Review: Consumed by J.R. Ward

Consumed (Firefighters #1) by J. R. Ward

Publication Date: October 2nd 2018 by Gallery Books

Pages: 416

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple | Kobo

About the book:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the popular Black Dagger Brotherhood series comes a brand-new novel about arson investigator, Anne 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 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.

My Thoughts:

Just finished Consumed and wow, I loved it!

Anne Ashburn and Danny McGuire were fellow firefighters at the 499 firehouse, close friends always battling attraction that Anne didn’t want to give into until one desperate night.  Fearing loss of respect by her crew members and being another notch in Danny’s belt were just a couple of the many reasons she couldn’t let things go farther. But all those concerns fell to the side when a night on the job almost kills them, and leaves Anne unable to do the job anymore. 

Anne picks up the pieces and goes on, now as arson investigator. The job isn’t something she thought she’d ever feel passionate about, like Anne did fighting fires, until solving a string of warehouse fires sparks her interest and puts a target on her back.

I was sucked into Anne and Danny’s story from the first page to the end. I read the novellas and Consumed in a 24-hour period and I don’t want to let their story go!  I was a little worried that Anne would be pushing Danny away through most of the book, but I shouldn’t have.  Their romance was a gradual process; one of self-discovery, honest self-admissions, and building trust.  With Anne’s past revealed it was easy to understand why she’d be wary of letting any relationship consume her, but I appreciated she started acknowledging how that past was hindering her future. 

Oh Danny! All in, head-over-heels in love with Anne, something that’d been brewing between them since she started at the 499, but he worried she’d never come around.  It was bittersweet longing on his end, (on Anne’s part too, not that he knew that) and it made my heart ache for him!  Unrequited love (that turns out well, of course!) is one of my favorite types of romances. Danny was so protective and wanted to do right by all his crewmates/friends, not only Anne.   The whole thing with Moose and Deandra was a hot mess to put it mildly.  Deandra was a horrid piece of work!

Not only did I LOVE the romance between Danny and Anne, I enjoyed seeing Anne’s fractured relationship with her brother and mother heal and evolve.  I’m looking forward to seeing Tom (Anne’s brother and Fire Chief) in the future.  He and Mayor Catherine Mahoney lock horns, but I could see a possible romance in the future for them.

I’ve read both her paranormal/fantasy and contemporary stories, and J.R. Ward writes a captivating tale no matter the genre!  Consumed was a page turner!  Anne and Danny’s romance, and some of the mystery wraps up, but there are loose ends in the arson investigation that will probably go on into the next installments.  I can’t wait! 

As a side note, I think it’s a really good idea to read the prequel novellas. They give background and more foundation to Anne and Danny’s story that shouldn’t be missed.  Both are free (here and here) and pretty short: 87 pages for both combined.

5 Suns

Connect with J.R. Ward:

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