Was it a horrible book? No, I guess it wasn't. I think it was quite emotional, lots of action. But - I hated every minute I spent reading this book. I didn't like neither Anne nor Danny and I really didn't care about their romance. After reading like one third of it I started skipping pages, just to finish it as fast as possible. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to keep this book and I'm not going to read the rest of the series. ( )

eh, this kind of dragged for me. ( )

[b:Consumed|38622279|Consumed (Firefighters, #1)|J.R. Ward|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1521207773s/38622279.jpg|60238189] by [a:J.R. Ward|20248|J.R. Ward|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1437768069p2/20248.jpg]
Genres; Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense
3 Stars

*Note: Upon further consideration I have changed my rating to 3 stars. The more I think on this book, the more disappointed I get.

Positives & Negatives

You can tell by the shelves I have this in I, for the 1st time in my life, won a giveaway. Not just an ebook, but the real life hard copy! I was beyond excited & the fact that it is a J.R. Ward book & the 1st book in her new series sent me over the moon. I actually stroked the cover for at least 5 minutes before I ever opened it. The fire on the cover is textured. It's beautiful and I cherish it.

Now, I have to say that on my book it says 'Uncorrected Proof'. And I will tell you that I know it is going through another editing before it is released sometime in October. So please keep that in mind as you read my review. I suspect there will be quite a few differences in you copy.

The beginning of the book was fantastic and drew me in quickly, but then it let me down.
I had a hard time connecting to Anne. Her 'caution' in all her relationships was way overblown considering her reason for being that way. Some of her actions and thoughts were a bit repetitive. That said, there were a lot of qualities she had I did like. She has a very strong personality and is very independent. In some ways too much so.

I loved Danny. His problems and reasons for doing and feeling the way he does had a much better foundation than Anne's. He was funny, and sweet and caring. He also had a lot of pain from his past and his ways for dealing with that pain is self destructive. His growth in this book and his character kept me involved in the whole.

The suspense was good, but quite frankly I expected a lot more from J.R. Ward. There are a lot of areas I thought could have been 'More'. More intrigue, more danger, more suspense, more depth and fewer words. The case Anne finds herself working on is interesting, but it could have been so much better.

Just to let you know that by the time I finished the story I liked Anne a lot more.

I finished reading this 4 days ago & it took me this long to decide on my star rating and what my review would say. I wish I could have given it 5 stars because I love J.R. Ward's writing. However, in all honesty I just couldn't do it. I love her BDB series and the spin off of that. But it seems to me her contemporary stories get to wordy without the action her paranormal series contains. ( )

I had this on my TBR list for a couple of years and finally decided to read it. It was not nearly as good as I expected from the original review, and I won’t be reading any more in this series. I enjoyed reading about a woman firefighter and I felt like the details of firefighting were realistic. However, Anne was a very judgmental person and I couldn’t believe a lot of the situations that occurred throughout the book. ( )

This was really great! Old-school JR Ward! A team of firefighters work together to battle fires around the city, possibly being set by a serial arsonist. Where the book starts off with a huge explosive scene, they are on their way to a blaze, and firefighters Danny and Ann who have some history have only a few seconds to flirt on the engine before they are thrust onto the scene. The rest will be in spoilers.

The decision to have something so traumatic happen early on and have them battling the effects of it the rest of the book really drove most of the conflict. Ann had her life changed forever after the amputation, but soldiered through. Danny was unable to cope and turned to self-destructive behavior. The mystery in the background with the potential arsonist was perfectly balanced.

I also thought, compared to some books in the recent BDB series, that this one struck a good balance between POVs of other characters. We got to see snippets of other firefighters, enough to glimpse into their lives, but for the most part, things stayed tightly on Danny and Ann. There were not massive chunks of page time devoted to “villain POV” which is sometimes one of my complaints with Ward’s books. Everything just worked really well here!

This was great! Will definitely continue on.

Trigger warnings: fire, violence, murder, amputation, domestic violence, PTSD

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader. ( )

3.5 stars

One of my favorite authors recommended this book so I thought I would give it a try, especially, since this author is always raved about. I wish I would have liked it as much as she did. Unfortunately, it was a struggle for me the majority of the book. I struggled with the characters, the storyline, and even the mystery. The mystery was about the only thing that I liked and that was because it did keep my attention until the end because I wanted to know who was behind it. And, I even struggled with that because it was fluid in parts and it ended really quickly and in an odd way.

I appreciate this author and their hard work but this wasn't for me. However, the beauty of books is that everyone can enjoy different things. ( )

One moment in time, one swing of the axe, and everything changes...
Anne is the daughter of the former fire chief who died in a fire when she was 13. When she joins the department herself she hopes to live up to his reputation. But one wrong decision at a warehouse fire will cost her everything.
Danny is the bad boy fireman, taking risks and living like a playboy... until Anne joins the station. He's attracted from the time they met, but she holds him at arm's length because of his reputation. But when tragedy strikes, he's the first to risk his life to save her. But the only way to save her life is to hurt her, and the guilt of that one moment will haunt him.
I couldn't put this book down! I can't wait for the rest of this series. ( )

actually was a very well "who done'it " type of book, I didn't expect the end twist so that was amazing, and haven't really read much about this type of main character so that was also awesome, and I love a good pet! ( )

An easy read and a glimpse into the life of a woman firefighter. ( )

J. R. Ward is a gut punch genius. This feels like a set up for another big series, and I'm here for it. It feels fresh, not at all like I'm reading a re-telling of BDB. And I cannot tell you how long I've been looking for the perfect firefighter romance. This is it, folks. ( )

J.R. Ward has been one of my favorite authors since finding the Brotherhood of the Black Dagger. I enjoy her voice as a writer so I was very excited for a new series, particularly with firefighters as my father was one (and an arson investigator) so I'm familiar with the 'world'. I was totally hooked after the prequel novellas and was eagerly awaiting this book and I was not disappointed at all! The characters were wonderfully developed, the growth and change believable and the story definitely held my attention. The only bad thing about this book is that I finished it and I have to wait for the next one. ( )

Consumed was one INTENSE read. It's explosive, emotional and a definite page turner.

Anne Ashburn is a firefighter - the only female at her station and a damn good one. Her and fellow firefighter Danny Maguire danced around each other for quite some time before succumbing to the attraction between them. The chemistry was still burning until one fateful night when a break in protocol changed both of their lives.
Fast forward ten months and after a long, tough healing process Anne has accepted a new job as an arson investigator while Danny has returned to the 499. Neither of them have it easy. Anne's career was her life and being forced to leave it behind is no easy feat. Consumed with the guilt of what he had to do to save Anne's life, Danny is unable to move on and has taken to drinking to numb the pain.

Working as an arson investigator is not nearly as exciting as her old job but after being assigned to investigate a recent warehouse fire - not far from the warehouse that nearly cost her her life - she realizes that something just doesn't add up. After all, 6 warehouse fires over the course of 2 years - all owned by the same man - does seem a little suspicious.

When Anne receives a call asking her to check up on Danny she comes to his aid. Just once - or so she tells herself - and as time goes by old feelings resurface and they find themselves powerless to resist.

While Consumed follows several different characters, Anne and Danny are the main focus of the story. While both of them are broken and haunted by their pasts, they are still forces to be reckoned with. They're strong willed and neither are afraid of bending the rules.

This book has a little bit of everything. Sizzling romance, familial drama, danger, suspense and betrayal. Not to mention an incredibly adorable dog named Soot!

I can't wait for the next installment!

*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Please see all of my reviews on my blog at www.robinlovesreading.blogspot.com.

My rating: 4.5 Stars

One of the most spine-tingling openings I have ever read. Firefighters. Incredible danger. Near loss of life and limb. Utter tragedy that turned out to be one of the best love stories that I have read in a while.

Anne Ashburn is a woman consumed. By her job as a firefighter and by her carnal thoughts of fellow firefighter Danny Maguire. He knows it too. The two share an all-consuming night together. Just one night. However, as fellow firefighters, they spend even more time together, but this is about to come to a tragic end. I know that there are three prequels to this story, so the history between Anne, Danny and the rest of the unit is well-defined. However, I have not had the opportunity to read those books. They are The Rehearsal Dinner, The Reception and The Wedding from Hell. Despite missing those books, I was still very much brought into the drama between these two volatile individuals.

Three weeks after a team member’s wedding, which turned out to be the one and only night the two spent together, Anne and Danny are fighting a brutal fire. The entire team is incredibly busy battling the flames. Anne sustains a life-changing injury as a result of being stuck that changes her life and career forever. Those tragic events have truly changed Danny as well. He has become extremely reckless, on the job, and in life. As it is, Danny is in love with Anne. Not only does he no longer see her on the job, he is also unable to see her at all. She has completely walked away.

Anne has good reason. She has to rebuild her life. Distractions will only get in the way, even if she has to suffer a broken heart. Anne begins to train as a fire inspector. Although her job doesn’t entail jumping into burning buildings, it can be just as dangerous.

Circumstances pull Anne and Danny back into each other’s lives. It is increasingly evident that their passionate desire for one another cannot be denied any longer. Anne and Danny find that they cannot fight the feelings they have been trying to avoid. Meanwhile, Anne begins to piece together situations involving several fires. What ensues is an incredibly sensitive romantic suspense that was extremely difficult to put down.

This book has a lot to offer, wonderful characters, an amazing dog an intrigue. The readers get to see a couple that has struggled to deal with adversity come together and find wonderful happiness. We also get to see the beginning of another series that holds much promise by J.R. Ward. This author has written numerous series, including the long-running Black Dagger Brotherhood series. ( )

Listened to audio narrated by several Narrators, Jim Frangione, Hillary Huber, Pete Simonelli and Jason Carpenter. At first the different narrators threw me off but I realized it helped a lot knowing I was hearing from a different characters viewpoints. Danny and Anne were a couple until during a fire he had to cut off her hand to save her life. While Anne works on healing, showing great strength and adaptability Danny wallows in drink and women. We also learn about Anne's brother and other firefighters struggles with coping with their demanding job and lives. I liked that this story wasn't all about the glory, and dealt with the realities of a firefighters' lives. Overall a good read. ( )

Firefighters, romance, and a dash of mystery. The novel started off super intense (not super surprising in a novel featuring a riskier profession) and I really appreciated how Ward dealt with the realities her characters faced in the aftermath of the action. That said, I didn't think the resolution of the mystery was earned and the writing wasn't quite my jam so I won't be picking up future books in the series. If you're an established fan of J.R. Ward this book may work better for you or if you're super into firefighter romances. ( )

DESCRIPTION, NOT REVIEW: Anne Ashburn is a woman consumed...

By her bitter family legacy, by her scorched career as a firefighter, by her obsession with department bad-boy Danny McGuire, and by a new case that pits her against a fiery killer.

Strong-willed Anne was fearless and loved the thrill of fighting fires, pushing herself to be the best. But when one risky decision at a warehouse fire changes her life forever, Anne must reinvent not only her job, but her whole self.

Shattered and demoralized, Anne finds her new career as an arson investigator a pale substitute for the adrenaline-fueled life she left behind. She doesn't believe she will ever feel that same all-consuming passion for her job again--until she encounters a string of suspicious fires setting her beloved city ablaze.

Danny McGuire is a premiere fireman, best in the county, but in the midst of a personal meltdown. Danny is taking risks like never before and seems to have a death wish until he teams up with Anne to find the fire starter. But Danny may be more than a distraction, and as Anne narrows in on her target, the arsonist begins to target her. ( )

"Consumed" is a fast-paced start to a new series featuring Anne Ashburn, a firefighter injured on the job and forced into a new profession as a fire investigator. Anne is dealing with her disability and her new "boring" job, and at first she is understandably unhappy. She grows into the job as the intellectual challenge of "solving" a fire takes hold. Figuring out what happened and why is a mystery puzzle for each fire.

My cousin is a firefighter to turned to fire investigation after he retired from active duty. He loved it and his stories of his work are fascinating.

I dearly hope that Ms Ward focuses this series on real fire investigation work, not on love and romance, and that the series stretches out into the future.

I received a review copy of "Consumed by J.R. Ward (Gallery) through NetGalley.com. ( )

Consumed is the first full-length novel in J. R. Ward’s new Firefighters series, and it’s an excellent beginning. We were introduced to our hero and heroine, Danny and Anne, in the two prequel novellas, The Wedding from Hell, Part 1: The Rehearsal Dinner and The Wedding from Hell, Part 2: The Reception. There we learned of the strong, irresistible attraction they’ve shared for one another since the day they started working together. But Anne has worked hard to get where she is as a woman in a male-dominated world, so she couldn’t bring herself to give Danny anything more than a one-night stand. To do so, she would’ve risked her entire career, because of the fire department’s no-fraternization policy. I fully expected the story to fast-forward from there, so I was pleasantly surprised that only a few weeks had passed between their passionate night together and the beginning of this book. The first few chapters contain some nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat suspense as both Danny and Anne are involved in fighting a fire that leaves Anne trapped, and Danny forced to make an agonizing decision that has permanent repercussions not only to Anne’s life but to his psyche as well. From there, the story does fast-forward ten months to Anne starting her new job as an arson investigator. She’s also gradually drawn back into Danny’s life and an eventual relationship with him, while investigating a suspicious warehouse fire that looks like it may have ties to a string of other fires, including the one which was the last fire she fought as a firefighter. It took a little while for this part of the story to build, but it led to a surprising, action-packed climax that was equally as intense as the opening chapters.

Anne is a strong, independent heroine with some complex family dynamics. Her firefighter father was always her hero, and she wanted nothing more than to be like him. But he looked down on a woman going into that type of profession. He died on the job when she was a young teen. That event revealed a dark, family secret that only she knows about, and that permanently marred her father’s memory. Anne also has a troubled relationship with her mom. She views the older woman as far too meek and dependent, so she refuses to be anything like her, instead relying only on herself. Even her relationship with her brother is a rocky one. She brings a lot of this baggage into her romance with Danny, as well, holding him at arm’s length sometimes and allowing the past to unfairly color her perceptions of him at times, too. I very much admired Anne for her strength and resilience in the face of a life-altering event. She’s one tough cookie and a pragmatist, who doesn’t allow circumstances to get her down. It’s a big change to go from fighting fires to investigating them when she’s used to that adrenalin rush, but again she throws herself into her work with gusto. She may be a kick-butt fighter, but she has a gentler side as well, proving herself to be a great pet parent with a soft spot for dogs, and I absolutely loved Soot. Anne also finds a soft spot for Danny, and once she fully lets him in, she’s a comfort to him in his times of need.

Aside from his chosen firefighter family, Danny is alone in the world. His parents passed away a long time ago and he lost his twin brother, who was also a firefighter, on the job three years before, something that has stayed with him. In addition, he witnessed the loss of another fellow firefighter in the line of duty, so he’s already had a lot of trauma in his life. Then he has to make an unthinkable decision in order to save Anne, the only woman he’s ever loved, from the clutches of a burning building. This in turn leads to his own near-death experience, from which it takes months for him to recover. Once he does and he gets back to work, Danny is in an emotional downward spiral and basically seems to have a death-wish. That’s when a mutual friend draws Anne back into his life, giving him something to live for again. I adored Danny. Underneath the tough firefighter exterior beats a tender heart that’s been deeply wounded by all the tragedy in his life. He’s struggling to keep his head above water and not drown in his own emotions. He may have been a playboy, going from one woman to the next, but I love that he’s only ever truly had eyes for Anne. She’s the other half of him, and I love that he never tries to stifle her independent spirit. Although he initially has some trouble being around her because seeing her drives home the agonizing choice he had to make, he eventually comes to accept her as a whole person and the only one he loves. He also proves more than once that he’ll always have her back and will do anything to keep her safe.

J. R. Ward has set up a number of interesting supporting characters who would make great main characters in future books and could conceivably keep the series going for quite a while. First up is Anne’s brother, Tom, who gets several of his own POV scenes. Tom is the chief firefighter and a bit of a chip off the old block. I have to admit that for quite a ways into the story, I didn’t really like Tom much. He’s a hard, intractable man who doesn’t get along with Anne and even has an argument with her while she’s in the hospital right after being injured in her last fire. He really rubbed me the wrong way until he had a run-in with Mayor Catherine Mahoney who called him on the mat for being difficult. At that point, he seemed to have a bit of a wake-up call and became a better person for the rest of the story. There’s a definite attraction between these two, so I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to find them engaged in an enemies to lovers romance in the next book. Danny’s former roommate, Jack, a SWAT officer, helps Anne with her investigation. The author has dropped some intriguing tidbits about a couple of other firefighters, Emilio and Vic. Not to mention, between the 499 and the 617 there are lots more of these guys in the background, as well as police officers, who we haven’t gotten to know yet. Moose and Deandra, the (un)happy couple from The Wedding from Hell prequel novellas continue into the marriage from hell. Called it!;-) Then there’s the villainous real estate developer, Charles Ripkin, who’s a real creep. I’ll be looking forward to seeing him get what’s coming to him.

Overall, Consumed was a great story that I very much enjoyed. J. R. Ward has a real talent for making me care about her characters and the worlds she creates. The firefighters and other first responders in this series are shaping up to be a brotherhood of a different sort, who I very much look forward to getting to know better. Anne and Danny were awesome characters who made me feel for them and each of their individual situations. I loved seeing them gradually come together and find some healing in their relationship, as well as seeing Anne mend her severed family ties. There were no easy answers or magic solutions for Danny’s tragic past, but I was heartened in knowing that he’s now working to put it behind him and look to a brighter future. This is also a book about families, both those by birth and those we choose, that’s wrapped up the mystery of who’s setting the warehouse fires and why, which leads to a reveal that I honestly didn’t see coming but which made perfect sense. Consumed was an all-around wonderful read that really has me looking forward to future books of the series. ( )

As a former volunteer firefighter, this is a book that will really appeal to all of us who love that life. The main character is involved in a fire that pushes her to the limit and that also leads to major changes in her life. However, she has not cut off all ties to her former life, despite the new challenges she faces in her new career. While the book deals with an arson case, most of the book deals with firefighting and the issues firefighters face because of the job. It is also a love story as a break from the other action. I will definitely read the next book in this series as I anticipate there will be a sequel. ( )

I thought I would enjoy a light fluffy romance with some steamy scenes, but even I was under impressed with this. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood to read this, but whatever the case, I was not a fan. The plot was very predictable, there were far fewer sex scenes then I would have anticipated, and I was over the firefighter shit from the first chapter. I feel like I'm being unfair to this book. I'm sure it will garner lots of fans. It wasn't even badly written, it just did nothing for me. Anne was a firefighter until an on the job emergency cost her her hand. No longer able to be one of the boys (aka a firefighter), she undergoes intense physical therapy and becomes a fire investigator. One of her cases leads her back to Danny, a smoking hot firefighter she once had a one night stand with. Now she is lusting after Danny and having to watch her back, because her one case is going to put her in danger. Cliche. Cliche. Cliche. ( )

Consumed by J.R. Ward if one of the best, if not the best romantic suspense books I've read. It has so much going for it: a cast of interesting, complex and flawed characters, a lot of action, a scorching hot romance, both internal and external conflicts that our characters have to deal with, and a number of mysteries (arsons and a murder) that need to be solved. All these elements make Consumed for a captivating read. At the same time this book sets the stage for what is promising to be an action packed, exciting series. I loved Anne and Danny's story and can't wait to find what characters will get their story told next. ( )

This book is a great read. Very detailed in regards to the life of a Fire Fighter and the daily struggles they encounter when they themselves get hurt or a brother of the fire house. ( )

I received this book in my @freshfictionbox. All opinions are my own. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Consumed by J R Ward. Firefighters, Tragedy, Romance, and Family drama all rolled into 400+ pages that will keep you engaged from the moment you open the book. Anne has a complicated past and being the only woman in her division in the firefighting unit she has a chip on her shoulder and she isn't afraid to take charge. Until tragedy strikes and she finds herself taking charge but every time she thinks she has one thing under control another thing falls apart. It isn't until she becomes an arsen investigator that she discovers everything she thought she knew and had under control comes crashing down around the people she truly loves. Review also posted on Instagram @borenbooks, Library Thing, Go Read, Goodreads/StacieBoren, Amazon, Twitter @jason_stacie and my blog at readsbystacie.com ( )

Consumed starts off with a seriously tragic event. We are introduced to our main characters on what is to become the worst day of their lives. Anne and Danny are both firefighters with the same company. During a warehouse fire, Anne is trapped. Danny attempts to save her. This results in both of them nearly dying and the course of their lives forever changed. After you are given the story, the plot moves ahead 10 months from the fire. Anne and Danny have a bit of a second chance story; not much time has passed, but because of the fire, their relationship ended abruptly. They still live in the same town but haven't spoken since that day.

Anne wasn't my favorite heroine, mostly because she has a big chip on her shoulder. She is a woman in a man's job and is constantly fighting for equality. I appreciated that, but she was fighting when there wasn't anything to fight against. She was really derogatory about her mom as well, saying she never wanted to be like her mom and just stay home waiting for her husband. I totally support a woman's right to NOT want to be a stay at home mom or wife, but I also support the right to do those things. Being a woman who stays at home to raise a family isn't something you should shame, especially if you are another woman! It really just rubbed me the wrong way. However, Anne is a dynamic character who does grow throughout the story. I think she was very immature in the early parts of the story but because of the tragedy and the aftermath she matures. While I might have really not liked her to begin with, she did get more likable in my mind.

Danny is a beta hero for sure! It was a bit odd at first, because I don't think I have ever read a beta hero from Ward! But, I loved him. He really struggled with what happened between him and Anne. The guilt he carried was immense and he just didn't know how to manage it all. He was a very sympathetic character (more so than Anne in my opinion!).

Consumed is so much more than just the story of Anne and Danny. There is a serial arsonist on the loose and people are getting hurt. I will admit I didn't guess correctly on what would happen with this plot line! The book also sets up what I think will be future characters. They are all pretty damaged and drama filled-typically of Ward characters! Consumed is a fascinating start to a new, angsty series that I am curious to continue!

 

• POV: 3rd


• Tears: no


• Trope: second chance, firefighters


• Triggers: none


• Series/Standalone: series


• Cliffhanger: there are some plot points left unsolved that will continue into future books


• HEA: yes

In Her Bones by Kate Moretti, From Here to You by Jamie McGuire, Ultimate Sacrifice by KC Lynn...then you will probably like Consumed!

 


Consumed






 See full review on The Book Disciple ( )

It took a while for me to get into this book, but once I did, I liked it. It contained a little more action than I usually like and the beginning was tough, but it was a solid story with good character development.

I am hoping that after taking so long to introduce these characters and provide their background stories, along with some story lines left hanging, this will be the first in what will be a series.

For those who may be interested, there are two prequels to this story, The Wedding from Hell, Parts 1 and 2. Reference is made to "the wedding from hell" in Consumed.