Chasing Fire

By: Nora Roberts

Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman

Length: 15 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

In this #1 New York Times bestseller, Nora Roberts delves into the world of elite firefighters who thrive on danger and adrenaline—men and women who wouldn’t know how to live life if it wasn’t on the edge.

Little else in life is as dangerous as fire jumping. Flying past towering pillars of smoke, parachuting down to the edge of an all-consuming blaze, shoveling and sawing for hours upon hours, days at a time, all to hold the line and push back against the raw power of Mother Nature.

But there’s also little else as thrilling - at least to Rowan Tripp. The Missoula smoke jumpers are one of the most exclusive firefighting squads in the nation, and the job is in Rowan’s blood: her father is a legend in the field. She’s been fighting fires since her eighteenth birthday. At this point, returning to the wilds of Montana for the season feels like coming home - even with reminders of the partner she lost last season still lingering in the air.

Fortunately, this year’s rookie crop is among the strongest ever - and Gulliver Curry’s one of the best. He’s also a walking contradiction, a hotshot firefighter with a big vocabulary and a winter job at a kids’ arcade. He came to Missoula to follow in the footsteps of Lucas “Iron Man” Tripp, yet he’s instantly more fascinated by his hero’s daughter. Rowan, as a rule, doesn’t hook up with other smoke jumpers, but Gull is convinced he can change her mind. And damn if he doesn’t make a good case to be an exception to the rule.

Everything is thrown off balance, though, when a dark presence lashes out against Rowan, looking to blame someone for last year’s tragedy. Rowan knows she can’t complicate things with Gull - any distractions in the air or on the ground could be lethal. But if she doesn’t find someone she can lean on when the heat gets intense, her life may go down in flames.

©2011 Nora Roberts (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Good but...

I am a huge Nora Roberts fan but this book was just okay. She used a LOT of descriptive imagery for the fire and other scenic sites which when used sparingly is good but was definitely overkill in this book. A lot of foul language...Narrator was okay. Overall book was not a favorite of mine...I should have taken the other reader reviews to heart and saved the credit.

Good but not fantastic

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I normally like Nora Roberts. She researches her topics well, gets the details right. But I'm pretty bored with the over-done sex scenes. Maybe there are a lot of sad, desperate women out there who need and want this much vicarious sex --but not me. I learned a lot about the lives and tribulations of fire jumpers. But........meh.

Would you be willing to try another book from Nora Roberts? Why or why not?

Yes, she develops great characters.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

nope,

Any additional comments?

Not the best of Nora, but okay.

One of her Best

This story is so good. Since NR's bad guys are so bad...I cannot say this is a "good" story. It is however a well written, well narrated, unforgettable book. NR makes it memorable. This is a story people will talk about over coffee...for years down the road, at work, at your kitchen table when you are having a conversation about books, movies, etc. you can't forget because the plot just "gets" you. Very good.

Overall a good book

Would you consider the audio edition of Chasing Fire to be better than the print version?

I don't know, I haven't read the print version

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked most of the characters except the main one. She was childish and hot-tempered and seemed immature for where she has gotten in life. I've known a lot of fire fighters and was surprised at her behavior. I was appalled at her incredible immaturity regarding her dad's relationship. I still liked it overall but if you don't want to hear a lot of detail about firefighting, you won't like it.

I really liked Gull :)

Have you listened to any of Rebecca Lowman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I liked the narrator a lot, actually. She did a good job of distinguishing between voices, she didn't do the overly emotional whining that sometimes narrators do that ruins a story for me.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not really.

Suspense and romance at it's best

I'm a fairly new fan of Nora Roberts and have tried many of her books. I find that her books that are more suspense driven have enough twists to make them hard to put down. With this book, once I was sure who the culprit was, my mouth fell open when there was an extra twist that took the story in a slightly different direction.
This was a very good listen with a narrator who didn't make me want someone else read it. Even a good story can be ruined with a narrator who doesn't fit in. Rebecca Lowman did a good job and I do appreciate that.
Worth the credit and I will be listening to this one again and again!

a classic Roberts story

excellent characterizations that came to life through the narration. At times could feel the heat of the fires and the thrill of jumping from a plane. It almost made me want to try it!

Chasing Fire - not up to par

I’m a fan of NR’s books and I read Chasing Fire years ago and liked it. However, I didn’t really enjoy this audio version. The lead female character came across more as an egomaniacal smart ass than a strong capable woman. I’m all for strong women ( I am one) but this one was over the top in my opinion.

Super Good

I’d call this one of her best, and the narration was excellent. Tense, satisfying finish.

fun, terrifying,, thrilling, riveting

so good, that I stood out on the sidewalk of the hotel in London after a trans-Atlantic flight listening to the last 15 minutes before I went inside to check in! no need I say more...

Chasing Fire

The narrator's female voice didn't seem to work when reading male parts.

Other then that, it was a decent job.