Review: Two Hurting Men Find A Second Chance in a Friends to Lovers Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 27, 2012
This was a wonderful start to a new series.  Charlie Richards has been an auto-buy for me since I enjoyed my first shifter romance in her Wolves of Stone Ridge series.  Truthfully, I think her writing craft was even stronger in this one which is a contemporary and not a paranormal.Fireman's Carry explores the love story of two men who have been dreadfully hurt by lovers in the past.  Carl, a police detective, was married for 16 years to a blatant promiscuous wife and got nasty when it was time to divorce.  Vincent, a fireman and openly gay man, was with his lover for several years before he learned of his ex's cheating ways.The story begins when Vincent, to get a fresh start, buys a home and moves in across from Carl.  Vincent's help ditches him so he sees Carl on his porch and asks him for help moving a few heavy items.  This is the beginning of a friendship that grows deep and helps soothe the rawness inside both men.  Vincent and Carl set a tradition that Vincent will join Carl and his kids for dinner and a movie on Fridays and from there grows an easy intimacy.  Vincent tries to hide his growing feelings for the straight Carl.  Carl has to figure out what he is feeling and then figure out how to live with those feelings before he messes up a chance with Vincent who won't get shoved into a closet for anyone.The plot includes a dash of danger from Vince's stalkerish ex, a secret from Carl's son and a bit of pain from Carl's bitter ex, but the majority of the story is taken up with the romance between the two men.  The characters are easy to like.  I enjoyed the dynamics of Carl, his kids and Vincent.  The camaraderie between the two men and their partners at work was a good interaction.  But best of all was the two men together.Recommend for the M/M Contemporary Romance lovers who like their hot guys in uniforms.