GRR Reviews Smolder (Firefighters of Montana Book 1 by Tracy Solheim

Smolder, set in Montana, is a tale of a new forest firefighter leader and a female ranch owner's daughter. Both had suffered losses in the love department, and have adopted the "no risk, no pain" attitude toward love and need to struggle to overcome such apathy to gain happiness. I find such simplistic thoughts way too convenient to overcome.

To recap, Sam Gaskill, former army ranger, left his life and his dead wife (of horse riding accident) behind to start anew as a "smoke jumper" leader in Montana. He brought his late wife's horse to be boarded and trained at the Whispering Breeze Ranch, and met the owner's daughter Laurel Keenan, and her 5-year old son Ty. Laurel had always been impulsive and that lead to a romance with an Olympic snowboarder Bryce which produced Ty, but Bryce is not the stick-around type. Laurel felt a connection to Sam but she's trying to go slow, controlling her impulsive behavior, and Sam's job is too dangerous, she reasoned. But when Ty went missing during a grass fire, Sam may be the only one who can keep Laurel and Ty safe.

It's formulaic and trope to make FMC realize that the MMC was really really important to her, when he was risking his life doing something that repelled her. The idea that the team captain would allow a civilian to get on a state helo just to search for her kid is also ridiculous, but dramatic. At least the firefighting details appear to be accurate.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: New smoke jumper leader falls for ranch owner's daughter; needs to rescue her kid from grass fire

Tropes: firefighter, scars, different worlds,

Overall Rating:  3/5