Book Review: Feel the Fire (Hotshots) by Annabeth Albert

 Feel the Fire is the third book in the Hotshots series by Annabeth Albert. While characters do carry over from the previous installments of the series, this can be fully enjoyed as a stand alone. 

Fire behavior specialist Luis Riviera goes where his job takes him. But when he’s assigned to an arson investigation in Central Oregon—the place he left his broken heart twenty years ago—he’s afraid of being burned all over again. Tucker Ryland had planned to join his first love, Luis, in LA after high school graduation, but life got in the way. Now a fire management expert and a divorced father of teen twins, Tucker’s thrown for a loop when he finds himself working side by side with his Luis, now all grown up and more intriguing than ever. Though consumed by a grueling fire season and family responsibilities, the two men discover their bond has never truly broken. Tentative kisses turn to passionate nights. But smoking sheets aside, old hurts and new truths stand in the way of this time being the start of forever.

Feel the Fire is a solid addition to this series, even as it can stand up on its own. I am not usually a fan of second chance romance, but here it really worked for me, and to be honest I think I will read everything in this series regardless of trope. I liked both Luis and Tucker, they are both smart and try to think about others before themselves. Both have grown up since their high school days and lived different lives. I liked that the connection was still there, but that they had real conversations and cared enough to get to know each other again rather than trying to ignore their feelings and attraction. I really liked the community and how important family and real communication was to the story, particularly in some hard conversations about choices and the future. I also liked that Albert did not wrap everything up in a neat little bow, because life rarely works like that. While the relationships were solid at the end, there are still tough spots, decisions, and more that will come about in the future- and that is not ignored here. I really want to see Tucker's boys find their way, and so many of the secondary characters from this series to be honest. I look forward to reading whatever comes next.

Feel the Fire is what I did not know I wanted for this series. Another must read for fans, and a great read even for newcomers to the author.