Before I start this review I would like t mention that there are 3 prequels you can read free from Amazon The Wedding From Hell Part 1, The Reception, Part 2, The Rehearsal Dinner, and Part 3 The Wedding from Hell! All 3 of these prequels are not too long but great excerpts that explain about the Fire House Family, and how they relate to each other. This will bring you up to speed to read about Annie and Danny, and what their relationship is to each other.

In Consumed we see that something bad happens to Annie, and she almost dies, as does Danny. Annie is in the hospital for a long time, but then she gets out. She can no longer be a firefighter, which breaks her heart so she gets a job as a crime scene investigator for the city. Danny after he get out goes back to firefighting.

During her investigations, Annie finds a few things that have not been brought to light and she find out someone is starting these fires, and after she follows the lead she realizes the culprit must be someone the fire community knows! Read on and find out what happens, and read this awesome new series by JR Ward, that I know that everyone will love!

This book has a lot going on between the characters, family and love. Great plot and great story as we have all come to rely on rom JR Ward. I gave this book 5 smoking hot stars!

SO i love J.R Ward already, just when i think her books cant possibly get any better, she delivers this one.. My very soul was pulled into the lives of these characters. This book had me crying my heart out on each page. You really get to see the other side of things of people who go out to protect us each day... im a mess from this book....I cant come back from this... book hangover here i come

Wow! This story grabbed me at the first and hung on all the way through. It has love, friendship, betrayal and I hope that I could be as brave as Anne. Anne thought her father was the bravest and best man ever, until his death and she found out a few things about him that knocked him off of his pedestal, along with her mother. She carried a lot of anger around with her. Danny has lost his twin brother and has been having a difficult time coping with his death. Then one night at a fire, everything is brought to a new level of hell. Danny loved Anne, but hasn't let her know and then one night at a fire, he is forced to do something that changes his life and Anne's. They are both changed in so many ways and it is a fight to come back. Will they fight together?

4 Stars!
Anne Ashburn grew up in a family of firemen, and it was only natural she'd want to follow in their footsteps. She's strong, independent, and fearless. She's worked hard in a male-dominated profession to be taken seriously. She's an adrenaline junkie whose luck runs out when a warehouse fire forever changes her life. Her career goes up in flames, and she's then forced to reinvent herself. She doesn't know what her purpose is anymore until she takes a new job for the city as an arson investigator. She's still consumed with her past, and her complicated family, but is trying to move forward. Soon she's handed a case and she begins working to find the cause of suspicious fires in town. This puts her on the path to chasing down a deadly killer as well as putting her life in danger.

Danny McGuire is a firefighter at the 499 firehouse in New Brunswick where he's known as a rule breaker, but also one of the best. He's felt lost since a fire altered his life. He's been on a path of self destruction, and is hurting. He feels like he's damaged and living in a constant state of darkness. He doesn't really care about anything anymore except the one woman he can't have, Anne. He misses working together, and seeing her, so when they team up together over her current case he's thrilled to be close to her again. The connection and chemistry between them is still just as strong, and they can't fight their attraction as passion once again ignites.

Consumed is the first book in J.R. Ward's amazing new series about firefighters. It's sexy, exciting, and full of mystery, intrigue and suspense. I really hope we get a book for Tom & Catherine next. I recommend reading the free prequel novellas prior to Consumed to see how the story begins. They introduce you to the characters, and really set the scene.

Review: This is the first book in the new "Firefighters" series by J.R. Ward. It focuses on a group of firefighters (of course) and an arson investigator, and unlike the Black Dagger Brotherhood, has no supernatural elements. I thought it was an exciting read - it starts off with a lot of action, which pretty much continues throughout. The main character Anne is great - she is strong in mind and body, although she still has her insecurities. Although there is plenty of romance, there is also an interesting mystery, as Anne investigates a series of suspicious fires. I really enjoyed it, and I'm sure I'll continue with the series, once she writes some more :)

Holy crap. This book was NOT for me. From the beginning to the end, it was just not. I loved The Bourbon Kings series. It was far outside the purview of the BDB. I thought that this new series would be much of the same. Especially after I skimmed (I don’t like spoilers) some of the reviews on GoodReads. I was hopeful. Too hopeful. Bad on me.

I didn’t like Anne Ashburn from the beginning. Not from page one. You could tell she was the type of person that didn’t like following rules, orders, or anything in between. Which usually wouldn’t be a problem one way or the other. The problem in this book is that she’s a firefighter. A firefighter for the love of…ugh. Firefighters have to follow orders or they get dead. If they don’t get themselves dead, they’ll get someone else dead. It’s blatantly obvious that Anne goes against authority when she tells her partner they need to separate during a warehouse fire. After being explicitly told not to split up.

That decision ends up costing her. Big time. It almost costs her her own life and the life of the man she loves. Who rushes into save her after being ordered not to go in after her. Yep, folks. There’s two of them. And they’ve found each other.

Danny McGuire loves Anne and he won’t leave her in the warehouse to burn. What happens between the time he goes in after her and the time he brings her out is something that is seared into his brain. Ten months later he can barely look at himself in the mirror. He takes up drinking, smoking, and sleeping with any woman that will have him. Then one night he gets in a fight at a local bar and his best friend calls in the big guns. Anne.

Anne thought she was done with Danny. Except she’s never done with Danny. The two are literally made for each other. You couldn’t find two more damaged people than the two of them. I understood Danny’s demons. I truly did. He lost his twin brother in a fire, he lost a good friend in a fire, he lost his parents. He has a lot of loss in his life. Anne? I seriously don’t know what her issue was. She had serious hangups from her childhood and she hated her mother, but she let that affect every aspect of her life. It was ludicrous.

A couple of the interesting parts should be mentioned. The mystery was fairly mysterious. So was Anne’s brother Tom. Talk about siblings. They both rather redeemed themselves in the end (when it came to each other and their mother), so that was all right. It was Danny that changed by leaps and bounds though. It was quite the thing to read.

One thing I could not get over, hence my low grade, is that Anne wasn’t just stupid, she was TSTL. Yup. Too Stupid To Live. While investigating the warehouse fires, she figures out who did it. Instead of calling her SWAT friend or her brother or even Danny, what does she do? You guessed it…she goes after the guy herself. Why? Because she’s no mere woman. She doesn’t need a stinking man. Then, she’s so sure she’s right that she decides that she’s going to compromise evidence because she has to prove something to herself. That’s what ultimately threw me over the edge. I can deal with many things. TSTL heroines are not one of them.

I do hate to admit that I might read Tom’s book. I think I hate myself for that.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Firefighter’s stories are rare for me but Consumed hooked me. I loved Danny and Anne, I love how JR Ward brings these characters to life. The romance is there but love the mystery and twists it has. The multiple POV was very well written. I was able to keep up with the timeline and the plot is just great. Can’t wait to read more stories from the crew.

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I was a little skeptical when I seen that JR Ward was starting a contemporary series she is known for her amazing paranormal series. I was glad I was wrong. This book packed emotion, fun loving characters that was easy to relate too and a great story line. I can not wait till the next one.

This story kept me engrossed from the first word.
I really enjoyed the build up and in depth story.
Everything JR Ward writes seems to be gold.
The prequal stories are on Amazon and I highly recommend reading them first.
Can't wait for more from this world.

What an intense read! Wow! Ms. Ward knows how to pull you into a story and showcase all the characters in this book and she will have you invested until the very end.

Anne Ashburn is a female firefighter. She works in a world where it's usually dominated by men, but that doesn't stop her. She's also has a crush on her one-time hook and fellow firefighter, Danny McGuire. Danny is known as the rule breaker when it comes to his job. He is willing to risk everything when it comes to saving lives and also saving Anne. But on one fiery night on the job, it changed both of their lives forever!

Anne is recovering from an accident and starting a new life and new career as an arson investigator. And Danny is recovering from his injury and guilt. But they both come together and figure out who is behind the trouble in their city. And it's not easy when these two comfort their feelings for each other.

Consumed is an thrilling story about the men and women who are courageous enough to fight the fire and save lives. The mystery and twists of this story had me on the edge. A fantastic read and looking forward to more.

I was absolutely hooked! From the very beginning this book Consumed me to the point that I did not want to put this book down. I dreamed of this book when I finally went to bed, it came alive to me.
Danny and Anne together in a dramatic way from the very beginning. Prior to the start of the book there was one night between them, with Danny wanting more. However there was an accident at a fire involving both of them. A tragedy that leaves them both seeing life in a different way, One takes life by the horns, one drowns in alcohol. Can they both overcome all of the mess that has happened and continues to happen and be together? Ann changes jobs, arson investigator. Less dangerous maybe? NOT!
There are twist and events that left me speechless. I did not see that coming! A jaw dropping moment. No spoilers.....

J. R. Ward is an automatic buy for me, and she has hit it out of the park again with Consumed, Book 1 of the new Firefighters series.  The 3 part prequel novellas (free) help to set the background for the characters and give us a look at the relationship of the two main characters but are not necessary to follow the book.  I do highly recommend reading them first because I did find myself wondering a few times about situations that seemed to have some history I was unaware of.  As usual the plot is tightly woven and flows well with her spectacular writing style. The characters are well developed and relatable.  The technical aspects of being a firefighter and EMT were spot on. Looking forward to the next book in this series.

Ok, I have always been hooked on J.R Ward's writing and this just continues that! Danny and Anne go through something major together in the very beginning, NOTHING to do with sex, that really shakes up everything. Their jobs are so important and so dangerous that anything can happen and it almost rips them apart before they even get to really be together. Danny and Anne had some history ahead of time, and he was the only one who didn't see her as some kind of "sister" but you cant help but root for them to make it through everything. I got a smirk out of how stubborn Anne is, she doesnt let anyone else direct her, much less her Fire Chief brother, or anyone else for that matter. She is driven by wanting to be like her father was, an amazing Fireman, but she is really so much more than that. And you'll really see what makes her so strong and amazing! She is anything but a damsel in distress.

JR Ward introduced me to the Black Dagger Brotherhood, and till now I still re read the earlier ones periodically. They are that superb. This is like a complete departure from vampires etc, it is no less captivating.

The story started with a bang. The first pages had me clutching my chest. I was scared. Then after the dusts settled, and Anne, is now a desk jockey, you’ll think the danger is over, but nope, that will be too tame for our girl. Then Danny boy was looking on and trying to stay away from Anne, and stay sane. Well, we see how well that worked for him. I guess, we never thought of the danger firemen face every day? This is an eye opener.

We also have Tom, Anne’s brother POV. I guess we will hear his story soon.
In summary, this book, like its title, consumed and commanded my attention and emotions like never before. I was totally engrossed in it. Then I met Soot, and my heart ached for him, and then I was elated when Anne adopted him. Annnnd you won’t believe who the bad guy accomplice was. Telling you. Freaking scary and awesome at the same time.. I know am not making sense now, wait till you read this book.

An entertaining, suspenseful look into the world of firefighters and arson investigators. The romance seemed a little too good to be true. The author also glossed over a major trauma that never really seemed to impact the main character, also a little too good to be true. Overall, an entertaining read.

To be honest, I am a bit bummed.

Okay...more than a bit.

It wasn't that I didn't like this...And this is by far one of the more difficult reviews I have ever written.

I mean, I LOVED Ms Ward's Bourbon Kings series (yeah, I know I'm in the minority with that) so I was expecting this contemporary novel to be a bit similar in flavor/tone.

Maybe it was me...but it wasn't.

Don't get me wrong. There are some HUGE pluses to this book. There are places where the novel shines with the humor and character interactions...yet there are places where it(meaning EVERYTHING) is lacking .

You both get and know the idea going in that this is a series, but I wished for some better set up at the end rather than the lack of being cut off- more like a dropped the ball/forgot about it type of way.

In fact this novel was more like a watered down version of Ms Ward and in places felt like two different people wrote it.

There are some way over the top moments and not in a good way. Also, towards the end the way Anne treats Danny is inexcusable and deplorable and the resolution of this frankly, sucked.

Overall Consumes was just okay.

Am I a sucker(still) for Ms Ward's books? YUP

Will I read the next one in this series? YUP (well, probably...lol)

Ward certainly can get the reader's adrenaline pumping from page one and keep it going for the rest of the book. I could not put this book down. There is plenty of action, plenty of romantic angst and bad guys, but who is the arsonist? Although we know that Anne is a strong capable woman we readers worry that those against her will prevail. I can highly recommend this book for a truly enjoyable read.

As a fan of J.R. Ward's BDB paranormal/fantasy series, I was excited to see something new in the works by her. It's been a long time since I read one of her books, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to get hooked again. I wanted to love this one so much, but I'm sad to say that this read was (mostly) a miss for me. At some points, I was tempted to just stop reading altogether because I felt a complete lack of connection to the characters and the storyline.

I downloaded the two prequels and had them on my kindle, but my impression was that these were just bonus content, and not necessary to fully enjoy the full length, Consumed. Honestly, I didn't care about seeing the characters attend a wedding from Hell where they have a one-night stand. I just wanted to get to the main event. I figured that all of the important character development and history would be included in this one, and with the other two being 48 pages and 39 pages respectively, I didn't anticipate that I was missing much. Then I started reading. I got to 40% and I felt absolutely no emotion for these characters. They were coming off the pages so flat, I began to have second thoughts about not reading the prequels. I figured I must be missing some important development there, so I dutifully went back and read them. Still nothing.

After reading all three parts, I'm at a loss as to why the story was divided like this. It was a confusing way to cut the plot up, causing the flow to be ill-fitting and choppy. In addition, there was no benefit of drawing me in or making me feel any excitement for them together. One minute they were staring lustfully at each other and ignoring their feelings, the next he was very abruptly coming to the conclusion that he loved her.

I didn't witness any foundation at all for him to feel that way. Timing does matter to me, I want to see that connection build, strengthen, and lock together. Not just be told that it happens. Yes, they had similar personalities, and were a great team at work. Outside of that, she showed him no encouragement to have a personal relationship. Her two main emotions were angry and cold, and I didn't even have a solid reason as to why until much too far in. Even the traumatic accident she went through which resulted in her being disabled didn't elicit much of a reaction from her.

Realistically, anyone would have a huge adjustment emotionally and physically, but any process she went through was briefly told to us rather than experienced. She ignores uncomfortable feelings whenever possible by pretending they're not there. Then it's hammered home how tough she is, and how she doesn't need to lean on anyone, let alone be vulnerable. Not only did her family life condition her to be that way, but it's the way firefighters cope with the trauma they regularly experience.

There was a lack of consistency with their hook up that I didn't care for. One minute they were dancing together, and she was continuing to chant the mantra in her head to ignore their sexual attraction because it was a very bad idea. A one-night stand was unappealing with this man who plays the field, plus it was against policy for them to date. Five pages later she was offering him a quick lay, then getting up and leaving him in the bed the instant they got off, while he looks at her like a kicked puppy dog. (She did this a second time later which really frustrated me.) He gobbled up the scraps she bestowed on him while internally calling her his "beloved" Anne. Why was she his beloved? I didn't get it! You know the plot is problematic when it feels like more time is spent on Moose and Deandra (the bride and groom from hell) than Danny and Anne.

I gave this two stars because the book was just okay for me overall. One thing I will say is that the firefighting scenes were obviously well researched, and perfectly brought me right inside the action. I have zero complaints on that score. The arson story arc was actually going pretty well, and there were times where I started to warm up to Anne as she faced off with the suspect. When she came out on top in their skirmishes, I was mentally giving her a high five. Her determination and courage were admirable as she struggled to find fulfillment in her new career. Finally, I was seeing some dimension to her character. It was refreshing to see her examine her insecurities over her body image, and reveal the reasoning behind her anger and disgust towards her parents. I thawed a little more as she let down her walls. Then Deandra goes off the deep end, causing a chain reaction of copious amounts of drama, and it lost me.

Consumed failed to hit the mark in many ways, but there was enough interest for the rest of the characters introduced that I can't dismiss the series altogether. When Anne's brother Tom's book comes out, I may give it one more shot.

Consumed (Firefighters, #1) by J.R. Ward Let me start by saying I give this 3 1/2 stars... thanks to the publishers and #NetGalley for allowing me to preview this book. I am a great fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood and was looking forward to this contemporary romantic suspense ...I read to escape from all the everyday news a conflicts... when the author brings some one sided political hits into the story I almost stopped reading it. Anne and Danny both have a lot of hangups... and care for each other but can't seem to get together. They is a lot of suspense, violence, some laughs, tears, danger, and violence that did keep me reading late into the night. Anne(sister) and Danny(Dannyboy) get to their HEA ...but I didn't feel as happy as I felt I should when I finished this book.

This is the first in a new contemporary romantic suspense series for this author, and I was so looking forward to the story. It went a little differently than I expected, but I really enjoyed it.

Anne Ashburn was an amazing firefighter, though she often took inadvisable risks. Her older brother, Tom, the Chief of her department, was constantly waiting for the call that something had happened to her, and one day, it came. She lived, but she can no longer do the job she loves, so she has to reinvent herself. (I absolutely recommend reading the FREE 2-part prequel novella, which shows a little more background about her love of her job, and her attraction to Danny, and their one night together.) She becomes an arson investigator, and tries to move on with her life. She feels she can't really hang out with all her old friends anymore, since she's no longer a part of their work inner circle. Not even Danny, who she misses so much, it hurts.

Danny McGuire is struggling hardcore. He is struggling with guilt, PTSD, and grief like whoa. He's back to work at the fire station, but nothing is the same without Anne. He hasn't seen her in months, and it's making him a little crazy. Danny and Anne always did their job the same way, full on, without proper risk assessment, and no regrets. He's still doing that, but now, it almost seems like a death wish. As they start to find their way back into each other's lives, and he starts to help Anne with the arson case she's investigating, he wonders how in the world he'll keep her safe this time.

Danny and Anne's chemistry was through the roof hot, from the first, and I loved their initial banter and obvious camaraderie. After the incident, and their separation, they didn't seem to know how to communicate anymore, and it was sad watching them struggle. I hurt for them and all they'd been through, both before the fire, and after, and I wanted them to get it together so badly, so I was fully invested. But, they both did things that thoroughly annoyed me along the way, and I struggled with that, personally, while reading. Anne just kept hurting him, and herself, and it was hurting me to watch it. Danny wasn't taking care of himself, and that hurt to watch too.

I enjoyed getting to know the many side characters here, both at the firehouses, and at Anne's new office. Soot was adorable, and I loved him to pieces too. We are clearly being set up for future stories in the series, with the many POVs and angles of storytelling, and I'm excited to find out who will be next, though I do have an educated guess! There are many characters whose storylines I'd love to know more about.

The suspense plot with the arsonist was quite exciting, and it kept me guessing until the end. It was multi-layered, and kept surprising me with each twist and turn. Though that plot was partially wrapped up, it will clearly still be ongoing throughout the series, and I'm eager to see how it all shakes out. Though there were several villains of the story, in my opinion, one was completely vile, and I can't wait to see them get what's coming to them.

I love this author's writing style in her paranormal series, and in her old school original contemporaries, so I knew I would like this story. To be honest, it was a little different than I thought it would be, though I'm not sure precisely what I was expecting exactly. Anne was very hard to get to know and had walls, on top of walls, on top of walls, which were exhausting to scale, even for the reader. I can't imagine how Danny must have felt! Danny's behavior was infuriating sometimes, and I wanted to strangle him more than I typically like in my heroes. There was plenty of angst, and though their circumstances made it totally understandable, I sometimes felt like telling them both to just get over it already. As much as I liked watching them finally come back together, the timeline of it just didn't work as well for me as I wanted it to. That fact, and my personality clashes with the characters, are what kept this from being 5 stars for me.

This was an intriguing romantic suspense, and I definitely recommend it. I'm sure plenty of readers won't have the same issues with some things as I did. Also, the issues I had still didn't keep me from enjoying the overall book, and finding it highly entertaining, and exciting!