REVIEW: Fully Ignited by Shannon Stacey
When Jamie Rutherford takes a temporary assignment as lieutenant of Boston Fire’s Engine 59, she doesn’t anticipate any problems. She’s been in the fire service for a long time and, even though she’s fairly new to Boston, she knows how to make any firehouse her home. What she’s not prepared for is her reaction to firefighter Scott Kincaid.
Scott is looking for a wife. It’s been a fun ride as a single guy, but he’s tired of being the third wheel, and nearly losing his brother-in-law finally made him realize just how much he wants a family of his own. When the new guy at the firehouse turns out to be a capable, confident and very attractive woman, his plan is completely derailed.
Hooking up with a fellow firefighter has never been part of Jamie’s plan, but she’s tempted by Scott—even though getting involved with him could tarnish the reputation she’s worked so hard for. And Scott can’t stop thinking about Jamie, despite the fact that she’s his superior and not sticking around. Chemistry can crush the best-laid plans, though, and while Jamie and Scott might not be each other’s future…there’s no resisting the right now.
Dear Ms. Stacey,
Book three in the “Boston Fire” series and believe me I warp speed requested this one. We’re back in Boston (well, duh) among the firefighters of E 59 and L 37 plus their families. The shirtless cover models make me think of dawdling around my local fire station in the pervy hope that real firefighters do this and look like this too. One can dream.
Once again the firefighters/friends guy trash talk is funny while the discussions between Scott and his best friend – soon to be brother-in-law – are poignant without getting sappy. The story seems to be well shaded with Boston local color – you have to worship support the Bruins, driving is a nightmare (especially if it’s a 35 foot fire engine) and you wear only sweats in the middle of winter.
One of the many things I totally agree with Kati on about this series is the realistic world it lives in. All the conflict and resolution feels organic and not like processed “woman/author-made” additives – which we all know are bad for our reading health. It all seems like it’s taking place in a real world with real people and with layers of relationships and issues. There’s a brief catch-up with past characters and where they are now but since this is a tight society of people who see each other on a daily basis – if not of people who are related – it doesn’t feel intrusive.
I like that at least these two are aware of the issues and potential pitfalls of getting together. Jamie is an officer, on temporary duty at this station and a woman in a macho world. Though this station supports her 100%, a brief encounter at the Kincaid bar with an asswipe, plus memories of other misogynistic coworkers in Jamie’s past illustrate that it’s still “everything she does she must do better and any mud tossed around will stick to her but not a man.” Scott is a younger man (woo-hoo!, go Jamie) with a hot head to match his hot body. They have to work together and as his superior officer, Jamie needs to set clear boundaries. They are aware of these and actually consider them before deciding on the pros of the relationship and, as Jamie says, if people are going to wonder and speculate about her sex life, she might as well have one.
Jamie isn’t really looking for more than the casual relationship they start with. Scott on the other hand, has hit that late 20s male nesting stage where he’s ready to get serious about who he dates – going for quality over bar hopping. The other guys joke with him about searching for his perfect “TV wife” and he wants what he sees that his sisters have – someone to build a life with. Jamie discovers that sex with Scott is fun, after sex with Scott is fun and just being with Scott without sex is fun and he feels the same way in reverse.
But there’s a roadblock ahead. Having lost his mother at an early age and after seeing his sister’s firefighter husband badly injured on the job, Scott isn’t sure he can accept a wife and potential mother of his children working this dangerous profession. Jamie, meanwhile, isn’t going to be put in a safety box or give up doing something she loves and is damn good at. The chemistry might be off the charts and everyone around them convinced these two can make it but can they reach a middle ground or is the risk of pain too great?
Obviously things work out but before they do, I enjoyed the whole “We are family” vibe thing of the tight firefighting community. Yay for the believable conflicts of the rank difference, exploration of a woman’s life on this job and delving into the heart of the fear these people and those who love them must deal and come to terms with. Double yay that neither Jamie nor Scott morph into different characters or yield their agency and that not everything is wrapped up in a neat bow. I do hope that there are more books in this series to look forward to. A-
~Jayne
YES! So excited it’s out and so glad it fulfilled the promises of the blurb (I knew it would, b/c I love Shannon Stacey’s books, but now I don’t have to worry.)
I enjoyed this one as well. I do wish the fact she was not only his co-worker, but his boss—albeit temporarily—had been more fully addressed. We got hints of it with the scene between her and her boss, but I felt that part of the whole why-they-shouldn’t-sleep-together scenario was glossed over more than I would have liked.
I loved that we got to catch up with the earlier couples, particularly the secondary couple from the first book. I also appreciated that the hero knew he was applying an unfair double standard regarding the fact he didn’t plan to give up his firefighting career when he had kids so expecting her to was a deal breaker. I liked that heroine wasn’t willing to compromise about it. As mentioned in the review, the conflicts in these books play out very naturally and not everything is wrapped up.
Overall I thought it was a nice end to the trilogy, but I am also really hoping it turns into a series and we get some more books set in her Boston Fire world.
@Anna Richland: I’m happily discovering this about her books and eyeing her backlist. My wallet is going to whimper.
@library addict: I certainly hope she’s going to keep writing in this world and, if she does, maybe we’ll see Jamie and Scott still working on his hang-ups. And remember there’s still a baby to be born. She has to give us an update on that, right? Right? ;) Scott as an uncle will be something to see.
So I read it in one day (on the treadmill and then sitting in my car with the window down, after the gym … I’m pathetic, but it was a great book).
My thoughts: I too would have liked a bit more of the rank complication, although I’m willing to say that since she was temporarily at the station, everyone chose to just go on and avoid the issue rather than address it for the short time she was there. The ‘do nothing, problem solved’ theory of management – and that often works.
But I also wanted a bit more addressing of the 7 year age difference. IIRC, she’s 34, he’s 27 – the conversation where they exchange ages felt natural, but to never reflect on that difference later? I dated a guy 2 years younger than me for awhile, and it was something we occasionally talked about. For instance, I was looking at a major career change while he was in his first career, period. So with Jamie being 7 years older and outranking Scott, I thought that the age — not just the rank — should have popped up later. At least in her mind, or more in the conversations with the other women or family.
So I did love the firefighting culture. MASSIVE thumbs up to Shannon Stacey on that. I have a firefighter neighbor and I swear he drives Scott’s truck, even on the tight double-side parking urban streets where we live. And do you know how many times my kids’ preschool went to the station, just like in the book? The fire station felt soooo real.
I love this series. Standalone? Well, I think you get more out of it reading them in order, but you can read it as a standalone. But you won’t regret reading all 3.
(If you’ve never tried Shannon Stacey, start here – less to keep track of than Kowalskis series).
I loved this story too! This is my favourite of the three to date, though I’m also hoping we’ll see more of the guys from the firehouse. I like the mix of family and work dynamics that makes the whole scenario feel very realistic. Great review Jayne!