#QueerLitLoft

This is my first JD Glass novel, and it’s left me thoroughly on the fence as to whether I’d read another of the author’s stories. There were elements of Fire Fall which gripped me but at the same time the overall storytelling didn’t wow me like I expected it to, given the book’s emergency worker trope.

Bennadette “Bennie” Grego is an emergency medical technician by day, a comic book illustrator in her spare time, and a smokejumper when fire season hits. Her hectic schedule leaves little room for romance, but Bennie is happy with her cousin Linda, and her Nana by her side. And when she’s not with her family, Bennie has her best friend Tori as both a confidante and day to day work partner, with fellow smokejumper Trish Spence taking over those reins when fire duty calls.

As Bennie and Trish grow closer, a freak accident from a bad jump causes an injury which has dire repercussions for Bennie’s future. Faced with never drawing again – a passion already tainted by past trauma, or potentially never working in the emergency field that she loves so dearly, Bennie faces an impossible choice.

I do enjoy stories that center first responders, particularly when they focus on the high adrenaline work undertaken by smokejumpers or hotshots. It shouldn’t come as a surprise then that the cover and the blurb are what initially caught my interest, and for the most part the dangerous smokejumper job that Bennie does is what kept my attention when reading. In addition, I’m partial to a superhero movie or two, and so Bennie’s side hobby as a comic book maker and illustrator lends itself to the inclusion of plenty of familiar superhero references.

Despite the things that I found myself liking about the overall story, I struggled with the length of the chapters, which felt far too long even with scene breaks. The story is also told from a first person point of view; which is great for when Bennie is smokejumping as it gives a real life feel to the danger. Unfortunately, this doesn’t translate to the simmering romance brewing between Bennie and Trish, as you are only ever exposed to Bennie’s thoughts and feelings.

The author also chose to include past trauma for two individual characters in the form of sexual assaults; I’m not sure that they added value to the overall story. Their inclusion whilst not gratuitous in any way, equally didn’t seem to achieve their aim, even when I could understand what the author was trying to draw out from the characters during this part of their journey.

Overall, a story which I enjoyed for what it was, but which ultimately I wouldn’t write home about.

I received a free copy of this book from Bywater Books in exchange for an honest review.

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