Friendship on Fire: Josh Braden (Love in Bloom: The Bradens at Weston, Co, #3) (Love in Bloom: The Bradens, #3)

by Melissa Foster

Voted BEST BOOK SERIES of 2013 by Supportive Business Moms, UK

***FRIENDSHIP ON FIRE is a SILVER MEDAL WINNER in the Readers' Favorite Awards - Romance Sizzle Category***



In FRIENDSHIP ON FIRE...

Small-town overachiever Riley Banks has finally scored her big break--working in Manhattan as a fashion design assistant for her childhood crush, Josh Braden. She enters her new job hoping to make a name for herself and--just maybe--explore the romance that slipped through her fingers way back when.



Josh Braden has models at his beck and call, a staff that never says never, and an elegant clothing line for the holiday season. When he hires Riley Banks, he expects her to learn the business from the ground up. But the girl next door turns out to be much more than he remembered.



Josh and Riley's friendship heats up. Every steamy kiss and every erotic caress stirs a love they cannot deny. But when Riley designs a wedding gown that would cause even the most jaded fashion editors to swoon, Riley's mentor accuses her of stealing the design.



Facing indisputable proof and the mistrust of her lover, Riley is not sure she can take the heat of life in the fast lane of the fashion industry--and Josh is forced to choose between the woman he loves and the career he adores.



FRIENDSHIP ON FIRE is the sixth book in the Love in Bloom series (Snow Sisters, The Bradens & The Remingtons), and the 3rd book in The Bradens. While Friendship on Fire can be read as a stand-alone novel, for even more reading enjoyment you may want to read the LOVE IN BLOOM series in series order



READ THE FULL LOVE IN BLOOM SERIES:



SNOW SISTERS: Sisters in Love, Sisters in Bloom, Sisters in White



THE BRADENS (Weston, CO): Lovers at Heart, Destined for Love, Friendship on Fire,
Sea of Love, Bursting with Love, Hearts at Play



THE BRADENS (Trusty, CO): Taken by Love, Fated for Love, Romancing My Love, Flirting with Love, Dreaming of Love, Crashing into Love



THE BRADENS (Peaceful Harbor, MD): Healed by Love (Nate), Surrender My Love

Coming Soon – River of Love



THE REMINGTONS: Game of Love, Stroke of Love, Flames of Love, Slope of Love, Read, Write, Love

Coming Soon – Touched by Love



SEASIDE SUMMERS: Seaside Dreams, Seaside Hearts, Seaside Sunsets, Seaside Secrets, Seaside Nights, Seaside Embrace

Coming Soon - Seaside Lovers



THE RYDERS: Seized by Love

Coming Soon - Claimed by Love, Chased by Love

• ISBN10: 0991046803
• ISBN13: 9780991046805
• Publish Date: 16 January 2014 (first published 2013)
• Publish Status: Transferred
• Out of Print: 27 January 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: World Literary Press
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 394
• Language: English

Reviews

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

Anytime I am in the need for a story that will take to a soothing place my go to author is Melissa Foster. She writes stories that focuses on romance, friendships and family. Reading her stories always leave me, wishing for the strong familial bonds portrayed. It always leaves me feeling nostalgic.
Friendship on Fire was no different. I went into this story with high expectations and Melissa did not disappoint. This is the third book in The Braden's at Weston, Co. In this installment we get Josh and Riley's story.
Josh Braden is a world a renowned fashion designer who lives in New York City. He can get any woman he wants. However, he is tired of dating women who fits his status. He wants what his dad once had and what his brothers have. True love!

Riley Banks is a talented aspiring fashion designer. The opportunity of a lifetime fell in her lap when Josh Braden offered her a job as one of his design assistants. This job would be her stepping-stone into the design world and will allow her to be close to the man she has been attracted to from high school days. Little did she know the feeling was mutual.

When Josh had offered her the job, he wanted to know if what he felt was real. When the truth stared him, in the face he realized he had bitten off more than he could chew. As her boss, she was off-limits, but the heart want what it wants.

The romance developed fast despite the backlash from the employees and the media they were likely to face if their relationship came to light. Trying to keep their romance a secret especially from the media would be a challenge and secrets hardly ever stay hidden. Eventually, their romance would be tested
.
Their test came through an employee, Claudia, who was Riley's supervisor. She was determined to sink her claws into Josh. She was also one reason for them keeping their relationship a secret. From the moment of her introduction, I sensed she would be problematic.

Josh is such a sweet and caring person. One of the things I admired about him was his willingness to protect Riley's reputation and career even if it meant he could not let the world know how he felt about her.

Riley is dedicated to her work. Talented and passionate. However, sometimes I found her actions exasperating. One moment she was this confident, do not give a damn heroine then the next she is riddles with self-doubt and insecurities.

Melissa's stories are not usually conflict driven, but Friendship on Fire was different. Conflict arose, which threatened both Riley's career and her relationship with Josh. At first, I did not like how Josh handled the situation but then he redeemed himself when he decided to stand by Riley no matter what. I loved that the conflict was resolved, but I thought the person responsible got off too easy. Frankly, the punishment did not fit the crime.

Conclusion/Recommendation
Friendship on Fire served up a steamy romance with a dash of humour.

[Emma (SCR)]

This review was originally posted on Star Crossed Reviews I received this book for free for a Blog Tour in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.I just can't get enough of The Braden's. I am loving every single one of these books.

Josh is  sweet and caring. He's a Braden so he's obviously drop dead gorgeous. At first he seems so different from his brothers. They have a lot of traits from their father and he has more traits from his mother. But the further a long the story you got the more you realised that actually he had a lot of traits from his father too and he wasn't so different from his brothers.

Riley is a passionate, clever girl. She is a very talented designer and she is very passionate about the work that she does. Like Jade and Rex,  Riley has had a crush on Josh since they were kids and he on her. If it wasn't for the feud between the Johnson's and the Braden's, Riley being firmly in camp Jade, I think they might have been high-school sweethearts.

I really loved Josh and Treat's relationship. If you have read Lover's at Heart then you will know that Treat had many worries about the way he treated his family but you can see in this book that he did and does everything he can to be there for them. I love how protective they all are of each other and how they all rally around in times of need.

Claudia or Cruella as she's better known is one evil b**ch. God I hated her from the moment she was introduced into the story and I knew she was going to be trouble.

I loved the resolution to this book it made me so happy and I cannot wait to read Sea of Love.

[stressedrach]

I am absolutely loving this series so much so I don't want it to end. In Friendship On Fire we get to know more about Josh who so far in the series has been mentioned a few times but nothing more as well as Riley. They both grew up in the same town but due to the rival between the Braden's and the Johnson's they could not do anything but have a crush that was almost forbidden. As they grew up and flew the nest Josh went on to be a fashion designer and owns JB Designs after speaking to Riley when he was in his hometown and a bit of pushing from Rex and Jade he takes a look her portfolio and is very impressed, so much so that he hires her at his company as he sees huge potential for Riley she just needs the break.
When Riley arrives at her new job she is given a mentor who turns out to be a nasty, sneaky and sly woman who will do whatever it takes to make her break, even sleeping her way to the top. While she is plotting her way of making her break, Josh and Riley realise that they are attracted to each other and have been for many years. Riley wants to keep their relationship quite for a while so it doesn't look like she is sleeping her way to the top and that she is doing it purely through her own merits.
Disaster strikes when Riley is accused of stealing her mentors designs and Josh although trying to clear Riley's name is starting to have doubts, will their relationship be able to stand the strain?
Again I was completely hooked, the love between Josh and Riley is hot and emotional and the book is a huge rollercoaster of emotions which I found myself sharing the emotions I had a few cross words with my Kindle and my husband thought I was loopy.
Melissa wrote yet another fantastic addition to the Braden's Series and I am looking forward to the next book.