Hearts Afire: January is an anthology of two short stories featuring firefighters.

In Ignite by Bonnie Dee, Pete Santori is a New York fireman. When he rescues a young man from a burning building, it seems at first like business as usual. He is drawn to the man, and even though the guy professes to causing the fire, Pete helps him to escape from the police, who believe him to be an arsonist. Alan Delaine doesn’t mean to cause fires. He’s a firestarter, and when he feels strong emotion, things tend to ignite. He has been running from the secret labs that for six years held him prisoner and studied him painfully. Pete is able to deal with the heat Alan generates, and they find a connection that feels like completion to them. But will Pete and Alan have the chance to explore their passion? When Alan’s kidnappers finally catch up with them, it appears that whatever is between them is over before it has even begun.

In Where the Devil Dances by T. A. Chase, Eric Sandel is a young architect who has survived a horrible accident and suffered burns over most of his body. His face has been repaired, but his body is still recovering and will bear the painful marks of his misfortune forever. Eric meets firefighter David Browdie while they are walking their dogs. David is not put off by Eric’s scars, and for the first time since his lover died in the fire that disfigured him, Eric finds a man he can love. However, someone doesn’t want for Eric and David to find love together. This madman has been stalking Eric without his knowledge for years, and he would rather kill Eric rather than share him with David.

Hearts Afire: January is an anthology that will bring warmth to chilly January days. In it, we have two stories of firefighters who find love with men who have been profoundly affected by fire. These two firemen are given almost action-hero status as they save the ones they love from the evil that would destroy them.

Ignite by Bonnie Dee features a thread of the paranormal along with the action. Alan triggers in Pete the ability to deal with the heat he generates, otherwise this story would give a whole new bent to the idea of a “combustible” love scene. The burst of action at the end of this story is very entertaining and makes the story well worth reading.

Of the two stories, I found TA Chase’s Where the Devil Dances to be more involving. There is an undercurrent of suspense in this story as we witness a madman stalking Eric. The sense of evil surrounding the stalker is almost palpable, and the reader cannot help but feel absolute horror knowing how this man has ruined Eric’s life and how he plans to escalate his actions. As we watch the relationship between David and Eric blossom, we can only hold our breath in anticipation of the villain’s next move. This is definitely what can be called a “page-turner.” Well done!

Reviewed by: Whitney