Review: Fan the Flames by Katie Ruggle

Fan the Flames (Search and Rescue #2) by Katie Ruggle
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication date: June 7th 2016
My rating: 4 stars 
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In the remote Rocky Mountains, lives depend on the Search & Rescue brotherhood. But in a place this far off the map, trust is hard to come by and secrets can be murder...
As a Motorcycle Club member and firefighter, Ian Walsh is used to riding the line between the good guys and the bad. He may owe the Club his life, but his heart rests with his fire station brothers...and with the girl he's loved since they were kids, Rory Sorenson. Ian would do anything for Rory. He'd die for her. Kill for her. Defend her to his last breath-and he may just have to.
Every con in the Rockies knows Rory is the go-to girl for less-than-legal firearms, and for the past few years, she's managed to keep the peace between dangerous factions by remaining strictly neutral. But when she defends herself against a brutal attack, Rory finds herself catapulted into the center of a Motorcycle Club war-with only Ian standing between her and a threat greater than either of them could have imagined.

My Thoughts:

Fan the Flames is the second book in the Search and Rescue series.  This installment was full of danger and thrills and a sweet romance with a lot of heat! Katie Ruggle is very good at building tension and steam between a couple, heightening my anticipation for Ian and Rory’s romance!

Rory has been crushing on Ian for some time, but her social ineptness has made her miss clues that Ian’s been lusting after her, as well. Being raised by survival extremist parents (who are now dead) only prepared her for such things as the zombie apocalypse or a nuclear disaster.  End of the world scenarios? Rory is your girl. Romance and relationships? Not so much.  She is very cute, though, with her naiveté, and I really liked that she was kind of a badass.  Owning the local gun shop puts her in the path of some violent and nutty people, one group being the Motorcycle Club that Ian was born into. An altercation with some of the MC members makes Rory a prime target and in serious danger. These men are bad news! Lucky for her, she has Ian at her back.

Ian nicknamed “Beauty” by his fellow firemen crew because he’s so good-looking doesn’t let his looks go to his head. There’s been one girl that he’s had in his sights, Rory Sorensen, and it seems like he’s finally going to get the girl. I wish we would’ve got more of his POV throughout the story instead of just at the very beginning, because I adored Ian! He’s patient and understanding with Rory’s social awkwardness, and would do anything for her. I loved that he was super protective over Rory and still had respect for her own ability to take care of herself.

My only complaint with this story and that was the constant mention of Rory blushing, flushing or turning red at any interaction with Ian. I knew she was inexperienced and I know it was put in to underscore that, but it was a little overboard. Other than that I loved this story! Katie Ruggle does a fabulous job balancing the plot and character development without sacrificing either. I cared for and liked both Rory and Ian. They had just enough quirks and flaws to make them feel real and relatable. As far as the plot, there was plenty of excitement and danger to glue me to the pages to see what would happen next! Can’t wait for the next one: Gone Too Deep!

   

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