Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

This is the second in the Forged In Fire series by Skye Jordan. I have enjoyed Jordan’s work for a number of years and I enjoyed this story as well.

Logan and Tucker could be a bit much. Actually at times it was down right irritating. But Isabel is who really made this book for me. Logan and Isabel were childhood sweethearts so they are getting a second chance at love.

Isabel is great. She isn’t afraid to work or get her hands dirty. Yet she is all woman. She is sensitive and loving but also cautious and has been hurt before. I want to be friends with her.

Another great story from Skye Jordan. And it can be a stand alone but since it is only the second in the system I suggest getting book one, Flashpoint.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book blew me away. It's my first book by Skye Jordan. I was completely drawn in from the first scene where they are playing cards. Isabel is back in townand running from her ex. She ends up staying at the hero's (Logan) motel that he's fixing up. Logan is also someone that Isabel was attracted to in the past. Their relationship is rekindled. I thought this book was very well written with good conflict that kept me reading until the end. The character development was solid.. I enjoyed the interactions between all the firefighters. I highly recommend this book. I can't wait to go back and read the first book in the series not to mention this author's backlist.

I want to thank netgalley and the author for providing me an ARC for an honest review.

Smoke & Mirrors is the second book in the Forged in Fire Series by Skye Jordan. Another hard to stop reading book in the lives and loves of firefighters. Logan and Isabel were friends with strong feelings for each other as teenagers. Now after leaving many years ago she is back. Obviously, their attraction is still pulling them together. Unresolved past and present issues keep getting in their way.

Smoke & Mirrors has hot, hot chemistry between Logan and Isabel, but also trust issues, unlikable exs, half-truths that become whole lies to those who believed them, family heartbreak, forgiveness, and love. All of this drama includes humor and believability too.

This excellent romance also gives an inside view of the workings in a fire station, including the camaraderie of the firefighters as well as the mostly support of family even with the added stress of such a demanding career. Scenes among the firefighters were I always looked forward to reading. I always think of a wonderful Kurt Russell firefighter film from maybe twenty years ago when I am reading this series. His character would feel right at home here at this fire station.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Well, even though I Know Skye Jordan writes great stories, I still wasn’t prepared for how well I enjoyed this one. It is the second book in her Forged in Fired Series but I haven’t read that one yet……a mistake as I plan to read it next! The series takes place in a small town near Portland Oregon revolving around a fire station and three main alpha firemen, Tucker, Logan, and Cole. Isabel is Tucker’s sister, a dress designer from NYC who is running away from the city, but doesn’t want “the boys” to know. She is broke and depressed about her situation, but has such a big heart, she starts helping everywhere in this area. Logan and she dance around each other, neither one really dealing with their trust issues well. This makes for an interesting conflict and I was Isabel all the way. I wasn’t sure Logan was ever going to buck up to be the right one for Isabel. The secondary characters were fun, and I loved how the fire station kept adopting pets. This was a fun read for me and now I need to read the first book to get caught up.

I received and advanced copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

I haven’t read the first book in the series, something I will definitely rectify, but i think this can definitely be read as a standalone.

Isabel fled home, trying to escape her mother’s abusive boyfriend and managed to fracture her relationship with her best friend Maya at the same time. Following successive dead end jobs in her attempt to make it in the design world she heads home with her car load of possessions with no money, no job and an ex who is hounding her.

Isabel doesn’t expect to find community spirit or friendships so quickly in the small town of Hood Rover and she doesn’t expect to find romance in the arms of her once close friend who she lost her virginity to. All of these things make her question whether she should stay however she is still seeking validation of her worth. Isabel and Logan both have issues from their lives that they use against the other and push each other away. Through the influence of friends both start to reevaluate their lives and see their own worth and the worth in what they have.

This book had heat and not just in the form of the delicious sounding firefighters. The chemistry between Logan and Isabel is hot! There are also some humorous moments mostly related to the fire station or is it an animal centre with all the pets that the fire fighters adopt. I am looking forward to Tucker meeting his match as he seems like a sweetheart but also a bit of a cocky player.

I read this book in less than 24 hours and can’t wait to read about more of the firefighters in this series.

Although Smoke and Mirrors is the second title in the Forged in Fire series, it can easily be read as a standalone. I haven’t read the previous title and thoroughly enjoyed Logan and Isabel’s second chance, small town romance.
This pair were childhood friends and shared a brief connection and both are fighting demons from their past.
Logan is a firefighter, and Isabel’s brother’s best friend and colleague. When it comes to relationships, trust and lies, it’s a case of once bitten, twice shy and at times he can come across as quite judgmental and second guesses the motivations of others. He’s also a sweet caring, compassionate, kind and protective alpha.
Isabel is hard working, driven, kind and caring. She has made a few questionable choices in her past and is doing her best to distance herself from it all, but not everything is quite as it appears.
This pair are inexplicably drawn to each other and have undeniable chemistry. Their story is not only well written, but an engaging, entertaining and suspenseful story of family, friendship, community and love.
It’s been quite awhile since I’ve read any of Skye Jordan’s work, but this title reminded me why I’d connected with her previous work, and I look forward to future additions to this series.

Book Two in the Forged in Fire series, it can stand alone.
Isabel abruptly left town years ago, but she is running again has returned. She severed many important friendships years ago. Logan was Isabel’s friend as children and into their teens; her leaving and other events have him a little distrustful of women.
This author writes strong females, and Isabel is no exception. We get a lot of Isabel’s journey, who she was, and who she becomes. She is not afraid to do anything and always ready to help. Will Isabel and Logan get their second chance? Will Logan figure out what she is hiding?
As with all of her books, great characters, and a great story, my favorite part is the puppy! I always read her too quickly, and now we wait for the next book in the series.
Thank You to NetGalley and Cygnet books for the advanced copy; this is my voluntary review.

Isobel returns to her hometown with only change to spare after the betrayal of her ex and a disappointing career in New York. Unwilling to share her humiliating failures as a fashion designer with her brother and her best friend Logan, she keeps her reasons for returning a secret.
Logan has been attracted to Isobel since high school and now that she's back, nothing's changed. But he knows she's hiding something from him and he despises lies. But when her past catches up to her, can he really turn her away?
I love the continuation of this series. I love how the firefighter family is so close and the whole small town feel to the book is great. I was able to review the first book in this series as well and I can't wait for the next one!
I received an advance review copy of this book through NetGalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

5 Stars for this laugh-out-loud romance!

This book had me laughing so hard I was crying! The part when the firefighters were getting the parrot out of the tree ... priceless! I just loved Isabel ... she is such a genuinely nice person - putting everyone else's needs before her own. I just wish that she wasn't so hard on herself. Then there's Logan ... who wouldn't love a big burly firefighter? I loved how he couldn't say no keeping a pet who was abandoned or was in distress and did all kinds of favors so the guys in the firehall wouldn't object. The chemistry between Isabel and Logan was off the charts. And the steamy scenes ... I have no words!

When Isabel finds herself out of a job and nowhere to live, she travels across the country to go back home where her brother is. But when her brother doesn't have a place for her to stay, Logan offers that she can stay at his place. Logan bought an old broken-down motel that he plans on fixing up in his spare time. He'll let Isabel stay in his apartment and he'll stay in the one motel room that's partly fixed up. But Isabel doesn't want to put him out so she stays in the motel room ... along with the mouse family. It doesn't take long for Isabel and Logan to act on the sparks flying between them. But Logan can't stand liars like his mother and ex-girlfriend and he has no idea of the facade that Isabel has built around her life as a fashion designer. Are there too many lies for their budding romance to survive?

Not only do I highly recommend this book ... but I recommend the whole series. And I can't wait for the next book in the series ... hope it's Tucker's!

I received an early copy courtesy of Cygnet Books through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review

Isabel rolls into town on her very last dime. Scammed by her ex-boyfriend and living a lie for years she's back in her hometown. Her life a mess. Logan's sister Maya was Isabel's best friend. That friendship ended years ago when Isabel left town and cut ties. Logan's been burned before and trust is a serious issue for him. He's always been attracted to Isabel and her being back brings out those feeling but he senses she's hiding something and he'd be right. I like Isabel and Logan but they drove me nuts at time. Isabel didn't out and out lie but she omitted a lot and distracted to avoid. Logan had reason to not trust her completely. Logan had been taken advantage of before but come one you can't paint every women you meet with the same brush. Took a while to get their act together but watching it happen was enjoyable. Both were good people but needed to communicate and open up with each other. There was the right amount of humor to balance out the drama. I did not read book one in this series but you don't have to to enjoy this book. It definitely stands on it own. Isabel's brother Tucker is a bit of a little shit so we'll see if he soon get some growing up time in a future book. I look forward to that. I haven't read a Skye Jordan book in a while and this was definitely a great book to dive back in with.

What an awesome second book in this series! After her unsuccessful time in the New York fashion world, Isabel returns home to Oregon. Her brother Tucker is a firefighter with the Hood River Fire & Rescue as is her onetime best friend, Logan Roberts. Isabel is broke and in need of safe place, a place where she will feel loved. Logan has been the protector for his younger sister, Maya since they were children. Neither Logan or Isabel had a normal childhood and they both still suffer issues relating to their pasts. Logan believes that Isabel was successful in New York and when he learns that her media posts were all fabricated, can he deal with what he sees as lies? There are simmering feelings between them that flare out of control, but can he trust her? Will Isabel realize that she can be loved for herself and that she is successful in her own way…her friends, her brother, her talent that was stifled in New York? Such wonderful characters and exquisite love scenes <sigh>. Loved it! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

This is the 2nd book in a series about a band of firefighters. It could easily be read as a stand-alone. It was another excellent story. Quite steamy in places but all the characters and dialogue were expertly written and it was a joy to read. The pace and development of the story was a joy to read from start to finish. It was one of those books which you wish the author would do a HEA epilogue set a few years in the future.. I really hope there are more to follow.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read a preview copy of this book.

If you are looking for your next one sit read look no further! I really enjoyed this book. I loved Logan and Isabel together! If you like your romances on the steamier side, this one won’t leave you disappointed. This is a true standalone in the series. You do get the characters from the previous book, but you won’t feel like you are missing anything from the story line if you read this one first. I can’t wait for the next book! This is book I would definitely recommend.

Logan and Isabel were friends as children/teenagers, they also had a virginity pact, where they would lose it to each other, if they hadn't already, before leaving for college/university.
She lost her virginity to him, was attacked by her mom's boyfriend and left for college feeling like she had betrayed her best friend, Logan's sister, as well. She hasn't spoken to either of them since.
Now she's back and hiding why from everyone, her brother has a booty call that he can't reschedule so she winds up staying in Logan's motel that he's renovating, but the living arrangement allows Logan see the bruises and she eventually confides in him, the depth of their friendship was amazing. You can feel the long term affection they have for each other and when they physically reconnect, the fireworks and steam between them might not be overly described but you can still feel it.
She cares pretty deeply about everyone she forms relationships with and you can see how generous she is with her time, and how they care about her just as much.
Logan is a huge softy who collects abandoned animals that all seem to wind up living in the firehall with all the other big softies who work there.

Another great addition to this firefighter series!

Smoke & Mirrors is the story of Logan and Isabel. Isabel is trying to get back on her feet but not without some of what the title implies - smoke and mirrors. We all know what is portrayed on social media is never what it seems and this rings true in this story as well. Logan has been burned in the worst way by both family and girlfriends past so he is constantly second guessing everything about Isabel being back in his life. It makes these characters relatable and makes their trust hard won. These childhood friends deserve their second chance and I enjoyed their story! Looking forward to more stories from this group and their animals they can't help but rescue!

I enjoyed this book for the most part and would recommend it as a read, though the suspense over whether Isabels big secret would be revealed did grind on me after a while.

I did struggle to engage with Isabel because of this and just wanted her to grow up and admit to her brother and close friends that she had been lying all these years. When it all came out, it was so much less of a “thing” than I thought do it was that much more of an anti climax.
Despite this, the relationship between Isabel and her brother was well written and the romance between her and Logan did come off the page somewhat which did redeem this book for me.

Isabel is on the run, and heads back to Oregon to get away from her crazy ex in New York. Staying at her brother's friend Logan's place, sparks fly. Good overall, but skimmable at times.Didn't really like Isabel, which may be why the story didn't catch me as much. Would still recommend though, and fun to see previous characters.

I really liked Isabel's and Logan's story. Both of these characters had a rough childhood but were able to make something of themselves despite that. After Isabel spent 10 years in New York City, she realized that trying to make it in the fashion industry just wasn't working the way she had dreamed. Instead, the citizens of her hometown help her realize that she can do so much more.

Within the last year, Logan had gone through a heartbreaking baby scheme from his ex who still had a thing for him. Logan felt left behind when Isabel left when they were teenagers, he was scared to get involved with her again because he believed she was just going to leave again.

Isabel and Logan grew as characters over the book, they came out better in the end than when they started. I was happy to see their growth. I loved the story and how we got to see characters from the previous book. I recommend this book.

Received ARC in exchange for voluntary honest review

I liked Isabel and Logan’s story. Logan is a good guy. After his last relationship he has trust issues. So when Isabel returns back home after being gone for years he doesn’t feel like she’s telling the whole story. Isabel has come home because her dreams of being a fashion designer in New York didn’t work out. Yet she is keeping the real truth of her return from everyone. This is another good book in the series, I look forward to the next one.

Isabel is down and out and returning to the place she left without a backward glance. The promise of making it in NY, in the glamorous fashion industry, did not go as planned, and Isabel is forced to come crawling back to the small town she desperately wanted to escape.

This is the first book I have read by Skye Jordan and I was very pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the characters and in particular the secrets Isabel had buried, or tried to bury. Her talents and willingness to "do whatever it takes" made her interesting and complex and I enjoyed watching her strained relationship with Logan strengthen and grow.

The secondary characters were also interesting, which is of course necessary when planning a series. I look forward to reading the other "Forged in Fire" books.