Taming Fire is a great addition to Leora Gozales Brave the Heat series and brings together the imposing and domineering Nix, and a the very independent, Louise.

With responsibilities up to the wazoo, the last thing Lou needs in her life is a man who thinks a woman requires his care and protection. Lou has been doing it on her own and quite often pretty tough, all her life, so where does Nix get off ordering her on a date? Nix has been described as a caveman Viking on more than one occasion. He’s big, buff and drop dead gorgeous, but he likes things done his way, and isn’t afraid to let his overbearing side loose. But Lou may be the one woman who can make him realise that sometimes it’s OK to let the reins go and have someone else take care of you.

I thoroughly enjoyed the development of Nix and Lou’s relationship, the easy flow of the storyline and the absolute madness of Lou’s family too. Unfortunately, many of us know what it’s like to be related to people who constantly take you for granted, and Lou’s family are some of the worst. I also loved the growth in Nix’s character and his lesson in vulnerability.

I can’t wait for more of this series and gladly recommend it as a quick and satisfying read.

Great hot read between firefighter Nix and yoga instructor Lou. Louise has a lot of family drama in her life and that is how she meets hot firefighter Nix. Nix can't keep Lou out of his head but the second time when he sees her the bossiness of his character is the cause that she turns him down. Fate intertwine her fingers again and when they meet next time sparks fly and they start a relationship. Nix characters almost ruin everything that they build together. Great read with a lot of family drama, hot bedroom sceanes and two stubborn persons who get in the end their HEA.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgelly

The theme in this story is unlike any other I’ve read before. We meet Louise, who is taking care of her nephew temporarily until her brother gets his act together. And in the middle of this, she meets Nix, a local firefighter, who is immediately drawn to her. Nix becomes a part of her life, even with all the ups and downs. They click together on many levels it and through the course of this book, she learns to stand up for herself.
Some of the other characters reactions seemed a little too far fetched and therefore didn’t get fully drawn into the drama of it all.
Received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Loved this story! It was funny, romantic, and heartwarming. I recommend it if you want a good book.

This one was surprisingly good, Lou was funny and realistic. Favorite part was her chicken rage I couldn't stop laughing.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance read

The way Louise (Lou) and Nix meet in this story is beyond cute, and really sets up their personalities. We get to see Nix’s playful yet protective nature and Lou’s play by the rules with sass and spunk nature. So much fun.

I really, truly, deeply want to meet Lou’s family and give them a piece of my mind. Honestly, how Lou is such a wonderful person when her family is so oblivious to the fact that they are a bunch of greedy, lazy, self-absorbed, clueless people is beyond me. Lou has quite the backbone with people who aren’t family, probably from being taken advantage of by her family so much, so it was good to see her use that backbone with her mom and sister later in the story.

Such amazing chemistry between Nix and Lou. Not only their initial attraction and sexual chemistry. They seemed to be in synch in so many other facets of their lives. I adore the way Nix learned to take care of Louise while also letting her be a strong and independent woman. Speaking of her being independent and having a backbone, I absolutely love the grit Lou showed when the conflict between her and Nix presented itself. She may have been misreading some things, but she wasn’t going to be a doormat and I appreciated her strength of conviction.

There are some loose ends in this story, but it’s not a cliffhanger. Just a facet of the story that can continue to weave throughout the series since this is, after all, a series about firefighters. I enjoyed getting to see the progression of the other relationships that have already been told in this series and appreciated that Lou was added to the tight friendship between Winter and Jazz seamlessly.

One of the things I really respect about this author is the growth. I haven’t read her other series, but in this series I’ve seen her tighten up and hone her craft and I appreciate the work she’s putting into her stories and writing.

3.75⭐ Taming Fire was a sexy and at times fun story. That had family drama and two really likable real characters in Nix and Lou. And the to and fro between the pair definitely kept things interesting and I enjoyed the story itself. Which is why I'll certainly be looking out for more from this series and group of characters in the future.

Rating 4.5/5

Whoo! You definitely need to tame the fire in this one especially with a hunky firefighter as your male lead! Just like a flame, the romance here ignited quickly and soon become an inferno. It was non-stop lust and passion and just what you need for a *quickie* LOL!

I've received a ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but it sure wasn't this. It was filled with funny, sweet and smexy moments between Louise and Nix. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the series and how well written it was. It's a must read!

I absolutely fell in love with this book! From the first chapter it is completely relatable and something that fits into every girls secret nightmare. A handsome firefighter breaking into your inner sanctuary and seeing you covered in a spilled drink that looks like your bleeding and in danger, a young child confused and sad and an unnatural ability to be embarrassed about it all.

I highly recommend this book! I fell in love with Nix and Louise and I really encourage you to dive in.

I received a copy of this e-book via Bet Galley and am voluntarily leaving an honest opinion of this story.

Louise "Lou" is a Yoga instructor who has recently had her 4 year old nephew Junior come to stay with her due to his dad going to an alcohol rehab for treatment. As the oldest child in her family, they have always deferred to her for any family issues, including her parents. As a matter of fact, they really do abuse her and no one is ever makes a commitment to help her. There is always an excuse.


Phoenix "Nix" is a fireman and a definite alpha male. He has a need to control because of something that happened in the past. He love his job and his "Brothers" in the fire department.
The ladies love him of course but he has no interest besides the occasional "pole bunny".

Lou is in her back yard, by the fire pit with a glass of wine, trying to wind down at the end of the day when the fence comes crashing down and firemen rushing through. It seems Lou's nephew thought there was a fire...LOL.

This is Nix and Lou's first meeting, what a beginning! The beginning of passion and headbutting...

Will they ever become a couple?

I absolutely loved this story! I was hooked from the first page and wanted to see these two together. Their story is super steamy and has a great cast of characters.

I really liked that Louise is a "typical" woman. As a yoga instructor she isn't stick thin, she actually has some "curves". She definitely has a lot of sass, as much as Nix has arrogance These two will never become bored with one another.

Bringing this all together is the sense of humor the author has, as she gives her characters. There were many LOL moments along with the steam and heartache.

I would love to read more about these firefighters and also Lou's brother who is dealing with the alcohol issues.

Taming fire was a fun read. I loved Louise’s I don’t give a shit attitude. Her character was fully developed, with a great sense of humor. I enjoyed the pacing of the relationship between Nix the fireman and Louise. Nothing was rushed and there were plenty of interesting supporting characters. The sex scenes between Nix and Louise were what I would call hot, but not X-rated. Overall this was a well written contemporary romance. And if you enjoy series, this is clearly going to have more books coming the author included an excerpt of a forthcoming title at the end. I had never read anything by this author but would recommend her to anyone who enjoys a fun romance.

***Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the ARC in exchange for an honest review***

This was hot, funny and sexy book!! Nix a Alpha male fireman and Louise a yoga instructor had an intense chemistry that was obvious from their first meeting. The story was steamy, fast, fun & sweet!!!

Taming Heat was a quick and punchy read. While enjoying a nice glass of wine next to her fire pit, Louise (or Lou or Aunty Loulou) is interrupted by the fire brigade as they kick down her fence. It is here that Phoenix (or 'Nix') meets Lou. The story follows the pair as they hit it off, get turned down, and then fall in love.

Taming Heat is a romance that not only takes us on a journey as Lou and Nix fall in love but takes us along for the ride as they each grow as people. Throughout the course of the book Lou begins to stand up for herself and Nix begins to realise some tough truths about his previous lifestyle.

I'm going to be honest, at the beginning of the book I really did not care for Nix. Just as Lou takes issue with being told she is going to dinner with him (see the above reference to being turned down), I too took issue with his controlling nature. No pulling punches - Nix came off as an arsehole.

However, he does redeem himself very quickly. Nix won me over with his honesty - he is honest about his feelings for Lou and he is honest about his past 'relationships.' I can get behind a male lead who is willing to confront past behaviour and undergo a little personal growth.

Taming Fire had an excellent pace, some excellent spicy scenes, and I really came to enjoy the characters. While the book isn't a stand alone, I found it quite easy to pick it and read it by itself.

I would really recommend Taming Fire for someone who was looking for a quick, spicy, and entertaining read! The fact that it features a smoking firefighter and a curvaceous female lead, doesn't hurt either.

Please note: I received a copy of Taming Fire from NetGalley.

3 1/2 stars out of 5



Taming Fire has it moments where readers will find they enjoy the story and it has great potential but than fails to delivery many times. The story goes from meeting to him moving and living the Happily Ever After in such a short spanned of pages that the story felt rushed when it could have been so much more.

Louise Pine is such a push over with very little backbone that it hard to root for her. Phoenix “Nix” Jones wants what his friends have but instead of taking the time to get to know her he just tells here everything he wants. Yes she does the whole "You didn't ask you just told me." But it just lack any type of humor I think the author was going for.

The story felt rushed with very little thought other than write a story and get it out there.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Leora Gonzales Taming Fire


The Story has potential but doesn't delivery on what could have been a great romance.

This was the second book in this series however I started with this one, at the time I did not know that it was second book in the series but as I was reading I figured it out and no you do not have to start with the first book I am however going to go back and read it just so that I can appreciate it more. This is Louise and Nix's book. Louise is a very nice person who unfortunately gets taken advantage of by her horrid family. At the time that she meet Nix she is taking care of her 4 year old nephew Junior, who calls the fire department when she is in her yard relaxing with a glass of wine and bonfire, he thinks they are burning. The fire department who is lead by Nix destroys her fence and Nix is captivated by Louise even though she is not the type of woman that he tends to go for, 1 she is nice, 2 she is thicker and many other traits. What kind of bugged me was how this love affair or their relationship happened, they went out on one date and he practically moved in. But all in all it was an entertaining read and I will pick up the next one, and we hopefully never hear about her horrible family again. Enjoy!

This is a fun, hot read and for the most part, I enjoyed it. Louise (which apparently in the US is an old person's name, which amused me, seeing as there's a huge amount of Louises around my age in the UK) is her families dogs body. She runs around after them getting very little in return. Nix, a local firefighter comes around to her house after her nephew called the fire brigade thinking that the firepit at the back of the house was a house fire. Things soon get pretty hot between them.
I liked the characters in the book. I liked the more relaxed attitude to alcohol, no clutching of pearls because she was drinking while looking after her four-year-old nephew. We all know most four-year-olds lead to the odd bottle of wine after all. I also liked the way that she didn't completely bow down to Nix, who, to be honest, could be a bit of an arse.
What I wasn't so keen on, was the dismissive way he spoke about women who had been his conquests in the past. 'Pole bunnies' who were only after a good time. They were continually talked about as though they were nothing and that they didn't have any feelings. Fine, if they're all on board for just a good time, but throw away comments by the likes of her sister Maggie/Rose that she thought she might have been in the right place and the right time for more commitment combined with how jealous these women seemed to be, would suggest that they didn't just see it as fun and games. It's a minor point in what was otherwise an enjoyable story, but I don't like it when male characters are so disparaging of female characters who are just like they were until recently.
Overall, this was a good read. I hadn't read the previous books and while these characters were mentioned, it didn't detract from the book to have not read the rest of the series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A captivating read from beginning to end! An exciting storyline that leaves you breathless wanting more! Sexy steam filled chemistry! Emotionally heartfelt, enjoyable and fun! One heck of a twisted, intense rollercoaster ride! An amazing must read!

"I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book."

This book is the first one I have read in the series and a new author for me. Color me impressed. It reminded me of Aurora Rose's Until series where essentially it is insta-love/lust. It stars Nox, a dom type of guy and firefighter and Louisa who is taking care of her nephew and is also on the curvy side.

Nox meets her when a fire is reported at her house by her 4 year old nephew. He asks her out and she refuses and so he ends up on a date with her sister. From there everything picks up. Nox wants her and he makes it happen and I love the take charge but loving guy.

Both Nox and Louisa are wonderful characters and I really enjoyed the authors reading style.

Cute story, I found the characters a little bit one dimensional at the beginning of the story but as the story progressed they developed too.