Review: How to Tame a Wild Fireman by Jennifer Bernard

How to Tame a Wild Fireman

Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel, #4
Jennifer Bernard

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Avon
Date of Publication: September 24, 2013
Number of pages: 389

Available at the following retailers:
Amazon     BN     Kobo     ARe

Review: Sex and the Single Fireman by Jennifer Bernard

This is the third book in the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel series by Jennifer Bernard.  This story follows one of the two women firefighters on the force, Sabina Jones or Two as the firemen call her.  This story starts during Thanksgiving, with Sabina going to Reno, as is her usual Thanksgiving tradition.  On the way there, she encounters Rick "Rock" Roman.  First by trading insults in their cars, as he is trying to speak on the phone, and she is busy blaring rock music.  And next when they end up seated together at dinner.  They nearly have a one night stand, but Sabina comes to her senses at the last minute and walks away. Next they meet when he is introduced as Battalion Chief, Section Commander in charge of Training Section and Sabina is in line up.  The sparks being to fly as they each fight their attraction to each other.

Battalion Chief Roman is very tough and by the book.  He moved to California to support his son, Luke by letting him play year round baseball.  There are also some tough memories for him in New York, as his wife and fellow firefighter was killed on 9/11 in the tower collapse. At first the guys at San Gabriel firehouse dislike Roman.  Even when Chief Brody stops by to give Roman a talk, Roman  blows him off.  If it weren't for the interactions with Luke, I probably would have really dislike Roman to begin with.  It doesn't help that that Chief Renteria is constantly on Roman about making sure that there is no media about the Bachelor Curse.  Needless to say, when Sabina's secret gets out, the media circus begins and leaves Roman fighting a losing battle.  

Sabina had some major issues and secrets in this book.  We find out that she is actually a former child star of a very popular tv series and has done everything in her power to stay hidden from the press.  It helps (and hurts) that her and her movie star mother have been estranged for the past 13 years.  But all that ends, when her mother shows up at the firehouse pitching a reunion show.

There were many, many issues for these two to over come on their way to a happily ever after.  The theme of forgiveness and acceptance continues to play a large part in the series.  This book focused much more on the San Gabriel Bachelor Curse than the previous book.  There were some cameo appearances from Captain Brody and Melissa and Ryan and Katie, but the crew of the firehouse were front and center in this book.  I really enjoy the guys and can't wait to find out which one's story is next.  

I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads.  The author took would could have been a very big cliche with the "former child star", and kept it about real life issues.  Like parent/child communication and expectations.  

Goodreads:

The toughest captain on the East Coast, single father Rick Roman has come thousands of miles to San Gabriel to put an end to the "Bachelor Firemen" media hype. But when a stunning woman he nearly hooked up with in Reno turns out to be a firefighter from his new station, Roman realizes it's going to be tough keeping the tabloids at bay. 

But there's even more Sabina isn't telling him. Before dedicating her life to battling blazes, Sabina led a very different life, one that made her famous. The last thing she wants is to have her secret exposed. The papers, bloggers, and TV gossips will have a field day with that—especially when they sense the obvious sexual heat between Sabina and Chief Roman, who's torn between firing her...and falling in love with her!

Review: Hot for Fireman by Jennifer Bernard

This is the second book in the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel by Jennifer Bernard.  This story takes place approximately a year and a half since The Fireman Who Loved Me.  In this book, we are re-introduced to Ryan, the young stud who was originally the intended date for Melissa in the first book.  He has been on a leave of absence after a mishap that almost left a woman dead when she hid out in the plug-buggy and Ryan responded to a call alone, when he shouldn't have.  A woman with a mental illness shot at him and injured the woman hiding in the plug-buggy.  Instead of being fired, Captain Brody had put Ryan on leave of absence.  He returns to San Gabriel after some time soul searching.  His first stop is the Hair of the Dog bar, just down the block from the firehouse.  There he meets, Katie Dane who is filling in for her father, who recently had a heart attack.  Her family chose her to run the bar, since she was only in graduate school and not already working another job.  Plus she is her father's favorite, so he is who he wants tending his bar.

But Katie knows nothing about running a business, and the bills are piling up.  When her first big idea to draw in a crowd turns out to be a bust, and Ryan showing up to help out, she hires him to tend bar.  After a small fire scare that Katie tells her family about, they all seem disappointed that the bar doesn't actually burn down.  After that, Katie starts figuring out a way for the bar to burn down so her family can collect the insurance money.  Unfortunately, Katie has no idea that Ryan was a fireman and he keeps saving the bar.  

We don't get to see much of the guys from the firehouse, except during a little strip tease some of them do for a bachelorette party.  Then we get to see (or at least imagine) quite a bit of them. *wink*  Captain Brody and Melissa, from book 1, show up in several scenes and it is nice to be able to check up on them and see how they are doing.

The themes of forgiveness was once more in this book.  Forgiving others, yourself and acceptance of the past.  I enjoyed this book and gave it 3 stars on Goodreads, because I would have liked to have seen a bit less of a cliched ending.

Goodreads:

Ryan Blake got suspended from the San Gabriel firefighters a year and a half ago for a daredevil act that nearly killed someone. Now he’s back in San Gabriel, fighting to return to the force. He takes a job at a local dive, the Hair of the Dog, while he studies for the test that will get him his job back. 

But the real test comes in the form of Katie Dane, bar manager. Katie got stuck running the family bar when her father had a heart attack. The place is losing money like crazy and the insurance is about to lapse. Her desperate solution? Burn the place down, collect a million dollars. The only problem--little does she know, her new bartender is actually a firefighter. 

Can a professional fireman and a wannabe firebug ever manage to get along? More importantly, can they stay away from each other and/or keep from ruining each other’s careers? Not likely. This is San Gabriel, after all.

Review: The Fireman Who Loved Me by Jennifer Bernard

This is the first book in the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel series.  We are introduced to Melissa McGuire and her grandmother Nelly.  Nelly has requested that Melissa join her for her birthday at the Hilton.  But instead of their usually yearly sundaes or lunch buffet, Nelly has planned to buy Melissa a date from one of the San Gabriel Fire Department Bachelors who are being auctioned off, for the benefit of the Widows and Children's Fund.  Nelly has picked out the fireman she wants, and ends up buying for Melissa.  But the Ryan, the fireman she purchases, is embarrassed about taking an octogenarian out on a date.  So he asks his Captain Brody if he will fill in for him.  Nelly tells Melissa that she isn't feeling well and has her fill in for her.  Of course, Captain Brody had seen Melissa at the auction and helped her up after another of the bidders had knocked her to the floor.  She though he was their to go up for auction and brushed him off.  So imagine their combined surprise when he is the one who knocks on the door for the date.

I really enjoyed this book.  Reading the prequel, I had gotten a introduction to many of the secondary characters in this book, the firemen of San Gabriel Firehouse, plus Stan the firehouse dog and mascot.  They help move the story along and provide a comic relief to this romance.  

The curse that supposedly Virgil Rush, a fireman during the 1800's put on the firehouse after his mail-order bride never showed up and left him the laughing stock of the firehouse, plays again and again.  But that is the bases for the series after all.   

There was a theme of forgiveness that appeared several times and in several ways in this book as well as standing up for oneself and acceptance.  I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads.

Goodreads:

Fearless, smoking hot, and single: meet the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel. These firemen might be heroes, but it's their bad luck in love that makes them legendary.

News producer Melissa McGuire and Fire Captain Harry Brody couldn't be more different, though they do have one thing in common: they're both convinced they're perfectly wrong for each other. But when Melissa's matchmaking grandmother wins her a date with Brody at a Bachelor auction . . .

Sparks fly. Passion flares. Heat rises. (You get the picture.)

Add a curse, a conniving nightly news anchor, a stunningly handsome daredevil fireman, a brave little boy, a couple of exes, and one giant fire to the mix, and Melissa and Brody's love may not be the only thing that burns.

Review: One Fine Fireman by Jennifer Bernard

This short Novella is the prequel to The Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel by Jennifer Bernard.  It tells the story of Kirk and Maribel, but most importantly it sets up the series of full length novels that will follow. The basic background is that there is a curse upon the men who work at the San Gabriel Station 1 Firehouse.  It was started by Virgil Rush, whose mail-order bride, Constancia B Sidwell, left him at the alter and he cursed all the men to have trouble finding love.  Since then the firemen have come to be known as the Bachelor Firemen.  

In this short story, we meet Kirk, or as he is known to his fellow fireman.  Kirk has had a major crush on Maribel for years and yet gets so tongue tied around her, the most he has ever said at once time was 16 words (his fellow firemen bet on his word count).  Maribel on the other hand, thinks he is cute, but has been engaged for 6 years to a famous photographer and carries on a long distance romance with him in New York.  Maribel also had a 9 year old son, Pete, who despises Maribel's fiance, Duncan. 

I wasn't sure how these two were going to end up together in such a short novella, but the author kept it tight and moved the action right along. It was a great read and though compact, didn't feel rushed or that anything was left out.  The best part is getting to meet the firemen who are going to be the main love interests in the full  length novels.  By seeing them interacting with each other, I have already come to know them and can't wait to read their stories.  

Even though it's a short read, I gave this book 5 stars on Goodreads, because I can see myself going back to re-read it.  The dialogue was fantastic, and the Harry Potter references by Maribel's son Pete were awesome for this Potter fan.

Goodreads:

Kirk, aka Thor, one of San Gabriel’s infamous Bachelor Firemen, certainly lives up to his nickname. He’s tall, handsome, and has a chiseled body worthy of any Viking god. But he’d give it all up for one glance from her.

Sweet, shy Maribel has no idea he’s been pining for her. There’s nothing he’d like better than to sweep her off her feet and show her just how exquisite their love could be. But Kirk has a secret and he won’t let anyone get close, least of all the sexiest woman he’s ever met.

Can a feisty little dog and an even feistier little boy help these star-crossed lovers to find the true love they both so richly deserve?