Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: The Fireman and the Flirt
SERIES: Single Dads Club
AUTHOR: A.J. Truman
PUBLISHER: Truman Books
LENGTH: 285 pages
RELEASE DATE: March 27, 2024
BLURB:
Is it in bad taste to sleep with a client? Asking for a friend…
In high school, Derek ruled the school with his fellow hockey players, while I fantasized from afar. He only knew me as his little brother’s shy friend who, thanks to one vicious rumor from a former flame, had garnered a reputation as the school freak.
Twenty years later, I’m a successful real estate agent who’s put my embarrassing past behind me and smartly stayed away from love. I have things under control…until Derek suddenly returns to Sourwood sans wedding ring, and in dire need of a house for him and his daughter.
Clinching this sale will cement my hard-earned status as a top agent and distance me from my embarrassing past. If only I can stop shamelessly flirting with my new client. If only I can stop dreaming about him bending me over newly updated marble countertops and stainless steel appliances. Old habits die hard.
Soon though, my fantasy version of Derek fades away as I learn the truth about his return. Maybe I can get him to no longer see me as his little brother’s weird friend. Maybe he can get me to let down my guard and trust a guy again.
Or maybe those dreams are as unrealistic as the housing budget for a couple on House Hunters.
The Fireman and the Flirt is the fourth book in the Single Dads Club series, but can be read as a standalone. It will give you all the brother’s best friend, businessman/client, nerd/jock vibes you can handle without charging a commission.
REVIEW:
Note: This is the fourth book in this series and while technically it can be read as a stand alone, it does contain major spoilers for the previous books and I think the series is best enjoyed read in order.
Cary is a successful Real Estate agent in Sourwood – against all odds. Cal is his friend. Cal’s older brother Derek has returned to Sourwood after the sudden death of his wife Paula. He and Jolene, his daughter are staying with Cal and his husband Russ and their two sons while he gets settled back into life on the East coast after spending the previous 20 years in Alaska. He and Cal aren’t particularly close and he hasn’t been back to town much. Cal gives Derek’s card and tells him Cary will find him a house so that he can start to rebuild his life – not a shove out the door though. Cal and Russ are happy to have Derek and Jolene.
Derek is still sort of shell-shocked. Becoming a widower and a single dad and moving several thousand miles is not for the faint of heart. He does want to find a new place. He doesn’t really remember Cary that well from HS – he was Cal’s friend and Derek had his own circle of jock friends. He didn’t know that Cary had been bullied and most importantly, he didn’t realize the huge crush a teenage closeted Cary had on Derek. Which is a huge relief to Cary 🙂
While looking for a house, Derek finds himself more importantly looking forward to spending time with Cary. He’s known that he was attracted to men, but he’d been married for years and so he didn’t do anything about it. But Cary is making him want to do something about it. With Cary 😉
Cary has had zero luck with relationships. He was bullied in high school and did his best to move forward. He’s happy in his job and he loves his work partner Hannah. They are a great team. He enjoys spending time with Derek and is relieved that Derek doesn’t remember his awkward teenage self. Things start to change between them. And lots of sex is happening 🙂
But there are secrets and insecurities that both men are keeping. And while they get closer, there are a lot of bumps in the road. It’ll take a whole lotta trust for them to move forward together.
This is another winner from AJ Truman. I will admit that I am a total sucker for his characters and his stories in this little town. I love the humor and the snark and the found family and the heart in these stories. Derek is sort of a bro at the beginning. He’s a widower but he’s got a secret and he feels really bad about a lot of things. However, he’s tired of being seen as the sad sack widower. He also doesn’t want people trying to set him up. The fact that he finds Cary so endearing and funny and interesting and cute is a surprise, but a pleasant one for him since he hasn’t had much pleasant in his life for a while – well aside from his brilliant and precocious middle school aged daughter Jolene. Cary has sooo many trust issues. He is still dealing with the stuff from high school bullying that really affected him. It takes Derek and some pretty strong support from the rest of the Single Dads to help Cary get over his fears. His family is also there for him in ways he never realized. I just loved ALL the secondary characters. There is also a hilarious subplot about a Christmas movie that had me in stitches. There is so much humor and heart in these stories! I can’t wait for my next visit to Sourwood. Highly recommended!
RATING: 
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