Release Day Review: On Fire by Alicia Nordwell

Title: On Fire
Series: States of Love
Author: Alicia Nordwell
Release Date: October 26, 2016
Category: Contemporary, States of Love
Pages: 137

Dreamspinner Press ~ Goodreads

Nothing beats getting out of the concrete jungle and into the quiet of the forest. Website designer Scottie Ness is taking a well-deserved vacation from the grindstone, and he plans to spend it in the solitude of Washington’s Gifford Pinchot National Forest around Mt. Adams. He’s prepared for everything—except the lightning storm that traps him in a wildfire.

The firefighter who rescues him sustains serious injuries and ends up in the hospital. Jax Quintero might be abrasive, but the guy saved his life, and Scottie wants to thank him. As they spend time together during Jax’s recovery and exploring the state’s landmarks when he’s released from the hospital, Scottie discovers there’s more to Jax than a smart-ass adrenaline junkie. Jax reassesses his opinion of Scottie as an arrogant city boy who has no business in the mountains. Though Jax’s wounds prevent them from taking things as far as they’d like for a while, they can’t deny the heat building between them—and this is one fire they don’t want to put out.

*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Dreamspinner Press for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.*

On Fire is part of the States of Love series and the first book I've read by Alicia Nordwell.  

Scottie Ness decides to spend his vacation hiking and picture taking in the forest.  He grew up hiking, camping and exploring with his family so this is a relaxing vacation for him.  He's prepared and has taken all precautions possible, but didn't prepare to be caught in a lightning storm which then traps him in a wildfire.  

Scottie is rescued by a group of firefighters.  Jax is abrasive and a jerk about the rescue, especially when he's injured in the line of duty.  When Scottie is discharged from the hospital, he decides to thank Jax for saving him.  Jax is a jerk, but Scottie is attracted to him and continues to visit him.  Jax and Scottie find their attraction is mutual, and they're able to explore their feelings while Jax is recovering.

This story had a lot of details about camping, and reminded me of how much I hated camping with my family as a teen!  It was really impressive though the thought and effort that was put into detailing Scottie's preparation to go camping and his activity once there.  And it showed that no matter your level of experience, or how much you plan, some things are out of your control.  Jax did come across as a jerk.  On the one hand, he's throwing a fit about rescuing a camper but that's his job as a firefighter.  But he's not just someone who doesn't want to do their job, he's mad about taking his team further into danger and putting their lives at risk.  Though both men were attracted to each other, this book was a slow build up and really developed a relationship between the two before anything sexual happened. 

Overall, a really enjoyable story with some really well-written characters!  And, it's a hot firefighter story meets computer nerd, how can anyone pass that up!  And you get a chance to explore.  The author does a great job of describing all the scenery.  I did hope for an epilogue that let me see Jax and Scottie in a future scenario.  You know, when Jax goes back to work and once family's have been met, and they're still together making their relationship to work.  But it's still a really enjoyable book!

Rating:  4 stars

The premise for On Fire definitely had me wanting to read this book. I liked the idea of the hero needing someone to take care of him. Personally, I like stories where two very different people fall in love. Jax is a gruff, well-built firefighter who seems to have no problem being rude to Scottie from the moment he was tasked with locating and extracting him from the path of a forest fire. Unfortunately, in the process of carrying a concussed Scottie to the rescue vehicles, Jax is injured furthering his resentment of the man. Scott is a bit of a computer geek that has been camping in these woods since he was a kid. He hadn't planned on being trapped by a fire in the forest. He doesn't understand where Jax's hostility is coming from, sure he got hurt rescuing him but he can't really blame Scott for that, can he? Either way, Scott is determined to help Jax out in a gesture of gratitude. Soon the men realize they have strong feelings for each other. What I Loved: This story is angst-free. Once the men get over their initial hurdle, it's smooth sailing. It's much more a story of how they met, not what they had to overcome. What I liked: The best scene had to be Jax rescuing Scottie. I honestly enjoyed the vivid picture I had in my mind of the entire ordeal. I wasn't particularly amused by Jax's attitude of having to help Scottie but I guess it was part of his "charm". He was after all worried about the danger his men were in. What I didn't like: I am a huge proponent for the "show, don't tell" technique. When I'm reading a story I want to feel as if the author is pulling me into the story, that I am living it right along with the characters I'm reading about. If the author gives too much description and detail, telling me every single thing the character does and why, I have a hard time immersing myself in what I'm reading. I like the freedom of allowing the reader to use their imagination a bit when we are thinking about the story we're being told. There is nothing wrong with a bit of conjecture in this instance. Overall, this is a sweet angst free story about two very different men who fall in love. 3 Stars!

*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Dreamspinner Press for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.*