Afire

Title: Afire
Author: Grace Jameson
Publisher: Siren Publishing
Publisher URL: http://www.sirenbookstrand.com/
ISBN: 1-61034-128-7
Genre: {M/F} Contemporary, Western
Rating: 4.5 Nymphs
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Rose Nymph

From the first moment she saw him, Jenny Busch has known exactly what, and who she wants – Cal Carson by her side and in her bed, preferably for the rest of her life. She hasn’t been shy in letting the object of her affections know how she feels either, much to Cal’s continual frustration. A rancher by trade, Cal is no stranger to the loneliness that goes hand in hand with the long hours and hard work involved in maintaining a successful business. He would gladly love to have someone to share it all with and make everything worthwhile, but he’s been hurt before…

When an emergency forces Cal and Jenny into close quarters for the foreseeable future, Cal doesn’t think he can stay strong for much longer. Beforehand, he’d always had a way to keep the beautiful, spirited woman at bay if things got too hot under the collar, but now? Being able to spend so much time with Jenny has just confirmed what Cal secretly knew along. He’s worried he won’t be able to restrain himself when push comes to shove, but after one stubborn encounter after another, has he left it too late to let her know how he really feels?

Jenny is an honest, down to Earth character and I really like the fact that she is completely happy being ruled by her heart. Cal too is a great character and I enjoyed being savvy to his internal monologue as it helped soften the blow of what would otherwise have been some extremely frustrating actions on his part. As it was, there were moments I could have knocked Jenny and Cal’s heads together, as their emotional reactions and misunderstandings pushed all my buttons. I absolutely love a relationship with an older, wiser man whose heart has been bruised and a slightly younger, energetic woman who can sooth the man’s aches, if only he’d let her in.

Afire provided that and much more, with a ranch setting and a very strong supporting cast adding to my enjoyment. If you are a fan of the genre and love reading the twists and turns of a relationship between two stubborn people with real chemistry, I highly recommend Afire.