Review: A hot novella but the hero didn't impress me
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 01 9, 2013
Who can resist a story with firefighters in it? I know I can't stay away, especially not with a cover like that. I barely contained my excitement when I won this novella. Since then I've read it twice, just to be sure about my review. While it was definitely very enjoyable from the lust aspect, I thought it fell a little in the romance department. Luke 'Lucifer' Puckett saves a woman and her daughter from a burning building, only to realize the woman is his college ex, Josie. Ten years ago there were a hot item, and Josie was certain they were going to get married one day. Then shortly before graduation broke up with her. Apparently ten years hasn't done anything to cool their attraction to one another. Their passion for one another rekindles quickly and blazes a trail to the bedroom where they share a night neither of them will forget. But Luke can't forget the reason why he dumped her all those years ago. If he didn't trust her then, how can he trust her now?Since Josie never got over Luke, I wasn't surprised that she threw caution to the wind and gave herself over to Luke at the drop of a hat. She wanted him, even if it was for one night only. But I couldn't help but wonder if she wasn't suffering from White Knight Syndrome. The whole thing was a little awkward because she seemed all in, and Luke kept running hot and cold.It's a rare occurrence that I feel like I want to slap the hero upside the head for being stubborn or just clueless. Hot firefighter or not, I wanted to shake some sense into Luke. I'd say he became a little unsympathetic in my eyes for sleeping with her, only to remain a little p*ssed over the reason he dumped her to begin with. If he ever cared about her then and now, he ought to have manned up and demanded some answers. A simple conversation could have avoided a lot of heartache. Then there's the matter of him dropping the L word twice, but either wanting to snatch it back or bargain with her. If a man treated me like that, I'd tell him where he could go.What I did like were the love/sex scenes. Em Petrova sure knows how to turn up the heat with her words. But I also liked that Josie stood up to Luke, and she put her daughter's welfare before her own heart. The story picked up again towards the end when Luke does some self reflection and owns up to his mistakes.  The drama that eventually brings these two together was predictable, but it somehow fit them.This story was good, but I felt it needed a little bit more to make me really care about the characters. This story may not have given me the tingles and swoon, but I'm still willing to check out the rest of this author's stories. I'd give this a 3-3.5.Disclaimer: I won a copy in a giveaway held by Reading Romances (blog).