Review: Under Control

Under Control by Shannon Stacey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Derek Gilman is a happily divorced father of two and a fireman. His life is all about the job and making the most of the time that he gets with his children.

Olivia McGovern has built a very successful business teaching others how to better manage her time. She writes books, she lectures and she helps people and companies one-to-one to improve productivity. Her entire life is mapped out and meticulously planned. When she gets stuck in an elevator with a sexy firefighter and has a panic attack he manages to talk her through her anxiety and massages her twisted ankle in a way that leaves her more than a little flustered.

Derek and Olivia make no plans to meet, they don't exchange numbers, but fate crosses their paths once again when Olivia gets involved with organising an event for a charity which is close to Derek's heart. But can physical attraction overcome the disparity in their lives and incomes?

Of all the books in the Boston Fire series that I've read I think this one had the least plot surrounding actual fire-fighting and the fire house.

Although I liked this book I didn't warm to Derek and Olivia in the same way as I did Gavin and Cait (Hot Response) or Jamie and Scott (Fully Ignited). Derek was too hung up on the differences in their wealth and homes and seemed to think that because Olivia didn't have children she resented helping out with his children. Olivia on the other hand is living with the fallout from her parents' acrimonious divorce which still requires her to listen to recriminations and dramatics, no wonder she loved to Boston to get away from it. Can she trust a divorced man with children? And how will the uncertainties of a firefighter's work patterns and children fit into her uber-planned life? Overall I felt that the book needed some outside tension rather than the one-note angst about the difference in their lifestyles - that felt too much like navel-gazing at times.

Is the next book going to explain what happened with Grant and Wren?

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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