Monday, November 12, 2012

Unwrapping: Review of ONE FINE FIREMAN, a novella by Jennifer Bernard

Delight of delights, I was able to get an eARC of the soon to be released Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel novella, ONE FINE FIREMAN by Jennifer Bernard - love these firemen!

***eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for ONE FINE FIREMAN:

Kirk, aka Thor, one of San Gabriel’s infamous Bachelor Firemen, certainly lives up to his nickname. He’s tall, handsome, and has a chiseled body worthy of any Viking god. But he’d give it all up for one glance from her.

Sweet, shy Maribel has no idea he’s been pining for her. There’s nothing he’d like better than to sweep her off her feet and show her just how exquisite their love could be. But Kirk has a secret and he won’t let anyone get close, least of all the sexiest woman he’s ever met.

Can a feisty little dog and an even feistier little boy help these star-crossed lovers to find the true love they both so richly deserve?

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Maribel Boone has worked at the Lazy Daizy for six years. It's not her dream but it pays the bills. The highlight of her day is when the guys from the local fire station come in to get their coffees and muffins (no bran). She knows them all by name and coffee preference but there's one that has always made her turn into a shy clutz as soon as he lays his silvery gray-green eyes on her. He's never said more than a few words to her at a time, usually just Black, No Sugar but it is all she needs to jump start her heart. Engaged to another man, Maribel can only look and heaven help her, try not to touch this gorgeous man nicknamed Thor.

Kirk aka Thor has been gone for a while, only his family at the San Gabriel fire station and his real family know the reason - he was being treated for skin cancer. Now back in San Gabriel, he's only back to wrap things up before heading north to Alaska where the sun is not quite so harsh. His only regret - not telling Maribel how he feels about her. He's always meant to, he's tried but whenever he gets around the spirited titian-haired beauty, he becomes tongue-tied and words escape him. It doesn't really matter anyway since he's leaving town for good and she's engaged to another man. But a guy can hope, can't he?

Maribel has just informed her son, Pete, that she and Duncan have finally set a date. She also tells him they will be moving to New York. Pete's not particularly happy about either thing. Discovering a wayward looking dog in the backyard, he follows the pup to an abandoned warehouse where he happens across a man working on his Harley.
Pete and the scrawny little dog are Kirk's opening into Maribel's life. Emotions, desires, regrets and unrequited affection come rushing to the surface between these two who have been silently crushing on each other for years. Is it too late for them to connect permanently?

I love the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel but it's very possible that none of them will touch me quite as wonderfully as Thor aka Kirk. It's a boy and a stray dog that help this shy hero find his voice and his confidence.

Jennifer Bernard creates the most delectable firemen ever but in ONE FINE FIREMAN, we get to know the one that looks like a viking god, hence the nickname Thor. Kirk may look like a warrior but he has a gentler, deeply caring side that will have you swooning with such intensity that you find yourself wishing this novella was a full-length novel or perhaps a trilogy. Would it be so awful to follow Kirk to Alaska?

ONE FINE FIREMAN by Jennifer Bernard is a touching and endearing novella - the prequel to the San Gabriel series and our introduction to Stan the firehouse dog. A wonderful introduction to a delightfully romantic series if you've not already met the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel and a wonderful backstory for those of us who have already been introduced to the sexiest men to wield a fire hose. If you believe in fate. If you believe in meant to be together. If you believe in happily-ever-afters then ONE FINE FIREMAN by Jennifer Bernard is definitely for you.

Happy Reading Everyone!

ONE FINE FIREMAN, a Bachelor Fireman novella by Jennifer Bernard, Avon Impulse, release date - November 13, 2012, available in ebook format with print coming later.
                                                               

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