This fall I had the great pleasure to receive several holiday collections and anthologies for review. One of the best parts of this, in addition to reading some great stories, was finding new authors to follow. The Sugar Cookie Sweetheart Swap by Donna Kauffman, Kate Angell, and Kimberly Kincaid is one of these treasures. After I almost literally ate up this book, I quickly searched out each their other books and series and began reading.
The first author I read was Kimberly Kincaid whose The Line Trilogy (Love on the Line/Drawing the Line/Outside the Lines ) intrigued me. I really enjoy culinary-themed romances and each book in this series featured a heroine who was a chef, cook, or restaurant manager. In addition, the heroes were strong, handsome, and oh my, unbelievably HOT (two police detectives and one physician). Kincaid easily intertwined the lives and stories of these protagonists through each of the books.
One character I wanted to know more about was Aaron, the cousin of Dr. Blake Fisher (hero of book three, Outside the Lines). Aaron Fisher was portrayed as the ne’er-do-well, black sheep of the Fisher family. Not because he was a “bad boy,” but because he chose the profession of a firefighter rather than a blue chip, white collar job befitting the descendent of one of the town’s leading families. Going against family expectations, neither Blake nor Aaron seemed to care about societal perception; I really came to like these two guys.
I was so happy to learn that Pushing The Line (The Line Series Book Four features firefighter Aaron Fisher’s story. He’s seen his friends find partners and soul mates and now he thinks he might want to find someone to settle down with, but so far he hasn’t had any luck in that quest. That is until Harper McGee, a free spirited artist and granddaughter of the town’s candy maker sweeps into Brentsville, New York, after her grandmother died.
Aaron rescues Harper from a fire in the candy shop and their interchanges are so hot, I was surprised that some other buildings didn’t spontaneously flame up. In a role reversal, Harper is the one who doesn’t want to settle down – either in a place or in a relationship – and Aaron is the one who’ll need to convince her to take a chance.
I don’t want to give away the plot as you really, really have to read this novella, but you’ll quickly find both of these characters drawing you into their stories. Frankly, if I were to encounter an Aaron in real life? Look out girls, he’d be mine in a shot. Really, consider meeting a nice guy who mixes a sense of adventure with a desire to have home, hearth, and family. Wow! He’s definitely dream material.
Kincaid keeps the reader fascinated as there are plot twists, fabulous secondary characters, and the chance to catch up with the protagonists from the first three novellas in the series. You’ll find yourself laughing out loud more times than I can tell you and when I say there is a steaming, HOT candy making scene that you will not want to miss. Believe me, you’ll never look at pecan clusters the same way again! But I know you’ll be craving them as did I, so am really thankful that the author included a recipe for Grandma Izzy’s Pecan Clusters in Pushing The Line
In conclusion, I’d definitely recommend that you read not only Pushing The Line, but the entire Line series if you don’t already have it on your TBR shelf. I can’t wait to discover what Kincaid will cook up next for the Line series.
Five stars for Kimberly’ Kincaid’s Pushing The Line a HOT, sexy, and fun romance – that will steam your eReader and make you reach for the Kleenex box a few times.
From the Publisher
Line Series Book 4
Pushing The Line by Kimberly Kincaid
Curtis Brown Digital
ASIN B00HS4GFE6
Price $1.99
Free-spirited artist Harper McGee is happy to go wherever the wind takes her…until her flight pattern sends her back to Brentsville, New York for her beloved grandmother’s funeral. Harper’s grief turns to shock, however, when she discovers her grandmother has named her sole proprietor of her candy shop, Luscious. But she has no intention of being anchored to one place, and anyway, she doesn’t know the first thing about running a kitchen or a business. Selling Luscious is the only viable option— until the shop catches fire due to old wiring. Fixing the damage requires major work, and if Harper wants to put it on the market, she needs major help.
Thrill-seeking firefighter Aaron Fisher has never walked away from a challenge or a friend. So when a fellow firefighter is hurt on a call and can’t complete a side job for his contracting company, Aaron’s quick to jump in. He’s done plenty of fix ‘er ups for his buddy in the past, and despite his silver spoon upbringing and his no-holds-barred attitude, swinging a hammer suits Aaron just fine. That is, until he discovers the client is the same impetuous woman he forcibly dragged from the flames of Brentsville’s local candy shop.
The more time Harper and Aaron spend at Luscious, the hotter their attraction burns, daring them both to shed their tough outer layers to reveal the tender desires beneath. But when a buyer makes Harper the offer of a lifetime, she must choose between roots and wings. Can two people who live in the moment learn to see past the moment, or will Aaron and Harper always live their lives pushing the line?
