Wildfire by Hannah Grace
Rating: ⭐️⭐️.75
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
To round out August and the streak of sports romance books I read, I of course read the next book in Hannah Grace’s Maple Hill series, Wildfire. Even though I didn’t LOVE Icebreaker, I couldn’t put that book down. However, I heavily considered DNFing this book more than once. If it wasn’t for the Summer camp setting, knowing Henry’s book was up next, and being already more than halfway done, I wouldn’t have finished it at all.
At the end-of-year party, a drinking game turns into a steamy one-night stand between Russ and Aurora. Russ being the anxious man that he is, spends a little too much time in the bathroom after they hook up, giving Aurora enough time to sneak out to avoid overstaying her welcome. NBD, one night stands happen all the time.
Except they both signed up to be camp counselors at the same Summer camp. They both have daddy issues and are into each other, but can’t communicate and are up against the no fraternizing rule.
Tropes/What to Expect:
Forced proximity
Dual POV
Confident FMC x shy MMC
Found family
There are some cute quotes and I liked the side character Xander. There, that’s all my notes say for what I liked about it. I’m sorry, I’m a hater, what can I say? This was just a little below “ok” but its easy/sweet and might be enjoyed by someone who is looking for something fluffy with a little spice. That said, I will be reading the next one because it’s Henry. If I like it enough, I’ll check out another if its a character I like. If I don’t, I probably won’t pick up another Hannah Grace novel.
Criticisms
The instalove in this book was beyond what I could put up with. There was NO tension, which is slowly becoming one of my pet peeves in romance novels. I found myself cringing as I read this and rolling my eyes, especially when there were quite a few “meta” moments. Like when they talk about tropes as if its a book within a book or say things like “we’re miscommunicators”…kill me now.
I just didn’t think they had any chemistry and found it hard to sympathize with the main characters. I was never invested. Honestly, if they took out the spicy scenes, the plot and the characters’ behavior would be better fit for a young adult/teen book instead.
