SEX & THE SINGLE FIREMAN by Jennifer Bernard: A Review

 

Sex & The Single Fireman is by noted romance author Jennifer Bernard. The story centers around firefighters Sabina--that’s Sabina, not Sabrina--and her “boss” Chief Roman. The two first meet when Sabina takes a trip to Las Vegas and she nearly has a one night stand with a “hunky” stranger but backs out at the last minute (damn it!). Of course, it turns out that said “hunky” stranger was her new “boss” Chief Roman, much to both their surprises. Anyway, as is usually the case in romance novels, both Sabina and Roman are harboring secrets: Roman’s first wife Maureen--whom they have a son Luke together--was also a firefighter who died while trying to rescue others in the Twin Towers on 9/11 while Sabina used to be a child TV star on a popular show and, once the show was over to get some much-needed cash, she appeared topless in a B-movie. No one at the station knows about Sabina’s past until it’s revealed by her unscrupulous former agent Max and her estranged fame-hungry mother Annabelle, who had co-starred with her daughter on the TV show, who both come back into her life and reveal it to everyone, much to her mortification, especially when Max drops off a copy of her B-movie at the fire station where she has a topless shower scene. Max and Annabelle’s goal is to persuade--i.e. force--Sabina to do a reunion show, which, of course, Sabina has no interest in doing since all she wanted is a “normal” life, as she rather heatedly informs both Max and her estranged mother whom she hadn’t spoken to since leaving the show. Of course, during all of this chaos in her life, Sabina tries to decide what her true feelings are for Chief Roman (and vice versa). Things between them get even more intense when Sabina gets trapped inside a burning building and Roman frantically rushes in to rescue her and ends up saving her life. While she is recuperating, both Sabina and Roman attempt to come to terms with their growing feelings for one another. Again, as is ALWAYS the case with romance novels, the two eventually reconcile their romantic feelings towards each other and get together (but I, of course, won’t tell you how they get together as there‘s kind of a twist, so you’ll just have to read the book, all right?). Actually, Sex & The Single Fireman is a pretty good read even for those who aren’t fans of romance fiction (and I’m looking at YOU, fellas!). I myself picked it up--even though I am of the male persuasion--because, for one, the title had the word “sex” in it, and two, I thought the cover model was pretty hot (I’m talking about the female model, you pervs!). Though, I must say, the title was a bit misleading because there’s not a sex scene, uh, excuse me, love scene until about halfway through the book--chapter 18, as I recall--and another one a few chapters later (both of which are probably the most wildly descriptive “love” scenes I think I’ve ever read in a romance novel!). There’s also some humorous scenes in the book; like, for instance, when one of the beefed-up firefighters who goes by the name of Vader enlists Sabina’s help in trying to convince his girlfriend Cherie he’s not a homophobe so she takes him to a “gay” bar where things, of course, don’t go quite as planned (and, again, you’ll just have to read the book to see what I’m talking about, okay?). This book would’ve made a decent Harlequin Blaze novel were it not for its length (close to 400 pages) and, of course, it contained more sex, uh, I mean, love scenes (damn it!).