Book 104, 2023

The Fire by May Archer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Since I had a 3-day weekend, I indulged myself by reading The Fire by May Archer. It's the 4th book in her "Love in O'Leary" series of male/male romances. The main characters are Parker Hoffstraeder and Jameson Burke.

It's been 11 years, 4 months, and 28 days since Parker left O'Leary and Jameson behind, not that Jamie is counting. But now Parker is back, and even though Jamie still finds him infuriatingly attractive, there's no way he's going to give Parker a chance to break his heart again. Because Parker doesn't plan to stick around this time, right?

Parker left O'Leary to get away from a broken heart when Jamie broke up with him. Now he's back. His big plans to open a bar in town and re-root himself goes up in flames, literally, when his bar burns down. With the insurance claim still up in the air, Parker is adrift. When he finds himself without a place to stay, he accepts defeat and decides to go to AZ, where his parents live now. Parker is thwarted when a blizzard hits, trapping him at the side of the road. It's just his (bad) luck that Jameson Burke is the one who comes along to save him.

Trapped together at Jamie's house during the blizzard, they agree to a truce of sorts. Being in close proximity reminds each of them of what they once had. The truth, although neither will admit it, is that they still love one another--they never stopped. With each of them too scared to confess feelings, it's going to take some interference from their fellow O'Learians to get Parker and Jamie back to good.

These two were nearly the death of me. It's so obvious to everyone but themselves that they still love one another. Jamie is convinced that O'Leary isn't big enough for Parker's dreams and his talent; thus, he's certain Parker will leave again. As for Parker, he hasn't forgotten that Jamie all but pushed him to Boston with a foot on his ass, not realizing that Jamie was acting selfless in setting him free. He has no desire to leave town again, but he needs Jameson to give him a reason to stay. Misunderstandings abound, but O'Leary has a way of working things out.

Favorite lines:
♦ Individually, girls were lovely. But in a pack, they sorta reminded me of hyenas. Hungry ones.
♦ How many times did I need to be whacked by the universe's fuckery stick before I got the message that it was time to leave town?
♦ "Every time I think I have gotten to the end, that the last domino has fallen, that there are no more fucking shoes waiting to fall on my head, life says hold my beer."
♦ "I have smiled, I have kept a stiff upper lip, and I have employed so much positive thinking that by rights I should have my own goddamn horde of innocent woodland animals traipsing along behind me while I walk through town."
♦ "Then it's on. Chicken Wing Death Match."

This one touched on all the feels: angst, anger, betrayal, love, lust, regret, and a healthy heaping of hurt/comfort. It was almost painful to read, but it made the end that much sweeter. Five stars!