Heat Exchange
by Shannon Stacey
Boston Fire, Book 1
Lydia Kincaid's shipping back to Boston, but she's not happy
about it. She left to get away from the firefighting community—her father was a
firefighter, her brother's a firefighter and, more important, her ex is a
firefighter. But family is number one, and her father needs her help running
the pub he bought when he retired. Soon, Lydia finds it hard to resist the
familiar comfort and routine, and even harder to resist her brother's handsome
friend Aidan.
Aidan Hunt is a firefighter because of the Kincaid family. He's had the hots
for Lydia for years, but if ever a woman was off-limits to him, it's her. Aside
from being his mentor's daughter, she's his best friend's sister. The ex-wife
of a fellow firefighter. But his plan to play it cool until she leaves town
again fails, and soon he and Lydia have crossed a line they can't
uncross.
As Aidan and Lydia's flirtation turns into something more serious, Lydia knows
she should be planning her escape. Being a firefighter's wife was the hardest
thing she's ever done, and she doesn't know if she has the strength to do it
again. Aidan can't imagine walking away from Boston Fire—even for Lydia. The
job and the brotherhood are his life; but if he wants Lydia in it, he'll have
to decide who's first in his heart.
I’m a sucker for stories about first responders. I love their heroic nature, their courage and
self-sacrifice. But also know that all
that comes at a cost to both the first responder and the people they love. Shannon Stacey does a great job highlighting
this struggle in this first book of her Boston Fire series.
I really enjoyed this contemporary romance. In a cohesive
manner, Heat Exchange features a
poignant theme faced by many families – taking a secondary priority to the
needs of the job. Being a first responder can be all-consuming. This is
especially so with firefighters who spend periods of time living with one
another. They rely on each other for
their lives and forge a strong family bond that sometimes supersedes their
relationships with their actual family members.
One can understand how a family member can feel like he or she comes in
second place to the firefighting family. This painful reality is the central
theme in the narrative.
Lydia Kincaid has been surrounded by the fire service all
her life. Between her father, brother
and her ex-husband, she is used to coming in second place in their lives. That is why she swore off firefighters and
left Boston. But she reluctantly returns when her sister, Ashley, begs her to
come back to help her in Ashley’s time of need.
Being a dutiful sister, Lydia returns and lands straight in the middle
of Aiden Hunt’s affections.
Aiden grew up around Lydia’s family. Aiden’s best friend is Lydia’s brother. They currently work together at the same fire
station. Despite the turmoil their
relationship is sure to create, they start a torrid affair that burns right
through the pages of the book. However,
based on Lydia’s history, she knows the cost of being in a relationship with a
firefighter and she is unwilling to be second fiddle to the job, and so she
holds herself back in the relationship.
It is only when Aiden proves that he loves her more than the job does
the couple get their HEA.
The conflict is made even more complicated by the colorful
characters in their lives: Lydia’s dad
and Aiden’s mentor, Lydia’s brother and Aiden’s best friend, Lydia’s sister and
the memories of Lydia’s ex-husband. It’s
all a family affair. There is also a
secondary story featuring Lydia’s sister, Ashley and her husband Danny that I
found endearing as well. Ashley and
Danny have a difficult relationship fraught with miscommunication and
complacency. This brought a nice
additional element to the family conflict.
IN A NUTSHELL:
This is just the kind of romance you want featuring a
firefighting family.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
