Dr. Riley Smith lives in her head. As a fire behavior analyst, she sees wildfires in patterns of color, her synesthesia transforming weather data into vivid shapes that tell her exactly where the flames will go. It makes her brilliant at her job. It also makes her an outsider.

Jake Sullivan trusts his body, his instincts, his gut, the hard lessons fire has taught him. Fifteen years on a hotshot crew have made him razor-sharp. He controls every variable he can, because he knows exactly what happens when he doesn't.

A brutal Montana fire season throws them together, and the friction between them runs hot from the start. But as the blazes tear through the mountains, Jake's past comes back to find him and Riley struggles to fit into a visceral, physical world that's nothing like the one inside her head. This time, there's nowhere to run, not for Jake, who has to face what broke him, and not for Riley, who has to prove she belongs.
 

Reviews

"A slow burn that caught fire from the very first chapter."

"This is so much more than a firefighter romance. This was a visceral reminder of the effects of grief and PTSD. I cried, and I squealed for joy."

"As someone who has experience working as a wildland firefighter, I can say with confidence that there was very little to no inaccuracies in this book."

"I'm a girl that constantly overthinks and I felt seen."

"100/10 will read it again. Likely contender for my Book of the Month."

Perfect for fans of Tessa Bailey and the brainy-meets-brawny chemistry of Ali Hazelwood.
Tropes

• Enemies to Lovers

• Alpha Hero with a redemption arc

• Scientist Heroine

• Forced Proximity

• Slow Burn Romance

• High stakes wildland fire suspense