I just finished this book and I am so glad I signed up. Ho-lee Cow! I’m still feeling goosebumps. I read a ton of romance and drama, including first responder stuff because my husband is a police officer, but this one is totally different than your average “first responder romance”. For the record, I think it’s safe to say this isn’t purely a “first responder romance”. Yes, it definitely has those “first responder” moments, but it’s way deeper than that. It’s different than ANY romance I’ve read, but in a very good way. I have to admit, I didn’t pay close attention to the description, so I totally missed that Connor is the paramedic and his new love interest is actually the cop, but it totally works.

First off, the opening chapter is heart-wrenching. The author doesn’t ease you into the story. You get thrown right into a late night call that turns into the worst nightmare imaginable for the main guy, Connor. I don’t remember the last time I read a book that had me asking what happens next so fast.

Honestly, these characters were different from what I’m used to. The author took so many classic tropes and completely removed the clichés I have come to expect. And when I say they removed them, I don’t just mean they changed them in subtle ways, I mean they totally took some of those tropes, flipped them over, and dropped them squarely on their butts. For example, in a lot of the romances I have read, the ex-wife or ex-husband is written as a bad guy to either make the new love interest look good or to make life difficult for the new love interest. Not here. I’m not trying to give spoilers, but Lexi made a terrible mistake, and the way she and Connor handle their divorce and actually work to build a friendship is so rare and beautiful. It felt like watching real adults navigate a real, messy life.

Brandi is fantastic too. She’s your typical “sunshine” to Connor’s “grumpy”, and it’s beautiful. She’s smart, she’s tough, and she has this incredible patience with Connor while he tries to deal with his baggage and learn to trust again. She is very much the anti-“gotta get me a man” new love. Their chemistry is such a slow burn (and I mean Slow with a capital S), but it’s sooo worth it. Plus, the whole first-responder aspect feels 100% authentic. The dark humor and the tight-knit close friendships added so much life to the pages. Again, no spoilers, but I actually asked my husband to read a few pages and he agreed that the author maintained an authenticity not often seen in novels, both in regard to the way they talk to each other and in some of the actual on-the-job details.

Seriously, I felt so many different emotions while I was reading this book. I gasped at the shocking parts, I laughed at the humor, I cried during the sad parts, and the ending legitimately made me cry happy tears. I actually felt the way I think the author wants readers to feel as I read through this and it is definitely something I will read again.

This isn't just a basic boy-meets-girl story. If you want a heartfelt story about navigating a new future and human growth, this definitely fits that bill. Just make sure you have your box of tissues handy, because I guarantee you’re going to need them. If I could rate this 10 stars, I would. Since I can’t, 5 stars all day!