Review: 4.5 stars - Kale gives Knox a run for his money as my favorite male in this series
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 13, 2014
I didn’t think Knox could be topped, but Kale sure did give him a run for his money. And now I have to decide who I liked better? I don’t think so. Don't make me.With the last few scenes in Incinerate, we knew there was a big change coming for Lucy and Kale. What was less clear was the direction that change would take the couple, and how they were going to handle it.Inflame does a great job of picking up the timeline established from Incinerate and the giving readers the flashback to the beginning of Lucy and Kale’s relationship, connecting the dots between two people who are casual lovers to such a monumental announcement as the one Lucy made to Charlie, to whatever will happen as a result.Neither Lucy nor Kale were looking for a relationship when they met in Lucy’s classroom. Lucy had recently ended a long term relationship that she thought proved she wasn’t long term commitment material, while Kale was months away from a deployment. Thus began four months of a no strings relationship, and the introduction of best friends before Kale had to leave.Beginning at about 50%, this turned into a roller coaster ride for my emotions. What looked like a sweet, bed-buddies to best friends to lovers story turned in to so much more with events influenced by the secrets they were holding and events outside either’s control. I kept wondering what the fallout would be when the secrets came to light, and if it was too late for them to move past those secrets. And as the book progressed, I was not disappointed. It was everything I was hoping for before I started.Kale’s family never failed to put a smile on my face. Some of the scenes with his mom and sisters were the funniest in the book. Their influence on Kale is referred to several times, and it is obvious he grew up with three very strong women in his life.I loved the hints dropped about the spin-off The Wellingtons series. Especially after Branson’s bit of redemption, however small, that he finds in Inflame, I am looking forward to seeing more of the Wellington men. And Xavier’s private life is hinted at too, which makes me wonder what’s going on behind the scenes there too.From the time I started reading I was immersed in Lucy and Kale's story. It was a great read full of a variety of emotions. The characters were honest, independent and strong apart, and their friendship was always the center of what they were working on. I love seeing the previous couples as they interact with the main couple, but getting just the perfect amount of news about what's going on in their lives. And Inflame had some great moments where one couple tried to steal the thunder from the others, and those points made me laugh harder each time they happened.I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.