Review of ‘Burn it down’ by K. Aten

4.50 Stars. Anyone who follows my reviews knows I’m a big Aten fan. I love her writing style and the fact that she writes in every category imaginable so each book feels completely new. From her fan-freaking-tastic fantasy series about the Amazons in ‘The Fletcher’ to her futuristic/sci-fi2019 Goldie award winner ‘Waking the Dreamer’, there is something for every type of fan to enjoy. This book is her first in the contemporary romance category. I don’t really like the name of this category so I will call this a dramatic romance instead. Drama, as in keep the tissues handy but also romance, as in this book has plenty of good feels. I really enjoyed this book and it is easily going on my 2019 favorites list.

How can you not love a woman in uniform? I’ll take a firefighter any day of the week and twice on Wednesdays. In fact, we get plenty of books staring cops and docs or people in the military, but for some reason, we don’t seem to get firefighters often enough. I was so happy to see this cover and could not wait to dig in. This story stars Ash, a firefighter with a dark past. After a horrible fire that leaves her on medical leave for psychiatric reasons, Ash is swimming in guilt. When Mia, a beautiful and sweet woman buys the house next door, Ash’s attraction is strong. But Ash is broken and broken doesn’t work in relationships. Is Mia the one for Ash or will Ash’s past filled with secrets push Mia away forever?

Like all of Aten’s books, this one is super readable. I picked it up and could not lift my eyes off of my ebook until it was done. This first-person story instantly grips you and you just have to keep turning the pages. Being in Ash’s headspace is very powerful at times. Her past and current pains are raw and real. As I said before, keep the tissues close. But this book is far from all doom and gloom. This book is filled with love and hope and plenty of good feels.

When I finished the last page I had a big smile on my face and was wishing I could go back to the beginning and start all over again. And while I do put this in the drama category, the drama is about grief and pain. There is no forced or manufactured angst. When there were problems, one or both characters tried to work through it. It was such a nice change that I hope we will see more of it in lesfic romances.

I also have to quickly mention how wonderful all the characters were, from the mains to the secondary ones. Everyone has their own unique voice from Ash’s “adoptive” grandmother to even her therapist. And when it came to the two mains not only are both extremely likable but the dialogue between them is really well done. As a character-driven reader dialogue is important to me and I was very happy with it in this book.

If you are looking for a romance that will make you feel, this is a great choice. I absolutely recommend this lesbian dramatic romance book and I can’t wait to see what Aten puts out for us next.

An ARC was given to me for an honest review.