BOOK REVIEW- Up in Smoke

BOOK REVIEW- Up in Smoke- This is book three of the Contemporary Christian Romance Series,EMBERS & ASHES. Follow the lives of the men of Fire station #9 as they face the fires on and off the job.   From cats in trees to people dangling out windows of their three story homes, Firefighter Rick Alderman has seen it all. He's been on the force for two decades now and is anxiously heading towards retirement. When a part-time hobby that was supposed to help break up the monotony takes a turn for the worst, Rick finds himself down a path he never wanted to be on. 
When smoke rises, it signals there is a fire. Rick Alderman's smoke has risen. 
Taking matters into his own hands, Rick believes he can work his way out of the trouble he has found himself in. While his intentions were good, he finds himself spinning a web of lies and deceit that might just cause him to lose everything he cares about most in the world.    AMAZON

I have to say that I liked this book.   The problem that Rick was trying to escape/fix was a surprise.  One that I'm not telling.   You'll have to do what I did, read it to find out.   I also found it to be a believable story of an imperfect, loving but somewhat selfish man.  He really did love his wife, but he also took for granted some of the loving things she did for him on a regular basis.  He's also been keeping secrets from her, some of them for years.    She thinks their marriage is solid until she begins to see the cracks coming to the surface.  And they hurt...a lot!   Where is the man she has always admired?  Trusted?   They are in for a rough ride and their are other dangers out there to.  Rick is in over his head and putting others in danger unwittingly too.  Great secondary characters and real life situations.  In the beginning Pastor Conner's somewhat aggressive approach to confronting Rick irritated me.  But as Rick realized this way the best way to get his attention  helped a little bit.  It got better when I saw how compassionate but straight forward the pastor was.  
 I agree with this statement from the book blurb:

T.K. Chapin’s Christian romance novels are never preachy feeling, but instead show how God plays a real role in the lives of Christian believers.

On a side note:
Hmm,  Rick Alderman's idea of what blind faith is, was something  different.  I had never even thought of it being perceived in that way.   
The attention to detail was something I caught when in the midst of fighting a fire Rick said ...."as I adjusted the pressure on the nozzle.   I placed my left foot back behind me to brace myself as the water roared from the hose. " 

There is a  Book Preview of "The Perfect Cast" at the end of this book.  

I received a free advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.