful and so worth any tears I shed getting to the end.

Something I really love to read in a book is a great epilogue. Burn Zone doesn't have a chapter called Epilogue but the last chapter takes place six months after the main story has concluded; to me that is an epilogue. 😊 And it's a great one.

I don't always read the stuff at the back of the book, after the story ends, but the information Annabeth writes in her Author Note and Acknowledgments is definitely worth reading. There is also an excerpt from the next book in the series – High Heat. I usually don't read those either but I couldn't resist this one. I am so happy to know that one of my favorite secondary characters will be the MC in the next book; I can't wait to read it.

A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.

***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***

Lincoln Reid lost his best friend Wyatt Hartmann in a big fire about nine months ago. They had been friends throughout childhood, Wyatt's friendly family taking care of neglected Linc from a young age. Wyatt was the first person Linc came out to--and pretty much the only person. Wyatt's youngest brother Jacob is gay, too, and Wyatt wasn't happy about it back when Jacob came out. He could see that Jacob had designs on Linc and Wyatt, in his backhanded bigoted way, forbade Linc from ever messing around with his little brother. Made some crude comments about Linc somehow turning Jacob into a gay man.

That was years ago, and they managed to keep their friendship together, but Linc holds true that he shouldn't have any romantic interest in Jacob--even though they are both grown men and Wyatt is dead. Jacob has just joined Linc's smokejumping crew of hot shots, one of many replacements for the new fire season. Linc is having enough trouble keeping himself together with the ghosts of Wyatt haunting him, and Jacob taunting him. Jacob isn't the flighty queer boy his family thought couldn't manage his life. He's a determined firefighter with years of experience and certifications. And, he's tired of his family getting all up in his business. Especially not the lingering sentiment of Wyatt who wasn't a fantastic brother for Jacob coming up in the world.

Jacob and Linc have real chemistry together; they have always had. Their connection is growing as Jacob proves himself day-in and day-out in the spring training. And, let's face it, both Linc and Jacob are lonely. Linc has no living family, and Jacob's family are too mired in their grief over Wyatt--and mad that Jacob's joined the smokejumping crew--to be a good support. Jacob proposes for him and Linc to have sex just to get the attraction out of their systems--and Linc is too attracted to let the opportunity pass him by. He's been alone too long, and grieving his lost family and friend to push Jacob away.

One night becomes another, and another, with Jacob spending more and more time in Linc's home. This means more than sex, their companionship and camaraderie fills the empty holes in each one's lives and hearts. And, as the work becomes more dangerous, Linc needs to make decisions to put Jacob at the center of his life, while still honoring his friendship bonds with Wyatt. It's a big change, and would mean Linc coming out. Can he? Will he?

It's a solid grief/comfort story mixed with the intense love of any swoony romance. Jacob's family is a tense affair, with their disapproval of Jacob's professional life choices, and the grudging approval of his life partner, well, it makes for some fights. Fights Linc doesn't want to have. He feels like losing the love of the Hartmann's--his surrogate family--could kill him, even if Jacob remained by his side. It's a touch call, and leads to a great deal of internal and external conflict for Linc. He feels like dating Jacob would dishonor the love the Hartmann's have showed him since he was a young boy--and they are quick to remind him how much he owes them--even if it's hypocritical. I really felt Linc's anguish, and grief, and tenderness and struggle. He's a good man, and he wants to take of his "family" the best way he can. Even if he has to sacrifice himself to do it. And it's Jacob's strong love and fierce contrariness that pushes Linc to change his stance. Because, when it comes down to it, living without Jacob in his life makes his life not worth living.

Expect family drama, confused firefighters, hot sexytimes and cool insight into the work and experiences of smokejumper heroes on the fire lines. The end is a definite HEA, with growth beyond grief and new love to light up days and warm up nights. I liked the story a lot, and I look forward to more stories in this compelling setting.

This book didn't wow me...

What I liked: Linc and Jacob. I really liked the two of them and what they have to overcome through this book. I like how the feelings are there for both of them throughout the book, but circumstances are what get in the way. I really thought the overall character growth was great. These boys have a really difficult job, where they have to work together, and not as equals... Throw in secret feelings and emotions and they have a while mess to deal with.

Linc is so loyal to his late best friend that he cannot see a future with the one man he thinks about constantly. Even if that best friend wasn't the nicest person, according to Jacob. This was a great take on the brother's best friend trope, but it wasn't anything I hadn't already seen time and time again.

Rating - 3,5

I loved Annabeth Albert and I loved her Alaska series but I didn't loved this one.

Jacob was a lovely character but Linc exhausting. I didn't buy his reason for not being with Jacob and his internal monologue made me roll my eyes a few times. At 368 pages, it really dragged at some parts, especially at the begining.

On the bright side - the steamy parts were very good. The writing was flawless, as usual.
I actually found the 'Smoke jumper' setting really interesting. I didn't know it existed and now I'm intriged. The secondary characters were also good, especially Garrick (Book's 2 MC).

Overall, not my favorite Annabeth Albert book, but a fine read nevertheless.

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley

I received an ARC from Netgalley and I am happy to give my honest opinion.

I have one other book by this author and enjoyed it. I have really been enjoying diverse romances with queer or POC characters so I was excited to try this one.

Linc is a veteran smoke jumper who closeted to many in his life. His best friend was not accepting of his lifestyle and he decided to keep it to himself. He has always been attracted to his best friend's brother Jacob but made a promise to stay away from him. And then his best friend dies in a work accident and he is ridden with grief and guilt.

Jacob has worked hard to be a smoke jumper. He regrets making his family hurt by his career choice after his big brother died on the job but nothing is going to stop him from succeeding. He has always lusted after Linc and after years of throwing himself at Linc he figures it's not recipcroated.

They're paired up for training and tempers flair. Jacob pushes back on Linc's guilt and Linc tries to show Jacob how much he cares through cooking and caring for him. That part of the relationship was really nice. There was give and take, building a friendship before letting their desires turn into action.

I liked this book enough but it wasn't my favorite. I couldn't really connect with Linc because he allowed his best friend to treat him like garbage. Jacob's family was something else. His mom's reaction to finding them kissing made me rage a bit. The two together were a good match and the cast of characters were fun. Check this one out if you like age gap, closeted, firefighter, best friend's brother romance.

I loved everything about this book. Albert always brings the heat but also bring characters we invest in. This is a fantastic brother's best friend book with interesting twists and turns. It's clear Albert did her research about hot shots which makes the book all the more real. The MC's are engaging and have the chemistry for a great pairing. The dialogue is clever and quick. Each character is multi-layered and deals with his own demons while being vulnerable to the other. Albert's MC's never live in a bubble- she excels at bringing family and friends into their orbit, making them intriguing as well. That is definitely the case here. It's an intense ride from the emotions to all the action that takes place. Great start to a new series! Highly recommend!!

Amazing, powerful love story. Not at all easy on the heart, though. One of the MC’s, Linc, is so incredibly torn up and conflicted, if ever a guy needed love and acceptance, both from a partner and from himself… I hated how he put so many people’s wishes (demands even) before his own, thinking it’s the right thing to do, because he doesn’t value himself enough. Jacob is exactly what he needs, but he also has a lot of battles in front of him, needing to prove himself to his co-workers, trying to get his family and Linc to understand that he is an adult, capable of making his own decisions. The attraction and emotional bond between Linc and Jacob is so incredibly strong, and truly feels inescapable in the best way. Meant to be.

Obviously this was very well-researched, and all the little details and glimpses of the hard work and danger that are an actual, inextricable part of the lives of smoke jumpers are crucial in making us understand and care that much more for Linc and Jacob.

I loved the Out of Uniform series and am thrilled to see Annabeth Albert embark on a new series that likewise focuses on a close-knit group of dedicated men in a perilous profession, with the same promise of intense emotion, danger, and most importantly, heartfelt love stories.

I couldn't put this book down! The slow burn between Linc and Jacob became a sizzling heat that rival the fires they put out.

Linc and Wyatt have been friends for years and worked together as smoke jumpers but there was one thing that had come between them, Wyatt was always warning Linc away from Jacob, his younger brother. Jacob was ten years younger then Linc and came out to his family nineteen and his brother wasn't to happy about it. This twist to the story was nicely done there was no gay bashing or drunken bar fights, Annabeth Albert shows readers a different side of things that not many people see, how families react to finding out someone is gay when they are on the homophobic side of things whether its because of religion or upbringing or personal insecurities.

Linc's promise to Wyatt about staying away from Jacob is what has Linc fighting with himself for the majority of the book but sometimes promises are made to the wrong people and they shouldn't cost you your happiness. The chemistry between Jacob and Linc is something that is worth fighting for, even if you're fighting a ghost.

If you enjoyed the OUT OF UNIFORM Series by Annabeth Albert this series is for you. I would also recommend this book to readers that enjoy the Best Friends Sibling Trope or the Hurt/Comfort Trope.

Happy Reading!!!

**I have voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book for my Blog, Nadine's Obsessed with Books**

Burn Zone doesn’t quite measure up to my favorite books by Annabeth Albert, but it’s still a very good read.

The conflict in the romance between Lincoln and Jacob revolves around Linc’s belief that the two of them can’t be together because reasons. Two of those reasons—the issues that come with dating a coworker and being concerned about coming out because of how other people might react—are understandable to me. The last reason that Linc has for not wanting to be involved with Jacob made me roll my eyes, though. At one point, Linc made a promise to his best friend, Jacob’s brother Wyatt, that he wouldn’t date Jacob, and he feels guilty about breaking his word to his dead friend. I’m not a big fan of “don’t date my sibling” plotlines to begin with, and this one is even more annoying than usual, because Wyatt is kind of an a**. With all these barriers to his relationship with Jacob, Linc takes a while to get over himself, but he does get there eventually, hallelujah.

On the plus side, Jacob is a sweetheart--and OK, Linc is likeable enough when he isn’t being an idiot. They make a good couple, and some of the scenes where they’re together are flaming hot. And I’m not talking about firefighting, either. 😉

In spite of my annoyance with the whole Wyatt situation, I enjoyed this book. Fans of the author and of stories featuring firefighters will probably find lots to like here.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

This was a fantastic start to a new series! I loved Linc and Jacob’s story and they grabbed me from the start. I enjoy when there is a level of history, or back story, to the characters and these two had it. Brother’s best friend, friend of family - they had both going for their pasts. Their chemistry was super hot! The emotional connection these two had really kept me turning the page. In addition to the super hot sexy times was the action and suspense of them working together. Their story had a lot going for it: brother’s best friend/friend of family, closeted MC, co-workers, and firefighting! One of the things it really enjoy most about Annabeth’s writing is the detail and research that goes into her series. I love the way she makes that knowledge work for her characters and it really pulls me into the story. I can’t wait to see how this series unfolds.

This is the first book in the Hotshots series. This was a wonderful start to the series, and the author really did her homework on what is involved in fighting wild fires. The characters were wonderful and the pace was excellent. A great start to a new series, I can’t wait for the next installment.

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.

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.