BURNING FOR YOU

BURNING FOR YOU                                    MICHELE DUNAWAY
Posted:  April 24, 2015

Mark your calendar: The Man of the Month series is back—with a sexy new hero who will definitely heat things up... 

The Man of the Month The last thing Taylor Krebs wants is a man. Her crazy, possessive ex-boyfriend has caused her enough drama to last a lifetime. Putting drama and men behind her she focuses on her fledgling photography business. That is, until gorgeous fireman Joe Marino—otherwise known as Mr. September on the Sexy Public Servants Charity Calendar—walks into her life. Joe wants Taylor to photograph burn victims pro bono for a book he’s spearheading for the Burn Recovery Support Group...and he’ll do everything in his power to persuade her to take on his cause.

Taylor soon finds out that she isn’t immune to Joe’s persuasive charms—both professionally and personally—and soon they are burning up the sheets. But will Joe’s secrets and Taylor’s need for quiet stability tear them apart? Or will this Man of the Month also end up being Taylor’s love for all days? 

MY REVIEW:

     This couple meets under unusual circumstances.  Taylor Krebs is a photographer and Joe Marino is a subject for a calendar shoot she is doing for “The Sexy Public Servants of St. Louis.”  Joe is a fire fighter and “Mr. September.”

     Taylor is a huge romance novel reader who bounce in and out of reality to historical story lines in her head at the beginning of the first chapter.  Kind of funny because it lets you know just how long it has been since she has had a man.  Doing that though she has to shake herself out of it in order not to miss conversations and what not.  From the minute she sees Joe something pulls her towards him.  Unfortunately, he ends up being the last on the list to have his picture taken causing Taylor to overheat big time.   Joe seems to notice and becomes flirty as the shoot goes on.

     Due to her last relationship she’s more than stand-offish with most guys with Joe she doesn’t feel it.  During the shoot she has to move a piece of his clothing grazing his chest and a hiccup escapes meaning she is nervous.  Then she’s asked by the client to mess with his hair to make it look sexy.  Way to close.  After the shoot he ask to see the last couple of pictures she took, he liked them.

     Joe flirts some more then all flirting stops.  He becomes very professional and tells her he has a project that he thinks she would be wonderful for.  He liked the way she worked with each person she took pictures of and the client.  She thanks him and continues packing up.  He asks for a business card, then say good-bye and walk away.  Super weird.  She doesn’t hear from him after a few days figures she won’t either.

     She’s up late nights working at a restaurant and then working on the photos.  She can’t sleep so she starts reading and can’t put the book down.  So goes her circle of life.  She goes into work on this day a little late from oversleeping to find out that they are having the charity fire fighters night.  Where the local fire fighters come in to help serve food and part of the money earned goes to charity.  As they were being briefed with at least 20 fire fighters she is in the back.  She thinks she saw Joe in the mix but wasn’t sure.  When all her boss is down with the briefing and they start to be assigned Joe is there in front of her and he points to her and looks at her boss and says he’s working with her.  Her boss said okay.  There was just an hour to go before the guys would be leaving when Taylor’s ex comes walking in and the hostess seats him, his date and another couple at one of her tables.

     Thank goodness she was at the work station and she sees them come in.  She hides and ask her friend Beth to take that table with Joe and she will switch sections with her for the rest of the night.  But before she can tell Joe he is taking their drink order.  He looks back for her to be shadowing him and she is not there.  Beth takes the order from him and he looks at Taylor like “what’s up?”  She tries to say nothing when Beth says it’s her ex at the table he just was at.  He can see that Taylor is shaking and that raises his blood pressure.  He asks how he can help.  She says by working with Beth on that station until they leave.  He’s not happy but agrees.

     But then the phone in her pocket rings.  It’s the hospital she needs to leave now.  She talks to her boss he’s not happy but he understands he too is a man with kids.  Joe was worried about her and went with her.  He asked what was up.  She told him she was on her was to take a picture of a baby that passed away.  The parents want picture with him to be able to remember and to have pictures to show his twin sisters when they grow up.  It’s time sensitive.  She told him about her sister having a stillbirth and taking pictures and finding out it was a gift she could give these families.  This act of heroism seals it for Joe she is the one he needs for his project.

     After the pictures before she goes back to work they stop for drinks and a snack.  Joe asks her finally about his project.  He wants her to do a book of pictures that helps burn victims feel beautiful/handsome.  He would write the narration and stories and she would do the pictures.  It would all be for the charity his sister is involved with for burn victims.  At first she says she can’t.  Then Joe asked how much it cost Virginia for the calendar project for the charity.  She tells him and he says he can’t afford it and neither can the charity.  He asked that since she is going to school to teach photography can you teach me so I can practice with my sister then I’ll also pay you to do a family portrait and my mom can make connections for you.  She said yes for the sitting fee and cost.

     As they talked more she became more comfortable with him.  Started thinking she’s been turned down by her professor 10 times for her master’s project.  That Joe’s project could just do the trick for both of them.  So, she told Joe yes after all.  In her head she decided even if her professor doesn’t approve it its what is right for right now.  She can feel it.

     So it begins.  Taylor gets swept up in the hugs of Joe’s large family.  They all love her from the moment they meet her.  Yet, Joe holds back he holds a secret that has turned other women away and he can’t be hurt again.  Yet, he has such mixed feelings because more than any of the others he likes talking to her from the heart and gut.  They laugh and she pulls no punches and take no crap.  Yet, Joe sees that she needs help and protection too even if she won’t ask.

     This is a wonderful heartfelt story of love of family, facing fear, meeting challenges, and loving to the fullest.  I could not put this down.  This was a brilliant story line done with dignity and love.  It was a painful subject to some and a badge of courage and triumph for others to be on the other side.  Bravo to Michele Dunaway for a funny fun loving piece.  I give this 5 ++++ stars.  Provided by Net Galley.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
Taylor Krebs, is a photographer who is doing a fireman’s calendar for charity thinking that this will help her business, she is also having to come up with a concept for a masters project that her instructor will finally approve of. Joe Marino, is one of the firefighters that she is taking photos of for the calendar. He asks her if she would be able to do photos of his family, after she agrees she becomes more attracted to him and they start spending more time together. She finds out that he also boxes and goes to one of his fights. As they spend more time together they find out that each have secrets that they are slowly letting each other in on. They still have a way to go and the author makes the story interesting and enjoyable along the way. I found this to be a good book and enjoyed the characters as well. I got this book from net galley. 

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