This was alright. I just got a bit annoyed by their excuses about why they couldn’t date or whatever. Y’all are grown-ass adults with no kids at home (well sometimes they come home at the worst possible time lol) so just live your life! They were both single long enough that they could have made the decision to have sex and become lovers or just bang and move on. Anyway, besides that I enjoyed the life phase they were in: I appreciate that the mc’s are in their 40s and have grown children. I would love to read more romance with folks who are 30 and up. I’m interested in the rest of the series! ( )

I thought this was a novella but it must be an excerpt. ( )

This is what my brain is capable of at this moment. So, I enjoy. ( )

4.5 stars.

Love, love, LOVE Victoria Dahl's Fanning the Flames! This fast-paced and engaging novella is witty, flirty and oh, my goodness smokin' hot! It is the perfect introduction to her upcoming Jackson Girl's Night Out series and I thoroughly enjoyed this captivating story.

Lauren Foster and Jake Davis are wonderful characters and I love the fact that they are in their early to mid-forties and comfortable with themselves and their sexuality. Lauren is a divorced empty-nester whose libido is running at full throttle and she is seriously crushing on Jake. Jake also has a thing for Lauren but their long history together and the close proximity of their jobs makes both of them hesitant to act on their desires.

I absolutely adored Lauren and Jake and I could certainly relate to their trepidation about becoming involved with one another. They went to one another's weddings and although they were not close friends, their paths have crossed fairly frequently over the years. Jake is friends with Lauren's ex and Lauren feels like she can never measure up to Jake's deceased wife. However when the two meet up while Lauren's enjoying a girl's night out, their mutual desire spirals out of control and the sexy goodness between them is SCORCHING hot.

Lauren and Jake are superbly developed characters and their shared past makes their new relationship believable. Lauren is gutsy, outspoken and incredibly honest about her insecurities and doubts. Jake is all kinds of sexy wonderful, but the fact that he makes the first move to sort out their relationship after they wind up in an embarrassing (but hilarious) situation just adds to his appeal.

Fanning the Flames is an angst-free, humorous and sexy romance that I highly recommend to old and new fans of Victoria Dahl. It is a very enticing introduction to the upcoming Jackson Girl's Night Out series and I cannot wait to read Looking for Trouble which releases at the end of the month. ( )

Lauren is a librarian who has been divorced for 8yrs and has never regretted it but lately has been feeling lonely, in the bedroom. Jake is the town fire captain and a widower whose fire station just so happens to be next door to Lauren's library. They have known each other for years and are now starting to really take notice.

This is a novella, so it's obviously going to be short and sweet. What I didn't expect, was for it to be so complete. This starts off with Lauren observing Jake running shirtless and how hot and bothered it makes her in a fun and light witty banter way. The chik-lit feel continues as Lauren tries to fight her attraction to Jake, bemoans the lack of action happening in her bedroom, and agrees to let her friend take her out for a night out on the town to pick up some hot young eager men. What happens instead is Lauren escaping Jake's house after being caught in flagrante delicto. Jake and Lauren have off the charts bedroom chemistry but Lauren's insecurities rear their ugly head and this is where the story started to become deeper to me.

Lauren criticizes herself for not being what she thought an ideal wife and woman should be. This is partly due to Lauren’s own insecurities and partly due to, what are hinted at, years of little digs by her ex-husband. Many women readers who are Lauren's age or have gone through a similar situation are going to feel a pang in their hearts for her. When she thinks the line "she'd hope that a happy mom was more important for Sawyer than a married one." I know many a woman who is going to have a tear in their eye.

Jake is sexy, mature, and oh so good for Lauren but as this is mostly from Lauren's perspective and due to the strength of her character, you're going to focus more on her. The sex scenes are hot and the pace is steady and strong but as with all novellas, the ending seems abrupt and you'll wish it was longer. Very few novellas manage to pull off such a non-rushed feel and complete story. This is honestly one of the best short stories I have ever read and I will absolutely be picking up the next in the series.
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