SUMMARY
When a slow-burn attraction finally catches fire…
Four years after losing her husband in the line of duty, ER nurse Lily Finnigan has one goal: raise her daughter and keep her heart safely locked away. Romance—even a simple fling—isn’t on the agenda. Until Josh Collins walks into her emergency room.
Gorgeous, charming, and infuriatingly kind, he is everything Lily doesn’t want—but can’t seem to stay away from. When her apartment floods, her new helpful neighbor turns out to be the sexy firefighter she’s been dreaming of. Now he’s everywhere—offering help, stealing smiles, and slowly breaking down her walls.
Lily insists they can only be friends. She swore she would never fall for another firefighter. But the more time she spends with Josh, the more impossible that promise becomes. And when Josh risks his life fighting a wildfire, Lily’s heart shatters with the truth she’s been avoiding: she’s already fallen. The moment he walks back through her door battered and bruised but safe, Lily’s instinct is to run from her past and her future… But Josh won’t let her go that easily.
Image and summary from Goodreads.
REVIEW
Thank you to Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of The Heat of the Moment by Camilla Isley.
I received an advanced reader copy of The Heat of the Moment through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and I always enjoy the opportunity to discover books before they’re officially released. Going into this one, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but I ended up having a really enjoyable time with it.
From the very beginning, I found this to be a really easy book to read. Camilla Isley’s writing flows effortlessly and I found myself quickly settling into the story.
One of the biggest strengths of the novel was definitely its characters. I really enjoyed both Lily and Josh and I found myself rooting for them from early on. Their relationship develops as a slow burn, which is one of my favourite romance tropes when it’s done well. Rather than rushing straight into the romance, the story allows their connection to build naturally through friendship, trust, and mutual support. It made their relationship feel believable and I appreciated that the emotional connection came before the romance.
Lily’s journey was probably my favourite part of the book. As a widow and single mother, she’s carrying so much emotional weight and I thought her grief was portrayed with a great deal of care. I liked that the story didn’t pretend healing was something that happened overnight. Instead, it showed that moving forward doesn’t mean forgetting someone you’ve lost. Watching Lily slowly open herself up to the possibility of happiness again felt realistic and heartfelt and I found myself really invested in her journey.
Josh was another standout character for me. He was kind, patient and incredibly supportive without ever trying to “fix” Lily. I loved how understanding he was of everything she had been through and how he gave her the space she needed while still being there whenever she needed someone to lean on. Their interactions felt genuine and I thought they complemented each other really well.
While I enjoyed the story overall, it didn’t quite become a standout read for me. There were a few sections where the pacing slowed down and although I remained invested in the characters, I found myself wishing for a little more tension or something unexpected to really elevate the story. Because of that, it never quite reached the point where I couldn’t put it down.
That being said, I still found it to be a lovely, heartfelt romance with characters I genuinely enjoyed spending time with. Sometimes a quieter romance is exactly what you’re looking for and this book delivered a comforting story about grief, healing, second chances and learning to open your heart again.
Overall, The Heat of the Moment was an enjoyable read that left me with a smile. While it wasn’t a book that completely swept me away, I really appreciated the care that went into Lily’s emotional journey and the slow believable romance that developed between her and Josh.
This was a solid 3star read for me. If you enjoy slower paced contemporary romances with emotionally mature characters, supportive relationships and themes of healing after loss, I think this one is worth picking up.
-Rachelle
I’m on Instagram at @rachellesbookshelf
