The Official Description: Vincent Franklin’s last mistake had a body count. Now, he’s back on the fireline with something to prove to his fellow firefighters and most of all to himself. But when a sexy Irishman with talent and a camera captures him in a weak moment, he puts Vince’s heart at risk.
Still, there’s something about Aidan that attracts Vince and stirs up feelings he would have preferred to leave locked up and untouched in a dark corner of his heart. Then, after he, and the world, believe Aidan is killed in a tragic accident, Vince struggles to find the courage to love again. His chief worry: Does a screw-up like him even deserve to love again?
Just the facts: M/M romance, coming out, past tragedy
A wonderful novella about a multi-faceted character. Loved this story! – Kinzie Things
My thoughts bit: Pulse of My Heart is the second story from Jessi Noelle in the Inferno Series. You could read it as a stand alone…there’s enough information in it – but I think it would be better to start with book one because it’s fantastic as well!
Vincent Franklin (a supporting character in “Through The Inferno”, is back firefighting. He made a mistake that cost another firefighter and a child their lives. It was also the mistake that ended the career of his friend and colleague, Jason Merones. (Main character in the first book of the series.)
Vincent still has a lot to prove … and a lot of trauma he’s still dealing with. When he rescues a puppy from what should have been a simple fire… the burns on the small creature and its lifeless body reignite his grief. He saves the puppy only to find out but the moment his emotions overwhelm him is captured by a freelance photographer. Of course he gets teased about crying over a puppy but those people in his life know that his response was about his past and what happened to his friends.
Vince goes to visit the wonder of the injured puppy only to find out that her visiting nephew is the one who took the photograph!
After an initial bumpy start, Irish freelance photographer, Aiden wins Vince over. Okay, he MORE than wins him over, Aiden ignites an attraction in Vince he’d never explored before.
When Vince realizes he might be attracted to men, he enlists the help of his friends fiancée Zoe. Zoe is one of the Main characters from the first book and I loved her! She gives Vince some frank talk and encouragement and he acts on his desires.
The interaction between Zoe an Vince is lovely, frank and a wonderful example of how we are all works in progress. Great work by the author with some super sensitive subjects.
Vince and Aiden fall for each other. Aiden is sent to a war zone and the unthinkable happens.
I don’t want to ruin the plot of this novella. For something of this length it’s packed with emotion and it’s quite remarkable.
I will definitely read anything by Jessi Noelle in the future.
Things You May Want To Know: Please be aware, I’m by no means an expert on what may or may not have the potential to disturb people. I simply list things that I think a reader might want to be aware of. In this book: (SPOILERS) Mentions death in fire of a firefighter and a child, description of a puppy seriously injured in a fire (survives and is adopted), description of intense grief, description of character who was shot, coming out, accidental transphobic remarks (corrected, explained and apologized for!)
Links: Goodreads // The Author // The Publisher
I received an ARC of Pulse of My Heart by Jessi Noelle from Ninestar Press via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
Kinzie Things 