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Dirk Krause is an asshole of the first degree. His life is a hell of his own making, and he makes everyone around him just as miserable. When he's injured on the job while fighting a fire, he's nearly unbearable to the hospital staff, and of course no one from his unit cares enough to visit. Lee Stockton is the new guy at the station, so he gets saddled with the job of bringing Dirk a sympathy bouquet from the guys at the firehouse. To Dirk's surprise, Lee sees through him like a pane of glass and doesn't take any of his crap.
Firefighter Dean’s life revolves around his very ill son, Sammy. Caring for Sammy and working to make ends meet leave Dean time for little else, and romance isn’t something he can even consider - no matter how much he longs for someone special to join their family. Because money is tight, Dean couldn’t be more grateful to the photographer who does Sammy’s session free of charge. After growing up in the foster care system, Marco knows how to rely on himself, and his hard work is about to pay off - he’s poised on the cusp of fame and success he could only have imagined as a lonely child.
When homicide detective Dexter J. Daley’s testimony helps send his partner away for murder, the consequences - and the media frenzy - aren’t far behind. He soon finds himself sans boyfriend, sans friends, and, after an unpleasant encounter in a parking garage after the trial, he’s lucky he doesn’t find himself sans teeth. Dex fears he’ll get transferred from the Human Police Force’s Sixth Precinct, or worse, get dismissed.
When hockey star Caleb Carter returns to his hometown to recover from an injury, the only thing he’s interested in is a little R&R. He never expects to run into his onetime crush at a grade school fund-raiser. Seeing Aaron Price hits him hard. The attraction is still there, even after all these years, and Caleb decides to make a play for the schoolteacher. Aaron has been burned by love before and can’t imagine what Caleb could possibly see in a guy like him. But as Aaron spends more time with Caleb, he begins to wonder if he might have what it takes to win the hockey player’s heart.
For Sean Wright, driving a cab in the tiny Navy town of Anchor Point isn't an exciting job...until he picks up just-dumped Paul Richards. A drive turns into a walk on the pier, which turns into the hottest hookup Sean's had in ages. After a long overdue breakup, Paul can't believe his luck. Of all the drivers, he's picked up by the gorgeous, gay, and very willing Sean. Younger guys aren't usually his thing, but Paul can't resist.
As a stunningly attractive man and the owner of a successful chain of auto repair garages, Trevor is used to attention, adoration, and getting what he wants. What he wants tends to be passionate, no-strings-attached flings with men he meets in clubs. He doesn't expect anything different when he sets his sights on James. Imagine his surprise when the charm that normally brings men to their knees fails to impress. Trevor will need to drop the routine and connect with James on a meaningful level.
Dirk Krause is an asshole of the first degree. His life is a hell of his own making, and he makes everyone around him just as miserable. When he's injured on the job while fighting a fire, he's nearly unbearable to the hospital staff, and of course no one from his unit cares enough to visit. Lee Stockton is the new guy at the station, so he gets saddled with the job of bringing Dirk a sympathy bouquet from the guys at the firehouse. To Dirk's surprise, Lee sees through him like a pane of glass and doesn't take any of his crap.
Firefighter Dean’s life revolves around his very ill son, Sammy. Caring for Sammy and working to make ends meet leave Dean time for little else, and romance isn’t something he can even consider - no matter how much he longs for someone special to join their family. Because money is tight, Dean couldn’t be more grateful to the photographer who does Sammy’s session free of charge. After growing up in the foster care system, Marco knows how to rely on himself, and his hard work is about to pay off - he’s poised on the cusp of fame and success he could only have imagined as a lonely child.
When homicide detective Dexter J. Daley’s testimony helps send his partner away for murder, the consequences - and the media frenzy - aren’t far behind. He soon finds himself sans boyfriend, sans friends, and, after an unpleasant encounter in a parking garage after the trial, he’s lucky he doesn’t find himself sans teeth. Dex fears he’ll get transferred from the Human Police Force’s Sixth Precinct, or worse, get dismissed.
When hockey star Caleb Carter returns to his hometown to recover from an injury, the only thing he’s interested in is a little R&R. He never expects to run into his onetime crush at a grade school fund-raiser. Seeing Aaron Price hits him hard. The attraction is still there, even after all these years, and Caleb decides to make a play for the schoolteacher. Aaron has been burned by love before and can’t imagine what Caleb could possibly see in a guy like him. But as Aaron spends more time with Caleb, he begins to wonder if he might have what it takes to win the hockey player’s heart.
For Sean Wright, driving a cab in the tiny Navy town of Anchor Point isn't an exciting job...until he picks up just-dumped Paul Richards. A drive turns into a walk on the pier, which turns into the hottest hookup Sean's had in ages. After a long overdue breakup, Paul can't believe his luck. Of all the drivers, he's picked up by the gorgeous, gay, and very willing Sean. Younger guys aren't usually his thing, but Paul can't resist.
As a stunningly attractive man and the owner of a successful chain of auto repair garages, Trevor is used to attention, adoration, and getting what he wants. What he wants tends to be passionate, no-strings-attached flings with men he meets in clubs. He doesn't expect anything different when he sets his sights on James. Imagine his surprise when the charm that normally brings men to their knees fails to impress. Trevor will need to drop the routine and connect with James on a meaningful level.
Justin made the ultimate sacrifice for his country, battling domestic terrorism, never the man he really was, using hate to avenge the death of his best friend. The friend he'd killed. What he doesn’t count on is getting shot, and if he's going to die, he wants it to be on Crooked Tree soil. Home. Sam is as much a part of Crooked Tree as any of the families, and the offer to buy into the ranch is a dream come true. But falling for a hidden, secretive, injured man isn’t the way to keep his head in the game.
I left my family and tiny Texas hometown 15 years ago to escape small-town gossips and to give my mom and sister the chance at a better life. But when a phone call from an attorney back home informs me that my sister passed away, leaving me custody of her newborn baby, I'm shocked out of the steady life I've built for myself running a tattoo shop in San Francisco. The thing is: I don't do babies. And I don't do small towns. Or commitment. And I especially don't do family.
Reed: I've spent my whole life causing trouble for my parents, but this time I went too far. After the scandal I caused nearly ruined my mom's political career, they decided to do something drastic - and that's how I ended up in on a ranch in Ely, Wyoming, a zillion miles from civilization. But it's not like I care that I have no friends, my family despises me, and I totally ruined my life in a really public way. And I definitely don't cry myself to sleep every night. The good news? The ranch hand, Brady, is super hot. I mean, I only want to get him in bed to prove I can.
Dante Rivers just lost the rodeo by two 100ths of a point; he’s frustrated as hell, needs to get laid, and he knows just where to go. That night, he meets Ryan Abbott and catches his eye - Ryan watched the rodeo and is still riding high on the rush. The chemistry between them ignites, but Dante, unable to deal with complications, leaves while Ryan’s asleep. Ryan figures he’ll never see Dante again, but they’re fatefully reunited when Dante’s grandfather, Hy, hires Ryan to help straighten out some old investments. The attraction between Ryan and Dante still sizzles.
When Broadway actor Jonah receives word that his uncle has passed away and named him the heir to a property in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Jonah’s plan is to settle the estate as quickly as possible and return to his life in New York City. Much to Jonah’s surprise, the inheritance includes the Ashford Cemetery—and its hunky groundskeeper, recent Bosnian immigrant Luka Pavelka.
MI5 agents have been executed and more agents have been abducted with no terms received from the kidnappers. An MI5 analyst is missing having accessed and downloaded prohibited security data. The trial of notorious radical cleric Mullah Al-Shaqqaf collapses, his extradition falls apart. A man known to have funded ISIS, recruit fighters for Syria and coerce teenagers to martyr themselves. Again he walks free.
He promised to never leave me. But when I needed him the most, that was exactly what he did. Wilderness guide Xander Reed has spent fifteen years trying to forget the night he turned to his best friend in his darkest hour, only to find the young man who'd sworn to always have his back was turning his on Xander instead. Two thousand miles and fifteen years of building a new life in the quiet backcountry of the Rocky Mountains should have been enough to put the memory of Bennett Crawford out of his mind.
Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name - and the people associated with it - behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his 40-plus years...but that’s now changing. The newest chapter of his life brings a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm.
I never thought a night out could change everything. All I wanted was to dance, drink, maybe take a cute guy home for a night of fun. I met the guy, but the night ended as a nightmare. Screams and blood and tragedy haunt my dreams. I'm alive and I owe it all to the gorgeous marine who refused to leave me for dead. But how can I start a new relationship when I'm not even sure who I am anymore?
The suspicious death of Dante Bartholomew's wife changed him, especially in the eyes of the residents of St. Giles. They no longer see a successful businessman...only a monster they believe was involved. Dante's horrific reputation eclipses the truth to the point that he sees no choice but to isolate himself and his heart. The plan backfires when he meets counselor Beau Clarity and the children he works with. Beau and the kids see beyond the beastly reputation to the beautiful soul inside Dante, and Dante's cold heart begins to thaw as they slip past his defenses.
New York Barons tight end Gavin Brawley is suspended from the team and on house arrest after a video of him brawling goes viral. Gavin already has a reputation as a jerk with a temper on and off the field - which doesn't help him once he finds himself on the wrong side of the law. And while he's been successful professionally, he's never been lucky when it comes to love.
Officer Red Markham knows about the ugly side of life after a car accident left him scarred and his parents dead. His job policing the streets of Carlisle, PA, only adds to the ugliness, and lately, drug overdoses have been on the rise. One afternoon, Red is dispatched to the local Y for a drowning accident involving a child. Arriving on site, he finds the boy rescued by lifeguard Terry Baumgartner. Of course, Red isn't surprised when gorgeous Terry won't give him and his ugly mug the time of day.
Firefighters Lee Stanton and Dirk Krause need a vacation. Work seems to have other ideas: They spend the day before their holiday begins battling a fire that claims three lives. Thankfully, Lee and Dirk will have a whole week on the high seas to recover. They're having a wonderful time - until they spot Dirk's miserable, closed-minded father on the ship. Between his father's presence and his guilt over the lives he couldn't save, Dirk feels sure his romantic cruise is going to tank.
But then he saves another passenger's life - and maybe he can salvage something else too.
this is the third book is the Fire series and to me it seems to be just one book that was chopped into three short stories. I can only guess that it is because of money. you have to buy three books to get the full story. as for the story, it is just OK. there is not much going on in it. it reads like a TV melodrama. it was not bad but aside from sex every chapter there really is not much else. I would prefer a good book that has a beginning, a conflict and a final or solution to that conflict. this had some conflict but aside from getting a charity event going it was not much of a conflict. read it for fun, it's a fast read.
In this, book 3 of the fire series (and the end of Dirk and Lee’s portion), Lee and Dirk are quite happily together. They leave a rough fire scene, where not everyone makes it, and go on their regularly scheduled vacation, a Caribbean Cruise. Who should end up on the cruise but Daddy Dearest, Dirk’s father.
Most of the book is fun vacation activities and state-room fun, but there are some important father/son scenes and some personal growth on the part of Dirk’s father.
I liked how Dirk’s comfort with being gay and out grew steadily over the series and how Lee doesn’t let Dirk get away with anything. Lee tells it like it is and that is really refreshing.
This was a sweet ending, kind of an epilogue to the epilogue, if you will. But a nice touch, having us see Dirk and his father reconcile.
I liked this series a lot. It was fun, light, engaging. We learned a bit about fires, firehouses, and cruise ships. All in all I recommend the book and the series.
Book
I really liked this book (and the series) and I give it 4 stars.
Audio book:
Peter B. Brooke does another really solid job. His Dirk voice is great and I really appreciated the sultry lilt he gives Lee when the bedroom scenes are narrated.
I enjoyed this series with Peter as narrator and would look for his work in the future.
I really liked this narration and give it 4 stars.
Overall both audio and book: 4 stars
This was a cute little addition to this series. While it starts out quite serious, we get to see Dirk and Lee away from the firehouse and their normal life.
It had a really fluffy and light feeling to the story and while it was enjoyable, I didn't love it as much as the other stories in the series.
I did like seeing the exposure his father got to his life and lifestyle from being trapped on the ship and being around people that he worked with showing appreciation for the deeds that Dirk does while on the job.
Overall, a sweet story with some interesting moments, but nothing to write home about.
The narrator did an awesome job with making the story enjoyable to listen to and adding life to the characters.
I received a free copy of this book to read for Inked Rainbow Reads in exchange for an honest review.
For the last book with this couple (for now hopefully); this book was kind of boring. It has less to do with Dirk and Lee, and more to do with Dirk and his problems with his father. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of Dirk and Lee moments, but it was missing that little bit of emotional give they have in every book. Peter B. Brooke did a fantastic job as always he's probably one of my favorite narrators now.
Any additional comments?
While this was not my favorite of the three books. It was a good follow up and a nice ending to the story of Dirk and Lee.
In the third, and what appears to be final, book in the Fire series, we once again spend some time with Lee Stanton and Dirk Krause, firefighters and partners. Lee is the gentle giant of the two, a self-assured mountain of a man with patience for his lover as big as his heart. Dirk has been slowly coming to terms with being out and proud, and his love for his younger partner colors all he does.
What made the experience of listening to Burnished by Fire the most enjoyable?
The developing relationship between the two main characters
What did you like best about this story?
Relationships were built and repaired (I can't say more, otherwise it will spoil it)
Have you listened to any of Peter B. Brooke’s other performances? How does this one compare?
This is the first time listening to this narrator, and he did a great job.
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
The temperature is rising!
Any additional comments?
This is book 3 in the series, and my rating is for the complete series. Individually they are 3 good stories, but, and it's a big but - each one is short and I personally feel that I was a little short changed as these three could easily have been done as one complete story. I have listened to several of Andrew Greys books and they are usually 5 or 6 hours of listening pleasure, so I'm a little puzzled as to why these three were done as individual stories! If you've never listened or read an Andrew Grey book before, then I suggest you try one of his other titles first!