Grace Addison keeps reliving the most terrible day of her life -- the day she barely escaped a fire that claimed her best friend Sara and her mentor Richard. It is also a fire that was set by a known arsonist who has been terrorizing the normally peaceful La Rosa, a San Diego suburb. Grace is still recovering (more psychologically than physically) from that fateful day when she receives a call from the mayor's office.

The mayor emotionally manipulates her into accepting his invitation to co-lead the task force investigating the arsonist. Jordan Kelley, new partner and ATF agent, is none too pleased, as he can see that she is still raw and suffering from post-traumatic stress. But as the mayor is clearly in charge (and a personal friend), he accepts the situation for what it is.

Grace and Jordan begin investigating, but it is soon evident that the arsonist is actually targeting Grace, from the bombing of her car to a personal attack when she in the firehouse. She soon leaves her house and falls under the protection of none other than Jordan, taking an adjoining room in his hotel, which does nothing to quell the building chemistry between them.

Although Grace feels the obvious chemistry, she no longer feels confident and flirty, all too aware of her scars (both physical and mental). And Jordan is harboring some secrets of his own, too. He used to be hostage negotiator, but he left that career behind when things went wrong one day. Will he be able to shed his own mental demons?

This book was extremely fun to read. I actually read it all in one sitting, and I couldn't get through it quickly enough. The vivid descriptions of what Grace had been through were powerful, and it made me really sympathize with her. The chemistry between Grace and Jordan was obvious from the beginning, although I didn't need to be reminded at every single opportunity that they were hot for each other. Other than that, my very small quibble is that I figured out very early on who the arsonist was. I actually figured it out the first time the person made their appearance in the book, which made me a little sad. Although, since this is a romance and not a mystery, I can be more forgiving. Overall, this was a solid romance, and I really enjoyed following Grace and Jordan as they investigated a little more than an arsonist!

Book Summary

Firefighter Grace Addison barely escaped the arsonist's blaze that killed two of her colleagues. Physically scarred, racked by survivor's guilt and post-traumatic stress, the California beauty doesn't want to co-lead a task force assigned to nab the arsonist. Her partner is ATF agent Jordan Kelley—a man with his own secrets and private pain.

At first, the sparks between Grace and the impossibly handsome Jordan are anything but romantic. The two wage a fierce tug-of-war for control of the investigation. But when the elusive firebug turns Grace's life into a fiery waking nightmare, she turns to Jordan for protection. If only she could resist his scorching kisses….