Her Sexy Challenge
Firefighters of Station 1, #1
By Sarah Ballance
Releasing August 14th, 2017
Entangled Publishing
In Her Sexy Challenge (Firefighters of Station 1, #1) by Sarah Ballance, it isn't everyday that Caitlin Tyler needs rescuing, but it seems Lieutenant Shane Hendricks keeps being her hero. Yet, no matter how much Caitlin does her best to avoid the hot firefighter that keeps coming to her rescue, there's no way he'll be deterred from helping her face her fears. However, neither imagined a relationship was possible with Shane leaving in two weeks for bigger and better things in his career. Will Caitlin convince him to stay in Dry Rock and give them a chance at happy ever after, or will Shane leave because he believes he has something to prove?
Ms. Ballance certainly has a wonderful and captivating way with words, and this first book of her Firefighters of Station 1 proves that. Right from the beginning, this story had me hooked due to the dilemma the heroine is facing. She's not good when it comes to being around certain bodies of water, and even though she's standing on a bridge, her fear is palpable. Will she be able to find a way off the bridge? Will the hero be able to help Caitlin or will she manage to find her way all on her own? However, it was the moment the hero and heroine met that I absolutely loved, as Shane does his best to be charming and Caitlin seems less than impressed, especially with all the effort put in to help her get off the bridge.
The dialogue was well-written, spellbinding and I loved the playful banter between the main characters. Shane is determined to help Caitlin face her fears and isn't afraid to challenge her, especially in the way he goes about convincing her to face her fears. Furthermore, the main characters were incredible and I was charmed by the hero and heroine from start to finish. The heroine is strong and brave by giving the hero a chance to help her face her fears. Certainly, it isn't easy for her, especially with all she's been through, which makes it understandable why she's afraid of certain bodies of water and heights. Yet, she's resilient.
While the hero, he has so much to prove and I could understand his reasons for wanting to be able to do more in his career as a firefighter. His father was a big time hero and Shane wants the chance to be the same. I also liked how far the hero was willing to go to help the heroine, even if it meant spending hours doing nothing and waiting for her to take a chance on him to help her. I also liked the tight friendships he shared with the other firefighters from his squad and how they weren't afraid to offer each other sound advice when it came to how good Caitlin was for Shane. Is it possible that Caitlin could be the one to keep Shane in Dry Rock?
Overall, Ms. Ballance has penned a fantastic read in this book where there was plenty of chemistry between the main characters that spilled over onto the pages wonderfully through their romance. The way this story ended had me loving the hero more than I already did, as he's determined to make things right with the heroine. Caitlin is the one person that can make his life more, and not what he was doing by following in his father's footsteps as a firefighter. However, it was the epilogue that wrapped this story up perfectly, because Shane is continuing to help Caitlin face her fears. I would recommend Her Sexy Challenge by Sarah Ballance, if you enjoy small town romances, the opposites attract trope or books by authors Tawna Fenske, Hayden Manning, RC Boldt and Kadie Scott.
BLURB
She might be the one fire he can’t put out…
Caitlin Tyler doesn’t do bridges—she just doesn’t know it until she lands her dream job and freezes halfway across her new town’s towering death span. Cue the cocky, infuriating fireman who goads her off the bridge. He’s hot, but he’s also exactly the kind of guy she wants to avoid…which she manages to do for a whole four hours.
Lt. Shane Hendricks is only two weeks away from leaving Dry Rock. He sure as hell doesn’t need to get involved with a woman he has to rescue twice in one day. The fact that she’s clearly annoyed by him doesn’t deter him from throwing down a challenge—one that proves hard to resist for all the wrong reasons.
They’re moving in different directions. Leaving should be easy, but falling for Caitlin might be the one fire he can’t put out…
BUY:
On her porch, Caitlin fumbled with
the key but managed to get the door unlocked. “Thanks for the ride,” she said.
“It didn’t suck.”
“Good,” Shane said. “Because I
don’t think it sucked, either.”
His agreement caught her off guard,
and she looked at him in surprise. She’d known how close he stood, so she
shouldn’t have been startled to find his face inches away. He’d done that in
the parking lot, completely out of nowhere, his lips grazing her ear. It still
burned from his touch, and if that crackling of lust didn’t calm itself, she’d
willingly become the next Van Gogh in her effort to escape it. Tangling
anything of hers with anything of his was on her nope list, so for her gaze to
once again drift to his mouth meant nothing.
Until his lips touched hers.
Honest-to-God sparks lit the sky.
She went numb, all except the party happening on her lips. Every bit of her
hard won resistance shattered, and the stark reality that her bed was the only
thing she’d wholly unpacked went screaming through her head. It was the longest
brushing-of-lips in the history of human copulation, and she’d have wallowed
naked in it if she could.
Walking away would have been a much
better idea, but she hadn’t exactly batted a thousand on those lately. The only
thing she’d managed consistently since she arrived in Dry Rock was to stumble
into one awkward moment after the next, each and every one witnessed by the
fire lieutenant. And now here she stood, wanting him, and there was no way it
wasn’t obvious. Seriously, what the hell?
It had just been a simple
kiss.
They parted by millimeters, and she
whimpered, the moment hanging heavily between them for a split, indecisive
moment.
Then it exploded.
With a groan, he grabbed the back
of her head and captured her, pulling her mouth to his, tasting and teasing,
driving a spike of need through her that left her falling deeper, drowning in
something that made paddling a class five rapid seem sane. She clung to him as
he pulled her close, voicing a quiet verse of profanity that made her want to
beg him to come inside.
Again and again he drove the kiss
while she clutched uselessly at his shirt, drawing him deeper, burning for
more.
Wanting everything.
He tasted amazing. He moved like a
god.
He…let her go.
ABOUT SARAH BALLANCE
SARAH BALLANCE is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary, historical, and supernatural romance and romantic suspense. She’s been married to her own romantic hero for what he calls a “long, long time” (and no, he’ll never hear the end of saying that). Together they have six children … and clearly too much time on their hands. She currently writes for Entangled Publishing.
The banter in this book had me smiling throughout this story. What a fabulous read by Ms. Ballance.
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