Hotter With A PoleRating: 3.75 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | All Romance | Amazon UK
Length: Novella


Hotter With a Pole is the second book in a series that revolves around firemen who like their kink. The first book was a M/F story and, though they share characters, this story is enjoyable as a standalone.

Noah and his fellow firefighters play BDSM games at the exclusive Club LaForge, and the more time Noah spends there, the more he thinks he’s really a submissive—and one who’d enjoy a male Dom. He’s nervous about revealing his sexuality, but he takes courage in knowing guys on his fire crew do ménage scenes with men and women. So, Noah believes coming out as gay will not be a problem. Still, he’s nervous. And he’s not sure who would be a good potential Dom to approach.

Noah’s crew mourns the loss of a fellow fireman, Danny. Noah purchases the classic car Danny had lovingly restored with his fire crew as a mercy to Danny’s widow, but the snag he encounters is a mechanical problem, which brings him in to contact with mechanic Hoyt Freeman. Hoyt is a Dom, but he hasn’t played with a partner in a year—not since his beloved died of cancer. He’s attracted to Noah, and they seem to find a spark—one that begins to smolder when Hoyt meets Noah at Club LaForge.

For me, this short read was a little undercooked. I wanted Noah to find his safe harbor and also for Hoyt to heal his broken heart, but it all seemed to happen very soon after their chance meeting. Also, Hoyt has abandonment issues, and Noah’s job is a dangerous one—one likely to result in injury and even death. These guys need to trust each other intimately, but I wondered at how fast this rapport was established in the story.

There are plenty of supporting characters, from Noah’s crew to Hoyt’s mom, who are rooting these guys on. It was good to see the positivity in these interactions. The sexytimes are at least a three-alarm callout, with plenty of D/s packed into this novella. I was concerned, again, about how quickly these scenes escalated, but I wasn’t disappointed. The book fits squarely in the erotica zone.

veronica sig