The Night Belongs to Fireman - Jennifer Bernard (Avon - Oct 2014)

Series: Bachelor Firemen (Book 6)

Daring . . . Sexy . . . Irresistible . . .

They're the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel

When fireman Fred Breen rescues a bachelorette party after a construction crane collapses onto their limo, the media labels him the "Bachelor Hero." But all Fred can think about is the petite brunette with the sexy mane of dark curls who bolted away from him faster than a wildfire after he carried her to safety. And when he discovers she's none other than Rachel Kessler, the daughter of a tech billionaire, the girl whose kidnapping riveted the nation, he intends to learn every intimate detail about this intriguing woman who sets his pulse on fire.

Rachel can't deny the lean-muscled firefighter is smokin' hot. But after having one too many drinks at the bar where she first meets him, Rachel knows she's made a fool of herself. Yet when he rescues her from the limo, she feels safe for the first time since she was held for ransom as a child. Then her overprotective father insists Fred be her bodyguard -- and his close presence kindles a burning desire that only he can extinguish.

Good book and fun read. Fred has been a background character in the previous books in the series. He is the nice guy who never seems to get the girl. As this book opens, he and Mulligan are in a bar, celebrating Fred's second place win in a prestigious martial arts competition. He's not all that happy about coming in second but accepts it. Things start to get interesting when his trophy is grabbed by an extremely tipsy young woman from a bachelorette party. Rachel has definitely had too much to drink and it has caused her to leave her normally cautious attitude at the door. There are immediate sparks between the two, but they don't expect to see each other again. However, as the girls leave the bar, their limo is involved in an accident, trapping them in the car. Fred and Mulligan are first on the scene, with Fred taking the lead on extracting the girls. Rachel suffers from claustrophobia and Fred is able to keep her settled throughout the rescue. Rachel is amazed by how safe she feels with him. But when the media shows up at the accident scene, Rachel panics and flees.

Rachel was the victim of a kidnapping when she was a child. She was kept in a small cage for a month before she was able to escape on her own, which is the cause of her phobia. Her kidnapper was never caught, and continues to taunt her father. Since then, her super protective father has kept Rachel fairly isolated. She uses an assumed name in her career as a dog therapist and avoids media exposure that could reveal who she is.

I liked both Fred and Rachel. Fred is a nice guy who excels at his job. He's very modest and is irritated at being hailed as a hero. He considers what he did as just part of his job. He thinks hero is a title that belongs to people like his brothers and father who are all military and doesn't see that what he does is just as important. He is also a guy that doesn't like to hurt people's feelings, which has put him at a disadvantage with his ex-girlfriend. She refuses to believe that he has ended the relationship, and there are some pretty funny scenes as he tries to convince her that they are done. He's also great with kids, as is shown by his relationship with three fatherless neighbor boys. There are a couple hysterical scenes with the boys as they attempt to help Fred with his relationship with Rachel. I loved his relationship with his sister, which also shows his sweet and sensitive side, though he tries to hide it. Rachel starts out as something of a bird in a cage. She is still haunted by the memories of her kidnapping and the knowledge that the kidnapper has never been caught. Her father's over-protectiveness has begun to bother her, and she looks forward to those times when she can escape it. She feels most free when she is at the wildlife refuge, working with the animals. She can also be very determined when she wants something.

I loved the development of their relationship. There are sparks between them from the beginning, but Rachel doesn't trust easily. Fred is fascinated by Rachel, but when he finds out who she is he's convinced there's too big a gap between them. He is a bit of a jerk when he gets her full story, but quickly realizes he overreacted and apologizes (love a guy who can admit when he's wrong!). When Rachel's father convinces Fred to take on a short term job as Rachel's bodyguard, the sparks really begin to fly. One of the things I loved best about Fred was the way that he treated Rachel as an adult and was honest about why he was there. It was awesome to see them take this time to get to know each other and become friends. But the attraction was simmering beneath the surface the entire time, as both of them tried to ignore the attraction that was building between them. When they finally give in to it, it brings a whole new level of intimacy to their relationship. Fred's belief in her helps Rachel begin to believe in herself and she starts to really stand on her own. Her new independence is challenged when a kidnapping attempt snags Fred instead of her. I loved seeing her strength as she makes an unexpected decision about her life in order to help Fred. It doesn't all go smoothly as her actions run up against a couple of his issues and words are exchanged. And when Rachel's past reaches out to her, it's up to Fred to save her. I loved seeing how they both finally realized the truth of their feelings and that love can overcome a multitude of obstacles.

One of the best things about this series is the relationships among all the firefighters. The teasing is constant, always fun and occasionally blush inducing. I loved the scene where Fred, Rachel, and the others help Double D and his wife with the packing. Fred becomes the target of quite a bit, but also holds his own with some snappy comebacks. Underneath it all is the knowledge that your fellow firefighters have your back when it's needed. The wives are just as tight as the firefighters. I loved the ending as Fred wants to make sure that Rachel knows what she's getting into, and asks the wives to fill her in. I loved what they had to say and Rachel's reaction to it all.