Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Since the death of their mother, Josten Applewhite has done what he’s had to do to take care of his little brother and keep their small family together. But in an instant, a stroke of bad luck tears down what little home he’s managed to build, and Jos and Isaac end up on the streets.

That’s where Officer Kip Rogers finds them, and even though he knows he should let the proper authorities handle things, he cannot find it in his heart to turn them away, going so far as to invite them to stay in his home until they get back on their feet. With the help of Kip and his friends, Jos starts to rebuild his life. But experience has taught him nothing comes for free, and the generosity seems too good to be true—just like everything about Kip.

Kip’s falling hard for Jos, and he likes the way Jos and Isaac make his big house feel like a home. But their arrangement can’t be permanent, not with Jos set on making his own way. Then a distant relative emerges, determined to destroy Jos’s family, and Kip knows Jos needs him—even if he’s not ready to admit it.

Book Review

The first two books of the ‘Carlisle Cops’ series are both about men who have had to overcome the odds before being able to live a normal life and find love. This third volume has the same central idea, showing how determination and courage can overcome any obstacle, yet is very different. After physical disfigurement in book one and a dark past causing abandonment issues in book two, Andrew Grey focuses on homelessness and its effect in this third installment. And as devastating as it is for an adult like Jos to deal with the helplessness and hopelessness of his situation, the suffering is different and in many ways worse for his four-year-old brother Isaac. Finding the right way to help, without crushing Jos’s self-confidence even more, is a tough job and Kip, a cop and colleague Of Red and Carter’s, faces more problems than he suspected.

Jos has had a hard time since his and Isaac’s mother died. She was an alcoholic and never really provided more than a basic home for them, but they had a fixed address and a roof over their heads. Now that she is gone, and Jos has lost his job and the apartment he found but was barely able to afford, he is living on the streets. Both he and Isaac are constantly hungry, never feel safe, and have discovered that shelters are not the solution because when they are full, anyone not there in time is out of luck. Jos does the best he can to keep Isaac fed, often giving him his own food as well, but it is a losing battle. When Officer Kip finds them in a doorway where they can’t stay and ends up helping them, Jos can’t believe his luck. It takes him a long time to be able to begin to trust that Kip is not going to abandon him and Isaac. Fighting for independence becomes Jos’s most important goal.

Kip never expected to get involved in a homeless guy’s case the way he does when he saves Jos from an attack by a lowlife taking advantage of people who have no choice but to live on the streets. Kip is a cop because he wants to help, but he has never taken a personal interest before. As they get to know each other and try to make sure Isaac can legally stay with Jos, Kip begins to develop feelings for Jos. He is hesitant about expressing them, trying to make sure he doesn’t take advantage of Jos, but when Jos takes the initiative, there is no stopping them. Kip does a great job supporting Jos, to the point where he lets him move into his own apartment despite the fact he wants both guys to stay with him – and almost loses everything.

If you like stories about men who defy the odds by never giving up, if you want to know more about the effect of homelessness on young children, and if you’re looking for a story full of emotion, heartbreak, desperation, and an indomitable will to survive, then you will probably like this novel as much as I did. I found its message of hope very uplifting.  

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook, print and audio
Length	Novel, 200 pages/62264 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	11-January-2016
Price	$6.99 ebook, $14.99 paperback, $14.99 bundle, $19.95 audiobook
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/fire-and-rain-by-andrew-grey-1771-b