REVIEW: Hope Flames by Jaci Burton

In Hope Flames by Jaci Burton, Emma is back in her home town of Hope. After being side tracked along life’s way and some life altering experiences, Emma is finally doing what she’s always wanted to do – opening her own veterinary practice. Emma has worked hard to get where she is and she’s not looking for anything other than to make a success of her business. She is happy on her own with her dog. She is definitely not looking for a relationship. She values her independence and has no desire to be a man’s possession or to rely on a man every again.

After a marriage that ended badly, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth, Luke is definitely not a relationship guy. He just doesn’t have them. He enjoys women, but not beyond the bedroom. A policeman with a service dog named Boomer, he has no trouble finding women. Luke meets Emma when he takes Boomer to her when Boomer is injured.

Emma is just as intrigued with Luke as he is with her, although they’d both deny it! After a misunderstanding and some poor communication, Emma accepts Luke’s friendly date offer. She has to start somewhere, she figures, and they will only be friends. But neither of them expect the chemistry they create together! And being ‘just friends’ might not be what either of them wants after all…

But are either of them ready to let go of their no relationship rule? Emma doesn’t want to need a man, and the thought of needing one and relying on one annoys her. When Emma’s past doesn’t want to stay in the past, she just might discover it’s okay to lean on someone else sometimes. Luke not only has a bad marriage in his past, but some other family issues too that hold him back. He doesn’t even know if he’ll stay in Hope… Are Emma and Luke destined to be friends only and otherwise alone? Can they both face their fears and take the chance on happiness again?

I did feel that Hope Flames was a bit of a long book for the story that was being told, a bit slow at times to move on. As much as I wanted to see how things worked out between Emma and Luke, it was at times hard to stay focused in the book. I also felt that it took way too long to find out the details of Emma’s past, even though you can get a general idea of what happened, you didn’t find out for sure until well into the book. The reader knows something has happened, but the not knowing drags on a bit too much.

Jaci Burton gives us main characters that are mature, but are still feeling hurts from different pasts. I really enjoy reading books with characters that are grown up and for the most part act like it! Emma and Luke have a lot of things in common from their relationship issues to their love of animals. I think that’s a great start for any kind of relationship. Boomer, along with Daisy’s dogs, were really a bridge for them at times as they tried to get to know each other. I love books with animals in them, even if they are in the background, they just make everything more realistic! At times I felt frustrated with both Luke and Emma though, and then it was hard to relate to them. Both of them have no trouble seeing the bad, but they seem to have trouble seeing all the good relationships around them, even if they are right in front of them. For the majority of Hope Flames though, Luke and Emma were people you could see anywhere. Emma has overcome a lot in the past few years, and her resolve and outlook on the rest of her life is admirable!

Jaci portrays the heat between Luke and Emma just right! Luke and Emma were honest with each other from the start which I also really like, and that keeps me in the book! Their interactions with the secondary characters such as their family’s, added more dimension to Hope Flames, along with the small town setting. I loved that part of Hope Flames! Jaci manages to pull you into the lives of many of the characters, not just Luke and Emma’s. I’m really looking forward to seeing where this series goes next. Emma’s sister was a big mystery waiting to be solved, and that has me ready to buy the next book as soon as it’s out!

I’d recommend Hope Flames by Jaci Burton if you’re looking to start a new romance series and meet some new characters who have great potential!

Book Info:

Published January 7th 2014 by Berkley

Thirty-two and finally setting up her veterinary practice in the town she once called home, Emma Burnett is on her own and loving it. Independent and driven, she’s not letting any man get in the way of her dreams. Not again.

That’s fine with Luke McCormack. Divorced and hardly lacking in female company when he needs it, he’s devoted to the only faithful companion in his life–his police dog. Still, there’s something about Emma he can’t shake.

When a series of local break-ins leaves Emma vulnerable, she seeks help from the first man to spark her desire in years. And now they’re giving each other something they thought they’d lost forever…hope