“Romance, heartbreak, a small amount of steamy, and lots of gritty, determined story.”—Amazon reviewer She’s secretly burned for him for years.Derek Severson left his career as a firefighter after tragedy shook him to his soul. Running his uncle’s beachside bar on a south Texas island gives him the chance to heal, find peace, and avoid entanglements. That is, until Macey, his childhood friend, … until Macey, his childhood friend, tracks him down.
After two years abroad in a developing country, Macey Locke is ready to dive in to her Peace Corps-inspired foundation. But when she learns Derek is suffering, she can’t turn her back. Six weeks on a tropical island to help the guy she’s loved for years? No-brainer.
Derek can’t help but notice she’s not the same girl he used to know. She’s more. More self-assured, more determined, more irresistible. But is she enough for him to let go of his newfound fragile peace and give in to the passion sparking between them?
Playing with Fire is a stand-alone novel with a heartwarming and satisfying HEA in the Island Fire series.
Dive into this sexy, engrossing series today!
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Well, this is a very pleasant surprise in my summer reading adventures. I have several of Amy Knupp’s books downloaded on my Nook, but this is the first one that I’ve read. Believe me, I will be reading the rest of this series.
Playing with Fire is the first book of the Island Fire series. It takes you on the journey of recovery of former Dallas firefighter Derek Severson. After a horrific five-alarm fire, Derek is devastated over the personal loss he suffered. He is overwhelmed with grief. To deal with it, he left the DFD and headed to San Amaro Island, TX to take over the beachside bar his aging uncle owns. He has effectively cut off all ties to his life in Dallas.
One day, out of the blue, Macey Locke, Derek’s childhood friend, shows up at the Shell Shack. She has recently returned from a two-year stint in Thailand. She immediately puts her business degree to work to whip the bar into shape. He doesn’t want her there. He doesn’t need her there. She is definitely going to mess with his wallowing in self-pity.
Playing with Fire is a story about returning to life and successfully moving on from grief. While the topic is heavy, the book really is not. It’s more of a good summer read set on a beautiful island with lots of interesting characters. Summer is here and this is a good series to get all the beach feels.
Great story about Derek and Macey. Derek had given up with firefighting due to his perceived failure to save his girlfriend from a fire. But Macey had always loved him. She goes to find him where he was taken over a beach bar for his uncle. Macey tries and tried to get him to get over it and see that nothing he could have done would have saved his girlfriend…just trying to convince him of this. She returns back to Dallas, giving up on the walls he has built around him…or has she been able to bring them down?
I picked up this book due to my need for a little beachy fun in the cold, dreary weather. I fell in love with Macey’s character from the start with her determination and willingness to adapt. Even through Derek’s self-torture, Macey could make him smile. (I had to re-read this one scene a few times because it was so dang cute!) If you need a good friends-to-lovers read in your life with a strong, sensible, likable heroine, this is a couple for you to root for.
Derek and Macey were best of freinds since they have been 5/6. Dereke goes through tradgedy that has taken him away from his job, family, his home town, and pretty much socieity, Dereke has pretty much went numb and just gets through one day at time. Macy goes on a mission to save Derek from this just exsisiting life to feeling and enjoying life agin. Macey has secertly loved Derek for years but has done so from afar but with determision she has set her mind to saving him.
I enjoyed this read and it was fast read for me. I would like to say it was lighthearted but truth be told with the tradagedy Derek has to deal with it is anything but lighthearted. Yet I felt it was well done with just the right amont of chemistry and not so overly done. It was more based on somone who is dealt with so much pain that has been slowly brought back to life and the journey to get there.
Great read. h eartwarming characters. The occasional 4 letter words could be left out as they didn’t ad anything to a wonderful story.
Macey and Derek grew up together. Macey is in love with Derek but he has always looked at her as a sister. Derek has lost the love of his life in a fire. He feels guilty because he was a fireman fighting the fire and he couldn’t save her. He quit the fire department and moved to the coast to run his uncle’s bar. He is just going through the motions of living. Macey travels from Dallas to the coast to try to help Derek get his life back on track. He doesn’t appreciate her help and just wants her to return to Dallas. Can Macey convince Derek to give them a chance to be a couple? Great book. This is the first book by this author that I have read. I couldn’t put it down. I finished the book and looked at the clock and it was 1:00 a.m. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author.
Loved it! Sweet story.
5 stars
I purchased Playing with Fire by Amy Knupp and this review was given freely.
A well written and well balanced complex romance that is also an excellent introduction to the San Amaro Island Texas Firefighters found in the Island Fire series.
Macey upon returning from the Peace Corp is enlisted by her Mom and her Mother’s best friend/business partner to take a 6 week vacation on San Amaro Island to help Derek, Macey’s childhood friend and school girl crush, heal after the death of his girlfriend. Derek, who is physically strong but emotionally lost, has been working 14 hour days seven days a week to revive his Uncle Gus’ bar. This story contains realistic characters, a mysterious cook, guidance and humor in the form of Uncle Gus, some brawny alpha firefighters that are also sensitive and helpful, a cute dog, and a woman determined to bring Derek both emotional healing and love.
Very well-written book dealing with human frailties and powering through.
Love Amy’s Island series and have read all of them. Start with book one, Playing with Fire. It has unforgettable characters, one who’s a firefighter. Find out if he’s the one who gets burned.
Good book. Different scenero.
I really enjoyed this book.
Well written but the characters could have used a little more introspectiveness. I did enjoy the story.
Not very interesting reading to me.
Great read
Easy-fast read. Just enough romance to make it interesting. Enjoyed the descriptive places and make the book come alive. Secondary characters were well developed. Enjoyed it!!!
I loved the characters in this book. Once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down. I loved the happy ending. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good steamy romance with a happy ending!
This book is very enjoyable.
love happily ever after…I enjoy stories where one of the main characters (doesn’t matter if male or female) are a little damaged and need repair. AND I love happy endings. I prefer books that are stand-alone, but with the opportunity to move on to other characters in the story in other books.
I got a bit of whiplash at the very end, there, but it was an overall nice, cute, quick-read happily ever after story.