What do you think?
Rate this book
By Fire #1
Redemption by Fire
By Fire Book One
Dirk Krause is a jerk of the first degree. His life is a hell of his own making, and he makes everyone around him just as miserable. When he’s injured on the job while fighting a fire, he’s nearly unbearable to the hospital staff, and of course no one from his unit cares enough to visit. Lee Stockton is the new guy at the station, so he gets saddled with the job of bringing Dirk a sympathy bouquet from the guys at the firehouse. To Dirk’s surprise, Lee sees through him like a pane of glass and doesn’t take any of his crap. Lee’s determined to get Dirk to stop being nasty just to push everyone away. When they go from enemies to lovers, will the fireworks shine brightly on a possible relationship or leave them with nothing but ashes?
Lee Stockton is the new guy at the station, so he gets saddled with the job of bringing Dirk a sympathy bouquet from the guys at the firehouse. To Dirk’s surprise, Lee sees through him like a pane of glass and doesn’t take any of his crap. Lee’s determined to get Dirk to stop being nasty just to push everyone away. When they go from enemies to lovers, will the fireworks shine brightly on a possible relationship or leave them with nothing but ashes?
Dirk Krause is a jerk of the first degree. His life is a hell of his own making, and he makes everyone around him just as miserable. When he’s injured on the job while fighting a fire, he’s nearly unbearable to the hospital staff, and of course no one from his unit cares enough to visit. Lee Stockton is the new guy at the station, so he gets saddled with the job of bringing Dirk a sympathy bouquet from the guys at the firehouse. To Dirk’s surprise, Lee sees through him like a pane of glass and doesn’t take any of his crap. Lee’s determined to get Dirk to stop being nasty just to push everyone away. When they go from enemies to lovers, will the fireworks shine brightly on a possible relationship or leave them with nothing but ashes?
Lee Stockton is the new guy at the station, so he gets saddled with the job of bringing Dirk a sympathy bouquet from the guys at the firehouse. To Dirk’s surprise, Lee sees through him like a pane of glass and doesn’t take any of his crap. Lee’s determined to get Dirk to stop being nasty just to push everyone away. When they go from enemies to lovers, will the fireworks shine brightly on a possible relationship or leave them with nothing but ashes?
96 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2012
24 people are currently reading
719 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 214 reviews
May 9, 2012
I liked the chemistry between Lee and Dirk and would have liked the story to have been a little longer to explore more as the ending seemed kinda abrupt. Unfortunately, I am only giving this 3 stars because other aspects of the book, the other firefighters and the father lowered the reading enjoyment of this book for me.
August 30, 2015
Audible
3,5 stars
My first Andrew Grey and my first Peter B. Brooke, and I found the two fit together pretty well. It was an easy and quick read, and I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Lee and Dirk.
What I can't understand, and what was difficult for me to believe, is the fact that NOBODY from Dirk's team-mates(except Lee, who was a new in the station!) visited him in the hospital where he stayed for a while because of being seriously injured while saving a baby from a burning house. Aren't firemen supposed to support each other?!
I don't care what an asshole Dirk was BEFORE his stay at the clinic, but you can't as a fireman ignore a member of your team who has almost died while doing his job. These are basic moral principles.
Even if they apologized later, it left a bad aftertaste.
March 3, 2016
Simple, uncomplicated self-acceptance story.
These kinds of stories aren't my favorite, probably because I have other issues to work through, but it's easy and enjoyable in an unrealistic way. Looking for a gentle lovers' story, then this is it with a side of hot guys. 2.5 stars rounding up because I like mentoring, which is what Lee did for Dirk.
These kinds of stories aren't my favorite, probably because I have other issues to work through, but it's easy and enjoyable in an unrealistic way. Looking for a gentle lovers' story, then this is it with a side of hot guys. 2.5 stars rounding up because I like mentoring, which is what Lee did for Dirk.
May 8, 2012
Can't even finish this. Even if the guy is a total douche bag, a firefighter was injured on the job. People are there waiting to make sure they wake up and help with recovery. There would have been flowers and other firefighters, wives, all sorts of support. Yes even to assholes because next time the person who barely or doesn't make it out could be you or your spouse. Then Lee comes in and he's a bigger prick then Dirk is supposed to be even though our only proof of this is no visitors, which is stupid. I bought this because I was in the mood to read some sexy firefighter lovin. I got about half way and gave up. I didn't need to hear more complaints about closet cases.
May 7, 2012
Starting with the cover, which is about as gorgeous as it is hot, this book pulled me in. Of course, as soon as I started reading, the cover and everything else were quickly forgotten, as my fascination with the characters took over. As common as closeted men may be, they are not easy to write, and Andrew Grey did a great job at capturing these guys’ essence in the story. What they go through is not easy, and it takes them a while to figure out what is really important. For me, that made the book and the story all the more real.
Dirk is described as an asshole, and in many ways he is. However, he is not an irredeemable one. He is not a man who would kick puppies or steal from you, he is, after all, a very committed fire fighter who saves lives every single day, a man who will risk his own life to rescue a baby from a fire when it seems impossible. No, his ‘assholeness’ is of a subtler kind, which makes it much more insidious and difficult to fight. He is emotionally insecure, totally repressed, has denied who he is for years, and is, basically, very unhappy. Rather than try to work things out, he uses his anger and fear to push others away. Extremely successful at this, his colleagues recognize his professional abilities, but his personality causes a lot of friction and makes them think of Dirk as an asshole. Honestly? I cannot blame them!
Lee is the complete opposite. He is friendly, outgoing, has good relationships with his colleagues, and has only one problem: he is attracted to Dirk. Dealing with someone who is in the closet as deeply as Dirk is tough, and Lee, being the loving man he is, suffers a lot. He also does not take sh*t from Dirk, and stands up for himself and his needs very well. I think that helps Dirk, in the end, admit who he really is. Who could withhold himself from a gorgeous, amazing man like Lee?
The scenes between Dirk and Lee are intense, extremely hot, and when they do finally make love the depth of their emotions flares up to new heights. My only regret? While the ending of this book was emotionally very satisfying, there is lots more that can, and I am sure will, happen. I cannot wait for the next volume to be published so I can find out what else happens in Dirk and Lee’s lives. One thing I am sure of is that it will be just as intense and wonderful as the initial stages we got to see in this book. If you like fire fighters, men who struggle with their identity (both sexual and otherwise), and if emotionally intense and, ultimately, rewarding relationships are your thing, you will probably love this book as much as I did.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Dirk is described as an asshole, and in many ways he is. However, he is not an irredeemable one. He is not a man who would kick puppies or steal from you, he is, after all, a very committed fire fighter who saves lives every single day, a man who will risk his own life to rescue a baby from a fire when it seems impossible. No, his ‘assholeness’ is of a subtler kind, which makes it much more insidious and difficult to fight. He is emotionally insecure, totally repressed, has denied who he is for years, and is, basically, very unhappy. Rather than try to work things out, he uses his anger and fear to push others away. Extremely successful at this, his colleagues recognize his professional abilities, but his personality causes a lot of friction and makes them think of Dirk as an asshole. Honestly? I cannot blame them!
Lee is the complete opposite. He is friendly, outgoing, has good relationships with his colleagues, and has only one problem: he is attracted to Dirk. Dealing with someone who is in the closet as deeply as Dirk is tough, and Lee, being the loving man he is, suffers a lot. He also does not take sh*t from Dirk, and stands up for himself and his needs very well. I think that helps Dirk, in the end, admit who he really is. Who could withhold himself from a gorgeous, amazing man like Lee?
The scenes between Dirk and Lee are intense, extremely hot, and when they do finally make love the depth of their emotions flares up to new heights. My only regret? While the ending of this book was emotionally very satisfying, there is lots more that can, and I am sure will, happen. I cannot wait for the next volume to be published so I can find out what else happens in Dirk and Lee’s lives. One thing I am sure of is that it will be just as intense and wonderful as the initial stages we got to see in this book. If you like fire fighters, men who struggle with their identity (both sexual and otherwise), and if emotionally intense and, ultimately, rewarding relationships are your thing, you will probably love this book as much as I did.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
not-yet-finished
April 26, 2012Stalled at 39%
I'm not sure if this is DNF for me or not, but I just can't into this book because I don't understand the characters at all. Especially Lee. He keeps spouting off all these platitudes about how real men are ones who are brave enough to come out, yet he really doesn't know anything about Dirk. On their first visit he layed into him for nothing, calling him an asshole. Yeah, if I were Dirk I'd be plenty pissed off that none of the firemen he worked with came to visit him. So what if he's kept them at a distance because he can't come out to them? If he were a royal asshole they should still visit him, right? Isn't that what a brotherhood and all that shit is all about?
It just feels like this whole story is based on that one thing at the beginning, that Dirk's an asshole without explaining much why (and yes, I'm sure that might come later), and everyone else just going along with that assessment without really trying to understand why he might act the way he does. Plus, they keep talking about what an asshole he is and how horrible he is and all but all I've seen is that he's just not close to anyone and he's scared of his dad and that he rescued a baby. He doesn't sound that bad to me. Maybe if they'd referenced some horrible things that he's done, but not told them yet, I could stick with it to see if maybe they're right, but to me, so far, this whole situation just seems turned on it's head. I feel like I don't want to read any more about them if there are only scenes of them not getting to really know each other, Lee yelling at Dirk about what an asshole he is and that basically he'd be much nicer to everyone if he came out already like a man, and then fights turning into passionate lust... huh?
I don't think I'm getting this at all... so I'm just going to put it away before I get even more mad at the characters, lol.
I'm not sure if this is DNF for me or not, but I just can't into this book because I don't understand the characters at all. Especially Lee. He keeps spouting off all these platitudes about how real men are ones who are brave enough to come out, yet he really doesn't know anything about Dirk. On their first visit he layed into him for nothing, calling him an asshole. Yeah, if I were Dirk I'd be plenty pissed off that none of the firemen he worked with came to visit him. So what if he's kept them at a distance because he can't come out to them? If he were a royal asshole they should still visit him, right? Isn't that what a brotherhood and all that shit is all about?
It just feels like this whole story is based on that one thing at the beginning, that Dirk's an asshole without explaining much why (and yes, I'm sure that might come later), and everyone else just going along with that assessment without really trying to understand why he might act the way he does. Plus, they keep talking about what an asshole he is and how horrible he is and all but all I've seen is that he's just not close to anyone and he's scared of his dad and that he rescued a baby. He doesn't sound that bad to me. Maybe if they'd referenced some horrible things that he's done, but not told them yet, I could stick with it to see if maybe they're right, but to me, so far, this whole situation just seems turned on it's head. I feel like I don't want to read any more about them if there are only scenes of them not getting to really know each other, Lee yelling at Dirk about what an asshole he is and that basically he'd be much nicer to everyone if he came out already like a man, and then fights turning into passionate lust... huh?
I don't think I'm getting this at all... so I'm just going to put it away before I get even more mad at the characters, lol.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2013
Enjoyed this enough while I was reading it, but it's not really something that I can see myself wanting to revisit or reread again. I think my main problem was the narrator/narrative voice - just didn't connect much with him or the flow of his voice. That said, firemen = yay, and the love interest, Lee, was a sweetheart.
May 27, 2014
2.5 Stars
So this one didn't really work for me. Dirk Krause was an asshole but no one showing up to the hospital?!? Uh, no. Way. Lee Stockton was alright but too preachy at times. I liked both of them well enough and God knows I love me some smokin' firefighters but, overall, this book left me feeling ... meh.
Bottom line: I wish I liked it more.
So this one didn't really work for me. Dirk Krause was an asshole but no one showing up to the hospital?!? Uh, no. Way. Lee Stockton was alright but too preachy at times. I liked both of them well enough and God knows I love me some smokin' firefighters but, overall, this book left me feeling ... meh.
Bottom line: I wish I liked it more.
March 11, 2016
Overall book rating 3.5 Stars
Audio book: Narrator - Peter B Brooke
Cover rating: 4.5 Stars
This was a sweet nice mellow read. Hot gay firefighters ...
Audio book: Narrator - Peter B Brooke
Cover rating: 4.5 Stars
This was a sweet nice mellow read. Hot gay firefighters ...
November 6, 2018
3,5* for the story upgrade to 4* because I would like to see more of the guys.
September 12, 2018
This one is a pretty quick and low angst book about some firemen.
Lee is a newbie at the firehouse who gets the short end of the stick and is basically forced to visit the "jerk" Dirk in the hospital after he gets hurt on duty saving a baby.
I know everyone hates Dirk for the way he acts, but deep down he's a firefighter who saves people and babies, and seriously no one will visit him when he's stuck in the hospital for weeks. I think that just means that everyone in this book is kind of a jerk in their own ways. lol. It seems pretty obvious to me that Dirk is so mean to everyone as his way of keeping everyone at arms length so they don't figure out the truth... That he IS gay, and that he is hiding his feelings from everyone including himself. I am so glad that Lee is there to push him out of his comfort zone and make him realize what is really happening and how he really feels. Dirks dad being thrown into the story is a good way of adding character depth and showing where Dirk is really coming from as a person, and where he learned his actions. His dad is a total bully. Good book. And ready to see where the next portion of their story leads us into the next few books.
Audio - Peter B Brooke does a decent job with this one. The inflection and timbre of his voice is a little off at points, becoming deep of lighter at some parts that don't really match the parts of the storyline at the time, which kind of threw me off. But, it wasn't to the point of me bailing on listening to this series in audio. Overall he did a good job and I am interested to see where he goes with the narration of the next book in this series.
Lee is a newbie at the firehouse who gets the short end of the stick and is basically forced to visit the "jerk" Dirk in the hospital after he gets hurt on duty saving a baby.
I know everyone hates Dirk for the way he acts, but deep down he's a firefighter who saves people and babies, and seriously no one will visit him when he's stuck in the hospital for weeks. I think that just means that everyone in this book is kind of a jerk in their own ways. lol. It seems pretty obvious to me that Dirk is so mean to everyone as his way of keeping everyone at arms length so they don't figure out the truth... That he IS gay, and that he is hiding his feelings from everyone including himself. I am so glad that Lee is there to push him out of his comfort zone and make him realize what is really happening and how he really feels. Dirks dad being thrown into the story is a good way of adding character depth and showing where Dirk is really coming from as a person, and where he learned his actions. His dad is a total bully. Good book. And ready to see where the next portion of their story leads us into the next few books.
Audio - Peter B Brooke does a decent job with this one. The inflection and timbre of his voice is a little off at points, becoming deep of lighter at some parts that don't really match the parts of the storyline at the time, which kind of threw me off. But, it wasn't to the point of me bailing on listening to this series in audio. Overall he did a good job and I am interested to see where he goes with the narration of the next book in this series.
August 1, 2013
This is my first by Mr. Grey, so this is virgin territory for me. I won't be a stranger to his works after reading this. This was a fun, light read, just what I needed after the past few weeks of personal problems. I quickly got attached to Lee and Dirk. I really wanted the book to be longer, there was so much left to explore, but hey, I still loved it. Dirk's a d-bag fire fighter who is hurt rescuing a child. Lee is a newbie that comes to visit Dirk in the hospital when Lee draws the short straw. With only Lee coming to visit him, Dirk is hurt and bewildered. It also plants the seed for Dirk to reevaluate his behavior and personality. He's not outed at the firehouse, but Lee is. A tug of war ensues with his feelings for Lee and his inability to come clean about who he is with his father and fellow firefights.
For those who gave a lesser rating because of the lack of brotherhood, it doesn't matter what you perceive as a short coming, when you put a group of people together, no one escapes the pettiness, animosity,and jealousies of humans in a group setting.
As I said earlier, I wish this was longer. I could lessen the stars, but I am not going to. After all, the book entertained me, ultimately, that is a priority in reading. I give it a station house full of stars.
For those who gave a lesser rating because of the lack of brotherhood, it doesn't matter what you perceive as a short coming, when you put a group of people together, no one escapes the pettiness, animosity,and jealousies of humans in a group setting.
As I said earlier, I wish this was longer. I could lessen the stars, but I am not going to. After all, the book entertained me, ultimately, that is a priority in reading. I give it a station house full of stars.
May 8, 2017
I did like this but there were a few things that annoyed me off the bat.
1) I don't know any firefighters personally but the impression I get is that they are very supportive, and I have a hard time believing no one visited him in the hospital after he nearly died by rescuing a baby from a burning building, no matter how much of an ass he is.
2) We didn't really get to see Dirk be a huge ass, we were just told so. And to be honest, if I'd been in the hospital a week and no one visited, I'd be in a bad mood too. So I actually found Lee to be a little bit of a dick at first, and kind of pushy. I mean, give the guy a freakin' break!
In the end I like these guys together, although I don't feel quite as much of a connection between them as I have in other, similar books like Hot Head. Granted this is early on in the relationship, so I'm hoping to see some more growth in the next book.
1) I don't know any firefighters personally but the impression I get is that they are very supportive, and I have a hard time believing no one visited him in the hospital after he nearly died by rescuing a baby from a burning building, no matter how much of an ass he is.
2) We didn't really get to see Dirk be a huge ass, we were just told so. And to be honest, if I'd been in the hospital a week and no one visited, I'd be in a bad mood too. So I actually found Lee to be a little bit of a dick at first, and kind of pushy. I mean, give the guy a freakin' break!
In the end I like these guys together, although I don't feel quite as much of a connection between them as I have in other, similar books like Hot Head. Granted this is early on in the relationship, so I'm hoping to see some more growth in the next book.
March 25, 2013
da www.sognipensieriparole.com
Breve, troppo breve.
Questa è l’unica critica che mi sento di muovere a questo romantico (ma non zuccheroso) romanzo di Andrew Grey, un autore capace di esprimere l’amore attraverso i gesti e i dettagli, più ancora che attraverso le parole o trame mozzafiato.
Direi che Grey ricerca la passione e il legame non nell’insolito, ma nel quotidiano. Perché amore quasi sempre vuol dire casa. Anche alla caserma dei pompieri di Carlisle.
Dirk, il pompiere veterano, è antipatico ma audace, pronto a rischiare la propria vita per salvare gli altri. Lee, invece, il nuovo arrivato, è un ragazzone dolce e sensuale che vuole a tutti i costi diventare il “suo” ragazzone. Anche se questo vuol dire andare contro i benpensanti.
Come dicevo, storia ultraromantica, con sullo sfondo la paura di Dirk di rivelarsi, sia alla propria famiglia che ai propri colleghi, e di essere lasciato solo, in disparte, rifiutato perché non conforme ai parametri imposti dalla collettività.
Breve, troppo breve.
Questa è l’unica critica che mi sento di muovere a questo romantico (ma non zuccheroso) romanzo di Andrew Grey, un autore capace di esprimere l’amore attraverso i gesti e i dettagli, più ancora che attraverso le parole o trame mozzafiato.
Direi che Grey ricerca la passione e il legame non nell’insolito, ma nel quotidiano. Perché amore quasi sempre vuol dire casa. Anche alla caserma dei pompieri di Carlisle.
Dirk, il pompiere veterano, è antipatico ma audace, pronto a rischiare la propria vita per salvare gli altri. Lee, invece, il nuovo arrivato, è un ragazzone dolce e sensuale che vuole a tutti i costi diventare il “suo” ragazzone. Anche se questo vuol dire andare contro i benpensanti.
Come dicevo, storia ultraromantica, con sullo sfondo la paura di Dirk di rivelarsi, sia alla propria famiglia che ai propri colleghi, e di essere lasciato solo, in disparte, rifiutato perché non conforme ai parametri imposti dalla collettività.
December 1, 2015
Sorry, aber das kann Andrew Grey eindeutig besser.
Die Ansätze der Geschichte sind klasse, das wäre wunderbarer Stoff für ein langes Buch gewesen, stattdessen quetscht er die Geschichte von Dirk und Lee auf nicht mal 70 Seiten runter und das merkt man beim Lesen leider auch.
Es gibt kaum Zeit, die beiden Jungs erst mal näher kennenzulernen, man erfährt nur wenig über sie und das Wenige dann auch eher im Nebensatz. Alles rast nur so durch, aber im Bett landen sie dann förmlich von jetzt auf gleich. Dabei gibt es so viele Sachen, die mehr Platz verdient hätten - der langjährige Konflikt mit Dirks Vater, Lees schlimme Vergangenheit oder auch die Reaktionen von den Arbeitskollegen der beiden.
Nix da, es wird alles in zwei, drei Sätzen abgehandelt und das war's dann.
Dieses Mal gibt's keine Leseempfehlung von mir.
Die Ansätze der Geschichte sind klasse, das wäre wunderbarer Stoff für ein langes Buch gewesen, stattdessen quetscht er die Geschichte von Dirk und Lee auf nicht mal 70 Seiten runter und das merkt man beim Lesen leider auch.
Es gibt kaum Zeit, die beiden Jungs erst mal näher kennenzulernen, man erfährt nur wenig über sie und das Wenige dann auch eher im Nebensatz. Alles rast nur so durch, aber im Bett landen sie dann förmlich von jetzt auf gleich. Dabei gibt es so viele Sachen, die mehr Platz verdient hätten - der langjährige Konflikt mit Dirks Vater, Lees schlimme Vergangenheit oder auch die Reaktionen von den Arbeitskollegen der beiden.
Nix da, es wird alles in zwei, drei Sätzen abgehandelt und das war's dann.
Dieses Mal gibt's keine Leseempfehlung von mir.
July 12, 2012
The start of the love story was kind of abrupt: MC lies in hospital after rescuing a baby in a fire, other MC is sent to bring over flowers with greetings from the team because nobody likes the guy. Because he is a mean a**hole. But the young, new guy calls him immediately on it. And that's it. Then they start a friendship and start making out. Throw in some dramatic rescue and life and death situation, coming out to the other firemen and there you are. The characters remain shallow and chliched imo.
I will try another (longer) one by Andrew Grey though - might be that those short novellas are not his forte.
If you want to read a good story about hot firmen, try "Hothead" by Damon Suede.
I will try another (longer) one by Andrew Grey though - might be that those short novellas are not his forte.
If you want to read a good story about hot firmen, try "Hothead" by Damon Suede.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2012
this was ok. loved Lee. Dirk was an ass. he meets Lee and
*bam* he's seen the light and his whole attitude changes. it was a little too fast of a transformation.
i understand the author tried to make dirk seem like an ass b/c he was in the closet and the lesson was "if you can't be true to yourself then you will be miserable" however, it seemed like dirk was just miserable to everyone around him...
*mini spoiler* not sure if this is an ongoing series, its HFN. if this is the only story then leaving the issue with Dad open was a mistake. Dirk's biggest concern was how his dad would react... and that was not addressed.
*bam* he's seen the light and his whole attitude changes. it was a little too fast of a transformation.
i understand the author tried to make dirk seem like an ass b/c he was in the closet and the lesson was "if you can't be true to yourself then you will be miserable" however, it seemed like dirk was just miserable to everyone around him...
*mini spoiler* not sure if this is an ongoing series, its HFN. if this is the only story then leaving the issue with Dad open was a mistake. Dirk's biggest concern was how his dad would react... and that was not addressed.
October 20, 2013
Coming out is never easy, even as an adult as Dirk discovers when he falls for Lee. The hardest part of coming out is often coming out to yourself. I find it increasingly difficult to fathom how a parent could ever reject one of their own children as Lee's parents did, yet I know it is happening every day around the globe. One can only hope that it will change, and I hope that by telling our truths we can make change possible.
This was certainly a very good read as I had trouble putting it down. It was also a very stimulating read, but most importantly was the underlying theme that we need to be honest about our feelings and our truths first and foremost.
This was certainly a very good read as I had trouble putting it down. It was also a very stimulating read, but most importantly was the underlying theme that we need to be honest about our feelings and our truths first and foremost.
September 5, 2017
Andrew Grey is an author, who's books usually don't work for me.
I am reading his books again and again because very often I really like the blurb of his stories, but then the book just isn't right for me. Unfortunately that's exactly what happened here. Although with 2 hunky firefighters the story was not as boring as some other of his books, I didn't really connect with those guys and at the end I didn't really care, that they found their HEA. The whole story didn't make a lot of sense, it felt constructed and wrong, fortunately it was rather short. I am really sorry, but I think in the future I will rather avoid Mr. Grey's books as they are just not for me...
I am reading his books again and again because very often I really like the blurb of his stories, but then the book just isn't right for me. Unfortunately that's exactly what happened here. Although with 2 hunky firefighters the story was not as boring as some other of his books, I didn't really connect with those guys and at the end I didn't really care, that they found their HEA. The whole story didn't make a lot of sense, it felt constructed and wrong, fortunately it was rather short. I am really sorry, but I think in the future I will rather avoid Mr. Grey's books as they are just not for me...
October 15, 2012
This was an interesting introduction to Dirk and Lee's relationship. We got to know a lot more about Dirk than we did about Lee. I hope that in the next book we can find out a bit more about Lee. I also can't wait to find out what happens when Dirk's father finds out he's gay.
October 21, 2015
Hot fire-fighter times two.
Brad is so deep in the closet that he's a real jerk to everyone. Thankfully, Lee sees through the assholish façade and tries to connect with him.
Too bad the story was so short, it lacked depth and character development.
Brad is so deep in the closet that he's a real jerk to everyone. Thankfully, Lee sees through the assholish façade and tries to connect with him.
Too bad the story was so short, it lacked depth and character development.
May 4, 2012
4.5 stars. Loved Dirk and Lee together they were hot...This book was about them working out their relationship Wished it would have been longer:-)The cover is just beautiful!!
March 3, 2016
That's an end? Really? .... Nope, sadly it's a to be continued.... If I'd known I would have saved my money.
December 8, 2017
I bumped this from 1 ⭐️ to 2 ⭐️ just because I finished it. But it has serious problems imho.
1. The author tells us Dirk is an ass but he didn’t act like one from what I could see. Sure, he wasn’t this warm friendly guy but he didn’t really act like an asshole either. tbh I felt like his fellow firefighters were much bigger assholes and babies for not checking in and visiting him at the hospital after he almost died on the job.
2. Lee, the new guy, goes to see him and starts off by saying he’s there because no one else wanted to be there...so he drew the short straw....why on earth would he say that? That was an asshole thing to say. Then he gets preachy about Dirk being in the closet. WTF?! He just met this guy. Dirk should’ve told him to go F*ck himself.
3. Dirk runs into burning buildings and risks his life but his dad isn’t proud? Dirk is such a wimp around his dad. He’s a grown man with a risky job. While he might be in the closet No way would he allow his dad walk all over him. Doesn’t fit the character.
4. Relationship is Instalust and then instalove with 2 characters who had ZERO chemistry
5. Dirk had Insta outta the closet. Not believable.
6. Fellow firefighters go from ignoring Dirk to suddenly hanging out and being friendly...everyone making bets on when Dirk or Lee would admit they had a relationship...doubtful. Add in that everyone was fully supportive. If everyone was that damn supportive Dirk wouldn’t have been in the closet!
1. The author tells us Dirk is an ass but he didn’t act like one from what I could see. Sure, he wasn’t this warm friendly guy but he didn’t really act like an asshole either. tbh I felt like his fellow firefighters were much bigger assholes and babies for not checking in and visiting him at the hospital after he almost died on the job.
2. Lee, the new guy, goes to see him and starts off by saying he’s there because no one else wanted to be there...so he drew the short straw....why on earth would he say that? That was an asshole thing to say. Then he gets preachy about Dirk being in the closet. WTF?! He just met this guy. Dirk should’ve told him to go F*ck himself.
3. Dirk runs into burning buildings and risks his life but his dad isn’t proud? Dirk is such a wimp around his dad. He’s a grown man with a risky job. While he might be in the closet No way would he allow his dad walk all over him. Doesn’t fit the character.
4. Relationship is Instalust and then instalove with 2 characters who had ZERO chemistry
5. Dirk had Insta outta the closet. Not believable.
6. Fellow firefighters go from ignoring Dirk to suddenly hanging out and being friendly...everyone making bets on when Dirk or Lee would admit they had a relationship...doubtful. Add in that everyone was fully supportive. If everyone was that damn supportive Dirk wouldn’t have been in the closet!
April 9, 2017
I actually quite liked this story about Dirk, a closeted firefighter, and Lee, firefighter at the same station. They first meet in the hospital, after Dirk has been injured trying to save a baby. No one else wants to come visit him since he's always been a huge jerk to the others, so Lee, the rookie, gets sent in. Luckily, Lee see something in Dirk that is worth working for. I just wish the story had been a bit longer to get a better feel for the couple.
April 21, 2025
Me pareció interesante la dinámica de Dirk y Lee aunque algo apresurada y torpe. Es obvio que sea así por la actitud de Dirk, pero en general es una historia que se lee rápido. Te muestra las trabas de una relación gay debido al miedo de rechazo por el entorno "varonil", sobre todo cuando la figura del bombero es una de las más emblemáticas y símbolo de masculinidad. Mi favorito fue Lee sin duda.
July 3, 2020
Andrew Grey tells things like they are, even when it gets uncomfortable. This story seems a bit shorter than it should be, but I see there are more in the series so maybe he isn't done with Dirk and Lee yet. Irrelevant but amusing: at the end of chapter 3, an apparent typo turns Dirk into "Dork" right when he is being one. But as a coming out story, this is pretty good.
July 1, 2016
Career firefighter, tough guy and resident asshole, Dirk Krause, has a big chip on his shoulder, one of his own making, an attitude that has driven everyone around the firehouse crazy. When Dirk is injured on the job while saving a baby from a burning building, his disposition while recuperating in the hospital continues to further alienate his comrades and potential new friends, his only visitor being his father until the new recruit at the station draws the short straw and arrives at the hospital with sympathy bouquet in hand and encouraging well-wishes from the guys.
I must admit, I noticed Redemption by Fire first due to the incredible cover, well designed and eye-catching, representative of the story within. The blurb intrigued me so I purchased the ebook version and never looked back.
Dirk Krause is described as an asshole of the first degree. His life is hell of his making, and causing those around him - indeed those charged with protecting his back when fighting roaring fires - miserable. When I began Redemption by Fire, I was immediately pulled into the story. The writing is very good, the storyline intriguing, with a grip that didn’t let go until the end.
I wanted to know what drove Dirk to treat those around him, including his comrades and friends, as he did. I gave Krause the benefit of the doubt, confident author Andrew Grey knew well how to set up a love-story between two of the unlikeliest of characters.
Enter Lee Stockton, a big, muscular hulk of a man with a baby face to boot and personality that screams gorgeous, decidedly opposite Dirk in every way, right down to his respect of his job and of other people. First impression is Lee is nothing but a dumb muscle-head just following orders, but readers will quickly learn he is anything but. Lee sees right through Dirk’s angry façade and takes the man to task right there in his hospital bed, delivering a scorching kiss that sets Dirk on fire and awakens a libido needing attention.
Redemption by Fire draws the reader in as Grey drills deeper than the typical gay romance with conflict to explore the makeup of the main characters, what’s their makeup and why they respond as they do. The sex is spot on, sizzling hot and leaving no prisoners, remarkably representative of the typical hot horny guys having insane, mind-bending sex. It’s not until much later however – indeed after a few mishaps and misunderstandings threatening their relationship - the two begin a slow romance.
What drives the story however is far deeper and much more difficult to portray well in such a brief story -a mere 72-96 pages (depending on your reading device)- to avoid coming across as preachy or cliché; a story of denial and acceptance, of repressed longing and insecurities, and of a judgmental father still holding control over his grown son. But it is control that Dirk responds to in more ways than he first realizes. Lee is the perfect match for Dirk, a polar opposite in personality, confident in who he is and what he wants out of life, a match of wit and brawn up next to Dirk any day of the week.
Experiencing near death in a terrible fire proves life-altering for Dirk and he’s forced to reexamine who he is and what kind of man he has become. The realization and truth is surprisingly numbing for him, but Grey captures such grim discovery with genuine empathy, authenticity and zeal. Dirk is so far in the closet that it takes heavy coaxing to get him to step forward into the real world, to experience all that is possible and can be. With the understanding and strength of Lee by his side, the chance to experience true love for the first time in his life becomes real. It is that budding love for Lee and the thought of losing him – literally - that becomes the catalyst to drive Dirk out for good.
Redemption by Fire is short, but succinct, a realistic and authentic portrayal of a man living in denial, laying bare enough embers in the novella to continue with future installments, which I certainly hope author Andrew Grey does. I feel confident his readers will be clamoring for more of Dirk and Lee.
I must admit, I noticed Redemption by Fire first due to the incredible cover, well designed and eye-catching, representative of the story within. The blurb intrigued me so I purchased the ebook version and never looked back.
Dirk Krause is described as an asshole of the first degree. His life is hell of his making, and causing those around him - indeed those charged with protecting his back when fighting roaring fires - miserable. When I began Redemption by Fire, I was immediately pulled into the story. The writing is very good, the storyline intriguing, with a grip that didn’t let go until the end.
I wanted to know what drove Dirk to treat those around him, including his comrades and friends, as he did. I gave Krause the benefit of the doubt, confident author Andrew Grey knew well how to set up a love-story between two of the unlikeliest of characters.
Enter Lee Stockton, a big, muscular hulk of a man with a baby face to boot and personality that screams gorgeous, decidedly opposite Dirk in every way, right down to his respect of his job and of other people. First impression is Lee is nothing but a dumb muscle-head just following orders, but readers will quickly learn he is anything but. Lee sees right through Dirk’s angry façade and takes the man to task right there in his hospital bed, delivering a scorching kiss that sets Dirk on fire and awakens a libido needing attention.
Redemption by Fire draws the reader in as Grey drills deeper than the typical gay romance with conflict to explore the makeup of the main characters, what’s their makeup and why they respond as they do. The sex is spot on, sizzling hot and leaving no prisoners, remarkably representative of the typical hot horny guys having insane, mind-bending sex. It’s not until much later however – indeed after a few mishaps and misunderstandings threatening their relationship - the two begin a slow romance.
What drives the story however is far deeper and much more difficult to portray well in such a brief story -a mere 72-96 pages (depending on your reading device)- to avoid coming across as preachy or cliché; a story of denial and acceptance, of repressed longing and insecurities, and of a judgmental father still holding control over his grown son. But it is control that Dirk responds to in more ways than he first realizes. Lee is the perfect match for Dirk, a polar opposite in personality, confident in who he is and what he wants out of life, a match of wit and brawn up next to Dirk any day of the week.
Experiencing near death in a terrible fire proves life-altering for Dirk and he’s forced to reexamine who he is and what kind of man he has become. The realization and truth is surprisingly numbing for him, but Grey captures such grim discovery with genuine empathy, authenticity and zeal. Dirk is so far in the closet that it takes heavy coaxing to get him to step forward into the real world, to experience all that is possible and can be. With the understanding and strength of Lee by his side, the chance to experience true love for the first time in his life becomes real. It is that budding love for Lee and the thought of losing him – literally - that becomes the catalyst to drive Dirk out for good.
Redemption by Fire is short, but succinct, a realistic and authentic portrayal of a man living in denial, laying bare enough embers in the novella to continue with future installments, which I certainly hope author Andrew Grey does. I feel confident his readers will be clamoring for more of Dirk and Lee.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 214 reviews