If you're looking for a gritty mystery with a bit of romance that'll set the stage for a prolific series, Consumed is for you.The Fire Stations in this world are teeming with hot, damaged men and women waiting to entertain you as they fall in love. But I think it's going to take more than Consumed to let this world consume me. I kept waiting to get hooked, to sink into the stage J.R. Ward was setting, but I just couldn't get there. That doesn't mean I won't try again.

I've been a long time fan of JR Ward and loved her previous series. I was excited to see she has a new story and the protagonist is a woman. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and took me on a rollercoaster with my emotions and I could not put it down. Proud, fearless, kick ass, determined are just a few descriptors for our lead and I loved the direction the story took. I would have been so easy to gloss over the issues that these characters deal with and War did not shy away from going there.

I'm eager to see whats next from this amazing and creative author.

I really enjoyed this. It had everything I've come to expect from J R Ward.--good writing, plenty of character development, oodles of details, multiple story arcs, and (of course) romance. And suspense! The opening chapter had me on the edge of my seat--god, what harrowing suspense!

It took me a while to warm up to the heroine (firefighter/investigator Anne). She's got some hangups/baggage about her father and a chip on her shoulder towards her mother that got a little annoying at times. She seemed like such a solitary person who needed no one in her life. She was lucky that the hero (Danny) seemed to find her fascinating and pursued her despite his own baggage and personal problems (PTSD). Yes, these two needed lots of therapy!

Anyway, the further the story went along the more I got to like Anne, and I was rooting for her and Danny to make it as a couple. (oh yeah--I loved her dog, Soot! He seemed to soften her hard edges.) I thought Ward left their story a little unfinished, but I'm assuming it will continue into later books.

Once again there were some story arcs besides Anne/Danny that were introduced and left unfinished: Anne's fire chief brother (Tom) and his potential relationship with the mayor Catherine) ;and one of the other firefighters (sorry I can't remember his name) with a grim diagnosis are just two that caught my eye. And typical for a first book in a series, lots and lots of characters were introduced who may (or may not) get stories of their own.

So off to a promising start for this series. I will definitely be looking forward to the next book. I'm already imagining it as a tv series, which means that it has captured my attention.

While Anne is a great independent, strong, female character, I did wish a couple of times that she would just ask for help, allow herself to need help. However, the detailed descriptions and strong emotions told through her story allowed us to see why she did not trust or wanted to ask for help – Anne grew as a person within the story. It was an enjoyable read with a great set-up to a new series.

This story starts with a wallop! Intense isn’t even a good enough word to use to describe the beginning of this book. However, after the initial punch, I felt the story was good but not great. I think there’s a lot of set up for the books to come in this series. I liked the camaraderie between the firemen and I thought Danny was a great character. I thought Ann was ok but not my favorite heroine. I did find myself hooked again in the end with a bit of a shocker that I didn’t see coming. Overall a good read and I look forward to the rest of the series.

Wow, I have to think about this.

I will say that I felt the urgency to read. The angst kept me page turning which I expected from this author. At the same time....

SPOILERS AHEAD

To explain myself, I have to tell a little.

First, after the explosive beginning and information we are told about a certain couple, I didn’t buy that neither of them wouldn’t have made contact. I don’t think Ward gave me enough to buy into that. In fact quite the opposite. Their feels suggested they would know about their respective recovery if nothing else.

Second, the cat and mouse until the bitter end while had me turning the pages left me a little frustrated. Anne was an ass. She constantly dismisses everyone from her life. It almost made Danny a pussy for chasing her. And they fact that she didn’t believe him when it mattered most... and was forgiven so easily annoyed me. I agree with others, her tough exterior was believable but it made her hard to like or respect. She treated her dog better than all the people around her.

Third, I would have liked more page time with the happy couple. That means after they got their shit together. I felt like the book’s second large purpose was to set up Tom and the mayor to be the next book instead of seeing the couple together in a HEA. But there’s Vic, Jack and the last guy at the end too. Who knows.

END SPOILERS

The point is, though I was totally entertained, I was left feeling like I was missing something which makes it hard to rate.

In the end, readers, Ward is a genius. While this wasn’t my favorite book, I adored Danny. I would have liked to know much more of his backstory. Seeing that we will move on to a new couple, I was surprised at how little we really know about him.

Would I recommend? hell yes.

Even Ward’s worst book, which this is not, is better than a whole lot of author’s best works.

Once I started reading Consumed I couldn't put it down. The story pulled me right in. Likeable characters, interesting back stories, family conflict, crime and arson. And a love story. What more do you need? Most of the issues are resolved but not all of them. I've no doubt the story lines left dangling will draw me into the next installment of this new series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It really gives you a true look at the life of a firefighter. I was happy to see at the end of the book, J.R. Ward mentions her research, observation, and help from the Louisville FD, PD, SWAT, etc.

Anne is from a family of firefighters.....her Dad, her brother....and she didn't hesitate to forge forward and become like them, even if she was a woman. Loved her!! Her strength and determination was refreshing in a job force filled with men. Anne's mom.....well, she was still hoping for a "girly girl", but Anne just didn't fit that mold.

Those first few chapters.....damn.....I was holding my breath. It was explosive.....like literally!! And shocking! And whoa......wait a minute.....did that just happen?? You have to read this one to find out exactly what happens!

We get acquainted with all of the firefighters of her department, and of course, there's that one hot Irish man, Daniel McGuire. I think I looked at him as a tortured soul.....there are lots of tortured souls in the fire department. The things they see on a daily basis cannot be easy for them. His connection with Anne was there, but they were both in total denial as to anything serious.

Great writing as usual from Ms. Ward.....great character buildup....great storyline! Looking forward to the next book in the series!

Special shout out to Soot......the dog rescued by Anne who became her protector, her friend, and her comfort.

This is the first book I’ve read by J.R. Ward. I’ve heard a lot of good things on her BDB series, so I was very excited to read something of hers. It took me a little while to get into with it being told by multiple POVs, but once I did it was very hard to put down. Definitely looking forward to the next book. Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

"Consumed" is the first book in a new series about firefighters by J.R. Ward (author of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series). The focus is on the relationship between Anne Ashburn and Daniel Maguire, teammates at Firehouse 499 in New Brunswick, MA.

I enjoyed reading this book. The characters were generally likable and the situations believable. Anne's strained relationship with her mother was especially realistic and relatable for me. The fact that the characters grow and change over the course of the novel was also really refreshing, notably, Anne's brother Tom.

A couple of things did bother me as I read. First, Ward uses a lot of slang in her books which I am used to and can generally figure out the meaning from context clues or Urban Dictionary. Here are two examples that have me stumped:

Chapter 3 - "Damnit double-clapped his happy tackle." (What in the world is "happy tackle"???)

Chapter 18 - "You know, to make sure he was yolk’er. Or more yolked. Or the yolk-iest." (I've wracked my brain but I have no idea what this means.)

Another problem I found with the story is understanding Anne's actions towards Danny. Without giving anything away, the reader is never given an explanation or motivation for Anne's feelings for Danny. I was baffled that a grown woman considered a guy to be "a one-dimensional sexual predator" because he slept around. How are the women he sleeps with victims? He's single, not cheating. It was a weird comment for her to make. More problematic, was Anne comparing Danny to her father, who cheated on her mother. There's no comparison between the two.

Overall a fun read with a larger plot to look forward to becoming clear in future books in the series.

The novel focuses on two individuals, Danny and Anne. Anne and Danny experience a life-changing event and they have to learn how to get back to each other. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have not ever read a book about firefighters but I love this author. The book had romance but it was not the overarching point of the novel which I liked. I hope there is a glossary at the beginning of the book for firefighter acronyms. I had to look up a few of the acronyms to understand the context, but this author has always been good at adding in glossaries.

"Consumed" by JR Ward grips you from the first page and doesn't let go. The characters are complex and very well drawn out. There are some gruesome scenes in the book, but it adds to the story, in that one gets to get inside the mind of firefighters and see how they react to situations that most people wouldn't ever encounter in a lifetime. Adding to the story is the family drama and "brotherhood" of the firefighters and law enforcement that makes for an excellent read.

This was a fast paced story that grabbed me from the start! The fire description really made you feel the heat. I really enjoyed the story and was surprised who the guilty person was. I really liked that Anne was able to reinvent herself

This book "consumed" my every free moment. When I wasn't reading it I was trying to find the time to get back to it. Before the first chapter was finished I was so wrapped up in it that my "I'll just read one more chapter" was blown out the door. I absolutely loved it!!

Also posted on Goodreads and LibraryThing.

When I heard JR Ward was writing a non paranormal firefighter series I was excited to hear more about even though a majority of what I read is paranormal. The one thing I can always say the Warden does a fantastic job of writing. I started the book and couldn't put it down I absolutely loved it. For those who only read paranormal but love the Wardens books I would definitely recommend checking this book out hard to go wrong with firefighters. I'm definitely ready for more of this world.

I was able to read Consumed by J.R. Ward for free from Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood book from J. R. Ward. Once I saw that this was a new series by J. R. Ward I was pleased to learn that she was writing a new series about firefighters and arson. "Consumed" is the first book, in the series.
In this series we are going to learn about Anne Ashbury, Danny McGuire and many other firefighters from firehouse #499 and 617.
Anne is from a family of firefighters, as she tries to redefine herself.
Danny McGuire, suffers from PTSD and he becomes Anne's hero when he attempts to save her life.
Anne and Danny are crazy about each other but things always get in their way.
After an accident, Anne gets a job as an arson investigator, she learns about herself and that things will never be what they seem. The story takes a turn when the arsonist is out to get Anne and Danny is afraid he will lose her forever. <no spoilers please read the first book and the series>.

I would recommend this book and this series.

My first thought was, "oh this is more like a cheesy romance book". But as I read along it got interesting pretty quickly and then even got a little scary. I would still put this in the romance category but the suspense sub category.

As this was a galley there were many wording mistakes but I expect that will be fixed in editing. Otherwise it was well written and held my attention.

The characters were well developed and some held an air of mystery that had nothing to do with main plot but added dynamic. And hello? Hot. Irish. Fireman! Need I say more!

As a final result I'll give consumed a 3 our of 5 stars.

Phenomenal title. I read in one sitting. J.R. Ward does not disappoint! It was nice to read a title without a supernatural element and Anne is a chick I'd love to have in my corner!

I went in to this book with high expectations (I mean it’s J.R. Ward), it did not disappoint! This book was a bit of a mystery/romance with a little thriller thrown in and it was fantastic. I really appreciated the look into the firefighting world if you will. There were many things regarding smoke, smell and so on that I had never realized, so that aspect was enthralling as well! I highly recommend this book! #Consumed #NetGalley

This was my first non Black Dagger Brotherhood book from J. R. Ward. I went into it with an open mind and wasn't sure what to expect. Thankfully I was not let down. The same quality that I have come to expect in her other novels was present in Consumed too.
The strong female lead is a great character. Anne (Sister) is flawed just enough to empathize with her. The men in the firehouse that she works with are also all flawed characters. They may look good in their turnouts, but each one of them has problems of their own that they are or aren't working through. And, her one true love Dannyboy has his fair share of problems. One of which is overcoming what he did to her to save her life. Can Dannyboy get over what he did to Anne so that their love can grow? Can Anne get over the ghost of her Father and her impression of her mother, so that she can stop hiding and finally let love in? Or will a firebug consume her first?