UGH! I was totally expecting to love this one as much as I loved the first two in this series...but I just didn't. I actually thought about not reading it all the way through, but I was at the half way point, so I went ahead and finished it, which I have to say, I'm glad that I did. Let me explain.I didn't really feel an amazing connection to the characters this time....and I didn't really feel THEIR connection either. I don't know if it's because it happened so fast, or what. Unlike the first two books, where most of the book was spent with the H&H trying to connect in a romantic way, Gemma and Sean connected right away and then the entire books was spent watching them struggle. I really didn't have a chance to fall in love with either of them, although at least with Gemma, you got to know her in the second book a little bit....Anyway, I started to enjoy it more towards the end, so I AM glad that I stuck with it, but the whole book just fell a little flat for me....which makes me sad, cause I have loved this series so far. Fingers crossed for the next one - The Penalty Box.A few moments I enjoyed:They sat a few minutes more in silence. Gemma kept trying to picture more details of her dream man, but none were forthcoming. She glanced at Frankie hopefully."See anything?""I see...I see...a big, steaming tostada on a plate."Gemma sighed."What about you?" Frankie wanted to know. "Anyone?""Someone tall, with kind blue eyes and a really good laugh.""Sounds promising."Gemma reached forward and gently snuffed out the red candle.Frankie looked disappointed. "That's it? no incantations? No flying monkeys? Nothing?""Feel free to say an incantation if you want.""That's your realm, Glinda, not mine.""Then I guess the spell is complete." Gemma hugged her knees to her chest. "Let's just hope it worked.He paused, recalling Socrates Campbell's words of wisdom. So what is Gemma was different? Wasn't that what had attracted him to her in the first place? To automatically assume she wouldn't fit in was narrow-minded and ignorant, two adjectives he didn't want applied to him. At the very least he owed Gemma an apology. In the best of all possible worlds, she would forgive him and maybe, just maybe, agree to a real date with him. Assumming she didn't catch sight of him and tell him to go to hell immediately. Or send me there herself."Are you pulling my pistol? He's screwing someone who looks like Malibu Barbie?"Gemma nodded."That's pretty fast if you ask me. He must have been nobbing her all along."Gemma grimaced, hating Grankie's penchant for brutal truth."Are you saying you'll watch Nonna on Sundays, Sharmaine?" Michael asked."I can't," Sharmaine said cooly. "I'm busy.""Doing what?" Anthony chortled. "Letting Father Flynn slip you his special communion wafer?""Bite my ass Anthony," Sharmaine snapped."Just one bite?" Anthony lobbed back. "Two or three might help make it smaller."His mother reached out, putting a hand on his knee. "You sure you're all right? You forget: I'm a mother which means I've got a built-in bullshit detector. What's going on?""I don't know if you could tell by seeing her for those few seconds, but Gemma's not exactly a typical firefighter's girlfriend, you know?"JJ looked appalled. "What the hell does that mean?""I told you about the night we went out with some guys from my house. It was a disaster."JJ put down her fork. "Okay, let me make sure I'm getting this straight. You miss Gemma, but you're hesitant to get back with her because a few of the boneheads you work with think she's a little offbeat?""I guess," Sean muttered."Then you ARE an idiot.""Gee, thanks.""You wanted to know what I think; there it is. No offense, but who the hell cares what those guys think of Gemma? It's what you think that matters.""They'll give me shit, JJ. They already have.""Then give it back to them! We all give each other shit about everything anyway! If it's not Gemma, it'll be something else. This is ridiculous, Sean. Are Leary and those other yahoos the ones you're going to come home to after a long day's work? Are they going to give you a family? Grow old with you? I know you worked hard to get them to accept you, but you succeeded, Sean. Any hell you catch from here on in is just bluster. And if it's not, then I think you need to get yourself from new friends. Life's too short to screw around with this stuff," she concluded in a choking voice.Sean thought her good had gone down the wrong pipe. Then he realized: She was starting to cry.
Gemma is a free spirit in every sense and she is tired of waiting, so she casts a spell. It worked for her brother so why wouldn't it work for her. It works but not the way she thought it would; now she has two guys who want her. Sean is a hot firefighter; he rescues people and is ultra masculine. Gemma and Sean meet and start dating; their relationship puts a new meaning the saying opposites attract. When Gemma and Sean finally start getting close things go wrong with a fire and Sean shuts down. While Gemma tries to find out what’s wrong, Sean tries to deal with his mistakes. Gemma doesn’t care what people think about her and knows that she will never be fully accepted. Sean is a hero, but doesn’t believe that people should really share their feelings; this causes big problems in their relationship. I loved this book, Gemma is so quirky and who can resist a fireman. I liked how both of them didn’t change who they were, but worked around their differences. There were parts of the book that made me cry and it made me like Sean even more. Their story has more problems than the other books in this series. I really liked how Martin didn’t make everything easy about being a fireman and touched on some of the really hard issues that they have to deal with. Even though this book was only peripherally involved with the Blades hockey team I loved it.
What do You think about Total Rush (2005)?
3.5 starsIn some ways, this is probably the most realistic romance novel I've ever read: bad dates, friends who don't quite gel, etc. But, well, I don't read romance novels because they are realistic. And therein lies the problem. The problem also lies therein that there were a few scenes in which I really wanted to hurt Sean. And (view spoiler)[ I don't think it would have been too difficult for Gemma to tell someone, maybe anyone, that there was an Alzheimer's patient in her apartment and she needed someone (police officer, super, neighbor, etc.) to be there before she could leave. (hide spoiler)]
—Jen
This is considered to be the third in Martin's Blades series, but I'm not really sure why. Yes, the main female character, Gemma, is related to one of the previous protagonists, but this book has absolutely nothing to do with hockey. Once again Martin relies on the whole idea of opposites attract ... this time it's a firefighter/ex-stockbroker and a witch/new age small business owner. A cute read, but extremely frustrating in parts. I enjoyed the realistic family difficulties Gemma was having, but Sean's behavior was just plain annoying. And don't even get me started on the whole Uther subplot ...
—Lindsey
this was actually the first book I read in the series and i loved it so much I decided to give the others a try. I love these characters because they're so real and honest. as an actual wiccan I'm thrilled to finally find an accurate protrayal of the religion.. gemma is so free spirited and optimistic you can't not love her especially sonce she's such a sweetheart to top it off. who doesnt love a sexy fireman as the hero....sean has a temper but underneath it he's a sweet guy and my does he sound yum. the plot was great though a tad slow at times and like the others of the series I find myself wishing for a stronger villain but these books are a nice way to pass a couple hours if you like romance novels
—Jessica Uzzo
