Jill Shalvis, White Heat

White Heat

Jill Shalvis

Onyx, Jun 2004, $6.99, 336 pp.

ISBN: 0451411420

In San Diego, wild land firefighter Griffin Moore still feels guilt and remorse over watching twelve people including his best friend die in an inferno in which he blames himself for not getting everyone out; he has not worked a fire since. His brother informs Griffin that he has found him work in Mexico to keep a runaway fire from destroying a small poor village.

Pilot Lyndie Anderson flies Griffin to Mexico, but is shocked that he does not want to be at the fire. When she asks him why he volunteered, he explains that he did not. As they walk the perimeter, he realizes that the fire must be stopped before it goes uphill or it will hit the village. As they fight the fire, Griffin and Lyndie are attracted to one another, but he says he is in it for the long haul while she insists no long term relationships for her. He counters by saying he may be mentally screwed up, but he will teach her to risk her heart.

The first two fire fights are very exciting leading to readers feeling the heat and smoke and worrying about the safety of the caring people fighting the blaze as well as the villagers. Though the fire was contained and this may be ignorance on my part, it seems strange that the hero left for home when he did because he left behind amateurs to insure no sparks rekindled. Still this is a terrific heated romance in which the temperatures are generated by something besides the magnetism between the lead duo.

Harriet Klausner