Review: Wilde Fire by Kat Austen (Playing With Fire #1)

Note: This ARC was provided by Ardent PRose in exchange for an honest review.

Wilde Fire is the first novella in the Playing with Fire series from Kat Austen, which is a pen name for a bestselling author whose identity I have yet to figure out, and it's about a former marine turned smokejumper who reconnects with his late best friend's younger sister, who stirs new, unexpected feelings within him. Jake Wilde made two promises: the first to Bree Chase--that he would bring her brother Matt home safely--and the second to Matt Chase--that he would always watch over his sister Bree. Jake broke one promise and has always intended to keep the second one, only his guilt continues to weigh on him. It's been more than seven years since he's seen Bree, purposely keeping his distance, thinking that she would be angry that he didn't keep her brother safe. But now Bree is on her way to Alaska, where Matt is spending yet another summer performing his smokejumping duties. She's there as the investigative journalist that she is...at least that's what she told him. Bree is on a mission, one that could drive Jake wild.

It makes for a quick but interesting read, though I must admit that the direction in which the story went surprised me a bit. More often than not, novellas that are not part of a series or don't serve as an epilogue or prologue to a book scrimp on story and character development. Here, we get an actual story that evolves over the weeks that Jake and Bree are together and it's a slow burn love story at that! Yep, you read that right and I think that, aside from the fact that the story direction was unexpectedly refreshing, this was what I liked about this novella. Of course, Jake and Bree were a couple that toed the line between friendly and flirty and when they finally got together, they were smoldering. There are bits of everything--suspense, romance, sex, and lighthearted comedy--and in the short amount it took me to finish the book, it had my full attention. I definitely wouldn't mind reading more stories from the rest of the smokejumpers on Jake's crew, so fingers crossed this is really just the beginning. Four stars for Wilde Fire. ♥

Release Date: 05 May 2016

Date Read: 05 May 2016

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