Pure Heat

Starred review from March 3, 2014
The flames of passion burn brightly in this meticulously researched, hard-hitting, and suspenseful contemporary. Carly Thomas is the senior fire-reader for Mount Hood Aviation, which provides aerial support for Oregon wildland firefighters. Steve Mercer is a former California smokejumper, sidelined due to injuries and now retasked as a drone specialist. Sparks fly between the two, both on and off the job, as they battle a series of deadly forest fires. While they eventually admit their mutual attraction, they both have emotional and physical damage to overcome. Their greatest challenge comes as all hands are mobilized to fight a near-catastrophic blaze, turning up a hostile surprise hidden deep in the forest. Buchman writes with beauty and simmering passion. His characters are complex, and the underlying romance is both sweet and intense. A memorable supporting cast includes characters from Buchman’s Night Stalkers military romantic suspense series, but this high-stakes romance is easily accessible for new readers.

Starred review from April 15, 2014
Injured in a firefighting accident, Steve Mercer, smoke jumper-turned-drone pilot, is new to Oregon's Mount Hood Aviation unit, and he is feeling physically useless and unmanned after months in rehab. Carly Thomas, known in firefighting circles as The Flame Witch for her legendary firefighting ability, is a third-generation firefighter who has lost both her father and her fianc' to fires and wants nothing serious to do with another man. Their attraction, however, is instant and hot, though it does take them a while to admit to it, let alone trust it. Beyond the love story, Buchman provides a riveting adventure involving forest aviation firefighting and a band of home-grown terrorists. Mark Henderson and Emily Beale, SOARofficers and helicopter pilots from Buchman's (Take Over at Midnight, 2013) great Night Stalkers series, are now part of the MHA unit, allowing addicted Night Stalkers readers to catch up with them and meet another impressive crew of adrenaline junkies. Strong, competent female characters and compelling technical and regional details are juxtaposed with a tender romance as Buchman launches his new Firehawks series, a natural for all military romance fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)