Wildfire by Hannah Grace Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

4.5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ One night stand

➮ Forced proximity

➮ Hockey romance

➮ Off limits

Synopsis

Russ Callaghan and Aurora Roberts meet at a party and end up having a one-night stand. They then encounter each other once again when they are both counselors at the same summer camp. This camp has a strong rule about "no staff fraternizing." This rule doesn't seem like an issue until they keep getting pushed together. 

Best Quote From the Book

“It's no secret that I love books. I love stories about people I don't know and places I haven't been to. I've lived a thousand lives between a thousand pages."

My Thoughts

I actually ended up reading this book before Icebreaker due to library holds and I can confirm reading order for this series is not essential. It is set at the summer camp so the characters from Icebreaker aren't essential to following the events in Wildfire. 

While this is technically touted as a hockey romance, it has nothing to do with hockey. Basketball plays a bigger role in the story than hockey actually. I would've loved to see a bit more hockey but I digress given this story takes place during summer. 

This book honestly has a very YA feel with the setting and the events that take place. Sneaking around, group teasing, and camp activities all feel like a summery YA book. But there are a number of spicy scenes (not nearly as many as Icebreaker) that make it definitely not YA. 

They both bond heavily over daddy issues. They both have strained relationships with their families. These struggles are what allow Russ and Aurora to actually get to know each other on a personal level. The support they provide each other to do what they can with their family lives is the best driving force of the book. 

I was very surprised to discover that my favorite part of the book by far was the epilogue. I won't get into what specifically happens but it was just such a perfect little ending to the story. It gave a lot more depth and background to Aurora's interests and motivations in particular. 

Overall, if you are looking for a YA-esque summery romance with some spice, you will enjoy this book. The summer camp setting can feel a bit immature at first but the other counselors help to keep it from feeling too kiddy. Just prepare yourself for a bit of rocky familial relationships.