Torched by Chloe Stowe

Title: Torched

Series: Hellesgate 01

Author: Chloe Stowe

Genre: Contemporary/ Erotic

Length: Novel (178pgs)

Publisher: Ravenous Romance (January 16, 2011)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥4Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb:  A house burns on the stark Kansas horizon…

Its flames make a New York businessman abandon the back road in hopes of helping, in hopes of being the hero instead of the villain for once…

His nerve is immediately tested as he witnesses a man run into the inferno. As the New Yorker risks all to save the stranger, his life becomes forever embroiled in both a madman’s deadly game of fire and revenge, and a soldier’s fight not only to save his family but to save his own soul…

The New Yorker is thirty-two-year-old Matthew Archer. He is a hard man to like, a harder man still to love. Few in the world make an effort at either.

The soldier is twenty-six-year-old Cane Summerfield. He is a hero, a man who gave up his independence to defend his country.

The men are two strong, fierce personalities, from backgrounds as different as heaven and hell. They should never have met, let alone fallen in love… but theirs is a story of Fate riding in on the coattails of sin.

Theirs is a story born of fire…

Review:  Matthew Archer is a businessman on his annual 4-week break from work.  He sees smoke and decides to go to the rescue; he ruins his car, partially falls through a floor and passes out. Cane Summerfield runs into a burning building to save his aunt’s precious memories; as he makes his escape he has to rescue the man who came to rescue him and it’s the start of a weird relationship.

They have to combat a town split down two sides and the person trying to make Cane look crazy and dangerous. They both decide that it’s a one night stand, just one night of hot, dirty, hard sex and continue to try to convince themselves that is all it is.

This is a genuine funny book. At first, I thought it was all going to be dark and dour, but Cane and Matthew are two funny men, their humor, come-backs, snide remarks and just general attitudes had my lips twitching, it doesn’t take away from the danger though. The other characters added to the story and were really just as whacked out as Cane and Matthew.

I think some people may have difficulty with it as it does seem to go off in different directions when they talk but… well I was all right with it (‘cuz I do that myself a bit), so a word of advice if you find yourself lost, it’s not you it’s the characters, they are nuts.

So my honest opinion is … (well helps if you are a bit weird (or is that just me)) if you like your characters quirky and slightly off-beat, your men hot but weird and your story serious but funny then this is definitely for you.