When the Smoke Clears - Review and Contest

Summary: As a member of the North Cascades Smokejumpers, Alexia Allen always takes care of the equipment that keeps her safe. So when she nearly dies in a fire due to equipment failure, she knows something is up. Ordered to take time off while the investigation continues, Alexia makes a last-minute decision to recuperate at her mother's home and attend her high school reunion. Yet trouble seems to be following her, and within hours of arriving home she's involved with murder, arson--and a handsome detective. But the conflicts ahead are nothing compared to the ghosts of her past. As she strives to remember and forgive her family history, she must also decide if the secret she's been guarding for the last ten years must finally come to light.

My Take: Before you start reading this book take a deep breath -- you'll need it. The action starts right away and doesn't stop. The author did a great job of keeping us flipping pages to see what would happen next and how Alexia was going to get through everything that was being thrown at her.

Those of you who have read my reviews before know I love characters and I thought Alexia was well-developed and I liked her. Complex characters are fabulous because they feel like real people. There were contrasting characteristics in Alexia that made her very appealing. She was a strong person - a firefighter - a hero. Yet she had a vulnerability in that she had been running from her past and had family issues . . . things that gave her a decidedly softer side.

I want to thank the publisher for sharing the book with me, though it in no way influenced my review.

CONTEST
In honor of revamping my blog, I've decided to pass it on to another lucky reader. The drawing will be held on 30 April, so you have until midnight the 29th (CST) to enter. You must leave a valid email address for it to count. You get an extra entry if you follow my blog, become a follower, or post it on your own blog (share the link). If someone comes to enter and tells me you referred them, you'll also get an extra entry. This drawing is only for those in the United States and is void where prohibited by law. Good luck!