Fire in the Heart: Metahuman Files Classified Novella 3, Hailey Turner

It would appear that Sean and Alexei just can't catch a break.  A wedding, a honeymoon, a whole lot of fire and explosions...what moment in their lives would be complete without those?  There's so much love, passion, and respect that these men have for one another that most of us die-hard fans of theirs are wishing they could have a bit of uninterrupted peace, and yet, if we're really honest with ourselves, we're hoping even harder that they'll get to show off their own brand of badassery while they watch one another's six.  And here we get it all.

There's something addictive about not just this series, but the couples in them.  For me Sean and Alexei are honestly my favorites.  All that they've overcome is immense and that they're finally embarking on their kind of happily-ever-after is truly triumphant.  But since there're a few strings from their trials that haven't been singed off yet, we get one of them here that pulls them from their honeymoon into something worthy of the action and crazy we've come to love from the series.

What I wasn't exactly a fan of was that this ended up being an explosive non-ending to that particular string.  Yes, this was absolutely exciting.  Yes, I got more from characters I love.  Yes, there were definitely some fantastic sexy times.  But there wasn't really an ending.  It was more disappointment and frustration that one of their adversaries...well, I'll avoid the full spoiler.  I'm not exactly sure why this was the type of confrontation that was chosen to pull them from their honeymoon bed of insane hotness.

Speaking of that hotness, what I loved most here in this story was how that hotness wasn't tempered, but increased by the emotional depth of it.  Their tender, sultry looks were palpable and are absolutely the stuff of daydreams.  This was everything.  And if we put that with the fantastic writing on top of the action that is definitely edge-of-your-seat reading, it's still a big win.  It's hard to stay mad at the non-resolution resolution because it just means that we're not done with their world.  When that day comes it's going to be a sad, probably devastating day for me.  Until then, I'm adding this to my re-read pile.

*$2.99 on Amazon!

Surrender to vows.

Staff Sergeant Alexei Dvorkin has come a long way since being turned into a metahuman, and all he wants to do is marry the man he loves. A wedding is easy, but it’s the honeymoon where his past unexpectedly catches up with him. 

A future together.

All Agent Sean Delaney wanted was a romantic honeymoon with his new husband. When he and Alexei stumble into a fellow operative’s mission on the luxury gambling resort island Fortuna-sur-mer, they get more than they bargained for in their newly-minted civilian lives.

Destined to burn.

Forced to choose between staying and joining the mission or leaving to stay safe and postpone their honeymoon, Alexei and Sean make the only decision they can—to fight.