Reviewed by Taylin

TITLE: Real Risk

SERIES: West Coast Forensics #3

AUTHOR: Elle Keaton

PUBLISHER: Dirty Dog Press LLC

LENGTH: 236 Pages

RELEASE DATE: April 21, 2022

BLURB:

It’s possible they’re a match but first the two men will have to survive trial by fire.

Chief Flynn is fighting smoke and flames, tirelessly protecting the lives and property of his fellow islanders from yet another spate of fires.

Arson or accident?

When injury puts him on the sidelines, West Coast Forensics Arson Investigator Kimball Frye offers his assistance. Frye is The Most Irritating Man in the World, a condescending know-it-all who rubs Devon the wrong way.

Or does he?

Decades ago an arsonist stole his family from him since then Frye has devoted his life to putting them behind bars. At forty-nine, he doesn’t believe in permanent relationships, instead preferring the company of interchangeable younger men.

Is the arsonist trying to shift the blame onto Devon, or trying to kill him? If it’s the latter it just might work.

Feeling the pull of attraction to Devon as the firebug grows bolder is inconvenient. Will Kimball listen to his heart or his head? The younger men he’s always preferred are nothing like the solid, stalwart Fire Chief.

#SlowBurn #OppositesAttract #LoveLaterInLife #ProtectiveHeros #Bickering #SlowSlowSlowBurn

Real Risk is the third in the West Coast Forensics series and can be read as a standalone but may be enjoyed more if you read the Real Trouble and Real Danger first. It is dual POV following Devon Flynn and Kimball Frye as they bicker and fumble their way to their happily ever after.

REVIEW:

Devon is Chief fireman. Kimball is the CEO of West Coast Forensics. When arson becomes a problem on Piedras, the police bring in WCF to assist. Reluctantly, Devon agrees to work with Kimball, but what infuriates him more is that his sister, Birdy, offers up Devon’s spare room as Kimball’s base. Two middle-aged men, stuck in their ways, in forced proximity with an arsonist running about – it could be genius or disaster.

Oh, what a welcome return to the men and women of Piedras. This time the focus is on the fireman. OMG, firefighters – sqweeeeeeee.

The story is told in the third person, past tense, from the viewpoints of Kimball and Devon. Technically, it wasn’t perfect. But I didn’t care, because I loved the story. For me, I was returning to a well-loved place. In the beginning – when I read the cast list appearing from previous novels, I did an internal happy dance. They were all the characters that made Piedras special. The old-timers of Stu, and Claribel, Doc Soper, and EMT Foster (one to watch for the future – cough, cough, hope, hope). Then there was the return of troublemakers and the people who catch them Hamarsson and Dempsey, Shay Delacombe, Ryder, and more, including a budget-cutting asshole of a Mayor and his son.

Daumn – what else to say and in what order.

Devon and Kimball were awesome. Their initial connection is grudging attraction, and it was lovely that insta-love was nowhere to be seen, nor was there any instant perfect fit. Theirs was a slow burn of gradual realization. Both men are good at what they do with appropriate egos. Then, there’s the common enemy, the arsonist, which made for some life-threatening situations and crackin’ reading.

Almost all the action is on Piedras, which allowed the personalities of this unique community to shine. Drama isn’t restricted to burning buildings either, as there is mention of racism against Devon’s native heritage, nightmares of past events, and some super sarcasm across the board from several parties. The fire may be Mother Nature’s heat, but there were burning embers elsewhere (cold showers required).

Real Risk was a story that I looked forward to receiving, loved reading, and put names in the frame for future episodes, which means THERE WILL BE MORE – YAYYYY.

RATING:

BUY LINK: 

Amazon