“To Heaven Resembled” by Pepper Espinoza

Firefighter Lance Stuart is going about his day when a man stops him in his tracks with a simple “thank you.”  Jakob Fox is a busker whose father was a firefighter and died in the line of duty.  He always takes the opportunity to thank firefighters for their work when he can, but this time is different.  Instant attraction sparks between Lance and Jakob.  Falling for one another is easy, but Jakob doesn’t think he can handle the stress of being with a firefighter.  Lance may have the powers of sensual persuasion on his side, but it’s up to Jakob to decide if love is worth the risk of loss.

Passion wars with fear in the tender “To Heaven Resembled.”  Pepper Espinoza charms with the romance between Lance and Jakob.  Lance is more patient and understanding than most, which I adored about him.  Jakob is chock-full of issues, but he seems willing to work on some of them, which I appreciated.  Once they get together, the scenes between Jakob and Lance alternate between steamy and sweet, making “To Heaven Resembled” an enjoyable tale.

“The Arsonist’s Apprentice” by India Harper

Josh Brooks fights fires.  Dylan Anderson used to start them.  Never have two men been so perfectly and imperfectly matched.  Josh now works in the Fire Investigation Unit and Dylan has served his time and now works as an insurance investigator.  When the two are thrown together on a case, the heat that generates isn’t all coming from the fires they investigate.  But before Dylan and Josh can find out if there’s any future for a fireman and an ex-arsonist together, Dylan’s investigation takes an unhappy turn.  One that points directly to Josh.

Who says work and play don’t mix?  The writing team that is India Harper ratchets up the heat in this sinfully delicious tale.  “The Arsonist’s Apprentice” is sensual and engaging, with two heroes that are h-o-t HOT.  Josh has the sexy firefighter hero vibe and Dylan takes the reformed bad boy hero to the next level.  Both are likeable, intelligent men, which makes cheering for their happily ever after oh-so-easy.  I absolutely loved “The Arsonist’s Apprentice” and look forward to reading more stories by India Harper.