Monday, November 12, 2018

Review: Consumed

https://amzn.to/2DBNTWe
Title:  Consumed
Author:  J.R. Ward
Series:  Firefighters #1
Genre: Mystery/Thrillers, Romance
Publisher:  Gallery Books
Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:  409
Date of Publication:  October 2, 2018
My Rating: 4.5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the popular Black Dagger Brotherhood series comes a brand-new novel about arson investigator, Anne Ashburn, who is consumed by her troubled past, her family’s scorched legacy, and her current case: chasing a deadly killer.

Anne Ashburn is a woman consumed...

By her bitter family legacy, by her scorched career as a firefighter, by her obsession with department bad-boy Danny McGuire, and by a new case that pits her against a fiery killer.

Strong-willed Anne was fearless and loved the thrill of fighting fires, pushing herself to be the best. But when one risky decision at a warehouse fire changes her life forever, Anne must reinvent not only her job, but her whole self.

Shattered and demoralized, Anne finds her new career as an arson investigator a pale substitute for the adrenaline-fueled life she left behind. She doesn't believe she will ever feel that same all-consuming passion for her job again--until she encounters a string of suspicious fires setting her beloved city ablaze.

Danny McGuire is a premiere fireman, best in the county, but in the midst of a personal meltdown. Danny is taking risks like never before and seems to have a death wish until he teams up with Anne to find the fire starter. But Danny may be more than a distraction, and as Anne narrows in on her target, the arsonist begins to target her.

From the creator of the bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood, get ready for a new band of brothers. And a firestorm. 


MY THOUGHTS:

One of the most spine-tingling openings I have ever read. Firefighters. Incredible danger. Near loss of life and limb. Utter tragedy that turned out to be one of the best love stories that I have read in a while. 

Anne Ashburn is a woman consumed. By her job as a firefighter and by her carnal thoughts of fellow firefighter Danny Maguire. He knows it too. The two share an all-consuming night together. Just one night. However, as fellow firefighters, they spend even more time together, but this is about to come to a tragic end. I know that there are three prequels to this story, so the history between Anne, Danny and the rest of the unit is well-defined. However, I have not had the opportunity to read those books. They are The Rehearsal Dinner, The Reception and The Wedding from Hell. Despite missing those books, I was still very much brought into the drama between these two volatile individuals. 

Three weeks after a team member’s wedding, which turned out to be the one and only night the two spent together, Anne and Danny are fighting a brutal fire. The entire team is incredibly busy battling the flames. Anne sustains a life-changing injury as a result of being stuck that changes her life and career forever. Those tragic events have truly changed Danny as well. He has become extremely reckless, on the job, and in life. As it is, Danny is in love with Anne. Not only does he no longer see her on the job, he is also unable to see her at all. She has completely walked away.

Anne has good reason. She has to rebuild her life. Distractions will only get in the way, even if she has to suffer a broken heart. Anne begins to train as a fire inspector. Although her job doesn’t entail jumping into burning buildings, it can be just as dangerous. 

Circumstances pull Anne and Danny back into each other’s lives. It is increasingly evident that their passionate desire for one another cannot be denied any longer. Anne and Danny find that they cannot fight the feelings they have been trying to avoid. Meanwhile, Anne begins to piece together situations involving several fires. What ensues is an incredibly sensitive romantic suspense that was extremely difficult to put down. 

This book has a lot to offer, wonderful characters, an amazing dog an intrigue. The readers get to see a couple that has struggled to deal with adversity come together and find wonderful happiness. We also get to see the beginning of another series that holds much promise by J.R. Ward. This author has written numerous series, including the long-running Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

J.R. Ward is the author of over twenty novels, including those in her #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling series, the Black Dagger Brotherhood. There are more than 15 million copies of Ward’s novels in print worldwide and they have been published in 25 different countries around the world.

After graduating from law school, Ward  began working in healthcare in Boston and spent many years as Chief of Staff of one of the premier academic medical centers in the nation. She lives in the south with her incredibly supportive husband and her beloved golden retriever. Writing has always been her passion and her idea of heaven is a whole day of nothing but her computer, her dog and her coffee pot.


7 comments:

  1. I really need to try and read something from this other soon. I've heard a lot of great things about her writing.

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  2. I think this book sounds great! I'll have to check it out!

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  3. I like spine tingling. Might just have to check this book out. Great review.

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  4. I think this would be a good book to read when I am looking for something romantic.

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  5. Silly me, I have yet to read this author, I keep meaning to

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