Book: Cleansing Flame
Series: Rekindled Flame #2
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Publication date: March 10, 2017
Cover Artist: L.C. Chase
Length: 200 pages
Reviewed by Meredith
Synopsis
Life has been grinding Dayne Mills down almost for as long as he can remember. First he lost the love of his life in an accident that also left him with a permanent injury, and then his mother passed away a year later. When his house burns to the ground, it’s the last straw. He can’t take any more, and if it wasn’t for kind and handsome firefighter Lawson Martin offering him a hand up and a place to stay, he doesn’t know what he’d do. Dayne would love for his relationship with Lawson to evolve into something beyond charity, but he knows going after a man so far out of his league will only lead to yet more heartache. It’s best to just keep his mind on his research.
It’s that research that leads Dayne to an old student journal that not only provides clues to the Native American heritage Lawson has been searching for, but chronicles a century-old love story. The tale that unfolds might be just what Dayne and Lawson need to remind them that no matter how dark life becomes, love can find a way to shine through.
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Review
I’m sensing a theme with this series from Andrew Grey. In Rekindled Flame (Book 1) Morgan was a firefighter and Richard was a former marine bound to a wheelchair. They found an epic love, a second chance romance. In Cleansing Flame we have Lawson and Dayne. Lawson is a firefighter (that’s actually not the theme I’m referring to) Dayne is a student whose house burns down but he has leg issues. After an accident has left his legs in bad shape most of the time he can’t walk without a cane. Now I don’t know if it’s intentional but I noticed the theme. I think it’s great actually. I don’t think I’ve read nearly enough books where we shine the spotlight on the fact we all aren’t models with no issues. In this series, we see that life isn’t perfect. Bad luck is a thing, and we don’t all look like David Beckham.
Dayne is a student at Dickenson and one of his projects has him looking into an Indian school that ran in Carlisle for a short time in the 1900’s. When Dayne comes across a journal, well several, of a student that once attended the school this story gets very intriguing. I liked that Dayne shared this with Lawson and all the connections the past and the present bring to this story.
The only problem I had with this story was how disbelieving Dayne was when Lawson told him he wanted him. I get that his legs and past experienced have tainted Dayne’s outlook on romance. But Lawson was relentless in his pursuit of Dayne’s heart. Just when I thought Dayne was believing him he’d shift back into to the whole, “Let me find my own place.” And “How can you want me.” I wish that was dialed back a bit but that is my only issue.
This is a love story that tells a tale within it. We follow Dayne and Lawson but we also follow Ted and Matthew through the journals. I enjoyed this story.
I want to make mention to a secondary character in this book… Bobby. Now, I have no idea if Andrew Grey will be writing his story but I am hopeful. He was only in this book for a blip but it was a glittery fabulous blip and I hope to see more of him.
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