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Bad Romance

Jul 272010

While we were camping last week, I read five books. Apparently if you take away my Internet connection, I can blast through the pages like a madwoman. It was great to get back into my first love of reading. I read all year, but I love to throw down books so quickly.

I had a wide and varied library with me, but chose to dabble a bit in romance since I read romance novels so infrequently.

Now I remember why!

To boot, pun intended, these two romance novels were… wait for it… FIREFIGHTER ROMANCE NOVELS. Win.

The Firefighter's Secret Baby The first was The Firefighter’s Secret Baby which started as a joke and then made its way through Denise, Sassymonkey and Elizabeth before being delivered to me. I love friends with humor. The book was somewhat different than I had expected. It was full of (cheesy) suspense, with things being blown up and people chasing the main characters. A baby is obviously involved. So is the FBI. And the mob. And the previously mentioned firefighter. And some kind of triggering adoption-speak, but it was too cheesy to be too triggering.

Kind of lacking in the realism factor. But that’s okay. What’s not okay, however, is the crazy sex the main female was having less than a week after a traumatic birth experience. I laughed. A lot. Not at the cheesiness of the writing (which, yes, it was still cheesy), but at the thought that any woman could read that section and possibly think that sex so shortly after birth would feel that good. Also? No mention of the breastmilk that was likely pouring at that point since she wasn’t nursing the baby. I had a good laugh.

This book was part of the Atlanta Heroes series… and, sadly, I want more to be available already.

As an aside, thank you to Denise, sassymonkey and Elizabeth for signing the book before sending it to me. That sentence is brought to you with a side of cheese. (Ha!)

The second was an accidental find at the library right before we left for camp. Island Sojourn by Katrina Thomas is another firefighter romance, with a small twist. This time the main female character is the firefighter, which is the fire time I’ve seen that in any firefighter romances I have read. (And I’ve read a few.) Of course, the man that she meets and falls for while on her beach vacation to the Outer Banks is, you might have guessed it, a firefighter as well. She’s a professional and he’s a volunteer.

This particular book was somewhat more believable than the previous one. It involves a lot of sisters, a beach house and shenanigans pulled by said sisters to get the younger sister someone to date. And marry. I kind of resented the fact that they were pushing her to date and marry just like them. Maybe she wanted to be single! Maybe she wasn’t interested in men! Maybe she was seeing someone on the sly back home! Get off her back, nosy sisters! But, as it always does, it worked out in the end.

This book had a great fire scene… until they sent the man in to make sure that she was okay. Granted, she ran in without a mask or any gear, which was silly. And she probably did need some rescuing. But I kind of resent the “let’s rescue women” theme in romance novels.

In the end, I kind of enjoyed both reads more than I wanted to. FireDad had a great time making fun of me any time he saw me reading either book. I would have made fun of me as well.

If you know of a firefighter book, romance or not, that I need to be reading, please let me know!

Cookbook Review: Firehouse Food – Cooking with San Fransisco’s Firefighters

fire life, Recipes, Reviews 6 Responses »

Jun 152010

I recently discovered something awesome: the world of firefighter cookbooks. It was an accidental discovery while searching for something else and I’m glad I came across this particular book.

Firehouse Food: Cooking with San Francisco’s Firefighters is a beautiful cookbook in itself. It’s 224 pages of amazing photography, outstanding recipes and a bit of humor here and there. The introduction is a surprisingly moving one as well. (Who cries when they read a cookbook introduction? Just me.)

The dedication of the book also speaks volumes about firefighters and cooking.

To San Fransisco’s firefighters,
who understand the sustaining power of a nice hot meal.

Ah. True.

I actually borrowed this from the library as it is currently unavailable on Amazon or Barnes and Noble (though used copies are selling anywhere from $47 to $120!). I didn’t want to give it back to the library. I really, really didn’t want to do it. I did. After I renewed it three times. It’s just that good. I know it’s because I’m a sucker for both good food and good photography, but really, doesn’t it seem like a perfect addition to our household? I was sad to see it go.

We made quite a few recipes from the book while we had it, including the one for Irish Soda Bread. In fact, FireDad was the one who made the soda bread which was his first attempt at baking something other than pre-made cookies. Quite honestly, the two of us could have sat and picked at that delicious concoction for hours. Carbs? Love em. Sweet carbs that aren’t overly sweet? Love ‘em.

The only complaint that we had about this particular book is due to the location of where these firefighters live juxtaposed with the location in which we live. San Fransisco firefighters have much easier access to a wide variety of fresh fish than we do here in land-locked central Ohio. A large number of the recipes called for various kinds of fish and seafood. While our family loves seafood, it’s not easy to come by even in our reliable local grocery store (unless it’s Lent). There’s no fish market here. As such, some of the recipes were not possible for us to consider, let alone make.

That aside, the cookbook had a wide variety of recipes that we’ve adapted and placed in our rotation. A few pasta recipes were actually great hits with my kids as well as one of the various chicken recipes. There are many great sides including some great Caesar salad options which are apparently the big thing with San Fransisco firefighters. Each house has their own recipe.

What makes this cookbook truly great is that while it was still being printed and sold, some of the proceeds were donated to the SFFD Surviving Family’s Fund. I wish I could have gotten a copy back then (originally printed in 2003).

When it boils down to it (pun intended), we loved this cookbook. I only wish that we could get our hands on it to have in our own cookbook library. If you happen to see two copies, pick one up for yourself and send us the other! (I did just learn that the book itself is available to view on Google books. Check it out!)

I’ll have another firefighter cookbook review in July! Stay tuned!

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[Disclosure: Amazon link is through Amazon Affiliates but the book is no longer in print.]

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