Strengthened by Fire

Second installment of the “By Fire” series. This is not really a standalone and the first book should be read before this one to get the full picture of what is going on leading up to this book. This is another short and quick book by Andrew Grey covering more of the firefighters Dirk and Lee’s story.

Dirk and Lee have been dating a while now, but their fire station is in jeopardy of closing down. The firefighters need to find a solution to keeping it open and their jobs safe. While Dirk and Lee simultaneously work on keeping their relationship together.

I freaking love the idea that Lee had, it is brilliant and I was not surprised at all that Dirk kind of hated it. Dirk still has his moments of being a completely closed minded idiot. And they are both still dealing with Dirks dad randomly showing up and causing problems. I thought this book was fun a fun part of their story though. It also really shows what all the firefighters were willing to do and how they all come together as brothers working together in order to keep their station and jobs going. It was nice seeing Dirk finally getting his head out of his butt once again and realizing that Lee is the perfect guy for him.

Audio – I really liked this narration by Peter a lot more than the first book. I think that he really found his stride in the character voicing in this book and appreciate the effort he put into making all the characters really come to life and make their personalities really shine through. Good Job..

Lee and Dirk continue to build their relationship. It was interesting to watch the relationship continue to develop. They still have some rough spots but they seem to be headed in the right direction.

Strengthened by Fire picks up a few months after Redemption by Fire but the chemistry and problems (mostly thanks to Dirk being . . . Dirk) are no less powerful. As you know, I don’t often do the novella or short but after reading Redemption by Fire I Had to read this one, and am I ever happy that I did!
Dirk is still an asshat, BUT his heart finally makes a true appearance, and in both cases, WOW! I think I’d be like Lee and put up with Dirk’s attitude if it also meant I got the sweetie underneath. And the ending . . . well, not gonna tell you. You just have to go get a copy to see why Dirk melts me. ;)
I love the immense show of growth in Dirk both within Strengthened by Fire and from the very beginning in Redemption. Oh, and just a note for all you Andrew fans – Some of the guys from the …Of Love series make appearances and are their wonderful selves, lol. I love how Andrew’s stories often touch on each other.
I can’t wait for Burnished by Fire to come out – October 2012 – to find out how Dirk’s father is finally dealt with. He makes an appearance in Strengthened and tries to convince Dirk he can be ‘cured’. Yea, he went there! I’m chomping at the bit to see how Lee and Dirk finally make out in the Fire series.