Quickie Reviews of Flirting with Fire & Melting Point by Kate Meader

Publisher: Pocket Books
Series: Hot in Chicago #1
Challenges:  Finishing the Series
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: March 24, 2015 
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | ARe*  | iTunes | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

The first installment in Hot in Chicago, a brand-new, sizzling series from Kate Meader that follows a group of firefighting foster siblings and their blazing hot love interests!

Savvy PR guru Kinsey Taylor has always defined herself by her career, not her gender. That is, until she moved from San Francisco to Chicago to be with her fiancé who thought she wasn’t taking her “job” of supporting him in his high-powered career seriously enough—and promptly dumped her for a more supportive and “feminine” nurse. Now, as the new assistant press secretary to Chicago’s dynamic mayor, she’s determined to keep her eye on the prize: no time to feel inferior because she’s a strong, kick-ass woman, and certainly no time for men.

But that all changes when she meets Luke Almeida, a firefighter as searingly sexy as he is quick-tempered. He’s also the second oldest of the Firefightin’ Dempseys, a family of foster siblings who have committed their lives to the service—if Luke’s antics don’t get him fired first. When Luke goes one step too far and gets into a bar brawl with the Chicago Police Department, Kinsey marches into Luke’s firehouse and lays down the law on orders from the mayor. But at Engine Co. 6, Luke Almeida is the law. And he’s not about to let Kinsey make the rules.

Bea's Thoughts:

I saw this on some of my fave blogs and thought it sounded great. Then the publisher offered me a copy and I happily said yes (honestly, it's pretty darn hard to turn down a book :D).

Verdict

I didn't love it but I liked. I love family stories and series and this is about siblings. Catnip! Ah, but there's a twist. The siblings are foster sibs, raised by the same foster parents. In addition, they are all firefighters and they all work out of the same firehouse. Yeah, that's not a recipe for disaster. It's bound to be a future story.

Passionate romance + lots of story + vivid characters + strong location = solid, entertaining story

Info

 The book was overstuffed at times and I felt it could have been trimmed; there were too many plotlines and substories and crises. But I loved the banter, the humor, and how different all of the characters are from each other. Kinsey and Luke are fiery together but really needed to work on their communication. Still, they were good together and I liked that Luke's grand gesture at the end didn't automatically solve everything. I'm game for more, bring on the next story!

Publisher: Pocket Star
Series: Hot in Chicago #1.5
Challenges:  Finishing the Series
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: August 31, 2015 
Buying Links: Amazon* | Kobo* | ARe*  | iTunes | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Things are heating up at Engine Co. 6 in this original e-novella from Kate Meader’s sizzling Hot in Chicago series! Superhot playboy firefighter Gage Simpson has one particular man on his mind: Brady Smith, a recalcitrant, moody chef who makes Gage melt from the inside out. Features a sexy sneak preview of Playing with Fire!

Firefighter Gage Simpson has it all: the job of his dreams, the family of his heart, and no shortage of hot guys lining up to share his bed. “Fun and easy” is his motto—and it’s kept him sunny through a painful upbringing and steered him away from trouble. But when trouble comes knocking in the form of a sexy, scarred, tattooed chef with a harrowing past and zero communication skills, Gage can’t help but be drawn to the flame.

Brady Smith isn’t fun. And easy isn’t in his vocabulary. When cocky Gage swaggers into his restaurant kitchen, the former Marine-turned-five-star-chef is blindsided by the firefighter’s beauty. Then confused that this golden guy with the sparkling blue eyes and the body of a god might be interested in him. As desire flares and temperatures rise, Gage and Brady will have to figure out if the heat between them is just a temporary flash—or the beginning of something real.

Bea's Thoughts:

Oh look, another story! That didn't take long. :D 

Verdict

Happy sigh. It's more of a HFN than an HEA but it worked, and I was happy for the two of them.

Info

The story is told both from Gage's POV and Brady's, though we spend more time in Brady's head. Since we didn't get his perspective in Flirting with Fire, I enjoyed getting to know him better. We met Brady and Gage in the first book and I was hoping we'd see more of their relationship. This book was all about the two of them and I love getting inside both their minds. I did miss the interactions with Gage's siblings or anyone else really.We see Eli, Chicago's mayor, briefly, but the story is 90% just Gage and Brady. The story actually could have used a little padding to tone down the intensity a bit but I appreciated the emphasis on the relationship and the romance. And damn, I wish Gage weren't gay. Ah well.