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anasatticbookblog's review against another edition
2.0
Consumed by J.R. Ward
1st in a Firefighter Romantic Suspense Series. Read the Free Prequels First.
2.5 Stars
I am a big fan of JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood Series, so I went into Consumed with high expectations. I read the Wedding From Hell prequels one and two first, and I think it is absolutely necessary to read those before reading Consumed. I was dying to know what would happen to Danny and Anne after reading them.
“It’s amazing what you can live through and come out stronger on the other side.”
Consumed began with the most addictive and explosive beginning! OMG it was exciting and devastating at the same time, and many lives were changed that day. Then we flash forward 10 months. Danny and Anne haven’t seen each other in all that time, and there is an arsonist loose in the city.
I usually love mysteries and suspense, but I found this to be boring and drawn out. Much of it was procedural and inner workings of the fire department, and we even had other POVs. But to me, the thing that usually makes me love a book is the characters, and sadly, I never warmed up to Anne, and liked Danny less in this book than the prequels, though he got better towards the end. But this one quote describes Anne well.
"She felt nothing—and not just on the surface, which had no nerves to register sensation. She had no emotion about the thing, either. It was what it was, a part of her now that needed to be, by definition, as indigenous as all the stuff she had been born with. What the hell did she have to get upset about?"
I know that a lot of people I trust really loved Consumed, and I really wanted to. The prequels and the first 15% gave me so much hope! I will say, I am glad I pushed through and finished, because the ending 15% was really good. To me, I’d give the first 20% 4.5 stars, the middle 65% 2 stars, and the last 15% 4 stars.
Likes:
- •The first 15% and the last 15%.
- •A strong, female firefighter that can kick ass and take names.
- •The dog.
- •Well written, realistic fire scenes.
- •A well thought-out, well-researched plot.
- •Realistic portrayals of the mental health issues firefighters face.
- •Good character growth
Dislikes:
- •I never warmed up to Anne, and Danny was just OK.
- •I was bored and seriously considered a DNF between 50% and 80% but pushed through.
- •I found JR Ward’s gangsta slang to be jarring in this setting. It’s one thing for vampires in a fake world, but another in a non-paranormal.
- •I felt like she didn’t portray millennials and even Hispanics in a fair light. (Not all Hispanics speak broken English).
- •There just wasn’t enough romance for me, and even the mystery was slow.
- •Too many 3rd person POVs.
The Down and Dirty:
I wanted so much to love Consumed, I mean it’s JR Ward for goodness sake! I enjoyed the free prequels and was excited to read more about Danny, Anne and the firefighters of Station 499. Unfortunately Consumed didn’t live up to the prequels for me. After the explosive beginning, the rest of the book was just boring to me. It was more Anne and her investigation than anything else. I found the whole thing to be kind of depressing, there were no light moments to break it up, and it was definitely more mystery than romance. At 60% I almost DNFd but it’s a long book and I already put in so much time that I pushed through. I am glad I pushed through for the end, because it did redeem itself a bit for me, and I am curious about Tom’s story. But not enough for me to continue. A lot of bloggers I fully trust absolutely loved this one, and a few DNF’d, so this one seems to be a love it/hate it type thing. As for me, I’m right in the middle, and give it 2.5 stars.
Rating: 2.5 Stars, 3.5 Heat
Purchase Consumed by JR Ward
charlottenw1's review against another edition
3.0
I finished this book with a wow. The writing was just lyrical and really kept me intrigued throughout the whole of the book. the characters are so captivating and the conflict is so well written within the story. I love the whole book but it wasn't my favourite. Some of the pages I skim read when I was losing interest in the dialogue or descriptive.
miraphora's review against another edition
3.0
3 e mezzo
Vi lascio immaginare la scena: ho voglia di leggere un romanzo non troppo impegnativo ma che avesse un minimo di sostanza. Sfoglio il Kindle per ORE alla ricerca di qualcosa finché l'occhio mi cade su Consumed e allora io penso ma com'è possibile che per due anni non ho letto questo romanzo? Allora bella placida lo inizio, aspettandomi un romance adrenalinico ma pur sempre in stile Ward che ormai conosco. Ah! Little I knew, porca miseria ladra.
Metto le mani avanti perché qua magari c'è bisogno di qualcuno che ve lo dica: questo è il romanzo del mai-una caxxo-di gioia, del gore e della depressione imperante. Rispetto alla media dei suoi romanzi, evidentemente la Ward ha iniettato in questo titolo tutto l'angst extra che le rimaneva in circolo e che non sapeva dove collocare. E io che mi chiedevo anche come mai la serie fosse ferma, secondo me dopo questo primo titolo o non ha venduto bene, oppure ha venduto a secchiate ma non è stato accolto come speravano. Chissà come mai, sprizza di gioia da tutte le righe (ironicamente parlando). L'unica cosa che spruzza è il sangue, ma ne parlo più avanti.
Allora, la Ward, con la serie Firefighters (se ancora si può chiamare così, visto che esiste solo un romanzo e non c'è traccia del secondo) ha fatto un esperimento: ha sparato fuori degli ebook gratis che servivano da prequel incentrati su alcune scene precise che avrebbero avuto un ruolo chiave nel romanzo. Io, che sono tante cose ma spesso non costante, di questi ebook ne ho letto solamente uno che era poi quello più romantico, se vogliamo. E' stato ok, nulla di che, del resto da una manciata di pagine gratis mica ci si può aspettare l'illuminazione divina.
Allora inizio Consumed, come dicevo, convinta che tutto il romanzo sarebbe stato un romance con una bella dose di azione, di adrenalina, con protagonisti tosti e con una fetta di ansgt da avere la pancia piena ma non da indigestione.
Nope, raga non so come dirlo, questo romanzo inizia a mille e tu dici che figo una scena d'azione subito che storia, poi la Ward distribuisce la carte insinuando un rischio ma tu, ingenua figlia dell'estate, pensi che no, è un romance certe cose non succedono nei rom- e via che salta una parte importante (ah!) e tu rimani lì. Pietrificata. Incredula. E rileggi la scena pensando che il tuo inglese sia arrugginito o che la Ward abbia usato parole difficili. Ma no, è tutto nero su bianco. E' in quel momento che capisci. In quel momento l'intenzione della Ward si fa chiara e tu hai due scelte: ti fidi, continui a leggere, o droppi perché a tutto c'è un limite e io volevo un caxxo di romance non uno splatter.
Mi fido, continuo, leggo perché so che la Ward è furba e qualche escamotage lo ha imparato. Vado avanti e l'angst si riversa sulla storia al punto che ormai ogni cosa non ti sorprende più. Morti ammazzati? Check. Arti tagliati? Check. Alcolismo? Check. Depressione? Autodistruzione? HIV? Suicidio? Come peschi c'è, stai sicuro che c'è e ad un certo punto ti chiedi: quando è too much il too much? Consumed è too much. L'angst a me piace, ma non a secchiate (o secchiate di sangue, dovrei dire), e mi piace che abbia non solo una ragione d'esistere ma anche uno sviluppo nel bene o nel male che sia. Voglio che gli ostacoli fisici o psicologici non vengano solamente vomitati nelle pagine per il puro gusto di dare un tono, per scioccare o sentirsi dire quanto è coraggiosa a superare i limiti e le convenzioni del genere. Ci sono delle regole, nel romance in particolare, e va bene testarle e piegarle e spesso romperle, ma il too much non giova nemmeno se sei J.R.Ward.
Io ho dovuto dare un tre e mezzo, perché onestamente non so come prendere questo romanzo. Da una parte mi è piaciuto perché non ha mezze misure, ma dall'altro non rispetta le aspettative con tutti i suoi buchi di trama, con risoluzioni a casaccio senza spiegazione, con colpi di genio decontestualizzati. Mancano completamente le fondamenta, i personaggi si muovono velocemente per non inabissarsi, e il lettore si affanna dietro alla storia. Si fatica a stare dietro agli eventi, con tutti gli incidenti che vengono descritti, si fa fatica a stare dietro ai personaggi, con tutti i pompieri dai nomignoli più assurdi, si fa fatica ad entrare in sintonia con una protagonista che è too much da ogni lato la si guardi, nonostante abbia un potenziale enorme e sia coraggiosamente infilata dalla Ward nella categoria invalidi/mutilati/diversamente abili. Se mi permettete di essere un filo cattiva, questi personaggi sono una copia poco credibile della BDB. Questi pompieri maschioni pieni di muscoli, tatuaggi, belli come il sole, ma tanto oscuri dentro che si danno nicknames da liceali non so quanto rispecchino la realtà di una categoria così preziosa. Magari là fuori c'è il pompiere Dannyboy bello da fare male e tormentato, ma che siano tutti così, what are the odds? Parliamo di Anne? Per carità, tostissima all'inizio, una dura considerando la situazione nella quale si trova, ma caratterialmente è una di quelle persone che normalmente verrebbero isolate da tutti. Anne è convinta di aver la verità in tasca, se ha una convinzione allora è quella e niente le fa cambiare idea e questo atteggiamento superiore, moralista, critico su ogni cosa la trasforma in carnefice. Maltratta la madre, respinge il fratello, rifiuta in toto di avere relazioni umane perché o ha tutto o niente, o va come vuole lei o niente. Insomma, sorella, non sei mica Dio fly down. Poi, per carità, la trama piega questo palo che ha infilato al posto della colonna vertebrale, but still...non mi ha fatta impazzire. Danny è ok, è un personaggio un po' problematico ma tutto guarisce perché c'è l'amore, come a dire tutti i miei traumi se ne vanno finché Anne mi ama. Mulino Bianco much?
La trama di base non regge. L'idea è buona ma non viene portata avanti, la Ward sfrutta solo alcuni aspetti esclusivamente come pretesto per creare contrasto tra Anne e Danny, o per gettare indizi vaghi sul presunto colpevole. Tutta la storia di Anne che indaga sui roghi finisce in un nulla di fatto, non so se è voluto perché magari la Ward prevedeva di proseguire nel secondo, o se semplicemente si è persa per strada e ha rattoppato il rattoppabile. Di sicuro Consumed non è allo stesso livello dei suoi altri romanzi, si sente che manca struttura, forse manca un progetto dietro, forse è stato sparato fuori con troppa fretta, quello che so è che non soddisfa. Mai.
Il tre e mezzo è perché tutto sommato mi è piaciuto, ha i suoi pregi e i suoi difetti e non è il peggior romanzo della Ward che abbia letto. Ho dato un voto medio alto perché voglio premiare l'abbondanza di scene cruente, ma soprattutto la scelta di avere una protagonista femminile con un handicap fisico importante. Quello che mi ha frenata a dare un voto più alto è la trama che, come ho già detto, oscilla tra il caos al va bene lo stesso nessuno ci baderà. Stranamente, cosa mai successa, ho avuto difficoltà con il lessico della Ward. Ci sta che i termini tecnici legati alla professione del pompiere o di Anne siano troppo specifici per essere entrati nel mio dizionario personale, ma più che il singolo termine (per quello basta un click e Amazon ti dice cosa vuol dire) mi ha pesato lo stile. Non so, forse è il romanzo ad essere nato male, forse ho sbagliato a sceglierlo in un momento in cui cercavo easy/cheesy, oppure semplicemente ho trovato un punto di non contatto con la Ward dove non c'è tentativo che regga, semplicemente non si va d'accordo. A questo punto, ormai sono passati due anni, direi che il secondo romanzo non arriverà mai. La Ward scrive a macchinetta e quest'anno inaugurerà un'altra serie nuova, quindi direi che posso chiudere questo capitolo senza troppi rimpianti.
Vi lascio immaginare la scena: ho voglia di leggere un romanzo non troppo impegnativo ma che avesse un minimo di sostanza. Sfoglio il Kindle per ORE alla ricerca di qualcosa finché l'occhio mi cade su Consumed e allora io penso ma com'è possibile che per due anni non ho letto questo romanzo? Allora bella placida lo inizio, aspettandomi un romance adrenalinico ma pur sempre in stile Ward che ormai conosco. Ah! Little I knew, porca miseria ladra.
Metto le mani avanti perché qua magari c'è bisogno di qualcuno che ve lo dica: questo è il romanzo del mai-una caxxo-di gioia, del gore e della depressione imperante. Rispetto alla media dei suoi romanzi, evidentemente la Ward ha iniettato in questo titolo tutto l'angst extra che le rimaneva in circolo e che non sapeva dove collocare. E io che mi chiedevo anche come mai la serie fosse ferma, secondo me dopo questo primo titolo o non ha venduto bene, oppure ha venduto a secchiate ma non è stato accolto come speravano. Chissà come mai, sprizza di gioia da tutte le righe (ironicamente parlando). L'unica cosa che spruzza è il sangue, ma ne parlo più avanti.
Allora, la Ward, con la serie Firefighters (se ancora si può chiamare così, visto che esiste solo un romanzo e non c'è traccia del secondo) ha fatto un esperimento: ha sparato fuori degli ebook gratis che servivano da prequel incentrati su alcune scene precise che avrebbero avuto un ruolo chiave nel romanzo. Io, che sono tante cose ma spesso non costante, di questi ebook ne ho letto solamente uno che era poi quello più romantico, se vogliamo. E' stato ok, nulla di che, del resto da una manciata di pagine gratis mica ci si può aspettare l'illuminazione divina.
Allora inizio Consumed, come dicevo, convinta che tutto il romanzo sarebbe stato un romance con una bella dose di azione, di adrenalina, con protagonisti tosti e con una fetta di ansgt da avere la pancia piena ma non da indigestione.
Nope, raga non so come dirlo, questo romanzo inizia a mille e tu dici che figo una scena d'azione subito che storia, poi la Ward distribuisce la carte insinuando un rischio ma tu, ingenua figlia dell'estate, pensi che no, è un romance certe cose non succedono nei rom- e via che salta una parte importante (ah!) e tu rimani lì. Pietrificata. Incredula. E rileggi la scena pensando che il tuo inglese sia arrugginito o che la Ward abbia usato parole difficili. Ma no, è tutto nero su bianco. E' in quel momento che capisci. In quel momento l'intenzione della Ward si fa chiara e tu hai due scelte: ti fidi, continui a leggere, o droppi perché a tutto c'è un limite e io volevo un caxxo di romance non uno splatter.
Mi fido, continuo, leggo perché so che la Ward è furba e qualche escamotage lo ha imparato. Vado avanti e l'angst si riversa sulla storia al punto che ormai ogni cosa non ti sorprende più. Morti ammazzati? Check. Arti tagliati? Check. Alcolismo? Check. Depressione? Autodistruzione? HIV? Suicidio? Come peschi c'è, stai sicuro che c'è e ad un certo punto ti chiedi: quando è too much il too much? Consumed è too much. L'angst a me piace, ma non a secchiate (o secchiate di sangue, dovrei dire), e mi piace che abbia non solo una ragione d'esistere ma anche uno sviluppo nel bene o nel male che sia. Voglio che gli ostacoli fisici o psicologici non vengano solamente vomitati nelle pagine per il puro gusto di dare un tono, per scioccare o sentirsi dire quanto è coraggiosa a superare i limiti e le convenzioni del genere. Ci sono delle regole, nel romance in particolare, e va bene testarle e piegarle e spesso romperle, ma il too much non giova nemmeno se sei J.R.Ward.
Io ho dovuto dare un tre e mezzo, perché onestamente non so come prendere questo romanzo. Da una parte mi è piaciuto perché non ha mezze misure, ma dall'altro non rispetta le aspettative con tutti i suoi buchi di trama, con risoluzioni a casaccio senza spiegazione, con colpi di genio decontestualizzati. Mancano completamente le fondamenta, i personaggi si muovono velocemente per non inabissarsi, e il lettore si affanna dietro alla storia. Si fatica a stare dietro agli eventi, con tutti gli incidenti che vengono descritti, si fa fatica a stare dietro ai personaggi, con tutti i pompieri dai nomignoli più assurdi, si fa fatica ad entrare in sintonia con una protagonista che è too much da ogni lato la si guardi, nonostante abbia un potenziale enorme e sia coraggiosamente infilata dalla Ward nella categoria invalidi/mutilati/diversamente abili. Se mi permettete di essere un filo cattiva, questi personaggi sono una copia poco credibile della BDB. Questi pompieri maschioni pieni di muscoli, tatuaggi, belli come il sole, ma tanto oscuri dentro che si danno nicknames da liceali non so quanto rispecchino la realtà di una categoria così preziosa. Magari là fuori c'è il pompiere Dannyboy bello da fare male e tormentato, ma che siano tutti così, what are the odds? Parliamo di Anne? Per carità, tostissima all'inizio, una dura considerando la situazione nella quale si trova, ma caratterialmente è una di quelle persone che normalmente verrebbero isolate da tutti. Anne è convinta di aver la verità in tasca, se ha una convinzione allora è quella e niente le fa cambiare idea e questo atteggiamento superiore, moralista, critico su ogni cosa la trasforma in carnefice. Maltratta la madre, respinge il fratello, rifiuta in toto di avere relazioni umane perché o ha tutto o niente, o va come vuole lei o niente. Insomma, sorella, non sei mica Dio fly down. Poi, per carità, la trama piega questo palo che ha infilato al posto della colonna vertebrale, but still...non mi ha fatta impazzire. Danny è ok, è un personaggio un po' problematico ma tutto guarisce perché c'è l'amore, come a dire tutti i miei traumi se ne vanno finché Anne mi ama. Mulino Bianco much?
La trama di base non regge. L'idea è buona ma non viene portata avanti, la Ward sfrutta solo alcuni aspetti esclusivamente come pretesto per creare contrasto tra Anne e Danny, o per gettare indizi vaghi sul presunto colpevole. Tutta la storia di Anne che indaga sui roghi finisce in un nulla di fatto, non so se è voluto perché magari la Ward prevedeva di proseguire nel secondo, o se semplicemente si è persa per strada e ha rattoppato il rattoppabile. Di sicuro Consumed non è allo stesso livello dei suoi altri romanzi, si sente che manca struttura, forse manca un progetto dietro, forse è stato sparato fuori con troppa fretta, quello che so è che non soddisfa. Mai.
Il tre e mezzo è perché tutto sommato mi è piaciuto, ha i suoi pregi e i suoi difetti e non è il peggior romanzo della Ward che abbia letto. Ho dato un voto medio alto perché voglio premiare l'abbondanza di scene cruente, ma soprattutto la scelta di avere una protagonista femminile con un handicap fisico importante. Quello che mi ha frenata a dare un voto più alto è la trama che, come ho già detto, oscilla tra il caos al va bene lo stesso nessuno ci baderà. Stranamente, cosa mai successa, ho avuto difficoltà con il lessico della Ward. Ci sta che i termini tecnici legati alla professione del pompiere o di Anne siano troppo specifici per essere entrati nel mio dizionario personale, ma più che il singolo termine (per quello basta un click e Amazon ti dice cosa vuol dire) mi ha pesato lo stile. Non so, forse è il romanzo ad essere nato male, forse ho sbagliato a sceglierlo in un momento in cui cercavo easy/cheesy, oppure semplicemente ho trovato un punto di non contatto con la Ward dove non c'è tentativo che regga, semplicemente non si va d'accordo. A questo punto, ormai sono passati due anni, direi che il secondo romanzo non arriverà mai. La Ward scrive a macchinetta e quest'anno inaugurerà un'altra serie nuova, quindi direi che posso chiudere questo capitolo senza troppi rimpianti.
fishgirl182's review against another edition
3.0
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my review or opinion of the book.
Consumed is the latest novel from prolific author and fan fave J.R. Ward. This is the first book in her new Firefighters series, featuring a cast of characters who are, you guessed it, firefighters. This story focuses mainly on Ann Ashburn and Danny McGuire, fellow firefighters at the 499. While the chemistry between the two is scorching, Ann's always shied away from any kind of romantic entanglement with a fellow firefighter, especially the charming and sexy as hell Danny McGuire. Danny's known as a ladies man and Ann doesn't want complications that could affect her work at the station. However, during a disastrous wedding, Ann and Danny give in to their desires and share one amazing night in bed. Danny wants more from the relationship but Ann is determined to keep it as a one-time event. Ann's headstrong attitude and a risky decision ends her career as a firefighter, leaving her emotionally shattered. She's forced to reinvent herself and becomes an arson investigator, a poor substitute for her true calling. Danny, meanwhile, is wracked with guilt over what he sees as his part in what happened to Ann. She tries to forget Danny and her friends at the 499 but circumstances bring her and Danny together as she works to find out if the fire that changed her life wasn't an accident after all.
First off, let me just say that I am a big J.R. Ward fan. I've read the first 12 books in her Black Dagger Brotherhood series, her early contemporary novels (as Jessica Bird), as well as the first book in the Bourbon Kings series. When I saw that she was coming out with a new series, I jumped at the chance to read it. Unfortunately, while the book got off to a strong start, I felt my interest wavering about 1/3rd of the way through it. The pacing was too slow for me and I felt like the book could have been a lot shorter while still conveying all that Ward wanted to in the book. Ward often has small side stories within her books that set up characters and events that will be the focus of later books in the series. Normally I don't mind these side stories because they give you insight into the other characters and the plot points in those stories is also compelling. This time, however, I found myself not caring a whole lot about what happened in the side vignettes and my mind would wander during them. I just felt like the book was unfocused at points, with the POV wandering too much for my liking.
That's not to say that I didn't enjoy this book, because I did. Ward knows how to write a great romance with a lot of tension, which was definitely the case here. Ann and Danny have amazing chemistry and I looked forward to every scene they had together. Both Ann and Danny are likable but complex characters. I was frustrated with Danny's self-destructive behavior at the beginning of the book. He's really on a downward spiral and just when you think he might be lost, he begins to pull himself out of the dark and begins to come back to life. Ann, likewise, also starts from a very dark and angry place. As she learns to adjust to her new life and career, she slowly begins to see that there's still a place for her outside of the firehouse. I liked that both of these character evolved and weren't static.
Like many of Ward's books, this one is host to a large cast of secondary characters. They are definitely being set up for their own stories and the larger plotline of who is behind the warehouse fires that Ann is investigating. I would definitely recommend reading the two-part short story that Ward released for free that is a prequel to this book. It's a good way to get familiar with all of the characters before jumping into the full novel. It also includes Danny and Ann's infamous one-night stand, which alone, makes it a worthwhile read.
I also really liked taking a closer look into the inner workings of a fire station and what it takes to be a firefighter. I respected them before this but, after reading this book, am even more in awe of all the strength and bravery that is required to be a firefighter. This wasn't my favorite J.R. Ward novel but there are still things to like about it, most notably the romance and Soot. I think die hard fans of Ward will enjoy this one and I am interested to see where she takes the series.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my review or opinion of the book.
Consumed is the latest novel from prolific author and fan fave J.R. Ward. This is the first book in her new Firefighters series, featuring a cast of characters who are, you guessed it, firefighters. This story focuses mainly on Ann Ashburn and Danny McGuire, fellow firefighters at the 499. While the chemistry between the two is scorching, Ann's always shied away from any kind of romantic entanglement with a fellow firefighter, especially the charming and sexy as hell Danny McGuire. Danny's known as a ladies man and Ann doesn't want complications that could affect her work at the station. However, during a disastrous wedding, Ann and Danny give in to their desires and share one amazing night in bed. Danny wants more from the relationship but Ann is determined to keep it as a one-time event. Ann's headstrong attitude and a risky decision ends her career as a firefighter, leaving her emotionally shattered. She's forced to reinvent herself and becomes an arson investigator, a poor substitute for her true calling. Danny, meanwhile, is wracked with guilt over what he sees as his part in what happened to Ann. She tries to forget Danny and her friends at the 499 but circumstances bring her and Danny together as she works to find out if the fire that changed her life wasn't an accident after all.
First off, let me just say that I am a big J.R. Ward fan. I've read the first 12 books in her Black Dagger Brotherhood series, her early contemporary novels (as Jessica Bird), as well as the first book in the Bourbon Kings series. When I saw that she was coming out with a new series, I jumped at the chance to read it. Unfortunately, while the book got off to a strong start, I felt my interest wavering about 1/3rd of the way through it. The pacing was too slow for me and I felt like the book could have been a lot shorter while still conveying all that Ward wanted to in the book. Ward often has small side stories within her books that set up characters and events that will be the focus of later books in the series. Normally I don't mind these side stories because they give you insight into the other characters and the plot points in those stories is also compelling. This time, however, I found myself not caring a whole lot about what happened in the side vignettes and my mind would wander during them. I just felt like the book was unfocused at points, with the POV wandering too much for my liking.
That's not to say that I didn't enjoy this book, because I did. Ward knows how to write a great romance with a lot of tension, which was definitely the case here. Ann and Danny have amazing chemistry and I looked forward to every scene they had together. Both Ann and Danny are likable but complex characters. I was frustrated with Danny's self-destructive behavior at the beginning of the book. He's really on a downward spiral and just when you think he might be lost, he begins to pull himself out of the dark and begins to come back to life. Ann, likewise, also starts from a very dark and angry place. As she learns to adjust to her new life and career, she slowly begins to see that there's still a place for her outside of the firehouse. I liked that both of these character evolved and weren't static.
Like many of Ward's books, this one is host to a large cast of secondary characters. They are definitely being set up for their own stories and the larger plotline of who is behind the warehouse fires that Ann is investigating. I would definitely recommend reading the two-part short story that Ward released for free that is a prequel to this book. It's a good way to get familiar with all of the characters before jumping into the full novel. It also includes Danny and Ann's infamous one-night stand, which alone, makes it a worthwhile read.
I also really liked taking a closer look into the inner workings of a fire station and what it takes to be a firefighter. I respected them before this but, after reading this book, am even more in awe of all the strength and bravery that is required to be a firefighter. This wasn't my favorite J.R. Ward novel but there are still things to like about it, most notably the romance and Soot. I think die hard fans of Ward will enjoy this one and I am interested to see where she takes the series.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my review or opinion of the book.
peneloperea's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to Net Galley & Gallery Books for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review.
I’m so happy I decided to give this one a try. Part of the reason I decided to give this one a try is because a friend joined the local FD a couple years ago and I see the differences that job has made in him, good and bad. So I was interested to see how the characters were portrayed. Personally, I thought they were great. There’s a wide range of mental health, abusive (substance), aggressive, angry men in this story and I’m hoping we get to learn more about the others in future books.
This one focuses on Anne and Danny – both from firemen families who have dealt with loss and both handle their shit in negative ways.
Anne is a girl who hates the word girl and fights everything about being a girl. She’s tough, intelligent, brave and angry. I’ll say that I got annoyed with her “don’t call me girl” comments pretty quickly. You’re a girl, you don’t have to wear a dress but you also don’t need to snap at everyone who calls you a girl. Be you sweetie. But anyway, she’s a bad ass and when life changes for her, she has to learn to adjust how she sees herself, as well as who she is. I think she does great at this and her the new family member she adopts early in the story is just adorable. I do wish she wasn’t so mean. She carries a lot of anger around and takes it out on EVERYONE. It’s kind of amazing she has any friends at times.
Danny is the hotshot fire fighter with a death wish, who sleeps around and drinks until he gets into a fight. During a particularly bad call he does something that shakes him to his core. We get to see how he picks himself back up. I like Danny but I have a huge soft spot for bad boys who love with their whole being. Is Danny perfect? God no. No one in this world (fictional or not) is. AND I do love a wonderfully written flawed character and that’s how I saw Danny. I also liked Tom, Anne big brother a lot too. They are both strong male characters with a lot of internal drama that they are trying to deal with without letting everyone around them know just how screwed up they are. Healthy? No, but it makes for an interesting read. And both of them make very interesting discoveries about themselves throughout the book.
While Danny and Anne try to push each other away, Anne more than Danny – there are mysterious fires happening and Anne, who is still trying to figure out exactly who she is, thinks she knows who is behind them. Throughout the story there is this dark shadow that hangs over these characters and it makes for an interesting read. The romance is hot and sweet. This book opens up a lot of possibilities for future stories about these first responders and the people who love them or just want a super hot ride. I will for sure keep an eye out for more on them.
I’m so happy I decided to give this one a try. Part of the reason I decided to give this one a try is because a friend joined the local FD a couple years ago and I see the differences that job has made in him, good and bad. So I was interested to see how the characters were portrayed. Personally, I thought they were great. There’s a wide range of mental health, abusive (substance), aggressive, angry men in this story and I’m hoping we get to learn more about the others in future books.
This one focuses on Anne and Danny – both from firemen families who have dealt with loss and both handle their shit in negative ways.
Anne is a girl who hates the word girl and fights everything about being a girl. She’s tough, intelligent, brave and angry. I’ll say that I got annoyed with her “don’t call me girl” comments pretty quickly. You’re a girl, you don’t have to wear a dress but you also don’t need to snap at everyone who calls you a girl. Be you sweetie. But anyway, she’s a bad ass and when life changes for her, she has to learn to adjust how she sees herself, as well as who she is. I think she does great at this and her the new family member she adopts early in the story is just adorable. I do wish she wasn’t so mean. She carries a lot of anger around and takes it out on EVERYONE. It’s kind of amazing she has any friends at times.
Danny is the hotshot fire fighter with a death wish, who sleeps around and drinks until he gets into a fight. During a particularly bad call he does something that shakes him to his core. We get to see how he picks himself back up. I like Danny but I have a huge soft spot for bad boys who love with their whole being. Is Danny perfect? God no. No one in this world (fictional or not) is. AND I do love a wonderfully written flawed character and that’s how I saw Danny. I also liked Tom, Anne big brother a lot too. They are both strong male characters with a lot of internal drama that they are trying to deal with without letting everyone around them know just how screwed up they are. Healthy? No, but it makes for an interesting read. And both of them make very interesting discoveries about themselves throughout the book.
While Danny and Anne try to push each other away, Anne more than Danny – there are mysterious fires happening and Anne, who is still trying to figure out exactly who she is, thinks she knows who is behind them. Throughout the story there is this dark shadow that hangs over these characters and it makes for an interesting read. The romance is hot and sweet. This book opens up a lot of possibilities for future stories about these first responders and the people who love them or just want a super hot ride. I will for sure keep an eye out for more on them.
theneverqueenreads's review against another edition
4.0
JR Ward is one of my favorite authors, and one of my favorite series is the Black Dagger Brotherhood. That being said, Consumed is the first in a new series by JR Ward about firefighters, and it is HOT! Ward keeps the same writing style and brute strength of her vampires and places it into a world of fire. Anne is a tough woman who faces a tragedy during the beginning of the book that takes away her dreams of firefighting. Danny is a fellow firefight, and he also has a hard time dealing with what happened to Anne. Together, they must face adversity from within and from an unknown arsonist who is targeting Anne. If you love Jr Ward, strong men, and/or firefighters, you will be “consumed” by this read!
nellesnightstand's review against another edition
5.0
Wasn't sure what to expect, but damn the Warden has created a whole new world with real drama and intrigue. This heroine is tough, real tough. She may not be everyone's bag, but she gets mad props from me. He's no slouch either! They both have some crap to get through.
We meet a fton of people and get their povs too and I cant wait to read more from the 499 and 617!
This story is fraught with gory, hard , tragic events. She does not hold back punches and that's one of the reasons I cant get enough of this author.
We meet a fton of people and get their povs too and I cant wait to read more from the 499 and 617!
This story is fraught with gory, hard , tragic events. She does not hold back punches and that's one of the reasons I cant get enough of this author.
jamsu's review against another edition
2.0
I've never read earlier parts of this book series (even though the first one is on my bookshelf) but I found this one on sale (only 5e) so I had to buy it and somehow I even finished it.
Starting was so boring that I had to tell myself that it will get better. I love Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood books but I was so out of it while reading this. Not reading earlier book might have affected it but it didn't help that I strongly dislike love triangles.
I kinda like Cait and G.B at the start of the book. He is nice but he is more friend material to me than a love interest for Cait. Duke on other hand is yummy. I wouldn't want to be Cait though;
How did Cait even forgive Duke so easily?
I love the ending even though it is so quick.
Starting was so boring that I had to tell myself that it will get better. I love Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood books but I was so out of it while reading this. Not reading earlier book might have affected it but it didn't help that I strongly dislike love triangles.
I kinda like Cait and G.B at the start of the book. He is nice but he is more friend material to me than a love interest for Cait. Duke on other hand is yummy. I wouldn't want to be Cait though;
Spoiler
The other love interest only wants to have sex with her and wants her to be just a fuck to get revenge against his brother and the other one wants to kill her.How did Cait even forgive Duke so easily?
Spoiler
OK, so he doesn't have a child (but even if he did...It was a life before her) but he lies to her about a lot of things and takes interest on her at first only because his brother likes her.I love the ending even though it is so quick.
Spoiler
It is sweet and I like that Duke wants to be so close to her that he looks for her right after his surgery. I'm glad that Duke decides to go back to school but I hope he stops paying for his brother's kid. It was very nice of him but the cheated on hi, and he didnät even get along with G.B so why did he pay for him?julespie's review against another edition
4.0
I love J.R. Ward's writing. I'm a big Brotherhood fan and I was thrilled to see she was writing a book about firemen.
Anne was strong and stubborn but likable. Danny was just yummy. Even though he was a little less alpha male than the Brothers, I really enjoyed reading about him and Anne and watching their relationship develop.
Anne was strong and stubborn but likable. Danny was just yummy. Even though he was a little less alpha male than the Brothers, I really enjoyed reading about him and Anne and watching their relationship develop.
dmconnolly1's review against another edition
5.0
Consumed!!!!
Consumed by J.R. Ward was so intense! I loved getting to know all the characters and I hope to see many more books in this series!!
Consumed by J.R. Ward was so intense! I loved getting to know all the characters and I hope to see many more books in this series!!