REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: INFLAME BY TESSA TEEVAN

Inflame (Explosive #3) by Tessa Teevan

   Synopsis
Easy going soldier Kale Montgomery, a self-proclaimed ladies man, has no plans of settling down, especially not with his best friend- the sexy, sassy schoolteacher Lucy Dawson. Their relationship, though unconventional, is mutually beneficial, and they wouldn't have it any other way. Friends with benefits? Casual lovers? Whatever you want to call it, they’re having fun, in and out of bed, and to them, that’s all that matters. At least that’s what they think, but how long can you spend in someone's bed before you find they're also infiltrating your heart? As their casual fling with no strings attached progresses, it's not long before they realize they're both in way over their heads. One fateful night changes their lives forever in ways they could never have imagined, giving them the push to finally admit that maybe, just maybe they want more than they’ve let on. Their mutual attraction rapidly intensifies as it shifts from burning lust to unrelenting want, need, and possibly even love. Suddenly the idea of settling down doesn't seem so bad. In fact, it sounds pretty damn perfect. Just when things seem to be falling into place, past pain and renewed insecurities rise to the surface and threaten to smother the flames of their passionate relationship, reminding them both why they’ve always kept the idea of love at arm's length. Will Kale and Lucy realize that what they've been waiting for is each other, or will the blazing whirlwind of their feelings burn out too quickly, causing it to all go up in smoke?    

OUR REVIEW:

Lucy and Kale are a lot of fun. They mesh well together: they have fun personalities, banter back and forth, and are comfortable with the friends-with-benefits relationship they've developed; it works for them. Both of them have had experiences that have made them less than eager to seek out series partners and since what they have is working, why rock the boat, right? Wellll....things shift in some subtle (and not so subtle) ways and before they know it, they're denying feelings and longings for things that they never thought they'd want..and having to face things and take actions that maybe they didn't anticpate. Told in a mixture of flashbacks and present day narrative, we learn why they feel the way they feel about relationships and what happens when they decide to give a real relationship a chance.

Their story is an interesting one, and a bit different than the dynamics that brought together the couples in Ignite and Incinerate. Jace is the sweetheart, Knox is the badass dirty talker, and Kale tries to be the funny guy but mostly comes off as the most loyal and most likely to go with the flow. That is...until things he cares about become threatened. He almost has his head in his you know what for a bit too long, but this Mama's boy (which is really awesome) has some incentive to wisen up before its too late! And that journey was fun. 

Some things I liked:

--I liked that Lucy owned her sexuality and Kale didn't blink ..he accepted it as her and didn't ever think slut shaming thoughts. I do sure hate the slut shaming. So...I loved that part also. Lucy is how every woman should be raised. Love it. Own it. Men can't handle it! 

--I liked the way Kale handled the news Lucy shares with him within the first pages of the book. He puts his foot in his mouth a couple of times, but luckily Lucy is Lucy and doesn't freak out too early. Like the communication that they *mostly* have.

--I liked the honest way Lucy's mom handled things at Thanksgiving--the intensity of her reaction felt right (and I liked how Kale handled that too). I wasn't as big of a fan of that scene. I think it was that I couldn't decide whether her mom was trying to be the pot or the kettle, but I was surprised by it because of how independent Lucy is...I guess I had hoped that her mom is where she got that from. Hhhmm... but Kale. Kale is a white knight in camo clothing. Yeah..don't get me wrong, I didn't LIKE her reaction but I bet lots of parents react that way; I guess that's what I meant when I said it felt real.

--I liked that the stories of Knox and Jace were woven in and we could see what they were up to. Me too! 

--I appreciated that while I kept waiting for explosive angst-ness to hit, it really never did. There were a few moments when I facepalmed, but really, these two handled most things fairly well. Yeah. I was waiting for the hurt locker. But...there was enough drama throughout to keep me on my toes! 

With lots of old and new characters in this series, I foresee many more novels to come. Happy reading! I'm still most excited for Branson's story y'all! And he had some cameos too, so I am one happy girl! 

Shelley 3 stars
Courtney: 3 1/2 Stars

Excerpt

She looks me over, and I love the fact that she’s checking me out. I don’t know why I’m so drawn to her, but I am, and I want to get to know her better, at least where the bedroom’s concerned. Eventually, she extends her hand, and I give a firm handshake, the kind she wanted when we first met. “Please, Kale, call me Lucy.” Shaking her hand, I say it out loud. “Lucy. I like it.” “That’s fortunate since I’m stuck with it. Okay, Montgomery. As much as I love flirting with a hot ass soldier in the parking lot of an elementary school, I’ve got to get going. Maybe I’ll see you around?” She starts to walk away, but I grab her hand, reeling her back in. I’m not ready for her to go, yet I don’t want to seem like some crazy stalker guy. “Can I see you again? You know, outside of an elementary school?” I ask, my eyes bearing down into hers, begging for her to say yes. She hesitates, and I’m afraid she’s about to say no when she finally responds. “I don’t date. I’m not looking for anything serious, so if that’s what you’re looking for, I’m the wrong girl.” My cock practically sings at her words. A no strings attached relationship with a hot teacher right before I deploy? I couldn’t have asked for better luck. “I don’t do relationships, either, Lucy. I just want to get to know you and to have some fun. No feelings, no strings, no nothing,” I tell her, and watch as a look of relief washes over her. She starts digging in her purse and I watch as she scribbles something on a piece of paper before hanging it to me. “Number’s right there. Call me when you’re feeling adventurous,” she says. Before I can say anything, she spins around and swiftly walks away, leaving me to wonder just how adventurous she can be.

Purchase the Series

Inflame (Explosive, #3)

Amazon: US | UK | CA | AU // Barnes & Noble

 

Ignite (Explosive #1)

Amazon US | Goodreads

Incinerate (Explosive #2)

Amazon US | Goodreads

   

About the Author

I'm a twenty six year old book junkie who is also obsessed with sports. Bengals, Buckeyes, Reds are my teams! I work for the government during the day, hang out with Air National Guard on the weekends, and have been married to my own book boyfriend for over seven years. We currently live right outside of Dayton, OH with our two cats. If I’m not writing or looking through tons of photos of hot men, all in the name of research, then you can probably find me curled up with my Kindle, ignoring the rest of the world. I love my sports almost as much as I love my books. My other obsessions include red wine, hot men, country music, and all things Grace Potter.  

Connect with Tessa

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Email | Goodreads

 

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