Erin has returned to Portland after being gone from home for 10 years, she has been laid off from her job as a teacher in California. While home between searching for another job and helping out with her family’s food truck she reconnects with her brothers best friend and high school crush Jake. She accidentally steals the bagel he was buying for his daughter he needs a date for his sister’s wedding the sparks and banter begin to fly. Jake fights the pull to Erin because of his daughter and the fact that Erin desperately wants to return to California. Little by little Erin realizes that maybe being home in Portland is not so bad after all and finally Jake asks her out on a proper date. I do wish they would have been together more of the story and that there would not have been so much on again off again. Would loved more interaction with Jake’s daughter.

I am an epilogue type of reader so very much missed that.

I enjoyed my first book from Jennifer Blackwood and looking forward to checking out the next book in the series.

2.5 stars.
I was fairly excited to read this book as I have read 4 others by this author and I enjoyed all of them immensely. Sadly this one didn't work at all for me.
It felt stilted, no flow or witty banter to support it. I also had trouble relating to either Jake or Erin as they seemed very one dimensional (very little character development) and there really wasn't even a good storyline to hold my interest.
So disappointed.
I missed the funny, lighthearted and sassy type of read that I usually associate with Jennifer Blackwood. I am not sure what happened here but I struggled just to finish it.
There are definitely much better reads out there by this author, for instance "The Rule Book " was a 5 star read for me back in 2016.
So I am really hoping this book is just an anomaly and I will move forward to her next release.

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Blackwood fans the flames of desire in her smoking-hot series about firefighters and the women who want them…

I have been looking for a new romance series with firefighters.

I am pleased to say I have found another one, I am quite interested in continuing with!

Erin is home for the summer to help take care of her mom, and she has every intention of going back to California once she gets a teaching job. But things change when she runs into her high school crush who just happens to be one of her brothers friends and a firefighter. YESSSS! I love these kind of books!

Fun, flirty read following sexy firefighter and single dad Jake Bennett as he navigates fatherhood and work with a daughter who seems far wiser than her 12 years. When his best friend’s little sister, Erin Jenkins, returns to Portland after living in California for the last 10 years, neither one of them can deny their attraction to each other. Slight problem. Erin doesn’t want to stay in Portland, in fact, the first chance she gets, she’ll be hoofing it back to California. Jake wants stability for his daughter, oh, and he also doesn’t want to pi$$ off his best friend by hooking up with his sister. It’s best for them both if they leave each other well alone. Easier said than done. I loved the premise for this story, yet I had trouble gelling with Erin. I didn’t like her character or her attitude. I wasn’t invested in their relationship, I felt they were unrealistic and they felt very wishy washy as a couple. As much as I was rooting for their relationship (I wanted a happy ending for Jake), I really don’t think I was bothered either way. Enjoyable, light read. I was provided with an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest review.

2.5 stars

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

Well I mainly requested this book for two reasons. One because I love books about firefighters and two because I also love books about single parents and this book combined these two themes so I hoped I’m going to love it. Unfortunately, this book disappointed me big time.
The book itself wasn’t long around 250 pages but by the time I finished it I felt I was reading forever. There was a heaviness and stuffiness to the writing and formatting of it that just weighted down the whole thing in my opinion. The delicate balance between dialogues and monologues was pretty off kilter and for me it was just hard to read. There was something missing from the dynamism of it that would have make the flow more natural.

Then there was the fact that the despite one of the main characters being a single father firefighter there wasn’t much about either aspect of his life in the book. I mean there were 2 cases where we saw him working and his kid was sent away to a campo almost at the beginning of the book so we don’t see a lot of interactions between them.
Apart from this, I found the plot a bit dragging and I can’t say that I like either of the main characters.

First there was Erin, who constantly tried to find a job far-far away from her childhood home while pursuing a relationship with a single father. Inconsiderate much?? Also I wouldn’t have any problem with her wanting to live her life separate from her meddling mother, but she acted as if she it was a life or dead situation to get away from them but there was not one mention of her reasons for running. She was a bit selfish in parts of the book and a bit unreasonable as well.
Then there is Jake, who played this back and forth game with Erin. I understood his reasons to being a bit cautious when it came to dating but honestly he was leading on Erin. So yes neither of them were my favorites and while there was definite chemistry between them, they won’t be my favorite couple ever.

Sorry but this book just wasn’t for me.

Erin Jenkins is a strong, independent schoolteacher who heads back to Portland to take care of her mother after surgery after having been gone for over 10 years. Leaving sunny California, Erin is forced to face her life now that she lost her job due to budget cuts. Unable to find a job, Erin is beginning to get desperate in her search. Or she is just plain desperate to leave her childhood home and her overbearing mother.

Erin runs into her childhood crush, Jake Bennett, is a hot and sexy firefighter raising a daughter by himself. The last thing on his mind is a woman in his life. However, when his mother's threatens to set him up for his sister's wedding Jake decides to be proactive and invite Erin as his date. After all, she is his best friend's little sister what could go wrong.

Jake soon realizes that sexy as sin Erin is much more than his best friend's little sister and he is very attracted to her. When Erin tells Jake she always had a thing for him Jake gets nervous. Add that to Erin's brother's friendship, the fact that Erin is deadset on heading back to California once she finds a job and Jake is backpedaling big time.

There are so many funny scenes in this book that laughing is required. The hotel suite television is possessed!

This story brings into focus Erin's independence and running away from her family- the whys and what ifs. While Jake tries to stay away, he is simply too attracted to Erin to do so. Will Erin find her job and get away from Portland or will she discover that times up from running and home is where she needs to stay.

This story centers around Erin Jenkins and Jake Bennett.
Erin has ben living in California for the past 10 years. She left her home in Portland, to go to college and didn’t return because she felt her family was overbearing.
Jake is a single Dad, a firefighter and Erin’s brother’s best friend.
When Erin is laid off , she returns home for the summer, hoping to get a job back in California by the time school starts. When she sees Jake again, the attraction is instantaneous. She always had a crush on him , but Jake had promised her brother never to get involved with Erin.
The story at times was humorous. It was also a reminder that families are complex and sometimes the pressures put on the children ,even as adults, can be stifling.
As a whole, it was sweet, at times predictable story , and one to be read for the enjoyment of the moment. It was more of a 3.5 star story.
I received this copy from Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

Burning Up is a sweet, quick read. Erin goes home to visit her family in Portland and falls in love with her high school crush and her brother’s best friend. It feels like this may be the first book in a series.

Burning Up features an outstanding romance with fantastic characters and I really enjoyed it!

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.

Erin loved everything about her teaching position in San Francisco and was devastated that it was cut due to budget constraints. When Erin ran from Portland when she was eighteen, she never looked back. Her family put a lot of expectations on Erin which weighed on her, eventually causing her to run. Even now Erin doesn’t have a great relationship with her family and she’s struggling being under the same roof again. Due to running away from her problems at eighteen, Erin’s default is still to run when things get tough.

Jake was a bit wild in his youth but after his daughter Bailey was born, everything changed for him. Jake knew he wanted to be a good father from the start and put everything he had into raising Bailey. When Bailey’s mother walked out on them when she was three months old, Jake worked harder to give her a good life. After Bailey, the most important thing to Jake is his work as a firefighter. Jake puts a lot of effort into his job as he knows the situations he will be in are life or death.

Erin and Jake’s relationship really worked for me as I’m a big fan of romances where a character finally ends up with their childhood crush. Erin and Jake initially fall back into the teasing of their youth which evolves into some great banter. The physical chemistry between Erin and Jake is off the charts and I loved the scenes that showcased the physical side of their relationship. The two do run into a few issues in their relationship, but I was happy with the way they managed to work them out and move forward.

There are a number of side characters in this book despite the main focus being on the relationship between Erin and Jake. Jake’s family was a lot of fun with all of them being very close to one another. Jake’s daughter Bailey was enjoyable and I liked that she had different interests than we typically see kids in books have. We see quite a bit of Jake’s fellow firefighters as the unit is very close-knit and there were a few scenes when they were on the job which was neat to read. Erin’s family pops up quite often as do her two best friends from high school. I struggled with Erin’s family a bit as I found them overbearing, but I understand they were written to be that way.

Burning Up ended up being a lot of fun to read and I can’t wait for the next book in the series to release. I highly recommend this book to fans of firefighter romances or to anyone looking for a fun, sexy romance.

Well, I haven’t laughed this hard in a while and all I can say is I will NEVER look at cat ears or Harry Potter the same after this story. The concept was amazing and I adored the characters. You have Erin, who is fighting tooth and nail to get back out of Portland and away from everything again. Then you have Jake, who is utter sin on a fire ladder that wants what is best for him and his daughter but cannot fight the attraction he has towards Erin. There are some amazingly hilarious moments with these two as they navigate a relationship and realizing what they both want and who they want in life. There were moments I wanted to smack Erin to open her eyes but she had to get there on her own. I love how Jake was with her. Never holding back but still cautious.
Overall, this is an epic start to a new series by Blackwood. It is passionate, funny and very witty! I could not put it down once I started. The one thing you will also enjoy is the side characters. Between Erin’s siblings and Jake’s coworkers you will laugh a lot. Then you have Erin’s mom. She is in a class allllll on her own! I highly recommend this story as it is scorching hot!

On the surface, the plot to Burning UP seems a little contrived, however the quality of the writing and story is evident immediately. Jake is instantly able to love. He's not perfect but he is doing his best as a single dad. Erin is awkwardly trying to navigate her way through having to move back home for the summer and will be moving as soon as she finds a new teaching job in the new school year. Jake isn't looking for anything but definitely not looking for something temporary when he has his daughter to consider. The development of the characters through the story drew me in and I couldn't put the book down until the end. I recommend this to anyone who loves a great romance where you are rooting for both characters throughout.

Everything about this felt average to me. I couldn't really connect with the characters, especially Erin. I never really understood why she ran from her family. Her reasoning seemed lame. Her mother wasn't that overbearing, her siblings were ok and there was no great trauma. And Jake, dude, you're both adults now. Both able to make decisions about you're own relationships. I don't think at that point a brother has much say. especially since you're not a "player".

I reviewed this title for RT Book Reviews May issue you can see my review there in their digital May issue

This was the first in a new firefighters series by the author. I love firefighters, and I love the author, so I was sold. But, the heroine wasn't my favorite, and I had a hard time connecting with her. The hero also came across so wishy-washy sometimes that I struggled with him as well. 3.5 Stars.

Erin Jenkins is a middle school science teacher, without a classroom. Budget cuts have cut her job, and she's searching for a new one in San Francisco, where she has been living. She's back in Portland for an extended period, for the first time in 10 years. She ran from there at 18 to attend Stanford, and to get away from her nosy, but well meaning, loving family. Her mom had surgery, and needs help, along with needing assistance at the family business, a food truck with their secret recipe homemade peanut butter as the star ingredient. Her younger sister has dropped out of college, and can't decide what she wants to do, and is living at home. Her older brother, Reese, is a firefighter, and still lives in town as well. She is feeling at loose ends, and is trying not to feel resentful about being home again, staying in her mother's house. She's constantly looking for new job postings and is applying and interviewing. She is determined to end up back in California, and put Oregon in her rear view mirror once again.

Jake Bennett is a firefighter, and he is Reese's best friend since childhood. They all grew up together, but Jake and Reese were 4 years older than Erin, so they never really had much interaction once high school hit for the boys. He's also a single dad to a 12-year-old daughter, and he's adjusting to her constantly changing attitudes, hormones, and temper. He needs a date for his sister's wedding, and when he runs into Erin in the local bakery, he decides she'd be the perfect one. But he doesn't expect all these feelings to come at him out of nowhere. What was supposed to be a perfectly easy, stress-free wedding date is turning into more than he bargained for.

Jake and Erin's chemistry was electric, and I enjoyed watching them try to fight it, each for their own reasons. Jake doesn't want to break the bro code he has always had with Reese. Erin doesn't want to get involved, knowing she plans to leave town when summer is over. They both don't want to hurt Jake's daughter either, as he's crossed that bridge before and swore to himself to never let her get hurt that way again. They both give in of course, but incrementally, and Jake came off as quite wishy-washy, and a bit of a jerk for leaving Erin hanging without explanation more than once. Meanwhile, Erin wanted to leave Portland with a single-minded determination that bordered on annoying. It's like she wouldn't even consider the idea that she could be happy there, and she fought hard against anything that might keep her there, which bothered me quite a bit. Her relationship with her mom and sister seemed to suffer as a result as well.

I liked both characters, and I liked them as a couple, but they just kept fighting it so hard, and I didn't like that. Also, some of their decisions truly drove me batty. I really felt like Erin needed to do a bit more groveling than she did, though I love Jake's heart for not making her do it. I also really enjoyed Reese's response to the situation. He was very adult about the whole thing, and how he handled the conversation, both with Erin, and with Jake, made me like him a lot. I'm really looking forward to his story, which I'm sure will be coming later in this series.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, but I didn't love it. I did like the side characters of Erin's friends, and her siblings, and I'm hoping we'll be seeing more of them in future stories, which I would still very much like to read.

I liked this solid romance about two people who are not sure if the timing is right for them to give into their feelings for each. When you are dealing with a single dad and a woman ready to leave town as soon as she is able, those sort of reservations make a lot of sense.
The story was a little predictable but this is the kind of story where I consider that a good thing. I would turn to this book more for a comfort read. Blackwood does include a lot of humor in her writing which I love and it helps keep things interesting. Honestly one the main things that I did love abut this book was the fact that almost all of the secondary characters were pretty miserable. Erin's family would make me want to leave the state as well. I might go even have to move across country to put more distance between us.

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

Finally , I have been looking for a new romance series with firefighters. I just found it in Blackwood's flirting with fire series. Erin is home for the summer to help take care of her mom, but has every intention of going back to California once she gets a teaching job. But things change when she runs into her high school crush who just happens to be one of her brothers friends and a firefighter.
This had everything I like in a romance. Great characters . Great romance, Family drama. The one thing I will say is that I would have liked to see more scenes in the firehouse or them on calls. But other than that this book was awesome and I will definitely read more by this author.

3.5 stars.
A very sexy and fun book with a hero who, besides being a handsome firefighter, is a great dad (he painted his daughter’s nails when she was a younger and played princess party). The way the bad boy turned into a protective father and a fine man is great to read and was my favorite dimension in this story.
There’s a great and fun initial scene involving bagels and stunned Jake realizing his best friend’s little sister is now a gorgeous woman - I loved it!
How they both begin not wanting attachment, fight and resist the attraction and fall for each other is what the author unravels in a story that also features a beautiful town, full of character, Portland.

good humor but kind of a one note storyline. wishy washy people who don't know what they really want, which is reality. Erin and Jake are both in a stalemate in life just going through the motions afraid to take risks and put themselves out there. the only thing they can agree on is they like each other. outside of that they want two different things which made them feel whiny.

This book was really really. Great it was a good read an d holds your attention I would recommend trying it and the author

Such a great story! It was sweet, sexy, funny and did I mention sexy? Jake was irresistible and Erin's sense of humor was awesome.

I'm ready for book 2!! I hope Reece is next...