Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first K.D. Casey book and I was pleasantly surprised. I have been recommended Casey's work before, and knowing I had this ARC waiting for me, I figured there was no better time than now to pick it up.

Fire Season is technically the second book in a series, but all books can be read as standalones, in my opinion. I haven't read Unwritten Rules, but that didn't impact my reading of Fire Season at all because technically, this book can act as a prequel for the plot and relationship in Unwritten Rules.

The book features a lot of baseball talk and terminology, so if you aren't familiar with the sport, it may be confusing or hard to follow at times. But beyond the sport of baseball - of which the author is a clear fan - we have the relationship between Reid (a relief pitcher) and Charlie (the superstar starter) for the Oakland Elephants.

Reid and Charlie are two vastly different people but I fell in love with them for those differences. While Reid is a recovering alcoholic, Charlie seems almost sheltered in a way. Reid doesn't hesitate in helping Charlie understand about his alcohol abuse recovery, or about the Jewish religion, or on how to foster an adorable shelter dog. And Charlie, meanwhile, doesn't think twice about helping Reid with a place to live or his curveball. The two men fall in love and it's paced beautifully and so emotional. Charlie and Reid are great together and I'm so glad I picked this book up and got to read their story.

I also love the important conversations the author has within the book about substance abuse, therapy, discovering who we are as people (and who we love), and religion. Nothing is overt or too in your face, but it's worked in in such a natural and cohesive way. As a romance reader, I also pay close attention to the sex scenes and Casey nailed them (pun intended?).

If you're looking for a sports romance with some depth, this is definitely the book to pick up! Fire Season releases July 19, 2022 and I highly recommend purchasing an e-book or physical copy of this book.

I cannot do present tense fiction and the *tone* from the first sentence made my skin crawl. I cannot explain why I have such a visceral reaction to such fiction, but suffice to say…I found it unreadable.

It’s a pity because I really needed a break from all the hockey novels I’ve been reading!

I loved this standalone M/M sports romance, second in the Unwritten Rules series but totally a standalone read. Charlie is a star baseball pitcher who seemingly has it all, although he hides his anxiety and is going through a mostly amicable separation and divorce from his wife. Reid is a relief pitcher and a recovering alcoholic, who fears his best baseball years are behind him and has just escaped the minor leagues to be traded to Oakland. The two become fast friends and soon recognize the attraction between them, but each is in a wildly different place and there are no guarantees for Reid. I especially loved the bonding over a rescue dog named Avis! I look forward to what comes next from KD Casey.

I really enjoyed Fire Season, the slow-burn romance was very compelling. I never read the first book in this series, Unwritten Rules, but this one apparently takes place before the first in the timeline so I wasn't missing anything. I was also coming into this book with absolutely no knowledge of how the sport of baseball and pro baseball leagues work and even though the sports elements of this book were highly detailed I still understood and enjoyed it. The characters and relationships were all very complex and authentic, I especially enjoyed the complexity that was portrayed in Charlie’s relationship with his ex-wife. The mental health and addiction representation was also very well done. There were a few strange continuity things and moments where I felt like it moved a little too slowly. There's one point where we are in a scene that seems like it follows immediately after another scene but then the MC says that several weeks have passed, the timeline was a little confusing. Overall, this was a great romance and I’m looking forward to reading more from KD Casey in the future!

Charlie Braxton is big, quiet, shy, and has anxiety issues. He is the star pitcher for the Oakland Elephants, but usually keeps to himself. And now that he is about to get divorced, he is even more alone. But he is kind, supportive, generous, and loyal.

Reid Giordana just climbed his way back up to the majors as a relief pitcher for the Elephants. He has made mistakes in the past that damaged his career, destroyed his marriage, and now have him riding a fine line between being able to stay or getting traded again to another team. He feels like he has everything to prove and no safety net. He struggles to overcome negative thinking, stress, and anxiety, but he is trying to do the work he needs to keep on track even when his future is unstable.

Both of these guys are kind of lost, lonely, and have anxiety issues. They begin a tentative friendship and begin spending time together. Reid pushes Charlie out of his comfort zone and into more social situations. And Charlie gives Reid a safe place to land and understanding. But as their appreciation and friendship begin to transition to more unexpected attraction and want, it makes it more confusing and complicated.

This is a super-slow-burn, bi-awakening, teammates, new-friends-to-lovers romance with very subtle changes in dynamics and their own thoughts. Due to circumstances it also has a forbidden element and no promises of stability adding to the conflict and tension. It is as much a personal growth story for each of them as it is about building a relationship. The characters have depth and vulnerability, but also help inspire and empower each other. It's about opening up, being present, dealing with the past, embracing self-worth, and finding a support system.

This story follows Charlie, a star pitcher that is just starting to go through a divorce, and Reid, a relief pitcher new to the team, trying to build his reputation back up from pretty much rock bottom (who is also divorced). They become friends, and as their relationship starts to change, they have to deal with what that will mean for their careers, their personal lives, and the team. And of course, when they get together the sparks fly!

I thought this was really fun! I have never read anything by this author before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I didn’t need to have read the first one to read this, which was nice! The steamy parts were HOT of course, but the relationship part was sweet too. I also really liked that this was low relationship angst. There is a main character dealing with alcoholism and in recovery, so that is definitely a trigger warning. But I thought it was done well, and left me really feeling for him. I liked the writing a lot, and will absolutely be watching for more by this author!

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Thank you, Carina Press, for allowing me to read Fire Season early!

KD Casey wrote another banger. I devoured this in one sitting and the way the title fits the book? SUBLIME. Hot is certainly what I felt reading this.

Mein Leseerlebnis

Der Roman ist das dritte Buch der Autorin, das ich gelesen habe und es ist mein bisheriger Favorit. Die ruhige Liebesgeschichte konnte mich emotional berühren und zugleich gut unterhalten.

Reid war mir gleich von Anfang an sehr sympathisch. Seine Suchtprobleme werden im Buch offen und mit viel Gefühl plus der notwendigen Ernsthaftigkeit präsentiert. Nichts wird beschönigt, das hat mir gut gefallen. Zugleich ist dies nur ein Teil von Reids Leben und Geschichte, daher gibt es auch viele andere Aspekte, die im Buch angesprochen werden. Dadurch ist das Buch nicht zu ernst, sondern insgesamt gut zu lesen und abwechslungsreich.

Auch Charlie fand ich als Charakter spannend und sympathisch. Man lernt ihn nur langsam besser kennen, am Ende konnte ich zu ihm aber eine gute Verbindung aufbauen und empfand ihn als einen herzerwärmenden Charakter.

Die Freundschaft zwischen Reid und Charlie hat mich tief berührt. Sie haben sich gegenseitig so viel Positives gegeben, das war schön zu sehen. Auch die Entwicklung hin zu einer Beziehung fand ich überzeugend.

Gegen Ende der Geschichte war für mich etwas die Luft raus. Ich bin froh, dass die Autorin auf Drama als billiges Spannungselement verzichtet hat, aber irgendetwas hat mir auf den letzten gut 25 Seiten gefehlt. Auch habe ich mit etwas Abstand festgestellt, dass sich die Charaktere nicht ganz so nachhaltig in meinem Herzen festgesetzt haben, wie direkt nach dem Lesen gedacht.

Nichtsdestotrotz hatte ich mit dem Roman eine gute Zeit und freue mich schon auf das nächste Buch der Autorin. 🖤🖤🖤🖤

Für wen?

Wer sich eher langsam entwickelnde, ruhige und intensive Liebesromane mag, der sollte sich den Roman mal näher anschauen.

4.5 rounded up!

I liked but didn't love the first book in this series, but for reasons I felt were largely due to personal preferences and the specific story being told, so I was hopeful that this next book would work better for me, and thankfully it absolutely did!

As with the last book, these characters have their individual struggles--one of the MCs, Reid, is an alcoholic in recovery and the other, Charlie, has issues with anxiety and is going through a (mostly amicable) divorce--but they never felt like it overly weighed down the narrative or was unnecessarily bleak. They're real people, with real problems, and I also liked that the fact that they're teammates is a legitimate concern for them both, particularly addressing the fact that one of them has more clout/power on the team, which creates a power imbalance whether they want it to or not. Reid is also Jewish, and I really enjoyed the way that was woven into the story in a way that feels really natural and organic, and it's not something I see a lot in this genre.

The build between them was lovely, there are some great side characters, and the smut was suuuper hot. Great chemistry, and an ending that felt very satisfying. It felt like a very mature, adult relationship, without any unnecessary misunderstandings or refusals to communicate. Charlie sometimes felt a little *too* perfect, though I did appreciate that he does mess up a few times, but generally with quite small things. My main minor struggle with this book is, as with the previous one, there's a *lot* of baseball here, told with a degree of detail and specificity that feels like it assumes the reader is a big fan, which I am not. I didn't feel *quite* as lost as with the last book as I'm more familiar with pitchers, but it's not my favorite part. I actually *do* appreciate that this very much does feel like it's taking place within the world of baseball, and it's clear the author is a big fan, but there are times it gets a little tedious, though it's a minor quibble overall! Definitely enjoyed this immensely and am looking forward to more from this author!

KD Casey hit one out of the park with Fire Season (sorry, I couldn't help myself). With this wonderful tale of love, discovery, baseball, and recovery, KD has ensured I am a one-click buyer for everything she writes. Not just because her depictions of baseball--from the curves of pitches to the small of the grass and the simple joy of the stitches on the ball--are the best I've ever read in a sports romance, but because her stories are like wrapping myself up in a warm blanket. Even when they are scared or broken, her characters strive for growth and kindness. The love Charlie and Reid find together feels so natural and healthy, without excessive drama or painful barbs when someone is feeling insecure. The baseball grounds the story, coming to the forefront when it helps the plot and moving into the background when it doesn't, all effortlessly. And the writing is so steamy and hot while also emphasizing safety, consent, and true caring.

Even though Charlie and Reid are new in one another's lives, this had the hopeful feeling of a 2nd chance romance, because both characters are ready for their own 2nd chances in life.

I loved this book and cannot wait to see what KD Casey does next.

A solidly written romance between two professional ballplayers, with a very long, slow burn. The writing is skillful and the baseball feels realistic. I chose to believe that it is secretly written by my favorite first-baseman.

3.5 ⭐️ If you like sport romance, especially those with very realistic portrayal of sports this one is for you. Mild spoilers for the ending at the end of the review.

When I skimmed the blurb, reading about two pitchers made me think enemies to lovers. But here we have a slow burn coworkers to friends to lovers that felt very refreshing in a way not a lot of sport romances are.

I don’t follow baseball, and I barely have an understanding of the rules but I didn’t feel lost. The sport is very prevalent in the book but doesn’t impair following the plot. I do think that if you are a baseball fan or are familiar with the game you may enjoy the sport aspect a lot more.

There is many things I loved about this book, how Reid’s alcoholism and commitment to sobriety is handled. The realism of sport, written by someone that loves baseball but isn’t blinded by the shinnies of it or naive about what professional sports is. Charlie’s bisexual awakening was lovely. There was no freak out, just the small realization than hey, straight is no longer the appropriate label and maybe hasn’t been for a long time.

- Spoilers ahead -




What did disappoint me a bit was the ending. I like my romance endings to leave no doubt. Every problem has been worked out and now they have their happy ever after. And to have an epilogue to see what their happy life looks in the future. We don’t get these. Especially considering that Reid is a relief pitcher which means he may be somewhere completely different in future seasons. This is not handled so the ending feels not as satisfying as it should.

I would recommend this book to any sport lover, especially those that love baseball and slow burns.

TLDR:

Main themes: sports, slow burn, friends to lovers, ex wives.

Stand-alone: yes. Second season in the same universe, but no interconnecting plot.

Trigger warnings: Yes. Author has them at the start of the book, and done well. The big one is substance missuse and recovery (no relapse).

Tense: present third, double POV

ARC review, opinions my own.

I may have enjoyed this second book in the Unwritten Rules series better than the first one. I just got sucked into the story right away and found the writing and the characters to be very engaging to read. I definitely don’t care about sports but something about this works really well for me.

Thank you Carina Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

This was great and full of feels! This is the first book I've read by this author, but I'll definitely be checking out the first in this series now that I've finished this one. It was one of those pleasurably easy reading experiences, by which I mean I never felt my attention straying, never had that feeling of pushing through in order to finish.

I liked the characters from the start, and felt like it had just the right amount of romance/baseball/other relationships and happenings. I was nervous about how Charlie's ex-wife would play into the story, but I mostly thought it was handled very well. There was one aspect that bugged me, because I felt like it was unfair to Charlie that a relationship between Christine and someone in Charlie's life wasn't disclosed sooner, but for the most part I thought it was navigated in a way that felt realistic and also avoided making Christine the "bad guy" or a major impediment to Charlie and Reid's relationship. I was very glad that there were no evil exes in the book.

There was excellent chemistry between the MCs and I loved all the small ways they cared for one another and their growing trust and connection. I love when I'm reading romance and really feel like the MCs SEE one another in a way most people don't, and all those little ways of showing they know one another and look out for one another just tug at my heart. Also, obviously, I love Avis. You just can't go wrong with cute pets in romance. The pacing worked well for me and I really enjoyed the author's writing style. Looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Well, that was excruciatingly long and a bore read. I was considering giving this 3-4 stars because it got good in chapter 10 to the next but then slow and a bore once again. I like Charlie's character but the whole writing was a bore. Oh, gosh. I have to end this review because of how many times I already said how boring this is. I won't be sharing my review with other sites or social media because I really hate giving out low ratings.

Fire Season melds the best elements of sports romance with meaningful representation and discussions around anxiety, recovery, and discovering one’s self. Charlie and Reid were so great, and I loved them both. My favorite element about their relationship? They are careful with one another, and I so enjoyed reading their story and watching it develop. Christine and Charlie and Reid’s teammates added depth to the story. Overall, definitely recommend and will read more from this author!

What a nice surprise! I was expecting a sweet and steamy sports romance, and it is that, but it's also so much more! This was heavier than I anticipated, but KD Casey handled pretty tough subjects, specifically mental health, with grace and honesty. I really appreciated the characters' struggles and their vulnerability.

It took me a while to get into the story. There's a lot of baseball and trade talk and it was just a bit too much for me, at least at the beginning. Once the relationship heated up I was much more invested. I loved Charlie and Ried and I was rooting for them both the whole time!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book; all opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader.

M/M sports romance is my all time favorite subgenre of romance - and this is definitely a good one! Charlie is an all-star pitcher with a famous curveball and a picture perfect life. Except - things aren't always what they seem. His marriage is ending and he's feeling a little lost in his own life. Reid is a recovering alcoholic who almost lost his baseball career - but is fighting his way back. When he gets traded to Charlie's team - he see's this as maybe his final shot to make it in major league baseball.

I loved the relationship between Charlie and Reid. They were adorable together - both characters were so well developed. Watching the connection grow between them - and seeing them give each other what they needed was just so sweet and lovely. I also loved the relationship that built between Charlie's ex and Reid. This book also has a wonderful viewpoint into how important therapy is - and has great on-page moments with Reid and his therapist.

Overall - this is a great read. Some trigger warnings for alcoholism, family estrangement, and suicidal ideation.

I received this via NetGalley as an ARC, but these opinions are all my own.

A relief pitcher trying to resurrect his career befriends his new team’s quietest starting pitcher. This book has the same great baseball as the first book in the series, plus improved romance.

Casey’s extensive baseball knowledge once again creates a realistic-feeling exploration of life in major league baseball. A relief pitcher in Reid’s position would be under constant pressure and always aware of the risk of being sent down or traded, and the book captured how the characters’ very different contractual positions would affect every step of their relationship. This book also weaves the baseball elements into the story more effectively for readers who aren’t baseball fans and should be more accessible than the first book.

The pacing of the romance is much more effective here than in Unwritten Rules, and this is an excellent slow-burn coworkers-to-friends-to lovers story with lots of mutual pining. Both Reid and Charlie need someone in their life who takes them as they are, and even during the friendship phase of their relationship, they provide each other with much-needed emotional intimacy. I liked that although both men are dealing with the aftermath of difficult events, they don’t need someone to fix things for them or do their emotional labor for them; instead, they just need a safe person to be vulnerable with. This makes even the earliest stages of their friendship feel fulfilling in their own right, and makes the risks they take to be together more plausible than if they were acting solely on sexual attraction.

Both characters also have satisfying individual arcs, especially Reid, who is trying to rebuild his career and personal life while in recovery from a substance use disorder. He’s already done a lot of work prior to the start of the book and has a strong support system and coping skills he relies on many times during the book. I thought the author handled this topic respectfully and with nuance because the book shows how Reid’s sobriety is a decision he has to keep making every day and doesn’t treat it like something that can be magically fixed by a relationship (or otherwise). Charlie supports Reid by listening when he asks for space or other accommodations and not treating his substance use disorder as a deficiency or a problem.

As for Charlie, I liked that his social anxiety was treated as something that’s just part of who he is, rather than a problem to solve, and that Reid accepting that part of Charlie is the reason they develop a strong friendship so quickly. I would have liked to see Charlie open up to Reid more explicitly about his anxiety as a sign of their increasing intimacy, but on the other hand appreciated that it wasn’t used as a source of conflict. I also liked that his bi-awakening surprised him at first but didn’t upset him, and that his feelings for Reid caused him to reevaluate some of his past feelings towards other men.

My only issue with the romance was that the ending felt tentative because there’s no hint of what their long-term future will look like. We know that Reid, as a relief pitcher, is never going to get the type of long-term contract Charlie has, so they will inevitably face a situation where they’re no longer on the same team. We know they’re committed to staying together no matter what happens, but I would have liked some details on how that actually played out in real life.

I highly recommend this book to all sports romance fans, especially those who want the sports elements to feel realistic.

<i>Miscellaneous things that didn’t affect my rating but I feel compelled to comment on as a Bay Area native and Oakland A’s fan:</i>

* It was odd and sort of unsettling how this book treated wildfires as a “happens every year” thing that everyone is used to. Wildfires in populated areas of the state have become more common in recent years, but they’re traumatic, not mundane. All of the fires that have led to noticeable air quality issues in the Bay Area (as happens in this book) have resulted in significant loss of life and destruction of many homes. If a wildfire were threatening homes in Marin County, it would be a huge deal that everyone would be talking about. I didn’t really enjoy seeing the subject treated so casually here.

* The author must have had a really bad experience driving in the Bay Area once because some variation of “Bay Area traffic is always bad” is said at least five times in the book. Traffic here is pretty standard for a large metro area so this felt like a weird thing to fixate on. Also I have no sympathy for someone who works in Oakland and could afford to live anywhere but chooses Marin and then SF.

* “Lol the A’s are cheap and the Coliseum sucks” is a really tired observation at this point. The A’s are far from the only team that prioritizes analytics over everything else and they’re definitely not the only cheap team. Singling them out ignores a larger trend that affects all of baseball. I was hoping for a more nuanced take on this subject from an author who knows as much about baseball as Casey does. It’s also weird to choose a team you apparently don’t respect as the location for your book when you have 29 other options. (The first book had this problem too, come to think of it, with Zach spending most of his time on the A’s and then the Marlins.)

<i>I reviewed an ARC of this book.</i>

Charlie and Ried are precious. They are such sweet characters and I just never wanted their story to end. I devour-read this story and would would absolutely devour-read a sequel, just throwing that out there.

That said, there are moments when the communication between the characters is weird. Like, the message sort of gets across, but it wasn't easy to follow. This was really my only criticism. But it made it hard to really get into the emotional feel of the moments when the conversations aren't as easy to follow. And it isn't consistent, so it sneaks up on you.

Aside from this, I enjoyed how giving Charlie is and how open and honest Ried is, even though he doesn't find it easy. I think KD Casey created wonderful characters and the baseball universe she brought to life left room for future romance. Which I am all for.

This book was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.