Review: Brave the Heat by Sara Humphreys (McGuire Brothers #1)


Note: This ARC was provided by Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

That's what this thing was between him and Jordan, the one he couldn't escape or shake off. No matter where he went or what he did, his feelings for Jordan were always there, right beneath the surface, waiting to erupt. It was the slow burn before the inferno, and right now, the flames burned hot.


Fifteen years ago, Jordan McKenna decided to leave behind the only boy she ever loved. Now divorced with two young daughters, Jordan finds herself back in her hometown of Old Brookfield in order to build a new life. Coming face to face with Gavin McGuire makes it clear that the hurt she caused him when she abruptly left town a decade and a half ago still lingers but so do the feelings that she has for the town's fire chief. With taking care of her girls being her main priority, is a do-over even possible for her and Gavin?

Being a firefighter is a vocation that Gavin McGuire takes seriously. This is a way for him to atone for a tragic incident that occurred in his youth, one that he still feels guilty about. The return of his first and only love, Jordan Yardley, now Jordan McKenna, is stirring up emotions he's put on the back burner for years. Having been burned in the past, literally and figuratively is one thing, but with an arsonist devolving even further with each fire he starts, Gavin will need to be on his guard to protect those he cares for most.

I discovered author Sara Humphreys's paranormal romance Dead in the City series earlier this year and loved the three currently available books. Her other previously published work seem to all be in the paranormal romance genre, so when I saw Brave the Heat, the series starter for the McGuire Brothers, I immediately had to put in a request to read and review it and now that I'm done, I must say that the author has proven me right. She isn't simply a great paranormal romance author. She's a fantastic author. Period.

Brave the Heat is a second chance romance but calling it that isn't giving the book justice because it's so much more. There's a mystery suspense angle to it because of a serial arsonist, the first of its kind, in the town of Old Brookfield and with Gavin being the fire chief, catching the perpetrator before he starts even a worse fire is vital. I had three potential suspects, one lingering closer to the top of that list than the other two, and when the identity was revealed, it was the motive for the crimes that proved to be heartrending. 

Gavin and Jordan's love story was anything but simple, what with both of them having to deal with what happened fifteen years ago, and then you add to that their own personal issues and it's obvious that a happily-ever-after will have to be hard fought. I loved the resilience that these two had, refusing to totally give up on the possibility of having the kind of life that mistakes they made robbed them of for so long. Aside from their devotion to each other, love for their families and friends comes into play in this story.

There were a couple of times that I couldn't help but shed a few tears, having been overcome by two events in the story, one that you see coming but playing out beautifully and the other leaving me stunned and equally as heartbroken as the characters in the book. This first book has set the bar extremely high for the rest of the series, but I wouldn't be surprised if my expectations were met and even superseded with each new addition. Brave the Heat is a book I'm highly recommending. This 2015 favorite gets five-plus stars. ♥

Release Date: 01 September 2015

Date Read: 01 September 2015

Learn more about Sara Humphreys here.

Purchase Brave the Heat on Amazon | B&N | Kobo.

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