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Burning It Down

(CalPac Crew #3)

C. Koehler (Goodreads Author)

3.65 · Rating details · 134 ratings · 29 reviews

Owen Douglas, Sacramento’s first out battalion chief, is grievously injured in the line of duty. When Brad Sundstrom finds out that Owen’s been noncompliant with his physical therapy due to depression, he pushes Owen into the Capital City Rowing Club’s adaptive rowing program.

Adam Lennox, a former collegiate rower, escapes an abusive relationship and makes his way to CCRC ...more

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Published November 23rd 2020 by NineStar Press (first published December 6th 2012)

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Average rating 3.65 ·

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· 134 ratings · 29 reviews

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Dec 08, 2012 Td rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: abuse, angst, age-gap-10-plus, not-for-me

I cruised along beautifully through the first half while slowly getting to know Adam and Owen as well as revisiting Nick and Morgan and Brad and Drew from the first two books in the series only to crash and burn in the second half.

Once Adam and Owen got together at about 50% or so, they became "boyfriends" and we were not allowed to forget.

(view spoiler) ...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Icedave rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-contemporary, m-m, genre-romance, settings-usa, profession-vet-or-animal-care, profession-firefighter, theme-abuse, theme-hurt-comfort, class-furball, year-orig-published-2012

Rating:
4.0 stars.

Genre:
Contemporary m-m romance with domestic violence theme (relationship between one MC and his ex-boyfriend).

Content Advisor:
* domestic violence (DV)

Infos
main characters:
Adam, starting a new life with a new identity after escaping from his abusing partner.

Owen, batallion chief of fire department, meets Adam at the Adaptive Rowing program, which is part of his (private) physical therapy program.

secondary characters:
Morgan and Nick, couple of the first book in the series. Nick ...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Gigi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mm-firefighters

I had mighty high hopes for this book because it had many plot points that hold high interest for me: Hot firefighter MC, hurt/comfort after a car accident, hot veterinarian MC, partner abuse for more hurt/comfort, dogs and kitties, lots of sweaty, athletic men, etc... And I did like this the book. 4 stars worth! But something I can't quite identify kept me from giving it that fifth star.

This is the third book in the CalPac Crew series, and while you don't absolutely have to have a working ...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Chris Jeffreys rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I read the first two books in this series, and i was looking forward to this one. The characters in the first two books were well developed and written in such a way that I cared what happened to them. I thought this new book would continue the character development from the first two books, but I was mistaken.
In this sequel, the main characters from the first two books are merely in the background. The two main characters are Owen and Adam -- a fireman and a vet. Like the other books in this " ...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Maggie rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Rating 2.5

I really enjoyed seeing characters from previous books in this series (especially Brad). I had high hopes for this book because of Owen (say hot firefighter and I am so there!) and while I did enjoy learning more about Owen, I never really felt his relationship with Adam. Add that to the crazy events that happen later in the book, the totally wrong decisions made by Adam, not to mention a broken Owen; and I just didn't enjoy this book like I hoped I would. ...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Anke rated it liked it · review of another edition

More like 3.5 stars
What to say? In the beginning it was again a story with A LOT of rowing. The relationship between Owen and Adam proceeded nicely, overall I had the feeling of unbalance. Stuff I thought more important was mentioned in passing, Adam's decision to move back to Jordan was difficult to follow for me. Yes, all the storylines were solved, so no open questions in the end. That's about it. ...more

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Feb 01, 2013 Pati rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, romance

I'm sorry to say that I must rate this one a 2.5 stars. I've really enjoyed this series but sadly this book just had too many non-realistic things in it. I don't want to give any spoilers so I will only say that the author should have researched forensics just a little bit... ~sigh~

.... Though despite this I am looking forward to more books in this series. ...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Popcorn rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I was really looking forward to this book and I loved the first half. Owen and Adam getting to know each other and building the relationship was lovely to read although I could have done without the consent use of the word 'boyfriend', which according to my Kindle was used 130 times! The second half made very little sense to me I could not get my head around the decisions that Adam made. ...more

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Dec 21, 2012 Alina added it · review of another edition

I'm mostly agreeng with the other readers.

I really liked the first half of the book: I loved both Owen and Adam, their stories were great and sad and I'd hoped they'd be a good match together - both being 'damaged goods' and having some strong issues to overcome. I was also happy to see Nick and Morgan as well as Brad and Drew - I loved the first two CalPac books :)

By the time Owen and Adam became a couple things started being too sugary sweet for my liking. Don't get me wrong - I love fluff, bu I'm mostly agreeng with the other readers.

I really liked the first half of the book: I loved both Owen and Adam, their stories were great and sad and I'd hoped they'd be a good match together - both being 'damaged goods' and having some strong issues to overcome. I was also happy to see Nick and Morgan as well as Brad and Drew - I loved the first two CalPac books :)

By the time Owen and Adam became a couple things started being too sugary sweet for my liking. Don't get me wrong - I love fluff, but here it was too much with all the crying on each other's shoulder and excessive use of the 'boyfriend' term. But that was still okay and I've been waiting to see the Jordan story to unfold and when the time came it was too much :/

First of all Jordan's being apparently some kind of super-duper criminal mastermind, who doesn't leave any traces and clues - it's unrealistic, imo. I don't believe the police wouldn't have found a single evidence of his many crimes! And then again his attack on Owen (btw the testicle ripping's WAY over the top, imo, too gross) - they're having his DNA for God's sake, and Owen can identify the attacker, so why don't just press charges against him - plain and simple? With that kind of overwhelming evidence they'd be able to put Jordan behind the bars without any hassle. But then they're stalling and Adam's got that brilliant idea, that he has to return to Jordan 'to save Owen'. Really? I mean - REALLY??? I don't even know where to start explaining why it's a fundamentally bad and stupid idea.

And the amount of misfortunes, dropping on Owen's head (or rather on his leg) seems too much for one person. After the initial injury he first fall on that leg again and then Jordan's maimed it too :/ I dunno, I wanted for him to more or less be able to overcome his problems, like Drew'd had in the previous book, and to return to his work, which he loved so much. It seems to me that was his primary motivation to do PT and rowing, it fueled his desire to heal. And then it looked like he's just gave up on it and it's sad. I'd've liked to see him handling the troubles of being the chief, which were outlined in the beginning of the story. I liked Owen's attitude about prefering to be as healthy and fit as possible and be able to work to support himself rather than having a disability pension. So the outcome of his hearing seemed like a disappointment to me (( Like he gave up or lost a fight or something (((

But their reunion was really sweet and touching and after that it was all good and satisfying. I also LOVED the animals, especially T'Pau! I'm often talking with my cat like that ))))

All in all I'm glad I've read this book, I love the guys and I'm waiting for the sequel, whether it'd be about Mike and Steven or Joye and this rower guy :) ...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Ery rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: dnf

Sorry- waaay too OTT for me.

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Nov 27, 2020 Veronica of V's Reads rated it really liked it

This is the third book in a series, but it can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Owen Douglas is the first out fire battalion chief in the Sacramento Fire Department. He’s in his early 40s and a little sad that he’s always the hook-up never the boyfriend. He’s responding to a fire when he’s involved in a fatal crash with an engine truck. He survives, though badly injured, and is upset that his young driver is killed. He’s despondent about his recovery, shying away from the necessary PT he needs to lear This is the third book in a series, but it can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Owen Douglas is the first out fire battalion chief in the Sacramento Fire Department. He’s in his early 40s and a little sad that he’s always the hook-up never the boyfriend. He’s responding to a fire when he’s involved in a fatal crash with an engine truck. He survives, though badly injured, and is upset that his young driver is killed. He’s despondent about his recovery, shying away from the necessary PT he needs to learn to walk again. His physical therapist is adamant that activity is necessary and pushes Owen toward adaptive rowing. Owen’s once hook-up Brad Sundstrom is a former collegiate rower, and he’s a coach on the open men’s rowing club that supports the adaptive rowers. Brad makes it a mission to get Owen to the water’s edge.

Adam Lennox is a veterinarian, and a man hiding in plain sight. After enduring more than a decade of an abusive relationship, Adam has changed his name and licensure and moved to Davis to restart his life. He’s learning to reintegrate with people outside of the watchful eye of his abuser, his college sweetheart named Jordan. Adam had been a collegiate rower and he joins the open men’s rowing club headed by Brad and his former college coach, Nick Bedford. (Both Brad and Nick were MCs in the previous stories.) Nick taps Adam to be a pair rower with Owen, when he turns up for adaptive rowing, and the chemistry is instant.

Both Adam and Owen suffer PTSD from their respective traumas. They are immediately attracted to one another, but neither feels whole. While they begin a tentative connection, Adam is living in fear that Jordan will return–and his hallmarks are appearing again. Owen’s got a pal on the police force, but it seems he might not be able to intervene until Jordan, who is both wealthy and wily as all get-out, is caught confronting or abusing Adam. Owen’s recuperation is put on hold when he’s mysteriously attacked, and Adam is sure that Jordan is involved. It could be someone for the fire department, though, as Owen’s position is pretty tenuous. He’s reinstated for active duty, but grudgingly and with a disability hearing that could bounce him out of the service he’s been a part of for two decades. With both their lives in flux, Owen isn’t willing to let Adam shut him out–not when he’s finally found a man worth loving and fighting to keep. Meanwhile, Adam’s just fighting to stay alive.

This story has some graphic bits of violence, and descriptions of violence against animals. There is a definite sense of the victim’s mentality, of feeling that pain and potential death at the hands of person he loved is simply inevitable. Owen’s strong and fearless love gave Adam hope in his times of complete distress. Owen needed to take charge of his own life in a way he had not, before getting the time his recuperation allowed him to invest in himself. These men finding such a deep love that satisfies on a soul-deep level was so sweet and bittersweet. It rides a fine line between romance and romantic suspense. I really enjoyed the tenderness, and the conflict, and of course the happy ending. ...more

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Nov 25, 2020 Heather (AllTheJuicyBits) rated it really liked it

Shelves: lgbtq

After being horribly injured in an accident while on the job, Firefighter Owen Douglas takes up adaptive rowing at the encouragement of a friend and his physical therapist to help with his rehab and fight his depression. He meets soft-spoken veterinarian Adam Lennox there, and it's love at first sight.

But both men are fighting demons. Adam has recently left a relationship that was so abusive he had to change his identity to keep his ex from finding him. After so long in an abusive situation he After being horribly injured in an accident while on the job, Firefighter Owen Douglas takes up adaptive rowing at the encouragement of a friend and his physical therapist to help with his rehab and fight his depression. He meets soft-spoken veterinarian Adam Lennox there, and it's love at first sight.

But both men are fighting demons. Adam has recently left a relationship that was so abusive he had to change his identity to keep his ex from finding him. After so long in an abusive situation he isn't even sure he knows what love is anymore. He brings a huge amount of baggage, and possibly even danger, into a new relationship. He isn't sure this is fair to Owen.

For his part, Owen is fighting lingering PTSD symptoms brought on by his accident. He is also struggling with the fact that he no longer feels like he belongs at the firehall. Being the first out battalion chief in the department was difficult enough to deal with without having to deal with the issues brought on by his accident. He is also realizing that his life of meaningless hookups and no real relationships isn't what he wants anymore. He wants an actual relationship - someone to rely on and spend time with aside from just sex. He wants to build a life and a love with someone. He thinks he may have found that with Adam.

When Owen learns that Adam's identity is fake, he has some trouble with it. He feels like the man he has fallen in love with has become a stranger. And he had sworn off strangers. But then Adam's ex shows up in their lives, and he understands why Adam had to run and hide. Jordan is terrifyingly unhinged, and he feels ownership over Adam, which puts both Adam and Owen in danger. It leads Adam to make some hard, risky decisions. But Owen refuses to give up on the man he loves, and they earn their happy ending.

Burning It Down was an enjoyable read. I felt Owen's anger and frustration towards Adam when he thought he wasn't standing up for himself. But I'm fortunate enough to have never experienced being in an abusive relationship, and I can understand how it might lead to decisions others wouldn't understand. I did enjoy both characters though. Both were just broken and damaged enough to be appealing, and I cheered for their happily ever after all the way. ...more

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Nov 24, 2020 Starla rated it it was amazing

I loved it. There's something about this series and the characters that's so comforting. I thought this was a very well written book. The story and the characters were different to the previous ones in the series, but still had a similar vibe and the world building was consistent.

There was a solid connection between Owen and Adam. I found Owen intriguing in the previous book, I wondered what kind of man would steal his heart and Adam was a very interesting choice. They were hot and heavy but al ...more

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Dec 02, 2020 Char Davis rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is an a!axing emotional m/m romance story.Owen was promo5ed to battalion chief an then an accident put him on leave going through therapy to strengthen his leg so he can get back to work but he's depressed an doesn't think that he is recovering fast enough also he's lonely. He's tired of one night stands an wants to find someone to spend his life with. When his PT suggests he join a rowing group that it would hem his rehab. When a friend Brad suggests he try it he finally agrees. Veternian ...more

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Nov 24, 2020 Mar rated it it was ok

When I started this book i really felt for the characters, especially Adam and his abusive past. His life wasn't easy and with the help of trusting people he could get out of that toxic environment. Owen, he was a very interesting character; with him we saw the ups and down of a recovery (even when I think the author should have done a better research with this and other things in this book). The first half of this book was good even when I honestly didn't like the inclusion of the povs of previ ...more

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Nov 23, 2020 Zee rated it liked it · review of another edition

TW: Domestic Violence

I remember reading one of the Cal Pac books a few years ago, and it was amazing to come back to it again!

Owen made a cameo in the last book, and this focuses on his story. He meets veterinarian Adam during an adaptive rowing stint he’s doing for physical therapy. While Owen has his own issues forming commitments with people, Adam makes him want more — but there’s more to Adam than he thought there was...and hence the plot builds up its romance and trust between characters, a ...more

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Nov 28, 2020 Jeff rated it liked it · review of another edition

I enjoyed getting to know Owen and Adam. It was great to see many of the characters from the previous two books filter in and out of the story too. I felt the topics were a little too dark, a little too unfocused in this third book in the CalPac series. I felt mostly like an observer, missing parts of the story. Author C. Koehler needed to fill in more of the blanks. Maybe there were too many topics here to explore them all satisfactorily? The second half- with the most action/ emotion charged s ...more

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Feb 16, 2018 DL rated it it was ok · review of another edition

When a cat is the star of the book, you know you have problems. I can't imagine that anyone would look at a Lilac Point Siamese and say, "Hey, a Purple cat!" but what do I know?
I was bored with this book long before the nut case made his appearance. Then, I was just annoyed. I shouldn't judge Adam by what my responses to a dead rat would be but I can't understand how anyone could be so horny that he'd overlook something like that right after being told that the cops had lost touch with a psycho ...more

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Dec 01, 2020 Heather Bennett rated it it was amazing

A very nicely written M/M Contemporary romance, the heroes where well written and the story fun to read with plenty of heat!

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Dec 10, 2012 Michael rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Chris Koehler has done it again. His latest, Burning It Down, is I think his best book to date (and I liked the others quite a bit already). The love that grows before our eyes between Adam and Owen is so vivid. Both men bring to the table backgrounds that have left them broken in one way or another, one physically and one emotionally. But with the help and love of the other they overcome those challenges and discover happiness like they've never known before. Unfortunately, though, Adam's ex-sp ...more

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Dec 11, 2012 Shannon rated it liked it · review of another edition

This was a solid 4 star read until the ex showed up in the picture again. What took place after that had me asking myself "What in the fuckity fuck was that?!?" Nothing made sense. It was extremely frustrating and seemed to be used just to make our couple have the standard painful breakup before everything works out. I kind of lost faith in them as "boyfriends" after that. And I put quotes around boyfriend because, seriously, I think if you took all of the words boyfriend out of this book it wou ...more

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Nov 25, 2020 Paige Turner rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I'm sorry to say this didn't work for me. I like the premise and the beginning held promise but the book has to many unnecessary storylines. I understand it's part of a series but I don't think we had to read about the other characters and how they fit into Owen's world now. I was a bit confused about why the author kept writing them into the story.
The characters are older but their dialogue was immature and akward. The last few chapters of the book were too unbelievable and I skimmed the endin ...more

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Apr 13, 2013 Rachel Emily rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sports-m-m, contemporary-m-m, romance-m-m

I'm conflicted over how to rate this exactly...I loved the first 60% or so. Great build up, I loved getting to see Morgan and Nick and especially Brad again, and I liked reading about the beginning of Owen and Adam's relationship. But the last third of the book just seems to have wildly veered off course and is way over the top and just...so not like the first half. I went with 3 stars only due to the strength of the first half. Others are right about the over usage of the word "boyfriend" and a ...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Becky Condit rated it really liked it · review of another edition

There is a good HEA. I always like a wedding or engagement to top off a gay romance novel. Once we get past the sacrificial part of the story and back to the romance the book got back on track. There is still a bit of danger lurking about, one character is going to change his life and another gets redemption.
The characters are wonderful. Mr. Koehler has mad character development skills. The suspense makes the book a page turner. And don’t skip over the super sweet dedication. All in all a good ...more

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Mar 25, 2014 Katy Beth Mckee rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: sports, m-m, series-books

So Much Pain

It was almost painful as the reader to see how much pain these two men endure both physically and emotionally. To see them work so hard to rebuild their lives over and over again was very touching.

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Aug 27, 2015 Kobie rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: dnf

ugh. at 64% and I can't finish. love the characters, Owen and Adam, but if they call each other "boyfriend" again, I will puke. it really pulls you out of the story. as does Adam's decision to do nothing about something obviously ominous. DNF at 65%. ...more

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Aug 24, 2014 May rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mm

I really like this author's voice and humour. This was another fine chapter in the series and I'm looking forward to the next one due later this year? ...more

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