Fully Involved
by Lindy Bell
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GENRE: Sweet Firefighter Romance
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BLURB:
Katie Garrett is madly in love with her dashing firefighter husband, Andy. When he is diagnosed with cancer, their entire world is turned upside down. Andy clumsily tries to protect Katie from the truth by not telling her, but her fear — and his increasing pain and tumultuous emotions — only feed her deep-seated insecurities, as they fight for Andy’s life and for their marriage.
While the fire station and its camaraderie are Andy’s refuge, station officer Lt. Mike Bentley wages a vendetta against Andy, making Andy more determined to avoid revealing weakness of any kind. In spite of Bentley’s despising Andy, the C shift crew rally to support Andy until events take a downward turn.
As she discovers Andy’s cancer was caused by exposure to lethal chemicals while on duty, Katie navigates the treacherous maze of uncertainty and grief to emerge a stronger, more confident woman who represents her husband and the fire service as an advocate for firefighter safety and protection.
Firefighters face a myriad of dangers, but the invisible dangers – his past, her fears -- can pose the greatest threat of all. Will courage, duty, and love be enough to save Andy from these unseen threats? Will he come to recognize the far-reaching impact his life has on others? If the worst should happen, would his greatest legacy be the love of the fire service or the love for his wife? In the end, the unforeseen might have the greatest significance of all.
Excerpt from Fully Involved:
Andy’s smile became a studious appraisal of Katie as she looked up at him so intent, so serious. His beautiful Katie. He could feel the strength of her intensity through her arms and through her body pressed so closely to his. If he could freeze time, this would be the moment, just he and Katie and so completely in love nothing else in the world mattered. Katie was in his arms, showering him with love and saying words more potent than any medicine could ever be. He knew he had to fight to beat the cancer but this woman, this amazing woman and their life together was worth fighting for and to his last breath, that was exactly what he intended to do.
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Excerpt One:
Katie slipped her shoes off and swung them from the tips of two fingers as she walked down the hall. She stepped into their bedroom just as Andy came out of the bathroom, fresh from a shower. A towel around his waist but still beaded with water, his broad chest and muscular arms, flexed as he grabbed her in a wet hug. He smelled of soap, his damp skin still warm from the shower.
“Hey, beautiful!”
“You’re soaking wet!” Katie squealed as Andy lifted her up and swung her around. She laughed as she looked into Andy’s electric blue eyes, crinkling with pleasure. He set her gently down but before she could say anything, his warm lips covered hers, tenderly at first and then more intensely as he pulled her close, her body fitting willingly to his. Katie felt her heart race and her breath quicken as Andy’s strong arms held her so tight she could feel his heart beating.
Andy grazed her lips with another lingering kiss before leaning back and grinning into her flushed face.
“That was some welcome home, mister,” she sighed happily before opening her eyes.
Looking into Andy’s face, she could tell something was wrong. The smile on her face turned into a frown and then a look of concern.
“You look pale.”
Andy dropped his arms and walked quickly back to the bathroom. “I’m fine,” he said, an edge in his voice.
“You sure?” Katie ventured, peering into the steamy bathroom.
“I said I’m fine,” Andy said as he snapped a tee shirt over his head. “Why can’t you just take me at my word. I’m tired of being second guessed on everything.” A sudden flush of anger covered his face as he turned on Katie.
Startled, Katie took a quick step back. “No one is second guessing you,” she tried to assure him in a soft voice. “You just don’t look like you feel well.”
“Again, I am fine,” Andy snarled, brushing past her. “Don’t we have an open house to get to?”
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My review: Katie is a school teacher married to the love of her life. Everything seemed to be perfect for her…except, something was wrong with her husband, Andy. He had the Big C.
Right away, the story gets you with its raw and intense emotion that makes you care for the characters. Story carries a nice drama full of rich detail and laden with complexity. At times, it can be a little slow, but, overall, it was a pretty good read.
My rating: 3 stars
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
A project ten years in the making, Fully Involved is Lindy Bell’s debut novel and avidly reflects her admiration and love of the fire service. Thoroughly researched, the quest for accuracy for the book led Lindy to participate in the Plano Citizens Fire Academy, attend classes and accompany firefighters on ride outs. With a retired fire chief and a current paramedic/firefighter in the family, Lindy has witnessed firsthand the dedication and humbleness of first responders which fueled the impetus to convey the importance of the legendary fire service brotherhood and create cancer awareness and its growing effect on the fire service.
Lindy’s first book, Jane Austen Celebrates~Holidays & Occasions Regency Style, is a showcase Regency Era holidays and their impact on modern holiday celebration traditions. A member of the Jane Austen Society of North America, Lindy has spoken to a variety of groups and taught Continuing and Adult Professional Education courses at Southern Methodist University (SMU).
A graduate of Abilene Christian University, Lindy currently lives in Plano, TX and works from home for a governmental executive recruitment and training firm. As hobbies, Lindy enjoys supporting Plano Fire Rescue by volunteering with the Plano Fire Rescue Association, writing, reading an engaging novel and cross stitching.
Website: lindybellwrites.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindyBellWrites
Twitter: @LindyBellWrites
Instagram: LindyBellWrites
Order Fully Involved at: https://amzn.to/3cfvbEs
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
Lindy Bell will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
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