Being a fireman is a tough job. For Jase McGrady, saving lives, helping people, and supporting his colleagues are rewards in themselves. And then the unthinkable happens.Jase had a life, a job he loved, a fiancée, a future. Until the one thing he believed he could always win against took the one thing he loved, and he couldn’t do a thing to save her. One fire and Jase’s life had gone up in smoke.… up in smoke.
Jase’s life now hangs out of balance. He doesn’t know how to live without the one person he grew up with. He doesn’t want to live without her. He doesn’t want to face another day on his own.
His life spirals out of control and he doesn’t want help. He doesn’t want to live with this guilt he has hanging over his head every day. His control has slipped and he doesn’t know how to get it back. But his friend and colleague, Mark, steps up and takes the brunt of Jase’s anger and frustration. He pushes him to face his demons.
Only time will tell if Jase will return as a firefighter, or whether he will be forever lost in the dark abyss that is now his life.
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How do you move on when the love of your life, your soul mate, is gone. You didn’t save her. His choice to be a fireman was because he wanted to help and save people. What good was he if he couldn’t save the one he loved most? This author takes us down the dark path of grief. Jase doesn’t handle it well. If not for Mark and Sophie he made not have made it through. The pain, the loss, the emptiness. The road back is hard but Jase takes two steps ahead and 5 steps back.
This isn’t your normal hea, not by a long shot. How can it possibly be happy without her being with him. Grief does take time and each person is unique. This author tells the story from different views which make it hit home even more. Great read.
I discovered km lowe upon entering a book club and am so glad i did as not only is she a fantastic author she now one of my go to authors . I absolutely loved reading this book was definately one of the best. I was able to associate with the story in so many ways and i Loved it and the character cant wait to read more by her .
Burning Hearts – A Dark Loss (0.5) by K.M. Lowe is a prequel novella and tells us more about Jase’s story before he meets Grace in Burning Hearts.
Jase McGrady has it all; loving family, amazing friends, dream job and his soul mate, Michelle. His job as a fireman isn’t easy but it’s something he loves doing and is good at. Life couldn’t be better and he’s looking forward to his future with Michelle. Then Jase’s life comes crashing down when he loses Michelle to the one thing he was always able to battle and win. She dies in a fire and he doesn’t know how he’ll survive without his soulmate, the one woman he’s only ever loved. With the support of those around him, especially his best friend, Mark, Jase starts the fight of trying to find his way out of the darkness and regain some control over his life.
“I was screaming inside. I felt like one of those demons in a horror film, where the person is tearing at their skin to get out. I had never felt like this in my life and it scared the s*** out of me.” – Jase
This is the first book I’ve ever read by K.M. Lowe and what a way to be introduced to her amazing work. My heart broke over and over again for Jase who not only lost the love of his life but also lost her in circumstances that he’d battled and won so many times before in the line of duty. To lose Michelle that way was devastating for him and left him feeling powerless. What started out as a typical day at work, turned into the worst day of his life. My stomach dropped when I realised what was happening and it remained that way throughout the rest of the book. Mark, Jase’s best friend and colleague, was amazing and despite having his own grief to deal with, was there for Jase every step of the way. Mark also had to deal with seeing the devastation of his friend and not knowing if Jase would ever return from the heartbreak and grief of losing Michelle.
“I knew there would be light at the end of my tunnel, but it was going to take a while before I got there. It was hard to see past my heartache and misery. I led a sheltered life, because I had never felt anything like that before.” – Jase
Burning Hearts – A Dark Loss had me crying in several places and I couldn’t stop the tears during Michelle’s funeral. K.M. Lowe uses flashbacks to show Jase remembering key moments with Michelle and he has one of these during the funeral right when you don’t expect it. Wham, it hit me right in the heart and I had tears rolling down my face as Jase remembered the most special moment of all in his and Michelle’s relationship. I then sat and cried my heart out once I’d finished reading Burning Hearts – A Dark Loss because I was imagining Jase’s pain and then his determination to continue rebuilding his life even though Michelle’s death had knocked him to rock bottom. What an emotional story K.M. Lowe has written and one I won’t forget.
I don’t usually refer to anything personal in my reviews but this heart wrenching story hit close to home and has helped me better understand what my mum must have gone through when my dad died in a tragic accident when I was a toddler and my brother was just a baby. For this reason, I’m so grateful to K.M. Lowe for writing this story. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
I urge you to get Burning Hearts – A Dark Loss and start reading today. I’ll be next reading Burning Hearts and can’t wait to see if Jase gets a second chance at love and happiness.
*I voluntarily reviewed an advance complimentary copy of this book
This is an amazingly beautiful written book that will touch you so much. Jase’s story is so sad and had me tears at many parts. That being said it’s a fantastic must read. I would highly recommend that K M Lowe is a must read author.