Reviewed by Dan

TITLE: Once Burned

SERIES: Firsts and Forever #15.5

AUTHOR: Alexa Land

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

LENGTH: 210 Pages

RELEASE DATE:  February 10, 2018

BLURB:

Cameron Doyle is an arson investigator who’s learned he can’t trust anyone.

Ignacio Mondelvano is an artist with a secret that could tear them apart.

A year ago, shy, quiet Cameron had his trust shattered by a sociopath who used him to gain information on an arson case. Ever since then, Cam’s been keeping the world at arm’s length, and he didn’t start out as the most trusting person to begin with.

Then Ignacio Mondelvano saunters into his life. The sexy Spanish painter could have anyone he wants. Much to Cam’s surprise, what Ignacio wants is him.

What begins as a bit of harmless fun at a charity bachelor auction soon turns into so much more. But when secrets are revealed and Cam’s trust is shaken, can their love survive? Or has Cam been burned too badly to believe in second chances?

REVIEW:

Okay, I’ll start by apologizing that I’m so late to the party on this one. The book came out three months ago and another reviewer at Love Bytes was going to review it, but RL got in the way and she wasn’t able to finish it. Since I already had it on my Kindle in my TBR pile, I jumped it forward. So here I am, three months late, but I have to review it and tell you as usual, I love this author.

Once Burned could be a standalone, but it is much better if you’ve read and enjoyed the books in the series that proceed it. I love the world Ms. Land has imagined in the series, and I know going into one of her stories that I’m going to lose sleep if I don’t start it first thing in the morning. I can never put her books down. This one was more of the same.

Cameron Doyle is familiar to those of us who have read her books because he was the arson investigator who made an appearance in an earlier book. He is still plagued with guilt because his boyfriend at the time was a sociopath pyromaniac who was only using him to get information on the open cases. The boyfriend then tried to kill the entire Dombruso clan in a fire.

Now it is a year later, and Cam has trust issues. He sees himself as just an average guy, working an average job. But all that changes when he lets himself be talked into being auctioned off at a bachelor auction for charity. To his surprise, a super-hot Spanish painter not only bids on him and wins, but then buys himself in the same auction and ‘gifts’ himself to Cameron.

I love the way that Ms. Land always brings a smile and a laugh when I’m reading her books. She is very adept at dragging you into a story and making you care for her cast. I can’t believe we’re this many books into the series already. I’ve never once contemplated not reading the next one, and I’m pretty sure I won’t. She keeps stepping it up. The only downside of this one was there wasn’t enough Nana Dombruso! 😊

I very highly recommend everything this woman has ever written.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon