Unwrapping: Review of DESPERATELY SEEKING FIREMAN, a Bachelor Firemen novella by Jennifer Bernard

Hot firemen are Jennifer Bernard’s specialty and she’s hit the mark again with DESPERATELY SEEKING FIREMAN, a Bachelor Firemen novella releasing on December 31, 2013.

***eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for DESPERATELY SEEKING FIREMAN:

Fire Captain Jeb Stone and incredibly successful press secretary Nita Moreno have both been burned by love before. That's why neither of them is looking for more than a few steamy nights of passion.

When circumstances find them stranded on an island together, babysitting a cross-dressing senator and the very pregnant wife of San Gabriel's most famous captain, they allow the sparks they feel to take center stage. But as their feelings grow, can they each allow the other past the barriers both have built to protect their hearts?

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Nita Moreno believes her life is exactly as she wants it when she meets eyes with an incredibly handsome firefighter at the wedding of Melissa McQuire and Capt. Harry Brody. Three years later though, her life has fallen apart. Filled with heartache, and with a pain in the neck Senator to babysit, she’s confronted with a very pregnant Melissa Brody and tagging along with her is that gorgeous fireman who she discovers is now divorced.

Captain Jeb Stone hasn’t forgotten the beautiful bridesmaid who made it quite clear she wasn’t interested. Life takes a pleasant turn when he runs into her on Santa Lucia while doing a favor for his buddy, Capt. Brody. Now his hopes of winning her over begin to take shape.

Just when I think that Jennifer Bernard cannot possibly surpass her last fireman hero – Psycho, or any who came before – she does and oh, how she does it in Jeb Stone. I want this man under my tree for Christmas. 

One of the things I love most about reading Jennifer Bernard’s Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel series is how real her characters are and how dreamily romantic they fall in love. Jeb Stone has lived a loveless life the past five years. He stayed married to his teenage love for the sake of his daughter but now feels he’ll never find what he needs to heal his heart and allow him to face a brighter future with someone at his side. That is, until he is reunited with Nita Moreno. The attraction was instant at the wedding but it’s fortified two-fold when they meet again on Santa Lucia. HOT Healing Sex seems to be a simple solution to scratch an itch plaguing both Nita and Jeb but neither is sure how to handle what happens next. Their attraction doesn’t cool but explodes as if gasoline’s been thrown on a fire.

Jennifer consistently conjures characters that touch our hearts with pain and heartache from the past, worries about the future, and fear of rejection as they succumb to intense attractions yet we continue to fall hard for them every time. Nita and Jeb are no different. They carry pain from the past, apprehension in going after what they want, and fear of giving in to what they need. The characters in DESPERATELY SEEKING FIREMAN are the story. We’re treated to the delightful Melissa McQuire Brody as she attempts to pursue a story while on the verge of giving birth at any moment. We experience the frantic over possessiveness of, the madly in love with his woman, Capt. Harry Brody who wants to wrap her up in a bubble if only he could catch her. Secondary characters delight us, making us smile and delight in their presence. And of course, we meet and fall in love with the sexy Jeb Stone and beautiful Nita Moreno who despite their fears and their priorities, soon fall prey to the most natural and amazing emotion of all - LOVE.

I highly recommend DESPERATELY SEEKING FIREMAN by Jennifer Bernard to anyone who has read any of the other Bachelor Firemen novels but especially if you read the first, THE FIREMAN WHO LOVED ME, as this gives you more of Melissa and the sexy Captain Brody. But if by chance, you haven't had a taste of Jennifer's HOT FIREMEN yet, then definitely pick up DESPERATELY SEEKING FIREMAN because you'll quickly be hooked and in love with Jeb Stone! I recommend the entire series to everyone who loves sexy heroes, delightful heroines, fun making secondary characters and stories that stay with you long after the last page is turned. Jennifer does HOT FIREMEN like no other.

Happy Reading Everyone!

DESPERATELY SEEKING FIREMAN, a Bachelor Firemen novella by Jennifer Bernard, release date – December 31, 2013, Avon Impulse, will be available in print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes& Noble, and Kobobooks.

***click links or cover below for purchasing information