The novella 'Fanning the Flames' by Victoria Dahl follows the story of Lauren Foster, a divorced librarian, and Jake Davis, a widowed firefighter in their mid-forties. Lauren is dealing with the aftermath of her divorce and her son leaving for college, while Jake is still grieving his late wife. Despite their long history and the close proximity of their jobs, Lauren and Jake find themselves drawn to each other. As they navigate their pasts and insecurities, their mutual desire ignites into a scorching romance, filled with humor, self-discovery, and steamy scenes.

The book is a fast-paced and engaging novella that introduces the Jackson Girl's Night Out series by Victoria Dahl. It explores themes of second chances at love, self-acceptance, and embracing desires later in life. Through well-developed characters like Lauren and Jake, the story delves into their shared history, insecurities, and the journey towards a new relationship, all within a compact and complete narrative.

Characters:

The characters are relatable adults in their 40s, with Lauren grappling with insecurities about her past and Jake dealing with his late wife's memory.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is characterized by wit and humor, with an engaging and fast-paced narrative that balances romance and steamy moments.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around Lauren, a librarian, and Jake, a firefighter, as they explore a romantic connection after years of knowing each other, dealing with their pasts and insecurities.

Setting:

Set in a small town with contemporary elements, featuring locations like a library and a fire station.

Pacing:

The pacing is steady and engaging, effectively developing the plot and characters within the novella's short length.

Notes:

The main character, Lauren, is a 43-year-old librarian who is divorced and dealing with an empty nest.

She has feelings for Jake, a widower and town fire captain who works next to her library.

The story features humorous and steamy situations amidst serious themes of self-doubt and moving on from past relationships.

Lauren feels insecure about not measuring up to Jake's late wife, which adds depth to her character.

The novella is short, at only 61 pages, but many readers found it complete and satisfying despite its length.

The book explores themes of adult romance and self-discovery in one's 40s or later.

Readers appreciate the mature characters and relatable struggles with dating and past relationships.

There are significant humorous elements, including an embarrassing situation that leads to a romantic encounter.

The romance is described as physically intense, with strong chemistry between Lauren and Jake.

This novella serves as the first entry in the Jackson Girl's Night Out series by Victoria Dahl.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings for the book include themes of divorce and emotional insecurities related to past relationships.

Has Romance?

The romance is a central theme in Fanning the Flames, featuring a strong romantic connection between the main characters, Lauren and Jake.

explicit steam level

From The Publisher:

A fan favorite from USA TODAY bestselling author Victoria Dahl.

Some men are off-limits. Close friends of your ex-husband, for instance. Orfirefighters who work in the same building as you. Yet despite her best judgment,librarian Lauren Foster can't help noticing fire captain Jake Davis whenever he jogsby…shirtless. They've always been friends, but all it takes is one not-so-chance meetingat a local bar and one not-quite-innocent walk home to ignite a fierce, uncontrollabledesire between them.

Widower Jake Davis has tried to ignore the spark he feels whenever Lauren's around, butonce he sees her curves in a little black dress, there's no turning back. No matter howoften she says she's all wrong for him, the sexy, outspoken divorcée is driving him wildin the best possible way. Maybe she's just blowing off steam. Or maybe he can convince herto fan these flames into something deeper, hotter and truer than they ever expected….

Originally published in 2014.

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Fanning the Flames

Victoria Dahl

Book 0.5 in the series:Jackson: Girl's Night Out