Prelim Review: Contemporary romance and myself are in a weird relationship. I read them more now then I did before, but its still not a genre I can confidently say I enjoy wholeheartedly.

That said SEX AND THE SINGLE FIREMAN is an entertaining and satisfying read. I haven't read the previous books in the "Bachelor Fireman" series ([b:The Fireman Who Loved Me|12832043|The Fireman Who Loved Me (The Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel, #1)|Jennifer Bernard|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1329491127s/12832043.jpg|17982241] and [b:Hot for Fireman|12832079|Hot for Fireman (The Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel, #2)|Jennifer Bernard|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1331943161s/12832079.jpg|17982281]), but surprisingly this didn't impact my enjoyment of the book at all. I found that the backstory for Sabina and Roman, individually and together, was enough to keep me interested in the story.

As for the heat...well...I can't make myself write a pun. I just can't. But you get the idea.

This was also a bit of a crossover appeal novel. Not just firemen, but also a lot is delved into with Sabina's life as a child TV star and the lasting impact that has. In a world where child stars are routinely paraded on tabloid and magazine covers, or in blog reports and Hollywood Scandal shows as having difficulties adjusting to their adult years, I found it refreshing that Sabina took that step and walked away before it came to that. Roman for his part had a lot to deal with because of the death of his wife (also a firefighter), raising his son alone and being Sabina's boss, but I was more invested in his present circumstances (struggling to find the same passion he once had for being a firefighter) and where that ultimately led him.

The tension is palatable throughout the novel, but it never feels...strained I suppose is a good word. The two of them don't get together until fairly late in the book (last third), but that connection is still there. It was almost sweet really, how they both obviously wanted to encourage the other, but was thwarted by overly ambitious mothers, coworkers who didn't know when to quit and regulations that could strangle them.

I was not a fan of the resolution between Sabina and her mother Annabelle. While the truth wasn't particularly surprising, given the circumstances, what was surprising was that it took them this long to get to the bottom of things. So it turns out Max, Sabina's old agent, is a creep and a thief. Okay. So you're telling me that they were both so mad at each other they didn't even so much as look into how they were doing? They're mother and daughter! They couldn't possibly be so bullheaded as to not care if the other was alive or not.

Otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It was a (really) quick read and was perfect to jumpstart my want for romance once more. ( )

Reviewed for Read Your Writes Book Reviews
www.readyourwrites.blogspot.com

Sex and the Single Fireman is the third book in the Bachelor Fireman series. I didn't read the first two books in the series and had no problem reading this book. I did, however, read the novella and was immediately sold on Jennifer as a writer. Most of the characters in the book are likeable, if not loveable.

Sex and the Single Fireman did not disappoint. Sabina Jones and Rick Roman first meet under unusual circumstances. Another chance meeting leads them to contemplate a one night stand. Well, the one night stand doesn't actually take place, which is a good thing, since it turns out that Rick is Sabina's new boss.

Rick Roman uproots his life in New York for his thirteen-year-old son, Luke. They move from New York to San Gabriel, CA so Luke can play baseball year around. Rick is a good guy with a past no one wants to have. Like many others, he lost the love his life, his wife, Maureen on 9/11. She was also a firefighter and died when the towers collapsed.

Sabina Jones is a strong, independent woman who loves fighting fires. She's also trying to hide from her past. But sometimes, no matter how hard you try, the past comes back and bites you in the butt, when you least expect it. In Sabina's case, her mother wants to put her back in the spotlight.

Neither Rick nor Sabina are looking for love, but that's one of the best parts about a romance book. You gotta love watching the characters fight against something you already know is a losing battle. And boy, when that battle is lost, the aftermath turns out to be nothing but hot. Sex and the Single Fireman is a really good story with multiple storylines going on. You will get drawn into a story that's tragic and touching at the same time. This is a story of love and forgiveness.

FYI - The San Gabriel Fire Station 1 curse is STILL alive and well.

Source: Edelweiss ( )

Very good book. Rick is a former New York fireman who lost his firefighter wife on 9/11 and is raising his teenage son by himself. He has been hired by the San Gabriel fire department as training officer to get Station 1 back into shape and stop the media nonsense about the Bachelor Firemen curse. He nearly hooks up with a woman in Reno and is stunned to discover on his arrival that she is one of his firefighters. I liked Rick a lot. He is pretty uptight at the beginning with a lot he has to cope with. He's moved from New York to California, so he and his son are dealing with some culture shock. He has to try to stop the fire station's Bachelor Firemen reputation from getting worse. And he has to fight his inappropriate attraction to Sabina. I liked the way that he puts his son's wishes to play baseball ahead of staying in New York where he is comfortable. He has a great relationship with Luke. He comes across as unreasonable at first to the firefighters at the station, as they are unused to his kind of intensity. When the media storm around Sabina breaks out, he wins their approval when he supports her rather than firing her. His biggest challenge is his attraction to Sabina. He wants her a lot but he has two major problems. First, he's her boss, which makes any relationship between them impossible. Second, she is a firefighter and he's already lost one woman he loved in the line of duty. As much as he tries, he is fighting a losing battle. I really liked the way that he respects her abilities as a firefighter and stands up to his boss when her past creates more media problems. I loved watching him get to know her better and try to cope with his growing feelings. He is the strong silent type who doesn't talk about his emotions and this causes so communication problems between him and his son as well as with Sabina. He has to learn to express his feelings and this creates a few funny moments as well. There are some really funny scenes with him starting with his encounter with Sabina in Reno. He also has some incredibly emotional moments such as his rescue of Sabina during a fire and their search for Luke and Carly. Rick has an unusual stress fighting hobby that plays several parts in the book and ultimately aids in the resolution of their romance.

Sabina is an independent feisty woman who has worked hard to get where she is. I really enjoyed hearing her talk about the challenges she faced as a woman in a male dominated profession. She is a former child star who walked away from her fame and her famous mother. She has told no one about her past and has even dyed her hair to distance herself further from her old self. She thinks about a one night stand with the sexy guy she met in Reno, but chickens out at the last minute. She is horrified to discover that he is her new boss and does her best to avoid him. They agree to try to forget what happened but circumstances keep throwing them together. When her mother and her old agent show up and try to get her back into acting, they leak her past in an attempt to force her to cooperate. But Sabina is nothing if not determined and digs in her heels. I love her friendships with her fellow firefighters and the way they support her even as they tease her. Most of all I really enjoyed watching her relationship with Rick grow from adversaries to lovers and more. She had to learn to accept her past and how it contributed to the person she is now without letting it define her. I also liked the way that with maturity she is able to mend her relationship with her mother - who is a piece of work herself.

One of the best things about this series (Bachelor Firemen earlier books) is the way all the characters are portrayed as real people. No one is larger than life or perfect. Everyone has their own issues to overcome, but they are always there to support and help their friends. I loved the appearances by Ryan and Brody as they weighed in on events. All the firefighters were great, but I really enjoyed the substory with Vader and his issues with his girlfriend. I'm looking forward to his book. ( )

With the cover, I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. Funny and well written, this is a contemporary series that I'm going to enjoy reading more about. ( )