So This Is Love

The Callaways #2

by Barbara Freethy

Emma Callaway, a hot fire investigator clashes with Max Harrison, a cool homicide detective in SO THIS IS LOVE, the second book in the Callaways series, by #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy.

For Max Harrison, love seduces and then destroys. His brother went to prison for love. His father left his family for love. And Max is determined not to follow in their footsteps, until he meets Emma…

Emma runs into burning buildings without an ounce of fear and embraces life as if every day is a new adventure. But while she's fearless on the job, Emma is a coward when it comes to love. Betrayed by an ex-boyfriend, Emma has no intention of putting her heart on the line again, until she meets Max…

As the fires around the city rage, the heat between them ignites in a blaze of passion that's far more dangerous. Will it destroy them or will they finally get everything they ever wanted…

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Suspense, Romantic Suspense, Chick Lit

270 pages, Paperback

First published March 25, 2013

About the author

Barbara's love of writing developed out of a love of reading. Growing up in an all-boy neighborhood, she spent quite a bit of time reading through her mother's large library, many of which were romantic novels. After graduating from the University of California at Santa Barbara, she went into Public Relations, but soon discovered that writing was her true passion.

Barbara was traditionally published for many years, then formed her own publishing company FOG CITY PUBLISHING in 2011 and has since sold over 10 million books! She has published 75 novels ranging from mystery thrillers to romantic suspense and contemporary romance.

Her book SUMMER SECRETS was a #1 New York Times bestseller! And twenty-five other novels have also appeared on the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Lists. She is currently writing two ongoing series, a contemporary romance series set in Whisper Lake and a romantic suspense series: Off The Grid: FBI Series. She is also known for her bestselling Callaway Family Series, which offers up fourteen books and two novellas.

When Barbara isn't writing or publishing, which isn't very often these days, she is playing tennis, hanging out with friends and family in beautiful Lake Tahoe or reading books!

For a complete list of her books, visit her website!

Reviews

[SanNit's Büchersalat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich wusste schon im ersten Teil, dass Emma und Max mir liegen würden. Die Autorin hat den beiden eine tolle Story geschrieben.
Ich finde die zwei großartig. Als Menschen und auch, wie sie miteinander sind. Sie sind vorsichtig, aber auch direkt zueinander. Max ist etwas verschlossener und Emma kitzelt ihm die Informationen Stück für Stück heraus.
Man spürt schnell, wie sie zusammenwachsen, allerdings sehen das nur wir als Lesende. Max und Emma tun sich da eher schwer, es zu erkennen. Aber der Knoten wird platzen.
Es war sehr spannend und ich tappte bis zum Schluss im Dunkeln.
Wie auch im ersten Teil hat die Autorin hier Krumen für den nächsten Band hinterlassen. Für mich hat es hier allerdings viel besser geklappt und noch nicht allzu viel von der Story vorweggenommen.
Mir hat die Geschichte sehr gut gefallen und ich bin schon auf die Nächste gespannt.

[Mom2triplets04 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this on audio. I went into it straight away after listening to book 1. I was a bit disappointed that it was told by another character Emma (Aiden's sister). Yes, Aiden and Sarah do show up a few times in the book but it didn't have the same feel as the first book. Emma is a fire fighter and she falls in love with Max who is a police officer. The story does continue from first book but just told by Emma. Looking forward to next book.

[Wrathsqueen · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review of So This is Love by Barbara Freethy as part of the Incredible Callaway Blog Tour-

http://wrathsqueensbooks.blogspot.co....

[Cheri Loden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It held my interest and I read most of it in one session. The mystery wasn’t solved until almost the last chapter of the book and I was surprised at the outcome. I’m looking forward to continuing with the next book in the series of the Callaways.

I highly recommend this series. I think you will be glad you read it.

[Jean Oram]

Two people who vow not to fall in love, do. One is a fire investigator and the other is a police officer. Arson cases are flaring up around the city of San Francisco and Emma has to figure out who is starting these fires. Especially when it gets more and more personal. Max has to figure out how a murder is connected. The two butt heads, work together and fall in love.

[Marisela M. Chavez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just adored Emma and Max story! I couldn't be enough of these two.

[Julie Baswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a fire investigator, Emma Callaway occasionally has to work on a case with SFPD Inspector Max Harrison. Their mutual attraction is unmistakable, but they strive to stay professional. While investigating the latest string of fires, the attraction becomes too much to deny. As things begin to escalate between Emma and Max, the arsonist targets Emma. With the case almost solved, Emma discovers just how much her childhood has to do with the fires.

I enjoyed meeting the Callaways in the first book, but this one drew me in even more. I did my best trying to figure out who the arsonist was, and thought I knew, but never guessed the right one. I loved Emma and Max’s courtship, if you could call it that. My favorite part though was the brotherly powwow, watching them take care of their sister. It was very refreshing to have a stepfamily that acted like a true family.

[Polly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romantic suspense at it's very best. The Callaways are a wonderful family. Emma is a strong woman who loves her job as an Arson Investigator. Max, her love interest is a Homicide Detective. Sparks fly in more than the fires. The Callaway family is a bigger than life family. Love meeting each and every one, and seeing how their separate and family lives intertwine in each book. You will never go wrong choosing a Barbara Freethy novel.

[Caroline|Page~Turners · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just when I thought it couldn't get any better this story blows me away. What an awesome continuation from the first book in the series. I was captivated from the very first page, I could't wait to see what happened next but I didn't want it to end. Can't wait to start the third book. I highly recommend this, you won't be disappointed.

[Caz Malpas · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 FLAMING STARS
This book carries on the with the arson story from the previous book where Max and Emma were introduced to us, it was an ok read and i will carry on with the story as I need to know what Grandma's secret is!

its kind of a hate to love trope, with Max being a cop and Emma being a fire investigator.

All in all a pleasant story!

[steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

A good carryover from book 2 with a few of the storylines. I like how the author writes about the other family members and their struggles because it is getting me very intrigued in reading some of their upcoming stories. The arson storyline was interesting though the climax felt very soap opera-y. But I liked Emma, she's a tough girl.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book 2 in the Callaway series. All about Emma. An OK book, in a Harlequin romance kind of way. Certainly mindless. I think I may be doing the author an evaluation disservice reading them out of order. They appear repetitive but I think that is because I read some of the newer books and already know a lot about the characters.

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought a cheap kindle "bundle" called Romance at the Beach. The bundle included 5 novels of supposed light romance. So This Is Love was the fourth book in the download. I don't have much to say for it - just a ho-hum read.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two-haiku review:

She looks at arson
He's homicide detective
They clash... and then burn!

Well done mystery
I didn't figure it out
Romance very hot

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Barbara Freethy books. You won't be disappointed if you read them.The Calaway family is one who supports each other so much.

[Janine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another pleasant read with enough loose ends to make me want to keep reading this series.

[Cruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author: Barbara Freethy
First published: 2013
Length: 283 pages, 3757 kindle locations
Setting: Contemporary. San Francisco.
Sex: Explicit. Infrequent.
Hero: Police Detective
Heroine: Arson Investigator
Includes: Excerpt from Falling for a Stranger by Barbara Freethy

Apparently it’s been a while since I read book 1 - 2 years, in fact. It wasn’t a problem: I picked up the multi-book plot lines pretty quick.

Overall, a nice little romantic suspense.

Resolves the mystery of the missing nun, continues grandma’s secret plot, Nicole and Ryan separate. Starts Drew’s story as he talks about the one that got away.

Respectful but strong Hero with a tough heroine who can look after herself. Leads the reader to a convincing HEA.

I liked it.

The Callaways:
Book 1 On a Night Like This - Aiden Callaway and Sara
Book 2 So This Is Love - Emma Callaway and Max Harrison
Book 3 Falling for a Stranger - Drew Callaway and Ria
Book 4 Between Now and Forever - Nicole and Ryan
Book 4.5 Nobody but You - Spencer Harrison and Hallie
Book 5 All a Heart Needs - Sean Callaway and Jessica Schilling
Book 6 That Summer Night - Reid Becker and Shayla Callaway
Book 7 When Shadows Fall - Colton Callaway and Olivia Bennett
Book 8 Somewhere Only We Know - Burke Callaway and Maddie Heller

The Callaway Cousins:
Book 9 If I Didn’t Know Better - Mia Callaway and Jeremy Holt
Book 10 Tender is the Night - Kate Callaway and Devin Scott
Book 10.5 Take Me Home
Book 11Closer to You - Ian Callaway and Grace O’Malley
Book 12 Once You’re Mine - Dylan Callaway and Tori Hayden

References:
Author's website: http://www.barbarafreethy.com/callawa...

(ISBN ...)

-CR-

[Patti Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed So This Is Love by Barbara Freethy. It is the second book in the Callaways series. I could not put it down. Barbara Freethy continues to show that she is an amazing storyteller. So This is Love is the story of Emma Callaway, fire investigator, and Max Harrison, homicide detective. Emma and Max meet while Emma is investigating a fire at the St. Andrew's School and Max is investigating the disappearance of Sister Margaret. At first the only feelings that Emma and Max seem to express towards each other is animosity. Neither is very good at sharing information regarding their part of the investigation. Emma moved back home following her break up with her ex-boyfriend, Jon, who is still calling, texting, and following Emma. Max has returned home to San Francisco from Los Angeles, to be home to support his mother, and his brother, Spencer as he is released from prison. More fires are set and Emma continues to try to connect the recent string of fires. Max suggests that Emma is at the center of the fires, which she doesn't believe until someone sets her new apartment on fire before she can move it. Emma wants to take a break from men after her experience with Jon, and Max does not believe in love after the pattern established by his father and brother. The more Emma and Max fight their feelings, the more they realize how much they have in common. I loved that So This Is Love is a more than just a romance, both Emma and Max must work together to identity the arsonist and kidnapper. Barbara Freethy kept me guessing as to their identity. I love that Barbara Freethy writes about strong women with their own careers and the hot men who are attracted to them for more than just their looks. I love all the descriptions of the San Francisco setting that Barbara Freethy detailed. I love the Callaways and am looking forward to reading the other books in the series. So This Is Love felt like a family reunion of sorts, because you get to catch up with Sara and Aiden. Once again, I really enjoyed the poignant and bittersweet moments in the story as well as the plot twists. I loved trying to figure out the identity and motivation of the arsonist. I thoroughly enjoyed So This Is Love, who does not love big loving families and dynamics of those families. I really loved the ending and the happily ever afters.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

So This is Love: Callaways Book 2 is by Barbara Freethy. This second book concerns arson. An arson is not concerned with what he destroys, he usually has a reason that he is doing this. One thing an arson investigator does is take the pieces of evidence available and puts them all together like a puzzle to find the person who started the fire. Sometimes the pieces are all there and at other times, they are not.
Emma Callaway is an arson investigator and she has had her share of problems because of her name. The Callaways were well-known in the San Francisco fire department and all of they tried to live up to the ideals set for them by their Grandfather Patrick. Sometimes it was difficult. Emma had to deal with that and being a woman. Now she was investigating a string of fires. One was at the elementary school where all of the Callaways had gone to school. Since one of the teachers had gone missing at the same time, the police were involved. At the special request of Captain Crowley, Max Harrison was asked to take on her case. Thus. he and Emma were forced to work together. The second was at the high school. Then a third fire is started. This time at the Brady Bar, a hangout for firefighters. This time, there was a fatality. The body of Sister Margaret Flannery, the missing nun was found inside the bar.
Emma and Max have to scramble to find the pieces of the puzzle so they can find this arsonist before he strikes again. Can they find him in time?

[Kate Vale · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the Callaway Family series, in which fire investigator Emma Callaway has her hands full with a series of fires that seemingly have a connection, but one she can't identify. Further complicating her efforts is Max Harrison, a police detective whose presence in leading the hunt after a woman is found among the ashes of one of the fires, is distracting in the extreme. He's too good-looking, too quiet, too intense, and too determined to stay far away from love or the commitment it demands. He's seen how love has hurt his mother and his brother, to say nothing of himself.

When Emma succumbs to the heat between herself and Max, the fact that they both connect the fires as relating to her, doesn't make their relationship any easier. For different reasons each wants to identify the arsonist/murderer before someone else is hurt. But will that person be Emma? And if that occurs, how will Max react?

[Doro´s Buchgalaxie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Max Harrison ist überzeugt, die Liebe zerstört einen. Emma will in die Fußstapfen ihrer Familie treten. Beiden ermitteln zusammen. Max ist Polizist und Emma Brandermittlerin. Die Feuer sorgen dafür, dass sie sich immer wieder über den Weg laufen. Weiß ist heißer die Feuer oder die Funken, die zwischen den beiden sprühen. Man hat die Callaway Familie schon etwas kennengelernt. Hier bekommt man noch mehr von der Familie zu sehen. Max ist ein Kerl, der weder Bad Boy noch Good Boy ist. Er ist einfach nur ein Kerl und sorgt für dadurch für etwas Normalität. Emma ist eine Powerfrau, die nicht so leicht aufgibt. Eine Liebesgeschichte mit einem guten Thrillerfaktor. Der Fall der beiden sorgt für Spannung und Action. Die beiden selbst sorgen für Gefühle und ab zu etwas Romantik. Das Buch liest sich leicht, schnell und man wird leicht süchtig nach der Familie. Das Ende war unerwartet und den Bösewicht hatte ich nicht erraten.

[Penny Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO THIS IS LOVE (Callaways #2)
AUTHOR: BARBARA FREETHY

FIVE STARS

Barbara Freethy has written another masterpiece to add to her Callaway’s series. When I receive a new book by Barbara, I have to immediately stop everything!! She always leaves me anxiously awaiting her next book.

SO THIS IS LOVE tells the steamy love story of Emma Callaway and Max Harrison. Emma is a hard working, attractive, fierce fire investigator. She loves adventure until it comes to matters of the heart. She was hurt deeply by a former boyfriend and refuses to allow herself to get involved again. She guards her heart at all cost. That is until she meets……..

Max, a hot, sexy cop with a huge heart. They meet while working on a case. Max is also shy about love, but neither can deny the sparks that ignite between them.

I’M HOOKED! Grab your copy today!

[Diane Saul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma Callaway is a fire investigator in San Francisco. Max Harrison is an inspector for the SFPD. They have work work together sometimes on cases. There have been several arson fires in the area and they are both investigating the cases. Emma and Max have a strong attraction, but they are trying to keep it professional. As they investigate the fires they realize they all are connected to Emma in some way.

This is book 2 in the Callaway Series but could be read as a stand alone. The identity of the arsonist came as a surprise to me. The Callaway family is larger than life and I would be interested in reading more about them. The Father was the one family member that I wasn’t wild about. For me, at times he seemed to be too critical and controlling.

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So This Is Love by Barbara Freethy is the second book in the Calloways series. This story returns to San Francisco and features Emma Callaway, a fire investigator, and Max Harrison, a SFPD homicide detective. Arson, murder, romance dancing, etc...all make for a good read on a nice, slow weekend. I liked the author's development and presentation of family: the good, the bad, and the ugly because at the end of the day, family is the group waiting in the wings. I look forward to reading more about the Callaways!

Go Cards! L1C4!!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma has worked hard to make it as a firefighter and a fire investigator. Her job is challenging but it's a challenge she's up for. When the latest fire also uncovers a dead body she works closely with Detective Max to track down an arsonist and murderer. Max wasn't looking forward to coming home to San Francisco, family trouble always makes things harder, but his new position with the police force is just the distraction he needs. His attraction to Emma is not. Will they be able to work together or will the feelings they share get in the way of finding the truth? The second in the Callaways series that read almost as a stand-alone. There were some characters and secondary plots that needed some additional explanation, but otherwise a fun read!

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Callaways are back. Emma is an arson investigator who is investigating a troubling string of fires in the San Francisco area. She also recently got out of a bad relationship. Max Harrison is a homicide detective who has spent the past decade worrying about his brother after a mistake landed him in prison. Now his brother has been released and their family is dealing with anxiety and anger. I really like the way all the siblings have a role to play in this series, and are always up in each other’s business. It’s fun seeing them set up to have their upcoming books and romances in the future. I liked the mystery in this one as Emma and Max have to figure out who is behind a fire at a popular bar in town, and also who has killed a beloved teacher. 4/5 stars.

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Emma Calloway and Max Harrison's story! It had everything. Mystery, suspense, romance. Emma and Max try to keep things professional between them as they try to figure out who's setting fires all over town, but while things are heating up around town, they're also heating up between them! Emma seems to have no fear, being a fire investigator, but she's afraid of her feelings for Max.

I always love reading Barbara Freethy books and this one is no exception. From the beginning you're drawn in, trying to figure out who's setting the fires, but good luck figuring it out! This was a book with a great group of characters. I highly recommend So this is love.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great job blending their investigation and their building of a relationship. Book two in the series and we spent more time with the siblings, parents and brief moments discussing the grandparents. I really want to know the grandmothers secret. It must be a doozy as the grandfather keeps stopping that conversation and now wants to put her in an assisted living two hours away. It was fun seeing Sara and Aidan and how they have grown and are more at peace. My favorite relationship was the one growing between the two brothers Spencer and Max. This was a good read and made me more excited to read more about this family!

[Barbara Tobey · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging and exciting romantic suspense. I am sure I read this book several years ago. I didn't realize it until a couple of clues seemed familiar. No idea how it was going to end other than the couple getting together, so I had to keep reading. I always skip over the explicit sex details, but thoroughly enjoy the sparks of how they get there. The Callaways are an interesting family with many back stories and friends. Entertaining reading.

[Kim Kuhne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Barbara Freethy's books--- light, family-centered romance stories, that deal with difficult issues, a thread of mystery, and everyday characters.

I've read others in the series, I just happened to have skipped this one earlier. This one had a bit more tension as it was told around solving a murder and multiple arson cases.

It kept me engaged! I need to finish the series for the larger thread...