Wildfire is the second installment of the series and better than the previous one. This series is an excellent college romance containing all the elements of romance, friendship, and angst.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! I read Icebreaker and loved it so I knew Wildfire would be amazing as well. Such a wonderful story, 100% recommend this series.

Wildfire, by Hannah Grace, drew my attention in and never let it go. I was left wanting more when I turned the last page. Grace continues her Maple Hills story introducing readers to Aurora and Russ. I felt like I was on their journey listening to them share their stories, as I followed them from their meeting to summer camp days (which reminded me of my own summer camp days). Their relationship builds as they spend ten weeks at camp, and I really felt like I got to know the two protagonists along with their friends. I could imagine the campfires, lake swims, hikes, and sneaking around. Grace also tackles family issues with grace and dignity, capturing the struggles many parents and their children go through. We all have secrets and have to learn to trust others to see our true selves and recognize we are not alone. That message came out strong through the story of Wildfire. Thank you @AtriaBooks and Netgalley for gifting me with this ARC.

While I did personally enjoy Icebreaker by Hannah Grace, it was too "spicy" of a book to recommend to my students. Wildfire would fit in to that category, however I enjoyed Icebreaker much more overall. This story was nice for seeing some of the same characters, however it fell a little flat for me.

Every reader has a unique experience while reading a book. Typically this experience is based on the effect the book has on them, which then defines the relationship that they develop with it and the space it occupies in their hearts. Some books are emotional reads that the reader may only ever read once, but that stays with them for the rest of their life; some are comfort reads that are read again and again, until the pages know the mark of the reader’s fingers. Some books are little more complex, requiring the reader to take multiple breaks in between…demanding introspection and thought.

To me Wildfire was exactly that. Demanding many breaks and lots of thought, Wildfire was an emotional and an intellectual experience, within which I was sifting through all my memories, past relationships, and those of others I know, trying to understand Aurora and Russ. I can’t recall a time before this that I related to the male protagonist of a story first, so it was initially confusing that I couldn’t understand the female protagonist the same way. This resulted in me taking a pause at around 34%, trying to comprehend why I was struggling and began dealing with all the notions I had about the way the characters, their past, and their struggles were written.

Hannah Grace has certainly chosen a difficult theme to tackle, one that may take the reader aback a bit initially. However, the writing has so much heart, which I think is Wildfire’s biggest strength. What I may have found difficult in the beginning was greatly overshadowed by the way Grace’s words evoke a sense of warmth and comfort that kept me coming back no matter what. Grace’s writing style gentles the rough edges of the characters and slowly cracks them open to show the heart of their pain and the strength in their vulnerabilities.

The way this book was planned really played to the strength of the plot, the characters’ personalities and pain. As mentioned in the synopsis, the characters share an intimate night with one another and part ways immediately only to meet again at a summer camp as colleagues. The large part of the plot is the characters healing, revealing their scars and painting galaxies around them and finding beauty in one another and themselves; however, there’s a subtler underlying theme that Grace talks about that takes up a lot of the emotional real estate in the book. The breakthrough moments we witness within that theme were sometimes hard to believe and I loved that Grace writes them that way.

Thinking back, I can tell now that the way the characters feel about themselves through the book is how we feel about them too. When the book begins the characters are struggling, feeling the disconnect within themselves, coping, misunderstanding themselves and internalising failures and pain. But as the book progresses, there’s a wonderful transition that simply comes from spending time with the kind of people that are a balm to our soul. The kind of people that don’t trigger our pain, but soothe our wounds. I absolutely enjoyed falling in love with Aurora. The more complex of the two, Aurora was a young woman striving to find herself, to feel good about herself and maybe find the person she can do all that with…be all that with. Russ, a gentle giant, was the golden-retriever magnet that was not hard to immediately love. His pain and struggles were easier to understand and relate to and he’s likely to steal a reader’s heart from the very beginning.

The secondary characters were aplenty. Both Aurora and Russ had separate social circles and friends, and a shared one that existed within the camp. This was my first Hannah Grace book and even though this is the second book in the Maple Hills series, it reads fairly well as a standalone. However, all of Russ’ friends I presume were already introduced in Icebreaker (Maple Hills, #1), because they were the only characters we weren’t introduced to. The characters closest to Russ were clear but the next circle merged a little bit. While it didn’t take away from the experience, reading the books as the series intends would possibly add to the joy.

The lack of unnecessary drama or third-act breakups and the presence of sweet, lovely characters with lots of funny and emotional moments certainly uplift the book. I did feel that this book wasn’t as deep as I would have wanted it to be given the nature of the themes, however despite that I would rate Wildfire a solid 8 out of 10. The many many highlighted passages on my Kindle throughout the book certainly attest for it.

Wildfire by Hannah Grace was such a perfect book. If you loved going to camp every summer or wanted to know what camp was like this book is IT. I loved the friendship between all the characters and how well they engaged with each other. Aurora and Russ are adorable and not unlikeable in any way. You are rooting for them the whole book. You get cute dogs named after fish, a scary bathroom incident, rule keeping, rule breaking, and so much more. I cannot wait to read her next book and Hannah Grace has become an instant must read from here on forward.

I loved this book so much. I appreciated that while it was still set in the same world as Maple Hills you could read it as a stand alone. The character depth and growth was deeper in this books than the first one and allowed me to really fall for Aurora and Russ. I’m looking forward to the continuation of the series!

Hannah Grace’s writing is just so easy to get into. Everything flows nicely and you just get caught up in the words. Aurora and Russ were great together. I love the we’re great together. I love the way they way their backstory issues were balance with the present day romance. However, I wouldn’t describe her books exactly as fluffy comfort reads like it says in the blurb though. This is new adult steamy romance, similar to Meghan Quinn. And just like Meghan Quinn, she’s bound to be really popular.

I was so excited to see that I was chosen to read this ARC after reading Icebreaker this book follows Russ and Aruoa. I loved learning their stories and seeing Russ away from campus. I struggled to get a visual on the setting in the beginning however, starting with characters I already knew I adored made it enjoyable. The book could be read as a stand-alone if someone doesn't choose to read the first one but I would always recommend that they always read the first as it helped to build the characters in this book. I adored this book and devoured it within two days I may even end up rereading it before it gets shelved again. I look forward to my preorder as well so that I can see what if any changes are made between this and the original.

I was absolutely THRILLED to receive an ARC for this! This was a highly anticipated read for me after finishing Icebreaker earlier this year. Hannah Grace absolutely knocked it out of the park with this one! I ADORE Russ. I did not expect him to steal my heart the way he did. The chemistry between these two is so clear and intense from the start. This was definitely one of my favorite books of the year so far. I was very happy there was no third-act breakup. This book was everything I wanted and more. I'm still waiting with bated breath for Henry's turn to fall in love though!

I loved this book so much. I completely DEVOURED this book. I never went to camp as a kid and this book makes me want to work at a summer camp. This was the perfect book to read at the end of summer. I loved Russ. He has golden retriever energy with a dirty mouth. Another man to add to my list of Book Boyfriends. I’m obsessed with the fact that Aurora and Russ were constantly trying their best to communicate with each other so that they didn’t become a miscommunication trope lol. We all know that’s the worst trope. No third act breakup made this book an even higher rating for me. This is definitely going to be a book I re read every summer.

What Hannah Grace does best is hilarity and cuteness. “Wildfire” was chalk-full of this. This book made me laugh out loud more than any book I’ve ever read (that basketball scene will live in my head rent-free), and Russ and Aurora’s banter was perfect.

Although “Wildfire” paled slightly in comparison to Hannah Grace’s debut, “Icebreaker” (the spicy scenes could’ve used the same heat of her first book; I went back and forth between liking Aurora and finding her to be the most annoying character in the book; and the B-plot of Russ and Aurora’s dads was not as strong as the romance aspect of the book), I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves rom-coms, and I’m already looking forward to Hannah Grace’s next book.

I enjoyed seeing more of these familiar characters and learning of Russ’s story. Aurora was a little unlikable in the beginning but I warmed to her when they were at camp.

I can’t get over Hannah Grace’s books. I love the characters and the importance of communication and building a foundation of mutual understanding. I love it and I feel that’s really missing in so many contemporary romance novels. The male relationships are also healthy and don’t reek of hyper-masculinity, which is so refreshing. Plus the spice is a-plus. I sincerely hope there will be more, I’m dying for a HEA for Henry!

This was a cute book! I found the chemistry between the two leads to be great despite their distinct personalities. Both of them find comfort in each others presence, and I was captivated by the plot. The novel showed a lot of visible personal growth between the two main characters as well, which I appreciated. The book is part of a series, and the plot reminds me a lot of the first installment, which is okay, but noticeable.

I enjoyed Icebreaker from Hannah Grace so I knew this was going to be the book for me. This totally confirmed that I will read anything Grace writes and I'm excited for the next one! Russ was such a comfort character for me in Icebreaker so I was happy to see that he was the main character for this book; and it's true what they say, it's always the quiet ones! Very happy I got to read this!

This one didn't do it for me like Icebreaker. I thought the characters weren't fleshed out enough and the background was kind of just dumped in.

I loved Icebreaker; and this one was not as good as. At times I felt it was dragging and there it was not going anywhere. Not sure why it was not published during summer since it is about summer camp love, it would be easier to recommend it then in fall. I did love that both characters were developed and both of them grow up in the book. I did enjoyed their love story and their realistic issues in life.

I rated this three stars, but if I could give 1/2 stars it would be 3.5 stars.
If you loved Icebreaker by Hannah Grace, you'll love this second book as well. It has very similar vibes. We are back once again in the lives of the hockey players from Maple Hills. This book takes place the summer after Icebreaker but before the epilogue. In this one, we learn more about Russ, aka Muffin, and why he is a bit reserved. We also meet a new character, Aurora (Rory) and her friend Emilia - also students at UCMH. Somehow all three of these characters end up as counselors at summer camp together which would be fine except Russ and Rory had an amazing one-night stand that ended a bit awkwardly.
Just like Icebreaker, this book is very character and romance and sex driven. There isn't much to the plot - it's more about when and where they'll hook up. both Rory and Russ have Daddy-issues, but those don't really drive the story. We get a pretty graphic spicy scene within the first few chapters, then nothing because of the (once again) self-imposed "we aren't going to hook up even though we both really, really want to" rule the 2 characters impose. Then once they hook up again, it's full-steam ahead with the spicy scenes being the majority of the second half of the book. This one, like Icebreaker, doesn't really include a third-act break-up or miscommunication (which I know a lot of people like).
Pros for me: RUSS!! I love this cinnamon roll. He's perfectly awkward and shy, but also knows his way around a woman. I love the universal struggle of college students trying to find their independence and identity from their parents while still needing their love and affection. I again love how Rob is in a wheel chair but it is hardly ever mentioned unless it is necessary. This inclusion of diversity without making it obvious is great.
Cons: This, like Icebreaker, is almost too syrupy sweet for me. Do college boys really talk like this and have this great handle on their emotions regarding the opposite sex? Because if so, then they have come a LONG way since I was in college. I didn't love the SPICE to nada to SPICE. Admittedly I'm more of a slow burn, build-up kind of girl. It took me a WHILE to get through this book. Like I said there really wasn't any plot and not really anything compelling me to pick it up. The last 1/3 did pick up a little bit, but overall, a slow read for me. I also would have loved to see more interactions at the camp. We get a LOT of pining for each other and not a lot of camp moments. And finally, this might be an irk of mine because I was an English major and am now an English teacher, but Rory is supposed to be an English major and book lover, yet we NEVER see her pick up a book or pack a book or anything like that... I kept forgetting that was her major to be honest.
So, again, if you loved Icebreaker, you'll love this book because it is very similar.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review after reading the entire book.

4.5 Stars

This sequel to Icebreaker follows Russ and Aurora. It it light-hearted, fun, fluffy, and a little spicy. I absolutely love the summer camp setting of this book. I love the take on shy-guy and outgoing/loud girl. I will say that although I recommend this book, it is definitely not a hockey romance if that’s what you’re looking for.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for access to this ebook in exchange for an honest review.