One man wants her dead. Another will do anything to protect her. Firefighter Kenzie Hughes never thought saving lives would make her a target. When someone rigs her car and sexy Stephen Galway offers to be her bodyguard, the flames of danger burn red-hot. Stephen lost his fiancée to violence years ago, but he can’t resist Kenzie. Can he keep Kenzie safe and out of his arms when they’re forced … when they’re forced to confront what they fear most?
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Braving the Heat is an immensely enjoyable read, I loved every moment and word of it. It has a strong and capable heroine with an equally strong hero, who both have faced deep pain and sorrow from a loss of a loved one, and together their find a solace, healing, and a possibility for a new chance of happiness, life, Joie de vivre – if only they will survive alive…
The story is well built with the intensifying danger and threat hanging in the shadows, lurking around Kenzie Hughes. No matter how much protection she has surrounding her, the culprit with his hateful manners manages to get up close to her.
With the hero, it is quite the opposite. Stephen Galway goes out looking for trouble, he hunts the drug dealers in the shady neighborhoods, his atonement for not being able to protect his fiancee.
Kenzie and Stephen bond over their interest in everything cars and mechanical. I absolutely adored this, the team they made working in the garage, how they got each other, the joy they found in racing the classic cars, the way they related to each other, were there for each other. And it started from the cars and fixing them, but in the process, they started to heal as well, and the old wounds were less infected the tighter their relationship got.
There is so much to like and enjoy about in this story – from the community surrounding them, the meddling family, the banter of the siblings, to the swoon-worthy, emotional, heartfelt love story, to the spellbinding, eerily creeping suspense that gives you the chills. Each moment and scene smoothly flowing from one to the next, until you realize that you have read the book in one sitting and it is the early hours of the morning.
From the frightening, unrelenting suspense to the delectable, ardent romance, with each deeply felt emotion, the story held me captive until the very satisfying end. A must read, indeed!
~ Five Spoons!
Suspense filled and deeply moving! I really enjoyed the next book in the Escape Club Heroes series. We’re always guaranteed an in depth mystery when the people associated with this club are involved and this one was no different. From the start of the book we’re drawn into the plight of a female firefighter who has been targeted in a string of happenings. We soon meet the man who is going to keep her safe.
Firefighter Kenzie Hughes saved a man’s life in a fire, and now she’s suddenly the target of his wrath. Incident after incident continue to happen that jeopardizes the career she adores.
Mechanic Stephen Galway starts out doing a favor for his brother, and ends up taking such a liking to Kenzie that he doesn’t want to leave her safety up to anyone else. He won’t let this guy get to her, no matter what the cost!
Braving the Heat by Regan Black is the fourth book in The Escape Club series. This book is a standalone with a strong independent female lead and a strong alpha male who both have issues to deal with. As a firefighter Kenzie has learned to be strong and never let her feelings show. She has worked within the all male world of firefighting and the good old boys club. Stephen is a member of the Galway family who owns The Escape club but he owns his own auto mechanic shop and list his fiancee to a drug deal gone bad 3 years ago. As the story unfolds Kenzie who is being stalked has her vehicle vandalised and Stephen comes to her rescue. Black’s detailed character development and storyline makes these character reparable. You want to know them and feel their joys, pain, and love. Because Stephen and Kenzie are so well written you feel like you are there with them throughout this story. The secondary characters help ground the book and give us a great look back at some familiar faces. The suspense of the story keeps you turning pages as the stalker is finally dealt with. The humor and HEA ending make this book so worth reading.
Beautiful balance of romance and suspense. I read this book in one sitting, unable to put it down until I finished it. The all-too-believable premise gave the story an extra layer of realism. Kenzie, a female firefighter, is stuck on administrative leave while being sued by a recent victim. The man claims that she screwed up his rescue because she was a woman trying to do a man’s job. While on leave, she works as a waitress at Philly’s Escape Club, whose owner helps off-duty law enforcement and first responders, as well as those let down by standard justice. After work one night, her car won’t start, and a firefighter coworker calls his brother Stephen to help.
Stephen is a man mired in grief and guilt. Three years earlier, his fiancée was murdered while leaving her work at the local community center. Angry that the man who shot her was found not guilty of her murder, Stephen deals with his grief by haunting the area where she died and photographing the criminal activity that takes place, and sending anonymous tips to the cops. He can’t imagine ever being interested in giving his heart to another woman.
When Stephen arrives to tow Kenzie’s car, he also notices her suitcases in it. When he finds out she’s essentially homeless while her apartment building undergoes fumigation, he offers her the camper he lives in behind his garage. Kenzie, whose second love behind firefighting is cars, offers to help Stephen around the garage when she’s not at the Escape Club. As they work together and bond over their love of cars, Kenzie’s determination and ability to still laugh draws him in. His growing attraction and feelings for her surprise him, and he fights hard against admitting them. Kenzie tries to resist falling for the man who is clearly not ready to move on, but it’s a losing battle. I loved seeing Stephen’s walls crumble the more time he spent with her. Giving in to the attraction complicates matters, especially when Kenzie tells Stephen how she feels. I ached for both of them as Stephen froze when his fear of losing her kept him from saying anything back, and Kenzie felt her heart break when he just stood there. I loved seeing him realize his mistake and rush to fix it. He gets a slight assist from both Grant and Jason, but it’s his emotional confession that wins the day. An unexpected interruption delays the rest of their big moment, but it is sweet and touching when it comes.
The suspense of the story kept me hooked from start to finish. The irrational behavior of Kenzie’s accuser kept me glued to the pages as I waited to see what he would do next. Just when things started to look up, Murtagh began a new campaign of intimidation while hiding his involvement. I loved Kenzie’s strength of will as she refused to give in. The escalating attacks led to a terrifying final confrontation. Kenzie’s calmness in the face of danger showed her strength as a firefighter. The resolution was heartbreaking but not unexpected.
One of the other things I enjoyed about this book was seeing Kenzie and Stephen’s bonding over cars. From his surprise at her talents to her appreciation of his skill, you could feel their love of classic cars. I loved their joy at test driving the Camaro at the race track and seeing the buyer’s over-the-moon happiness when he picked it up. I liked how working on the cars provided Kenzie with stress relief and how she even liked helping with the office work. I foresee a lot of happy together time for them in Stephen’s garage.
Braving the Heat is the latest in Regan Black’s Escape Club series. As with the previous installments, it doesn’t disappoint. Kensie and Stephen are fun; the conflict is organic and never seems forced. Bonus: this is a car book. Those who enjoy classic muscle cars will enjoy Black’s descriptions and their integration into the story. Longtime readers will enjoy coming back. New readers will jump right in.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novel.
Braving the Heat
Regan Black
I love the Escape Club series. They just keep getting better and better.
Stephen is a brooding hero and Kenzie is a determined heroine who is determined to help Stephen heal while she needs to clear her name.
This grabbed you all the way from the beginning to the end. Knowing who the villain was didn’t take away from any of it because you didn’t know what he would do next or why he zeroed in on her.
I highly recommend Braving the Heat and of course the other Escape Club books.
Braving the Heat is the fourth book in the Escape Club Heroes series but it can be read as a standalone. I was provided a copy of this book by the author and was unaware that it was part of a series and I was able to follow along with the characters and keep up with the storyline just fine. I enjoyed this so much that I will be going back to read the other three in the series to see how it all began. The characters in this story are grounded, likeable and easy to relate to. The plot flows well, at a steady pace, and is engaging. I could easily see everything unfolding in my mind and it held my attention from beginning to end.
Kenzie Hughes is a firefighter who is struggling to keep her job. Because of an angry, hateful victim she saved from a fire, she is on leave while complaints against her are investigated so she is working on the side at an old high school friend’s bar as a waitress. Aside from her job worries, she is temporarily being evicted from her apartment while being constantly harassed by the vindictive man. He blames Kenzie for all his troubles and he makes a point to stay in her face and cause as much trouble for her as he can. She is a strong, determined, independent woman who wants to stand on her own but has no choice to accept the assistance offered by her bar owner friend, Mitch and the generosity of his older brother Stephen. While everything is being sorted out, she is offered refuge and security with Stephen at his garage; which is both a blessing and curse. She has always had a thing for cars, thanks to her father, and knows the ins and outs of them as well as how to drive them…fast. And the brooding, sexy garage owner seems to be the icing on the cake. But she has no room for romance in the current crazy state of her life, if only her libido and heart would agree with her head.
Stephen Galloway is still grieving the loss of his fiancée three years prior. He wants nothing more than to bury himself in the work at his garage…fixing cars and restoring classics. He still puts in the effort with his family, checking in and weekly dinners to keep up a good front, while inside he feels nothing but loss and heartache. He blames himself for her death and he never wants to be in a position like this again so he just gets lost in his work. When his brother asks for his help with Kenzie, he wants to refuse. He does not need the complications or aggravation. However, when he sets his sights on her he feels a connection, a kindred spirit of sorts, and seeing her love of cars and ability to fix them just adds to the already attractive package she presents. Whether or not she approves, he has appointed himself as her bodyguard. His hardened heart begins to thaw in her presence and he will do whatever he has to do to help keep her safe and in his life.
Kenzie and Stephen make a great couple. His gruff, brooding exterior and her light-hearted, quiet way complement each other well. I enjoyed the pace of their tentative friendship turned romance and the inner struggles they face trying to overcome their own insecurities and work toward happiness.
This was a great story and I look forward to reading the others in the series. I was gifted a copy of this book by the author and am voluntarily leaving my honest review. The thoughts expressed in this review are non-biased and completely my own.
Stephen is part of the Galway family. A family steeped in the life of being a Firefighter. Stephen, however, is more mechanically inclined and runs his own automotive business and is making a bit of a name for himself. He has suffered tragic loss, his fiancée was shot by a drug dealer just before their wedding a few years earlier. He retreated into his shell and his family are worried that he’ll isolate himself completely. But being the eldest of the Galway children does not make him immure from meddlesome siblings!
Kenzie Hughes went to school with Mitch but wasn’t around Stephen much. Now a firefighter herself, she recently went through an enforced administrative leave due to a belligerent ex-firefighter being uncooperative when she tried to save him and injured himself. Now working at the escape club whilst on leave to giver her something to do, she begins to suffer from mild vandalism to her property which soon escalates. The Galways shanghai Stephen into letting her crash at his place. Giving him some company and help at his business and her a safe place to stay.
Arggggh. I totally felt for Mack. The bigoted, misogynistic ex-firefighter is making her life a misery! Loved how the grumpy Stephen slowly cracked his shell and allowed Kenzie into his life. Great pace to the story and the characters are solidly fleshed out and engaging.
Although this is a part of the Escape Club Heroes series, it can be read as a standalone. This is Stephen Galway’s story. If you have read the series, you will remember him as Mitch’s older brother from “Safe in His Sight”. Stephen hasn’t been able to move past the tragic death of his fiancée 3 years ago. He has buried himself in building up his automotive repair and restoration business, believing he has lost his one and only chance at true love. Kenzie Hughes is a firefighter who went to school with and now works alongside of Stephan’s younger brother, Mitch. Kenzie’s livelihood has been placed in jeopardy due to a frivolous lawsuit filed by a disgruntled rescue victim who will resort to any means necessary to see her removed from the fire department.
Stephen and Kenzie are developing feelings for each other, but they both must face their own inner struggles while trying to figure out who it is threatening Kenzie and why the threats keep escalating. This story will take you on an intriguing and suspenseful journey through the lives of Stephen and Kenzie. As the story unfolds, you will learn if they are able to deal with their internal and external demons and if they will be able to reach their HEA.
Regan Black weaves an interesting tale with easy flow and solid characterizations. This story will keep your attention from beginning to end. I highly recommend this book!
I am voluntarily providing an honest, unbiased review of an ARC of this book.