The release blitz to this entry was posted earlier. Have a look here.
After the Fire by Felice Stevens
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
*~~*ARC kindly provided by the author to me in exchange for an honest review *~~*
A single bullet destroyed the dreams of Dr. Jordan Peterson. With his lover dead, Jordan descends into an endless spiral of self-destruction that nearly costs him his friends, his career and his life. When Jordan finds himself working closely with the aloof Lucas Conover, the investment banker’s mysterious past and unexpected kindness shocks him back into a life and emotions he’d thought lost forever.
The betrayal by the foster brother he’d worshiped, taught Lucas Conover never to trust or believe in anyone. Living a solitary life doesn’t free him of the nightmare of his youth; it reinforces his belief that he would never fall in love. When the death of one of his clients forces him to work closely with Dr. Jordan Peterson, he meets a person whose suffering exceeds his own. Though Jordan rejects his effort to help, something within Luke pushes him discover more about the first man to ever get under his skin.
As Luke lets down his guard and Jordan lets go of his pain, desire takes control. Each man must come to terms with past struggles if they are to create a future together. And learning to trust in themselves and love again after tragedy and a lifetime of pain, may be the only thing that saves them in the end.
This is a re-release of the original version published in 2015. It has been re-edited with over 4000 words of additional content added.
When I read the snippet at the end of A Walk through Fire I knew this book won’t be easy. We have the story of Jordan, the friend of Drew who lost his fiancé in a gunshot. As the reader we knew the reason from the book, but I can say you can read the book without former knowledge and still be captured.
It is hard to see Jordan so devastated at the beginning of the book. You really suffer with him but you have also the minor character – and former main character – in mind. You really connect to the displayed figures. They feel real, the suffering is understandable and reasonable.
Jordan is mourning and has no interest in seeing another man, he isn’t able to let go or to get his drive back. He more and more struggles and is in danger to be lost in the dark of his minds.
Lucas is the one who helped him out of this struggle – though the start of their relationship isn’t the easiest. Lucas is astonished to see a similar soul in Jordan. And soon he can’t help himself to be thinking more and more about the doctor who seems to have lost it all.
The book is a mix of ups and downs and some parts are hard for the reader. At a personal note I can say sometimes I wanted to smack Lucas because of his anger towards his brother Ash, the hero of A Walk Through Fire. Maybe this is the reason I couldn’t connect this much to him than with Ash or Drew.
On the other hand, Felice Stevens did again a great job in showing ambivalence character in her books. They are real, they are honest and because of several reason they are in some parts at their bottom point.
It is really good to see how well the cracked parts are put together, how hearts can heal and be saved when the right person is by your side.
Jordan and Lucas had troubles to go through – individual reason not to move on – but at the end the connection between the guys and through all the pages palpable.
What I really love about Felice’s story is the heavyness mixed with the happy ends, the good revelations and outcomes.
Again a great book, a book where you suffer with the character, where you laugh and cry with.
5 out of 5 stars. And I can tell the last book in the series will be as awesome. The snippet at the end was amazing and Tash, who we got introduced is a charming person but also troubling with dark emotions.
There was a release blitz earlier this day. Check my post out. 🙂
Mikku-chan 
2 thoughts on “Review: After the Fire”