The Reception is the second installment of a serialized novella prequel to J. R. Ward’s new contemporary romance series, Firefighters. This part was equally as good as the first and way hotter.;-) It takes place on the day of the proverbial wedding from hell. I won’t give away what happens, but I still stand by the assessment I made following the first half that the (un)happy couple is doomed. Luckily, though, they aren’t the focus of the story. That honor goes to Danny and Anne, who will also become the hero and heroine of Consumed, the first full-length novel in the series.

We learn a little bit more about Danny and Anne, all of which intrigues me. Danny, it seems, has lost his entire family, so his firefighter brethren are his only family. He’s been a playboy for most of his adult life, never committing and generally only engaging in one-night stands. But with Anne, he feels completely different, like he’s finally found someone special with whom he could see spending his life. Too bad Anne doesn’t really feel the same way… yet. She appears to have some complicated family dynamics. She’s also worked her butt off to get where she is as a female firefighter in a male-dominated world, so she isn’t about to give that up for a man. Unfortunately, due to a no-fraternization policy, that’s exactly what she’d have to do in order to have a relationship with Danny, so even though he tempts her, she can’t allow herself to go there. The only thing she will allow is one incredible, steamy night with him that was utterly delicious. A part of me was a little frustrated with Anne when she clearly breaks Danny’s heart, but of course, if there wasn’t a major conflict, which I fully expected, this would be the end of their story and there wouldn’t be another novel about them.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Reception and thought it was a great wrap-up to this prequel. There was a third part, but since it was my understanding that it was merely an excerpt of Consumed and I already have that book at the top of my TBR pile, I didn’t feel the need to read it. I am, however, extremely eager to get to Consumed to find out how Danny and Anne finally get their HEA. If this prequel is anything to go by, it should be amazing. ( )

I've read both prequels and the first book in this series. I can't wait to get started on the next book in line. I love the strong female firefighter. It's a refreshing take on a contemporary romance. 💜 ( )

The Reception
The Wedding From Hell, Book 2

I Picked Up This Book Because: Continue the series

The Characters:

Anne:
Danny:


The Story:

Things get hot up in here. Well they were, then they weren’t. I can’t wait to ride the roller coaster with these two in Consumed.

The Random Thoughts:

4 Stars ( )