When Autumn McCoy accepted a temporary work contract in Durango, she thought it would be a safe way to add some spark to her existence. She may be getting more than she bargained for when she finds herself the target of impending danger. The outspoken forty-two-year-old isn’t prepared for that spark to ignite flames threatening to engulf every aspect of her life. Buried under the weight of … weight of responsibilities, all interim Chief of Police, Keith Blackfoot, wants is to get back to good old-fashioned detecting. He gets his chance when an encounter with a feisty redhead seems to incite a wave of arson cases. Although a visit from friend and firefighter, Roman “Chief” Proudfit, provides some direction, he’s left to battle an invisible menace fueling fires that could leave his town—and his heart—in ashes.
This is a full length novel with almost 80,000 words.
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Thank you Freya Barker for posting “Burning for Autumn” and “Covering Ollie” on Booksprouts!
Otherwise I might never have found these wonderful stories.
I read “Covering Ollie” first and I totally fell in love with the hot police and firemen of Durango, CO.
And the strong feisty women they love.
Then I read “Burning for Autumn” and I have to say this is my favorite book so far.
Freya writes a great cast of characters who bring each story to life with passion, strength, courage, humor, love and an HEA.
I love the cover art too.
Happy Reading:)
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I think we all have at least a couple of authors who, if they re-wrote the alphabet, we would buy it without hesitation….. Freya Barker is one of those authors for me…. not that Ms B would do anything as mundane as rewriting our ABCs..
Burning for Autumn is the first book in the Police and Fire: Operation Alpha & On Call series which is a collaboration into Susan Stoker’s world of Badge of Honor and it was a really fab read.
Featuring Keith Blackwood, the stoic, hardworking but, in my head at least, dour Interim Chief of Police, I wasn’t entirely sure that I was gonna like him as the leading man/hero when it came to his book, but as ever, Freya proved me wrong in my thinking!
Autumn McCoy had moved to Durango as she needed a change and her one year placement at the local hospital seemed like just the thing for her. Independent, feisty, hard headed but caring with a huge heart, Autumn is exactly the type of heroine we now expect from one of my favourite authors!
Having to work together when a series of fires hits the La Planta County, the spark (pardon the pun!!) between the two is immediate, though this pair butt heads more than a few times as they are both so very alike in character and traits!
This has everything that I adore about Ms Barker’s work – a great supporting cast, likable and relatable main characters, action, mystery and intrigue as well as a shed load of heat and smexy times and I cannot wait for more in the series!!
5 burning hot stars for this fabulous start to the series!
Autumn, due to a past experience, has devoted her life to helping burn victims, and as such, has accepted a year long assignment in Durango. In the two months she’s been there, she’s been so focused on her working and settling in that she hasn’t really made any new friends. She does, however, become friendly with a first responder she’s met while working and accepts his invitation, as friends only, to visit the local hangout for people in their fields. But when she gets there, he’s a no show and she takes the opportunity to talk with the gorgeous man who caught her eye immediately.
Keith is the interim Chief of Police, a fact he loathes, but he was promised it was only temporary as the previous one is now in jail. He’d rather work in the field as he’s used to, without all the politics. Stopping at the local bar with a friend and co-worker, he’s intrigued by the sexy voice when she asks him a question and even more so by the whole package.
While the first meeting could’ve gone better, and both know it, they’re also intrigued. Unfortunately, Keith has no way of contacting her again, but it just so happens their paths will cross once more. Yay fate!
As they begin spending time together, the pull to one another continually grows, and it isn’t long before feelings start to grow. Yet reality waits for no one and a serial arson has made their presence known, and shown their interest in Autumn.
When the flames get to close to Autumn in more ways than one, Keith is more determined to ever to stop the culprit, saving not only those who would be impacted by the person’s actions in the future, but also to protect the woman he’s fallen in love with.
Can Keith keep Autumn safe? Who is starting the fires and why? How did Autumn become their focus? How far will they go to get what they want? Is a HEA possible?
One-click now and follow along as two people meet by chance but stay together for love. I enjoyed this story, the plot unique and intriguing, as well as the characters. I like that they were older, both established in their careers even if they are currently in temporary positions, and therefore know what they want out of life, both personally and professionally. The mystery was good even though I figured out the bad person’s identity fairly quickly. Honestly, this would’ve been a four star for me, yet I dropped it a half star, and was tempted to make it a full star drop, because of one specific reason…the harm that came to a beloved pet of Autumn’s in the story. Yes, I know it’s merely a book and that no actual animal was hurt, but it was unnecessary. The point could’ve been made another way, not in the one in which it was done. It definitely evoked an emotion in me, but it hurt my heart too much and I couldn’t recover from it. There are a few hard lines I draw in my reading as it’s an escape from reality, and harm to animals is one of them. Now, with that being said, I will check out future titles in the series as I’m curious to see where the author will go with it.
– Elizabeth
Older couple read with great storyline and good flow.
It was nice that Autumn got her HEA and the visit from Chief and Sophie was nice.
Another fabulous read from the lovely and talented Freya. A romantic suspense with a thrilling twist .
Keith is our local fireman that has never found that plus one that held his interest . He is now acting interim chief and certainly does not want this job. He wants to be in the trenches and solving the crimes. Autumn is on a temporary assignment in a sleepy little town and working with in the burn unit within the local hospital. She truly loves her job and her patients. A brief run in at the local watering hole with a know it all resident has her steaming yet intrigued. Keith noticed the beautiful redhead as soon as she walked in and never expected her to be so opinionated and sassy . He should walk away but something pulls him to her. They have a draw to one another and the sarcastic witty banter is such a great addition to their story. I loved these two complex complicated characters. Neither one wants to admit that yes they might have this slow burn and undeniable attraction but once they do external forces begin to toy with them and the ones they care about !! Loved it !!
~Michele McMullen ~~ (
Really enjoyed this so much. The characters are well flushed and the plot was riviting.
Burning For Autumn is the first title in the Freya Barker’s Police and Fire: Operations Alpha & On Call series, but also entwines with Susan Stoker’s Badge of Honor series.
Readers familiar with Freya’s Rock Point series, will recognise the hero Keith, a detective acting as the Chief of Police of the Durango PD. He strong, brave, protective, honorable and honest. He’s also sexy, confident and affectionate.
Autumn is fiery, feisty, intelligent, driven, independent, sassy and snarky.
The chemistry between this pair is intense, their story is full of intrigue, suspense, danger and twists and turns aplenty as they hunt for a serial arsonist.
I really enjoyed this start to a great spin off series, and enjoyed reading a story with more mature characters. I will be eagerly awaiting the next title in this series.
Freya never disappoints, this book was so so good!
Wow this book had me feeling so many emotions. The characters were just amazing I completely fell in love with Autumn and Keith.
Autumn has a temporary assignment in Durango and since she has arrived there has been an increase in fires. These fires end up being arson and she is the reason why they are happening. Keith Blackfoot ends up falling for Autumn and is the interim chief of police. His detective skills are on high alert when these arson start taking place and he wants to find the perp. The characters, the development the ending just superb!
There is so much depth to this story and it is just amazing.
Great story! I loved the book!
Burning for Autumn is the first book in the Police and Fire: Operation Alpha & On Call series, and what a start it is. The story draws you in from the start, that you won’t want to put it down till the end. I liked the way the story was told, that it was older adults, the suspense, and mystery that kept me guessing till the end. The characters were developed and likeable. The secondary characters were great too, to me they were comic relief. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series!
Looking for a romantic suspense that will keep you turning the pages. Pick up the new read from Freya Barker and join the ride that Autumn McCoy go on. I found humor in this suspense. I found Autumn to be just the ticket. She was more than just heroine in the wrong place or right place. She was a mature one that gave me more to enjoy. Chief on of police got me by his strong protective streak not just for his town but also the feisty redhead that had come to his town. and Chief two sparked and interest maybe he will be next? All in all I enjoyed my trip to Durango.
Autumn has accepted a 1-year contract in Durango, in their burn unit. She’s excited to be working with live real patients, rather than all research and stats as she did in her previous job. But she needs to get out and about and make some friends. And it’s because of this need that she meets interim Chief Keith Blackfoot. Their first meeting is a little, um, wonky, as their perceptions of each other just might be off. But they strike a chord within each other and find that they can’t get the other off their minds even days later.
Keith has had it with the administrative portion of his interim chief job. So heading to the local bar to unwind seems like a good idea. When he spies a gorgeous redhead, he’s intrigued. Unfortunately, she misconstrues his flirting, and she’s out the door. No matter, he is the Chief of Police, which means he knows how to find her. But he won’t have to go that far as soon they’re intertwined in each other’s lives. And not all for pleasant reasons. Can Keith figure out who’s setting the wave of fires in their town? Can he keep Autumn safe?
I really enjoyed the start of this new series. Autumn and Keith have chemistry for days! No one can say that only 20 somethings know how to indulge in the fine art of pleasure, at least not according to these two… The added suspense and mystery, plus an equally interesting secondary cast combine to make Burning for Autumn a sexy, action-packed first installment to the On Call series. I cannot wait for more!
Freya Barker has a special unique talent. She writes characters that we can see ourselves in. They are real people, just like us, our friends, our neighbors, our family. They deal with real life problems. And every new couple she creates makes me love her books even more.
In Burning For Autumn, we meet the newest couple, Autumn and Keith. We’ve known Keith for a while because he’s been in previous books but it was so exciting to really get to know him. Also, what is so exciting is that this book is the first book of a new series for Freya, which means we’ll have several more books of these type of fantastic couples.
Autumn is in town, working at the local hospital as a temporary assignment. When she came, she never imagined never going back home but then she meets Keith, the local sheriff. And the story takes off from there.
This book will become one of your favorites. Take a chance, click it, and enter the writing world of Freya Barker. I guarantee you won’t regret it!
Everything Frey puts out is amazing. This one does not disappoint.
4.5 stars
Another great book by Freya Barker! To be honest, I don’t know the books that she was inspired by for this series, but they sound amazing! I have to start off by saying it took me a bit longer for this story to suck me in than previous books written by this author, but once I was in, there was no going back!
Autumn is starting a new career/job and finding her way around this new town. Keith is an officer and chief (even though he doesn’t want to be). They run into each other because of a series of fires that have been torturing this town.
I loved Autumn. She is not the most social person (it’s clear that things have happened to her) and her best friends don’t live close anymore. I loved that she had cats (all 5 of them). I am definitely a cat lady, so this was a nice touch to this story! Autumn changed a lot in this story and finally starts letting her walls down.
Keith is a strong person who wants criminals behind bars. He’s not happy being chief at the moment and doing anything possible to change that. All the fires are doubling his workload and he is determined to find the arsonist. Keith is very protective and will do anything to keep the ones he loves safe, even if he may seem a bit demanding at times.
Burning for Autumn isn’t just a romance though. I loved the suspense element in this story. We never knew when the next fire would strike or who would be involved (especially after it hit close to home). While reading I loved trying to figure out who was behind all the fires. I didn’t expect how it turned out.
The romance was a great element as well and I was happy to see it was a bit of a slowburn in the beginning. Autumn was careful, but Keith was determined to follow his feelings. They’re so sweet together and I would love to read more about them!
On top of al of this, Burning for Autumn has a great crew of characters. I loved the cameos from a few characters we know and love from a different series. Autumn’s best friend and husband are so fun and I would love more of them! Luna is a tough cookie and also deserves her own happily ever after! I’m glad to see she will be getting her own story!
All in all, I really enjoyed this story. Only as a cat lover this story was a bit hard at times. I understand why it went the way it did though. Something like that could happen in real life with a disturbed person like this book has. I can’t wait for the next book in this series!
Great read!
This book was an amazing read for me. I love a good suspense and mystery story. When Autumn McCoy took a temporary job in Durango she thought it would be safe for her but boy oh boy was she wrong. She finds herself the target of a crazy arsonist. Police Chief Keith Blackfoot wants to get back to good old fashion police work. Boy is he in for a surprise when his town becomes a playground for a crazy arsonist. Keith is determined to find out who this arsonist is and why they are burning down buildings.
So Autumn and Kieth come together to find out who this arsonist is and while spending time together they start to like each other and flames spark between them. While things are heating up for them the crazy arsonist is determined to hurt Autumn. How is Kieth going to protect her and his town? Will he be able to find out who the arsonist is? This is a must read action packed romantic suspense mystery that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat wondering what is going to happen next.
I’ll admit upfront that I haven’t read a wide range of romantic suspense books that spotlight first responders, but Freya Barker has a real gift for writing them. Last year, she introduced me to interim Chief of Police, Keith Blackfoot, in Cabin 12. So, when I was offered a chance to read his story in Burning for Autumn, I said yes without hesitation. He’s a perfect hero for this novel and I was easily won over by his intelligence, good looks, passion, and sense of humor.
He meets his match in Autumn McCoy, a gifted physician who has dedicated her career to treating burn victims. Autumn and Keith are both single and content to focus on their careers. Even so, when they meet casually at a local hangout, there is an instant attraction. Autumn finds Keith dark and brooding yet smooth. Keith finds her sexy and feisty yet confusing. Her body language and demeanor communicate that she doesn’t want anyone getting too close.
Naturally, that only deepens the mystery for a skilled detective. After a shared drink and some brief flirting, the two part without much to show for it. But fate intervenes, when mutual friends bring them back together for a dinner date and the two give in to their desire. The budding romance is disrupted, however, when a serial arsonist terrorizes the community and targets Autumn in the process. Keith is consumed by the case both professionally and personally, determined to capture a dangerous criminal before the unthinkable occurs.
Burning for Autumn is part of the Police and Fire: Operation Alpha Fan-Fiction world. As a Twilight FF alum, I was tickled to see that Freya wrote this story using one or more of Susan Stoker’s characters, and with the enthusiastic support of Stoker herself. And although I’m personally unfamiliar with Stoker’s works, I had no trouble being swept away by the story.
For me, there are several refreshing elements when it comes to reading Freya Barker’s novels. I love that Freya prominently features a compelling and diverse set of characters, including a Native American hero and Hispanic professionals. Readers looking for diversity in their fiction will be pleased with the complexity of these well-crafted individuals. Additionally, Keith and Autumn are mature adults – both in their forties. Given the combined stressors of their respective careers along with unresolved personal issues, it’s refreshing to watch how these wiser characters deal with the strife hurled at them. I also enjoyed the suspense of the unfolding mystery at the center of this novel. The plot was well-paced, the tension built to a fever pitch, and the action was well written, resulting in my first 5 star read of 2019.
Sexy police man? Check. Strong, fiery and fierce heroine? Check. Crazy people, great friends and incredible story line? CHECK. Freya Barker has once again created a world so vivid and so realistic you feel like you’re living in Durango too. I adored almost (yes, almost, read the book to find out why 😉 ) every single character. And even as Autumn and Keith’s HEA was winding down, I was already telling myself “don’t worry, this is only book 1, there’s more amazingness to come”.
Story Line: Autumn works in a burn unit. She’s accomplished, well respected, and is doing just fine on her own. Then there’s Keith. He’s the stand – in police chief. Their paths cross. First impression? Attraction, sure. Annoyance? YEP. But you know what they say, fate is funny that way. So once again, Keith and Autumn are in each other’s paths. And from that point forward, it’s only a matter of time before they give in and open up. And when they do? Their connection is one of the strongest I’ve ever read. But before we go and think it’s all happy-go-lucky once these two get naughty, think again. Because there is some seriously crazy stuff lurking in the shadows. There are fires, fatalities (which includes a cat. Sorry minor spoiler alert, but I had to warn some people. If I didn’t already ADORE Freya, this would have caused me to stop reading because people can die, but animals? NOPE. Hard NO.) Anyways, yes there are deaths and it’s emotional and heart stopping. But it’s those twist and turns and the way Autumn and Keith handle everything that is thrown at them, that makes this book so incredibly perfect.
Interaction: Freya writes the most real characters of all. Her hero isn’t 27 and a billionaire (not that there is anything wrong with that. I have at least 50 books on my kindle that I’ve read just like that.) Her heroine isn’t 23 and fresh out of college. These are forty something year olds who have their act together. And I LOVE that. It shows that you don’t have to find the love of your life in your 20’s or even 30’s. No one says there’s a time frame for love. And Freya is the master at telling that story. Keith is totally swoon worthy, he’s funny and he’s protective. And Autumn is strong, but she knows when to let her walls down and when to let this big hunk of a man in. It’s the perfect balance of characters.
Laundry: I’m not going to lie to you. I was expecting a longer slow-burn. Freya writes some incredible build up and angst. And I was fully prepared to wait for the laundry. But SURPRISE! Santa came early with this one. Not literally. And no one was premature 😉 But the laundry? OH THE LAUNDRY. Give me kitchen laundry any day, every day. Good lord, FB, these two were so dang hot!
Depth: With Keith’s job comes quite a bit of suspense. I mean, he is the chief of police. So, whenever a call comes in, he’s the first in line to get called out. For a budding relationship, that sucks. But Autumn is way less needy than I am. My poor hubby. I text him at least 10 times a day to see where he’s working (he’s an HVAC guy) and how he’s doing. Thank God he’s more patient than a saint. But like I was saying, Keith and even Autumn’s careers are no stranger to gore and things of that graphic nature. But you will NOT see this added element coming. Fires keep popping up and there is literally no way to predict how this story unfolds. I was biting my nails and holding my breath 2/3 of this book. It was INCREDIBLE. Now give me Luna’s book before I cry! 😉
Keith and Autumn are characters that are real. Autumn has a stressful but rewarding job in the area’s burn unit program, and she is settling in Durango for the longevity of her position. Not knowing anyone in town, she goes to a local establishment to socialize, and Keith Blackfoot makes it his mission to find and fluster the h after she walks out of the bar on him. Meanwhile, trouble comes the town’s way and specifically targets Autumn, which gets Keith’s protective Alpha cop instincts flowing. Keith is trying to keep the town safe, and everyone is a suspect. As usual, the book leads you to wonder until the end and has a great air of mystery to this love story. Five Stars for me…character development, chemistry, and plot …they all work wonderfully.