whew i'd been hoarding this for eons (I believe it was first pubbed in 2015), and finally a book captured and held my interest so I'm giving it a whole extra star just for that.

As for the romance, do know that 2023 b would not recommend this due to the c0p hero, so do know that before jumping in and buying.

The pacing of this novel is so fucking perfect though. It is tight, and every sex scene serves the emotional arc of the story so well. There are a few minor characters but otherwise we have Lacey and Hunter discovering every inch of their pleasure, together, and finding out their misconceptions about the other are unfounded. It is breathtakingly hot.

Breath on Embers will continue to be my favorite Anne Calhoun, but this one was a super fun read. I will also say I could scream that we didn't get an epilogue because I remain a *bit* concerned that the older woman // younger man dynamic and him not feeling worthy of her due to his blue collar job weren't completely resolved, but hey I'm a believer at heart.