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Flammable Hearts #1
Unexpected Love
Roses are red, violets are blue. Be my valentine, because all I want is ...YOU.
Valentine’s Day is a day Hunter Cassidy would prefer didn’t exist. After the tragic death of his wife, he vowed to provide the best life possible for his daughter, Lili, even if that meant being a Dad who didn’t date.
His position as a firefighter for the New York City Fire Department means he is only seen as one of the guys. But as the most romantic day of the year approaches, he finds himself the recipient of several mysterious Valentine’s Day cards.
Too scared of finding love again, his focus must remain on his little girl. But with each new card, Hunter’s interest grows.
Will he have the courage to seek the mysterious Cupid known only as “A Valentine?” Can he open his heart to love once again and find the happily ever after he and his little girl deserve?
Love can be found in strange places ... even the unexpected.
Valentine’s Day is a day Hunter Cassidy would prefer didn’t exist. After the tragic death of his wife, he vowed to provide the best life possible for his daughter, Lili, even if that meant being a Dad who didn’t date.
His position as a firefighter for the New York City Fire Department means he is only seen as one of the guys. But as the most romantic day of the year approaches, he finds himself the recipient of several mysterious Valentine’s Day cards.
Too scared of finding love again, his focus must remain on his little girl. But with each new card, Hunter’s interest grows.
Will he have the courage to seek the mysterious Cupid known only as “A Valentine?” Can he open his heart to love once again and find the happily ever after he and his little girl deserve?
Love can be found in strange places ... even the unexpected.
- GenresContemporary
285 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 9, 2019
5 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 13, 2019
I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily give my review. This is my first book by this author. I became quickly invested in our hero Hunter and his journey through love, loss and healing, but there were some parts of this book that were challenging for me. I received an unedited ARC, so many of the barriers I encountered while reading will not be in the final version. My biggest challenges with this book were inconsistencies with timeline, and changes in narrator POV. The POV would change mid paragraph and I would need to go back to figure out who was thinking or talking. That being said, I loved the plot and wish we got more of this story. I hope we don't need to wait too long for the next book in this series.
October 20, 2019
All the feels intense emotional beautiful
Very well written
Ready for more
Very well written
Ready for more
November 5, 2019
New to me author J.O Mantel has definitely delivered the unexpected with Unexpected Love.
Book one of the Flammable Hearts series will leave you curious and wanting more.
Hunter Cassidy spends his time saving lives, so it’s only fitting that when a serious attack happens he’s drawn to saving a woman’s life. The very same woman that becomes his life.
However as years pass, Hunter never expects the loss and heartbreak he endures.
Over time and with the help of friends and family he finds himself being picked back up. That’s when the unexpected valentines cards start appearing. Will hunter figure out who his admirer is and what will happen if he does?
This novel was a pleasant read, with some wowing twists along the way.
Although a little longer in some places, it was an overall great read.
I recommend this book.
Book one of the Flammable Hearts series will leave you curious and wanting more.
Hunter Cassidy spends his time saving lives, so it’s only fitting that when a serious attack happens he’s drawn to saving a woman’s life. The very same woman that becomes his life.
However as years pass, Hunter never expects the loss and heartbreak he endures.
Over time and with the help of friends and family he finds himself being picked back up. That’s when the unexpected valentines cards start appearing. Will hunter figure out who his admirer is and what will happen if he does?
This novel was a pleasant read, with some wowing twists along the way.
Although a little longer in some places, it was an overall great read.
I recommend this book.
October 12, 2019
I did enjoy reading this book. It is the 1st I have read by this author and they take you through a tale of heartbreak of losing love to finding an unexpected love. Look into reading this book.
October 14, 2019
I was lucky enough to get an ARC of Unexpected Love. I loved it ......there’s an unexpected twist with Hunter’s love life.....can’t wait for the next book to find out how it ends.
December 9, 2019
This author is new to me. I liked this book and I found myself invested as I was reading. I don’t know why but I thought it was going to be something completely different. It was very welcome. The author did an amazing job telling this story. It sets off with fireman going in on 911 for the towers. I felt like I was there and all his emotions and his desire to save lives. The story goes back and forth in time to tell the story. This, to me, is a second chance romance with a very slow burn, sexual tension and lots of love and friendship.
Fast forward some time, and Valentine’s day is not Hunter’s favorite day. All this love and he doesn’t have his anymore. He lives his life for his daughter, Lili. He doesn’t date, he doesn’t have time or the energy.
While at work and while the holiday he doesn’t have time for fast approaches, he keeps getting love notes from an anonymous source. His interest grows and now he is looking at all the people just wondering. I loved the mystery. I had sort of an idea of who it may have been then that thought evaporated.
I liked Hunter. I also adored his little girl. My heart broke for the man and what he had gone through watching his wife. She fought so hard to become pregnant and give birth that there was no way she was going to do what the team of doctors wanted. He didn’t trust anyone to share his heartache with, until Andy. The team he works with are a good bunch. His friendship with Andy was good and their progression form co-workers to roommates based on events that happened outside of Stephanie’s bar, was good as well. Andy and Hunter have undeniable chemistry and even though he is in denial he can feel it as well. Then toss in Judith and he has someone in his corner. She was great. I liked the relationship between Andy and Lili as well. Another great part was reading about the photoshoot. I wish I could have been there.
I can’t wait until the next book because this one left on quite the cliffhanger and now I want more.
Fast forward some time, and Valentine’s day is not Hunter’s favorite day. All this love and he doesn’t have his anymore. He lives his life for his daughter, Lili. He doesn’t date, he doesn’t have time or the energy.
While at work and while the holiday he doesn’t have time for fast approaches, he keeps getting love notes from an anonymous source. His interest grows and now he is looking at all the people just wondering. I loved the mystery. I had sort of an idea of who it may have been then that thought evaporated.
I liked Hunter. I also adored his little girl. My heart broke for the man and what he had gone through watching his wife. She fought so hard to become pregnant and give birth that there was no way she was going to do what the team of doctors wanted. He didn’t trust anyone to share his heartache with, until Andy. The team he works with are a good bunch. His friendship with Andy was good and their progression form co-workers to roommates based on events that happened outside of Stephanie’s bar, was good as well. Andy and Hunter have undeniable chemistry and even though he is in denial he can feel it as well. Then toss in Judith and he has someone in his corner. She was great. I liked the relationship between Andy and Lili as well. Another great part was reading about the photoshoot. I wish I could have been there.
I can’t wait until the next book because this one left on quite the cliffhanger and now I want more.
July 5, 2021
This story fell flat.
I was expecting a single dads sexual awakening story and got drama drama and more drama.
The crazy kind. I don’t like when authors make twists and turns in stories. For the sake of making things dramatic.
There’s also random flashbacks with the main character Hunter. Someone will be talking to him and he’d just zone out and there would be pages of flashback scenes with his dead wife. I just didn’t care.
There’s also trigger warnings ⚠️ That should have been disclosed by the author. Sexual assault and abuse. I don’t really understand the need to put that in these types of stories. It was unnecessary and felt wrong.
It was also obvious who the letters were from. I never felt the connection between Hunter and Andy. They were barely friends. I didn’t feel an attraction. And when Andy revealed that he had feelings for Hunter his response was …
“BUT YOURE A GUY!” Huh?
No shit.
This book was ridiculous. I’m sorry but nope. Absolutely not.
It’s a huge no. 👎
I was expecting a single dads sexual awakening story and got drama drama and more drama.
The crazy kind. I don’t like when authors make twists and turns in stories. For the sake of making things dramatic.
There’s also random flashbacks with the main character Hunter. Someone will be talking to him and he’d just zone out and there would be pages of flashback scenes with his dead wife. I just didn’t care.
There’s also trigger warnings ⚠️ That should have been disclosed by the author. Sexual assault and abuse. I don’t really understand the need to put that in these types of stories. It was unnecessary and felt wrong.
It was also obvious who the letters were from. I never felt the connection between Hunter and Andy. They were barely friends. I didn’t feel an attraction. And when Andy revealed that he had feelings for Hunter his response was …
“BUT YOURE A GUY!” Huh?
No shit.
This book was ridiculous. I’m sorry but nope. Absolutely not.
It’s a huge no. 👎
April 28, 2024
nothing, and i mean nothing, could’ve prepared for anything about this book but i couldn’t stop bc i love being in other people’s business! AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE’S NO SEQUEL WHAT ??
this is the last time i read books i just randomly find i saw “firefighter” and jumped… the way the synopsis never mentions the other person pls im reading this like hm this man got a lot of clearly sexy male colleagues showing up and still no mention of a potential woman hmm 🤔 by the time it clicked i was too in deep ok
reading this after we finally got canon bi buck on 9-1-1 is kinda funny bc literally hunter is buck when he says “sure ill check out a hot guy’s ass but thats normal” and maddie is like “….its not abnormal” 😭 like everytime that man walked into the firehouse you talking about his thighs pls be serious rn bisexuals are so annoyingsjdj
tw: child @buse, mentions of r@pe, r@pe occurred to main character off-page
this is the last time i read books i just randomly find i saw “firefighter” and jumped… the way the synopsis never mentions the other person pls im reading this like hm this man got a lot of clearly sexy male colleagues showing up and still no mention of a potential woman hmm 🤔 by the time it clicked i was too in deep ok
reading this after we finally got canon bi buck on 9-1-1 is kinda funny bc literally hunter is buck when he says “sure ill check out a hot guy’s ass but thats normal” and maddie is like “….its not abnormal” 😭 like everytime that man walked into the firehouse you talking about his thighs pls be serious rn bisexuals are so annoyingsjdj
tw: child @buse, mentions of r@pe, r@pe occurred to main character off-page
December 11, 2019
4.5 Stars
This is a new author to me and I definitely will be reading more of his work. There were tears and heartbreak but also hope and love. Hunter is a single father that suffered a tragic loss and he is finally coming to a point in his life that he is willing to move on and get back out there. He finds love again in the most unexpected places and the most unexpected person. I can’t wait for the series to continue! I highly recommend this book!
This is a new author to me and I definitely will be reading more of his work. There were tears and heartbreak but also hope and love. Hunter is a single father that suffered a tragic loss and he is finally coming to a point in his life that he is willing to move on and get back out there. He finds love again in the most unexpected places and the most unexpected person. I can’t wait for the series to continue! I highly recommend this book!
December 15, 2019
3.5 stars
This is the first book I have read from this author, look forward to reading more.
This is the first book I have read from this author, look forward to reading more.
October 21, 2019
I give this book 3. 5 stars. This is the first book I have read of this author. When the author offered an ARC to readers in a readers group for the Christchurch wham bam author jam which is on the 26th October 20th 2019, I decided to put my hand up... I went in blind to this book as will all readers and the author has stated that no spoiler review so here goes
The book has a storyline that makes reviewing it very hard to write as theres a huge plot twist that will get you mid way through the story... I was like OMG.... 😱🤔. BUT I CAN'T SAY WHY.
Now, the prologue of this book really got me emotionally, I loved it... And cried buckets for Hunter and Bree. It was a good start to the book, very dramatic and a tense scene to draw the reader in. The authors crafted a story that will keep you on your toes.
Chapter 1 is years later into the characters lives ... Lifes very different for Hunter. I read on thinking I knew where the story was heading... Boy was I clueless.
If you want to read a book, where you become attached to the character and you can't wait to read where the authors taking them, but keeps you guessing in whats actually going on, then you'll enjoy this book. But be prepared to be misdirected you may think you know what will happen... But you won't...
Now this was an unedited ARC and I had a bit trouble trying to follow the plot due to inconsistencies in describing the characters, but when I contacted the author I was assured that these have been fixed, and after a re-read or 2 I would work it out. But the biggest issue was the POV switching mid scene, sometimes I'd get totally mixed up with whos POV I was reading. Now I'm normally ok with dual or multiple POVs but they have tended to switch at each chapter. I'm hoping that the final edit helps the reader realise who's controlling the narrative.
Hunter is at a crossroad in his life, beginning to realise he needs someone else in his life, but its hard letting anyone in, hes lucky to work with a great team who ensures that he doesn't hide away from his emotions.. And when Valentine day approaches he finds hes got a mysterious admirer.... things seem to be brightening up for Hunter, one night on the town changes everything.
I will end by saying that the author has created a plot that will probably shock the reader as it did me, but I was already invested in the characters so much that I carried on reading as I wanted... no needed Hunter to find happiness again.
Warning theres a big cliffhanger at the end that'll be having you wanting book 2 preordered as soon as you"ve got to the end of this one... Lets hope its not too long in the wait because even though I don't normally read this genre I still need to know what happens next.
The book has a storyline that makes reviewing it very hard to write as theres a huge plot twist that will get you mid way through the story... I was like OMG.... 😱🤔. BUT I CAN'T SAY WHY.
Now, the prologue of this book really got me emotionally, I loved it... And cried buckets for Hunter and Bree. It was a good start to the book, very dramatic and a tense scene to draw the reader in. The authors crafted a story that will keep you on your toes.
Chapter 1 is years later into the characters lives ... Lifes very different for Hunter. I read on thinking I knew where the story was heading... Boy was I clueless.
If you want to read a book, where you become attached to the character and you can't wait to read where the authors taking them, but keeps you guessing in whats actually going on, then you'll enjoy this book. But be prepared to be misdirected you may think you know what will happen... But you won't...
Now this was an unedited ARC and I had a bit trouble trying to follow the plot due to inconsistencies in describing the characters, but when I contacted the author I was assured that these have been fixed, and after a re-read or 2 I would work it out. But the biggest issue was the POV switching mid scene, sometimes I'd get totally mixed up with whos POV I was reading. Now I'm normally ok with dual or multiple POVs but they have tended to switch at each chapter. I'm hoping that the final edit helps the reader realise who's controlling the narrative.
Hunter is at a crossroad in his life, beginning to realise he needs someone else in his life, but its hard letting anyone in, hes lucky to work with a great team who ensures that he doesn't hide away from his emotions.. And when Valentine day approaches he finds hes got a mysterious admirer.... things seem to be brightening up for Hunter, one night on the town changes everything.
I will end by saying that the author has created a plot that will probably shock the reader as it did me, but I was already invested in the characters so much that I carried on reading as I wanted... no needed Hunter to find happiness again.
Warning theres a big cliffhanger at the end that'll be having you wanting book 2 preordered as soon as you"ve got to the end of this one... Lets hope its not too long in the wait because even though I don't normally read this genre I still need to know what happens next.
December 5, 2019
4 Cranky Stars
Sighhhh. I don’t know how to rate this book or even review it. It has so much potential but it felt like so much drama was crammed into to make it emotional that it left me not feeling much at all. I had moments when I wanted to quit but pushed through. I hate the fact that at one point I didn’t care what was going to happen. It has a lot of death, abuse, realizing who you truly are and messed up daddy issues and that’s just to name a few.
Hunter is a fireman for New York. He was a first responder during the 9/11 attacks and it’s here he meets his future wife Bree. They have a good life together but getting pregnant was hard due to injuries from the attacks. When life finally grants them what they always wanted they dive headfirst into all things parenting. Fate had other plans for Bree and Hunter. Flash forward he is now raising his daughter and still a fireman. He has a steady group of friends including his best friend Andy. Hunter won’t allow himself to move on because he feels it’s a betrayal to her memory. He is also starting to recognize some very different feelings that he fights the whole time until he finally realizes maybe he finally deserves to be happy and you always fall in love with the least likely person.
I get that the author was building suspense about the person in question by not giving any clues away about the mystery person. Like I said I’m sure where to go with this book. It had good bones but I felt like we were all over and I needed a list to keep up. Hunter cried a lot and he was distant but I’m sure that’s understandable when you experience all that he has. He had a good core of best friends with Alex and Andy. Lily is simply adorable. Like I said had potential and maybe I just wasn’t in the frame of mind for it. Sorry.
Sighhhh. I don’t know how to rate this book or even review it. It has so much potential but it felt like so much drama was crammed into to make it emotional that it left me not feeling much at all. I had moments when I wanted to quit but pushed through. I hate the fact that at one point I didn’t care what was going to happen. It has a lot of death, abuse, realizing who you truly are and messed up daddy issues and that’s just to name a few.
Hunter is a fireman for New York. He was a first responder during the 9/11 attacks and it’s here he meets his future wife Bree. They have a good life together but getting pregnant was hard due to injuries from the attacks. When life finally grants them what they always wanted they dive headfirst into all things parenting. Fate had other plans for Bree and Hunter. Flash forward he is now raising his daughter and still a fireman. He has a steady group of friends including his best friend Andy. Hunter won’t allow himself to move on because he feels it’s a betrayal to her memory. He is also starting to recognize some very different feelings that he fights the whole time until he finally realizes maybe he finally deserves to be happy and you always fall in love with the least likely person.
I get that the author was building suspense about the person in question by not giving any clues away about the mystery person. Like I said I’m sure where to go with this book. It had good bones but I felt like we were all over and I needed a list to keep up. Hunter cried a lot and he was distant but I’m sure that’s understandable when you experience all that he has. He had a good core of best friends with Alex and Andy. Lily is simply adorable. Like I said had potential and maybe I just wasn’t in the frame of mind for it. Sorry.
December 9, 2019
Unexpected Love starts out with an emotional bang, as the worst possible thing happens to Hunter, and I'm not going to lie, I found tears in my eyes because of it. Fast forward many years, Hunter is at a crossroads, as he accepts that he's ready to find that new someone in his life. He's a fireman, who works without a great team of guys, but it makes him think that he really can't talk about his feelings openly, which isn't the truth. All of a sudden, he's getting these secret Valentines, and they're very mysterious, but also intriguing to him. And that's all that I'm going to say about that, as this story has some HUGE twists that really threw me for a loop, as some of them came out of nowhere. They're so shocking, that my first reaction wasn't even my favorite f-bomb dropping. I think my biggest issue was the confusion that came from the alternating POVs, which sounds simple, but I'm talking like in the middle of a paragraph, which I hate to say because normally I don't need a final edit to figure things out, but this issue had me rereading a lot, which became distracting. Back to the story, it has a HUGE cliffy which did have the f-bombs dropping loudly, because it has me dying a little inside, so I'm going to need that next book asap and/or IMMEDIATELY! Anyway, that's all from me, and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
December 1, 2019
I really wanted to love this book. The beginning had me hooked immediately and I was so looking forward to being blown away but things just kind of fell flat for me. There’s definitely the promise of a magnificent story and I will say I did reach the point where I couldn’t stop reading because I needed to know what would happen, but the road was definitely a rocky one.
POV switches between characters happen frequently with no clarity so it was pretty common for me to have to back track to keep up with who was saying/doing what. I typically love dual POV, but when it occurs sometimes every other sentence and in the middle of paragraphs it becomes incredibly difficult to remain clear. The other downside to that is it also frequently pulled me out of the story just when I was getting sucked back in.
Unexpected Love definitely has some twists I did not see coming from the blurb. Not that I didn’t enjoy them, I just wasn’t expecting them (much like the title implies 😉) I really feel like I could have felt more of a connection between the characters had the POV’s been less sporadic, but with as much as I had to keep back tracking on I just couldn’t feel those sparks between them like I really wanted to.
POV switches between characters happen frequently with no clarity so it was pretty common for me to have to back track to keep up with who was saying/doing what. I typically love dual POV, but when it occurs sometimes every other sentence and in the middle of paragraphs it becomes incredibly difficult to remain clear. The other downside to that is it also frequently pulled me out of the story just when I was getting sucked back in.
Unexpected Love definitely has some twists I did not see coming from the blurb. Not that I didn’t enjoy them, I just wasn’t expecting them (much like the title implies 😉) I really feel like I could have felt more of a connection between the characters had the POV’s been less sporadic, but with as much as I had to keep back tracking on I just couldn’t feel those sparks between them like I really wanted to.
June 27, 2023
3.5 Stars
I did enjoy this book. Right before I started this one I thought t myself I'm really in the mood for a single dad romance. I'm a sucker for a single dad romance. I'm not gonna lie there are some tough sad parts of this book that had tears flowing. My heart just breaks for Hunter. Hunter's little girl Lili is so cute. She is a scene stealer for sure. Now the title fits this book perfectly because it truly is an unexpected love. It was a little unexpected for me as a reader as well, but I'm a fan of the genre so I enjoyed it. A little warning may be needed because some people may be upset with the twist. It did my heart happy to see Hunter find some happiness again. That man has been through so much he deserves some happiness.
I did enjoy this book. Right before I started this one I thought t myself I'm really in the mood for a single dad romance. I'm a sucker for a single dad romance. I'm not gonna lie there are some tough sad parts of this book that had tears flowing. My heart just breaks for Hunter. Hunter's little girl Lili is so cute. She is a scene stealer for sure. Now the title fits this book perfectly because it truly is an unexpected love. It was a little unexpected for me as a reader as well, but I'm a fan of the genre so I enjoyed it. A little warning may be needed because some people may be upset with the twist. It did my heart happy to see Hunter find some happiness again. That man has been through so much he deserves some happiness.
October 19, 2019
I was fortunate enough to get an ARC of Unexpected Love.
The characters are enticing, I mean, who wouldn't fall for a sexy-as-sin firefighter and a real hero to boot. The 'feels' in this story are something else and I found a few places where the words blurred and I was wiping away tears as J.O captured the very essence of loss and grieving. Hunters unexpected love, the ever poetic Valentine brings to his life a touch of frustration, confusion and unexpected happiness.
I eagerly look forward to more from these characters.
The characters are enticing, I mean, who wouldn't fall for a sexy-as-sin firefighter and a real hero to boot. The 'feels' in this story are something else and I found a few places where the words blurred and I was wiping away tears as J.O captured the very essence of loss and grieving. Hunters unexpected love, the ever poetic Valentine brings to his life a touch of frustration, confusion and unexpected happiness.
I eagerly look forward to more from these characters.
October 20, 2019
This book hooked me from the very first chapter. Characters that you will fall in love with as well those you will love to hate make this story a roller coaster of emotions. An emotional and moving story of second chance love in the most unexpected circumstances, with lots of angsty drama and secondary characters who add to the whole story. Look forward to reading more from this author.
November 30, 2019
Loved this book. Unexpected Love is very well written with a great storyline. I can’t wait to read more in this series! It’s a sweet and heartfelt romance about a single, widowed father of one finding love in an unexpected place with the most unexpected person. Feelings, thoughts, and emotions are questions with this new found love.
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
December 9, 2019
This is the first book in a new series and what a fantastic introduction this is. This is a well written story which is filled with angst, drama, loss, grief, heartbreak, and with an epic plot twist, which all leads to a heartfelt 2nd chance love story. I was totally intrigued and hooked throughout and look forward to reading more in this series, which I recommend for all.
January 11, 2020
This was a fantastic read. I was given to opportunity to read this as a ARC, and was the first book I have read by J O Mantel. I was hooked from the first sentence. Just loved the whole story.
Am super excited for the next installment in this series and finding out what happens next for Hunter.
Am super excited for the next installment in this series and finding out what happens next for Hunter.
November 9, 2019
I enjoyed this angsty, heart warming story of two people who didn't go looking for love, but had it find them.
Great story telling and relatable characters.
Great story telling and relatable characters.
December 15, 2019
This is my first read from Jo and I really enjoyed this story. The story itself was really good and the characters were well written.
December 24, 2019
It’s really unexpected, you jump in the story and when you least expect... you don’t want to put it down and fall in love with the characters right along with them. Loved it!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews