HEAT EXCHANGE, the first book in Shannon Stacey's new Boston Fire
series, is a strongly character-driven story with
lots of passion. It's told from two perspectives in
a natural style that helps the reader relate to
main characters Lydia Kincaid and Aidan Hunt.
Lydia is a strong woman, and
although she doesn't want to go home again, she doesn't
hesitate to lend a little of that strength to her sister.
Stacey does a wonderful job of creating a sense of
place in HEAT EXCHANGE. For Lydia, "home" has so many
connotations for her that she has such mixed feelings about
being back in her old neighborhood and around her family.
She both loves it and finds it stifling. The friction Lydia
experiences with her father, and to a lesser extent her
brother, adds a layer of complexity to the characters.
At first glance, firefighter Aidan is your
usual sexy, cool guy. However, hearing his inner thoughts
make him even sexier. I love that he is looking for
somebody to love who will love him, and that he yearns for
all the trappings of domesticity. He's a spectacular --
yet often elusive -- mix of strong, caring, sexy, and sweet.
Although they are playing with fire by starting a secret
romance, I love how the relationship between Lydia and
Aidan evolves over the course of HEAT EXCHANGE, from solely
sexual to something more tender and tangible.
The secondary story in HEAT EXCHANGE, involving Lydia's
sister Ashley and her estranged firefighter husband Danny,
is riveting without taking anything away from the romance
between Lydia and Aidan. Their scenes -- both together and
individually -- are emotionally intense and had me on
the edge of my seat and rooting for them. I like how
Stacey highlights three different family dynamics --
Lydia's, Aidan's, and Danny's. These separate vignettes
help define those three characters as well as reveal
something about each of the families. For some characters,
like Aidan, the strongest "family" is the one he makes with
the Kincaid family and his brotherhood of firefighters.
HEAT EXCHANGE delights with romance that sizzles and solid
characters. This is a book to dive into and devour. HEAT
EXCHANGE shows the importance of friendship and making
connections that heal the soul. I look forward to the next
book in the Boston Fire series.
Lydia Kincaid left Boston to get away from the firefighting
community—but family is number one, and her father needs her
help running the pub he bought when he retired. Soon, Lydia
finds it hard to resist the familiar comfort and routine,
and even harder to resist her brother's handsome friend
Aidan.
Aidan Hunt is a firefighter because of the Kincaid family.
He's had the hots for Lydia for years, but if ever a woman
was off-limits to him, it's her. She's his mentor's
daughter. His best friend's sister. The ex-wife of a fellow
firefighter. But his plan to play it cool fails, and soon he
and Lydia have crossed a line they can't uncross.
As flirtation turns into something more serious, Lydia knows
she should be planning her escape. Being a firefighter's
wife was the hardest thing she's ever done, and she doesn't
know if she has the strength to do it again. Aidan can't
imagine walking away from Boston Fire—the job and the
brotherhood are his life. But if he wants Lydia in it, he'll
have to decide who's first in his heart.
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