Burning Love (Calendar Men, #8)

by Cassandra Carr

[Cocktails and Books]

Although part of the Calendar Men series, each novella can completely stand on its own. In this, book #8 – August, Cassandra Carr gives us a firefighter injured on the job who has given up hope until he meet a somewhat clumsy chef who gives him a reason to get up every morning.

From the moment they set eyes on each other the sparks fly between Jude and Michaela. So it’s not exactly a stretch of the imagination to see them falling hard for each other rather quickly. There were times when Jude was very much a man and even I wanted to reach in the book and pull a Gibbs and smack him in the back of the head to get him to smarten up. A relationship shouldn’t be this hard? It shouldn’t take this much work? Obviously he’s never had a real relationship if that’s what he believes. That is far from the first or only head slapping moment I encountered. As endearing as Jude is in his every encounter with Michaela, he seems to have entitlement issues. And when things don’t go his way, he gives up. What ever happened to if it’s worth it, it’s worth fighting for? Michaela on the other hand seems to be no stranger to work and puts 110% into everything she does. Perhaps this is why they click so well. They balance each other out beautifully.

Although their romance takes place during a surprisingly short period of time, you can’t help but root for this somewhat polar opposite couple. Now this just my two cents, maybe even my OCD speaking, but I just felt too much was left to the reader’s imagination in the end. I won’t give away any spoilers, so I won’t tell exactly what I felt was left up to the reader to assume happens next. Once you read it for yourself, and I hope that you all do since this was wonderfully written, you will see for yourself what I mean. It’s just my personal opinion that too much if left up to the reader’s assumptions in the end. Otherwise it is a great novella. It’s worth every minute.

Reviewed by Iris for Cocktails and Books