This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎.5
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞.5
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨

First Impressions
Combust is the second book in the "Everyday Heroes" series and this was part of a Romanceopoly reading challenge pick and I am really loving what K. Bromberg did with this setup. I just had a blast seeing how she worked this story with the smaller town feels and the family connections that she builds within the story. I absolutely adored everything that was put together in this story. I couldn't seem to get enough of Combust and K. Bromberg is an author I definitely need to read much more of. She is an author that I just haven't read enough of over the years and I need to be better about that, Combust was just so entertaining, fun to read yet with lots of heart and feels to deliver a satifying feel.

First Line
"Whoa. Wait a minute. What do you mean, I have to pretend?"

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Grady Malone
A playful playboy of sorts that has a heart of gold. He is a firefighter, and part of a family devoted to civic service. But he has a tortured soul that makes it hard to do what he loves.

The Heroine: Dylan McCoy
A talented songwriter with a beautiful voice that she keeps hidden. She has no interest in fame. She is loyal and reserved and kind.

Summary
Songwriter Dylan McCoy finds her partner and boyfriend in music, to be having a sexual affair on her and when she finds out the truth, she ends their relationship and takes some leave with her brother's best friend and ends up being his roommate, only to find that Grady is the type of man that she isn't used to being around. He has a playful personality and is a bit of a scoundrel at times but with good intentions and a heart of gold. She senses that there is something so much more to him than meets the eye and she is intrigued to know more. But when her ex comes back determined to win her back, she and Grady enter into a fake relationship, which only leads to something deeper developing between them...

What I Loved
Combust was such a delightful read! I absolutely adored every single part of this story. And while it didn't quite make it to a five star read, it was definitely a favorite of the week for sure. I couldn't seem to get enough of these two and their fun interactions together. I honestly love a playful hero, they are so entertaining and K. Bromberg writes them the best. And I from their first meeting, their interactions together were so engaging and warmed my heart. You see from the beginning that Grady is so much more than he seems and it definitely delivered here. What I truly loved was that the horo is a bit tortured. He is a firefighter, but in a fire they were fighting, he and his best friend were caught in the fire, his back was severely burned and he lost his best friend to the fire who left behind a young son. And this trauma has really affected him and doing something that he loves. But what I found most intriguing was how our heroine, was able to connect with him and give him the ability to learn to face his past and and embrace his dreams again.

This bood had me in my feels here and I adored Grady and Dylan together, they made for such a great team. They really balanced each other out. Dylan is much more serious minded and Grady is more playful in many ways, but each of them find some "yin-yang" balance in their connection and seeing how they were able to assist each other in various ways was just beautiful. And this family of brothers I just want to read so much more of! I love seeing families that are devoted to service, and K. Bromberg handled this aspect so well here! Definitely reading this brought back the charm and delights that only this author can deliver and I am thrilled to get back to more of her books.

What I Struggled With
Nothing really, there was something missing though that kept it from reaching a five star read but to be honest, there wasn't anything significant that was noticeable.

Overall View
I found Combus to be a delightful, lively romance that delivered in the humor, fun family times, and a sexy romance that focused on so much heart and emotion to satisfy any reader!

Favorite Quote(s)
“The heart’s blind. It’s the head that causes all the trouble.”

We all have scars. Some are visible. Some aren’t. In the end, they represent the fact that you’re stronger now than whatever tried to hurt you. For you, it just means that you’re stronger than the fire.”

“It’s okay to forget what hurt you, but just remember to never forget what it taught you.” “What did it teach me, other than to fear the one thing I love?” “Fear has two meanings, son. Forget everything and run. Or face everything and rise.”

“I’m getting lost in you, Dylan. It’s so damn easy. When I’m with you, I forget the bad. I forget the fire. I forget the bad dreams. The three nights you were in my bed were the first nights in forever I didn’t have nightmares. So, I’m kissing you because when I’m with you, my mind stops, and the world starts turning again.”

It takes me a few seconds to accept the revelation. To reverse years of conditioned thinking. But it’s really not that hard because firefighter or no firefighter, Grady Malone just proved to me he’s in a class all his own. He’s a man worth so much more than I pegged him for.

“You are my shot in the dark. The flame I can’t put out. The dream I need to walk away from. Because it’s myself I constantly doubt. But you’re under my skin. You’ve tattooed my soul. The fate of my heart yours to control.”

“I’m not asking to be your whole world, Dylan, I just want to be a part of it. I want to be the part that revolves around you. I want to be the one who grounds you so we’re forced to come home to each other, even when we’re mad. I want to provide the arms that hug you and the hands that hold yours through whatever adventure awaits us. I want you and whatever the two of us decide we want for our future.”

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance
Character Types: Firefighter, Singer/Songwriter
Themes: Hearts/Emotional Touching, Family Bonds, Laughs & Giggles, PTSD, Tear Jerker
Tropes: Roommates Living Together, Fake Relationship, Brothers Best Friend

Book Perspective
Duo POV

Recommendation For Reading Order
You can read these as standalones easily, but for the family connection, most likely reading these in order, add to the deeper connections between the brothers.

Steam/Spice Explanations

Simmering cup of tea---soft warm touches and light intimacy
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship. ( )

OMG these Malone men are going to kill me. Grady breaks your heart and you wish you could go thru this book and hug him..I loved him, poor broken soul. He was so sweet to Dylan, and just what she needed. It was great reading how Dylan was not this perfect specimen well according to her, she was insecure, but he showed her how she looked to him, and that perfect. It breaks my heart when jealous people have to put others down in order to feel good, we should encouraging instead bringing down. Bravo Ms. Bromberg to show what that we can overcome insecurities and find what is truly more important. She has taken issues that are hard to read about, and made them beautiful..Can't wait to see what she comes up with for Grayson. ( )