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Book one in the Love Under Fire series but can be read independently.

Where do you yearn to be in the face of danger? In the arms of a man bound to serve, to protect and to love…

Librarian Melanie Falconer knows too well the horrors of war. Military men, as far as she’s concerned, are off the marriage menu. As maid of honor at her best friend’s wedding, she makes a mall run and lands straight into the arms of seriously hot marine Matt Frasier, the best man. Matt has seen too much violence, and his heavy attraction to Melanie promises to soothe his soul and set his body on fire. Gunfire erupts, the game is on, and Melanie and Matt fight for their lives and the heat exploding between them.

Inside Scoop: The couples in the Love Under Fire series find love through the crucible of a mall shooting event.

87 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 25, 2013

7 people are currently reading
64 people want to read

About the author

Denise A. Agnew

109 books162 followers
Denise A. Agnew is the award-winning author of over 70 novels and several optioned and produced screenplays and TV pilots.

Denise’s record proves that with paranormal, time travel, romantic comedy, contemporary, historical, erotic romance, romantic suspense and horror writing under her belt, she enjoys writing about a diverse range of subjects. Her experiences with archaeology and archery have crept into her work, as well as numerous travels through the UK and Ireland.

Denise is also a Writer/Producer (Where’s Lucy? Productions), a paranormal investigator (SOS Paranormal Investigations), Reiki Master, Certified Creativity Coach and Medium. As a Creativity Coach, Denise assists anyone in the creative arts, including writing and acting, to maintain lifelong creativity. Denise lives in Arizona with her husband. She is represented by Gandolfo Helin and Fountain Literary Management.

Visit Denise’s websites at www.deniseagnew.com and www.agnewcreativemedium.com


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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Profile Image for Megan.
354 reviews48 followers
September 27, 2013
Melanie and Matt run into each other at the mall while getting things together for their friends’ wedding. As they are talking a gunman enters the mall, shooting his weapon and causing the patrons to scatter. Melanie is frozen with fear but Matt, a marine, takes control and finds them a place to hide and helps keep her safe. When the chaos dies down Melanie and Matt find they are feeling more for each other than gratitude.

The beginning is heart-pounding. When Melanie and Matt bump hear the gunshots things escalate quickly from there. Matt is a marine so he wastes no time springing into action to get Melanie to safety. I have never been in a situation like this but I felt the emotions of the characters. The author did a great job of keeping the reader aware of what was going on with the dangerous situation but she also built sexual tension between Matt and Melanie. Its fast paced and keeps the reader engaged. We don’t get much action in the mall. The situation is resolved fairly quickly but I would have liked a little more time spent on that. The tension and the danger were very well written.

I liked both characters a lot. Matt is very straightforward. I loved being in his head. He wanted Melanie and not just for a physical relationship. I liked how he was secretive to her about his intentions but he did want to be with her. They spent time getting to know one another but they still had steamy sex. I did want them to be more open with their feelings but they neither one wanted to get hurt.

I didn’t really care for the ending. I don’t want to put any spoilers in but we are left a little up in the air as to what will happen. We get a happy for now resolution but I would have liked it to be more definite. We are also left hanging about Matt’s brothers that were at the mall as well with Melanie’s friends (3 single brother’s protected 3 single friends, all of them in the wedding party). I get the feeling we will be seeing stories about them in the near future. Maybe then we will get to find out what happens with Melanie and Matt.
Profile Image for Steph.
993 reviews90 followers
March 26, 2014
We've all seen the stories on the news detailing the horror of a shooting situation in a large public venue. SUDDEN HEAT centers around a mall shooting and the members of a bridal party who are stuck in this deadly situation, and Ms Agnew does an admirable job of showing the seriousness of this threat with a gorgeous love story.

Melanie Falconer was instantly attracted to Matt Frasier the moment their eyes met. As the maid of honor and best man at their best friend's wedding, Melanie has tried to avoid spending too much time in the company of the Marine who makes her blood boil. But when the two of them are caught together in Arizona's Constitution Mall during a shooting, it's Matt's protective and caring nature that really gets under her skin.

Matt's heading back on assignment shortly after the wedding, but his attraction to Melanie is becoming deeper than he anticipated while they rely on one another in the deadly situation. Once the threat is over, the two of them are more than willing to get to know one another on a more basic level. Matt and Melanie's feelings are growing fast, but he is leaving soon. Is there any chance for something deeper once they go back to their real lives?

SUDDEN HEAT is book #1 in the Love Under Fire series. This series will follow three couples who find love while surviving a mall shooting event. Part of me really enjoyed that the mall shooting situation happened almost immediately into the book, yet I also would've liked a chance to read about the sexual tension the two experienced when meeting earlier that week (though it was well described when the two of them discussed it). I really enjoyed the fact that neither Matt nor Melanie were into playing the typical mind games with each other. Matt was such a strong yet sensitive man and I appreciated that he was willing to discover what it was about Melanie that intrigued him. It wasn't the usual "guy or girl running in another direction while the other chased after them" situation.

Melanie was well written too. She had a quiet inner strength and honesty that appealed to me. She didn't mind actually letting Matt take care of her, even though she may have to turn her chick card in for feeling that way. She was hesitant to get involved in any way with a military man based on her experience with her own father and was quick to admit that maybe her prejudice wasn't accurate. In short, both Matt and Melanie were very well developed and the reader gets a great deal of background information on both of them during the course of SUDDEN HEAT.

As a person who has worked in the retail industry for years, the setting of a mall shooting really struck a nerve with me. Ms Agnew did a great job describing the seriousness of the situation while also detailing the growing attraction between Matt and Melanie. I also appreciated that she didn't make light of the emotional aftermath all of the couples faced. That said, don't think SUDDEN HEAT was all drama all the time! The instant connection between the couple was terrific, and the sex scenes were suitably romantic yet erotic, though quite vanilla. If there's one disappointment for me, it would be the way the book ended. I would've liked more of a conclusion or at least an epilogue, but hopefully we'll get to catch up on Matt and Melanie in future Love Under Fire books.

The Romance Review
Profile Image for Have Coffee Need Books.
608 reviews52 followers
August 12, 2016
Sudden Heat is part of a three part novella series called Love Under Fire by author Denise A. Agnew. It is unique in that it tells the story of three couples, three brothers and three best friends during a public mall shooting. Each book tells the story one individual couple and Sudden Heat covers the love story of Melanie and Matt. While you are learning about them you encounter the other couples and their relationships woven in and out the first novella in compelling vignettes. This book is incredible.

Read the review here:Feeling Peckish - Sudden Heat by Denise A. Agnew

Interview with Denise A. Agnew about Sudden Heat and the Love Under Fire series: He Said, She Said - Making Love 101: Denise A. Agnew




#SuddenHeat #FeelingPeckish #DeniseAAgnew #LoveUnderFire #LoveUnderFireSeries #BookReview #MakingLove101 #ContemporaryRomance #EllorasCave #AlphaMales #MilitaryRomance #AllTheThingsInbetween
Profile Image for Mandy.
1,073 reviews93 followers
September 25, 2013
3.5 stars! Really good!

This was an interesting read. The beginning of the story takes place during a mall shooting. Something we have all become too familiar with and somewhat sensitive to. I have to say that Ms. Agnew handles the unsavory situation quite well. It’s a catalyst for our couple, Matt and Melanie to be thrown together and acknowledge that there is something between them. They’ve been circling each other, trying to figure each other out from a distance.


For the rest of my review: Straight Shootin' Book Reviews
Profile Image for Sheryl C. Nash.
2,026 reviews431 followers
September 25, 2013
AWESOME READ!!! Loved the chemistry between Matt and Melanie! Can't wait to read Rick and Lena's story as well as Jake and Kathleen's!!

And in case anyone was wondering, the Love Under Fire series is a trilogy featuring the 3 Frasier brothers who are in different branches of the military and the premise of this series is that all the couples "find love through the crucible of a mall shooting event". LOVE IT!!!!
Profile Image for Eva Millien.
3,115 reviews45 followers
January 25, 2014
The first book in the Love Under Fire series is an erotic short and sweet romance novella. The author has spiced up the romance of a wedding with some action, suspense and of course lots of heat in this short contemporary romance that brings smiles to the reader’s face. I can’t wait to read Lena and Rick and Kathleen and Jake’s stories.

See my full review at:
http://www.thejeepdiva.com/review-sud...
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews

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