Fireworks (True North, #6)

by Sarina Bowen

[stacey_is_sassy]

Another chance to get their story perfect…

I wonder how many people go into TV journalism to seek the truth and provide an unbiased and accurate accounting of that truth? It seems that the profession has turned into more about looking good for the camera, getting the right ratings and a high social following. I’m sure there are a lot of journalists that start out with good intentions, but it’s a cut-throat business. Sure, you can seek that truth, but you better be telling it with perfect hair, skin and figure. I have never wanted to be a journalist. Some of those poor buggers have to get up at 3:00 in the morning to exercise (the horror) before the morning news can be read. Nah, I’m too lazy. There is no way I could be bright and bubbly, intelligent and articulate.

Just had dinner with my boys and I asked them the same question about TV journalists.

Hubby – I guess it’s a bit of both. They like the attention but are interested in what’s going on around them.
Oldest boy – Maybe they just got that job because they couldn’t find anything else (Holy Heck!! This kid is 15. Does he think jobs just fall from the sky?)
Youngest boy – I don’t know, Mum. They probably like it.

This then morphed into a discussion about drugs and how bad they are. Hubby is watching a show about Escobar and how he made his billions selling drugs. My youngest was fascinated that something so little can make so much money. We then connected the dots and explained that some journalists like to seek out the truth about crimes and whether the perpetrators ever face justice. My youngest loves digging for facts and I think he was a little more intrigued about the life of a journalist. He’s convinced you’d have to really love your job to put yourself at risk as they do.

Thank you, Sarina Bowen, you opened up a very interesting conversation at the dinner table about careers, jobs and drugs.

So, Fireworks was really good. I always find it interesting to see how your younger years can affect your whole life. Skye had a self-absorbed mother who moved from boyfriend to boyfriend dragging her beautiful young daughter with her. When, at 16, Skye and her mother are forced to live with one of her mother’s ex-husbands, things are at their worst. It’s not long before I was convinced this evil man is a predator…with a badge and a gun. There is a shining light from outside Skye's trailer window that gives her hope. That shining light is a young man who will do anything to protect her from the predator. Unfortunately, anything ends up costing them everything. It will be years later before they even get the chance to find out where it all went wrong.

Seriously, I loved Skye and Benito together. I can’t believe it took 12 years for them to get back to each other. There were two moments in this story that devastated me. The first was when the truth came to light of how their young love was ruined. The second, well, it wasn’t his fault, but I still wanted to box Benito’s ears for being a dingbat. He had no idea the devastation he was causing. It was so innocent and yet completely heartbreaking.

Loved Skye’s growth from beginning to end. She finally realises that she’s being taken advantage of by her boss and stands up for herself. I kind of hated Raye, her step-sister and the daughter of the predator. She took advantage of Skye’s need for a connection to what’s left of her family. Raye is such an idiot and Skye had to bail her out of the scrapes she got herself into. I wanted Raye to own up to her mistakes and pay the consequences of being an IDIOT!!

Fireworks was a fast-paced, sexy story filled with intrigue and drama. It was excellent to catch up with the Shipley’s and the Rossi’s and see how the bar, coffee shop and the cider business is going. Another win for me and I even tried a new drink because of Fireworks. Hubby and I were out having dinner and a few drinks when I remembered Benito introducing Skye to a Snakebite. I even had to download the book to my phone just to check the name and what it was again. So, a snakebite is half cider and half beer and it’s delicious. Funny thing is, Hubby had just been talking about snakebite with some workmates and supposedly, the poms add a nip of Ribena to theirs. Might have to try that next.

Anyways, enough ramblings from me. If you haven’t started the True North series yet…DO IT!!

Stacey is Sassy, received a complimentary copy of this story. The copy provided is not the final copy and may be subject to edits and changes.