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.

I absolutely loved this this book. For one, the cover is stunning. Katherine Carter did a phenomenal job creating her lead characters. Loren was such a strong female, she knew exactly what she wanted and went for it. Callahan was headstrong and the head of the family business. The story started out with Loren and Callahan as teenage sweethearts and morphed into rival families and a slow burn romance. I will absolutely read anything that Katherin Carter writes. I would highly recommend this book to all.

Thank you, Katherine Carter, and NetGalley for the chance to read this book as an ARC.

The book starts with Loren trying to find her baby brother. She’s so desperate to get him back that she ends up married to her ex and current enemy.

This book definitely gave off Romeo and Juliet vibes. Loren and Callahan are from two families that have been enemies for years.

There’s a level of mystery and a web of lies that you have to untangles in this one. It was enough to keep me interested from beginning to end. A couple things happened that I just straight up wasn’t expecting. You don’t have to wait to experience the action either. Pretty much from the beginning, things are moving quickly. After the wedding, you’ll for sure see all the danger that our characters are in.

We aren’t initially told the exact reason for why Cal and Loren breakup up, so I was it itching to find out why. It’s not particularly shocking, but I was okay with that. I would classify this as a slow burn. You are not going to see a coupling until after 50% so be mindful of that when choosing to read this.

I would say the only thing I didn’t like was the fact that Loren was so impulsive and reckless, especially with her own life. I get caring about the people you love but she was bordering on stupidity and it was extremely unappealing to me as the book progressed. I don’t really think there’s a place for stubbornness when people are being kidnapped, killed, or bombs are exploding.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Katherine Carter for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Through Any Fire was a fun read but by no means a lighthearted one.

I absolutely love second chance romances and a marriage of convenience and the book starts off perfectly - I absolutely loved the tension between our two MC. I would've loved the book to stay in this tension for a bit longer, allowing for more character development and the backstory, so I felt the pacing was fairly rushed in the beginning (but good if you prefer a fast-paced plot).

There were some plot holes and inconsistencies that took me away from the story and I would've loved a bit more from the characters over the plot, but it was overall a fun modern take of Romeo and Juliet.

Loren is a successful dark romance author who finds herself pulled back into a world she thought she left behind when her younger brother goes missing. With no leads and even fewer allies, she’s forced to team up with the last person she ever wanted to see again: her ex, Callahan Keane, now head of one of the most dangerous crime families in Roswell.

This story blends second chance romance with mafia drama and deep-rooted family secrets. There’s a solid emotional backbone beneath the action as Loren and Callahan navigate old wounds, long held resentments, and a slow rekindling of the bond they once shared. The tension builds steadily with every chapter, and there’s a strong sense of mystery woven through the plot as fires, disappearances, and betrayals begin to surface.

The romance is definitely a slow burn, with spice not showing up until late in the book, around the seventy percent mark. It’s not a story that leads with steam, but when it does arrive, it adds to the emotional payoff of the characters’ journey.

What really worked for me was the twisty plot and the bold time jump in the epilogue. It gave the ending a sense of closure that felt earned, rather than rushed.

This was a rollercoaster of emotions and i am here for it, this had everything I wanted, marriage of convenience, second chance romance, enemies.The book has action, love, friendship, death, is fully packed with things and you never get bored, you always thinking what is going to happen next and how they will fix it, tho there were some things i did suspect but when they happened i was so surprised! They well made so well, really happy this is published soon, i do believe people will love this!
I ate this book and i will happily wait for the next one.

This one took me a bit longer to finish than usual, but once I was in, I was in. Loren and Callahan’s story was addicting — watching how they’ve evolved over the years made this story even better. Their history, tension, and growth felt so raw and real.

The plot is emotional and layered, with a few twists I didn’t see coming. It builds slowly but purposefully, and once it hits its stride, it really doesn’t let go.

I’m already eager for Alice’s POV — I just know there’s more to her story that we haven’t seen yet.

Thank you to the author for the ARC and for sharing this with early readers. I’m excited to see where this series goes.

🐰

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐀𝐧𝐲 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞, it was also my first indie author read, and 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 has set the bar HIGH!! 🙌🏻

𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧 and 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐧 were childhood sweethearts, but parted ways after 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐧 broke 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐬 heart and betrayed her trust. After over a decade of no contact 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧 needs 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐧’𝐬 help! 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐬 little brother, 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧, is believed to be missing in 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐧’𝐬 territory and 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧 needs his and his families help to find her brother. 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐧 agrees to help 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧...but only if she marries him first! 😬

This book had EVERYTHING!! 👏🏻 It had the romance, it had the spice, and it had the plot! The twists and turns the story took 🤯 I was hooked from the moment I started reading, this book had me up until the early hours of the morning because I just couldn’t put it down!! 🥲

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭:
▪️second chance romance
▪️forced proximity
▪️fake marriage of convenience
▪️enemies to lovers
▪️rival families

This will be available on Amazon (paperback + hardcover) and Kindle Unlimited on the 28th of July 2025 - mark your calendars!!! 🗓️

I haven’t giggled like a little girl cheesing over a book in a while and this one right here… it gave me all the feels. Through Any Fire is (in my opinion) a mafia Romeo & JulietxBonnie & Clyde without the bad ending. And it gave you all the feels.

Our FMC is Loren Catrone, who is a bad ass in her own right. She’s looking for her little brother who crossed over into enemy territory and hasn’t been heard from since. So she has to do what any big sister would do… anything to get him home safe and sound. So she has to talk to the leader of the rival family who also happens to be her childhood love that broke her heart. Enter Callahan Keane, head of the Keane family drug dynasty. He’s trouble with a capital T. And he only has one condition in order to help Loren… “I need a wife.”

After that, there’s so much going on. There’s drama, mafia business, action, passion (oh yeah it gets spicy 🥵), and under it all… love. When I tell you I was hanging on every chapter because it was so good… this book got devoured! You have minor characters who are amazeballs (and probably going to lead in the next book within the same universe) that you get attached to and bad guys you just wanna jump through the page and fight. Katherine Carter put her foot in this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Katherine Carter for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

#netgalley #throughanyfire

Quick Summary: A dark mafia, second chance romance

My Review: Through Any Fire by Katherine Carter is book #1 in the Any X series. It is categorized as "A Second Chance Marriage of Convenience" romance. The book is scheduled for release on 7/28/25.

About the Book: "Life doesn’t always work out the way you want it to.

I would’ve fallen arms wide open and headfirst into his raging storm. It didn’t matter that we were teenagers, that he was the heir to the rival Keane family, or that I was arguably too young to know he was the love of my life.

. . . until that fateful night."

In My Own Words: A morally gray anti-hero falls deeply in love with a woman from a rival family. She, too, loses her heart to him. Years after a seeming betrayal, a cruel twist of fate brings the two star-crossed lovers back together.

About the Characters:

- The Keane clan was intriguing. I wanted to unravel all of the brothers, as well as some of the staff.

- Loren, Mason, and their whole backstory got my attention. I want to know more.

- Rosy and her family ties - I want to understand how that all plays out. When she decided to take action, as well as when she chose to remain silent, it all came across bigger than what was obvious.

- The Thorns...hmm... There is more to that story, for sure!

- Who is Loren's best friend, really?

- Tinley????????????? Her relationship with the Keane's, her relationship with Mason, and her link to all of the above has me baffled.

- Jude and Jenna were adorable. I liked the opposites vibe they gave off. Jude is one to watch, though. Is there more to him than meets the eye?

About the Second Chance Love: Cal and Ren's love story was tragic and beautiful. It was brutal to watch at times, especially when looking from the past to the present. They had both loved, lost, and sacrificed so much. The intensity of their feelings and the soul-deep emotion was next level.

What Left Me Curious: One particular flashback kept nagging at me. The crashed car and the identified accident victims were peculiar. Theirs was an interesting placement in the story.

What I Loved:

- I loved the strength of both leads. They were so different, yet they were also so similar in a lot of ways. Their lightness matched, but their darkness did as well.

- I loved the dangling threads that were left for the readers to find. While this story resolved, there was obviously more that could come. In fact, there were so many different directions that could be taken for the next installment in the series.

- I loved the wordplay associated with the up and coming, unknown rival group. The monikers were telling. The darkness hidden in the light gave off the evil disguised as good vibe.

- I loved that Loren was a layered character with different facets to her personality. She was Loren, Bunny, and Ren all rolled up into one. Additionally, she was her father's daughter, her sibling's caregiver and guardian. She was also a wife, a partner, a friend, and... She was not weak by any means - on any level.

My Final Say: Through the Fire had my mind reeling. There were so many twists and turns. I was glued to the pages the entire time. I loved it! I look forward to continuing with this series.

Other: Readers who like the following tropes should enjoy this book.

Tropes - >

- Mafia

- Second chance at love

- Fake Relationship

- Marriage of Convenience

- Dark Romance

- Anti-hero Heroes


Other Author/Publisher Recognized Tropes - >

+ childhood rivals turned lovers turned strangers

+ forced proximity

+ "my wife"

+ reformed playboy

+ old betrayals

+ new secrets

+ lost letter

+ headstrong FMC

All potential readers should refer to the author/publisher notes, regarding triggering content. This book is intended for mature audiences only.

Rating: 4.5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Status/Level:⭐️❤️🌶️
Triggers: Yes
Series: Yes
Note: I cannot wait to listen to this as an audiobook. I know it will be amazing!

Appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher, and to NetGalley. Thank you for granting access to a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest critique. The expressed words and opinions are my own; they have been voluntarily submitted. I am grateful for the opportunity. I genuinely look forward to becoming better acquainted with this series.

**ARC READER REVIEW**

⭐ Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 stars)
📅 Release Date: July 28, 2025

Before I even get into how I felt about this book, can we just take a moment to appreciate how stunning the cover is? Seriously, it might be one of my favorite book covers ever.

Now onto the story: I loved this book. It's an arranged marriage, second chance, lovers-to-strangers kind of romance. Basically my dream trope combination! Both main characters were well-developed, and the mystery throughout the plot added another layer that kept me hooked. I felt the author did a great job balancing drama and emotional dilemmas without it feeling repetitive or overdone. I was fully invested in their story.

That said, I did find myself losing a bit of interest toward the end due to a change in pacing. I think this is more of a personal preference than a flaw, though others might really enjoy the slower wrap-up after the climax.

Overall, this was an emotional, and beautifully written romance that fans of angst and second chances will absolutely devour. Definitely one i would recommend you add to your TBR!

3.75⭐️

Through Any Fire is about a marriage of convenience between two people who used to be in love a decade ago who are on opposite sides of drug lord families. Our FMC, Loren’s, baby brother goes missing and she needs the help of rival gang leader, Callahan Keane, and the Keane drug empire to try to find out exactly what happened.

And him? He needs a wife. Yes I did giggle and kick my feet when I read this. Does it make sense that he does at the time? Not really….? Do I care? NOPE I AM SIMPLY JUST A GIRL.
Cue the : “get your hands off my wife” x10 on crack over and over I was doing cartwheels around my house.

The book starts off in the club with tensions high and our girly Loren is flirting with some rando buying her red wine she hates and the MMC enters talking about “she drinks whiskey” sliding the cup in front of her….hello! I was barking. I was BARKINGGGGGGG. Hooked.

The MMC….Callahan…..is down BAD for this girl. She thought he forgot about her a decade ago? Guess again! Every single thing he’s ever done in his entire existence has been yearning for this girl. I mean I’m talking he had her childhood shampoo on tab, slept on the other side of the bed, worn out a copy of Romeo & Juliet etc etc. This man is DOWN HORRENDOUS. And he’s literally everything.

The action scenes and drama throughout the book was very fast paced and I was STRESSED.

When you realize why the book is named Through Any Fire? 10/10 I fear!

This will be an interconnected standalone series and I actualy cannot wait for the next book. Alice’s story is gonna be a tough read. I have a very strong inkling who the new MMC to be is going to be and if so…I am so seated.

Read the trigger warnings before reading if there are topics that upset you. There is also a few (hot!) open door spice scenes.

Thank you to Katherine Carter and NetGalley for the ARC!