Whispers and Wildfire by Claire Kingsley

He’ll save her from the nightmare in her past.

Luke Haven has an adrenaline problem. As in, he can’t get enough.

His squeaky-clean, nice-guy reputation in his small town isn’t a lie. But it’s not the whole truth, either. Although his real problem? He’s not even sure what he’s searching for.

Melanie Andolini never thought she’d be starting over in her thirties. But moving back to her hometown is exactly the fresh start she needs.

Until she runs into Luke Haven, and things get complicated. Really complicated. Although it feels like a lifetime since they dated in high school, sparks fly as soon as they’re face to face—hot enough to light up the whole town.

Melanie blazes into Luke’s life like wildfire—messy and chaotic, beautiful and tempting. But they played with fire once and both got burned. They’re not going down that road again.

Except Melanie brought home a secret that still haunts her dreams. And when her nightmares turn all too real, Luke will risk everything to save her.

And make her his—this time, forever.

My Review

I have enjoyed many other books by this author, so of course I had to read this one as well. I highly recommend all of Claire Kingsley’s books for their storyline, amazing heroes, and banter. I love the found family and small-town characters. I love that this book is dedicated to firefighters. 

Luke Haven is an adrenaline junkie and gets his fix with illegal racing outside of his sheriff brother’s jurisdiction. Of course, living in a small town like Tilikum, you don’t want to be arrested by your brother. He also owns a custom auto shop, is a single guy, and loves his family. 

Melanie is thirty-something, mid-divorce, and a hot mess. Her ex is a lawyer, and she has some creative language to describe him.  

Melanie and Luke had a high school thing, but they seem to be more enemies now, and their interactions are more like “Sweet Home Alabama.” I love it. 

Melanie has some issues with nightmares, petty sass, and her overall disaster of a life.

Her voice is fun, but her skill level is amazing. The only issue I have is that her last name makes me think of food whenever I read it. Why is she named after a sausage?

Also, this lady is a dramatic as they come, it is a little bit of the top, and if find myself resonating with Luke more than Melanie. She is the drama queen in high school who can’t stop acting when they call cut the scene. Melanie does take the job at Luke’s so I guess the forced proximity will be a make it or break it for them. 

“Because there was something about her. A warmth that drew me in, like a fire on a cold night. I glanced at her from the corner of my eye. Could I bask in her heat without getting burned?”- Luke

Oh, the suspense part of the plot comes into play with an inmate’s release from prison, his obsession with an unknown victim who has gotten away from him. This is slightly predictable, but I enjoy that I can put the pieces together mostly, not the how, but definitely the why. I also love that the reader knows more than the characters. 

For all my chronic illness ladies, you might just enjoy how much Melanie loves pickles. I know it’s not for the same reasons, but omg she resonates anyway.  Between the new adult races, the pinning and jealousy their relationship is starting to evolve from less fire and ice to more adult interactions. They are finally starting to admit that even though they failed in high school, they never forget their first love. 

The SPS auction is fantastic, omg, I love it. I love Luke Havens’ overprotective, touch her and unalive mentality; it’s so swoony. But the creeper in this story is enough to give you the heebie jeebies. All the tension and worry finally ignite into more than just words, and we get office steamy scenes. Oh, the wine tasting date is iconic and swoony. Melanie’s secrets, trauma, and all the skeletons in her closet come out in all the talks with Luke.

“I wanted to keep her safe and secure, so she could sleep without fear. Be the wall that guarded her, no matter what it cost me. Except I didn’t know if I could. Because if I went down that road again, it was going to cost me everything.”- Luke

The stalker is hitting close to home, and I love Luke’s protective instincts, but I don’t think either of them knows what’s truly coming. Yes, this is gonna be a last-act edge-of-your-seat kinda story. Omg, the day spent at the lake sounds so nice, especially with the hot summer air.  Of course, he would strike their right as I was thinking he wouldn’t get the chance. 

Awe, so this stalker guy does have a history with her, it isn’t just a random person picking a random target. Oh, this gets really good with a wildfire bearing down on them and an absolutely nail-biting ride right at the end of the story. I love how the family and town come together in times of need. After the much-anticipated rescue, the author transitions this romance into autumn. 

“There would be new challenges to face, but also new experiences, new joys, new adventures. No matter what, we’d be together. That was what it was all about.” – Melanie

The end of the story is better than the beginning.  I love the epilogue of the story, and it was a really great read. I wish the author would explain Melanie Pickle’s obsession, but I kinda love that the character had a quirk like that and that it was relatable. 

I felt like the suspense wasn’t as drawn out in this book, and the emotional rollercoaster was very quick. I like the overall second-chance love story as it is one of my favorite tropes in romance books. Luke was swoony, hot, and maybe a little crazy, but definitely book boyfriend material. The overall storyline was midlife fiction with a little suspense, a lot of romance, and a heaping dose of small-town charm. 

If you would like to read Whispers and Wildfire by Claire Kinglsey, this is available on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

If you love this book, you may also enjoy books with these tags and categories: Second Chance Romance, Romantic Suspense, and Interconnected Standalone.

This book is part of a series of interconnected standalone books to get the entire small-town vibes. I do recommend reading all the books, but it can be read as a standalone. But warning, once you pick up one book about TiIikum, you might just be hooked. You can get the entire Haven Brothers Series of romantic suspense stories on Amazon.