New Release REVIEW: Emergency Kiss of Fire- Carlisle Emergency Book #1- Andrew Grey

Title: Emergency Kiss of Fire
Series: Carlisle Emergency Book #1
Author: Andrew Grey
Genre: Workplace Romance, Gay Romance, Novella
Publisher: Andrew Grey Books
Release Date: Dec 14, 2023
Format: Kindle
Pages: 107
Source: Amazon

The last person emergency responder Cade Elmhurst expects to meet at an accident scene is his old high school crush. Cade always regretted keeping his feelings to himself. That Selby remembers Cade is a bigger surprise. He even seems to share Cade’s long-buried feelings and flirts with him on the ride to the hospital, but that may just be the concussion talking.

Selby Winston hasn’t had much luck in life. His conservative farm family turned their backs on him, and he’s been making his way alone ever since. Meeting Cade again is a spot of warmth in his otherwise cold life. He’s as nice as Selby remembers, even offering a ride home from the hospital and help dealing with his wrecked car. On top of that, the heat between them means Cade might return Selby’s long-simmering attraction.

Everything changes in an instant when Selby’s family home burns to the ground, leaving his father hospitalized and his four siblings in need of a place to live. Once again, Selby figures he’ll find himself standing alone, but to his surprise, Cade stands with him. Their budding relationship is going to have to withstand four younger kids in a small apartment, social workers with differing opinions, and his father’s closed-minded stubbornness to make the most of their second chance.

Reviewed by Linda Tonis

Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team

Cade Elmhurst is an EMT who is always ready for any call he gets. His temporary partner is Walker a man who is excellent at his job but not so excellent as a human being. He is a homophobe and although they work well together after work there is nothing but a wall between them. When two cars are involved in an accident due to an elderly man having a heart attack Cade is surprised when one of the victims is Selby Winston a friend from high school.

Giving Selby attention that Walker takes exception to since he feels that Cade is using his job to pick up men is unwarranted and hurtful. Selby has a concussion, so Cade makes sure he gets home and has what he needs then while driving Selby to the store an emergency call comes through, house on fire and injuries. There is no time to drive Selby back home and when the address of the fire is broadcast, Selby immediately recognizes it as his family home.

Selby was adopted but when he revealed to his parents, he was gay he was shown the door. Since he was adopted, his parents had four other children and his father managed to convince the younger kids that Selby left on his own because he didn’t want anything to do with them. Now their mother is dead, and their father is in the hospital. Selby didn’t give it a moment’s thought he knew that he had to take care of his siblings and that is exactly what he did.

The children now know that it wasn’t Selby’s choice to leave, and they hold on to him for dear life since he is all they have right now. Cade refuses to leave Selby to deal with everything alone and the kids accept him as another port in the storm. The house is destroyed but there are still animals to care for in the barn and the children take responsibility for them. Twice a day Selby takes them home to do their chores and his biggest fear is that when his father is finally able to return home that he will once again toss him aside and keep the kids from him.

As Selby and Cade work out temporary arrangements ensuring that the children stay with Selby and are not put into foster care, they see themselves as more than just friends, but a relationship seems impossible with all the chaos in their lives. A visit to the hospital proves what Selby feared, his father is not accepting of him but has no say in the matter as long as he is hospitalized.

Unfortunately, social services are not a friend since a social worker decided that the present living arrangements are not satisfactory and that the children have to be put in their care. Losing their mother, their home, their father in the hospital is more than any child should have to go through and now the idea of leaving Selby and Cade and being separated is beyond their comprehension. But there is a savior, Donald Ickle who had made the current arrangements and is the supervisor over road her suggestions. Nice to know there are people out there who care more about people than what the books suggest.

A tragic story that brought two men together and reunited a brother with his siblings. A father who didn’t hesitate to throw a son out the door because he was different, something I just can’t understand. The world is in chaos and being gay should not even be a reason for hatred, but unfortunately, it is.

Well, another book by Andrew Grey and another book that kept me glued from beginning to end. I sometimes am astounded that he can write so many books about so many different subjects, doctors, cowboys, EMT’s, police and be so well informed about each, Andrew Grey I consider this book a Christmas present since it is December, so thank you.