Smoke jumping is Garrick Nelson’s life. Nothing, not severe injuries nor the brutal physical therapy that follows, is going to stop him from getting back with his crew. But when a lost dog shows up on his front porch, he can’t turn her away, and he can’t take care of her on his own. Thankfully, help comes in the form of his new sexy, dog-loving neighbor. As they work together, trying to re-home their little princess, Garrick can’t resist his growing attraction for the other man, even though he knows this guy isn’t the staying type.
Rain Fisher doesn’t take anything too seriously. He dances through life, one adventure at a time, never settling in one place for too long. When his hot, conveniently buff, neighbor shows up on his doorstep, dog in tow, Rain’s determined to not just save the adorable puppy, but her reluctant owner as well. He never expects their flirtation might tempt him into stay put once and for all...
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| 3.25 hearts average |
R *A Reader Obsessed* - 3.5 Hearts
This was a very nice age gap story, full of hurt/comfort and generously brimming with slow burn UST and sexual healing.
It’s recommended to read this in series order since last we saw Garrick in Burn Zone, he had suffered some serious injuries which were far worse than feared. Never mind two broken legs but add a spinal injury as well, and Garrick has been struggling (but mostly winning) at beating the odds, determined to regain full mobile function so he can get back to fighting fires as a smokejumper. When he spies a skittish stray dog, he knows he can’t fully care for it and enlists the help of his neighbor’s grandson.
Rain is visiting for the summer, and he wants to work the front lines of a fire crew. Being an animal lover, Rain sees a golden opportunity and asks, in exchange for assisting with the sweet orphaned dog, for Garrick to train and get him in shape to become a firefighter. As these two develop a routine and then a friendship, the strong attraction between them can’t be denied.
So what’s an older pansexual, known to be quite the player prior to his accident, gonna do with a free spirited young man who’s always ready to move onto the next adventure? You guessed right.
Of course, as feelings inevitably develop, will either be able to trust in their own wants and needs as well as have faith the other will commit for the long haul? Will personal life expectations stymie current happiness, impeding the chance to be fulfilled now despite not yet achieving well intentioned goals??
Thankfully, there was minimal protracted angst unlike the first book. Garrick has pretty great optimism and drive in the face of so many obstacles, and Rain, despite his youthfulness, has tremendous empathy, and grace.
Overall, I enjoyed this. I can’t quite exactly pin down why this wasn’t a 4 star read for me. Assuredly, Albert always writes well - there's no doubt about that as she delivers alternating pov’s, with an overabundance of smex that is protracted, varied, and explicit (ie. manties, toys, exhibitionism, topping from the bottom) for those who need to know. Again, the wild fire scenarios were consistently well researched and lent a good amount of suspense. So, regardless of how I rated this, if you love the above mentioned tropes and have a soft spot for uniformed men in dangerous situations, then this should reliably satisfy! Enjoy!
Adam - 3 Hearts
Rain and Garrick have little in common. Except for two things - the injured dog they suddenly become responsible for, and an undeniable mutual attraction.
Starting off as strangers, they quickly bond over taking care of Cookie, the playful stray that showed up on Garrick’s doorstep and decided to stay.
And after some initial hesitation, both men are more than happy to explore what’s between them.
I liked how easy Garrick and Rain were with the physical part. Yes, Garrick does have misgivings about the age gap, but they’re both on board to have some fun. And they definitely brought the heat!
Bonus points for the easy acceptance of Rain’s femme side!
But things are far from simple. Garrick struggles with injuries he sustained on the job, and Rain can’t stay in one place too long before the itch to move on hits. And both of those things affect their ability to build a meaningful relationship.
I really appreciated that Annabeth Albert didn’t gloss over or minimize what Garrick’s injuries meant. There’s no miraculous recovery or easy fix to get back to “normal”.
However, it’s not an easy thing for Garrick to accept. His refusal to face facts was a bit annoying at times, but it was understandable - holding on to that hope of getting back to the life he used to have was the motivation Garrick needed to push through the gruelling recovery.
However, more than Garrick’s stubbornness, it’s Rain’s wandering way of life that puts an expiry date on what the two men have between them.
But the heart doesn’t stick to timelines! Through walks with Cookie, cozy dinners at home, and nights spent in each other’s arms (and eventually even shared days at work), the Rain and Garrick’s lives slowly become entwined.
The way Rain and Garrick fell in love and built a shared home without even realizing it was absolutely adorable. It was easy to root for them, and I really wanted them to make things work!
It takes a hard reckoning for Garrick and Rain to finally get their heads on straight, but their HEA made the uneasy road worth it!
Overall, I enjoyed ‘High Heat’ a lot more than I did book 1 in this series, and I’m invested enough to see what book 3 has to offer!
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