Review: Up in Flames by Nicole Williams

Up in Flames

Author: Nicole Williams

Publication Date: December 19, 2012

Elle’s life couldn’t possibly get any more small town than it already is. She was raised in the same home as the two generations before her were, her family owns the iconic downtown cafe, and she’s been dating the pastor’s son since she was allowed to go on her first date at sixteen. 

Cole’s life couldn’t possibly get any larger. He’s tried. Roaming from town to town for the past three summers as a smokejumper, Cole dreads the thought of putting down roots. The only thing he avoids more than that is settling down with one woman, especially when there are as many willing women as there are trees in the forest he jumps out of planes to save.

Elle Montgomery’s life is going one way. And Cole Carson’s is going the opposite. There’s no reason their paths should ever intersect, even in a small town in central Washington. 

But summer in the Methow Valley has other plans for Elle and Cole. After an awkward run-in at the local swimming hole, Elle tries to keep away from the guy who looks at her like she’s already lying beneath him in bed. She fails. Cole is about as successful at staying away from the girl who seems immune to his charms.

As the summer heats up, and tensions between Elle and Cole run high, he begins to realize there’s more he’s attracted to than Elle’s body, and she discovers there’s a lot more to the man that jumps out of planes into raging forest fires than meets the eye.

UP IN FLAMES is a New Adult Romance intended for mature readers due to steamy content and saucy language.

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I enjoyed reading Up in Flames a lot but I think I had higher expectations for the romance in this book and was a little let down. I also have a hard time reading books with infidelity because I can't fully get into the romance of it.

I did like Elle and Cole. I liked that Cole made Elle a better person and he helped her realize who she really wanted to be. She was just going along with her life and letting her father or Logan dictate what she would do and who she would be. Cole brought out the real Elle and taught her how to live and not just exist. However, I thought she was a little bit of a coward because she couldn't be honest with Logan and she didn't tell him the truth soon enough. Cole had been through  a lot of tough times and rejection in his life but I felt like he got really possessive over Elle fast and I didn't like how he acted without thinking and jumped to conclusions without talking to her. In the end, I was proud of Elle for finally standing up for herself and going for what she wanted and I was proud of Cole for owning up to his mistakes. 

I think Nicole Williams is an excellent writer and the book was very well written. The plot flowed well but I would have liked a little more depth within it. I felt like the romance between Elle and Cole moved too quickly and was underdeveloped. Also, like I mentioned, I can't fully invest myself into a relationship built on infidelity. My sympathy for the character being betrayed over shadows my ability to fully enjoy the romance between the other characters. Ultimately, it was an enjoyable read with a satisfying conclusion.

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Favorite Quote:

"Stop ignoring it. Live your life, Elle Montgomery," he said his eyes glowing from his words. "I can tell from a couple of conversations with you that you're one hell of a woman. Imagine the woman you can be if you lived for no one but yourself." ~Cole (Up in Flames by Nicole Williams)

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Sources

Synopsis: Goodreads

Cover Photo: Goodreads