Inflame (Explosive #3)

Tessa Teevan
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Release Date: May 12, 2014
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Lucy and Kale have been enjoying a friends with benefits situation, but their lives are about to change. As they try to process it, they choose to deal in different ways. We meet up with them in the present and then go back into time to their sweet, but lustful beginning. It was supposed to be just one night, then a summer fling, but it became a solid friendship and passionate affair. 

Lucy is a sassy, sarcastic, sexy, and sweet school teacher. Kale is a caring, strong, protective soldier. They quickly become close friends who are also very attracted to each other. But they both have fears, insecurities, and don't want to admit they have feelings.

Their lives keep distance in between them and allow for outside influences to drive even a further wedge between them. But their connection is strong and difficult to break. They go through many stages to get to where they are in the present. And once Kale decides where he really wants them to go then it is full steam ahead. They begin to traverse their new adventure together while trying to figure it all out along the way. 

She's the remedy I never knew existed, and I'll be damned if I do anything to push her away.

Kale...Another awesome male in this series. He is sweet, caring, protective, and hella sexy.  He is such a good friend and partner. He has his own demons and fears, but he always makes Lucy his top priority.  But he is also vulnerable and emotional. Scenes with him dealing with his past broke my heart. I really just wanted to hug him. He has to face things he has been avoiding in order to move forward, but opening up old wounds is difficult. But keeping secrets could come back to ruin his present. 

The thing is that I don't want to let Lucy into that part of my life yet. She's my light. My sunshine. She's the brightest part of my day, and I'm just not ready to invite her into the darkness. In fact, I'm not ready to revisit that part of my life either. I spent years locking it away. 

Lucy is one of those heroines that you cannot help but like. She is fun, feisty, but so loving and supportive. She has insecurities, but is not a drama queen. She is confused at times and makes some  mistakes, but she learns from them quickly. She takes on challenges like a champ and tried to go with the flow. But when she has to stand up for herself, she is not afraid to do that. 

"Your happiness is mine Kale, but more than that, your pain is my pain, too. If you grieve, I grieve with you, no matter the cause. At the same time, when you rejoice, I'm right there jumping up and down with you. But unless you're willing to lay it all out on the line with me, then we'll never be equal partners."

Lucy and Kale together are just a breath of fresh air. They are so cute together even when they are living in denial land. They have such a basis in friendship, a witty rapport, deep connection, and true feelings even when they have trouble admitting it. They are funny, supportive, passionate, and genuine. Sure they both mistakes. They both have pasts and fears to overcome and have to learn to open up and face challenges together. I really enjoyed the friends to lovers to soul mates aspect of their story.

"I put up with you because I love you. Because I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You'll drive me nuts, I'll make you pull your hair out, but at the end of the day, it's you and me, and I wouldn't change it for the world."

There were some surprises and twists that I did not see coming and made me literally gasp at my kindle. The characters are well developed and exhibit times of confusion, sadness, heartbreak, fear, disappointment, but also true joy, laughter, and love. I was rooting for them all the way and feeling the progression of their relationship along with them. It was told in both points of view showing us their innermost thoughts even at times when they had trouble expressing them. 

It was wonderful getting more with  Jace and Lexi (Ignite) and Knox and Charlie (Incinerate) and seeing more milestones for them. And getting to know his friend Xavier and his daughter, Lily better. Kale's relationship with his god daughter, Lily was so endearing that it just tugged at my heart. He is one of those men that is just meant to be around kids and help them thrive. I also enjoyed both of their quirky families especially his twin sisters, Kalli and Kaylie. They all have such fun banter and were all a big part of this book. There were also some characters causing issues that I wanted to just disappear or smack with my kindle.  

We also got a bit with Knox's brothers Cohen and Branson. I am looking forward to the spin off series The Wellingtons  with Cohen in Combust  and  Branson in Conflagration.  And want to see more with Xavier, and the twins. And gotta love a double epilogue!

This series is just so engaging. Each book is about a different couple but all of the guys were in the service together and the women/men are friends so they are interconnected stand alones. They all have a different vibe and tone, but are all engaging, humorous, emotional, steamy, and swoony reads. I have come to really love these characters, Tessa Teevan's writing style, and look forward to more from her. 

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review. 

I didn’t think Knox could be topped, but Kale sure did give him a run for his money. And now I have to decide who I liked better? I don’t think so. Don't make me.

With the last few scenes in Incinerate, we knew there was a big change coming for Lucy and Kale. What was less clear was the direction that change would take the couple, and how they were going to handle it. 

Inflame does a great job of picking up the timeline established from Incinerate and the giving readers the flashback to the beginning of Lucy and Kale’s relationship, connecting the dots between two people who are casual lovers to such a monumental announcement as the one Lucy made to Charlie, to whatever will happen as a result. 

Neither Lucy nor Kale were looking for a relationship when they met in Lucy’s classroom. Lucy had recently ended a long term relationship that she thought proved she wasn’t long term commitment material, while Kale was months away from a deployment. Thus began four months of a no strings relationship, and the introduction of best friends before Kale had to leave. 

Beginning at about 50%, this turned into a roller coaster ride for my emotions. What looked like a sweet, bed-buddies to best friends to lovers story turned in to so much more with events influenced by the secrets they were holding and events outside either’s control. I kept wondering what the fallout would be when the secrets came to light, and if it was too late for them to move past those secrets. And as the book progressed, I was not disappointed. It was everything I was hoping for before I started. 

Kale’s family never failed to put a smile on my face. Some of the scenes with his mom and sisters were the funniest in the book. Their influence on Kale is referred to several times, and it is obvious he grew up with three very strong women in his life. 

I loved the hints dropped about the spin-off The Wellingtons series. Especially after Branson’s bit of redemption, however small, that he finds in Inflame, I am looking forward to seeing more of the Wellington men. And Xavier’s private life is hinted at too, which makes me wonder what’s going on behind the scenes there too.

But how do you put it all on the line when you've already lost everything once before?

Tessa Teevan

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