Line of Fire by Jo Davis

To his fellow firemen, Tommy Skyler has it all. But the golden boy of Station Five hides a private pain. He was once a star quarterback until tragedy derailed his dream. Since then, he's struggled with his choices-including his decision to become a firefighter. His one ray of light shines in beautiful nurse Shea Ford. When a dangerous rescue lands Tommy in the ER, what better opportunity to win her over? But when a conspiracy culminates in deadly arson, Tommy realizes that a ruthless enemy is closing in, threatening to destroy the couple's love- and their lives.
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Sorry for the disjointed thoughts that follow. I want to do this without spoilers, and I'm sitting at work, too, hiding my monitor *g*.

Just a couple things niggled at me, and they are likely my own issues. First, Tommy is 23. How the hell is he so practiced a lover? A serious hottie in the bedroom. K, I'm sure it's my own experiences here, since he was a star college football player and then a firefighter. But still... onward.

Tommy and Shea are just flat-out nice people. It was hard to find something not to like. Tommy's immaturity did show itself a few times, like when Shea said she already had a date to Zack & Cori's wedding, and he felt like he needed to bring someone hot so he wouldn't seem like he was pining for her. But overall, I liked him. In fact (sex aside - completely, utterly, and forever aside) I could see my oldest in him. Unfailingly polite, athletic, fun, and just plain nice. (In hindsight, I think this is why his prowess in the bedroom bothered me so much. He reminded me too much of my son.)

Shea was also a nice girl. In fact, the two of them were so nice, that's the other thing that kept this from being a perfect read. And how silly is that, because I really, really liked them both. Anyway, they each have some issues to work out individually, and then they have to share them together. They worked well together.

Tommy and Shea resolve their conflict fairly early on, but each leaves some things unsaid, and that comes back later to bite them both in the butt. Thankfully, they are both talkers at heart, and again, the tension is resolved. The end of the book is driven by the external conflict - the resolution of the whodunnit (which was not a secret). Things come to a head with Sean in this one - finally, and with some seriously major consequences. And the preview she gives us into Sean's book? I don't know how I'll wait.

Davis knows how to torture a hero, that is for damn sure. Her firefighters are more tortured than any heroes in recent memory. (Zack anyone?) My heart broke for Tommy after the warehouse fire. Another little niggle: I was surprised that it only took a visit from his friends two weeks after his release from the hospital, to pull him out of his well of self-pity. But in the long run, it worked ok for me.

I enjoyed Line of Fire very much despite any little niggles I had with it (some that were, admittedly, my own).