Reviews

Hope Flames by Jaci Burton

thereadingbel's review

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3.0

Emma Burnett returns home to Hope to buy the veterinary practice of a retiring doctor. This is a fulfillment of a dream delayed by an awful relationship. Policeman Luke McCormick was badly burned during his marriage and has soured on committed relationships, other than the one he has with his canine partner, Boomer. When the dog requires medical care, it sets off something that neither Luke or Emma saw coming. Chemistry and sparks immediately fly between them, but Emma is not looking for love, or a relationship. She was burned badly in the past and doesn’t plan on ever repeating that. Emma’s happy she got her life back on track and is focused on making her career a success.

Luke is immediately drawn to the town’s new vet, Emma, but a relationship is the last thing he wants after suffering a failed marriage. He has no desire to travel down that road again and keeps women to a one-night stand status and nothing more. Even though Luke can tell Emma is not that type of girl, he can’t help finding excuses to see her again.

Emma and Luke had absolutely no plans for a relationship or love, but still they gradually burrowed a spot in each other’s heart. There was a magnetic pull neither could ignore:

I thought the book started out really good you get pulled into the chemistry between Luke and Emma but after awhile the book started to feel repetitive. Do they want a relationship or not?

kiks396's review against another edition

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3.0

I'm just happy this is finally off my TBR list. I'm quite neutral about this one. Nothing too memorable and not sure if I'll continue the series.

jonetta's review against another edition

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4.0

Originally posted at The Book Nympho

Quick Summary
Emma Burnett returns home to Hope to buy the veterinary practice of a retiring doctor. This is a fulfillment of a dream delayed by an awful relationship. Policeman Luke McCormick was badly burned during his marriage and has soured on committed relationships, other than the one he has with his canine partner, Boomer. When the dog requires medical care, it sets off something that neither Luke or Emma saw coming.

So, what changed?
After a rocky start, Luke and Emma figured they'd work well as friends and possibly with benefits. A series of break-ins at facilities with pharmaceuticals threw them together even more and, well, they really made the best of it:)

How was the romance?
I loved their journey to friendship. Most of the story was about their individual discoveries, really coming to intensely like each other. And, the benefits weren't bad, either (actually, pretty steamy). This was truly a friends to lovers romance but this time, we were in on the development of the friendship.

Other characters?
Luke's older brother, Logan, was queued perfectly for his upcoming story. And Emma's friend, Chelsea, is funny, gorgeous and primed for a relationship.

The bottom line
There was a sweetness about this story, primarily because of the couples' devotion to and care of animals, telling you so much more about their characters. An element of suspense was in the background because of the break-ins and baggage from Emma's past (culminates near the end). It wasn't terribly exciting but I really enjoyed being a voyeur as they created a relationship. This is the perfect book to settle back and immerse yourself in when you just want a feel-good story. I'm still liking this series.

(I received an ARC from NetGalley)

verityw's review against another edition

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2.0

Meh. I was reading this for Oklahoma in my 50 states challenge and it did that. But it didn’t really work for me. I didn’t love the dialogue and I’m not used to shooting ranges in romances. But there was nothing heinous about it, it just didn’t do it for me. I liked the dogs at lease. Still, another state ticked off!

emslovestoread's review against another edition

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1.0

Didn't like anything about it. Pacing was off, characters were uninteresting to me, and the writing just wasn't good.

thereadingbel's review against another edition

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3.0

Emma Burnett returns home to Hope to buy the veterinary practice of a retiring doctor. This is a fulfillment of a dream delayed by an awful relationship. Policeman Luke McCormick was badly burned during his marriage and has soured on committed relationships, other than the one he has with his canine partner, Boomer. When the dog requires medical care, it sets off something that neither Luke or Emma saw coming. Chemistry and sparks immediately fly between them, but Emma is not looking for love, or a relationship. She was burned badly in the past and doesn’t plan on ever repeating that. Emma’s happy she got her life back on track and is focused on making her career a success.

Luke is immediately drawn to the town’s new vet, Emma, but a relationship is the last thing he wants after suffering a failed marriage. He has no desire to travel down that road again and keeps women to a one-night stand status and nothing more. Even though Luke can tell Emma is not that type of girl, he can’t help finding excuses to see her again.

Emma and Luke had absolutely no plans for a relationship or love, but still they gradually burrowed a spot in each other’s heart. There was a magnetic pull neither could ignore:

I thought the book started out really good you get pulled into the chemistry between Luke and Emma but after awhile the book started to feel repetitive. Do they want a relationship or not?

nicolebanks's review against another edition

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4.0

Totally love these books they just make me awwwwwww so much lol

tfail24's review against another edition

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4.0

I thought this was a good start to a new series.

Looking forward to Logan's story.

belle505's review against another edition

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4.0

This series is starting out promising. It helps that there are animals involved.

cranberrytarts's review against another edition

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4.0

The beginning of a new contemporary series set in a small town. A hero with commitment issues, a heroine who is just a little bit broken and a bunch of adorable animals. Trust me, this is a recipe for a great read.