I read this book some time ago and was trying to figure out how to do this review. I did like the book I just wasn't invested because the heroine was not someone I can like much.

I fell in love with Shannon Stacey’s writing while reading her Kowalski series. She wrote characters you can relate too. This is a second chance romance and is book six in the Boston Fire series and can be read as a standalone. Though to get the people and understand the bond that these men and women have, read it in order.

Wren and Grant have a history. A history that we know nothing about because it already happened before we even get to read it. They dated for a time and became close. They loved each other. Then out of nowhere, she is gone and he is ghosted. That left Grant’s reeling as well as wanting to understand what the heck happened. Even his buddies and their significant others were baffled. They got along great. He is left wondering why. I'm wondering as well. Now, let's fast forward and there is a building fire and he rescues her. His hero complex kicks in and no matter how he truly feels. Anger being the biggest one. It is justified. Her reason was flimsy.

I loved Grant and his outlook. I will be honest and I grabbed this book because I love reading about first responders. Never knowing if they will make it home. Thought and prayers to all the families that deal with daily. I got sidetracked sorry. But it also brings me back to what I loved best about this book. It wasn't Wren she bothered me with her flimsy albeit real to her reasons. These men and women. They kept me reading this book. The men and woman from Engine 59 and Ladder 37. Their friendship, family and closeness. They are there for each other whether it is personal to them or work. When they band together that is what they do. Then that one friend thinks out of the box. He said something bigger is playing here. That it didn't make sense.

The drama, I was waiting for it to happen. It did but it wasn't huge or anything like that. I was waiting for it. The build-up to be slightly let down. I liked Grant. I also liked that Grant has his guard up to be prepared in case she bolts again. My heart broke for him while he watched his friends living and being happy.

All in all the book wasn’t bad. I was just a bit let down because I was expecting more.

There was a lot I liked about this book, though I imagine it was more satisfying for those who’d read the whole series. I’ve only read a couple of them.

A second chance at happiness. A second chance at security. A second chance at healing hurts. Flare up was so good and I once again loved being among this Boston Fire crew with Shannon Stacey writing. Grant and Wren deserved this hea and I’m so glad we got their story! Throw in so many of my favorites from past installments of the series and I was a very happy reader!

4 stars

Flare Up by Shannon Stacey is a well written, heartwarming second chance romance I really enjoyed it.

The storyline captured my interest from the start and held it until the end. I loved watching Grant and Wren reconnect, open their hearts and find their happily ever after.

I really enjoyed Flare Up and highly recommend it.

*Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the ARC*

Flare Up is a nice addition to the Boston Fire Series. It is a second chance at love sort of story, and I found it to be a touching one. I love the character of Grant Cutter, a Boston firefighter whose heart was broken when his girlfriend, Wren Everett, suddenly walked out on him.

Grant is shocked when, some months later, he goes to rescue a fire victim from a burning apartment and finds that it is Wren. Even though Grant was devastated when Wren left him, he and his friends step up and help her when she loses everything in the fire.

Watching these two heal after Wren's abandonment of Grant in the past kept me interested and wondering what would happen next. Wren's past has come back to haunt her, and she has to find the courage to trust Grant with her story.

Flare Up is part of the Boston Fire series by Shannon Stacey. While fans of the series will know more about the characters and relationships going in than new readers, I think the book stands up well on its own as well.

Nursing a broken heart while everybody around him seems to be drowning in happiness has Grant Cutter wondering whether staying with Engine 59—or even Boston Fire—is in his future. It’s tempting as hell to pack up what fits in his Jeep and hit the road. But then a 911 call brings the woman who shattered his heart back into his life, and he knows he won’t ever be able to fully leave her in his rearview mirror. For a few months, Wren Everett had thought the nightmare of her past was behind her and she might live happily ever after with Grant. Until she got the phone call letting her know the time her ex had spent in jail for assault hadn’t cooled his temper or determination that she belonged with him. Cutting ties with Grant was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do, but it was also the only way to keep him safe. Now that Grant is back, he’s not letting Wren push him away again. And even with the trust issues between them, Wren dares to hope she and Grant might have a future together after all…if they’re willing to fight for it.

Flare Up is a well written story. Even though I had not read the previous books, and know I missed some of the character and world building, I felt like I was well introduced the the main characters and how they relate to the others. I liked both characters, and felt like I could understand their fears and choices, even when I might not agree with them. They were real, flawed people that felt like I could meet them out and about rather than characters in a book. I thought that Wren's doubts and worries were very realistic, the results of living through a controlling and abusive relationship were represented very accurately. I liked that Wren and Grant actually talked about their problems and concerns, with each other and friends. They acted like adults rather than ignoring the problems and avoiding them (for the most part). I love when book characters actually do this instead of things magically being all better with no work done to fix things. I will say that I was expecting one more big confrontation or action scene, and the solution with the ex seemed a little anticlamatic. It was real, and realistic, but I think I was just expected a big dramatic moment after all the problems he caused.

Flare Up is a solid contemporary romance, with plenty of action and emotion- and a nice dash of steam.

This is book 6 in the series, this is the only book in the series I’ve read. I wonder if I would have enjoyed this book more if I’d read the others, because there is a lot of page time spent on the friends from previous books.

This book, however, was a second chance romance. Wren runs away, fearing her exboyfriend found her and will hurt the people in her life. This destroyed Grant, but he still loved her, so He’s decided to forgive her and help her with her ex. There is a lot of build up regarding the ex, but the ending is super anti-climatic...the bad guy is never on the page. There’s no confrontation. It’s just over. I was disappointed.

The epilogue wrapped up the series as well.

"Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review."

Loved this book very much. It had just enough sweet, sexy romance and the storyline was great! I highly recommend!

Hot, hot hot! I love this series! I devour anything by Shannon STacey and she surely didn’t disappoint! I can’t wait for the next in the series!!

Flare Up by Shannon Stacey is book 6 in the Boston Fire Series. This is the story of Grant Cutter and Wren Everett. For me this was a standalone book. Grant is feeling the hurt of a past love and being around his fellow guys who are all in love. Thinking maybe he should move on with his life changes when he finds Wren again. Wren had to break things off with Grant to protect him from her past that won't stay in the past. But now that Grant has Wren back in his sites, he doesn't want to let her push him away. Really enjoyed their second chance at love!!

Flare Up, Great story of love and the family created even thou they are no blood. This story has mystery, hot firefighters and romance all in one. It grabs you from the beginning and holds you until the end. I look forward to more great stories from Shannon Stacey.

Reunited ... but will it last?? With the next book in her delectable Boston Fire series, Shannon Stacey brings us Grant's story. We've seen a lot of him throughout the series and caught a glimpse of his heartache to come in the previous book. This wasn't my favorite in the series, but it's a solid, enjoyable read and brings a glimpse of updates of past favorites as well. Great series!

Firefighter Grant Cutter didn't handle the love of his life walking out on him very well. Months later he's still nursing his broken heart and wondering what he did wrong. He was on the verge of proposing to the woman and she up and left with no reasoning behind it. He'd give just about anything to be able to see her and get some answers ... and it looks like his wish might have just come true!

A freak accident leaves Wren Everett being rescued by the fire department, and the very man she walked out on without a backward glance ... or so it seemed! Just when she thought life was getting good, danger from an ex reared it's ugly head and ruined her life. She knows the pain he can inflict, she's seen it ... there's no way she's subjecting Grant to that ... even if she had to walk away!

Boston firefighter Grant Cutter still hasn’t healed from the wounds left by his girlfriend, Wren Everett, who inexplicably broke up with him five months ago and disappeared without explanation. Now on the scene of a dangerous apartment building fire, he’s shocked to discover the woman he’s rescuing is Wren.

This was the story I wanted to read because of how mysterious Wren’s departure seemed, knowing she had a troubled backstory. I loved how she was rediscovered, fitting for these first responders and the series. It didn’t take long for the big reveal, which was what I’d suspected and I liked that it wasn’t dragged out too long. The heart of the story actually was the effort it took for Wren to restore the relationships she’d developed and destroyed, not only with Grant but all their common friends and his family. The reactions differed and I found some painfully realistic. Rebuilding trust doesn’t happen overnight and Wren had her work cut out for her. That journey was substantive.

There’s a suspense element that was always in the background and ratcheted up as the story progressed. If there was one disappointment here it was in the climax, which was too...anticlimactic. I wanted just a little more drama. One element I did love, however, was the narrator’s performance. I’ve listened to most of the books in this series and she nailed every story, including this one. She made the characters seem more real.

Based on the epilogue, this book feels like the end of the series. If so, it’s a satisfying conclusion to a pretty wonderful group of stories featuring first responders who showed their heart and humanity. I loved it and while I hate seeing it end, the timing feels right and natural.

Flare Up is the newest book in the Boston Fire series from Shannon Stacey. We finally get Grant and Wren's second chance story with this book, and it was worth the wait. While the series is set in Boston, the family-feel is strong in these books as the fire fighters have become a family.

Wren completely disappeared from Grant's life with no explanation just as Grant was looking at rings to propose. Grant went off the rails a bit after Wren disappeared and only his fire fighter family got him back on track. So when they get the call for a fire in a building in a really bad section of town, Grant is completely shocked to have to save Wren's life.

Wren left Grant and all her new friends because of an ex-boyfriend, who has spent time in jail for assault. I have to admit, that was one of my only issues with the story. I felt like if she really loved Grant she would have been open about her past to him. I also didn't really love that a convicted felon somehow crossed state lines with no notice, even knowing it happens daily. I just expected Grant to figure out what was going on a bit sooner.

I adored Grant and Wren as a couple. There was something about them that just gave me all the happy sighs and feels. Add in their smoking hot chemistry and they were the perfect couple, even with all they had to work through together.

I've enjoyed Flare Up and can't praise the entire series enough. There is romance, action, and a bit of suspense in each book and I love getting to visit with couples from other books in the series with each new installment. I highly recommend this series of books to any contemporary romance fans that love reading about sexy fire fighters.

Rating: 4 Stars (B+)

This was my first in this series but I would say that it can be read as a standalone. However, I really wished I'd read the earlier books since the friends and family from previous books are such a central part of the world in the book and I just wanted to know all the back story! I loved the hero from the first few pages - he's just one of those characters that grabbed my heart immediately. I took time to warm up to Wren but I did eventually get there. Some of her choices didn't make a ton of sense to me but it didn't affect my enjoyment of the book. I can't wait to go back and read the previous novels.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆
M/F Second chance Romance
Triggers: Stalking, Abuse

I highly suggest that you read the previous book in this series, at the very least, so that you can see more of Grant and Wren's relationship. It helps give context to this book.

Grant is still hurt from his breakup – or rather, being ghosted by Wren, the woman he believed he was going to marry. Despite having his heart broken, he is happy for all of his buddies that found love and women to stand by them. When Grant finds himself at a fire of a building that shouldn't really be housing people, the last person he expects to find is Wren. Even though he has questions, he realizes that he needs to know that Wren is okay.

Wren is living a lie. She knows that what she did to Grant was wrong, but her instinct to protect was stronger than her instinct to run. Wren realizes that she lost a lot when her ex started hassling her again. But she also realizes that Boston is her home and she isn't willing to live in a city where she might never run in to Grant or "accidentally" see him.

When things come to head, Grant and Wren are able to talk about the major issue in their relationship quickly. I think that was to the benefit of the story. However, with that out of the way, I thought that the story was somewhat slow afterwards. There was a resolution, but I felt that there was a lot unresolved in this story and perhaps that resolution was too tidy.

I liked that we were able to see Grant and Wren work through their relationship. It helped their relationship be more relatable. But again, I wanted more after their talk to keep me interested.


Mary – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 – 4 stars

Grant Cutter is nursing a broken heart because the one he loved ran from him several months ago and he has no idea where she went. What a surprise for him when the firehouse goes to an apartment fire and he finds the love of his life in one of those apartments. He saves her but wants to quiz her about why she left and didn't tell him what was going on.

Wren Everett thought she was hiding from her past until the apartment building she lived in was burning. When she was trying to hide from the smoke, a familiar voice came through and saved her. Now her close past is back, and she wants to stay close to him because she has missed Grant.

As Grant and Wren spend time together, they begin to pick up where they left off. Although Grant is a little scared she might run again, he will do all he can to keep her with him. And Wren wants things with Grant to grow but she doesn't want her past to destroy either of them.

Can they work through her fear and move forward together? Will her past come back to hurt someone she cares about? Will she run to save those she loves? Will Grant finally get the chance to pop the question?

I love a second chance romance but some of this story seemed rushed even though their story began in the last book. It's a good story and I loved Grant and Wren and the rest of the crew and hope to get time to go back and read the rest of the series. So if you like firefighter stories, read this series and please start from the beginning, it is what I should have done.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars rounded up

This is the sixth in the series, and as I have not read them all, I can say that this works as a standalone. Undoubtedly there are themes which move through the series, and ongoing relationships which we get to revisit.

Wren disappeared out of Grant's life five months ago, when he was about to propose. Then he saves her from a fire, and they get a second chance, as finally Wren accepts help from him and his friends. I found the fact that he cannot see how she could not trust him with her secret to be dealt with really cleverly – because when he faces a similar fear for his family, he too has to understand that you can love someone and want to protect them... and trust is not the motivating factor.

The story progresses somewhat slowly to that point, and the perceived threat is done well, but it does feel like it is overly drawn out at times. It is good to see them spend some time regaining the ground that they had previously covered, and the family visit is sweet too... especially the guest room rules!

Fans of the series get plenty of input from Cait and Gavin in particular, and the rest of the clan join together to keep them safe. By the end, Wren finally gets that she really is part of a wider family now.

Couldn't put it down, even with it being a bit formulaic. Wren was a little bit on my nerves with her cowardice in running and hiding instead of trusting Grant and fighting her past with her by his side. I've enjoyed this series so far, and the recurring characters are always fun. Once Wren and Grant decided to try again and face her past together, the story was so sweet.

Grant and Wren’s relationship has been unfolding over the past several Boston Fire books by Shannon Stacey. However, at the end of the fifth book, Wren had broken up with Grant with no explanation. And thus begins Flare Up.



I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to buy into Wren’s redemption. Grant is a main character in the Boston Fire series, so we saw the relationship through his vantage point - and those of his closest friends. And his pain at the break up was very clear.



But when Grant and his fellow firefighters respond to a 911 call, Grant discovers that Wren is still in the city - and that she has now lost most of her possessions. While still reeling from the breakup, Grant can’t let Wren fend for herself.



Grant and his friends all gather round to help Wren, to find her a place to stay, to help her get what she needs and to offer her emotional support. Grant can’t stay away from Wren, although he is convinced early on that they will just be friends.



Wren meanwhile does have a reason for having broken up with Grant. She has an ex who stalked and abused her - and seriously injured her brother. When the ex seems to make a reappearance in her life, Wren panics and breaks up with Grant to protect him.



It takes a bit for Wren to admit this all to Grant. But despite their past breakup, Grant and Wren make tentative steps for getting back together and to take their new relationship slowly. This time, Wren opens up a bit more to both Grant and to his friends.



While Wren’s decision to breakup with Grant rather than tell him about her ex is a frustrating one that tends to feel of BIG MISCOMMUNICATION, Wren does come across as genuine in her regret and in her feelings for Grant.



So, I did forgive Wren - and much more easily than I expected. Her romance with Grant is super sweet and sexy - and we FINALLY get to know her. I think this was the major problem with Wren in the earlier books - she was a closed book.



Wren’s ex is a real problem and she was right to be concerned. However, the way she handled her relationship with Grant (and his friends) was pretty awful. Fortunately, the situation is resolved and Wren and Grant are free to build their HEA.



My favorite quote: “We had sex in his Jeep and my elbow is not only sore, but slightly Jeep-seat burned.” Sadly, the Jeep sex did not take place on page, but kudos to Shannon Stacey for making me laugh out loud.



The entire Boston Fire series has been fantastic with excellent stories filled with love, laughter and family and Flare Up fits right in. Plus, hot firefighters rescuing people. What is not to love? Flare Up is a story that will make readers feel good and maybe want a Jeep!

Eh...

Up until the end of this book, I would have given it three stars, but the crappy ending dropped it to a 1.5 star rating. If you've finished the book, let me just say WTF ending was that? Really, that's how we're going to end the drama up until that point?

That aside, the book was just okay for me. I really felt that Grant was far more in love with Wren then she ever was with him. Her excuse for leaving him was a shitty and incredibly immature one. Especially after they had been together for so long. Unfortunately I found her immature behavior to continue through the story, not just based on that one past decision.

I only read one other book in this series and honestly don't remember it. So I will say some parts were confusing which obviously rested on the reader having read the other books in the series. Normally this doesn't bother me, but with everything else it was just another mark in the negative for me.

** ARC received from Netgalley **

Shannon Stacey returns with the sixth and final book in the Boston Fire series, Flare Up. This is a second chance love story with a hunky firefighter and heroine with plenty of baggage from a previous relationship. Grant and Wren are suddenly reunited during a fire, leaving them both longing to explore their feelings for each other. But is trust something you can earn back in a day or a month? or perhaps never?



What I liked:



There is certainly something to be said for a man in uniform. I don't know about you, but that gets me everytime. The Boston Fire series will definitely indulge that romantic pull. Shannon Stacey shows the wonderful brotherhood and family aspects of a firehouse and the strength and courage of those who serve. This is one of my favorite parts of a series like this.



In Flare Up readers get to revisit the relationship between Grant and Wren. It hasn't been that long since she disappeared from his life and the wounds are still open. When Grant and his fellow firefighters show up to a fire that involves Wren, the sparks start to fly quickly. I thought Stacey did a great job of getting right to the point of their issues with each other. It was nice not to have an author beat around the bush about the real cause of their breakup.



Domestic violence is a very real situation that many people in our country deal with today. I liked that Stacey chose to handle the subject with care and sensitivity. Though many readers may not like Wren's solution to her problems it is probably a common response. Wren obviously wanted to protect Grant and that in itself is a human instinct brought on by her love for him.



Grant was a wonderful hero in my opinion. He was strong and protective and it was easy to see why he chose the career he did. His dedication to his calling was very honest and evident in the way he lived and in the way he interacted with Wren and his colleagues.



What I didn't Like:



This one was a little hit or miss for me. I liked Grant but I still had a bad taste in my mouth over Wren. She hurt him and no matter what her reasons were he was still hurting when this book started. I love an author who make you turn your feelings about a character around, but this time it was still a little hard to accept. Yes, she was afraid. Yes, she wanted to protect him. But Grant was a big boy and he could have handled it. Didn't like how that went down. But that's not the fault of the author.



The one character I felt who needed a much stronger presence in this book was Ben. He was the cause of a lot of the issues between Grant and Wren and he was essentially the bad guy. However, the reader doesn't see much of him and when they do, it's a glancing blow. I wanted to see what was so big and bad about this dude, that our hero couldn't handle. I was a little disappointed to not get that in this one.



The ending felt a bit rushed. Maybe not even that. If felt a little flat. There didn't really seem to be a climax that the story was building too. It just kind of resolved and flatlined. It petered out, so to speak. I wanted more.



Bottom Line:



Not my favorite in this series. But still a book that needed to be included. You can't leave a series with a serious loose end like Grant and Wren. I loved the hero, but had some distaste for the heroine. Wanted more from the bad guy and wanted a more climatic ending. Overall not too bad, not too good.