Alixandria Fire – Dani & Danny by Emily Murray

 

Published on December 22, 2022

429 pages

Back Cover

Christmas season in Alixandria is magical, the snowy air is festive with twinkling lights, holiday parties and mistletoe.

Kindergarten teacher Dani Campbell is still settling into her new town. She just needs a break from the chaos of her old life. Finally she can breath, focus on herself and spend quality time with her dog, Sage.

One morning she accidentally picks up a café mocha meant for Danny.

Born and raised in Alixandria, fire fighter Danny Stewart is tired of being the hot topic of small town gossip. Focused on fixing up his grandparents' home, he’s taking a long pause from dating.

One morning he receives a plain black coffee meant for Dani.

Will sparks fly between Dani and Danny or will they go up in flames?

My review

This is the first book I read from this author and I recommend it if you like romance. The story is a little bit predictable, but the author turned it in to keep the reader hooked until the last line. I admit that you need to be motivate to read 429 pages, but it worth every second.

I am not a huge fan when the two protagonists share the same name, but since they act different, I didn’t have any trouble to find who was who. I like them both. I have to admit that I have a preference for the firefighter. I had doubts about Danny at the beginning, he seemed a little cold, but I don’t regret giving him a chance. He cares about Dani and you can see it thought the story.

Dani is great too; she just got on my never because I felt she had a lack of confidence in herself. I totally understand that, I am like her on that point. I just wished she was more honest with Danny instead of waiting too long.

Music is part of this story and I enjoyed every line. I am not a country girl, but it was fun to discover a few new songs and reconnect with some 90’s song that I liked back then.

Excerpts

It’s seemed that Christmas decorations hung earlier and earlier each year, and she didn’t mind as long as it didn’t overshadow Remembrance Day. That was a line for her : let the day honoured those that fell and those that remain, be sacred. But the day after? Game on. She loved Christmas. (p.6)

Besides, he would take pride in being able to say that he’d done it himself. It might take him all day, but his grandfather had instilled in him the need to be self-sufficient. Rely on no one but yourself. (p.23)

"Forgive yourself. Be grateful for the lessons, but don’t wallow in the puddle for long. There’s something better for you waiting just around the corner." (p.69)

Sure, Don had been old and ill, and Dot had died several months prior, so maybe he died of a broken heart. But Danny knew that wasn’t true He knew that Don had died from a heart attack caused by a stroke. Nothing romantic about that. (p.189)

Arnaud fired up the music when the rig came to a stop. He began with Spice Up Your Life by the Spice Girls. Dani saw Taylor throw back his head in laughter then all of them began to shimmy in time to the beat as they walked towards the snow-covered beach area. (p.340)