Friday, December 10, 2010

Review: Ride the Fire by Jo Davis

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Title: Ride the Fire
Series: Firefighters of Station Five
Author: Jo Davis
Read copy: eBook
Published: December 7, 2010
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
ISBN: 1101445769
ISBN-13: 9781101445761

After he lost his wife and children to tragedy, Capt. Sean Tanner drowned his pain with alcohol. Now, fresh from rehab, he wants to regain the trust of his team and begin again. The last thing he needs is to have feelings for beautiful firefighter Eve Marshall. But even as they dare to explore their growing desire, Sean learns that his family may have actually been murdered. And that a shadow from his past has returned to finish off Sean-and anyone he loves.

My rating:

Yes, finally Sean's story. Yes, he's finally gotten his act together. And yes, finally not a disappointing book.

I don't know about you, but I was getting a little fed up with Ms. Davis and this series. I mean, what's there not to like about a bunch of hunky firefighters, a bit of suspense, and a whole lotta lovin'? Well, if the delivery sucks it all goes down the drain. And I'm sorry to say Ms. Davis' delivery sucked more than it was good where this series is concerned.
Fret no more, this book delivered and it delivered nicely. Pity it's the last one in the (firefighters) series, but if there's a spin-off about the three law-enforcement guys so far playing second fiddle, I'm with Auntee on this one, sign me up!

I'm glad Ms. Davis decided to get her act together with Sean's book, because the guy more than deserved it after all he's been through (and put us readers through). We didn't get the privilege of meeting him when he was the man everybody admired, but instead got the beginning of a wreck which we followed to lowest ring of Hell in the previous book when Sean finally hit rock bottom.
The second intervention worked, though, and Sean is back. Clean, sober, and working his ass off trying to get his life back on track and regain his friends' trust.

The journey to hell and back has been agonizing, tiring, dramatic, dangerous, and the future at the end of the previous book looked grim for out firehouse captain. But he came back with a vengeance, determined to get his life in order, not to disappoint anybody...And with the help of his friends, but mostly a newfound (old) flame, he made it.
It was a bitter-sweet story, filled with ups and downs, fears and joys, heart-rendering moments, tears, and laughter. The characterization was great, the drama of alcoholism taken head-on, the pacing was good, and it was great seeing all the firefighters and their significant others we met in the previous books. Pity, they "felt" more real to me in this one as secondary cast than they did in their respective books.

The only bone I have to pick with Ms. Davis is the suspense plot. Is it just me or did the firefighters of station five see more action than there is in a "gangsta" flick? What is it about hunky firefighters attracting bad guys like honey? And they all work together! Sheesh.
The suspense in these books always seemed a bit far-fetched for me, a little too convenient to put the male and female together, tie up loose ends at the end. Sorry, I just don't buy it.
As I didn't buy it in this book. Yeah, the revenge plot was rather good, but everything else going on with it (that never really came to fruition) left much to be desired...Also, these guys were supposed to be tight, despite Sean's downfall. Was it too much to ask for Tommy to mention the villain's name after his happily-ever-after? All it would take would be a name for Sean to put two and two together immediately. But then we wouldn't have had a story. Oh well.

The rant is officially over. The verdict: this was the best book in this series. Seeing it didn't get five stars is says a lot.

Keeping my fingers crossed to get to see more of Shane, Taylor, and Dominic. Keeping my toes crossed not to get disappointed by their stories.

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