AJ Truman is back with the Single Dads Club with another hilarious and sexy story. The Fireman and the Flirt is an opposites attract old high school crush second chance romance.
When coming face to face with an old crush what is a real estate person suppose to do? Show him houses and don't forget to turn everything into sunshine.
From the blurb:
Is it in bad taste to sleep with a client? Asking for a friend…
In high school, Derek ruled the school with his fellow hockey players, while I fantasized from afar. He only knew me as his little brother’s shy friend who, thanks to one vicious rumor from a former flame, had garnered a reputation as the school freak.
Twenty years later, I’m a successful real estate agent who’s put my embarrassing past behind me and smartly stayed away from love. I have things under control…until Derek suddenly returns to Sourwood sans wedding ring, and in dire need of a house for him and his daughter.
Clinching this sale will cement my hard-earned status as a top agent and distance me from my embarrassing past. If only I can stop shamelessly flirting with my new client. If only I can stop dreaming about him bending me over newly updated marble countertops and stainless steel appliances. Old habits die hard.
Soon though, my fantasy version of Derek fades away as I learn the truth about his return. Maybe I can get him to no longer see me as his little brother’s weird friend. Maybe he can get me to let down my guard and trust a guy again.
Or maybe those dreams are as unrealistic as the housing budget for a couple on House Hunters.
The Fireman and the Flirt is the fourth book in the Single Dads Club series, but can be read as a standalone. It will give you all the brother's best friend, businessman/client, nerd/jock vibes you can handle without charging a commission.
Molly Otto's review:
Was do happy to hear Cals big brother was coming back to Sourwood so we could get another Single Dads Club story! Derek was the original Hogan in the friendship circle of Mitch & Leo, but life happened he moved away, and Cal moved home to be inducted. When Derek comes home, it is nice to see he easily fit back in place along with Cal. Than you have adorkable blunt Cary, Cals best friend from high school, who make Derek open up like with no one else. These two have unstoppable chemistry, and their banter just puts a smile on your face the whole way through. I'm glad that Derek helped Cary in the end move on from past insecurities. It's a wild thing that happens in our pasts that you just don't realize affect others, and you just let it keep repeating itself, not knowing the harm. It's nice to see people mature and move forward to be better. This story lived up to all my expectations!
Reed Kaye's review:
This is the first story I’ve read by this author and I really enjoyed it. It has that small town heartwarming feeling.
Derek used to be one of the popular hockey players. He couldn’t wait to get away from the small town and ended up in Alaska, unhappily married with one daughter. Circumstances bring him back to his hometown but things have changed since then.
Cary, one of the unpopular guys, was bff’s with Derek’s brother but he hid his crush on Derek. Cary really wanted to check out being gay and had secretly put a letter in Derek’s locker but got no recognition. He moved on with a different guy but the attraction wasn’t there. This guy was upset with Cary and started a rumor of a strange deed that Cary supposedly did. This gave Cary a bad nickname that stayed with him into the present.
When Cary is faced with his old crush many things have changed between them and so many funny situations happen that I can’t guess how many times I was laughing.
I love this story and will be reading more by this author.
Angel's review:
This book was cute, and so heartwarming. I really enjoyed how this was written, I found the pacing to be great and fitting, I thought that every character was terrific and really added to the overall story. I found the back stories on both Derek and Cary's characters to be described well, I appreciated how we got information on both of them when they were in high school. Along with what happened between then, and now.
I quite enjoyed how Derek and Cary's relationship developed, it was so.. natural. Things just had a beautiful flow to it, and things weren't rushed or glossed over. I thought the aspect of these men growing closer after looking at each house was amusing and was a really unique way to build dialogue. I don't know how AJ came up with so many different descriptions for a variety of houses, but I give him massive props for not only coming up with all of those houses, but keeping all of that information straight as well.
Jolene's character is such a sweetheart, her being enamored by stars was so endearing. I loved how she got both her dad, and Cary, to stop, take a breath, and look up at the stars. I thought those moments were so beautiful and heartwarming. I loved how accepting she was of her dad, and how she built a connection with Cary instantaneously.
This story is full of humor, steamy times, pesky but well meaning family members, and love. If you enjoy best friend's brother, age gap, single dad's, and found family, this is your story!
Rogue's review:
While this is in the Single Dads Club series and world, it can be read as a standalone. Best friend's brother, high school crush, bi-awakening (of sorts), single dad with an HEA.
This is in the Single Dads series, and the same world as the South Rock High series, both of which I have read. There are some recurring characters, I especially loved seeing Cal and Russ from Falcon and the Foe (my favourite), again. Cary was the weird kid in school, the closeted one who was outed against his will and still 20 years later is known for something that haunts him still. Derek was the popular kid, hockey player and brother to Cary's best friend at school. Cary's schoolboy crush on Derek was epic, with Derek knowing nothing of it. I loved Cary. I loved how he's so confident and set with his life, everything is good yet is still haunted by the events of high school which won't leave him alone, no matter what he does.
I loved the banter and connection between these two, the spark is instant and I was loving all the 'Cary-isms' and the growing friendship between them, but there was always the spectre of the past, which would come up at a few times through the story. It's hot too, these two have some serious chemistry and I loved how Derek didn't question too much, he just liked Cary and acted on that attraction. I'd say this is low to mid-angst, there is some conflict but that's resolved fairly quickly and it's a lovely HEA for these two. I did love the cameos from the past couples in the single dads series too, felt like a nice full circle moment at the end.
I really enjoyed this, I'm always happy to spend time in AJ Truman's Sourwood world.
Jacqueleen the Reading Queen's review:
"ᴍʏ ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ꜰᴜᴄᴋ ᴏɴ ᴀ ᴄᴏɴꜰᴇʀᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴛᴀʙʟᴇ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇɴ ɪ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴢᴇᴅ ᴍʏ ʟɪꜰᴇ ᴡᴀꜱɴ'ᴛ ᴀ ᴛᴏᴛᴀʟ ᴘᴏʀɴᴏ."
This book was just so freaking cute!!! Cary is one of those MCs whose mouth just runs away with them. You know the type. They have no filter and just blurt out whatever random stream of consciousness that is going through their heads and then end up totally horrified about what just came out of their mouths. I adored him, and luckily for Cary, so did Derek.
It was kind of sweet how hard Cary tried to resist Derek at first. Almost every time Cary tried to remain a professional with Derek while showing him prospective homes it ended up with him practically leaping into Derek's arms and climbing that bear like a tree. Unfortunately, Cary also suffers from anxiety and as an anxiety sufferer myself I know how easy it is for it to trick your brain into thinking the worst. Thankfully, Derek was just as lovely as he seemed and he wasn't letting his man go without a fight.
I've read a lot of Truman's books, but this was my first in the Single Dad's club series. I have already added all 3 of the previous books in the series to my TBR because I just have to know the stories behind all the couples I met in this one. Falcon is already sitting pretty on my kindle and I can't wait to dive into that one next!
Heather's Review:
After a South High hiatus, we're back to the Single Dads Club and it was great to see Cary get his HEA! With so much high school baggage, including a huge crush, a scandal and a ton of bullying, not to mention a letter that he sent to his crush... he deserves to go from dreading to dating and with the object of his desire - his best friend's brother, Derek...
This was a fairly low angst, steamy romp through a thorough house hunt and a great story! I think you'd enjoy it more if you knew the history of the previous characters, including Cal, Derek's brother and his husband Russ, but it can be read standalone or in any order.
The Fireman and the Flirt is currently available as an e-book and paperback and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription
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