Review: Consumed - Vilma Iris | Lifestyle Blogger

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the popular Black Dagger Brotherhood series comes a brand-new novel about arson investigator, Anne Ashburn, who is consumed by her troubled past, her family’s scorched legacy, and her current case: chasing a deadly killer.

Anne Ashburn is a woman consumed…

By her bitter family legacy, by her scorched career as a firefighter, by her obsession with department bad-boy Danny McGuire, and by a new case that pits her against a fiery killer.

Strong-willed Anne was fearless and loved the thrill of fighting fires, pushing herself to be the best. But when one risky decision at a warehouse fire changes her life forever, Anne must reinvent not only her job, but her whole self.

Shattered and demoralized, Anne finds her new career as an arson investigator a pale substitute for the adrenaline-fueled life she left behind. She doesn’t believe she will ever feel that same all-consuming passion for her job again–until she encounters a string of suspicious fires setting her beloved city ablaze.

Danny McGuire is a premiere fireman, best in the county, but in the midst of a personal meltdown. Danny is taking risks like never before and seems to have a death wish until he teams up with Anne to find the fire starter. But Danny may be more than a distraction, and as Anne narrows in on her target, the arsonist begins to target her.

Series:

Firefighters

Book 1

Book Type:

Romantic Suspense

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Consumed
By J.R. Ward

Review: Consumed

A once-firefighter learns an arson investigation can be as deadly as a blaze, when she finds herself the target of a killer.

With CONSUMED, J.R. Ward kicks off a hot, new contemporary romance series that feels as addictive as a gritty, TV drama. She introduces a new brand of brotherhood—nicknamed, tough-taking firefighters who value loyalty, bravery and service.

We meet Anne Ashburn, daughter of a legendary, fallen firefighter and sister to Fire Chief Thomas Ashburn. Strong-willed, brazen and fearless, Anne loves nothing more than the thrill of fighting fires alongside those she really considered family.

Her proximity to firefighter Danny McGuire is a bonus, her obsession with the blue-eyed bad boy running hot for years.

But then a risky gamble leads both Danny and Anne to a moment in a warehouse fire that changes them both, irrevocably altering their lives.

Afterwards, Anne must steel and redefine herself, away from Danny, away from the only home to which she’s belonged.

She takes on a job as an arson investigator, soon after pulled into a case with all-too-familiar aspects, linked to a man who seems untouchable.

Meanwhile Danny’s caught in a PTSD tailspin, the sharp edges of his pain blurred and forgotten with nights of heavy drinking.

But as Danny and Anne try to find their way past what once happened, past the guise of just one more night between the sheets, the fire starter threatens it all as he inches closer to them both.

Fans of J.R. Ward will love her quick-witted zingers slung effortlessly between this new crew. Ward is so adept at establishing a saga, in bringing to life compelling, multi-dimensional characters with longer development arcs, and we definitely see that here.

While the romance thread is woven throughout, it didn’t feel like a sweeping, front-and-center kind of thing (which I liked). Setting up the narrative, the world, the villains and the complicated clan of heroes takes center stage. I’d love to see more ratcheting suspense as the series continues, as it’s a fascinating world in which to root a thrilling mystery. Calibrating the balance between the drama, romance, humor and suspense will ultimately define the readership with whom it will most resonate.

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