This is the second book in the popular Maple Hills series. After reading this one I definitely want to read Icebreaker which is the first book. This is a spicy new adult novel. After a one night stand Aurora and Russ are surprised to discover they are going to be working together as counsellors at the same summer camp. They are both dealing with difficult family issues and are hoping to escape their families for the summer. Aurora and Russ are great characters and it was fun to see their relationship develop.

The way I SQUEALED!!!!

I love this series! And I loved the mental health representation in this book.

The way these two took care of each other
The ADULT COMMUNICATION!

Please. It was the greatest book ever!
I’m FEEAL for the next one!!
This series is GOD TIER!

After meeting at a party, college students Aurora and Russ unexpectedly bump into each other on the first day of the summer camp where they are both counsellors, hoping to escape their difficult home lives by spending the summer working. However, the more time they spend getting to know each other, the more complicated things become.

This was a cute read! I admired both Russ and Aurora’s personal growth throughout the book as they helped each other realize how much better they deserve from their families. My only complaint is how many characters get thrown at you right in the beginning. I was a bit lost at the start with all the name drops, but eventually got used to it.

There’s not much conflict or second-act breakup between the two main characters, so if you prefer that in romances, this book would be for you!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for my copy!

Title: Wildfire
Author: Hannah Grace
Series: Maple Hills #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 3.25
Pub Date: October 3, 2023

I received a complimentary eARC from Simon & Schuster Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad

T H R E E • W O R D S

Dissimilar • Sizzling • Juvenile

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Maple Hills students Russ Callaghan and Aurora Roberts cross paths at a party celebrating the end of the academic year, where a drinking game results in them having a passionate one-night stand. Never one to overstay her welcome (or expect much from a man), Aurora slips away before Russ even has the chance to ask for her full name.

Imagine their surprise when they bump into each other on the first day of the summer camp where they are both counselors, hoping to escape their complicated home lives by spending the summer working. Russ hopes if he gets far enough away from Maple Hills, he can avoid dealing with the repercussions of his father’s gambling addiction, while Aurora is tired of craving attention from everyone around her, and wants to go back to the last place she truly felt at home.

Russ knows breaking the camp’s strict “no staff fraternizing” rule will have him heading back to Maple Hills before the summer is over, but unfortunately for him, Aurora has never been very good at caring about the rules. Will the two learn to peacefully coexist? Or did their one night together start a fire they can’t put out?

💭 T H O U G H T S

I absolutely (somewhat surprisingly) adored Icebreaker earlier in the year, so I was eagerly anticipating Wildfire, book two of the Maple Hills series. Unfortunately, so many of the elements I loved about book one were missing from this second installment, which left me rather disappointed.

I will start off by saying the romance between Russ and Aurora was wholesome. There's definitely a bit of a miscommunication vibe going early on, but it never overrode the development of their relationship. Both main characters have family issues that are at the heart of the story, yet there is a great emphasis on working through things together and developing an open line of communication.

There is a different sense of found family with the staff of the summer camp that I liked. However, I really missed all of the characters I'd come to love from book one. Additionally, I missed Maple Hills and the hockey backdrop. In my opinion, its because so many of the things I loved from book one were missing that I really struggled to form a deep connection with Russ and Aurora's story. Even the spice level felt completely different.

Wildfire was a bit of a letdown after being so excited to pick it up. One of the complaints about Icebreaker was the length, and that's exactly how I felt about this one. The summer camp setting felt completely different and honestly, made it seem like a standalone. I will still continue with the series (book 3 is Henry's story!!), but I am really hoping for a return to the college setting and sports romance trope.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of the ONS trope
• readers who like the summer camp romance

⚠️ CW: toxic relationship, emotional abuse, abandonment, mental illness, addiction, alcohol, alcoholism, gambling, sexual content, cursing, vomit, car accident, medical content, gaslighting

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"You don't turn your back on people because they're not perfect."

"It's incredible how shame fills the cracks other people create."

"It's no secret that I love books. I love stories about people I don't know, and place I haven't been to. I've lived a thousand lives between a thousand pages, but no story, no life, no page has ever made me as happy as you do, Russ Callaghan."

received this EARC in exchange for my honest review

Honestly was really excited to read this book but it just wasn't for me. I couldn't get into the romance of this book at all. I felt like nothing really happened throughout

3.5/5

everyone is obviously loving this but I had issues with it. firstly, I was bamboozled by the one night stand trope, though that’s totally on me for not reading the damn synopsis. the book started off good, I was into the soft shy boy, and the open talkative girl (though I’ve read 8283 variations of this…). the spice was spicing and all was good. though the author did such a bad job when it came to reintroducing the side characters. it’s been over a year since icebreaker and it was written as if we read that 10 mins before this book.

after the one night stand we move on to the camp setting which was so cutie. the forced proximity with the new friends was such a good vibe and good setting. but that’s where my praise ends. while I enjoyed both characters for who they were, and understood the issues they both dealt with, I truly got to a point with the miscommunication, mainly from Russ POV, where I was shaking my kindle out of damn frustration. call me a bitch, but your dad having a gambling addiction is not cause for being so closed off to someone who is being so open to you. I just struggled seeing a correlation between his “issues” and his action, which made it hard for me to justify them.

I enjoyed the ending, and the fact that the author gave us both a redemption arc, and a non-redemption arc with the two sets of problematic parents. but in the end, I found it too long and it just missed the mark in a few ways for me.

Loved the fmcs honestly and I loved the mmcs way of thinking about the fmc, and the side characters. obvi.

I absolutely loved this one night stand turned friends to lovers with a camp setting. I really enjoyed watching their relationship flourish, but wish this book was just a bit shorter and it would’ve really hit the mark for me. I enjoyed how these characters were closed off to most, but open with each other. “ I’m watching you go in so you don’t have to watch me leave.”

I loved this book! I thought it was the perfect amount of romance with great character development, the plot was fast paced and had me hooked from the first chapter, and I loved the main characters so much!

I didn’t read Icebreakers first, and I don’t think it affected this story for me. I know that Russ was in Icebreakers, and that group of guys are talking about in this book. If you read Icebreakers first, it will only enhance the joy that you get from this one.

If you love one-night stands that turn into something more, characters with family drama, a cute summer camp setting, and some spicy scenes. I would highly suggest that you read this one!

Russ Callaghan and Aurora (Rory) Roberts have a one night stand at a college party, and sparks fly. Little do they know that they’re both going to be counsellors at a summer camp together. Russ just wants to have a summer without drama, after dealing with his dad’s gambling addiction and other family issues he’s not sure if this is the summer for that. Aurora has been chasing after men’s attention her whole life, but this is the summer that she will not have any distractions and focus on herself. When the chemistry with Russ is palpable, but the camp has a strict “no staff fraternizing” policy, will the chemistry be too much or will this be the summer they both get what they need!

Romance: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Spice level: 🌶🌶️🌶️🌶️
Plot points: 💥💥💥💥💥
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Read if you like: summer camp romance, forbidden romance, awkward hero
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After meeting at an end of the year party, Aurora and Russ bump into each other at the same summer camp they are working at. There is a no fraternization rule, so the two become friends instead.
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I loved this book so much, probably better than Icebreaker. I loved Russ as the awkward hero. He was so awkward but adorable and the way he showed that he cared was amazing! Aurora was also fantastic and I loved how she matured through the book.

I really wanted to enjoy this book more than I did. I do think many others could love it but I just did not grow as attached to the characters as I would have liked. I also had some issues with the pacing and length of this second instalment.

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…
Characters: Aurora and Russ are the protagonists of Wildfire. Russ is a hockey player at Maple Hills, while Aurora is another student he meets at a party before the end of the semester. They both get summer jobs at the same summer camp after a hookup at that end-of-semester party. I did enjoy their individual journeys, as both characters go through great character development. They both have issues with parents and I liked how Hannah Grace depicted these storylines. I know many readers loved the camp’s found family but I did not find myself attached to these new characters in any way.
Setting: I will be honest that I did not enjoy the summer camp setting. I was really attached to the college setting of Icebreaker. My favourite parts of the novel were the beginning sections that featured the end of the college year. I do plan to keep reading, I heard murmurings that the next book is back at the college. I do think the summer camp would make this a good summer read rather than it coming out in the middle of fall.
Pacing: I did find this story a bit too long. I never find it a good sign when a book is not hooking me back in and simply it was not. The middle chunk between the one-night stand and their giving into their feelings felt like it took forever. I hate to admit this but it put me in a reading slump for a week or two. I don’t want to take it out on this book too much. I adored so many scenes but others just had me skimming through.
Romance: This couple is very wholesome, while still bringing some decent heat. I just wish you did not have to wait so much of the story for it, I liked the pace of those scenes better in Icebreaker. So many of the most heartfelt scenes were when the characters were together as a couple. Russ was such a great support for Aurora, and I totally understand why so many readers love this couple. They are misscommunicators and that is just not something I particularly like. Simply the strong parts of this book are strong, the weak parts are weak – which puts my review somewhere in the middle.

5 ✰

Starting this review off by saying Russ is one of my favourite (introverted) golden retriever mmc’s ever🥹 & paired with Aurora’s extroverted self, they were so fun to read!

Aurora and Russ find themselves working together as camp counsellors after a one nightstand together, both trying to find a place away from their homes for the summer. With the no fraternization rule at camp, Russ and Aurora still find themselves wanting a repeat of that night👀. Since this book takes place at a summer camp, this was the perfect summer read for me and brought all of the summer vibes.
This book also dealt with mental health, family problems, feeling insecure, and more. I have to say, the way it was written felt so relatable at times and honestly that’s something that I can really appreciate in books. Not only did we get a swoon-worthy summer romance, but we also got to see a different side of new relationships and how families can play a huge role in influencing future relationships. Another thing I appreciated in this was the communication with Aurora and Russ as the story progresses! Nothing makes me want to pull my hair out more than a miscommunication trope that lasts the whole book and is only cleared up at the end🫠

I think this book was so so good it definitely can get you out of a reading slump, especially if you’re in the mood for a good summer romance with:

- A one nightstand
- Introverted MMC x extroverted FMC
- Said introverted MMC loves to praise FMC👀
- Forced proximity
- Sneaking around
- Dual POVs
- Puppies!!!

The way Aurora and Russ were a perfect match together had me melting, and hearing what they thought of each other from their povs was so cute and tender, it gave all of the feels🥹🥹🥹 I will definitely miss them!

Also wanted to mention, don’t go into this book expecting it to be a hockey romance, as this book takes place at a summer camp (I know it’s in the synopsis, but I did see some confusion from other people about this)!

Thank you, Simon and Shuster Canada and NetGalley for this ARC!

For fans of Tessa Bailey and Elena Armas. Fluffy but also spicy romance. Not really my kind of thing but fans of the genre will enjoy it. Summer romance featuring a hockey player and camp counsellors. Sort of YA vibe that a lot of New Adult books have, but not age appropriate for YA's target audience.

I’M OBSESSED WITH RUSS & AURORA. Ok now that I’ve shouted that out to the universe, I absolutely loved this book so much. The nostalgia of summer camp, the absolute sweetness of their friendship and romance. I just couldn’t handle it. I love the Maple Hills gang and love that we continue to get more books about them. Can’t wait to see who the next book is about. Please please please be Henry.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the chance to read this in advance of its release in exchange for an honest review.

Hannah Grace's follow-up to her debut won my heart with the sweet story of two college cuties, Russ Callaghan and Aurora Roberts. They meet during an end-of-year party and share a passionate night with Aurora making a quick exit.

Of course, in romance fiction, a one-night stand is never just a one-night stand. Aurora, also known as Rory, and Russ cross paths again on their first day as camp counselors, both seeking an escape from their individual issues. Russ hopes to distance himself from his father's gambling problems, while Aurora longs to escape constant attention and return to a place that feels like home.

“Wildfire” is filled with angst, humor, and emotion as Rory and Russ not only try to navigate the "no staff fraternizing" rule but also lean on each other to cope with their respective daddy issues.

Two things I especially appreciated: 1) The emotional support Russ provides to Rory, both emotionally and *ahem* physically (and vice versa of course); 2) The attempts at trying to work on their communication: “We’re getting to know each other; you’re allowed to have boundaries and things you keep for yourself. Some people are good at sharing, some people aren’t. We just have to find middle ground.”

Finally, I loved how the entire group comes together periodically, reminiscent of the close-knit bonds one forms during their college years. I appreciate the reminder that accountability is a constant necessity, regardless of the life stage you find yourself in.

Thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Even though I enjoyed this one more than Icebreaker (the characters are focused on more, rather than being introduced to so many new faces all at once in book 1, and I found the love story evolved more realistically) I still feel like the writing could use some work. I just think one or two more rounds of editing would tighten the flow of the story, and help in those few cases where it feels like conclusions/next steps are jumped to without proper build up. All this to say it was a quick read and I enjoyed it, but I'm probably not reading the next book unless it's about Henry haha.

Unfortunately this was not for me. It was too similar to Icebreaker. I felt like I was reading the same story with different characters. For a 400 page book it lacked a lot of depth and meaning. Of course, it's a good spicy book which is what sells.

Pub Day Review 🏕️-
Did I finish this at 10 o’clock last night, in the nick of time for pub day? Why, yes I did! The good news is, all the details are fresh in my mind!

What I loved 🥰:
-The characters! I genuinely loved Aurora and Russ and felt the chemistry there. I also loved Emilia and Xander and the cameos of all the characters from Ice Breaker.
-The banter! The banter was so witty and on point. Good banter in a book is one of my favourite things!
-Woking through your issues as adult?! I’m here for it! 👏🏽

What I didn’t love 🖤:
-If you were expecting a hockey romance like Icebreaker, you need to adjust. He is a hockey player but the book takes place in the off season and Russ is working as a camp councillor. Because of this, there isn’t a whole lot of exciting things taking place in the plot.

Final thoughts: Overall I enjoyed it but maybe didn’t live up to Icebreaker. Having said that I loved the characters and the writing style and would definitely continue the series!

Thank you @simonschusterca for my advanced copy! Wildfire by Hannah Grace is available today!

INFINITE STARS!!! If Hannah Grace writes it, I'm gonna read it!! My cheeks hurt from smiling the whole dang time. I ADORED Russ and Rory. This books holds a special place in my heart as I was a camp kid and a camp counselor and they were honestly some of the best summers of my life. I related so much to both of these characters. Their banter was top tier...I loved how playful they were with each other. And always asking each other to 'tell me a secret' was just the cutest. Rory just wanted to be seen and wanted and I loved how Russ did that. They both needed validation and she that in the other. Russ has a complicated history and Rory was so patient with him. This book was perfect and nostalgic and really had me in my feels.

Hannah really can write a fluffy, funny, sexy😏 comfort book, while also touching on more serious topics (my baby Russ must be protected at ALL COSTS). ♾️ stars, full review on Goodreads🩷
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I'm currently reading (almost 50% in) and I'm absolutely loving it!! Hannah Grace has quickly become an auto-buy author <3

First of all I LOVE Russ’ character. His character development in Wildfire was so good. He was still that awkward lovable character that I fell for in Icebreaker, but you can tell that he was gaining confidence in himself. I also did like Aurora’s character, though I did not think that at the very beginning. I thought she was going to be one of those fmc who would constantly act out to get attention from others, but as you get to know her you quickly learn that it’s her coping mechanism.

I think their struggles is what makes their dynamic work so well. You can tell that they care for their loved ones so much that even if it hurts them they are willing to put up with it. So when they got together you can tell that they truly appreciated each other and that they were each other’s safe places. I also love that they acknowledge the fact that they needed to work on their communication because there were numerous situations where they found themselves reading each other wrong. Another thing that I loved about Russ and Aurora is that they encouraged each other to share personal info at their own pace.

Would highly recommend!

Thank you @simonschusterca and @netgalley for the advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review.