closet geeks and slow mo: Blog Tour: Sparking the Fire by Kate Meader

Sparking the Fire

Author: Kate Meader
Publisher: Pocket Books
Series: Hot in Chicago #3
Pages: Mass Market Paperback, 400 pages
Genre: Romance
Release Date: September 27th 2016

Summary:
Kate Meader’s blazing Hot in Chicago firefighter series has “everything you want in a romance” (RT Book Reviews, Top Pick)! The flames of desire burn out of control in this sexy third novel when ex-lovers unexpectedly reunite for a sizzling affair that will have the director yelling, “Quiet on the set!”

Actor Molly Cade, America’s fallen sweetheart, finally has her shot at a Hollywood comeback with a dramatic new role as a tough-as-nails firefighter that promises to propel her back to the big time and restore her self-respect.

Wyatt Fox, resident daredevil at Engine Co. 6, needs a low-key job to keep him busy while he recovers from his latest rescue stunt. Consulting on a local movie shoot should add just enough spark to his day. Especially when in struts Molly Cade: the woman who worked his heart over good, and then left him in the Windy City dust.

Their story is straight out of a script: irrepressible, spunky heroine meets taciturn, smoldering hero. But these two refuse to be typecast, and when the embers of an old love are stoked, someone is bound to get burned…

S&S ⎢ AMAZON ⎢ B&N ⎢ BAM ⎢ INDIEBOUND ⎢ IBOOKSTORE (ebook) ⎢ KINDLE (ebook) ⎢ NOOK (ebook) ⎢ GOOGLE PLAY (ebook)

Praise for Sparking the Fire

“The tale of hot firefighters and the women—and one man—who love them has come to an end. Meader ends this series with role playing, fierce family loyalty and multiple orgasms. The male protagonist goes through a transformation that showcases his vulnerability, insecurities, possessiveness and protectiveness. The many instances of a family sticking together through it all are more than enough to tug on the heart strings, but the steamy sex and sentimental pillow talk make this book a must-read.”

—RT Book Reviews Four Star Review, Scorcher

“Can a firefighter and a movie star really make it work? Meader (Rekindle the Flame, 2015) immerses you in Wyatt’s tight-knit family of foster siblings that she’s built throughout the Hot in Chicago series, and readers will feel like part of the family in no time. Her descriptions of Chicago will leave fans wanting to travel to the Windy City and fall in love with their own firefighters.”

—Booklist

About Sparking the Fire, Book 3:

Heating up reading lists this Fall will be Kate Meader’s highly anticipated Sparking the Fire, the “sexy and sassy” (#1 New York Times bestselling author Jude Deveraux) steamy third novel in the Hot in Chicago series, where former lovers unexpectedly reunite for a sizzling affair that will have the director yelling, “Quiet on the set!”

AN OLD FLAME STILL SIMMERS…

Wyatt Fox, resident daredevil at Engine Company 6, needs a low key job to keep him busy while he recovers from his latest rescue stunt. Consulting on a local movie shoot should add just enough spark to his day. But then in struts Molly Cade: the woman who worked his heart over good, and then left him in the Windy City dust.

BUT WILL A NEW SHOT AT LOVE LEAVE HER BURNED?

Actor Molly Cade, America’s fallen sweetheart, finally has her shot at a Hollywood comeback with a dramatic new role as a tough-as-nails firefighter that promises to propel her back into the big time. And she’s not going to let anything stand in her way—even a certain brooding, blue-eyed firefighter she’s never quite been able to forget…Their story is straight out of a script: irrepressible, spunky heroine meets taciturn, smoldering hero. But these two refuse to be typecast, and when the embers of an old love are stoked, someone is bound to get burned…

About the Author:

Kate Meader was raised on romance. An Irish girl, she started with Catherine Cookson and Jilly Cooper novels, and spiced it up with some Mills & Boon. Now based in Chicago, she writes romances of her own, where sexy contemporary alpha heroes and strong heroines match each other quip for quip. When not immersed in tales of brooding mill owners, oversexed equestrians, and men who can rock an apron or a fire hose, Kate lives on the web at katemeader.com.

Review:

Definitely a whole lot of sparking going on in this one!

An entertaining plot, kinda like Chicago Fire meets Notting Hill with a good dash of cute & fluffy and a heavy dose so smexy.

The chemistry between Molly and Wyatt is off the charts and while at first I was quite taken by it I found myself kinda wondering if Wyatt is just, well the designated brooding hottie. And then around halfway we get to see another side to stoic- and everything get much, MUCH better.
The character building in the for half was great for Molly, only in the second half did I finally feel like I got Wyatt.
Just like in the previous books, Molly is a strong and interesting female lead. I have to say, Meader writes brilliant women characters. I love the entire female cast- and we have quite a few of them now.
The males are just a wonderful. In this series all of them are complete alpha, bossy boots with mellow gooey centers.
It took a while for Wyatt to bloom in my opinion. At first he was just this stoic, broodig guy who seemed to just make sure he doesn't get in too deep. I couldn't gage him very well. Couldn't connect, considering that the story is told from both Wyatt and Molly's POV, I found it a bit disconcerting. He felt superficial and flat. Well, until it all changed. Somehow we suddenly get to see another side of him. And boom. I totally fell in love with Wyatt, got where he was coming from, my heart broke for him, I was rooting for him and well just plain out adore him.
This has a quite extensive support cast. It's wonderful to revisited the madness that are the Dempseys. I think if one does read this as a standalone, it might however be a tad confusing. In fact I had to check who was who at first (I got the worst name memory ever).
Amazingly we get to see a different side to each Dempsey. Each of them being totally unique and having their own little idiosyncrasies.

Meader is an excellent romance writer. We get lots of cute dialogues and funny little intricacy between couples. Her descriptions of Chicago are wonderful and the smut... is sizzling. I have read quite a few of Meader's novels before this and have come to expect a well crafted story from her. Her writing style is straight forward and to the point. She does convey the depth of the job of a firefighter, the responsibility and their braveness, even if this is in a way a quite light-hearted romance.

A great installment in a hot and fabulous series!

Rating:

(3,5 Stars for first half but more like 4 for second half)

Fire Giveaway:

We are excited to do a Fire Giveaway to celebrate the third in Kate Meader’s Hot in Chicago series, Sparking the Fire. This giveaway will include Flirting with Fire (Book 1) and Playing with Fire (Book 2). You can visit all sites on the blog tour to enter the Fire Giveaways – but keep in mind you can only win once! U.S. only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

HOT TIP: Kate is also offering a $25 Amazon gift card during the Sparking the Fire release tour. It will run Monday September 26 to Friday October 7. Enter here.

Blog Tour:

September 14:

RT Book Reviews - Excerpt

September 20:

Heroes and Heartbreakers - Excerpt

September 23:

USA Today’s Happy Ever After - Excerpt

September 26:

Harlequin Junkie - Interview

Under the Covers - Interview

A Midlife Wife

Mrs. Leif’s Two Fangs About It