Scorched was a very interesting and sometimes frustrating read for me. I love reading about firefighters and smokejumpers, and what they did, was new to me. Dani Collins told a comprehensive story about their jobs and their love. What frustrated me was the pity-party that both of our main characters had going on throughout the story. The “woe-is-me” started to get a little tiring.

Jacqui had a reason to feel self-conscious coming back to Glacier Creek. She had to face the men that worked alongside her husband and watched the crush she had on Russ turn into a marriage. Yes, she loved her husband but knows, now, that he didn’t love her the way she deserved to be loved. The one man who stood by her side through everything was Vin. Now that she has decided to stay, she’s put his life into a tailspin but, it doesn’t have to be that way. She needs to convince him of what her marriage was really like and of the love she has for him.

Vin is convinced that life does nothing but through him curveballs. Growing up in foster care had him moving constantly. The woman he married just wasn’t the one to give him the love and stability that he has always craved. Now, when he thinks he is going to finally put down permanent roots, Jacqui throws the wrench into that. On top of all that, he can’t seem to shake the feelings that he has for his best-friend’s widow. He needs to stay away from her, needs to find a way to make her see that he’s a bad bet but she keeps pushing him until he has to give in … to everything.

Like I said, each of them had some “poor me” moments in this story. If you can put them aside, Scorched is a really touching love story. Dani Collins did a nice job of bringing us into the mind of a smokejumper and the training that they go through. We also know that they play as hard as they train and love even harder. She made the story interesting and brought us into the heads of Jacqui and Vin. She brought both of her characters full circle and gave them what they most craved … love.

Jacqui lost her husband Russ, captain of Glacier Creek smoke jumpers in a freak accident. Ever since the funeral, she couldn’t stay in the town and she fled to Florida where her family stayed. She couldn’t face everyone in the small town. But she had to come back to finalize everything so she could relocate. So she calls up Vin to pick her up from airport.
Vin has been through rough times but not as much as Jacqui. He witness his best friend’s death and he feels he let his friends and his wife down. Vin has been looking out for Jacqui’s house and her dog while she was in hiding. He was going to buy the house from Jacqui when she is moving back but everything changed when she decided to stay and take her old job back at the station.
Jacqui wasn’t planning to stay but she felt she was finally home and decided to stay. But that created slight problem for Vin. Vin doesn’t have a place to live other than her house so Jacqui offers same room and her offer still stands. However, Vin feels he is living off her by living with her and he feels she will be talk of the town if she lived with him.
Vin worried more about Jacqui’s reputation than himself. But Jacqui doesn’t know Vin has been loved her. They have been friends before and she is widower of his best friend. Now he is not sure if he could stay with her.
Jacqui feels she is lonelier than ever. everybody is worried about widow Jacqui, but she wanted to be Jacqui without her husband’s shadow. She wanted to be loved but will Vin step up to love her??

Another great read from the series. I can’t wait to read about other hot smoke jumpers. It is getting better and better.

It was an emotional story, with some heat. Jacqui returns home to bring closure on her life after her husband Russ died, who was also a smoke jumper. Vin was still struggling with it, and even though he has an intense chemistry with Jacqui, she is the widow of his late friend, and he does not feel that it is ok, and that he is worthy. Vin had a pretty difficult life, and here with the jumpers if where he feels home, Jacqui needs to convince him, that he can have it all. They were able to finally get there HEA, it did go back and forth a little bit to much for me, but never the less, entertaining

Yes! What a fantastic read. This is book 2 in The Firefighters of Montana series and it features Jacqui Edwards and Vin Kingston. The chemistry between these two is off-the-charts HOT! Everything they did, whether it was talking, fighting, or something more intimate, was done with a gripping intensity that sucked you in to the scene. Each of their issues were so different from the other but equally emotional.

Great story with awesome characters! I can't wait to read about more of these amazing firefighter

Getting over her grief after losing her well-respected, firefighter chief husband, Jacqui, the heroine, has pretty much felt like her whole world went up in flames and was completely obliterated. Who knew that returning home would be just what she needed to begin to pick up the pieces and move on. Just like life can spring from the ashes of even the most destructive forest fire, she finds herself reflecting back on the good and not so great aspects of her marriage and longs to rebuild her life with a man who truly sees her as her soul mate and equal. Living in the spotlight of a small town as the quintessential icon of what many pegged as the perfect married couple makes moving on difficult, as well.

Fellow recently divorced/firefighter friend/co-worker, Vin, seems to be just that man. Unfortunately, this good guy hero has baggage all of his own that makes him reluctant to act on his attraction to her. You see, he’s had his hopes dashed too many times in the past to put faith in finding real happiness. Despite how desperate he is to finally have it.

Except for one out of the blue, very descriptive lusty thought/image that had me blushing and quickly reminded me things were definitely going to heat up between this main couple, the writing flowed and the sadness intermingled with hope that something real might finally work out between them.

With a dramatic, romantic conclusion, we are given a firefighter romance worthy wrap up that leads to a predictable yet very welcome HEA. Though I'm not usually a fan of dead OM drama, this one likely worked for me because their attraction didn't form/start until she returned home from grieving. She, by the way, had nothing to do with the hero's recent divorce either.

P.S. This is book 2 of a five book series. Each one is a stand-alone written by a different author but a part of the same hometown series.

Title: Scorch, Series: Firefighters of Montana (Book 2), Author: Dani Collins, Pages: 150, stand-alone but part of a series written by various authors, good guy/recently divorced hero, widow heroine, lusty thoughts/language, no cheating, no OW/OM drama, no love triangle, friends to lovers, likeable main couple, VERY steamy scenes towards the end.

Book 1 - Smolder (Sam & Laurel), Pages: 147, 6/7/16 by Tracy Solheim
Book 2 - Scorch (Vin & Jacqui), Pages: 150, 6/14/17 by Dani Collins
Book 3 - Ignite (Lina & Dean), Pages: 160, 6/21/16 by Nicole Helm
Book 4 - Heat (Callie & Tyler), Pages: 126, 6/28/16 by Karen Foley
Book 5 - Flame (Cady & Dex), Pages: 128, 7/5/16 by Victoria Purman

(This review is based on an advanced reader copy distributed via NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. No compensation was provided to this reviewer, nor is there any affiliation between the reviewer and author/publisher/NetGalley.)

The best way to describe Scorch is real. There's emotion that's heartbreaking, people searching for answers and guilt that seems to never end. Ms. Collins has crafted a story full of flawed people as they journey toward healing and starting again. At no time, do Jacqui and Vin have an easy road ahead but they come out stronger on the other side because of it.

A quick read, but hard to put down romance between the widow and best friend of a hero. A little frustrating at times, with how Vin pushes her away a little too much, but otherwise I liked the book. Jaci was perky and fun, and my heart went out to her. Highly recommend this book and series of smoke jumpers in Montana.

Great "hot" smokejumpers series

This is the second book in the FIREFIGHTERS OF MONTANA series. The first was SMOLDER by Tracy Solheim, which I also read and enjoyed. In fact, I enjoyed both of these books so much that I bought the other three books in the series - IGNITE, HEAT, and FLAME, all by different authors.

First of all, at least so far, these books are much more focused on romance rather than than the smokejumper aspect. Yes, there is some firefighting going on but front and center is the couple the romance is about.

SCORCH was a romance but it was also very sexy so be forewarned if you are not looking for explicit sex in the books you read.

Jacqui Edwards is back in Glacier Creek, Montana after going off to Florida after her husband, the Captain of the smokejumpers group, was killed in a fire jump. She has kept in touch with Vin Kingston, who was a friend of her husband's and of her. He's been living in their house, planning on buying it, after going through a divorce. Neither Jac or Vin expect the mutual attraction when Jac comes back to town.

I thought the backstory of both Jac and Vin really added to the story, liked both of their characters, the locale, and boy, was it "hot."

I received this book from Tule Publishing through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.

Jacqui must learn to live again and Vin wants to help but has to let go of the past. Second book on the firefighters of Montana series. Definitely a page turner.
Ebook from netgalley and publishers with thanks. Opinions are entirely my own.

A young widow moves ahead with life after her husband tragically dies. She falls for one of his smokejumper colleagues, but he's afraid to trust in the relationship. There is tremendous emotion displayed in this story, and one must admire Jacqui as she comes to terms with her first marriage and new love. Excellent character development.

3 Nothing Is As It Seems Stars
* * *
When we love... we hope and even pray your partner loves you just as intently...Yes, there may be times when couples ebb and flow in the shifting of desire and caring...But overall if they are a good match... it all evens out in the end.

This is the topic of concern in this story...and the main character, Jacqui, finally comes to terms with the reality of what her marriage really was...A wish fulfillment... a marriage where she was the one who loved... and loved totally...while the man of her dreams cared about her...but not the way she had truly wanted.

There is another equally important thread to this tale...A man who has had a rain cloud over head...from the very start. Vin was shuffled around from Foster Home to Group Home...Where he learned not to think anything good was ever going to happen because there was always someone ready to steal it away... Vin learned these lesson well and very rarely dared to think he would ever have anything of his own like a home or family or roots...

The one time he did go down that path...It wasn't long before the woman he married became frustrated with the sexy smoke-jumper she went after.. All the excitement of a man who was a firefighter...a hero and on the edge of death lost its glory once they were married and she spent nights alone while he fought the fires. Divorce happened and Vin lost the house that was supposed to be his home...and once again it was a self fulfilling prophecy of nothing ever working out for him.

Jacqui and Vin knew each other because Jacqui's husband was the Captain of Vin's Unit. Jacqui had been the office manager and all around right hand person there. Everyone knew everyone in this small town and Russ and Jacqui's relationship was the town's personal love story.

They were married for years, did all of the events and seemed to perfectly happy....and in many ways they were but everything was not as it seemed....

And then tragedy struck. Russ was out in the field jumping into a fire and the wind shifted without warning...He was killed before he hit the ground.... and Vin had to bring his body out of area...Guilt and what ifs tortured him...He felt responsible even though there was nothing anyone could have done.

Jacqui is overwhelmed and has to get away...she goes to Florida to stay with family for awhile, thinking she will move there permanently. While she is away, she and Vin stay in touch with him doing finishing touches to the house she left and taking care of her pooch.

These two develop a deep friendship and she has decided to sell Vin the house. He feels maybe he will finally have a home. When she comes back to finish up loose ends...the pull of the Firehouse and how much she loved her life here calls to her. She decides to stay, keep her job and is happy with the decision she has made.

Vin only hears she is staying....he only is thinking once again a dream he allowed himself to have is being stripped away...And the worst part of all of this is the feelings he is having for this woman....

We are give a story of two people who have had very different lives ...each with their own issues...and how through determination and our gal's stubborn resolve...a happy ending.

It is Jacqui who see things clearly... mistakes from the past...but also love for a man gone. She is ready to grab life and move on...and this time she plans on it being equal and real... not out of "the right thing to do." She goes after Vin with two-fisted desire and makes a damaged man see the light.

This is part of new series. It focuses on men and women who throw themselves out of planes... fighting fires and rescuing others in their time of need.


A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Book two in the Firefghters of Montana series, Scorch is every bit as fast paced as Smolder. The series enables readers to get to know peripheral characters, but each story stands alone just fine. With two to three hours of story between the covers they make for perfect Saturday afternoon reading.
Scorch is a story of second chances both for Jacqui, widow of Russ Edwards, the highly regarded former captain of the Glacier Creek smokejumpers, and Vin, his best friend.
This story has plenty of angst as both Jacqui and Vin come to grips with their relationships to Russ and to each other. Of course there is also plenty of action, and if you're into toned, muscular male physiques you'll find enough to fire your imagination.
I was amazed at the amount of information that was packed effortlessly between the first page and the last. Dani Collins has done a rip snorting good job here and I just loved it.

Scorch by Dani Collins is a steamy, passionate story with a cast of imperfect characters who command your attention from the start.

3.5 "I want a man who actually loves me." Stars

Scorch had the potential to be a great read with some emotion injected into it and, whilst Vin and Jacqui were particularly likeable and I was won over on the premise of the grieving widow and her husbands best friend, I have to say that I wasn't overly enamoured with one of the primary parts of the story: I find the whole my-marriage-was-perfect-until-my-husband-died-and-now-I'm-realising-he-didn't-love-me-the-same-way a weak plot.

"He was lucky to have been loved that much. If he was destined to die young, well, at least he had that."

Nevertheless, it was an easy enough read: Vin and Jac do indeed scorch when they cross the line, and I did enjoy catching up with characters who featured in the author's Love in Montana offering. Overall though it's one of those that I've read, enjoyed but will likely forget, however it has tempted me into checking out a couple more in the Firefighters of Montana series.

Jacqui Edwards is back in Glacier Creek after losing her firefighter husband. Needless to say it has been rough of her.

Vin Kingston is one of Jacqui's late husbands best friends/coworkers. Now that Jacqui is back to Glacier Creek, she is leaning on Vin a lot. She know he is someone she can lean on and not be afraid to cry of. What starts off as a friendship, leads to more.

While I love firefighters (or in this case smokejumpers), I am not so much of a fan of a widow falling for her husband's best friend. It seems like a bro code violation to me. I know Jacqui should move on with her life, but this didn't work for me.

Once again Ms Collins has delivered a HEA filled with passion, tension, sorrow and intensity. From the onset, the story takes hold and hangs on to the conclusion. The dynamics between Vin and Jac is sexy hot, filled with emotions and complexities. With Vin's need to protect Jac from her pain and sorrow, emerges a relationship that is passionate and intense. They help other heal, while at the same time accept what was driving them together. I don't think this story could have gotten any better until the heart stopping end and tug at the heartstrings conclusion.

This book was provided by the Publisher and Netgalley, I am voluntarily providing my honest review.