Chasing Fire [Hardcover]

I've finished "Chasing Fire" by Nora Roberts.

Product Description

The number-one New York Times - bestselling author delves into the world of elite firefighters who thrive on danger and adrenaline - men and women who wouldn't know how to live life if it wasn't on the edge.

There's little as thrilling as firefighting - at least to Rowan Tripp. The Missoula smoke jumpers are in Rowan's blood: her father is a legend. She's been fighting fires since her eighteenth birthday. At this point, returning to the wilds of Montana for the season feels like coming home - even with reminders of the partner she lost last season still lingering.

Fortunately, this year's rookie crop is one of the strongest ever - and Gulliver Curry's one of the best. He's also a walking contradiction, a hotshot firefighter with a big vocabulary and a winter job at a kids' arcade.

Everything is thrown off balance when a dark presence lashes out against Rowan, looking to blame someone for last year's tragedy. Rowan knows she can't complicate things with Gull - any distractions in the air or on the ground could mean the end - but if she doesn't find someone she can lean on, she may not make it through the summer. . . .

Product Details
Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: Putnam Adult; First Edition edition (April 12, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780399157448
ISBN-13: 978-0399157448

My Review:

Storyline:  Last season Rowan watched her jump partner, Jim Brayner, die while on a jump with her.  She is blames herself  and still has issues with it she has to get past ... like the dreams that have been haunting her.

Gull is determined for Rowan to let him 'in', and in his own dogged way inserts himself into her daily routine...they are just beginning to have a relationship when the woman who had been dating Jim, the jump partner who'd died, shows back up on the base begging for a job and because she is pregnant with what might be Jim's child, is given one. But she blames Rowan  and is determined to make her life hell.

Characters:   Rowan is strong and independent woman who is hard but fair. She is a good trainer and team leader. I loved the scenes in which she trained the new smoke jumpers and the way she supported them and joked with them was admirable.  She is also quick tempered, loyal to her friends and family and very protective of her dad.  Man she could even kick butt!

Gull is intelligent, interested in a lot of variety of different things and seems to live his life exactly the way he wants to.  I really enjoyed their highly entertaining bantering dialogue and the way Gull focused on Rowan and never gave up on her.   I'm really glad Rowan gave him a chance.

I loved reading about the camaraderie of the smoke jumpers and about their missions. The smoke jumpers are like a small family who love to rib each other and there are a lot of funny scenes between them.  I was  interested in reading about their operations and I was impressed that with every jump into the flames they risked their lives.
  
Romance:   Both Rowan and Gull are such a wonderful couple because they support each other and work well together. 

I also enjoyed the smaller love story between Rowan's father and a woman he meets. Their relationship is so cute and sweet and shows that you are never too old to find love.

Killer(s):  The killer was pretty screwed up and life wasn't so great for them.

5/5

Thanks Laura from Penguin Canada for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!