fireman and the copRating: 4.5 stars
Buy Links: 
 Amazon | All Romance
Length: Novella


Max Harrison is not new to the firefighting business, but he is brand new to the small town of Ellery and is therefore dubbed “probie” by his fire chief.  Having recently left the city and his former homophobic fire department, Max was just looking for a quiet place to fit in.  Little did he know that his first fire as a volunteer fireman would lead him straight into a burning building and leave him rescuing a policeman by the name of Finn Ryan.

Finn is gay—one of the three gay men in Ellery, or so it felt.  When he opens his eyes in the hospital to see the hunky fireman who rescued him from the blazing fire, the last thing he remembers was just that, the rescue.  He certainly does not recall the rather flirtatious conversation that took place near the ambulance where he confessed to being gay and lusting after—you guessed it—firemen!

Max, however, does recall the chat and is determined to find out if he and Finn could possibly still be attracted to one another.  Author R.J. Scott does not leave us hanging for long.  Her novel, The Fireman and the Cop, keeps us immersed in the flames of a growing attraction between these two main characters.  However, someone else is interested in Finn as well and has murder in mind—Finn’s to be exact.

Scott’s novel lights up the page with suspense, passion, and remarkably in-depth characters that keep you turning the page in anticipation.  I really enjoyed this story.  Not only did I feel that her two main men were likeable and believable in both their instant attraction and growing regard for each other, but Finn’s two friends, her side characters, were compelling as well and I am eager to see if she gives each of them their own story at some point.

Scott uses her descriptive passages to set the stage for the mysterious subplot of the man stalking Finn—a man who is going to great lengths to not only frighten Finn but also injure and nearly kill him as well.  Our poor policeman barely recovers from one life-threatening accident before being immersed in another.  All the while, Max pursues him relentlessly, determined to find out if the two of them can have a relationship that will somehow allow two first responders to actually fall and stay in love.

This was a gripping story—a mystery, a love story, a learning to trust story all rolled into one and it was beautifully done.  My only reluctance in giving it a 5 star rating was that I felt the ending was a bit abrupt.  There was an intense conflict that arose between our two MCs, one that should have been given just a wee bit longer to resolve itself.    I wanted to hear more of what both men were thinking about before the happy ever after ending.  However, this was actually a minor niggle and it would not in any way keep me from highly recommending this novella to you.  The Fireman and the Cop is a taut little mystery wrapped inside a love story and is most certainly a delightful read!

sammysig