Review: Love being with these characters and watching them grow, interact, and find love.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 24, 2014
I am all kinds of obsessed with Tessa's writing and her characters! I love that they take place here in TN and are centered around the military. We met our main characters Kale and Lucy in the previous book, Incinerate, and I was very curious about their 'relationship'. They have a friends with benefits deal going on, but as we read Inflame, their casual relationship becomes anything but.I really enjoyed how Tessa took us back to see how Kale and Lucy met, how their arrangement started, and when it all began to change. I feel like that added insight into their characters and situation really added to the storyline.Kale and Lucy decided to keep their relationship no-strings, as Kale is going to be deploying soon and neither want to be tied down to another. Both have some deeply rooted issues as to why they don't do serious relationships. However, Lucy isn't against trying to do one, and ends up dating her best friend Charlie's fiancé's cousin. Kale gets wind of this and instantly feels a punch to the gut, which makes him realize that his feelings for Lucy go deeper than he originally thought.I really like that Teevan is so low on angst. She doesn't make us wait forever while Kale and Lucy play cat and mouse with one another in regards to their feelings. Kale is pretty damn stubborn and isn't afraid to go after what he wants. Lucy is equally stubborn, which I loved, as she doesn't put up with any crap. She holds her own and that is one of the things Kale falls for immediately.Kale and Lucy do face a pretty huge lifestyle change in this book. We get to see these two fall for one another and realize that they don't want to be with other people, as well as watch them deal with this big event. They are in this together and I just adored watching their relationship turn from a sexual one to a loving, nurturing one.Kale's protectiveness is adorable at the same time it is infuriating. I probably would have thrown a few shoes at him if it were me. Still, Lucy takes it all in stride and doesn't let herself get aggravated with him too much. She never imagined she would need and crave Kale as much as she does and she is really a very lucky girl to have such a great guy. Kale is also lucky, as Lucy is just fun, feisty, and drama-free.The two have their own obstacles to overcome, as they have never really opened up their pasts with one another. Kale knows he especially needs to come clean with Lucy and share his past, as it isn't right of him to keep something like that from her or have his mom and sisters feel pressure either. Lucy is instantly welcomed into Kale's family and I really loved seeing the dynamic between them. Kale has to work a little bit harder to win Lucy's mom over, but it isn't long before he charms her too.We do get to catch up with Jace, Lexi, Charlie and Knox in this book and it just warms my heart to see them all together. I was also really pleasantly surprised by Branson and Cohen! They are only in the book for a short period, but wow- Branson has already redeemed himself in my eyes and I haven't even gotten his book yet!I can't wait for Tessa's next book, as I just love being with these characters and watching them grow, interact, and find love for themselves.