A review by charkinzie
High Heat by Annabeth Albert

3.0

This is book two of the Hotshots Series and you can read my review of the first book, Burn Zone on my blog. I loved the first book in the series. I was really caught up in Linc's battle with himself. He had made a promise he was struggling with and the tension in the first book was palpable.

I have to say that I didn't connect quite as well with this second book. It's much more lighthearted in a way than the first one. Garrick is still recovering from injuries he received in the first book. He's in physiotherapy and is switching between crutches and a wheelchair. When he arrives home one day to find an injured dog on his porch he wants to help it but it's scared of his wheelchair. He manages to get across the road to get help from his neighbor only to discover her grandson, Rain.

Rain is as femme, wild, and free as Garrick is serious, gruff, and masculine. The wonderful thing about Garrick's character is that he's not judgemental at all. He's come out to the people who matter to him as pansexual and is firm in his belief that everyone should just get to be who they are. 

The two men strike up a quick friendship as Rain has offered to help take care of "Cookie" until they can find her a forever home. They are quite different from one another. Rain is very carefree. He goes with the flow around him and is often caught up in the moment. he dresses however he wants and can be a little overwhelming for Garrick at times.

Garrick is still struggling with a lot of physical things post-accident and, at first, he's pretty nervous about even attempting to be with a man. Through very gentle encouragement and a lot of sexual exploration, Rain is able to help Garrick find the courage to ask for more help with his disabilities.

The main theme in this book is about the struggle with decisions for the future when your feelings change. Garrick is older and he's pretty settled in his life in one way - even though he's still struggling with his physical recovery. Rain has always wanted to be a firefighter, he has spent his entire young life chasing after excitement and adventure. It's difficult to meet someone and want to invest some trust in them when that might mean giving up a dream.

I really enjoyed the supporting characters. It was great to see that Linc and Jacob are still happy. I really enjoyed their relationship in the first story so I was pleased to see them again. Garrick's father was another great character: an old school fella who was doing his best to understand his son's sexual orientation.

If you liked book one in the series, you'll probably enjoy this one. It's not quite as complex as the first one. I felt a bit more for Linc during "Burn Zone." This story has a lighter feel, with lovely and sensual scenes.