Kathryn Shay: After the Fire

Berkley (Paperback), ISBN 0-425-19304-7

Six months ago, after surviving a tragic fire that killed 10 firefighters and profoundly affected everyone in Hidden Cove, N.Y., siblings Mitch, Jenn and Zach Malvaso vow to change the things in their lives that make them unhappy. Mitch’s marriage to spoiled Cynthia lies on the verge of ruin; he only remains with her for their teenage children. Jenn realizes she desperately wants to become a mother, and Zach wants his former wife, Angie, and his two boys back. But as the time passes, the changes don’t get made.

Police detective Megan Hale comes to Hidden Cove to heal from her own personal tragedies. Her police officer husband died in the line of duty a few years ago, and her father — also a policeman — dies in a shootout with a criminal. To channel her grief, she wants to open a camp for the children of fallen police officers and firefighters on her father’s lakeside property in Hidden Cove.

Mitch becomes an enthusiastic supporter of the camp and helps Megan get things off the ground. He also finds himself attracted to her, much to the dismay of both. He doesn’t want to cheat on Cynthia, and Megan doesn’t want to be the “other woman” — her former husband cheated on her before his death.

Meanwhile, Jenn and her best friend, Grady, decide to work on a baby. They keep the decision a secret from friends and family, but things spiral out of control. After nearly 30 years of friendship, they suddenly find themselves sexually attracted to each other. Grady drags along his own share of baggage — a now-alcoholic ex-fiancee and an ex-wife who committed suicide while seven months pregnant. He fears hurting Jenn, so he pushes her away, and their feelings confuse both of them.

Kathryn Shay skillfully weaves two solid plotlines together as well as two or three smaller plots. All of the characters, primary and secondary, come across as completely real and believable. The book also provides a nice glimpse into the world of firefighters without getting the reader too bogged down in technical jargon. An excellent book and the first in a trilogy set in Hidden Cove.

Jen Foote

Jen Foote recently moved to central Florida, where she is a copy editor and page designer at a small daily newspaper. She is ecstatic to live an hour away from the ocean.