Trial By Fire

This is the 1st book of the Sugarland Fire Dept. series. I'm not a big fan of firefighters books but this one blew me up. Beautiful story and very intense characters. I fell in love with the hole team. Can't wait to read Zack's story. Highly recommended.

This is one of my top picks for best romance of 2008. I could not put this book down. Sexy firefighters, great characters that you don't forget, suspense, and steamy romance. This is the first book of the series and I can't wait for the other books. The book was so good that I purchased 4 extra copies of it to give as gifts to my friends. I just loved this book so much and look forward to more books by this author. A must read and Jo Davis is now an auto buy for me.

Howard "Six-Pack" Paxton is a confirmed bachelor. What sane woman would want a man with his issues and his hang-ups? Least of all, what woman would be content in dealing with his inability to sleep for more than five hours at a time without waking up screaming in terror? Circumstances beyond his control happened in Howard's formative years and they have shaped the way he is today and while he has adopted parents who adore him, he still can't piece together the nightmare that he has almost daily. When the call comes in about a house fire on his shift, Howard forgets about everything but his job. That is something that he does very well. Coming face to face with the blonde beauty who called in the fire throws Howard for a loop and he knows without a doubt that he has to see her again. Katherine McKenna has given up on trying to be the perfect size eight. Striving to be what she isn't is no longer important to Kat, she is content with her curves - until she comes face to face with the fire fighter whose arms she passed out in when he first came on the scene of the fire that she called in. Waking up and looking into the eyes of this magnificent man, Kat knows that she might not be wise but she can't help but wish for something more and so she teases this huge man and seeing his eyes blaze with passion for her makes her yearn for him all the more. Kat and Howard can't deny their attraction to each other and while they both think their relationship is too good to be true, the passion between them is hot enough to warm even the coldest of hearts. One thing dampens the love they are beginning to feel for each other - it seems an arsonist is on the loose in their small town and that vile fire setter has targeted Howard in his evil schemes. I had the privilege of meeting Jo Davis last year at a book signing in Texas. When she told me of a new series she was writing concerning fire fighters I kept that thought in my mind and knew without a doubt I had to read and review her first release, Trial by Fire. Talk about combustible. Howard Paxton was a man after my own heart. He was loyal to his friends and loving towards his family. He was good looking and while he knew it, he didn't use it to his advantage. He was tired of one-night stands and was looking for more in a relationship. Those reasons alone endeared him to me but it was his treatment and subsequent love for Kat that made me fall head over heels in love with him. Kat was used to coming up short in the man department. Howard proved to her just how wrong she was. He loved her curves, he loved her personality, and deep down he loved Kat exactly the way she was and to him, she was perfect. Jo Davis set the trap, baited the hook, and completely reeled me in with Trial by Fire. Heady sexual tension, heart-warming romance, and combustible love scenes just added fuel to the fire and I am now a huge fan of Jo Davis' writing. Trial by Fire is definitely a book worth reading more than

I could not put this book down. The characters are realistic. Emotions real. Story line suspenseful. Oh! Did I forget to say - romance was hot!!!. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to the next in the series.

Kat McKenna literally fell into the sexy firefighter's arms the moment she met him. Of course, smoke inhalation will do that to a girl! Not that Lieutenant Howard "Six-Pack" Paxton's considerable assets would not be swoon-inspiring all on their own... Howard doesn't quite understand the intense attraction he feels for the pretty little blonde the moment he lays eyes on her. Sure, she's beautiful, but that doesn't explain the sudden possessiveness he feels for her before he even learns her name! Still, he is determined to go with the flow and see exactly where this attraction takes them. But a murdering arsonist has other plans for them, and when it becomes clear that the villain has targeted Howard, he'll do anything to keep Kat safe. When an ARC of TRIAL BY FIRE landed in my mailbox for review, I had not yet heard of this book nor its author, Jo Davis, but I was immediately intrigued by the synopsis of the story. Who doesn't love a hot (forgive the pun) firefighter as a romance hero? No woman I know, that's for sure! I began reading it late one Saturday evening, thinking I would read just a few chapters before going to sleep. I didn't stop until I turned the last page at 4:00 AM! I literally could not put this book down. I'll admit it right up front - I fell for Howard immediately. This man is such a wonderful combination of sweet vulnerability and dominant lover, that he won my heart from the start. I had no problem understanding why Kat would be drawn to him. His childhood trauma made me weep for him, and the strength he has used to become the man he is now despite that troubled past made me admire him. No matter what he has been through, this is still a man who would go into a burning building to save an elderly woman's cat. I'd be jealous of Kat if I didn't like her so darn much. This schoolteacher is exactly the kind of woman Howard needs, showing him understanding without pity, and bringing a joy and lightness to his life that he has been missing for far too long. As is wont to happen when a couple has faced a life or death situation, they move quickly through their courtship, not wanting to waste a moment, which affords us readers some rather delicious love scenes without too much delay. And I can tell you this, the love scenes are as smoking hot as the house fires that Howard's stationhouse deals with. But that isn't all that this story is about. Through it all, Jo Davis weaves an intricate, multi-layered suspense plot. The author lays the puzzle pieces logically throughout the story, and those who are good with a mystery are likely to deduce the end before the big reveal finally happens (I did!) However, the answers aren't too obvious, so there is still some uncertainty as to whether or not the readers' hypothesis will be correct until the author spills all at the end. Whether you guess the twists or not, they are still riveting. I am happy to report that TRIAL BY FIRE is only the first book in a bran