Ask Me For Fire

A Reads Rainbow 2023 for Adult Contemporary Finalist!A slow burn, convention-bending, slice of life romance. Can two loners living in the wilderness find friendship and love?Barrett loves everything about living outside the remote mountain town of Lake Honor. His days as a forest ranger are filled with unpredictable adventure, so home is the one place he knows he can count on. But even home has been a surprise of late, as his next door neighbor and good friend has suddenly passed away, and the house has been sold to someone new.
When the new neighbor, Ambrose, arrives, Barrett realizes that the man is a loner, like himself, and clearly not looking for a friend. Which is a pity, because Barrett finds him fascinating and incredibly good looking. Ambrose didn't move to the outskirts of nowhere to make a friend. But Barrett, his new neighbor, is kind and generous, and has soft brown eyes he can't stop thinking about. As he slowly warms up to Barrett, fate finds a way to push them together when danger and sabotage strike.
Barrett saves Ambrose's life, and their bond is cemented. Letting Barrett get close is difficult, but it's hard to ignore the handsome, kind neighbor. As their lives entangle, and their relationship grows, neither man can ignore the attraction between them. But their pasts are complicated; an ex-boyfriend reappears, an estranged parent tries to get in contact, and Barrett's nephew falls ill. On top of that, the sabotage of forest ranger equipment grows more dangerous and Barrett is pulled into the investigation.
Both men want to take their relationship slow, even with all the drama swirling around them, and it's getting more difficult to ignore the spark between them. Ask Me For Fire is a love story drenched in atmosphere, suspense, and heartfelt connections. Tropes: forced proximity, slow burn, grouchy loners, small town romance Content warnings: explicit sex (with others and between the MCs) ; some violence and danger (mostly minimal and/or off-screen); mental health issues including anxiety and depression; abusive and manipulative family; neglectful family and past relationships