| Title | : | Blaze (The Firefighters of Darling Bay, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 238 |
| Publication | : | First published September 29, 2013 |
Grace is doing just fine--she doesn't need help, especially from a man whose very nickname is unhealthy. Tox Ellis is the hazmat expert at the Darling Bay Fire Department, and he knows what compounds to keep apart to prevent explosions. Why, then, can't he seem to stay away from Grace, the woman who seems to think he needs fixing? Is Darling Bay ready for the chemical reaction Grace and Tox generate whenever they're in the same place at the same time? And who will be standing by to put out the flames?
Blaze (The Firefighters of Darling Bay, #1) Reviews
-
Can't say I liked this one at all. The story was disjointed, jumping from issue to issue with no clear direction, and the characters were shallow to me. I almost gave up on it after the cheezy and crude attempts at humor in the early chapters. I didn't like Grace and her controlling ways were flat out annoying. We know next to nothing about Tox's past, except that he slept with a few girls.
I didn't even get a genuine feel for his life as a firefighter. I thought the bond within a company was tight, but we don't see much more than casual co-workers here. I thought perhaps the research was bad, then I read the author was a firefighter. Something was lost in translation, because I REALLY didn't get it. With Tox being a "specialist" I expected more detail. He could've been a rookie or on the volunteer civilian force and the story still would've been the same.
Overall, this was typical "fluffy insta-love" with conflicts that were resolved in a snap. The dog was cute, but that's about it. -
Fire at Twilight is the first book in the Firefighters of Darling Bay by Lila Ashe. It makes you want to read more of the series.
Grace Rowe has set up an acupuncture clinic and hopes to make it work out so she can stay in her hometown. Her sister, Samantha, is in town and is still a little wild and is well known about town. Grace is not as outgoing as Samantha and not quite as well known. One day, as she is with patients, her air conditioner catches fire. After getting everyone out of the building and calling 911, she goes back into the building to try using the fire extinguisher. After getting it out, the fire department arrives and Tox finds her inside. She passes out as he gets to her. When she comes to, he lectures her about not going back into a building that was on fire; but her building is fine. She and Tox get into an argument when he wants her to go to the hospital and she doesn’t want to go. Thus begins their attraction to each other. They begin to date and on every date, something happens. Once it was a car going out of control and stopping at the end of the boardwalk with part of the car over the water. While Tox tries to get Grace to keep everyone off the boardwalk and not in the car, she wants to help the passenger because it is her sister. Tox keeps his distance from any commitment to Grace because he feels cursed. Every time he is near, someone gets hurt. However, as Grace finally gets across to him, he is a fireman and firemen go to accidents where people are hurt. Their romance is definitely not smooth but rather rocky. -
💝 FREE on Amazon today (12/08/2017)! 💝
-
This was a cute romance. The story moved a little fast for my taste, but it made for a quick easy read.
-
This was cute and might have headed to 3.5 stars but the end just wrapped up too quickly for me.
-
A few minutes into this book, I was ready to throw my kindle across the room. Yes, I was that annoyed. Maybe I should start off by explaining that I grew up in the local fire department. Literally. My dad was a firefighter before I was born, so I had more "uncles" than I knew what to do with. Then when I grew up, I married a firefighter, who later would become Chief of the department. So when I read a book about firefighters and the passage reads "She turned to see a huge man in some kind of yellow jumpsuit coming at her. He had shaggy blonde hair and a jaw like a cliff....." you make some pretty interesting faces. And you contemplate tossing your kindle into the rubbish bin as you would with a paperback book. If you're going to write a book about firefighters, please do your research and get your details right. She would not have been able to see his hair and jawline due to the hoods and mask that would have been worn inside a smoke filled building. And the "yellow jumpsuit" is called turnout gear. I'm just saying.
Three days (and another book) later, I decided to give this one a second chance, especially seeing all of the 4 and 5 star reviews left by other readers. My initial annoyance aside, this was a pretty cute book. There was plenty of action and suspense, but there was also humor and one instantly lovable four legged companion.
Overall, the characters were likable, but the plot seemed a bit rushed. I would have liked to see their relationship develop a bit more than it did, and I definitely would like to have known more about Grace. How is she able to deal with her compulsion to "fix" (or control) everything? And what of Tox's health problems? Did he find relief from them or are they still plaguing him?
The ending of this book seemed a little sudden, like the author just ran out of steam with these characters, which after every else was disappointing. I felt like there could have been more, even an epilogue "A couple of months down the road" to show how the characters overcame the problems they were faced with,something to give the reader a better sense of closure, and of their story having a happy ending.
I did decide to give this author another chance, and downloaded the second book in this series, Fire at Dawn, so we will see. -
Also posted to
Jen in Bookland
Fire at Twilight is the first in the Darling Bay Firefighters books, but the second one I have read. While I did really enjoy it, it was not as good as the second book. This one felt way too rushed, like it should have been a longer book, Everything just came together suddenly and so quickly....
I didn't mind Tox and Grace both falling for the other right away. That was fine with me and seem realistic. I am not one who is against the idea of love at first sight, as long as it is written so it is believable. Grace tries to control everything and fix everything and make everything perfect so nothing bad can happen. Of course that is not going to work, people do what they want and things happen even if you try to control everything. I mean you could eat healthy always and exercise all the time and such and then die one day in a car accident or something. You just cannot control all variables.
Tox is not looking for a relationship. He is the opposite of Grace. He eats what he wants, drives a motorcycle, doesn't exercise a lot, etc. He lives life how he wants and doesn't really care. He is a firefighter, but is nicknamed the angel of death. Bad things seem to happen to everyone around him, so he stays away and doesn't get serious with anyone. He meets Grace and all of that just goes out the window. That is until something happens that makes him think he is not worthy of Grace.
Grace tries to fix him, he doesn't like it, but then suddenly she sees the error of her ways and they make up. Happy ending all around, but it was a little too quick. If it could have been drawn out a little more, been a little more detailed or something, it would have been great. A fun, good read, but not as amazing as it could have been. -
The Premise
Grace is a fixer. She's good at it, too. In her acupuncture practice, she fixes the community of Darling Bay, and in her personal life, she's rescued her sister too many times to count. Her love life, though . . . Grace doesn't think she needs help, especially not from a man whose very nickname is unhealthy.
Tox Ellis is the hazmat expert at the Darling Bay Fire Department, and he knows about harmful substances. He knows what gases to keep apart to prevent explosions. Why, then, can't he seem to stay away from Grace, the woman who seems to think he needs fixing?
My Thoughts
I enjoyed getting to know both Tox and Grace and the connection between them was set up in a lovely way. I tend to gravitate towards stories that allow me a glimpse into the hero’s mind, because I like being able to see their interest and connection with the heroine, and that was definitely the case here. Tox and Grace are developed in a natural way, I liked the flow of the writing and the humor.
I did think that the time frame for the romance was a bit too condensed and would have liked to have seen it developed more. Other than that initial exposure to Grace’s practice as an acupuncturist, there was very little follow up with that and I was interested in seeing more. It felt as if there was no resolution to Tox’s health and Grace’s issues with control.
The Bottom Line
Sweet little romance by an author I’m not familiar with, but I was inspired to check out the other book in the series, so I’d say that it’s worth the price and the time to check this out. -
I think most of the characters need a psych eval not just Tox. I am sure others would find them really cute. Seriously what is up with Samantha and the hysterical giggling? Way too much cheesy instalove going on for me to really enjoy this one, but overall it is cute and fun if this is your cup of tea.
Thoughts while reading:
I just spit on my Kindle screen! I have never read about a cat with a broken butt needing to be "manually peed" before. I couldn't control that snort of laughter."
Two annoying main characters right now. First date & they get busy, then they fight the very next time they see each other...he says horrible things and she realizes she is in love? -
Ok
I enjoyed the story, but I was hoping to enjoy it more than I did. I was hoping it was a clean romance. One reviewer said it was, unfortunately I disagree. The language wasn't too bad. But there was premarital sex; unfortunately there were sex scenes too. They weren't really descriptive but they were there and there was blatant talk and thoughts of sex. It definitely wasn't a clean romance. It may not be as dirty as some, but it is not clean either.
I received this book free from one of the book subscription emails. -
This is the beginning of what is proving to be a rather interesting romance set. 4 different firefighters and 4 different women who make the men their own.
Grace and Tox are total opposites in so many ways but their basic life philosophy is the same, help others in need. Not only is it something they choose to do daily but something that calls to the two of them and fulfills both in ways hard to explain to someone else.
I enjoyed these two and all the other characters whose appearance throughout this first story added to it's appeal. Looking forward to reading the next three tales as well. -
This book had the one main quality I loved a hot snarky fireman named Tox, "oh, he'd protect and serve her, all right. This time he felt his mouth quirk into the smile he was trying to prevent, and he couldn't - seriously, he couldn't - prevent his gaze from dropping to the top of her flower-printed blouse." He gives Grace the best compliments, "you look hotter than the devil's kitchen. I can't believe how good you look." I liked reading this book.
-
A firefighter (do I need to say 'Hot'? With green eyes, of course) called Tox starts a fire with his smoking good looks with an acupuncturist, Grace, when they meet at a small fire at her business. He saves her; she tries to fix him...a romance is born if they can get over their own perceived deficiencies. Add to that a bedraggled dog, whom they name Methyl, and it is love.
A cute romance that isn't graphic. -
This was a good story but needed to be fleshed out a bit. It was like we started to learn about something (Tox's back issues) but never saw them resolved (like Grace working her acupuncture on him). I did appreciate that this story was real, not all sunshine and rainbows. Both characters had flaws and learned to deal with them.
-
hesitating on what score to give. on the one hand, the characters were well drawn and relatable and the plot made sense. on the other, the plot flashed by quickly and there were some unresolved holes. the couple didn't spend enough time together or really work out a relationship, in my opinion.
but the writing was really good. -
A good read
I grabbed this book after someone shared it in a group I am in. This group picks a kind of book to read for that month. It was firefighter month. I am so glad I was told about this book. I look forward to reading the other three books as I love books that carry on with the characters.
I enjoyed this sweet story -
This was an ok story. Not great, not horrible. But I'm not likely to remember it for long. I'm still not sure what made Grace pursue Tox after he was such a jerk to her, but it all worked out I guess.
-
This book was well written and easy to read. The reason I gave it such a low rating is it skimmed over a lot if things that could have used more detail. The sequel isn't about the same characters so I feel this book should have had more depth and detail. This book left too much for the imagination.
-
The copy I read was called Blaze by Rachael Herron but it's the same book. If you're after a little quick read then this is a good one. I didn't like the way Tox treated Grace at the end even though I know he had his reasons it kind of pulled me away from liking him as much.
-
Blaze was a light fast-paced read. I loved the characters and the tension between them. I almost read it all in one sitting, but it was hard to put down. Great read!
-
Loved this so much, I had to one-click book 2!!!
-
Tox...I really liked him. He isn't the usual Alpha male with a ginormous ego. He came off that way in the beginning but then we got to know him. I liked that there were things he was self conscious about. He was more like a normal guy. How could his friends not see how much it hurt him to be call the angel of death? They went past just calling him that. They told him to stay away from the dog too. In the end Tox said hurtful things to Grace. Yes some of what he said was true but other parts were said just to hurt her. He never had to apologize for it. It was Grace who came and apologized some more. I don't let go as easily as she does. Saying that she wasn't good for anyone and that's why her sister couldn't stand to be around her was too much. He has a lot of problems that we never got to see get resolved.
Samantha was the most annoying person in this book. She was always laughing and she wouldn't stop. Grace does need to learn how to let go some with Sam. However, it is completely understandable that Grace is concerned about her sister. No matter what Sam says she is not "completely cured". That is impossible with addiction. We never saw Sam and Grace make up they were just together again.
This was really sweet and enjoyable until I got to the end. I just felt let down. If there were more details and explanations it would have been better. I just felt so bad for Grace. Her sister left her and her boyfriend dumped her. Lexie was supposed to be Grace's friend but it never seemed like it. Lexie didn't seem to care about Grace at all.
Overall the characters needed to be better developed. We never really got to know anyone and their past or why they are the way they are. Even a sweet fluffy read needs a little bit of substance. -
Too fluffy for me. She over-analyzes too much and Tox is just a hunk-de-jour with no real substance.
Don't get me wrong - I truly saw the effort to make the characters try to come alive but the incidents vs. the actual romance didn't make for pleasant reading. When it came time for the connection in the bedroom, the story was going fine until they went into the bedroom and closed the door. I mean the story closed off everything romantic at that point. The-bedroom-is-behind-you-walk-into-the-bedroom-wake-up-next-morning-with-bed-hair-and-the-need-to-run-out-of-the-room-because-coffee-is-better-than-snuggles-and-possibly-more-lovemaking. -
Grace has a holistic approach to "fixing" things using teas, herbs, and acupuncture. Tox is a firefighter that is labeled the "Angel of Death" because he had been on nine of the thirteen deaths for that year. His latest being a girl he couldn't save.
Grace had to come to terms that she couldn't fix everything about Tox and Tox couldn't save everyone from fate. But together, they can fix each other and be there comfort and hope.
A nice summer read. I enjoyed reading it and getting to the know the characters and rooting for them to find each other after disaster struck. -
Content Rating: ❌ (estimated)
Language: moderate
Violence: none?
Sex/Nudity: strongly implied
Find clean reads here:
Homerun Reads (Notion)
Follow me to easily see my content reviews (if available) when you look up books here on Goodreads. -
Blaze (The Firefighter of Darling Bay Book 1)
The love story of Grace and Tox. Meet Grace, she is a person who want to fix everyone. Meet Tox, he is a firefighter and he feel that everything around him goes wrong. Grace want to fix her sister Samantha, who was one an alcoholic and she want to fix Tox. Can she do it or will she learn that you cannot fix everyone? Great story. -
All three stars are because he is a firefighter. The books was surprisingly well-written and could have actually benefitted from more pages for Tox and Grace to fall in love.
However, the author disguises an eating disorder as “healthy eating” and that part of the plot is just never resolved or discussed at all. I would have appreciated a trigger warning for ED in this one -
Typical romance. Typical characters. I wish the male character was developed a little more, and that the conversations weren't repetitive, but it was a good quarantine read - the new version of rainy day reads.
