SEX AND THE SINGLE FIREMAN – Jennifer Bernard
A Bachelor Firemen Novel , Book 3
Avon
ISBN-13:  978-0-06-208898-7
February 2013
Contemporary Romance

San Gabriel, California – Present Day

While on her yearly trip to Reno for the Thanksgiving holiday, Sabina Jones has all the windows down, blaring Kylie Minogue.  Sabina hasn't talked to her mother in over thirteen years, and doing something, anything, for Thanksgiving, helps her forget about being alone.  When the large man in the black jeep next to her at the stop light honks at her and shows her the cell phone he's trying to talk on, Sabina has an obnoxious streak and turns her music even higher; isn't it illegal to talk on a cell phone while driving ? is her thought.  When he yells at her to turn it down, she almost does when she thinks he might actually have family to talk to, unlike her.  But his attitude irks her, and up the music goes, and she is ever so pleased when he gets stopped by the police.  Too bad they pulled her over, too.  And to add insult to injury, who is checking in at her hotel but tall, dark and built.  Whoops!  When he nicely asks her to dinner and she (sort of) apologizes, the fates all align and fire flares up between them and they end up in his bedroom.  Before too much happens, Sabina has to go find some protection, and as she's walking back to the hunky stranger she knows this isn't something she normally does, and she just can't force herself to go through with it.  With a “sorry” written on half of her ticket, she slides it under his door and escapes.

Rick Roman was driving across country to a new life in California.  His thirteen year old son Luke is going to love their new house and the beautiful climate where he can play baseball all year long.  Luke's pitching abilities led Rick to become the new Battalion Chief and section commander in charge of training, specializing in safety and hazmat protection for the San Gabriel Fire Department, home of the “Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel”.  Rick is anxious about getting away from New York, scene of his wife's death on 9/11, and the sadness that seems to surround him all the time.  Fire Chief Renteria has purposely hired Rick to prevent any more of that stupid bachelor firemen publicity.  And who is late his first day at work but Firefighter Jones the same woman who left him high and dry in Reno.  Sometimes it figures everything will go wrong.  Trying to ignore Sabina and concentrate on Luke's baseball is almost impossible since Sabina and her “Little Sister” Carly also go to the games, and Carly is another pitcher for the same team.

As Rick and Sabina fight their attraction, what else should happen as her past comes back to bite her.  Sabina and her mother Annabelle used to be in a situation comedy on television, quite a popular show.  Now Max, Annabelle's agent, wants Sabina to film a reunion show, as Annabelle is returning to California after being dumped by her latest man and needs money.  Max will do anything he can to embarrass Sabina and get her fired from her job in order to set the show up, and I mean anything.  Between Rick and Max, Sabina's going crazy trying to just do her job, a job she has loved since she was seventeen.  Rick and Sabina shouldn't even be together as he is her superior at work and firefighters getting together is frowned upon.  But never let it be said that Rick, and especially Sabina, ever follow someone else's rules!

Jennifer Bernard has once again brought the brotherhood of firemen to a pinnacle of perfection.  Rick Roman is the alphas of all alphas, tall, strong, and he will readily admit he has the leadership gene in his body.  The only thing he is missing is the ability to expose his inner self to anyone: his son, Sabina, the men he works with, and even his late wife.  Despite fighting his inner self every step of the way, Sabina latches on to his deepest emotions and won't let go.  After Sabina's growing up years and her mother, Sabina long ago had to do make her own decisions and do things her own way.  She, too, tries to be friends with the other firefighters, but still keep herself separate.  She can do things for herself and won't let anyone forget it.  Told from Rick's and Sabina's points of view, they each begrudgingly reveal their inner selves to each other, and they always seem to backslide and must start all over again.

Secondary characters include the other firemen of San Gabriel, a mixture of strong and funny, each and every one of them determined to do their best at work every day.  They are all a happy bunch, except for the curse of the San Gabriel firemen and now this hard-nosed new training officer.  Sabina's mother, Annabelle, has been separated from her for years, and yet the friction between them is to enough to start a fire.  And to round everything off, there's the love of Rick's life, his son Luke.  Sabina's Little Sister Carly and Luke are the combination that break everything open between Rick and Sabina and force them to face their fears.

SEX AND THE SINGLE FIREMAN continues the Bachelor Firemen series, and is just as fun and intense as the others in the series: THE FIREMAN WHO LOVED ME (April 2012) and HOT FOR FIREMAN (May 2012).  Rick is luscious and strong; he's lived for many years without a wife, and despite his reservations and fears, he is ready to devote himself wholeheartedly to Sabina.  Sabina and Rick's road to love is scary for both of them, but you'll totally enjoy the sights along the way.

Carolyn Crisher