Scorcher by Celia Kyle

Recently I picked up Scorcher by Celia Kyle as part of the Men in Uniform reading challenge and it left me with mixed feelings.

Phoebe’s a Salamander with a problem.  Fire is her element, her very best friend and the core of her nature.  But she can’t control it worth a darn.  One decent temper tantrum and poof! fire galore.  Good thing she lives in the desert with nary a tree in sight. Well, there are a few bushes and such. And her house.  And a few cacti… sorta. At least until she’d gotten mad over getting stuck by one of the darned things…

Brant lives by fire and dies by fire.  Literally.  As Fire Chief, it’s his job to stamp out fires in Winthrop, making sure residents of the small town in the back woods of Arizona don’t have to worry about fire taking their businesses and homes.  As a phoenix, he has the ability to sense fires the moment they start.  It’s a handy talent that keeps the residents safe.  Except for his girlfriend who seems to be able to blow up just about everything, including the stove.

Phoebe is a Salamander who is living away from her family after inheriting a house from her Grandmother. She isn't a very good Salamander. Electronics don't seem to work around her correctly, and when they don't she destroys them.

Than there is Brant he is a phoenix who has devoted his life to fighting fires. Being able to feel when a fires is going to start and where it is going to be is very handy for Brant as the Fire Chief and Fire Investigator.

For the most part I enjoyed Scorcher. I liked that they were both willing  to go mortal for the other since they didn't know the other was also firekin. I think I would have preferred Scorcher with out the added part of Brant's father, and Phoebe's mother being mates. To me that didn't add to Scorcher, it seemed like it should have been separate. I enjoyed the characters, and this was the first time I have read about phoenix's and salamanders, and it was very interesting.