Saturday, April 12, 2014

HOPE FLAMES by Jaci Burton



A Hope Novel, Book One
Berkley
January 7th, 2014
978-0425259764
Contemporary Romance
Netgalley ARC
Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)
Obtained by Publisher
4.5 Hearts

Emma Burnett is back in her home town, opening her own veterinary place. She doesn’t have time for romance, relationships or anything at the moment. She is determined to be independent and not have a man decide what she needs or wants in life. She can do that all on her own, thankyouverymuch!

Luke McCormack is just fine with Emma’s attitude and isn’t looking for anything either. Divorced and the only woman in his life is his police dog, he can’t help but be drawn to Emma. Something that draws him to her even as he tries to resist her appeal. But when a rash of break ins occur and Emma turns to the one person who she feels safe with, can Luke and Emma find a way to bridge the gulf between them as hope stirs in their hearts and love comes sneaking up on them?

I absolutely adored HOPE FLAMES, a brand new sexy series from premier author Jaci Burton. This is a master storyteller who knows how to hook her readers and doesn’t let them go until the very last page is read. The story flows smoothly and leaves you eager for more after you turn the pages to see what happens next for these two stubborn people. The characters are quite well written, delightful and I, for one, would love to meet them for coffee one day. That is how enjoyable and life like they felt to me. This had every button that I love in a book-mystery/suspense, romance, friendship, sexy times, great cast of characters and so much more. Normally, Ms. Burton delivers sexy erotic stories that pump the blood and HOPE FLAMES is just the opposite in a way. HOPE FLAMES is a sweet contemporary that had that perfect balance of sexy scenes and character growth. That right there cemented this series as an auto-buy to me. That balance alone can be hard to write because you can have too much of one thing, too little of another or just a mess, in my opinion. But in this first book, Ms. Burton captures it perfectly. This is a testament of her talent as a writer and for knowing how to world build perfectly.

HOPE FLAMES introduces the readers to Emma and Luke, two very gun shy people who are just perfect for one another. That is if they listen to their hearts. What really cemented these two characters was how passionate they were about their jobs. Luke is a cop, dedicated in protecting and serving the public; Emma is determined to help her furry clients in whatever way she can. I am sucker for dedicated characters and these two just worked for me. There were a few light hearted moments that had me giggling as well as some simmering sexual tension between Emma and Luke that had me fanning my face but overall, it all worked perfectly together. Besides who can resist a hero who loves animals? I  know I couldn’t. The characters were multi-dimensional and had me rooting for them to get their own happy ever after. The secondary characters helped move the story along as well and were just as intriguing.

HOPE FLAMES delivers a subtle punch while you read it. You just can not put it down! I have to commend Ms. Burton for creating a new series that I am eager to explore more of and see who is next in love’s net. If you enjoy a story full of yummy bits, romance, going back to your hometown kind of story, then you won’t want to miss this exciting introduction to the Hope Series. Now I need to know when book two comes out.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement.



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