From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the popular Black Dagger Brotherhood series comes a brand-new novel about arson investigator, Ann Ashburn, who is consumed by her troubled past, her family’s scorched legacy, and her current case: chasing a deadly killer. Anne Ashburn is a woman consumed… By her bitter family legacy, by her scorched career as a firefighter, by her obsession … firefighter, by her obsession with department bad-boy Danny McGuire, and by a new case that pits her against a fiery killer.
Strong-willed Anne was fearless and loved the thrill of fighting fires, pushing herself to be the best. But when one risky decision at a warehouse fire changes her life forever, Anne must reinvent not only her job, but her whole self.
Shattered and demoralized, Anne finds her new career as an arson investigator a pale substitute for the adrenaline-fueled life she left behind. She doesn’t believe she will ever feel that same all-consuming passion for her job again–until she encounters a string of suspicious fires setting her beloved city ablaze.
Danny McGuire is a premiere fireman, best in the county, but in the midst of a personal meltdown. Danny is taking risks like never before and seems to have a death wish until he teams up with Anne to find the fire starter. But Danny may be more than a distraction, and as Anne narrows in on her target, the arsonist begins to target her.
From the creator of the bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood, get ready for a new band of brothers. And a firestorm.
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CONSUMED is the first full-length instalment in J. R. Ward’s contemporary, adult FIREFIGHTERS romantic, suspense series. CONSUMED is the continuing storyfocusing on firefighters Anne Ashburn, and Danny Maguire of the NBFD 499. I recommend reading the FREE prequel novellas The Rehearsal and The Dinner for backstory and cohesion.
Told from several third person perspectives including Anne and Danny CONSUMED follows the acrimonious relationship between firefighters and partners Anne Ashburn, and Danny Maguire of the New Brunswick Fire Department (NBFD) 499. Following an warehouse fire wherein both Anne and Danny were wounded, the story line picks up ten months later as Anne embarks on her new career as a certified fire inspector, a career change that has left her bitter and insecure. No longer working alongside her fellow firefighters from the 499, Anne struggles to find a place without the camaraderie and companionship of the men who had always had her back including the man who had stolen her heart. A tightknit group of friends, the firefighters of the 499 are more like family than the blood family back home.
Danny Maguire battles PTSD and remorse in the aftermath of a warehouse fire that went horribly wrong. Never ones to follow orders both Danny and Anne found themselves in a dangerous situation, a situation that was about to affect the rest of their lives and careers. What ensues is the rebuilding friendship and relationship between Danny and Anne, and the fall-out as an arsonist hits too close home, and accusations of another nature threaten the already tepid relationship between our story line couple.
JR Ward pulls the reader into a story of family, friendship, betrayal and power. Anne Ashburn comes from a family who have loved and lost in the line of duty but not is all as it appears to be as the perfect façade begins to crumble as secrets are revealed. Danny Maguire struggles to make sense of where everything went wrong but release does not come easy as the guilt of what happened weighs heavily and long.
All of the firefighters previously introduced in the prequel novellas are present and accounted. Anne’s brother Chief Thomas Ashburn struggles with his tentative hold over a collapsing department, a department he fears no longer respects the position he holds. Danny’s best friend Robert ‘Moose’ Miller is always ready with a helpful hand but it is his new bride Deandra that threatens Moose’s stability, and those of the people working the 499.
CONSUMED follows the breakdown of leadership, the loss of control, the drama and fall-out of a department threatened by an unseen power that is determined to win at all costs. The premise is suspenseful, detailed and dramatic: the characters are flawed, wounded and broken; the romance struggles in the face of pride, betrayal and demons from the past. CONSUMED sets the stage for a potential power match between law enforcement, business and the political elite-a powerful and volatile combination of chaos and command.
Not up to what you expect from JR Ward
It’s been awhile since I read a JR Ward book. I had forgotten how engrossing they are. I have so many feelings after reading the preceeding novellas and then Consumed. First, OMG! So very good. Anne & Danny are fantastic. The various POV throughout the novel. The family you are born into and the family you choose drama. Damaged people finding their peace. The mystery was enthralling. I’m hoping this is the start of something as engrossing as BDB was. I love how she entertwines the unfolding evolution of Anne and Danny’s relationship with the mystery Anne is truing to solve. Passion, pain, the heat and smell of the fires, love, acceptance, so much to express, I don’t have the words. This one is definitely going to stick with me. I received an advanced copy of this novel. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
While I am a fan of J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood and Black Dagger Legacy series, I find that I am not a fan of her contemporary romance and unfortunately, Consumed was not for me.
“Stay in the present with me. I don’t want to waste a second of this if it’s my only chance.” – The Reception (The Wedding From Hell #2)
While the story is detail rich (so many details I found myself skimming), it is lacking in regards to the characters. I don’t feel any connection to them or their connections to each other. And I personally would like to follow the two main characters, Anne and Danny, rather than multiple side stories that occur simultaneously within Consumed. (That’s an issue I’ve started having with her BDB series as well now that there are so many characters.) I feel like I’m missing huge pieces of information into these characters backstories and know so little about them that I don’t understand their motivations. The best character in the book is Soot, the dog! The lack of character focus and building emotional connections really hurt the story.
I was interested in the story when I began the freebie (at time of posting) prequels, but Consumed just didn’t work for me. I found myself skimming after a certain point just to find out the ending. Consumed has great detail (some of it extremely traumatic), good suspense, but no romance, and no character development. It felt very sterile with it’s details and lack of emotions.
I am an outlier though, since there are many favorable reviews for Consumed . If you haven’t read J.R. Ward before I’d recommend the BDB and BDL series over her contemporary romance. I struggled through The Bourbon Kings book #1 and never continued that series.
The Rehearsal Dinner (The Wedding From Hell #1) 2 stars
The Reception (The Wedding From Hell #2) 2 stars
Consumed 1 star
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the start to a new series by this author. Anne has always been destined to be a firefighter, she was born into the business but one wrong move and she is caught in a fire and her life will never be the same. Danny McGuire may be a wild man but he is one tough firefighter and the best there is. He is injured in the same fire but his injuries are not career ending as Anne’s were. Anne has now reinvented herself and as an Arson Investigator she has found her passion once again. This book kept me riveted from page one and I was consumed with not only the story but the characters. I can see this series going in so many directions and looking forward to seeing what comes next.
The opening chapters of Consumed had me hooked. The book opens right in the thick of things with a fire, danger, and life-altering decisions. I was all set to settle in and be thoroughly engrossed in the story, and I was for a while. However, by about half way through, it felt like the story was rambling, and I was wondering where it was going. I was actually pretty tempted to start skimming, but past experience with this author made me stick with it. The story does have some terrific characters and there are some edge of your seat scenes as this group of firefighters work to save lives, but Anne’s chase of a deadly killer that is promised in the blurb kind of stuttered to a start with trickles of info here and there. Once Anne becomes a target, the story had the potential to ramp up with some truly creepy stalker-type things happening, but even that was a bit disappointing. The romance between Anne and Danny kind of felt the same way. They can’t keep their hands off each other one minute, then they aren’t even speaking the next. I expected some angst in the romance, but Anne’s hot and cold wore thin. I finally did make it to the conclusion, but it felt like everything came together in a rush. In the end, there were things I liked and things I didn’t, leaving me in the middle of the road on this one. I did like several of the characters, so I’m undecided on whether or not I’ll continue with this series.
Consumed (Firefighters, #1) by J.R. Ward Let me start by saying I give this 3 1/2 stars… thanks to the publishers and #NetGalley for allowing me to preview this book. I am a great fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood and was looking forward to this contemporary romantic suspense …I read to escape from all the everyday news a conflicts… when the author brings some one sided political hits into the story I almost stopped reading it. Anne and Danny both have a lot of hangups… and care for each other but can’t seem to get together. They is a lot of suspense, violence, some laughs, tears, danger, and violence that did keep me reading late into the night. Anne(sister) and Danny(Dannyboy) get to their HEA …but I didn’t feel as happy as I felt I should when I finished this book.
Anne, aka Sister, is the only woman firefighter at #499. She is determined to prove that she can be just as good as the boys. She’s fallen for playboy Danny but she wants to be taken seriously so she won’t allow herself to go there. When an event happens that threatens her career, she’s forced to re-evaluate her life.
Danny, aka Dannyboy, is the guy perceived to have it all, but internally struggles with a lot of loss in his life. He’s the playboy in the group until Anne joins the team. He finally finds a woman who can change his ways but she is out of reach. His life starts to spiral out of control when he’s forced to make an impossible decision.
This was a very captivating story. The beginning punches you in the gut and leaves you with an aftermath that will quite frankly consume you.
I will advise you to read The Wedding From Hell prequels. There are two and they give you an important look into not only our main characters, but a few side characters that you need to keep your eye on.
This had one main storyline with a few running in the background that if I had to guess will set up the next book in the series. Anne and Danny our main characters and we get both POV’s that helped me know what was running through their heads. We also get a few side character’s POV with those smaller start up storylines.
Despite everything going on, this was a very easy read because I just got so hooked on these characters and what was happening. There is a lot of excitement in this. If you’ve seen the prime time show the Chicago Fire, you’ll get the picture of what you get in Consumed. I’m truly looking forward to the next in the series.
What an incredible book!!! This story has just about everything you could want, hot fireman, suspense, hot steamy love scenes, mystery, definite surprise ending, and the compassion for a dog left for dead that tugs at your heartstrings. I loved these characters, Anne and Danny are two strong willed and broken people for different reasons, and when tragedy strikes one of its own on the job, it leaves everyone at odds with themselves. Soot was my favorite, loved Jack, who is really a big teddy bear underneath it all, and Tom had to overcome a lot dealing with his obligations at work and being Anne’s big brother. Very well written book, very well worth the read! Can’t wait to read the other books in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book.
*5 Stars*
ARC kindly received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Holy moly wow. This book was amazing. I will start by saying that there are two short novella’s which you will benefit from reading, before jumping into this one. They’re a nice little introduction into the characters.
Right from the start of this book, HUGE things are happening and I was so hooked that I rarely was able to put the book down, apart from times I had to, such as going to work and the like. I have only read two other JR Ward books, which I have enjoyed, but this one has to be my favourite so far, and what is surely going to be a new favourite series for me.
I liked both Anne and Danny, and whilst this is the story of their “romance”, this is also a crime fiction kind of book, although from the FireFighters POV’s. We also get more than the two main characters POV’s, which makes this an interesting read, and helps piece the story together in many ways.
While Anne has a lot of family/personal baggage, Danny is the playboy type, but they are both very in tune with each other and love what they do. The events that take place in the first few parts of the book (I’m talking the first few % here), shape the story up to be one of strength and determination, and then as things progress, the crime and suspense portion comes into things, and its all you can do but hold on tight for the right.
I thought at times I knew who might be the person behind what was happening, but by the time I got to the end, things were so intense, and I was so blown out of the water, it was all I could do to sit there in shock and say to myself holyyyyyy shit, what the hell just happened? .
I buddy ready this with a friend, and both of us were so hooked on this, and messaging each other about the events of the book. It had us both very invested in the storyline and determined to find out what on earth was going on.
This is sure to be a huge hit from JR Ward, and I for one CANNOT WAIT to get my hands on the next book.
One hell of a ride. Well done JR Ward, well done.
When I picked up Consumed, all I really knew was that it was written by JR Ward. And honestly that’s all that mattered. Especially after loving her Bourbon Kings trilogy.
And as I suspected, Consumed was a superbly written story that was captivating as well as emotionally wrecking, and it was filled with charismatic characters that left me wanting more.
Color me shocked when the author opened the book with one big BOOM. I admire her for not holding any punches. In fact multiple times I caught myself sitting with my mouth wide open not believing what I was reading. Ultimately that opening scene wasn’t the only one that gave me a sense that this series will touch non charted territory. Throughout the book, there were quite a few scenes and sub plots that left me reeling. The straight forward approach to topics that are often avoided was refreshing and fascinating. For this reason the story felt honest, raw, and authentic. All in all this story felt REAL.
As a result it took me quite a while to get into the book.
The story is told from multiple POVs, and at the beginning I was plainly overwhelmed by them. But at the end they all made sense and added to the rich and overall deeply layered plot.
Speaking of plot, the mystery on it’s own was superbly crafted. The author kept me guessing, and the last twist came out of the blue and side swept me with a big wallop. It was very well done!!!
The feeling that these fire crews were one big family was palpable. It was easy to imagine it. Their camaraderie, loyalty, love and fierce allegiance to each other is what made it so hard to for me to say goodbye at the end of the book. I wanted the story to go on. I had so many more questions, and I really hope I’ll see certain characters again.
Consumed didn’t feel like the author’s Bourbon Kings, which I adored and devoured. But at the end of the book the author had me hooked. It might have taken me longer to get invested, and connected to the story and characters, but the only thing that matters is that I’m looking forward to the next book. As I said I wasn’t done with this crew, and I hope the author isn’t either.
Consumed is my first J.R. Ward book, and I was very excited to get my hands on it! The title and cover, along with the blurb, really called to me. It didn’t disappoint.
Things start off in the midst of action, a big event taking place right away, that affects the rest of the story. And though it seems to start in the middle of the love story, things have been stalled at step one for awhile. Anne is a smart and capable heroine- not perfect, but definitely not someone to discount in any situation. Danny has a host of issues, and is spiralling, but the one thing he doesn’t deny is his feelings for Anne.
Not to say the whole focus of this book was on romance because it wasn’t. This is a book about firefighters, and an investigation. It’s about family, and second chances. It introduces a lot of characters that I hope play bigger roles in future books, but I would be just as happy to read more adventures centered around Anne and her new job.
ARC received for an honest review
** Make sure you read the two free novellas TheWedding From Hell: Rehearsal Dinner and The Wedding From Hell: The Reception before diving in to Consumed. **
A new series from JR Ward – let me at it! Plus – firefighters? Helloooooo! Though I want to know where all these hot firefighters are hiding, as I have never found them yet!
If you have read the 2 prequel novellas above, you will know who Consumed it all about – Anne and Danny. And boy do sparks fly between them.
I liked how Ms Ward was not afraid to go into Consumed all gun “blazing”. I mean wow, only a few % in and I was like hoolie doolie!
We are given a wonderfully written story that is more than firefighters. It was a heck of a lot more emotional than I was expecting. Anne has a cargo hold of familial baggage that she is carrying around.
I just want them to get together!
However there is more to this tale then a romance, and the mystery/suspense will keep you on the edge or your chair – or couch, or bed! There were some red herrings thrown in there, and I thought I knew whodunnit, but nope. I am sure Ms Ward is sitting back laughing at us all thinking we know how the bad guy is! When it was revealed I was all “what in the everloving fork?” I had no clue.
And I liked that I didn’t know.
I buddy read this book with a friend, and we were both Consumed with this book.
Now I am impatiently waiting for the next installment of the Firefighters series.
I am so excited to read these smokin’ HOT firemen. I absolutely love JR. Ward’s vampires but I think this series is going to be just as good. When this book started I was stressed to no end. That first fire, one mistake, and two lives changed. That on mistake left one finding a new career field and the other feeling guilty and responsible.
Anne is one strong willed, hard headed, and courageous woman. These things are what kept her going when she wanted to give up but she fought and came back a stronger woman. I loved Anne she doesn’t back down and is so ballsy.
Danny, yeah he got my heartrate going. He is just as strong willed and hard headed as Anne but toss in that he is an Alpha that there is a triple threat.
The chemistry between Anne and Danny is off the charts and we see it from the beginning. They are like magnets when facing opposite directions they do not fit but turn them around and BAM they go right together. It takes them a while to figure things out as both of them are trying to find themselves after THE fire that changed their lives. I cannot even start to tell you everything that is going on in this book but there is much more than just Danny and Anne. There are things the other guys in Danny’s fire station that are dealing with some heavy stuff. Plus there is Anne’s brother WOW he has a lot on his shoulders.
The twists that happened in this book blew me away I didn’t see any of them coming. Let’s just say I was floored so many times. I am so excited for this next book. I need to find out what is going to happen with the entire group of firefighters not just Danny and Anne’s group but her brother’s too.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.
firefighters, family-dynamics, detective, ptsd, romance, contemporary, suspense, action, bravery
Anne learns that she can get caught by a new passion/calling and that fire is simply a fact, but true evil is a human monster. Told as only someone who has been around driven firefighters and detectives can, this book is truly representative of Ward’s genius with plot, characters, emotions, and imagery. Don’t miss this one, but be prepared for situations that would make USMC blanch. See publisher’s blurb for hints without spoilers.
Disclaimer: I have worked in a major city ER, floor duty, rehab, and jails. Oh, and I love this author’s books.
I requested and received an ARC from Simon and Schuster Publisher via NetGalley. Thank you!
I have never read anything but PNR by this author but I really liked this new series starter. It’s looking like a combination of sexy with a healthy dose of romantic suspense/mystery that will certainly keep you guessing and hold your attention. There are some very intense moments in this book that made me gasp and not in a good way. Anne and Danny may not fall right into their HEA, but that’s a good thing. Everything that happens to get them there is what makes this book so good.
Thank you yo Netgalley for this ARC.
“Firefighting followed in the military’s chain-of-command boot steps. You took orders or you were out. Even if that meant leaving the love of your miserable wasteland of a life in the middle of a two-alarm fire to get burned to death inside her turnouts.
Happy Friday night, motherfuckers.”
Did you read her Wedding From Hell free novellas? If you haven’t you might want to. It’s a nice set up to this series. They are not long at all but I really liked knowing that extra details that it gave.
Danny and Anne, they were so alike that sometimes it was frustrating. When things kept bringing them back together it just showed how much they were meant to be.
The first few chapters were rough to read but at the same time amazing. She really just punched us right in the feels from the get go. The mystery aspect of the story was well done. I really did not see that ending coming. It wasn’t anywhere on my list of possible outcomes. Loved it. I honestly don’t know what is to come with the next books. I hope it’s going to follow the storyline I am dying to get more of. There is something there and I want to see more of it.
This didn’t read like a typical J.R. Ward book. It read more like her Jessica Bird books. There is nothing wrong with this at all but I thought others might like to know that. She still had it told from several POVs but if you have read her BDB books you’ll know what I mean.
I fell in love with this new series from her right off the bat. It’s a page-turner, clever, and full of romance that sizzles. Grab this now and fall in love with Danny and the rest of the crew like I did.
I’m a little torn over this one. I liked some of the storyline, it was really intense in some parts. There’s a lot of detail and there were several times where I felt I was right up in there watching it happen in front of me. I think the one major thing that made me not really enjoy the book was Anne. She drove me bonkers! I was 80% in and when I read the part about why she is the way she is towards her mom, I about lost my noodle on the fake people. I called my husband to bitch about her because I wanted to be done with her. I’m all hell no, Anne with an e. I wanted to put her in the time out corner! Then there was another incident between her and Danny towards the end too that really chapped my ass. But I digress… I really did enjoy some parts, just not all. Anne really is a badass and I liked her some of the time. Danny didn’t blow me away but I am intrigued about some other cool cats that I would like to read more about, especially Rizzo. I feel like I’m all over the place with my feelings because I really am torn. I just need to get over the pretend people pissing me off.
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Consumed by JR Ward
I received this book from the Netgalley for an honest review.
I was excited to see this new series on Netgalley when I was looking for a book to read. I am a huge fan of her paranormal series and I also loved her older Jessica Bird books.
Since I knew there was going to be world building with introducing a new series, characters and relationships, I sat back and enjoyed the world she was creating for us. The world building was a little bit slower then I anticipated but once the story took off, it was blowing me away. The twists and turns were amazing. I didn’t see the twists coming at all!!
Anne is one hell of a woman. I don’t know that I would have done what she does in the beginning of the story that changed her life for good. She is strong and feisty if not stubborn to a fault when it comes to how she feels for Danny.
Danny is just…yum…can I get that outta the way. He is strong and alpha but vulnerable when it comes to his feelings for Anne. They have a chemistry that you can FEEL through the pages throughout the story. Their banter is this flirty yet the push and pull that left me wanting more…wanting one of them to cross that line from “friends wanting” to “friends with MORE”.
The book has many different stories. Its Anne and Danny redefining THEM. Its Anne getting over her life changing event. Its Danny figuring out HIM after losing Anne. It’s the arson investigation Anne is trying to figure out. It’s the firefighters and the fire station. It’s the politics of the town and lastly its figuring out what you want out of life when you realize you had it all wrong.
The book is very complex with all the relationships and history of the characters. There is so much comradery and respect for one another all the while everyone is dealing with their own demons. Some of those demons will come back to cause issues for Danny, Anne and the entire firefighting family of station 499.
I can’t wait for the next book and I REALLY HOPE that Tom is the next book. Anne’s brother needs some love. He is carrying to world on his shoulders. I am even more excited for this series after reading the book.