Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - Wildfire

second installment in this series by hannah grace & contrary to popular opinion, i think i did enjoy this one better than the first one! i enjoyed the actual plot better and the fact that there was less sexual content made the plot feel more .. important, i guess, to the book. one thing i disliked about the first book and disliked about the second one is the fact that there are parts of both novels that are almost unfathomably cringey, i have to rebalance before continuing with what i'm reading. another thing i disliked about this book was that absolutely nothing was left to the imagination. every feeling and thought was explicitly laid out in front of you & i usually like a little bit of ambiguity in what i read with things like that; i enjoy when books leave you a little confused or implying things about the character's emotions or motives for yourself, aaand this book had none of that!
overall i'm giving it a 3.5/5 stars like its predecessor, because i had very similar qualms with both books -- now i have another author/book series to put on my repeat author shelf !!!!

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fie_hansen's review against another edition

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lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

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amanda_reads13's review against another edition

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lighthearted fast-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

Aurora and Russ hookup at a house party. The next day they find out they will be working together for 2 months at a summer camp.

This was a cute and sweet story. The summer camp setting was a fun angle.

The first half of the book had a lot of miscommunication and unnecessary drama. Instead of talking to each other like adults, both Aurora and Russ made assumptions about each other which made their situation super awkward.

Russ and Aurara come from different worlds, but are both dealing with similar trauma. Daddy issues. Aurara's dad is a rich asshole who completely ignores her until he needs a photo opp, where as Russ' dad is gambling addict who has put him down his whole life. Aurara's reaction was to act out, where as Russ' was to make himself small. Aurara is loud and pushes the limits, where as Russ' is a shy rule follower who lacks confidence.

I love how much these two grow and heal together. It takes a lot for Russ to open up and trust, he hates people knowing about his family situation. Aurora is so patient with him and pushes him to step out of his comfort zone. Russ is a definition golden retriever boyfriend (with a dirty mouth). He is incredibly kind, empathetic, and considerate. He is there for her as she struggles through her complicated relationship with her family and is there to support her at every turn. I adore these two together.

One thing I love about this series is the friend group. They add so much to the story. They aren't what your expect from the typical "hockey boys". Yes, they tease and razz each other, but also show up for each other in the best possible way.

Tropes: forced proximity, university, hockey player, opposites attract, found family

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ojudge's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I loved everything about this book! At first when I began reading, I didn’t realize that it takes place in the same world as Icebreaker, and was pleasantly surprised when I began reading familiar names and scenes full of the characters I had already come to love from reading that story. Differently from Icebreaker, Wildfire’s summer camp plot left me yearning for the days of summer, swimming, bonfires, and a love story like Aurora and Russ. While I enjoyed Anastasia and Nate’s story from Icebreaker, something about this book left me feeling differently. There wasn’t a time when I felt like the spice and physical connection between the main characters was overshadowing their actual romance. The balance between the small and subtle contributions to their falling in love and their physical connection to once another was balanced beautifully. I would have given 5 stars - but I had to take off something for the cringeworthy term of endearment “sweetheart.” I don’t know what it was, but each time I read that I had to cringe - I just felt like using that term didn’t fit the characters well. Other than that, perfect story, writing, characters, and book overall!

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abimyers_reads's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

4⭐
3🌶️

Listened on Audible.
Wildfire is the 2nd book in the Maple Hill series by Hannah Grace. Following Russ Callaghan and Aurora Roberts after a passionate one night stand after a party the 2 meet again as camp counsellors.

I enjoyed the slight cross over of character from Icebreaker along with new characters. Less smut compared to Icebreaker. I enjoyed this book less but overall still a good book.

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