The Fireman and the Flirt: Single Dads Club, Book 4

The Fireman and the Flirt Book 4 in the Single Dad Club series Derek and his pre-teen daughter move back to his home town of Sourwood after his wives passing. Though he’s sad and mourning it’s kind of a complicated situation since their marriage wasn’t as strong and loving as everyone around him thought. Crashing with his brother and his new husband along with his nephews until he gets his own place. Finding the right house isn’t a rush for him, but he know he has to get a place to 1 get off the fold out bed, and 2 so his daughters school won’t be disrupted. His brothers best friend Cary is now a realtor in their little town, he remembers Cary from their high school days mostly that he hung around the house a lot and was kind of odd. In the process of looking for his new home, he also seems to be in the process of finding he really enjoys spending time with Cary Perkowski, maybe more than he thought he would. Cary has always been the towns weirdo, a rumor from his high school days when he was still closeted has been a huge weight on his back into adulthood. His dating track recorded is almost nonexistent, when people get close his mind goes back to high school Cary that was büllied. When Cary’s best friend Cal tells him over lunch that his brother who was the star of all of his high school fantasies was back in town and needing to find a house, and he was the man for the job, alarm bells went off! A note left in Derek’s locker that either was ignored or never seen was all…

Casey is excited when Derek, his high school crush, returns to his home town. As they work together to find Derek a home, an explosive attraction brings excitement to the story.

***This is my honest and voluntary review for the ARC I received.*** This book is full of humor, heart, and heat - all things that I associate with A.J. Truman. This book has lots of feels and I was so happy reading it. I really loved how protective Derek became over Cary and how both of them pushed through their nervousness to share their vulnerabilities with one another. I am a big fan of the honest conversations in this story. This book has some serious spice as well! Cary has had a crush on Derek since high school. It was obviously great getting more Cal (and Russ and the boys) in this book, since he is Derek’s younger brother and Cary’s friend. Mitch, Charlie, Leo, and Dusty make their appearances too. Derek didn’t hang out with Cary back in high school but twenty-ish years later, Derek leaves Alaska and returns to Sourwood with his daughter, Jolene (great name and song, btw) after the death of his wife. Cary and Derek have great rapport. They hit it off almost immediately and I loved how much Derek enjoys Cary’s quirks. Derek is even better than Cary fantasized about in high school and I was happy when things took a turn for both of them. The MCs have sizzling hot chemistry. Beyond that, Derek’s reaction to Cary’s letter, stargazing with Jolene, and their ice rink date were some seriously cute moments. There is a little bit of angst in the book in terms of a secret that Derek has about Paula and Cary has about a rumor from high school. Cary definitely has some…

A solid read, not very spectacular. Was a bit of angst, more the character getting in their own way and giving up

First of all, I am not ready for my time with the Single Dads Club to come to an end 🥺. I'm just not. I didn't realize that my time in Sourwood is not over because there are SO many more stories to read, and that made me beyond happy 😍! I really enjoyed Derek and Cary. These two are so different, but both brought smiles to my faces throughout the whole book. With the exception of some trauma related instances, it is impossible not to be happy when spending time with Cary. I think this may have been the book where I yelled at the main characters the most 🤣. What? Sometimes, they just need some verbal coaching to get back on track and not say or do things that are against their best interest 🤷‍♀️. I am looking forward to my next trip to Sourwood. I think I am headed to visit the teachers at South Rock High, who I met in book 3. I can't wait!