A review by vividaway
Wildfire by Hannah Grace

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 It’s cute to see the gang from ‘Icebreaker’ come back and make an appearance in chapter one. The party scene was so good, and i liked the risque nature of the friend group. The reveal that Aurora is having issues with her dad is a really good one, and we see that she’s snooping on her dad’s girlfriend, which only hurts her in the long run. in turn, this makes it so that Aurora is closed off in her romantic endeavors. Aurora having issues with her mom’s overbearingness is also an interesting dynamic. Both mommy AND daddy issues! We also get to see the issue’s Russ has with this father’s gambling, and the way it affects his relationship with his dad. Both Russ and Aurora getting sent to summer camp is such a cute idea and I like the thought that they’re not allowed to fraternize with each other, setting up a forbidden romance. Russ’ dad getting hit by a drunk driver allows Russ a chance to vent out his emotions both to his mom and his dad, and it provides a fix in the story. I also really like the trauma dump session between Aurora and Russ. It was very therapeutic and very cute. Russ and Aurora finally getting together was so good, and i honestly liked the smut in this book a lot better than i did Icebreaker ( I will forever be comparing her books to each other!!! ) Them getting walked in on by Xander is genuinely so funny to me and i adore it a lot. Xander in general is just a good guy and i like his character a lot. I love all the forbidden aspects of the relationship, and i think Hannah wrote the scenes very well in this section of the book. The way Russ feels guilt instead of glee about sneaking around is relatable. The entire birthday celebration was really sweet, and i like the way Aurora goes out of her way to provide for Russ. His friends showing up was amazing and i loved their interactions. Jenna walking in on Russ and Aurora was SO TENSE for me because i wasn’t expecting it, and i truly expected both of them to be fired. I like how it was handled and think it was so accurate. Russ’ father trying to change is something I didn’t expect, and it’s a welcomed surprise. I hope he does change, for everyone's sake. The part where all the kids have to leave is so bittersweet but adorable at the same time, and i generally just like how Hannah Grace writes children to be honest with you. Aurora finding out that Russ’ father is an addict is a big twist that I wasn’t expecting this late into the novel, but it makes perfect sense that she’d figure it out eventually. Aurora skipping her dads wedding was so cathartic and i’m so glad she stood up to him. The two getting to live out their amazing love story is so beautiful, and this book was like a sexy sitcom for me. I adored it. The epilogue is so interesting and the time jump being nine years actually took me aback. I think the reveal that Aurora and Russ get married is so cute, and they open a bookstore together in Meadow Springs (which is funny because its a maple hills novel!) It’s just so perfectly fitting for the two of them, and i love it so much.