Series:
Hotshot Heroes (Book 5)
He's everyone's hero.
Can she let him be hers?
Returning to her Michigan hometown, Courtney Beaumont
still feels nothing but hatred for hotshot firefighter Owen James. The former
bad girl blames him for her mother's death -- and for mistreating her. But
after saving him from several murder attempts, Courtney finds herself falling
for the local hero. Until she realizes the real reason he's getting close to
her…and the high-stakes peril he's put her in.
Good enemies-to-lovers story. Courtney has recently
returned to her hometown after swearing she would never come back. Her mother
died the year before, and she was estranged from her twin sister. Moving back
will allow her to repair that relationship. She is also opening a clothing
store that will sell her designs - a chance to show the town that she made it
despite them. Courtney was ostracized and bullied in high school because she
was different from her popular sister, Serena. The offender who got to her the
most was Owen. Later, he was the EMT on the scene when her mother died, and she
blames him for that, too.
Owen was one of the school's golden boys - athlete, intelligent,
popular, and boyfriend of the head cheerleader. But rather than admit his
admiration of Courtney's individualism, he joined in the bullying. After
graduation, he spent some time in the Marines before coming home and becoming a
hotshot firefighter and EMT. He feels terrible about his treatment of Courtney
and would like to make amends, but she isn't interested.
As the story opens, Owen witnesses the death of a good
friend and fellow firefighter in a tragic accident. But was it an accident? The
head of the hotshot team, Braden, suspects that the "accidents" plaguing
the team professionally and personally aren't accidents, but he has no proof.
Those suspicions become more certain when Owen suffers several more accidents
then out-and-out attempts on his life. Courtney gets involved when she
inadvertently saves his life a couple of times. There were some interesting
developments as Courtney briefly became a suspect. The intensity ramped up with
each attack until the final confrontation took a twist I didn't see coming. A
few threads are left hanging, so I can't wait to read the next book.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between
Courtney and Owen, but it frustrated me at times, too. I understood Courtney's
grudge over the way Owen treated her in school. That kind of treatment can
affect you for a long time. I had trouble with how Courtney blamed Owen for her
mother's death. Owen wasn't the only first responder there, but she held him
responsible and treated him like dirt. But when she sees his grief and
self-blame for his friend's death, she can't help but make him feel better. As
she starts to let go of her anger toward him, it opens the door for the
attraction she can't deny. Owen is also surprised by the feelings Courtney
stirs up in him. There is a lot of back-and-forth between the two as they give
in to their attraction and then back away when the intensity freaks them out.
But when danger comes calling, they realize that they belong together and the
baggage of the past needs to be let go of. I liked their big moment at the end
and look forward to seeing more of them in future books.
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