Guest Reviewed by Morgan
Title: Lost in the Fire
Author: Draven St. James
Series: Firehouse Six #5
Heroes: Aaron Evans/Wren Tucker
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 178 Pages
Publisher: Loose Id
Release Date: September 22, 2015
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: Aaron Evans embodies every complication Wren Tucker knows he doesn’t need. The tempting go-go dancer refuses to leave him alone and his attempts to get into Wren’s bunker pants don’t stop at the club–even the walls of the Firehouse aren’t safe. Wren’s control is only so strong, and his desire for Aaron is turning into a clawing need that’s digging through the many reasons keeping Aaron at bay.
Aaron is two cold showers away from hypothermia if the hot fireman of his dreams won’t give in to the lust he sees blazing in Wren’s eyes. The only issue is, Wren is a forever man, and Aaron doesn’t have that in him to give, not with so many secrets locked behind the glitter and gold of his beautiful world.
As Wren begins to cave to Aaron’s delicious demands, he gets a deeper view of the tarnished landscape Aaron exists in. A murky pit of drug addiction that’s slowly dragging Aaron under, and Wren is going to have to fight like hell to save Aaron from it, to even have a chance at a new beginning with the man who brought him out of the shadows.
Review: Aaron is a go-go dancer who has an attraction for Firefighter, Wren. Wren fights the attraction because he feels he’s unlovable. When Wren finds out Aaron needs his help fighting his drug addiction, Wren steps in and also gives in to his attraction to Aaron.
Things are still difficult for the couple now that Aaron has gone “straight” as neither knows how to be with the other in a healthy way.
**
I really wanted to like this book. I enjoyed Draven St. James’ Pack of Light series and had heard really good things about this series. I won’t judge the series by this book, but this was not a great book for me.
First, I didn’t fully understand Wren’s reluctance to be with Aaron nor Aaron’s fierce desire to be with Wren. Wren has some scars, and is resistant to the “perfect” Aaron, but even after he sees just how flawed Aaron is, he’s still doubtful. Aaron comes across as just a brat who wants what he can’t have.
Second, the entire drug rescue/rehab thing made me crazy. Wren’s friend Bastien the EMT “borrows” meds and equipment sufficient to stave off cardiac arrest and seizures while they detox Aaron and I’m supposed to believe that nobody is monitoring that? Aaron doesn’t want anyone to know about his addiction but he nearly DIES. Everyone drops everything and risks their jobs for this guy – who at this point is only a go-go dancer at the club they go to. I think both the EMT and Wren might have some legal and ethical issues with doing this (because of their jobs) not to mention the absolute implausibility of nobody missing the controlled substances and medical equipment.
Third, their relationship is totally unhealthy. Aaron is in no way ready for a relationship and after recently losing his partner, neither is Wren. Aaron needs some serious counseling not a one-weekend rehab stint in a guy’s apartment and some NA meetings. Wren is in serious need of grief counseling. Each time they had sex, I just cringed. It never felt healthy for either of them. They are, at best, going to be co-dependent, and at worst, fizzle out once they each get healthy.
I am a starry-eyed, dyed-in-the-wool romantic, but I couldn’t ignore these huge problems. I think instead of giving these guys the hurdle of “he’ll hate my scars” and “I’m a lowly go-go dancer” as reasons why they shouldn’t be in a relationship together, a better story would have been overcoming Aaron’s addiction and Wren’s grief/guilt. It would have made for a much more believable story and made each of their struggles more meaningful.
So, with regret, I cannot recommend this book, but I am hopeful that the other books in this series are better. I give it 2.5 of 5 stars for the attempt at tackling some difficult topics.
Overall Impression: It was okay
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for a fair and honest review.*
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