Blaze (Phoenix Rising)

by Joan Swan

[EBookObsessed]

Blaze is Joan Swan’s second book of her Phoenix series. These stories revolve around seven firefighters who were caught in a chemical explosion in a government warehouse which left one dead and the remaining members forever changed. Each member has developed their own special abilities, and in this paranormal series, the scary monster in the closet isn’t a vampire or a zombie, it’s our very own government.

This black ops division of our government was aware of the toxic stew they kept hidden in their storage warehouse and have been monitoring these firefighters for the past five years. Those in charge are torn between destroying them before the public finds out or using their usual powers for their own purposes.

While all of the firefighters are being watched and monitored, it is Luke Ransom and Keira O’Shay who hold the most interest to the government. Luke and Keira were lovers long before the fateful fire, but everything changed when Luke walked out of the warehouse both fireproof and bulletproof and Keira was suddenly able to hear thoughts. Amazing enough, but it did not go unnoticed that while they were together their powers were enhanced. Because of this, everything is being done to keep these firefighters from coming back together. The fear is how powerful they could be as a team.

Keira and Luke are brought back together when the FBI and ATF are brought in on a raid on what is supposed to be a religious compound and turns out to be a laboratory, and when a fire starts during the confusion, they can’t help but notice the strange colors blazing in the flames. Those same colored flames that burned the night of the warehouse fire.

It seems the government got tired of waiting to see if they could control the firefighters and have decided to try to create their own gifted solders, starting with more malleable children.

At first Keira doesn’t understand the strange bond between her and little boy Mateo they rescued until she finally realizes that he too has the same special abilities shared by herself and some of the other firefighters. Now, Keira and Luke are on the run and trying to protect this boy but the government wants him back real bad, and they are willing to bargain whatever lives are necessary so they can get him back and bury their mistake, permanently.

Keira and Luke have been apart for three years now and neither has been able to get past the love that they shared, but is it undying love enough when your every move is watched and the danger only increases the longer you are together?

THOUGHTS:
Joan Swan is definitely working her way to the top of my favorite author list! This story was riveting, heart-poundingly intense, sexy, and definitely leaves me wanting more. I can’t wait for the next story.

When the scary monster in the closet is our own very powerful government, there is no one you can trust and no where that is truly safe. They were being monitor and no matter where they ran, there was already someone waiting to grab them. The way our government is portrayed as heartless in their pursuit of these firefighters gave me chills.

My only complaint comes from Keira’s flip-floppiness. Granted, she does have some childhood trust issues, but you can’t have an epiphany of how much someone means to you, how you have been existing, not actually living without them, and how you almost lost them forever, and then be like, “what I said before about how much I love you and I can’t live without you…meh, I think I’m going to go back to being too scared of losing you to stay with you.” WHAT!!!???!!! I wanted to smack her upside the head!

Received an ARC from the author. Thank you, Joan.

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