In the remote Rocky Mountains, lives depend on the Search & Rescue brotherhood. But in a place this far off the map, trust is hard to come by and secrets can be murder…As a Motorcycle Club member and firefighter, Ian Walsh is used to riding the line between the good guys and the bad. He may owe the Club his life, but his heart rests with his fire station brothers…and with the girl he’s … brothers…and with the girl he’s loved since they were kids, Rory Sorenson. Ian would do anything for Rory. He’d die for her. Kill for her. Defend her to his last breath-and he may just have to.
Every con in the Rockies knows Rory is the go-to girl for less-than-legal firearms, and for the past few years, she’s managed to keep the peace between dangerous factions by remaining strictly neutral. But when she defends herself against a brutal attack, Rory finds herself catapulted into the center of a Motorcycle Club war-with only Ian standing between her and a threat greater than either of them could have imagined.
Search and Rescue:
On His Watch (novella)
Hold Your Breath
Fan the Flames
Gone too Deep
In Safe Hands
What People are Saying:
“Sexy and suspenseful, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.”-Julie Ann Walker, New York TimesandUSA TodayBestselling Author on Hold Your Breath
“Chills and thrills and a sexy slow-burning romance from a terrific new voice.” -D.D. Ayres, author of the K-9 Rescue Series onHold Your Breath
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I liked this book a lot! A new author for me but one I will read again and again! The beginning was slow but definitely picked up as it went along. I think the book is a stand alone but there were events going on that started in the first book. The author wrote in a way that I caught on as I read! The main male character is awesome, sexy and sweet in one solid package! woo hoo! Rory the main female character who is also awesome in a strong sweet way! I couldn’t help but love these characters and all the other characters of this story like Lou who worked at the coffee. She is a funny! The story is written smoothly and intriguing! Good plot! Surprising things happening all the time! This book also captured my heart!
3.5 stars
As much as I was looking forward to Ian’s story and really love him from the previous books, his story didn’t end up pulling me in quite the same way as the first couple books in this series (and other Katie Ruggle stories I’ve read). I still really enjoyed the book and I think the love story is amazingly sweet.
Rory grew up totally sheltered. She’s in her mid-20s and has never had any friends in the traditional sense. Her parents always stressed the importance of being prepared for the worst. They home schooled her in a bubble, no interactions with even other home-schooled kids. Since they own a store, that was her interaction with society. Since it is a gun store, it was never with kids her own age. Needless to say, Rory is extremely socially awkward. She’s never sure if she’s saying the wrong thing, reacting the wrong way, taking a joke the wrong way, any of that. She’s still a very wonderful person. Even if she does sell some of her guns illegally, she has a surprisingly accurate moral compass. (To be honesty, I wasn’t sure if I’d like her due to her arms dealing ways. Stick with her and you’ll understand her pretty quickly.)
Because Ian has always been attached to the local motorcycle club, first through his dad and then through his step-dad, he’s been in Rory’s shop many times and even seen her around town once or twice when she needed supplies. And he’s always felt a pull toward her, as well as an innate protectiveness when it came to her. Since Rory has been so sheltered, she’s not quite sure how to take Ian’s protectiveness when things start getting sketchy around her shop.
Rory’s innocence in the relationship department keeps the love story between her and Ian at a slow build. She may be well into adulthood, but Ian is an understanding guy and realizes quite quickly she will not be on the same timeline as other women her age. He doesn’t coddle her, but he’s patient and understanding and it’s so swoony! Her desires and insecurity about how to act (or not act) on those feelings, along with Ian’s consideration are what make their romance so achingly sweet…in a good way.
I believe the reason I wasn’t quite as invested in this story is there seemed to be a lot of the same things happening over and over, but not in different ways. Like I already said, I still enjoyed this book. It just had a bit too much filler that bogged it down that kept me from staying fully immersed in the story. This will not, in any way, deter me from continuing to read this author and this series. She’s definitely good and consistent enough that I can forgive a *gasp* 3 star story from her once in a while. And it’s even higher than that!
This review can also be found at https://allingoodtimeblog.wordpress.com/2019/06/06/fan-the-flames-search-and-rescue/
I received a copy of Fan the Flames from the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, in exchange for this review. If you’re just encountering my reviews for the first time, let’s get one thing straight, this doesn’t impact my reviews in the least. I’m way too opinionated for that.
Today’s review is all about Fan the Flames, the second book in Katie Ruggle’s Search and Rescue series, which takes place in the Rocky Mountains and it surrounds the good folks who comprise the search and rescue personnel of the small town of Simpson, Colorado. In this instalment, we’ve got firefighter-biker Ian Walsh and oddball gun shop owner Rory Sorenson and more firebug murder mystery and Rory and Ian’s own personal drama coming to the table.
The murder mystery story arc from Hold Your Breath is continued in Fan the Flames with Ian being framed for the murder of Lou’s floater and Rory and Ian spend a lot of their time together trying to prove Ian’s innocence. And trying to figure out what is going on with the repeated breaking and entering at her shop.
We know Ian from the series’ previous book, Hold Your Breath, but we’re just meeting Rory for the first time in Fan the Flames. And she is probably my favourite thing about Fan the Flames. She is the weirdest person ever. From her strange upbringing, her parents’ mysterious demise, her love of closets, and I could truly wax poetic about this woman. Rory knows how to disassemble and reassemble any firearm on the market blindfolded but she has absolutely no clue what to do with the guy she’s been in love with for the past thirteen years. Rory has two friends in the world, her german shepherd mix, Jack, and Ian, so I’m so excited for her when Lou just sort of forces her friendship on her like “we’re friends now, you’re just going to have to deal with it”. We all need a friend like Lou, especially us awkward weirdlings.
Ian is the definite pursuer in this story. He knows he wants Rory, he’s always wanted Rory, and now that he’s seeing his Search and Rescue friends have a happily ever after, he’s wanting his. He’s both a member of Simpson’s Fire Department and the motorcycle gang he grew up in, which places him in the oddest position, since he works side-by-side with law enforcement at times. Ian is a pretty sweet guy, in my opinion, but unlike Rory, we don’t get a lot of his story. We meet his friends and his dad and see those interactions and we get all the emotions he has for Rory. But that’s about it. I would have loved to have seen more backstory for him.
While I loved Rory and Ian’s story, I felt things were relatively sedate, I think that’s the word I’m hunting for. There’s this sense of urgency lying underneath the entire story but it never truly comes to fruition. The real ‘action’ of the story is rushed and easily negated compared to Ms Ruggle’s other works I’ve read. I did enjoy the takedown in this one, (heyyy) but, again, I kept waiting for the perilous theme music to start playing in my head and nothing. Nada. Zip. Unlike my other experiences with her writing, I was not on the edge of my seat during any part of this book.
I did, however, have several laugh out loud moments with the cast. I love that Rory and Lou become fast friends because every weirdling needs a bestie and I will go down with that friendship, y’all. Ian’s best friend is ‘Soup’ (that’s his firehouse name, not his actual name, but even I’m going to call him Soup for all eternity) and if Soup doesn’t get a story of his own, I will be seriously disappointed.
Overall, I think I’m rating Fan the Flames as 3 stars, simply because of Rory and the sweetness of the romance. Outside of interacting with Rory, Ian’s story was pretty bland and I really expected more for him. Also! sexytime flames, I’ll award 2 flames. So if you’re looking for something with some sex but not something overpowering the rest of the book, here you go! I have the rest of the series to check out so stay tuned for more reviews!
Read this book .I loved it.found myself falling in love with the hero.it has romance, murder, mystery.c trust me Read
We still don’t know who killed Willard Gray (the headless guy from book 1–Hold Your Breath), but the killer is doing all he can to frame firefighter Ian Walsh. Ian might be a firefighter, but some people can’t forget or forgive the fact he grew up as part of the local motorcycle gang. To top it off, the “family” can’t forgive him for moving toward the lawful side of things. Poor Ian doesn’t seem to fit anywhere.
Neither does Rory. She runs her own gun shop and tries to keep all sides happy. In order to survive she has to sell to the motorcycle gang as well as the more trustworthy locals.
I have to admit I really loved all the gun talk. Who knew! Rory wants to be tough, but she needs Ian as much as Lou needed Callum. Rory’s fears have her trying to keep him at arms length, but she’s really been his since her 12th birthday when he bought her a pink cupcake. I love her social awkwardness and the way Ian keeps storming through her walls.
This book has guns, bombs, more fires from our serial arsonist, a few clues, but no real progress on Gray’s killer. We do however take care of the people after Rory, and she learns to let a few more people into her solitary life.
NOTE: For my clean only readers, there are sex scenes in this series.
Fan the Flames was a great read. The romance was a lot slower in this one than in the others, and that is saying something since all the books are slow burns. I loved Ian. Rory was a little off putting at times but I warmed to her. Loved all the action and the plot just keeps getting deeper and deeper. I am so glad that after I read George’s book I went back and read the others. Really loved George in this book too. I really liked Chris in this book as well. I got to know him a little better. This book made me smile, laugh and you know it has sexy firefighters so Win! Glad I found this series and this author. I can’t wait for book 4 to come out!!!
I thoroughly enjoyed this second installment of the Search and Rescue series by Katie Ruggle. After reading the first two (On His Watch) and (Hold Your Breath), I discovered these in audio and I just can’t put them down. The narrator is fantastic and brings the stories to life so nicely. The author has done a fabulous job creating just the right blend of romance and suspense. When you fall in love with Lou and Callum in book 1, keep reading as they appear plenty in book 2. In fact part of the mystery of the first book, the corpse discovered by the underwater dive team, continues to play into book 2. While Lou’s stalker is resolved in book 1 and danger to her and Callum disappears, and while the corpse is finally identified (thank you Lou Sparks … wanna be Nancy Drew), the circumstances surrounding the original murder remain open. The author continues this into book 2 and without too much of a spoiler there is actually an arrest made in this book for that murder, but that person is later cleared and released. At the end, there is a fantastic teaser about how this murder investigation will actually continue into book 3. I can’t wait and will be diving into the next book asap.
These books can probably be read stand-alone, but I believe will be much better appreciated read in order. Besides, you don’t want to miss one. Katie Ruggle is wonderful, she is joining my list of favorite authors! Enjoy.
Rory Sorenson grew up in somewhat of a sheltered world, being home-schooled and kept from experiencing things in the outside world made her somewhat socially awkward and innocent in the eyes of others. Her sheltered upbringing left her scarred and through the years she has found a way to mask it with this snarky, sarcastic persona, and it seems to work on everyone she comes into contact with, and helps to fend off the advances of those she deals with in her families gun shop. There is one man in particular though that sees right through her mask, and sees the real woman lying underneath it, and he wants to know all there is to no about her… the problem is she is too innocent to see his interest in her. She is attracted to him, and has harbored a crush on him for a while now, but she has never really had a real relationship with a man, so she doesn’t have the confidence or experience to pick-up on the vibes he is sending her way.
Motorcycle Club member and firefighter, Ian Walsh is beginning to struggle to find a balance between the two things he loves, and before too long he is going to be forced to choose one or the other. While he enjoys being part of the club he loves being a firefighter a lot more, so he knows leaving the club is inevitable, but leaving maybe a lot harder than he anticipated…especially since the girl he loves has found herself trapped between his club and another over a turf war. He has loved Rory Sorenson since they were kids and he’d do just about anything for her…even if it means going against his own club to protect her!
This was my first time reading something from Ms. Ruggles, and I can say with complete certainty it won’t be my last!! This book had it all steamy romance, spine tingling mystery and a addictive story line that pulls you in from the get go and holds on tight until the last page is turned!!! With this being my first visit to the series I was concerned I’d feel like I was missing out on something, but I am happy to report that wasn’t the case at all, I think this one could easily be read as a stand alone title, but my guess is the minute you finish it you’ll be dying to get your hands on the others in the series!! I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it and meeting Mr. Ian Walsh… he’ll have you swooning the minute he walks onto the page!!!
If you like your fairy tales with a good blend of suspense and romance, and equipped with a hot firefighter/biker there to take you along for the ride then I HIGHLY recommend you get yours hands on this book, it is sure to satisfy!!
ARC requested through NetGalley and kindly provided by SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca in exchange for a honest and unbiased review.
I really liked this book because it was very honest and reached those of us who have have sometime felt awkward socially or felt like a misfit. Rory had difficulty in social situations and how many of us have sometime felt the same way? Ian and Rory are building on their relationship, though they have loved each other since they were children. Ian has two disparate parts of himself: one as a volunteer firefighter and the other as a member of a motorcycle club ( with some very scary members). I really loved these flawed characters and their simmering to a boil relationship.