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atomecko's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
heathersreading's review against another edition
4.0
I am a huge fan of character driven novels, and High Heat does not disappoint. The main characters show growth as a individual men and as a couple. Garrick's injury and recovery seem authentic and well researched. The happily ever after is highly satisfying and believable. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
kaje_harper's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this story about a forest service firefighter injured on the job, who is determined he's going to get back to smoke jumping. But Garrick's injuries included some spinal trauma, and his recovery is not progressing the way he wants it to. He refuses to quit working for his goals, but he's frustrated. A sexy younger new neighbor, a lost dog in need of shelter, and a great supportive dad, give him other things to focus on and help Garrick figure out what his life ought to look like.
Rain is a bit perfect in his sweetness and knowing what to do at any moment to be helpful, but I loved his optimism and his supportive nature. Garrick's pansexuality was a bonus, and I liked his open enjoyment of Rain's sparkling personality. The disability issues were IMO well handled here, with a nice realistic middle road. The chemistry between the men was good, the sex had enough imperfections to not be cookie-cutter, and although the supposed conflict issue (with Rain's wandering ways, and Garrick's determination that Rain should get out in the world again) seemed to drag on longer than it should have, the ending was sweet and warm.
Rain is a bit perfect in his sweetness and knowing what to do at any moment to be helpful, but I loved his optimism and his supportive nature. Garrick's pansexuality was a bonus, and I liked his open enjoyment of Rain's sparkling personality. The disability issues were IMO well handled here, with a nice realistic middle road. The chemistry between the men was good, the sex had enough imperfections to not be cookie-cutter, and although the supposed conflict issue (with Rain's wandering ways, and Garrick's determination that Rain should get out in the world again) seemed to drag on longer than it should have, the ending was sweet and warm.
jessicareadsit's review against another edition
3.0
Never before has one lost dog caused so much commotion!
Garrick has always lived life in the fast and promiscuous lane and after an accident and multiple surgeries, he has become a hermit and a shadow of his past life. With one goal in mind of 100% recovery, he cannot let anything, not even a cute dog and an even cuter neighbour get in the way.
I personally loved the evolution of Garrick as he stumbles (literally) his way through navigating family, well-meaning friends, and the harsh reality that things may never be the same. Throw in a sexy, (not so slightly) younger neighbor Rain who is unsure of everything from his next destination to what kind of underwear he should model and you have a confused, occasionally horny Garrick.
I firmly believe each and every book you read should educate you in some form or fashion and High Heat definitely provided valuable insight into the rigorously, dangerous world of Smokejumping and Hot Shot Crews.
Thank you to Harlequin Carina Press for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. In support of the author this review will be posted on my blog from June 16th, 2020 at this link:https://jesreadsit.wordpress.com/
Garrick has always lived life in the fast and promiscuous lane and after an accident and multiple surgeries, he has become a hermit and a shadow of his past life. With one goal in mind of 100% recovery, he cannot let anything, not even a cute dog and an even cuter neighbour get in the way.
I personally loved the evolution of Garrick as he stumbles (literally) his way through navigating family, well-meaning friends, and the harsh reality that things may never be the same. Throw in a sexy, (not so slightly) younger neighbor Rain who is unsure of everything from his next destination to what kind of underwear he should model and you have a confused, occasionally horny Garrick.
I firmly believe each and every book you read should educate you in some form or fashion and High Heat definitely provided valuable insight into the rigorously, dangerous world of Smokejumping and Hot Shot Crews.
Thank you to Harlequin Carina Press for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. In support of the author this review will be posted on my blog from June 16th, 2020 at this link:https://jesreadsit.wordpress.com/
nina_readsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
onceupon_a_bookdream's review against another edition
4.0
[I received a digital arc from Netgalley for an honest review]
High Heat is the second book in Annabeth Albert's Hot Shot series, but each book can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone. This book is about smoke jumper Garrick and young free spirit Rain. An opposites attract, age gap romance that brings with it a plethora of emotions.
"You make me want...Damn, I wish I'd met you...before. Back when I could have given you everything you deserve."
There is so much going on in this story I don't know where to begin. I really enjoyed our leading males. Garrick is a bit grumpy which is to be expected in his situation. Underneath his gruff exterior he is caring and kind and doesn't wish to be a burden on anyone. Rain is vibrant and is comfortable in his own skin. He's a sweetheart who thrives on being wanted/ needed by someone. They meet and are exactly what the other needs in a friend, a confident and a sexual partner. I loved the relationship they formed between them. All their time together and sweet intimate moments put a smile on my face while it hurt my heart that they both felt so unworthy of the other.
"Each kiss was a revelation, snowflakes to marvel at, each unique and special and worth slowing down for."
Things that I was less thrilled about in the book were the supporting characters who didn't seem to do much supporting of Garrick and Rain's relationship. The story also felt a bit long and dragged in the middle. Also, even though I expected the climax that the book had, it didn't make it any less frustrating. I wanted to bang their heads together and tell them to stop being so darn stubborn. For two people who were so good at talking to each other they struggled at that moment to fight for what they wanted and it was a bit disappointing.
"Loving him was both the scariest thing in the world and the simplest."
Overall, I enjoyed High Heat much more than the first book in the series and I'm excited for the next book to come.
High Heat is the second book in Annabeth Albert's Hot Shot series, but each book can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone. This book is about smoke jumper Garrick and young free spirit Rain. An opposites attract, age gap romance that brings with it a plethora of emotions.
"You make me want...Damn, I wish I'd met you...before. Back when I could have given you everything you deserve."
There is so much going on in this story I don't know where to begin. I really enjoyed our leading males. Garrick is a bit grumpy which is to be expected in his situation. Underneath his gruff exterior he is caring and kind and doesn't wish to be a burden on anyone. Rain is vibrant and is comfortable in his own skin. He's a sweetheart who thrives on being wanted/ needed by someone. They meet and are exactly what the other needs in a friend, a confident and a sexual partner. I loved the relationship they formed between them. All their time together and sweet intimate moments put a smile on my face while it hurt my heart that they both felt so unworthy of the other.
"Each kiss was a revelation, snowflakes to marvel at, each unique and special and worth slowing down for."
Things that I was less thrilled about in the book were the supporting characters who didn't seem to do much supporting of Garrick and Rain's relationship. The story also felt a bit long and dragged in the middle. Also, even though I expected the climax that the book had, it didn't make it any less frustrating. I wanted to bang their heads together and tell them to stop being so darn stubborn. For two people who were so good at talking to each other they struggled at that moment to fight for what they wanted and it was a bit disappointing.
"Loving him was both the scariest thing in the world and the simplest."
Overall, I enjoyed High Heat much more than the first book in the series and I'm excited for the next book to come.
nerdinthelibrary's review against another edition
4.0
1) Burn Zone ★★★★
content warnings: recovering from a spinal injury, fire-related life-threatening situations, mentions of homophobia
representation: pansexual main character with a spinal injury, gay main character, m/m main relationship, gay side characters, non-binary minor character, polyamorous minor characters
This is now the second time in a row that dogs have played a major part in an Annabeth Albert book, and I for one am very here for it. Fingers crossed for there to be a major dog role in book 3.
This is the second book in the Hotshots series following Garrick, a character from the first book who suffered several major injuries at the end of that book. This is set about a year later and he's still in recovery. One day he finds a dog on his porch and Rain, hot grandson of his neighbour, helps him to get her inside. Turns out Rain wants to be a hotshot so he and Garrick strike up a deal: Garrick helps him train and Rain helps him look after the dog. Easy, right? Except for the fact that they're both hopelessly attracted to each other.
This book has the truly wonderful trope of they're super into each other and decide to start having sex pretending that they won't catch feels, and it's written to perfection. Rain is a character who has trouble staying in one place too long so he and Garrick are both pretending that there's an end date to their relationship which provides exactly the sort of angst I want.
Something that I continue to appreciate about Annabeth Albert's books is the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people who aren't just gay men, which is usually as far as M/M erotica goes. In this, we don't just have a pansexual lead with Garrick, we also have mentions of Rain's parents being polyamorous and one of Rain's brother's friends' being non-binary. I don't want to pat someone on the back too much for just including mentions of LGBTQ+ people who aren't gay but I still want to acknowledge its significance.
While I can't personally speak to the disabled representation with Garrick, I appreciated that it was always a consideration and never forgotten even when it wasn't the focus. Basically all the erotica I've ever read/heard of has had only able-bodied leads so I'm glad that Garrick's injuries from the last book weren't just brushed under the rug, and that he wasn't 'fixed' by the end of this one.
I'm so sad that this is set to be just a trilogy because I'm really falling in love with these dumb firefighters. If you liked the dumb firefighters in the first book, then the odds are high you'll like this one, too.
content warnings: recovering from a spinal injury, fire-related life-threatening situations, mentions of homophobia
representation: pansexual main character with a spinal injury, gay main character, m/m main relationship, gay side characters, non-binary minor character, polyamorous minor characters
“‘You... You’re special, Rain. I hope you know that.’
‘I do now.’ His voice was soft, and he had to hide his face in Garrick’s neck, not wanting to reveal quite how much those words meant to him. Garrick made him want, made him dream, things he’d thought weren’t meant to be his. All the things he’d told himself that he didn’t want, now those dreams came crashing back into him, one after another. It was almost too much, that kind of hope requiring a bravery he wasn’t sure he possessed. And he could tell himself those feelings weren’t real, that it was only good sex and friendship, but right then, all he wanted was to hold Garrick close and pretend if only for a while that this was real, that Garrick was his, and that all those impossible things were within reach.”
This is now the second time in a row that dogs have played a major part in an Annabeth Albert book, and I for one am very here for it. Fingers crossed for there to be a major dog role in book 3.
This is the second book in the Hotshots series following Garrick, a character from the first book who suffered several major injuries at the end of that book. This is set about a year later and he's still in recovery. One day he finds a dog on his porch and Rain, hot grandson of his neighbour, helps him to get her inside. Turns out Rain wants to be a hotshot so he and Garrick strike up a deal: Garrick helps him train and Rain helps him look after the dog. Easy, right? Except for the fact that they're both hopelessly attracted to each other.
This book has the truly wonderful trope of they're super into each other and decide to start having sex pretending that they won't catch feels, and it's written to perfection. Rain is a character who has trouble staying in one place too long so he and Garrick are both pretending that there's an end date to their relationship which provides exactly the sort of angst I want.
Something that I continue to appreciate about Annabeth Albert's books is the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people who aren't just gay men, which is usually as far as M/M erotica goes. In this, we don't just have a pansexual lead with Garrick, we also have mentions of Rain's parents being polyamorous and one of Rain's brother's friends' being non-binary. I don't want to pat someone on the back too much for just including mentions of LGBTQ+ people who aren't gay but I still want to acknowledge its significance.
While I can't personally speak to the disabled representation with Garrick, I appreciated that it was always a consideration and never forgotten even when it wasn't the focus. Basically all the erotica I've ever read/heard of has had only able-bodied leads so I'm glad that Garrick's injuries from the last book weren't just brushed under the rug, and that he wasn't 'fixed' by the end of this one.
I'm so sad that this is set to be just a trilogy because I'm really falling in love with these dumb firefighters. If you liked the dumb firefighters in the first book, then the odds are high you'll like this one, too.
I received an ARC of this book for free as part of a blog tour in exchange for an honest review.
cozycottage_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75