Synopsis
Hard-edged fireman Dean Mulligan has never been a big fan of Christmas. Twinkly lights and sparkly tinsel can't brighten the memories of too many years spent in ramshackle foster homes. Although he's established himself as one of the top firefighters at San Gabriel Station 1, he doesn't think he's good enough for someone like gorgeous Lizzie.
Lizzie
Breen is used to fighting-from her alpha male brothers, who try to
smother her in the name of safety, to the life-threatening childhood
illness she overcame. She knows what she and Mulligan feel for each
other is a lot more than a fling, but she can't get him to see that.
The only gift Lizzie wants to give him this season is her love, but
he's not willing to accept it.
When
Mulligan is trapped in the burning wreckage of a holiday store, a
Christmas angel arrives to open his eyes. But is it too late? This
Christmas, it'll take an angel, a determined woman in love, and the
entire Bachelor Firemen crew to make him believe … it is indeed a
wonderful life.
MY THOUGHTS
It's A Wonderful Fireman is not my first foray into the world of the bachelor firemen of San Gabriel. I've been a long-time fan of the series and have loved getting to know the individual members of the team and watching them find their mates. There's such a great sense of camaraderie in the series and this novella is no different. When Mulligan, the resident Grinch of the A shift, gets trapped in a burning Christmas store the whole crew, including members we met in previous books who no longer live in San Gabriel, come to his rescue.
In previous novels I always thought of Mulligan as a bit of a misogynistic player who didn't take anything seriously, but that was mostly because we hadn't really gotten to know his thoughts or the reason for his actions. After an extremely rough childhood, Mulligan doesn't have the highest opinion of himself or believe that he deserves the love of a woman like Lizzie. He's actually quite a sweetheart who constantly puts himself at risk to help others and puts their needs above his own.
The story is told through a series of flashbacks that Lizzie and Mulligan relive as he's stuck in the burning building. On his side, he experiences a few trauma-induced hallucinations reminiscent of It's A Wonderful Life, with a Dream Lizzie starring as his very own Clarence, leading him back through moments in his past where he made a difference in the lives of others. It was a funny, interesting way to recount his past and really sparked some Christmas cheer in this story.
Due to the short length of the novella and the nontraditional timeline progression we didn't get to experience all of the push and pull of this budding romance but we had some great banter between the lovers and some sweet and sexy scenes. I was already a big fan of Lizzie in The Night Belongs to Fireman but now I'm definitely a Mulligan convert as well. I wouldn't mind getting trapped under a Christmas tree with him, He's incredibly smart and perceptive, a loyal friend and teammate and an animal lover (how cute was he with the puppy?).
If you love a sexy fireman (duh) and want a story that'll get you into the Christmas spirit It's A Wonderful Fireman is the perfect read. It's got mistletoe, hallucinations and a sneaky hook-up during a bachelor fireman's engagement party. I'm so sad that this is going to be the last story in Jennifer Bernard's Bachelor Firemen series but like Vader hinted "There's always the B shift. You never hear much about those guys". All I can say is "Yes, please"!
In previous novels I always thought of Mulligan as a bit of a misogynistic player who didn't take anything seriously, but that was mostly because we hadn't really gotten to know his thoughts or the reason for his actions. After an extremely rough childhood, Mulligan doesn't have the highest opinion of himself or believe that he deserves the love of a woman like Lizzie. He's actually quite a sweetheart who constantly puts himself at risk to help others and puts their needs above his own.
The story is told through a series of flashbacks that Lizzie and Mulligan relive as he's stuck in the burning building. On his side, he experiences a few trauma-induced hallucinations reminiscent of It's A Wonderful Life, with a Dream Lizzie starring as his very own Clarence, leading him back through moments in his past where he made a difference in the lives of others. It was a funny, interesting way to recount his past and really sparked some Christmas cheer in this story.
Due to the short length of the novella and the nontraditional timeline progression we didn't get to experience all of the push and pull of this budding romance but we had some great banter between the lovers and some sweet and sexy scenes. I was already a big fan of Lizzie in The Night Belongs to Fireman but now I'm definitely a Mulligan convert as well. I wouldn't mind getting trapped under a Christmas tree with him, He's incredibly smart and perceptive, a loyal friend and teammate and an animal lover (how cute was he with the puppy?).
If you love a sexy fireman (duh) and want a story that'll get you into the Christmas spirit It's A Wonderful Fireman is the perfect read. It's got mistletoe, hallucinations and a sneaky hook-up during a bachelor fireman's engagement party. I'm so sad that this is going to be the last story in Jennifer Bernard's Bachelor Firemen series but like Vader hinted "There's always the B shift. You never hear much about those guys". All I can say is "Yes, please"!
Disclaimer: I received this book free in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions shared are my own.
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About the Author:
Jennifer Bernard is a graduate of Harvard and a former news promo
producer. The child of academics, she confounded her family by
preferring romance novels to … well, any other books. She left big
city life for true love in Alaska, where she now lives with her
husband and stepdaughters. She’s no stranger to book success, as
she also writes erotic novellas under a naughty secret name not to be
mentioned at family gatherings.
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