Review: Fired Up by Riley Hart
SYNOPSIS:
ASHTON
If there’s one thing I know, it’s how to play the game…both on and off the field. If it hadn’t been for that one teenage slipup where I kissed Beau Campbell, I’d be able to keep fooling myself. Football is the one thing I use to distract myself from the truth, and when I screw-up and lose the game I love, I find myself right back in Fever Falls. And right back face-to-face with Cranky Campbell, who hates me even more than he did when we were kids. Whatever magic he held over me then is still there. As much as I fight it, I still want him. And I always get what I want…well, except with Beau, who constantly calls me on my crap. Why do I like that so much?
BEAU
I might’ve spent years watching Ash live out my dream—without the off-field antics and orgies with women, at least—but I’ve made a good life for myself. I’m a firefighter, and I coach my brother’s football team for those with developmental disabilities. But when Ash swings back into town armed with his monster ego and an arsenal of stupid nicknames, everyone is in awe of him. Nope, not me. I don’t care if our kiss years ago was responsible for my sexual awakening. I won’t fall for Ashton Carmichael. Though that resolution would be a whole lot easier if he wasn’t so tempting. Once he finds his way into my bed, I’m screwed—in more ways than one. But there’s more to Ash than meets the eye, buried beneath his ego, sarcasm and how we burn up the sheets together. Soon, it’s more than a game. We don’t just get each other fired up, we just might win each other’s hearts.
Too bad things are never that simple…
REVIEW:
This story was filled with so much depth and heart. A tender journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance that left me with a cheesy grin on my face. Endlessly romantic and endearing, with a scene-stealing little brother, I couldn’t help but fall in love with Fever Falls.
I guess the only character to start with Beau, the man with the biggest, most self-less heart around. He continues to make endless sacrifices for his family and friends, never putting himself first, never finding his own happiness, and never falls in love. Beau’s little brother, Kenny, said throughout the story that Beau was a hero and honestly, he wasn’t wrong. Beau helps coach Kenny’s football team and these scenes thawed my icy heart, it was just everything you wanted to see in a compassionate sibling relationship.
In comparison, there is the beautifully broken Ash, who hides behind sarcasm and smiles. Except, Beau sees right through Ash’s front. Cue the drama. Ash has to work through a lot of things in his head and heart. What he wants, who he is, and what he is. And ultimately, his journey to finding himself is the undercurrent that carries the story.
Riley Hart does this ‘sorta’ second-chance romance right. Beau and Ash get to know each other after 10 years apart. There was no facade or pretending a person doesn’t change in a decade. Riley put in the time to develop the characters on a deeper level, and for that…THANK YOU. This depth had me connecting with the characters and submersing myself into the world. Which lead me to tearing up during a scene or two with Ash and his big ole heart.
Both these men were so sweet and cute but this is a Riley Hart book and you know she brought the heat too. There were moments of drama and tension but they didn’t drag out. It was just a warm, fuzzy feels type of read. The kind that leaves my heart feeling light and a smile on my lips. And sometimes, those are the best kind of stories.
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