Review: Bonfire Heart by Devon Rhodes

Sometimes fires burn and destroy, but from the ashes, new growth can heal and cleanse. 

Thierry Alexander is the deputy mayor of Chicago, a city he loves but can’t save on his own from the corrupt political system. His assistant and lover, Eduardo, is also known as Cesar, the head of the underground resistance movement. He has been working behind the scenes for years and finally gets what he needs—enough information to get the US government involved and take down the criminal elements strangling the city he loves.

But they need to act fast because legislation is about to be enacted that will give rise to social and ethnic purging in Chicago. Not knowing who they can trust, they will have to put their faith in one another and risk everything to save a city.

Publisher's Note: This story has been previously released as part of the An Unconventional Chicago anthology by Totally Bound Publishing.

*squints*

I finished this story with more questions than answers.

I had to search for more answers as to the setting and found out that this is part of an interconnected anthology called An Unconventional Chicago. Meaning: you should read the entire anthology to probably get what this story is about. Oh and this is the last story of the anthology which wraps up before it begins and the other characters...HEA? I'm not sure.

So I got a conclusion for something I knew nothing about and still don't fully understand. I'm more of the third-hand bystander on an established couple's relationship? Struggle? Fight? Against..something? In a contemporary alternate universe where being a minority is bad? And gay too? Maybe? *scratches head*

I'm not sure.

And I am not pressed to read the other stories from this anthology to try to figure it out.

There's a deputy mayor named Thierry who is in a relationship with his personal assistant Eduardo but they have to hide the fact because as mentioned before - I don't know. It could've been a crime. They are part of a resistance, Eduardo is the head of the resistance against...bad politicians and gangs, maybe? So he and Thierry have sex (3 times in 45 pages) while resisting the bill that is against minorities and I guess the poor.

Anyway, they run and Eduardo has a cousin that is missing who sent him a message. This is a loose end that I don't know if it will amount to anything in the future (again not curious to find out but it was important to Eduardo - thought I'd mention it).

So Thierry and Eduardo are in love (?) and they run from baddies and have sex. And then there's a press conference and the day gets saved. And a weaker epilogue to finish this weak plot.

I didn't connect with any of the characters especially the main characters. I still don't know what is going on. The idea is okay, the execution was okay. The problem is the reader wasn't included on the plans. Maybe if it was longer,with enough back story to either main character to understand why they were important including their actions, then maybe I'd have cared.

If you do plan on reading this, I'd suggest reading this anthology on a whole.

Maybe it can give you a clearer synopsis. Or not.

For more information on Goodreads!