Spirits & Sirens by Kelly & Tana Fireside is a slightly supernatural romance between a handsome firefighter and a burgeoning artist and funeral home director.
The quirky little New Mexico town of Owen Station is where Elena Murphy grew up, and while she loves the town she’s never quite felt like she fit in. She’s putting together a life for herself by returning to the family business running the local funeral home, and making a name for herself with artistic photography. Then one day a handsome firefighter steps in front of her car and everything changes.
Stopping people from falling, or driving, into the huge hole that suddenly opened in the middle of the street is one of the things assistant fire chief Al Jones is working on when she has to step in front of a car headed toward the hole. She can’t be mad at the woman for long, after discovering she’s not only gorgeous, but one of her favorite artists. It seems like every time they meet after that is some kind of emergency, and that they can’t seem to stop getting closer to something special.
Both women are serious about their career path. Elena wants to open a gallery for her work, and Al is intent on helping change the culture of firefighting to be more inclusive. She hasn’t always felt that, as a queer person of color. Al’s plans to grow her career and make a difference means that to her Owen Station is nothing but a stepping stone on that path.
Writing
Elena and Al have very distinct personalities, and it’s not apparent how they’re going to fit together for a while. I like how the authors have given the women a lot to push and pull over on their way to falling in love, because it feels very realistic. There is a fair bit of humor in the story, my favorite being when the two meet. Al has spent a lifetime learning how to be likeable, and is shocked when Elena doesn’t. It’s an unusual character trait to be charismatic as a matter of choice, and it was fascinating to read.
A lot of authors use social media to some extent in their stories, but in this book it became one of the minor but important characters. Beyond anchoring the story firmly in a modern milieu, it drives the plot into a direction that becomes a bit of a cliffhanger.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
Thank goodness for pushy grandmothers who recognize and encourage budding romance. There are few truly bad guys in the book, and not a hint of homophobia. A few of the minor characters are annoying but this is a story about two nice people who don’t appear compatible on the surface discovering something in each other that just fits.
Elena and Al are an interesting match. It’s super sweet how they care for each other despite reservations. I liked them very much and found their romance very satisfying. I could tell how engaged I was with the characters from how much I wanted to throttle them every time they gave themselves bad advice.
There is a queer history backstory that gives the story a really warm glow and a sense of how much things have changed in the last half century. It’s always good to be reminded of how far the world has come in recent history. This is the third book in a series set in the small town. The story works fine as a stand-alone, but did make me want to read more about this great little place.
Heads Up
Mentions of spousal abuse.
The Conclusion
Elena meets assistant fire chief Al when she nearly hits the woman with her car. They’re instantly attracted to each other, but they are very different people with different plans for their lives. Besides running her family’s local mortuary, Elena is a rising star photographer wanting to open a gallery for her works. Al likes living in tiny, quirky Owen Station, but she has plans to keep moving up the ladder and push for more inclusiveness in fire fighting for others like herself, who don’t fit into the old boy network.
Despite their differences making a romance more work than normal, Al and Elena are a great couple who have the support of their families and the town of Owen Station. This is the third book in a loose series set in that town, but it stands alone very well.
Excerpt from Spirits & Sirens by Kelly & Tana Fireside
“Hello, Ms. Murphy.” Al kept her voice steady. “I’m Al Jones, assistant fire chief. I don’t think we’ve formally met.” Al stuck out her hand.
Elena did not take it. “I know who you are. And you are clearly new here. That is my house over there. The one by the hole. It’s been in my family for four generations. The hill it’s built on is literally named for my family. I need to make sure everything is okay. And you are in my way.”
“Well, I can appreciate that, Elena—may I call you Elena?”
“No, you may not.”
“Okay, Ms. Murphy.” Al kept smiling. She was used to dealing with the public and had de-escalated more situations than she could count. Plus, she was enjoying watching this petite but powerful woman hold her ground. “I understand that you’re concerned. But it’s actually our job to make sure everything is okay, and to keep you safe. And right now, we need all civilians to stay back so that we can do our job as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
“I am not a civilian, Chief Jones.” Elena snapped her head back so hard, her ponytail flipped in front and then back again. “In my line of work, I’ve seen just about everything.”
“Of course. My apologies, Ms. Murphy. I’m sure you have. Fortunately, though, right now there aren’t any dead bodies to deal with.
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Series: Owen Station Romance Series
Vintage & Vogue
Whiskey & Wine
Spirits & Sirens
Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 978-1-63679-608-6
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
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