Fan the Flames (Search and Rescue, #2)

by Katie Ruggle

[EBookObsessed]

Ian Walsh is trying to straddle two worlds. Worlds that, like oil and water, don't mix well. During his youth, Ian became involved with the The Riders Motorcycle Club. Some of their activities crossed the lines of legality.  As an adult, Ian has found his true calling as a firefighter and the close brothers he has made there. While Ian is respected at the firehouse, his role with the MC still creates some problems for him.

Especially when Ian's pendent is found wrapped around the weight holding down the headless dead guy who was dredged out of the lake a few months ago. Most of the guys at the firehouse don't believe that Ian would have anything to do with that, but would they say the same with his MC buddies?

Ian isn't the only one having problems with the Club. Ian lost his heart to Rory Sorenson when they were children. Rory has been the owner of the local gun shop since her parents passed away.  She has also had some back room dealings with the motorcycle club but things go from bad to worse when some of the Riders decide they want all of Rory's inventory and if she gets in the way, Rory is disposable.

Ian won't let Rory be hurt by anyone but standing behind Rory against his Club brothers puts Ian in the Club's cross-hairs. Ian is going to keep Rory close no matter what objections she might have. The Riders are out for Rory's blood and if they have to shoot through Ian to get to her, so be it.

THOUGHTS:
Author Katie Ruggle has created an exciting, tension-filled series. I think Rory was an interesting choice for a heroine. Rory's parents were doomsday preppers. She lives in a fallout shelter under her gun shop. Her parents ran practice drills for the zombie apocalypse, biological warfare and any other end of the world scenarios. Rory is one of those few twenty-five-year-old virgin heroines that I found believable due to her upbringing.  She was homeschooled and her parents didn't trust other people and that paranoia only got worse over the years. Unless she is taking about guns, Rory is a bit socially awkward and with the exception of Ian, has no friends. Or at least she feels that she is alone, but as the story progresses, we find that many of the folks in this wilderness town have come to Rory's shop from time to time for guns or hunting rifles or ammo, especially most of the search and rescue people. Once Ian forces Rory to come with him into Town so he can protect her, she has an opportunity to socialize with the locals outside of the gun shop and finally realizes she is part of the Town and not the weirdo outsider.

How sweet that hot and hunky firefighter, Ian, has been holding a torch for geeky Rory since they were kids. He sees the woman and not the oddball that Rory feels she is, especially standing beside the ultra gorgeous Ian. It is Ian who thought he could never win over Rory who he felt was always a bit standoffish with him but he still ignored all the women who tossed themselves at him.

The romance was sweet and the tension high. With the motorcycle club constantly trying to break into Rory's shop or punish her for calling the cops, I kept wondering if running a gun shop was worth the daily life/death threat from the more questionable element that desired what she was hiding.

This review was originally posted on EBookObsessed