Burning Up is the start of a series about firemen and the women they fall for. What's not to enjoy!?! Gorgeous, hunky firemen...yeah, thought you would catch on quick!

He is her older brother's best friend. He is a single dad. He is a fireman. He is her every high school fantasy. He is...Jake Bennett.

But Jake Bennett doesn't do relationships, or he didn't!?!

This sweet story is about coming home and finding yourself. Now if only her friends and family could get their acts straight! I look forward to more Flirting With Fire.

I can’t get enough of Jennifer Blackwood’s way with words. She is sweet and witty and hilarious. This was my first time reading a book by her and y’all better get ready to read more of my thoughts on her other books because this will certainly not be the last time you see her name in this blog. I’m well on my way to becoming a huge fan of hers.

Books about characters getting together with their childhood crush/brother’s best friend are amazing on their own but add a single parent who also happens to be a firefighter into the mix and you have yourself a super fun and steamy romance almost as hot as the cover. Jennifer’s amazing talent for story telling, charming and witty characters absolutely nailed every little thing in this romance. The pacing of Erin and Jake’s relationship is perfect, just when you think things are about to move quickly, things slow down yet again. It is definitely on the slow burn side of things and I loved that. The chemistry and the connection between the characters is natural and effortless. And reading Jake’s interactions with her daughter had me—and will have you—melting away because he tries his best to be a great parent and he is adorable.

The only reason I’m giving this a four instead of a five is because I felt like I didn’t really get to know Erin (the heroine). Even though some chapters are narrated from her point of view I still felt like I never got to know her on a deeper level and that led me to confusion because I didn’t understand the reasoning behind some of her decisions.

In case you didn’t catch my subtle message, I definitely recommend this book. It is a fun contemporary romance story that you will absolutely enjoy if you’re a hopeless romantic.

Erin Jenkins escaped Portland, Oregon when she was eighteen and was loving her life as a teacher in California until being in her probationary period and budget cuts left her jobless in the Summer holidays. Now her mother has had surgery and needs Erin to run their peanut butter food truck while she's out of commission. Back in her childhood home, complete with squabbling siblings Erin feels like she's dying inside. Then a meeting at Barrry's Bakery with her brother's BFF Jake Bennett brings back memories of her schoolgirl crush.

Jake is no longer the bad boy he was at school, not with a twelve year old daughter to take care of as a single dad. These days his life is his job as a firefighter and being the best dad he knows how to be. When he runs into BFF Reece's little sister Erin he can't believe how cute she's become but he doesn't have time for a woman in his life, does he?

This is a bit like Shannon Stacey but with slapstick. This is the third book I've read by Jennifer Blackwood and I've got to say slapstick seems to be her thang. This time it consists of a hotel TV permanently stuck on acorn channel and a broken remote control. Eye roll. I didn't find it amusing.

Also, this was yet another book where the guy changed absolutely nothing and the girl turned out to be a loser, a child and incapable of knowing her own mind. Yawn.

I'd like to say I want to read Reece and Erin's friend Sloane's story but I'm afraid that Reece will turn out to be a saint and Sloane an immature girl afraid of something silly, oh and that there would be slapstick!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I loved this book! As I've come to expect from a Jennifer Blackwood book the story is filled with humor, witty banter, and a nice slow build romance. Jake Bennett is a single dad and a firefighter (had me hooked right here!) who is happy with his life and isn't looking for anything permanent with a woman. A little summer fun though? That would be nice. Erin Jenkins is just back in Portland for a short time. It's been ten years since she's been home and she's out of there as soon as she finds another teaching job in California. That doesn't mean she can't have a little distraction with Jake while she's stuck there. Sounds like the perfect plan for both of them. Until it isn't just fun anymore...

Fun, flirty and sexy that's the best way to describe this humor filled story. I definitely recommend it.

I’ve read a few books by Jennifer Blackwood, but I have to say that the writing on this one didn’t really please me.

I was a little taken aback by the fact that this book is told on the 3rd person. I didn’t like it at all. There is still the dual POV, as we get to see both sides of the story, but this was the sort of situation that the 3rd person POV didn’t work at all. This book would have had a lot to gain if it was told on the first person.

The pacing was also off. It took ages for the book to develop. The slow pacing combined with the 3rd person POV, made the book extra slow!

I liked the characters. I’m crazy for single dads, and Jake has a teen daughter, so extra points. I liked his personality, and I loved that he had his priorities straight. I also liked Erin, though I had a harder time identifying with her. I understood her need to get away and all that, but at the same point, I didn’t. She has her best friends close to home, she didn’t make an effort to actually get along with her family, …, I just felt like she was a bit over dramatic at times.

I did enjoy their romance and their connection, though it was a bit of instalust/instalove. I liked the fact that they had known each other since forever, but I thought that it could have been made better. The fact that he was her brother’s BFF should have been emphasised, and the connection between them should have been brought up from the past. However, most of their connection steamed from a more recent thing, and I thought it had potential, but it ended up not living up to it.

Overall it’s an okay book, but when I read the blurb I was expecting something utterly different and more engaging. I’m sad I didn’t get that. I’m going to take a break from this author, I haven’t been enjoying the writing, and maybe it’s just not for me.

I love a amazing firefighter read. Burning Up has met amazing and surpasses it. Not only do you get hot firefighters but you get a brothers best friend read too. Wait did I forget to mention something. I think I did, you also get single father read too. Eek yep just wait until you meet Jake. Jake will have your ovaries pulsating with his hot single father ways. Erin she is a bit of a free spirit. She's a bit of a runner too. Searching for something that probably many can relate to. Even while you're reading how she is back in her hometown you can't help but wonder when and if she is going to run again once her time is up for the summer. And if you haven't figured out from Jake being her brothers bestie yet that she has lusted after him for years. Awkward moments between the two lead to some hilarious moments that will have you laughing your booty off. Erin and Jake have awesome chemistry and I love how Bailey takes to Erin too. Burning Up keeps you in laughter and awe moments through out the book. You wont want to miss this read especially if you love hot firefighters. Oh yeah one more thing be prepared for meddling mothers that may leave you in stitches. I so can't wait to see where this series goes.

While I enjoyed the story, there was too much buildup and not enough payoff. The first half of the book felt very repetitive, with a similar scenario repeating itself over and over again with the same frustrating result. After 70%, it felt like nothing had really happened aside from some existential soul-searching for each of the characters. For a book titled Burning Up, I wanted more heat and less teasing. The romance ultimately developed way too slowly for my taste.

I typically gravitate more toward a hero while reading a romance, yet I found Jake to be aggravatingly stubborn. His mixed signals drove me crazy and I wish it hadn’t taken so long for him to get a wake up call. I felt similarly in regards to Erin’s career and living situation. Her character was amusing and entertaining, yet she was also conflicted for much of the book, which just made that part of the plot seem to drag on and on.

As much as I loved the four previous books by this author, Burning Up didn't have the same lighthearted feel and humorous banter that, along with the steamy love scenes, made me enjoy her books so much. I unfortunately won't be able to recommend this book and therefore won't be posting a review on my blog.

Rating: 2.5 Stars

Due to budget cuts, Erin Jenkins lost her teaching job, but this puts her in the perfect position to be home in Portland for the summer. A fact that Erin's not too happy about, actually, as she hasn't been home in ten years for any extensive amount of time. With nothing else to be done, she'll help out at her family's food truck and scour the internet for any and all teaching positions posted. No matter what, Erin plans to leave for California at the end of the summer with another teaching position. What Erin doesn't expect is to run into her childhood crush Jake Bennett.

Ever since the birth of his daughter nearly thirteen years ago, Jake Bennett has been dedicated to raising her in a loving home especially after her mother left when she was very young. So his personal life has pretty much fell to the wayside. When his mother and sisters insist he bring a date to his sister's upcoming wedding, he figures inviting Erin along will be the safe bet. Being the little sister of his best friend, he practically grew up with her, but he soon realizes a lot can change in ten years, and his sudden attraction to Erin is proof positive of this.

As they begin to tentatively date, they'll have to figure out where they stand before Erin's summer deadline is up.

I really liked that, for the most part, Jennifer Blackwood did a great job early on in the story of dispelling my expectations. With the mention of the wedding and Jake needing a date, along with the convenience of Erin being there and available, I figured the storyline would follow the path of the "wedding hook-up". I liked that I was proved wrong, and that Jake and Erin's relationship was paved with a few more complications than I had anticipated. While Jake getting back into the dating / relationship game is something that he must overcome, I felt like Erin's struggle with being home again and all the memories it brings up was the main focus of the story.

Instead of going to a community college, Erin decided to break out and go to a school in California, waiting until she was halfway out the door before cluing her mother into this fact. Erin's actions ultimately put a strain on her family relationship especially with her older brother and younger sister. I felt like the Jenkins family dynamic was an important part of the story, and while I understand the issues of strain and disappointment, I wanted a little more fixed by the end in regards to the siblings relationship. I hope that upcoming books in the series will feature Erin's siblings and we'll get a little more closure.

I liked and appreciated the way Jennifer Blackwood portrays the position of indecision Erin is in throughout the story. She doesn't want to admit how much coming home has actually been good for her, beyond sparking up a romance, but she also truly loved living in California and loved teaching at her school. It goes a long way in speaking about how people and their perceptions can change over time.

I'm pretty positive Erin's brother Reece will get his own book since the series is called Flirting with Fire and he works as a fireman with Jake. Jennifer Blackwood teases a potential match-up for Reece so I'm anxious to see how that may play out. I'm hoping that the youngest Jenkins, Andie, gets a story because there is blatantly something that she's dealing with in the background of Erin's drama. So I hope we get to find out what it is.

Overall, I enjoyed this read. I loved that it threw any expectations out the window early on and allowed me to enjoy the blossoming romance between Jake and Erin.

3 Crushes Become Real Stars
* * * Spoiler Free
We have the gal who left home to get away from a mom who was always out of control. She became a teacher in California but unfortunately got laid off... meaning she is back home helping the mom.

The firefighter she has had a crush on since forever was her brother's best friend. Since she had been gone, he had a relationship that went south but ended up with a pre-teen daughter.

Now he just lives for his job and daughter... he has no time for anything else...at least that was until this woman came back.

Sparks start to fly but our dad keeps pushing her away... Best friend bro code- no little sisters...also he needs to make sure his daughter doesn't get attached to someone who could be going back to California again.

Will they connect and make it...That is the question. This is the start of a new series for Jennifer Blackwood.


A gifted copy was provided by Montlake Romance via NetGalley for an honest review.

Sparks start to fly but our dad keeps pushing her away... Best friend bro code- no little sisters...also he needs to make sure his daughter doesn't get attached to someone who could be going back to CA again.

Will they connect and make it...That is the question

This was an enjoyable story. That not only drew me in from the start, but had enough about it to hold my interest throughout.
As not only were both main characters likable, but they shared a spark. And their romance was sweet, fun and easy to read. Not to mention there was minimal angst, plenty of lighthearted moments and lots of likable secondary characters. Including Jake's fellow firefighters and Erin's two best friends. So there is plenty of potential for future stories in this series and Burning Up was a great start to it.
And I would happily recommend it to others. Especially if you have enjoyed other stories by Jennifer Blackwood.

Erin Jenkins returns home to Portland for the summer after losing her teaching job in California due to budget cuts. She’s determined to make this trip a temporary one and is hoping to land another teaching job back in California as soon as possible. She left Portland 10 years prior to spread her wings and find herself, plus get away from her meddling mother and she isn’t planning on staying longer than necessary.

When she runs into her teenage crush (her older brother’s best friend) Jake Bennett, she realizes her feelings have never gone away, even after all these years.

Jake is a firefighter and a single dad. His priorities in life are his job and his daughter. Relationships haven’t been a priority for him ever since his ex left him with their daughter soon after she was born. All he wants is to provide a stable and loving home for his daughter. But when Erin walks back into his life, he’s questioning everything and he’s not sure he can stay away, even if he did promise Erin’s brother all those years ago he wouldn’t go there with her. But Erin is all grown up now and the feelings/attraction are just too strong to resist.

There’s a time limit for them though. If Erin gets a teaching job back in California, she’s leaving town. Can they keep things light and fun or will real feelings get in the way? Tough decisions ahead for these two.

Burning up is a great start to Jennifer Blackwood’s Flirting with Fire series! A fun and sexy read and great chemistry between the characters!

**I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

This was such a fun and sexy romance that made me laugh. I am looking forward to the next installment in the series.

After losing her teaching position in San Francisco due to budget cuts, Erin Jenkins returns to her hometown of Portland for the summer. While avoiding her mother’s attempts to convince her to move back permanently, Erin runs into Jake Bennett, her older brother’s best friend and her childhood crush. When Jake runs into Erin, he sees her as the perfect solution to his lack of date to his sister’s wedding and his mother’s attempts to set him up with her neighbor. During the wedding weekend, things heat up between Erin and Jake and they soon find themselves involved in a no-strings summer fling. With Erin’s stay only temporary, neither Erin or Jake expected anything more than a fling until they slowly find themselves falling for each other.

This was my first book by this author and it won't be my last. I really enjoyed.it. I love a good Hot firefighter.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC from Netgally.

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear (shaking my head sadly). I really wanted to like this book. However, right from the beginning I had problems. I'm certainly not the sharpest tool in the box, but when I catch that the H had face scruff and then several pages later he had a beard...WHAT? Or when our couple is headed to the wedding and when they arrive she's carrying an iced coffee. It was a 3 hour drive and nowhere in the story did they "stop" for refreshments. Maybe this was an editing problem...I don't know, but I found it extremely distracting.

And yes, I get it already. SHE doesn't want to be home and HE doesn't want to ever be hurt by another woman. How many times do we have to read about it? Was this to just add words to the story, because it certainly didn't add anything to it. And lastly, what is the big deal about "seeing" his friends sister? (shaking my head)

ARC provided by NetGalley. Loved this book. It did go slow at times. But overall for the most part I loved it. I mean who doesn’t love a hot fireman. This was my first book by this author and it won’t be my last!!

Although this book is funny in parts it didn't quite knock me off my feet when it came to what her other books have been like. I felt it hard to connect with the heroine, the Hero is better in that respect. I think this is a case of it is the book and not me.

The plot was alright , pretty much your standard cookie cutter romance.

Super hot! Firefighters...i shouldn’t really need to say more, but I will. These characters are fantastic. This story keeps you completely captive until the end, and leaves you begging for more. This book is just another unforgettable story by one amazing author. Buy this book!

This is my first book by Jennifer and I was excited by the premise. I haven't read any firefighter heroes really so I was intrigued about this. I did snicker a bit throughout the book, I mean that opening scene with Erin was pretty funny. Overall i liked it but I'll admit I got tired of the whole oh no bro code i can't date my best friend's sister that was going on for awhile there. You are all adults, and unless the brother really knows his friend is a douche and is justified in not wanting him dating his sis that whole thing got annoying real quick.

I mean after a bit it was admitted oh hey you're both adults you can do what you want but all the nonsense before got on my nerve.. And this is a trope i enjoy. i love the crushing on my brother's best friend thing. love it. So that did irk me a bit.

So this was an ok read for me and i did like Erin and Jake, although I was side eyeing a bit at the end there where it felt like he was making Erin feel guilty for wanting to say yes to the California job when she's been saying that this is what she wanted the entire time of the book. I get Jake being hurt but c'mon dropping that i love you sort of felt like a way to guilt Erin into staying.

I'm interested in what's going on with Reece and Sloane, cuz there was some snark and dislike there so i'm assuming they will be the MCs of book 2. ?? I'll be looking out for that.

I really liked this book by Jennifer Blackwood!! I've read probably 3 of her books and they have some really funny moments in them. Erin and Jake together are really great. What I really liked was the fact that the sexual content took a while to show up. It had a sort of slow burn to it and it took a good portion of the book (75%) for sex to even come into play. There were some kissing scenes and heat, but nothing over the top. I like when an author leaves something to the imagination.

Erin is an out of work teacher, who's staying at home with her mom and sister for the summer until she can find a job. Jake is a firefighter/paramedic who works with her brother (who's kind of a douche) and he sounds all sort of yummy. I was imagining Tom Selleck from Magnum or Severide from Chicago Fire and that made me run faster on the treadmill LOL. Erin had no problems telling Jake exactly how she felt and that's what I loved!! She didn't play the angst card that soooo many books play nowadays that drive me crazy. I would definitely read something by this author again.

I received an ARC at no cost from the publisher/author/NetGalley for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own and do not reflect anyone else's.