Thank you Katherine and Netgalley for the arc!

4.5 stars

Tropes:
Second Chance
Marriage of Convenience
Mob Boss (sort of)
Kickass Heroine

Loren and Callahan were childhood lovers and then they weren't. Years later, Callahan needs a wife and Loren needs to find her brother... it's simple. A marriage of convenience and second chance?? sign me up! I loved both their characters and also all of the side characters around too, I thought they all balanced and interacted so well. The development of the romance felt so believable and electric, and I also loved the suspenseful plotline it kept me hooked throughout!

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book - I didn't know what to think when going in, but this was a romance that I devoured! There's something so comforting and delightful about reading a book that allows you to shut yourself off and immerse yourself in the romance. There were dark elements so check the trigger warnings, but I thought they were handled so well and fit the story.

I can't wait for the second book and Alice's story!

I really loved this book. The story was about Loren and Callahan, who used to be in love many years ago but now were from rival mafia families. When Loren’s little brother disappeared, she asked Callahan for help. The deal was crazy, Callahan wanted a wife, so they married quickly. I laughed a lot at how much tension and drama happened between them. Callahan was so obsessed with Loren, it was kind of adorable. He never forgot her, and it showed in everything he did. Loren was strong and smart, and I really liked how she handled all the danger around them. The book was very fast paced with lots of action and drama. The mafia fights and the search for Loren’s brother kept me on edge. Sometimes I was so stressed but I couldn’t stop reading. The writing was great and the characters were very real. I finished it almost in one sitting because I was so hooked. I can’t wait to read more stories from this author. Thank you so much to the author andNetgalley for giving me the opportunity to read the book in advance, I received this for free and I'm leaving a honest review

Give me a mafia romance and I will eat it up every time. If it has a “my wife” moment, even better!!

I really enjoyed the childhood relationship references and heartfelt past that Loren and Cal have. I think it adds a little extra intensity to the story and makes the reader feel more connected to the characters.

Loren was so badass! I loved her duality of being this emotional yet strong force. Although her and Cal’s relationship was finally on the mend, I wish the third act tension was explained a little more. I felt for how stubborn Loren was and how rocky their relationship was, that she forgave/explained away Cal’s lying and mistakes too easily. I also wish it was a tad longer so the action scenes didn’t feel rushed (and so we got more Cal and Loren, obvs.)

On their actual relationship, Cal was a lover boy through and through. When he recited the letter he gave her, I caught my self getting a little misty. The fact that since they were 17, there was this individual thread binding them to a fate of forever, it just made my romantic little heart swoon.

I’m excited to see here Alice’s story goes. I hope her story is handled with the utmost care and she gets a happy ever after with… Cohen? 👀

Thank you, @katherinecarterauthor, for my first NetGalley read! 💌

I went into this one a little unsure, but ended up enjoying it more than I expected!

While the writing style wasn’t totally my thing, I did get pulled in by Callahan and Loren’s chemistry (they really carry the book tbh). The emotional tension, the "my wife" moments, the slow-burn second-chance vibe—it all delivered. And the ending? Kinda called it, but it was still satisfying to see it play out.

So no, it’s not a new favorite, but it was one of my good reads so far! And I'm really excited for Alice's story if she gets any!

As it’s marketed, Through Any Fire is a rich and complex romance that brings two childhood sweethearts into the heart of political and criminal mess their families created. If you’re looking for a dark(ish) romance, this is it.

I had the immense joy of reading Through Any Fire TWICE (yes, twice!!), and I must say: I fell completely, head-over-heels, crying-in-the-club in love with Loren and Cal. I'm a TOTAL SUCKER for a second chance romance — there's just something about broken hearts finding their way back to each other that utterly wrecks me in the best possible way — and when you add in a marriage of convenience?! Girl, I was HOOKED from the very first page.

And CAL. WHERE DO I EVEN START WITH HIM?!?!?! This guy is the epitome of down bad. If you look up “down bad” in the dictionary, you’ll find a picture of Callahan Keane, brooding in a dimly lit library or something, probably rereading Romeo and Juliet for the hundredth time. YES, he has a copy that’s been read so many times it resembles my own copy of For the Fans. AND GUESS WHAT?? When he first encountered Loren, SHE WAS CARRYING ROMEO AND JULIET. I—!!!!

Also. This man hasn’t slept on her side of the bed in ELEVEN. YEARS. ELEVEN!!!! Siri, play I Want to Know What Love Is.

And don’t even get me started on the lost letter. YES, THERE’S A LETTER. YES, IT’S BEEN LOST. YES, YOU DISCOVER WHAT WAS IN IT AND YES, I SOBBED.

Let’s be honest — Katherine Carter has a talent for creating fictional men that ruin your life (in the best way). I may have my issues with real-life men, but Cal?? I would BARK. And the spice? Oh, honey. Katherine delivers. The slow burn, the tension, the release?? It’s all there and it’s all WORTH IT.

I stayed up until 5am (it’s literally 5:44am as I write this) because I could NOT put it down. This story had everything: longing, betrayal, aching love, family drama, and a hero who has only ever loved one woman.

Loren and Cal, you have my heart. Forever.
Everyone and their mom needs to read this book

📚💭Book Review (ARC)📚💭

📚Through Any Fire by @katherinecarterauthor 📚

💭 “A second chance, marriage of convenience, standalone” is the byline that got me on NetGalley. Thank you to @netgalley for this eARC!

Loren’s missing brother, leads her into a marriage of convenience with her ex, Callahan, who broke her heart in their youth.

The sexual tension built at a good pace alongside the well-paced mystery of figuring out what happened to Loren’s brother. Crime things happen — fires! Car bombs! Car chases with gun fire!

I enjoyed the overall plot that gave us the reason to bring Loren and Callahan back together.

“Through Any Fire” comes out July 28, 2025 on Kindle Unlimited. @katherinecarterauthor has lots of pre-order goodies available on her Etsy so treat yourself to the physical book today!

Read if you love…
💔 Scorned lover & second chances
💍 Forced marriage & “my wife” (gets me every time)
🔫 Mafia/crime family drama
🔥 Slow burn

Through Any Fire was an exhilarating, hot, dangerous second chance romance. I overall really enjoyed the storyline and the romance between the MCs. The plot was fast-paced, twisty, and exciting. Everyone had secrets, and I enjoyed the suspense. Loren was fiercely protective and strong. It was interesting to read her character arc as she became more involved in Cal’s world. Callahan was a great MMC - scary but soft and so loving. I did feel like the beginning was a bit rushed and not as fleshed out as the middle and end, but the second half of the book was solid. There was also some depth missing for me and I didn’t feel fully connected to the characters or story. However, I think this was a fun read, especially if you like the tropes (mafia romance, second chance, marriage of convenience, slow burn). I’m definitely planning to read Alice’s book when it comes out this fall. I’d give this 3.5 stars!

«Through Any Fire» definitely brings the drama — secret pasts, family rivalries, a missing brother, and a marriage of convenience with a tortured hero who never stopped loving her. On paper, it checks a lot of the boxes: second chances, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and that classic “my wife” trope. Callahan was intense and emotionally charged, and some of the chemistry was really good.
That said, I’ve read a few mafia romances now, and I’m still undecided if the genre is for me. I like the high stakes and emotional tension, but sometimes the dramatics feel more exhausting than engaging — and that was the case here at times. The heroine’s inner monologue got repetitive, and the pacing dragged in places, especially with some plot points (like the missing brother) feeling a bit rushed or underexplored.
It’s not a bad book — there are definitely readers who will swoon for the angst and loyalty themes — but for me, it landed somewhere in the middle. Maybe I just still not sure if mafia romance is for me.

This book was such a refreshing return from all the fantasy I have been reading. Loren is such a strong, independent FMC who picked herself up after utter heartbreak and built a life for herself above all else. Only for the man who betrayed her to bully his way not only back into his life - but into marrying him, as she once thought she would.

I fell in love with Loren's can-do, take charge attitude, and Cal's willingness to do what he needed to keep her. The twists and turns they take throughout the story are fantastic, and I couldn't keep away once I started. Not only am I looking forward to the next release, I'm excited for any further novels from this series!

Ho-ly carp! This was an intense book!

Loren and Callahan were secretly childhood sweethearts from rival crime families. Ten years after Cal broke Lor’s heart, she goes to him for help finding her missing brother. The catch? She has to marry him.

You will LOVE this marriage of convenience, forced proximity, second chance mafia-esque romance with all the ‘my wife’ vibes you can ever want. Callahan is not afraid to grovel and I AM HERE FOR IT!! And the angst… oh the angst!! Lor is feisty and capable. Do NOT mess with her. She is a strong FMC and she can handle herself.

¨I’d follow you anywhere, Ren. Anywhere you lead, I’ll be your shadow. Every step I take is toward you. Through any fire, through any agony, I’m yours.”

𐙚₊˚⊹♡ arc review

If there is a book that had me hooked from the beginning it is THIS book and the slow burn was slow burninggggggg 🙇🏼‍♀️😳

My new fave book boyfriend is Callahan y’all.

This book had me in chokehold because of the tension, giggling because of the connection between these two characters, sobbing over all the hurt in this story but most of all this book had me captured because of the love and healing between these two character, especially the love Callahan has for Loren it really had me in my feels.

If you you enjoy..
✨Romeo & Juliet vibes
💍”my wife”
✨slow burn
💍old betrayals/new secrets
✨forced proximity
💍rival crime families
✨second change
💍 marriage of convenience

Releasing July 28th 👀

Thank you so much for the arc Katherine, this book has a place in my heart and i can’t wait for book two and for Alice getting her (hopefully) happy ending 🫶🏼

atherine carter
Tropes
- Marriage of convenience
- Forced proximity
- Second chance romance

This is my first book by katherine carter and i am VERY happy to say she has definitely exceeded my expectations and i look forward to reading more of her work.

Through any fire is a marriage of convenience trope which i essentially am not normally drawn towards, however i am a SUCKER for second chance romances so of course i had to try this out.

This book immediately jumps into it and is very fast paced and a quick read. We see our fmc, loren attempting to find our mmc, callahan for help (they haven’t spoken for years) which essentially leads to callahan offering her his help IF he marries her and from there the plot is instantly jampacked with action!

4.5 stars - This one really surprised me in the best way! While I think that sometimes mafia romances can feel like they are the same thing over and over again, this book really did have a lot of plot aspects that set it apart. While of course there are all of the aspects of a mafia romance that everyone loves (protective MMC, "my wife", rival families, etc.), I think what really set this book apart for me was how high stakes everything felt, and that it didn't shy away from the truly dark aspects of the story or try to brush them off. (Speaking of which, PLEASE check trigger warnings for this one). And because of the fact that the book dives into these topics, I think it gives us interesting dynamics between the characters, and not just the FMC and the MMC.

But speaking of the FMC and MMC, whew, this was a fabulous slow burn. I really love second chance romance, and love even more a perpetually down bad MMC, and Cal was exactly that. Especially some of his groveling and confessions to Loren, man it was just so emotional and beautiful. And Loren is such an amazing FMC, I loved that she was able to protect herself and made that very clear to everyone.

Overall, I think this book was so well-written and well done. The few minor issues I had were mostly related to a couple of repetitive plot points, as well as things just being slightlyyy too predictable, but overall, I highly recommend this book and can't wait to read the next in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this eARC!

Thanks so much for the Arc!! This was a really cool cover and I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. Really enjoyed the story and families. Thank you!

I really enjoyed the story and where it went. This is a spoiler free review! I will say to make sure to check the trigger warnings before reading. Nothing was too much for me, but everyone has intolerance levels for things such as mentions of SA and violence on page. This story was satisfactory and I enjoyed the twist at the end even though you can sorta see it coming I’d pay attention to what the characters are doing/saying outside of the romance. The romance itself was steamy and beautiful. I will say that Callahan had to grow on me from his very broody exterior that stayed solid for 30-40% of the book. I love how head strong Loren is and she could easily have fallen in that category of FMCs that are mostly brats that get themselves in trouble. She’s different in the fact that she’s used to the world that Cal was trying to keep her from and she was smart enough to train to protect herself and was actually successful when the time came. I think at the end I longed most to hear from her friend Alice as she for me went through the most. I am looking forward to reading about her in the next book. I would recommend this book to those whole like dark romances but when the romance itself isn’t dark but the world around them is. For those who like mafia romances but the MMC is the sweetest to his love interest.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

This book was sooo good!!! I loved Loren and Cal, their love was incredible. Mafia romance might just be one of my favorites and this did not disappoint. The writing was sooo well done and I loved how the whole book was so action packed.

I can't wait for Alice's story!!!

Through Any Fire is an emotional, slow-burn journey of resilience, love, and survival. Katherine Carter crafts a story that feels both intimate and vast, balancing raw emotion with beautiful prose

-Arranged marriage
-Second chance romance
I liked this one a lot and it was a case of the start and the finish which was very warm. I went into this book blind and I knew immediately I saw arranged marriage trope that it was for me and it sure did not disappoint.
I will commend the book for being very simple and the writing very easy to read. The character work had so much depth which is something that does not happen really often.
However some parts were left very open and unfinished and no explanation even at the end.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I think all the pieces were there to make this a great mafia-esque romance. However, I think there was something missing in bringing all the pieces together.

Overall, a great read.