Light My Fire

LIGHT MY FIRE is the eleventh instalment in J. Kenner’s contemporary, adult MAN OF THE MONTH novella, romance series focusing on a fund raiser for the popular Austin, Texas bar known as The Fix. This is writer and podcaster /voice actor Griffin ‘Blaize’ Draper, and actress Beverly Martin’s story line. LIGHT MY FIRE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary although I recommend reading the series in order for backstory and cohesion. SOME BACKGROUND: The Fix on Sixth, a local Austin hangout and bar, is in desperate need of renovations and a quick influx of cash so a plan is put into motion, by a group of regulars, a plan that includes a Man of the Month calendar competition, a recipe book, and a reality show aimed at rehabbing the bar. Told from dual third person perspectives (Griffin and Beverly) LIGHT MY FIRE follows the slow building romance between writer and podcaster /voice actor Griffin ‘Blaize’ Draper, and actress Beverly Martin. For months Griffin and Beverly have been dancing around once another but Griffin hides the painful reminders of a childhood accident, an accident that has left our hero both emotionally and physically scarred. When his most recent manuscript is selected for Beverly’s next movie, our leading couple must work together in an effort to prepare the manuscript for final reading. What ensues is the barely veiled palpable sexual energy and attraction between Beverly and Griffin, and the potential fall-out as Griffin struggles with the paparazzi, Hollywood’s perception of beauty, and the scars that are attracting some unwanted attention. LIGHT MY FIRE is a quick read; a story of the physical vs the mental; of one man’s struggle to move on with his life, and of one woman who has fallen in love with his heart and his soul. The premise is engaging, revealing and emotional; the romance is passionate and seductive; the characters are real and energetic. LIGHT MY FIRE is a tender, sweet and spicy story where love does conquer all.

Griffin Blaize/Draper might be the fiercest Man of the Month hero. Die-hard readers were first introduced to Griffin in Wicked Grind, his sister Kelsey's story, which took place in Los Angeles. Griffin moved to Austin to pursue his own career and often used our friendly neighborhood bar, The Fix on Sixth, as his working office writing scripts for his podcasts. As a regular, he has witnessed all the previous Man of the Month contests, with our heroine, Beverly Martin, a rising movie star, as the emcee. The two of them end up spending a lot of time together editing a screenplay they co-wrote, which has been optioned by a studio to turn into a movie. The story is told from a dual POV so we know each harbors strong feelings for the other but each are afraid to make the first move and possibly upset the friendship balance. When I found out Griffin would have his own story, I was very curious to know how Ms. Kenner was going to incorporate a physically scarred Hero into a "calendar model". Light My Fire follows the beauty and the beast story trope, and Kenner did not disappoint by taking a wonderful friendship and building up a combustible romance for these two! I was on the edge trying to figure out how Griffin and Beverly would reach their HEA, and I loved the catalyst that pushed Griffin to a satisfying ending!

I’ve been waiting for Griffin’s book ever since he appeared in the first book of the Wicked Trilogy. While this book can be read as a stand alone, if you haven’t read any of the other Man of the Month books, than this will come off as an insta-love story. Just like Book 10 this one takes place from the Mr. October to Mr. November “crowning” of Man of the month. If you have been reading the series than you know the ground work was already laid out for this couple. It’s amazing what you’ll over come for the woman that you love as proven by Griff. Also could Beverly be anymore perfect with truly seeing past his scars. Even though we’ve met Griff and know his history, I really wish his book would have been more novel than novella length. Also an additional issue I have is the character Matthew Holt (I think this character appears in other books) has the same first name and initials as Matthew Herrington from In Too Deep (Mr. October), it’s a little confusing.