Flirting with Danger by Claire Baxter

Blurb:

To be together is dangerous. To stay apart is impossible.

Firefighter Jasmine Mackinnon has always just been one of the guys. So no one’s more shocked than she is to find herself kissing fellow firefighter and all-around sinfully handsome playboy Aaron Parkes after a friend’s wedding. Jasmine knows she can’t risk an emotional connection with a colleague—a potentially dangerous entanglement when fighting fires together—and nothing's more important to her than her job.

Aaron never noticed how beautiful Jasmine was until he saw her out of her firefighter duds, but there’s something about the fiery woman that tempts him. Though he knows pursuing a real relationship is out of the question for a serial dater like him, when their casual flirtation builds into something more serious, it's not just their jobs or their safety on the line. It's their hearts.

Buy Links:

Amazon ~ Barnes&Noble

About the Author:

Claire Baxter writes contemporary romantic fiction of all lengths. Her short stories have been published in commercial women’s magazines around the world, while her novels have been translated into 20 languages, and have finalled in the Romance Writers of Australia's Romantic Book of the Year Award, the Booksellers’ Best Awards, the RT Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Awards, and the Cataromance Reviewers’ Choice Awards.

Before following her passion to write full-time, Claire was an award-winning corporate communications manager. Earlier, she worked as a translator and a PA.

Claire grew up in Warwickshire, England, but for more than 20 years has called Australia home. She considers herself lucky to live near one of Adelaide’s beautiful metropolitan beaches where she loves to walk and think up stories.

Where to Stalk Claire:

Goodreads ~ Website

Meagan's Review:

Ohhh where to I even start with this book. First off do you know how hawt firemen are??? Steaming!!! ;) But I always love stories where people who have been "friends" or known each other for a long time don't have romantic feelings for one another, however, after an event of some sort (and in this case a wedding) things change. Jasmine is a firewoman and pretty much wears her hair in a pony tale and doesn't wear make-up or dress up. I guess you'd consider her a plain jane, however, she is anything but plain. But when you're at the scene of a fire I'm pretty sure you aren't worried about your make-up being perfect so it makes sense. Something else we learn about Jasmine is that she tries to not over dress or put make-up on because when she does she looks just like her mother, which apparently is a bad thing. 

Aaron (our other main character) is also a fireman and apparently quite the ladies man. Like he comes in a lot and brags about his nights with women and so on and so on. He pretty much is straight forward in the fact that he doesn't do relationships, however, he only sleeps with one woman at any given time. So if one week he is with Tiffany he won't go hook up with Beth that same week, but he doesn't exclusively date the same person. I hope that makes sense. lol Basically Aaron has commitment issues. See that was so much easier to say. 

Anyways Jasmine is known as Mac to the guys at the station and while at the wedding the comment on how hawt she is all dressed up. I love that this book comes from both Mac's point of view and Aaron's because we get to see things that aren't always spoken. And I think it just makes books all the better...but that's my own personal opinion. I find this whole wedding thing funny because all the guys have the same thought, but it is Aaron who thinks, "She'd transformed herself into a woman. Obviously, he'd always known she was a female, but now, she was a woman. One with more curves than a racetrack." So this tells me a few things about Mac. First off either she wears a ton of baggy clothes or she mostly kind of looks like a train wreck when she goes to the station. For him to say I mean I know she's a female and all but now she looks like a woman (because there's a difference). 

Mac and Aaron have a lot of verbal sparring matches at work and that's pretty much the foundation of their friendship. So as the night progresses Mac and Aaron end up dancing together for a song and I this is truly the turning point for these two. Mac begins to speak (in her head) about her feelings for Aaron or at least being attracted to him. After this somewhat awkward moment Aaron ends up offering to take Mac home. Because nothing bad could happen with this right? So as they are talking in the car before she get's out, Aaron kisses her and then backs off and ohhh wait Mac comes right back in to keep the kiss lasting. And while things get hawt and heavy for these two reality sets and and Mac comes to her senses and makes Aaron leave. Whew crisis averted. 

It's at the point we learn a lot about these two and their background stories. Aaron's isn't all it's cracked up to be and honestly I understand why he doesn't want to commit to anyone. Now Mac's history. OMG I understand why she is the way she is. Stupid Craig. But it's funny because while these two are trying to not fall for each other (because it's kind of prohibited at work for obvious reasons) the wedding has changed their friendship. Aaron comes over to Mac's house pretty much in all his spare moments and helps out and they learn a lot more about each other, what's beyond the surface that they share at work. 

They have sooooo many fun and awesome moments together that you can't help root for these two. However, the ever faithful ever dumb Y chromosome shows his face and dumb just falls out of his mouth. Aaron made a promise to Mac that he said he would never break and the first chance he gets he does it. Now while it was kind of an accident, the reality is that he should have known better and OMG I just wanted to slap him. Idiot. I think my favorite scene is when Mac has to go down a down pipe to get a guy that is stuck (while some flooding is going on). She does something and says something (I can't tell you because it will give away what makes this scene pure awesome) and knows something will happen and when she talks about colliding with a something I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!! heheh I'm pretty sure I shouted out a YES and I got weird looks from strangers. 

I loved this book. It had too many good scenes and made me laugh and swoon and feel sad during some parts. Pretty much everything a good weekend romantic read should have!! LOVED IT!!! So make sure to go get your copy.

Incinerate