Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Under Fire (Firefighters of Station Five #2) by Jo Davis

Zack fights fires and saves lives, yet his own thirst for life has run dry-until he comes to the rescue of a sharp-tongued exotic dancer named Corrine Shannon who soon has the normally shy hero burning out of control.  

But as they are consumed by flames of passion, they find themselves under fire from two relentless enemies with fifty million reasons to succeed. Can they withstand the heat while trying to save their own lives-or will their newfound romance be extinguished as fast as it began?

Type: Romantic Suspense, Firefighters
Heat: 3 out of 5
Rating: 4 out of 5

I originally picked up this series when I needed a firefighter book for a group reading challenge. It's not earth shattering and I do find myself rolling my eyes from time to time over the story line but I'm still enjoying the series. Oh and the names. The names just kill me. The hero from the first book was Howard (nickname six-pack) and kept sending me into giggles. I mean, I know the Howards of the world need love too but I just couldn't help myself. The names were much better in Under Fire. I love Zack and Corrine is lovely. Handsome and beautiful as endearments? Eh. Like I said, a bit of eye rolling happened throughout. I did find Corrine calling Zack fireboy kinda cute by the end though. If you can get past the outlandish story lines and giggle-worthy names the characters and their journey are enjoyable.


Under Fire starts out with a serious bang and has to be one of the most gripping starts to a book I've read in quite some time. The first 50 pages had my heart in my throat and my palms sweating with worry for our hero and heroine. Now, I like an action packed adventure as much as the next girl, and this book sure had it's share of traumatic events and near death moments, but eventually I had an "alright already! how much more can this guy take??!?" kind of moment. The action just did not let up and I don't know how Zack was still standing and able to do anything by the end. It became a bit ridiculous by the 3rd or 4th near death experience and I just wanted the poor guy to catch a break already. The ending and big reveals on the villain aren't too remarkable mainly because the villain has a voice throughout the story. It's fairly easy to figure out whats going on and the motivations. Probably one of the most incapable villains out there. I'll give him points for dedication and persistence but damn they are just terrible at being a villain and actually getting the job done. With this series the mystery/suspense is definitely not what keeps me coming back for more but instead it's the people themselves.

From the very start I had a soft spot for Zack. He's a geeky, sweet, handsome man who is very naive and completely innocent when it comes to women (he really catches on fast though! damn!). He's trying his best to put on a happy front but his life is on a quick downward spiral because of his family. The troubles with his family have absolutely broken him down and taken a hard hit on his self esteem. It's heartbreaking to see someone so wonderful not think they are worth being loved. More than once I just wanted to give him a hug and tell him everything would be okay. Corrine, now. The first taste of her had me concerned. She came off as such a bitch and unlikable. She quickly had me changing my mind and fully on her side which surprised me a bit. She turned out to be a very kind woman and the perfect balance to Zack. I fell for her the moment she saw him at his absolute lowest and was there for him without adding to his embarrassment or being overly sympathetic and hurting his pride. For the most part the two were easy together and the heat factor was high. His reactions to new experiences with her were sweet and entertaining to watch. Other than the ending, which seemed way too rushed, the relationship between Zack and Corrine was fun to be a part of. They're the perfect mix of sweet and steamy and I really liked them together. I hope Corrine will be able to help Zack with some of his self esteem issues. I didn't quite believe they were wrapped up and a thing of the past so easily.

One of the things I think Davis does extremely well, and keeps me coming back for more, is introducing characters for the following books in the series. You get just a little taste of the other firefighters of Station Five with each book leaving you wanting to find out more about them. Glimpses into their character or the troubles they're going through that are intriguing and curious. What are they hiding behind the goofy boyish front? Will they find a way out of the unbearable grief and loss that's killing them? Why do they keep themselves so separate from everyone else? Definitely has me reaching for book three to find out more.

Amazon | Goodreads

2 comments:

  1. Firefighters? Sounds hot!
    Thanks for review.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mmmmhmmm. The boys are delicious! And worth an afternoon read :)

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