Series: Brotherhood by Fire (Book 1)
Firefighter Jackson Donovan doesn't look back--as a rule.
So when his past comes roaring back to life in the form of
not-so-damsel-in-distress Becks Benning, the last thing he wants to do is
relive old times. No matter how tempting she makes it seem...
Now thanks to his two interfering brothers, Becks is
living with them while she looks for a new place and tries to pick up the
pieces of her tattoo business that went up in flames. Which means a grown up,
smokin' hot Becks is in his house, sharing meals, and digging up old wounds.
And despite his better judgement, the more time he spends with this smart,
artistic, incredible woman the more he wants her in his bed--and his future.
Becks always had it bad for Jackson. Unfortunately for
her, not much has changed--he's still honorable, hard-working, sexy as sin--and
closed off. But there's more than one way to get to a man's heart and if
Jackson doesn't want to recall old memories, she'll just have to help him make
new ones. Because now that she's found Jackson again, she's not letting him go.
Good start to the new series. I was already familiar with
some of the story as I read the second book in the series, Ignite on Contact,
earlier this year. That did not diminish my enjoyment of this book in any way.
I liked having the backstory filled in. The book opened with a flashback to the
night a homeless Jackson and his two brothers were rescued from a fire. That
was the beginning of a new life for Jackson, Rafe, and Kal, as they were first
fostered then adopted by the firefighter who rescued them and his wife. They
grew up in a loving home and followed in their adoptive father's footsteps by
becoming firefighters.
Fast forward to the present day when the response to a fire
turns into an unexpected reunion. A tattoo business has gone up in flames, and
Jackson must forcibly remove the owner from the premises as she tries to save
her equipment. It isn't until the fire is over that Becks and Rafe realize why
they are familiar to each. Rafe and Kal are pleased to reconnect. Jackson doesn't
remember her and avoids thinking back to those days. When Rafe and Kal discover
that Becks has nowhere to live now, they offer up a room in their house.
Jackson reluctantly agrees, already sensing that Becks is going to upend his
life.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between
Becks and Jackson. I felt a little sorry for Becks when Jackson didn't remember
her. She had a massive crush on him when they were kids, and it hurt that he
didn't recognize her. However, in the present day, the sparks between the two
of them were hot. I wanted to shake Jackson at the beginning because the
feelings that those sparks stirred up turned him into a jerk. He took out his
frustration about those feelings on Becks with snide comments and unfounded
accusations. I loved how Rafe and Kal called him out on his attitude, giving
him the butt-kicking that he needed. Becks didn't cut him much slack, but she
was also more understanding than she could have been.
The attraction between Becks and Jackson continued to
build the more time they spent together. Though both intended to keep their relationship
casual, it was evident that Becks's feelings were far from it. Jackson's
feelings were stronger than he wanted to admit. The biggest obstacle between
them was the way each of them handled the past. Becks embraced hers, accepting
the ways that it had influenced who she is now. Part of that is giving back to
the community by helping the homeless kids where she used to live. Jackson has
buried his past deep, insisting that the past is just that, and there's no need
to relive it. The harder that Becks tries to get him to open up, the more
Jackson digs in his heels. I ached for Becks. She loved Jackson so much but
felt like he was holding back. I ached for Jackson when he realized what he had
done. I absolutely adored how Rafe and Kal both hounded him and supported him
in facing his fears. I loved Jackson's big moment at the end, especially the
depth of emotion revealed in his confession.
Having already read Rafe's story, now I can't wait for
Kal's.
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