Reviewed by Annika
TITLE: Wilde Fire 
SERIES: Forever Wilde #3
AUTHOR: Lucy Lennox
NARRATOR: Michael Pauley
PUBLISHER: Self-published
RELEASE DATE: April 14, 2018
LENGTH: 8 hours, 40 minutes
BLURB:
Otto:
Seth Walker was my first love and I always swore he’d be my last. Even after he moved away our senior year in high school, we vowed to reunite after graduation. But when he suddenly broke things off without explanation and crushed my heart, it was my turn to run.
After a decade in the navy, I’ve finally come home ready to move on with my life as Hobie’s newest firefighter. Unfortunately, the minute I set eyes on the new sheriff in town, I know I’m screwed. Hobie’s top cop is none other than Seth Walker.
Turns out, he’s come home too. And hell if he doesn’t have a lot of explaining to do.
Walker:
I thought I was doing the right thing when I walked away from Otto Wilde 10 years ago without an explanation. I was wrong. I also thought I could come back home without having to face my past mistakes. I was wrong about that too.
What I’m not wrong about: The fact that my heart catches fire every time I set eyes on the sexy man. The fact that I can’t imagine my life without him. The fact that things are still just as complicated now as they were then. And the fact that I have a lot of work ahead of me if I expect to win him back.
Just when things start heating up between us again, a serial arsonist strikes and suspicion falls close to home. I already lost Otto to a secret long ago but I’ll be damned if I let another threaten to send our future up in smoke.
Because Otto Wilde is mine, and I don’t plan on ever letting him go again.
REVIEW:
Look, I really love both Lucy Lennox and Michael Pauley, but this book didn’t work for me, neither in content or narration. You always know what you get when you pick up these books, you know that the characters are just a little bit too perfect, too loved by everyone and a plot that is OTT. You know that and expect it going in, but this book took it a bit too far for me.
These books are easy-going, usually low on angst and takes very little effort in reading. They are perfect to pick up when you want a lazy day in the sun or want something sweet after a heavy or angsty book.
Seth Walker and Otto Wilde has been in love since they were teenager. They planned to head off to college and spend the rest of their lives together. Only ten years ago Walker’s family moved away and Otto got a letter saying it was over between them and not to contact Walker again and no explanation as to why. He then runs away to join the navy in hopes of escaping some of the memories. Ten years later they’ve both returned to Hobie, both hopelessly in love with the other.
This book takes martyrdom to an all-time high (on both parts). I won’t go into details as I don’t want to spoil the plot for you, but let’s just say it was way over the top, too much and too ridiculous. I spent the majority of the book mad at Walker for what he did and how he did it. I also kept waiting for him to really make some effort, some gesture – okay so I really wanted Walker to grovel a helluva lot, but that never happened. Just a short conversation and all’s forgiven – sorry but no. Worst part though, when my irritation with Walker’s stupidity had settled, it was Otto that was being the new martyr and I was just over it by then. It was too much.
I love Michael Pauley’s voice, I can (and have) listen to it all day long. He adds just the right amount of emotions to his performance to draw you in, make you believe. But this time around I missed the distinction between the different characters. His voice was the same throughout and I struggled at times with who was talking and who I was following. So in the end, it wasn’t as an effortless listen as I’m used to getting from Pauley.
This is without a doubt my least favourite novel in the series, so I can’t say that I would actively recommend it to anyone but maybe die-hard fans of theirs. However, I will pick up the next book in the series and keep my fingers crossed for fewer martyrs in Hudson’s story.
RATING: 
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