Straight Fire

Smoke Series, Book 4

By: Abbi Glines

Narrated by: Corvin King, Allie Shae

Twisted, unhinged, insane—all words used to describe Gage Presley by those closest to him. A pretty boy with a face that misleads you. He’s one of the deadliest members of The Family.

Five years ago, his possessiveness and insane jealousy over a girl unleashed his crazy and in the wake of his retaliation, he was given the choice: prison or the United States Marines.

The girl who owned his soul turned her back on him and left town without a goodbye. Shiloh Ellis became a name he never mentioned again.

When she walks back into Gage’s life, no one in The Family is happy about it, especially Gage. It’s clear they all loathe her, but she has no memory of them at all....

©2023 Abbi Glines Publishing LLC (P)2024 Abbi Glines Publishing LLC

Liked the book

I liked most of the book although I was the ending had been different. It seemed a little bit of a let down for an important moment.

Straight Fire is Right

Overall Thoughts: Straight Fire could not be a more perfect title for this book, it is so on point it is scary. If you like a morally dark gray, over-the-top possessive alphahole, then you not only want, but need this book. This is my second darker Abbi Glines book, and it did not disappoint. This is probably my favorite of her books I’ve listened to so far. Allie Shea was perfect as Shiloh, and I could rave about Corvin King all day, he was magnificent as Gage. I feel bad only giving this book 5 stars, it is a top read this year.

Narration: Duet narration, first-person present tense, multiple-POV with flashbacks

Tropes: Small age gap (5yrs), retrograde amnesia, nurse, enforcer, mechanic, enemies to lovers, m@fia, aphahole, possessive, jealous, fighter, OW drama

Overall: 5
Spice: 3.5
Humor: 2
Drama: 3.5
Darkness: 3

Gage got himself into some trouble and is going to be laid up for two weeks while he recovers from his brawl with four other guys. Shiloh is working for her uncle, who is ready to give her more responsibility, so he assigns her as Gage’s nurse. When Gage sees her, he thinks he is hallucinating, but is pissed when he realizes it wasn’t a mirage, and that Shiloh doesn’t even remember him. She can’t remember anything from before her accident two years ago.

After her accident, Shiloh realized she doesn’t like the life she was leading before, so she moves back to her hometown, starts working for her uncle, and lives a quiet little life, until she starts taking care of Gage. She doesn’t know what she did to him, or why he is so mean to her

When they assign a new nurse to take care of Gage, he decides he doesn’t care how mad he was at Shiloh in the past, she is back and he wants her forever. When these two get together they combust into an inferno, and when her life is endangered,

Just WOW!

(Received as an ARC on Audible for my honest review)

🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶.5

First I want to say that I an a huge Abbi Glines fan and the Smoke Series is her best yet! I have loved every character throughout this series and she writes these books like you have known these people your whole life. I was so excited to learn these books are coming out on Audible and couldn't wait to listen to them.

I have to be honest and say that Gage's book was one of my least favorite to read on ebook because he seemed a bit to aggressive in the book. His character seemed rough and that this couple seemed off at times throughout the pages. I didn't think it was right with the emotions Shiloh was going through and then it seemed Gage might have forced certain things in her when it was not right. Now I don't think that anymore because it was read so well on audio. That it helped pull the book together and make it better and more understandable.

These two parts were read so freaking well that this is now one of my favorites. Both parts were incredible. The way it was read was like you could feel the pain, angst, torment through their voices. I have had to fan myself off a few times to Corvon King's voice. His voice as Gage made the whole book. Allie Shae did an outstanding job with Shiloh's emotions. These two voices made the book better for me and I'm obsessed. I am definitely going to look and see what other books Corvin has read for now.

If your looking for something second chance with a while lot of spice and trust when I say Abbi is the queen of writing spice for me. If you want angst and an obsessed, possessive man that will do anything for the woman that has always had his heart. This is a must-read, must listen to book for you. The pretty boy weapon for the Southern Mafia is off the market for good once his kryptonite steps back into his life and she has amnesia with no memories of him or them. This is a hate her until he taste her (again) push and pull, I don't want her but nobody else can have her neither book.

Tropes:
- Southern Mafia Romance
- She has Amnesia
- Second Chance
- He's Obsessed/Possessive
- Enemies to Lovers (for him)
- "Mine"
- Kidnapping
- Touch Her & Die

This couple lives up to the title

…my first thought going in was, “Will Shiloh and Gage live up to the title?” Let me tell you, THEY DID!! This was a very unique, second chance romance. Shiloh has suffered a TBI and has no memories prior to her accident. She struggles to understand why Gage and his “family” dislike her so much when she becomes his nurse after he is injured. Through flashbacks we get snippets of their time together before. I enjoyed every minute of their story. There was a somewhat twisty reveal at the end that I did not expect. If you have the ability to listen to the audiobook, I HIGHLY recommend it. It was a great duet narration.

The Best Series Ever

Abbi is a phenomenal author. I love all aspects of this series. I read the novels. Listening to the narration brings them that much more to life. Each book has its own unique story while tieing them all together as a brilliant Southern Mafia Universe.
For my preferred Tropes this series is a Grammy

so good

I swear Corvin King and the female really brought this book to life . The book was already great but, even better with the way it was narrated. I can't wait for the rest!!!

Great narration!

I absolutely love the audio of this book! These narrators really captured the characters and brought the story to life! I definitely fell more in love with Gage after reading this a second time!

The narration was STELLAR!

Audiobook and Book Review

🖤 Second chance
🖤 Touch her and ☠️
🖤 Possessive MMC
🖤 Retrograde amnesia
🖤 Forced proximity
🖤 Loyalty
🖤 Dark mafia
🖤 Secrets and Revelations
🖤 Lovers to enemies to lovers

Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
Narration: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (stunning!)

Gage is a soldier for Blaise Hughes, the boss of ‘The Family.’ He was injured on the job and required in home medical care for his recovery. The nurse that walked into his room to take care of him was none other than the woman who ripped out his heart and destroyed him five years ago. Shiloh was instantly attracted to the man her Uncle assigned her to care for. The only problem is, she didn’t understand why he hated her. She can’t remember anything before two years ago when she was in an accident that took her memories. How could she possibly help a man that despised her, and wasn’t subtle about it? How could Gage still feel attraction for her after she shredded his heart?

There is more to this story than meets the eye. Secrets, revelations, and loyalties are outed in this blazing hot book. Tension, both physical and emotional, reign in this story. I was not expecting it, but I devoured it! Shiloh and Gage had a super intense and rather toxic relationship. That carries over into the present, the obsession that Gage has is beyond any other MMC that I have ever read. Shiloh is timid, and unsure of things because of her memory loss. But she doesn’t just lie down and take it, she stands up for herself. She isn’t who she used to be, as everyone around her reminds her constantly.

Thanks to Sparksfly Studio I was able to ALC this duet narration audiobook with two narrators that I’ve never listened to before. Though I’ve heard of Corvin King, I may be the only one “living under a rock” who hadn’t listened to one of his narrations yet. And let me tell you, whew 🥵 the gravel in this man’s voice could rival that of a rock quarry! His voice over was as intense as Gage, (think Mark Wahlberg in ‘Fear’ intense, without that particular ending!). King was absolutely amazing and I WILL be seeking out more of his work.

Let me tell you…Allie Shae!? A f***ing STAR in this book. My gosh! I was blown away by her narration, like it was STUNNING. I can’t believe I’ve never heard her because she just became one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE FEMALE NARRATORS. EVER. Holy smokes the timidity, uncertainty, strength, loyalty, and the unsurpassed ‘extra’ that she brought to Shiloh, was unlike any other female narrator I’ve ever heard. I am now obsessed, (But not like in a Gage way 😅).

Gage is an unhinged psychotic k!ller with an obsession for Shiloh that borders on toxic. I’ve never read an MMC with that much intensity, but I think it was Corvin King who brought him to the next level with his stellar narration! Shiloh was a fantastic character who was more loyal, nearly to the point of self destruction, than any other FMC I’ve read. Allie Shae absolutely CRUSHED her narration. One of the best female narrations I’ve ever heard! Everyone, please listen to this stellar audiobook by Abbi Glines. I read her stories for the first time about 12 years ago and it was great being able to revisit her writing again. This story was intense and sěxy, with twists and revelations that keep you on your toes!

💀 ”Memories of her seemed to cling to my dämn soul. I f***ing despised her, but it didn’t mean she hadn’t owned a piece of me once that I never got back.”
💀 “It isn’t fair to claim that it was toxic when obsession is but a deeper realm of love.” –Abbi Glines
💀 “Hold on to the headboard, baby.”
💀 “My hand moved over to rest on Gage’s chest. If he was what filled that for me, former me had been living with the same vacant ache in her soul that I had been.”
💀 “Baby, you’re the only woman on earth who is equipped to f***ing handle me. You just don’t remember.”
💀 “Shiloh, if another man were to see you naked, see you c*me, touch you, I’d be put in prison. There would be no way to save my a$$ from the destruction I’d leave in my path. I don’t want to share you.”

Morally gray & touch her and pay vibes.

The steam! This one was steamy! Gage is morally gray at best. The man is obsessed with his woman and would tear the world apart for her. She left though, and when she came back her memories were gone. Gage struggled to keep away from her not wanting to deal with the pain of losing her again. Shiloh couldn't seem to stay away from Gage. She was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. So much emotional turmoil that these two go through.

This Story & Series is On❤️‍🔥Fire❤️‍🔥Amazing🎧📚

Abbi Glines blows me away with another awesome novel set in her amazing “Smoke” series and once I started it, I could not stop because I needed to know what happened next. This fourth book is Gage Presley and Shiloh Ellis’s story and wow, what a story it is, a dark romance full of drama, angst, twists and turns, heartfelt emotions and steamy romance. Shiloh’s father is the on-call doctor for the Hughes family and she is a nurse working in his office and her first out of office job is to help Gage while he is recovering from his injuries. The reception she received at the Hughes house was not a welcoming one, she and Gage have a history, one he remembers, one she doesn’t, and it is not a good history, so when she reappears in his life he is not happy about it, but she doesn’t know why. Calling Gage a hot-head would be an understatement, a man that is over the top with anger, rage and possessiveness, but he there is so much more to him, including loyalty and caring. Shiloh is just trying to build a new life, but she feels a deep attraction to Gage despite how he treated her. It was great to watch these to dance around each other, then get reacquainted, because it was clear Gage still had unresolved feelings for her too. I loved all the layers of this story and how it all played out in this book and, as always, the writing, plot, and world building are fantastic, as are the character growth and development. It was also great to see the characters from the earlier books, and watching the dynamics between them all. Abbi Glines, thank you for another amazing story and wild and emotional rollercoaster ride.

🎧📚🎧 Corvin King and Allie Shae were the perfect cast to bring these characters to life, and did so with a complete understanding of who they were portraying, giving each a voice that was fitting and believable. King nailed it as Gage, showcasing his personality to a tee, from his angst and alpha-tude to his possessiveness and caring side. Shae was just as amazing as Shiloh, grasping all sides of her personality, from her insecurities to strength and determination. Both were fabulous performing the roles of the secondary characters too. They set the perfect tone for the story, captured all the characters’ emotions and had you feeling each one. These two made a great narration team, their voices complemented each other and their performance elevated the already amazing story to another level. Thanks for another amazing listen.