A review by entangledinthepages
Burn It Down by Jillian D. Wray

emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

🖤 MM
🧡 Mexican American rep
🩶 Billionaire MMC
🖤 Mechanic MMC
🧡 Vandalism
🩶 Arranged marriage
🖤 Living a lie
🧡 Abs for days
🩶 Found family

Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

My mind is absolutely reeling from this book! Holy smokes. It is everything I was hoping for, and all the things I didn’t know that I needed! Jillian Wray totally blew me away with this story! I love all of her books. She is amazing, period. With this foray into MM, I knew she was going to crush it, but damn. SHE CRUSHED IT. I didn’t want to put it down. I fell head over heels for Jake and Dylan. The story sucked me in from the strategic meeting-cute, to the “I FREAKING KNEW IT!” twist, to the epilogue that left me wanting more. If you don’t pick up any other book this month, hell this year, I need you to pick up this one

There are so many things I want to say about this story but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone. Jacob Ellington was living the life his father wanted him to live. Working at his father’s company, on track to marry a beautiful woman who is not only put together, but will bring two powerful families together. Jake’s life is the stuff of fairytales, the ‘perfect life.’ He’s a friggin’ billionaire for goodness sake. But it’s all a lie. Well, working at Ellington Wealth Management, which Jake actually loves and is hella good at, is probably the only real thing. No one know’s that he volunteers for the local fire department several days a week, or that he’s gay. Actually one person knows, and he’s doing everything in his power to keep that information from ever getting out.

Jake runs to the local store to pick up some items for his girlfriend Cora. It’s here that Jake feels an inexorable pull that he’s never felt before. He may or may not be guilty of creating a situation that allows him to meet a certain someone who has caught his eye. From that point on Jake can’t stay away. He wants to live the life he’s always wanted but never thought he could have. His life is about to be burned to the ground, but from this can the life he wants truly be formed from the ashes?

I love everything about this story! It’s fast paced, and the chemistry between Jake and Dylan completely launches itself off the page. Throughout this story our MCs have a lot of soul searching to do, revelations to come to, and they must forge on with the strength and bravery they have in themselves and for each other. This story is sweet, passionate, spicy, loving, powerful, and infuriating (with the BS that is going on behind the scenes). Love is love, and I appreciate so much how Jillian is able to show that throughout this entire story; with the MCs and the supporting characters, well, most of them. Because YOU LOVE WHO YOU LOVE, EFF ANYONE WHO TELLS YOU IT’S WRONG! Ugh. 

Thank you Jillian for another amazing book. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you. Being part of your ARC/Street Team has been such a bright light in my life! I’m so excited for everyone to read this book and to see what’s next for you!

🔧“Just because my life is on a different side of town doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with this one.”
🔥“Unfortunately for me, he reaches back in and grabs a hat and slides it on backwards, putting his sunglasses on before dragging the towel down his wet body. RIP nut sack.”
🔧“I’ve been called to several fires in the three years I’ve been with the department. Only four of them were serious. But sitting on this boat in the sun with Dylan next to me, I can’t help but feel like I’m about to go up in flames. I’m hotter than I’ve ever been under layers of protective gear standing in the mouth of a raging fire. And all I can think is bring on the heat.”
🔥“Dylan,” he pants. “I’m gonna come.” “You’re damn right you are,”
🔧“Until now, there hasn’t been anyone I’d consider imploding my entire life for.”
🔥“Don’t say that. You’ve breathed life into me.”“My only fear is that I’ve done it using breath vital to my own existence.”
🔧“Fuuuuu*k,” he groans. “I’m going to bury myself so far in this a** I’m going to c*me in a different time zone.”
🔥“I guess burning your life down is one way of forcing you to rebuild it. And if you have to rebuild it, it might as well be exactly what you want.”
🔧“Goddamn, I taste good on your tongue,” he tells me, licking his own flavor from my mouth.
🔥“How about we forget about labels and roles and norms and expectations, and we just f*** like two guys in love?”