Hearts on Fire by Julia Gabriel is a good fit for people who are in the mood for a heartwarming and emotional story about second chances, family, and love, with a lighthearted tone and a fast-paced narrative.

The second book in the St. Caroline Series a well written story that held my interest until the end. This is Jack Wolfe and Becca Trevor’s story and their second chance. This is a very emotional story to read. Becca had so much to overcome before she could let love in, and let people know about the secret she has kept for seven years. The quilts sounded beautiful and the Quilt Therapy would put them to a good cause. I want to read more in this series.

It is often said that grief is something you hope to never experience in your lifetime. How Ms Gabriel brings to life the bone deep emotional pain that grief causes through her words is simply amazing. In Jack you have a big strong man, brought to his knees through his grief. Never have I experienced the level of raw emotion that the author was able to give life to through Jack.

The levels of emotions that weaved their way through the story was poignant and heartfelt. The heartbreak was palpable, so thick at times that a lack of tears was nonexistent. Through all these painful emotions, rather than a heaviness that could have bogged down the story, instead you found uplifting moments that provided the perfect balance to the grief.

Having been someone who has experienced a level of grief no parent should ever have to, the story resonanted with me, portraying the darkness of loss, while at the same time finding the light of life as it goes one. This story will definitely stay with me going forward.

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

When Becca was 1 year old, her mother died and she was adopted by her mother's sister and her husband. She also gained 4 sisters but she never felt like she really belonged because she was different from them ... so she rebelled. Jack was the youngest son in his family of firefighters and he was named after his mother's twin brother who died on the job fighting fires. So his mother made his father promise that Jack would never be a firefighter like him and his other 2 sons. Jack was to go to college and become a lawyer, doctor, teacher ... anything but a firefighter. So on the night of their high school graduation, Jack's best friend set him up to lose his virginity to Becca ... who everyone believed was the town "bicycle". When Becca found out she was pregnant, she didn't tell anyone because she knew that Jack would do the right thing and marry her, but she didn't want to marry him that way. She didn't want to be blamed for "golden boy" Jack's life being ruined. So she left town, had her baby and gave it up for adoption.

Seven years later, Becca is still making bad decisions ... she just lost her job, got evicted from her apartment and her boyfriend went jail. So she put her tail between her legs and crawled back home ... a place she never thought she's go again. Her first night there, her family is away so she goes into her mother's quilting store to stay the night and once again her bad luck follows her and the store burns to the ground. And who is there when she is brought out of the flames ... none other than Jack. Jack just got called back to his hometown because his mother is dying and he wants to spend all the time he can with her. Besides, a year ago he quit law school because all he really wants is to be a fireman. Becca and Jack keep running into each other and eventually start seeing each other ... it's not a relationship because when the summer is over they will each be heading out of town in different directions. But a lot can happen in a summer!

This is one of the most down to earth books I have ever read. There are no millionaires, no rock stars and no jocks ... just everyday people with everyday lives and everyday problems. This book will make you laugh, but it will also break your heart! Believe me ... keep a box of tissue close by because you will need it. I highly recommend this book is you are truly looking for a heartwarming and heart wrenching story.

I received an ARC copy courtesy of Romance Beckons through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

I received a free copy from NetGalley; this is my honest review.
I liked the book, the believable emotions going through all the problems (maybe a bit too many problems...). I liked the story and the main characters. I would have liked to know more about the secondary characters. We do not see the main characters from the previous book.
There's a bit of repetition concerning silence as we read: "... anticipation of the awkward silence she was sure was about to happen". I've seen it at least 3 times; different wording maybe, same concern.
Health: You are not in remission just after 3 years. Doctors calculate a minimum of 5 years...

I assumed that this would book would be one thing, but it was so much more. There are great characters and several stories intermixed in the one main story. I did not see the major twist coming until it was too late and it made the book that much better. This was my first read by this author but I am now looking forward to reading her other titles.

Wonderfully written !!!!!!!!!!
I just enjoyed the book.All the emotions jack goes through - grief for his mother,love for Becca,sweet relation with his father and brothers - were depicted beautifully.
I just loved Becca's character - so much of self-doubt but always trying to be strong.And by the time I reached point of Jack and Becca's marriage I had tears in my eyes.Each relation was portrayed so realistically in this book,it made you connect with all the characters and feel their grief,happiness,anxiety - basically everything.
Awesome read for someone who loves books which can make them cry out of happiness or sadness.

A very sweet romance story, a summer read over a weekend for me. I enjoyed the story i just found it a bit too sweet for me, i like more grit in the romance side for myself. I did enjoy the look at the past of the two main characters. So it was great to see the two sides to the romance developing from past to now. Worth a read if you like a story that is sweet and takes you away to a location that is idylic sounding

review on goodreads under the name kimothy

This is my first book by Julia Gabriel.

What I liked:
The writing style
Part of a series: St. Caroline Series
Standalone
HEA

What I didn't like:
I had a hard time staying interested in the book; the last third of it was better.

I voluntarily received an ARC from NetGalley.

Struggled with the first book in this series, but i'm glad I read this one, it was such an emotional story that leaves the reader emotionally drained, but in a good way, will definitely read the rest of the series

If ever there was a love song that needed to be written, it would be the ballad of Jack and Becca. Hearts on Fire is that tale without the melody. Ms. Gabriel paints a picture of heartbreak and regret that will have readers reaching for the Kleenex. Becca tends to lead with her heart. She gives her all to those she loves, even if that means breaking herself in the process. Jack is the man who wants to be happy but keeps getting let down by the choices he makes and the obligations he faces. Descriptive dialogue guides this coming of age story of past mistakes and new beginnings.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Julia Gabriel is a new to me author and one I will gladly read again. I found her writing to be strong and immersive. She can really make you feel as if you are in a location with the characters.

This was a plot that definitely pulls on the heartstrings. I just wanted a bit more. In the beginning Becca is constantly complaining about her bad luck and blaming herself for everything in the world. I found it more annoying than endearing to be honest but I liked her enough to care about her and her story. What we are given to explain the dark cloud she thinks she lives under is not helpful. The scene where she loses her job even though she is in the right is a bummer. We are told about her ex and never given details about their relationship or why he is in jail. We are just told he is the last in a string of bad guys in her life. The eviction is harder to sympathize with because she would have had notice of an upcoming eviction. Was she careless or clueless? Then blaming herself for the electrical fire was too much for me. I didn't need all of this to understand why she made the decision she made at 18 or her fear of what will come when others find out about it. For the rest of the book major things happen to Becca and she makes life changing decisions without us really seeing what she is thinking and feeling. The plot is strong enough to still make it an enjoyable book but I really wanted more of what was going on in her head and not just the plot moving forward.

Jack was a more fleshed out character, in my opinion. He loves his mom and has to come to terms with disappointing her because he cannot live his life the way she wants him to.

I loved how the relationships of the main characters with their parents were written, those were my favorite moments in the book, but wish she had developed the relationships between siblings more. The ending was rushed but still satisfying.

Beautifully written story that pulls at your heart strings with powerful characters that will grip you from the very first page and hold you prisoner until the turn of the very last page!

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

I enjoyed the premise of this story and loved the East coast setting. The storyline including the quilting store was a plus for me as an avid crafter. I did like the characters in this book...the struggles that each of the lead characters had to deal with made them much stronger. I would have liked it if the conclusion could have been expanded to bring more of a conclusion to the many aspects of this story. Overall I liked this story and would definitely read another book by this author.

Hearts on Fire, St. Caroline Series Book 2, Julia Gabriel

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Women's Fiction,Romance

I love Julia's writing, both as Julia Gabriel and as Marie Martine but this book? Well, sadly its a fail for me. 

I felt for Becca, poor woman has a history of disasters and was so determined not to be a burden, to do her best for everyone that she always put herself last. When it came to the romance with Jack though? Well, I just didn't feel it. certainly there was nothing between them except that one night when they were teens, and even that felt odd to me. Which was he, awkward geek, or college Golden boy? Because there's a world of difference and the Golden Boy certainly wouldn't have needed help losing his virginity, the girls would have been all over him - as Nan would say "like s hit sticks to a blanket" !! 

Fast forward seven years and this time they do get romantic, but even so I was entirely convinced by them. I didn't feel the chemistry, that pull, that must be together sense some couples have. 
I was waiting for whatever was going to happen to bring The Baby up, and waiting, and waiting. Its not til the last quarter that really makes a part of the story. Somehow I'd expected it to figure much larger in the overall plot but it felt almost like an add on. 

As always though, not all readers like all books and though this wasn't a good fit for me it could be perfect for you. Maybe its just this book didn't work for me, maybe its this series? I don't know, I do know I love Julia's work and not liking this book won't put me off further ones from her. 

Stars: A two sadly, well written but a story just not right for me

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

Second book in the series but can also be read as a standalone.

This was so full of emotion with the 2 main characters both struggling to find themselves, achieve and live up to what they think their families expect of them. This had me enthralled right from the start and I laughed and cried more than once.

I enjoyed the whole story and learning about these 2 characters and watching them both grow. I also liked how the whole thing ended and really look forward to reading more in this series.