TORCH (Wildwood #3) by Karen Erickson-Review and Book Tour
TORCH
Wildwood #3
by Karen Erickson
Genre: adult, contemporary,romantic suspense
Release Date: August 16, 2016
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About the book: Release Date August 16, 2016
Tate Warren has never met a woman he couldn’t charm—until now.
Wren Gallagher won’t give him the time of day and it’s making him crazy.
But he won’t give up without a fight… because there’s one thing he knows for sure:
Enemies make the best lovers.
Most women swoon over Tate’s devilish grin and firefighter uniform. But Wren couldn’t be less impressed by his good looks and flirtatious banter—in fact, she seems to downright despise him. She thinks he’s a player, but his attraction to her is no game. Wren is unlike anyone he’s ever known and he isn’t about to let the feisty, gorgeous woman slip through his fingers.
Wooing Wren would be so much easier if she didn’t hate him…
Or does she?
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REVIEW: TORCH is the third installment in Karen Erickson’s contemporary adult WILDWOOD romantic suspense series focusing on the town of Wildwood, California but especially the Gallagher family of brothers, and their sister Wren. This is fire chief Tate Warren, and bookkeeper Wren Gallagher’s story line. TORCH can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but for cohesion and backstory I recommend reading the series in order as there is a continuing plot throughout the series-an arsonist has set his/her sights on Wildwood, California and Wren is the next intended victim.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Wren and Tate) TORCH focuses on the building relationship-an enemies to lovers romance- between Wren Gallagher and Tate Warren. Tate wants a relationship with Wren but for some reason Wren continues to treat Tate with vindictiveness and hatred whenever they are together. When Wren’s house is targeted and destroyed by Wildwood’s arsonist Tate offers up his place, if only temporarily in Wren’s mind. What ensues is the jump from enemies to friends to lovers that may be pushed to the side when Wren’s past comes looking for a second chance.
The relationship between Wren and Tate is complicated. Wren’s acerbic personality and mean spirited verbal attacks against Tate are confusing when there has never been any reason for the vitriol and hatred that spews from her mouth. Tate’s attraction to Wren finds him verbally sparring with the feisty female that calls to his heart. The $ex scenes are intimate and seductive.
All of the Gallagher brothers, as well as their significant others, play secondary and supporting roles. Each brother is a member of the fire fighting squad, and in their attempts to protect their younger sister, things don’t go according to plan when secrets are revealed and Wren takes her anger out on the man with whom she is falling in love. Hopefully Lane’s story is next and the arsonist’s identity is finally revealed.
TORCH continues to focus on search for the arsonist bent on destroying the town of Wildwood. There are a no suspects but the introduction of a new characters is always considered a possible party.
TORCH is a fast paced, exciting and sexy read. The premise is entertaining with humor, romance, suspense and heartbreak; the characters are colorful and animated; the romance is a push and pull towards a happily ever after-for now. There has been no proclamation of love or forever-the story line felt a little incomplete although the hunt for the arsonist is still on the books-nothing has yet to be resolved.
Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Ignite
Smolder
Torch
Copy supplied by Edelweiss
Reviewed by Sandy
USA Today bestselling author Karen Erickson writes what she loves to read – sexy contemporary romance. Published since 2006, she’s a native Californian who lives in the foothills below Yosemite with her husband and three children. She also writes new adult romance as NYT & USA Today bestselling author Monica Murphy.
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