Burning Springs

Burning Springs is the thirteenth book in Firefly Hollow series but can be read as a standalone.

This time we follow the relationship between Molly (an established character in the series) and Jonah a new face in the series. We also are introduced to a brand new town and a some new secondary characters.

Molly is a strong young woman who is very unhappy with her first job in nursing and leaving her job propels her to make changes in her personal life as well. She ends up in Burning Springs where she finds a job as a waitress and meets Jonah.

Jonah is a local artisan and nephew of Molly's new boss.

Both Molly and Jonah are well written characters and I found them both very likable. Molly and Jonah's road from barely getting along, to friends, and then romantic partners was believable and fun to watch unfold.

The new characters from the town were also fun to read and well developed and I hope that there are more books in the series that take place in Burning Springs.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys contemporary romances.

excellent read.

I have never read any of Haddix's other novels, but I enjoyed this. I don't think I will be reading any more in the series, but this was a fun little afternoon read. A good, kind novel - that is NOT for children.

Always have to get that out of the way.

This story follows Molly as she leaves Kentucky to travel because of something sketchy that happened in her past. Then she falls for the first town she stays in and... yeah. It follows her moving from one small town to the other, dealing with mostly small town things, and oh yeah, a love interest that can shift into a cat. But that isn't a big deal.

A sweet read, glad I was able to read it, but... I don't know if I will read anything else by this Author.

This was a really enjoyable read. It was a sweet and tender romance. This book had engaging characters that treated each other with respect. There wasn't any cringe-worthy behavior and no explicitly graphic sex scenes which seems to be the exception now for romances. I am not impressed with most romances that are currently being written with sex scenes that make me feel dirty-and not in a good way-when I read them. I think if an author writes a story that is genuinely good then they don't need to fill 25% of the book with graphic sex that doesn't even add to the story and is instead just filler. This author writes a engaging story that entertains you and gives you a happy feel-good reading experience.

This was such a deliciously warm hug of a book, filled with lovely people, family, beautiful scenery and a slow-burning romance that has a traditional feel in the sweetest sense.

I really liked Molly. She’s a character who has been quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) making herself known in the background of recent books, helping brothers and cousins find their HEA, taking care of people and dispensing advice when needed. But she hasn’t been entirely happy, so now it’s time for her to fledge the Firefly Hollow nest and set forth into the world. Not that she ends up anywhere too different from her home town, it just happens to be in another state, with a different cast of characters, though it retains the small town charm familiar to this series.

It also has Jonah, who is grumpy and solitary and has more than a bit in common with some of those Campbells. He lives on top of a mountain in a cabin that’s far away from anyone else and only has a few special people that he trusts to play any role in his life. Yet he’s also generous and lovely, once you get past the gruffness.

I really enjoyed the romance between him and Molly. It’s slow and hesitant because both are relationship shy, but there’s humour and friendship there too, which deepen as the book goes on and form them into a real partnership. I loved how Molly’s entrance into his life helped him discover more about his own past, while he provides a safe space and sound advice for her to sort through her own problems. Plus, more Campbells. Jonah has room to house a handful of them, which is always good when we’re not close to home.

Away from these two and the extended family, there’s also a new character to fall in love with – Trevor, Jonah’s best friend who has a dark past of his own. I loved him, with his carefree ways and scarred heart. I can’t wait to see him get his HEA.

The only reasons I didn’t fall completely in love with this book were that I’d have liked a bit more about Jonah’s cat. Molly never did get a chance to spend time with him. And I also felt that after the long build up to intimacy, the deeper emotional stuff landed very quickly and felt a tiny bit rushed. Not to mention the kink mention that came out of nowhere – and left me a bit disappointed that we didn’t find out more. He hides it exceedingly well.

None of which stopped me from really enjoying this. Compared to some of the Firefly Hollow books, it isn’t too dark or harrowing or heart-twistingly emotional, though it does have a few twinges here and there, but the romance is lovely and plays a stronger role than those rougher books sometimes allow. It’s quiet and peaceful and made for a wonderfully easy read. Definitely one of my favourites of the series.

The blurb:

“Sometimes life throws things at us we don’t expect. Often, really. And when that happens, sometimes the course we set for ourselves isn’t the road we end up on.”

Molly Campbell never expected to find herself working as a waitress in a diner in the middle of small-town Tennessee. She certainly never anticipated that she would develop feelings for one of the diner’s patrons, never mind that she would find herself homeless and having to rely on his kindness for shelter. But that’s where she ended up, struggling to reconcile reality with her hopes and dreams in order to come to terms with both.

Jonah Sutton doesn’t trust the redheaded Kentucky girl his aunt hired to help out in the diner. Convinced she’s hiding something, he vows to stick close so he can keep an eye on Molly. It doesn’t take long for his suspicion to turn to intrigue, and when a crisis hits close to home, he’s more than happy to step up and offer her his support. He never imagined his toughest battle would be figuring out a way to convince her to stay in Burning Springs and build a life with him.

Burning Springs is the thirteenth book in the “Firefly Hollow” series, women’s fiction romances set in Appalachia that follow the Campbell family through generations. It contains paranormal elements of traditional Appalachian folklore.

Although this is the thirteenth book in the Firefly Hollow series it can be read as a stand alone.

I have read some of the books in this series and really enjoyed them, so I expected to enjoy this one. I most definitely wasn't disappointed. 5*

**Burning Springs is the thirteenth book in the “Firefly Hollow” series, women’s fiction romances set in Appalachia that follow the Campbell family through generations. It contains paranormal elements of traditional Appalachian folklore. **

When I first picked this up, I thought it would be a nice romantic story. It didn't seem to matter that I hadn't read the first 12 stories in this series. I was right .. this easily passes for a stand alone.

This is the love story of Molly Campbell and Jonah Sutton. It is definitely not love at first sight. But when trouble hits, he's first in line to protect her.

As the book blurb explains, there are some elements of the paranormal. I think I would have liked the story more without that. Otherwise it was an interesting read. Romantic buffs will really enjoy this one.

Many thanks to the author / Streetlight Graphics Publishing / Netgalley for the digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

3.5/5

Molly and Jonah’s story.


Another standalone in the Firefly Hollow Series

It was another beautiful love story, another “woman fiction” with a hint of paranormal.


I appreciated it wasn’t love at first sight, far from it, and that both characters had their own walls.

Another beautiful love story, with the T.L. Haddix writing.

Burning Springs can be read as a standalone, but I recommend the whole series.

Especially if you’re a fan of woman fiction and family sagas.