Fire, Water, and Rock by Alaina Erdell is a slow burn, age gap romance between a park ranger and a student geologist who is visiting the park to finish her thesis.
Jessica arrives at the park ready to spend a while camping and looking at rocks. She is not expecting to be instantly attracted to a gorgeous anger.
Clare has carefully constructed her life around work a handful of friends and her love for her job. She nurses a deep emotional scar from her girlfriend’s death in a fire and is definitely not looking for romance. It seems that fate has other plans for her though because she just can’t seem to stay away from Jessica.
The summer heat isn’t the only thing making Clare and Jess sweat as the attraction becomes stronger. When complications arise in the form of secrets coming to light then the women struggle to overcome it. Is it possible that a summer fling can turn into something more or will jealous friends and secrets break them apart before they can even really get going?
Wring and Story
I found the first chapter a little rough to get into. I struggled with some of the use of language and getting to know the characters. Soon, though, I was past that and into the story. So if you want to try this book then just give it a chance.
Erdell’s love for the desert flowed out of the story like a love poem. One of my highlights of the book was getting to discover the setting through the author’s words.
Pros
The chemistry was slow but definitely there. Once the flame was lit it was believable and I wanted them to succeed.
Worth knowing
Cheating plays a role in both character’s lives.
It’s worth noting that Jess has a boyfriend the entire time she is in the park. And while there was an explanation of it and we do get to understand why, it does take a little time to get to the understanding part.
The Conclusion
This is a great book for anyone who enjoys:
- Slow burn romances
- The desert
- Great descriptions of the setting
- Park rangers (a woman in uniform!)
- Discovering new authors
- Age gap romances
- Bisexual main characters
Excerpt from Fire, Water, and Rock by Alaina Erdell
“Do you have a reservation?” A female ranger leaned out the window.
Jess found her intense blue eyes captivating. The uniform was one she’d already seen, a pressed tan shirt with olive pants, but it was the woman wearing it who captured her attention. Jess was already starting to feel beads of sweat gather on the back of her neck from the five seconds the window had been down. In contrast, the woman looked perfectly and elegantly cool down to her crisp uniform. She’d pinned her blond hair back in a simple roll except where a few baby curls escaped near the nape of her neck.
“Uh…yes. I have the printout here somewhere.” She dug in her backpack and chided herself for appearing so disorganized.
“What’s your name? I don’t mind looking it up.” She flashed Jess a kind smile.
“Jessica Sterling.” She couldn’t tear her eyes away. The gold-plated name badge pinned over her right breast read C. DeVere.
“You’re with us for a while!” She looked over Jess’s reservation. “Is that correct?”
“Yes, through Labor Day.” In a few days, it would be Memorial Day. The State Park Department had given special approval for her months-long stay until Labor Day. It came with a few stipulations, but it was worth it. Her sojourn here would give her what she needed to finish her thesis.
Her mind returned to the ranger like a rubber ball tethered by a taut elastic string to a wooden paddle. Christine? Catherine? Courtney? Crystal? No, she didn’t look like a Crystal. Caroline?
“Would you like to pay the full amount or by the month?” The woman’s long fingers hovered over her keyboard.
“Full please.” Jess even found her profile beguiling, from her perfect nose to her high cheekbones, to the elegant expanse of her neck where it peeked out above her collar. Jess handed over her credit card, hoping the trembling in her hands went unnoticed. Why was she so nervous? A bit late, it occurred to her that she should have offered to pay by the month. She wouldn’t mind having an excuse to see her again. Jess tried to focus on something else since ogling an attractive woman wasn’t why she was here. Closing her eyes, she thought of the cost of the trip. The sum of her stay pleased her. Staying in a hotel or even a motel would have made this trip impossible. The inexpensive nightly fee for a campsite, however, was in her budget, and it meant she could be right where she needed to be. Coin showers and flush toilets a short walk away might be inconvenient, but she could think of worse places to spend three months, although currently she was melting and hadn’t yet gotten out of her car.
“Here you go.”
The low, soothing voice made Jess open her eyes. She caught the glimmer of a smile as she accepted her credit card, the receipt, a brochure about the state park, a map, and a half-sheet of campground dos and don’ts. Jess looked at the black, sporty watch the woman wore on her thin wrist, the watch’s face large and masculine in contrast to her feminine features. More importantly, she wasn’t wearing a wedding ring.
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Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 978-1636792743
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
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