"Fine romantic suspense"

San Diego County firefighter Jake Rawlins knows he and a teenager are trapped on the mansion's roof with an inferno about to engulf them. Jake rescues Billy, but he crushes his shoulder and has a concussion while Billy and his mom sue the county, the department, and Jake for excessive force. With reporters bugging him while on sick leave, Jake flees to the Blue Flame guest ranch in Nowhere, Arizona that he in inherited from his estranged father.

Ranch manager Callie Anne Hayes loves the Blue Flame and hopes to buy it from Jake, who hates the place. They met at his dad's funeral when she grieved and he seethed; they made love but she ended it when she realized he detested while she loved his dad.

Jake arrives and informs Callie that he will stay for a few months. She moves him into his half brother's cabin, who hates him for deserting him when the lad was five years old. Meanwhile someone is causing trouble for Callie and the ranch. As Jake feels lonely yet protective of Callie, they begin to fall in love, but the danger to her, the hands, the guests, and the animals mount from an unknown assailant who wants the place to fail.

Readers will feel heat from the attraction between the lead couple and enjoy the teen story between Tucker and an abused teen. The ranch support cast comes across as individual misfits who collectively add warmth to the tale. Though the villain is obvious in spite of his background and the troubled individuals at the ranch, fans will enjoy this fine romantic suspense starring two likable protagonists.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted November 29, 2004

Summary

When San Diego firefighter Jake Rawlins is injured in a heroic, high-profile rescue, he decides to disappear from the media and recover in solitude. With nowhere else to turn, he retreats to the Blue Flame, the Arizona ranch he inherited from his father. This remote oasis under a clear azure sky might seem like a bit of heaven—but Jake is just biding time until he can return to the city, where he can be lost in a crowd instead of alone with his thoughts.

Unfortunately, the wildly sexy Jake is the last person Callie Hayes wants to see again. As ranch supervisor, Callie's has made the Blue Flame her home. This place is Callie's heart and soul—both of which are shaken with the reappearance of its absentee owner. But Jake's a changed man, and their stormy past could spark a new love—one hot enough to change both their lives.