A Woodland Park Firefighters Romance: Book 1
Publication Date: November 29, 2022
When an army vet becomes a firefighter in small-town Colorado, the flames of an old love reignite in this sweet romance by bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray
In Woodland Park, a small town nestled in the foothills of Pikes Peak, Anderson Kelly and Chelsea Davis were once the high school “it” couple—the star quarterback and the valedictorian. They broke up when Anderson joined the army and one poor decision at a fraternity party changed Chelsea’s life. Now, she works long shifts in a senior center to support her nine-year-old son, Jack.
After multiple tours in Afghanistan, Anderson has changed, too—physically scarred but mentally strong—and he decides to move back to Woodland Park. Anderson and Chelsea steer clear of each other to avoid reopening old wounds, until they are forced to reconnect through the senior center. They soon discover that the love they once shared never completely vanished. But it will take a fire, a dangerous collision, and the love of one little boy to help Anderson and Chelsea see that the future they’ve always yearned for is in sight…
Having only read a few Amish stories by Shelley Shepard Gray, I was pleasantly surprised to see this contemporary romance. Even better, it’s the start of a new series. Coming Home, the first book in the Woodland Park Firefighters Romance series, held my interest from the first page to the last as we get to know the many characters a little at a time. There is a depth to both the story and the characters that had me turning the pages to see what they would be up to next.
This is a second chance romance between previous high school sweethearts, Anderson and Chelsea, who stopped dating when they went their separate ways—he enlisted in the Army, and she went off to college. Fast forward years later when he returns to their small town as a firefighter. Their paths cross, he meets her son, and things take off from there, or do they?
There was some reminiscing between them, but since both are bad at communicating, they don’t know what they’re doing or what it means. They decide to be friends, but that confuses them even more. They both get information on the other from others who can see their feelings even if they can’t.
We get immersed in their lives and those of neighbors and friends. Many stories are told, and they are woven together nicely. I liked the camaraderie of Anderson with the other firefighters and Chelsea’s relationship with her son and her older, widowed neighbor, Camille. Chelsea’s son, Jack, is involved in all aspects of the story, and it was nice to see some of the events through his eyes.
There are family, friends, accidents, injuries, small-town and everyday life, jobs, dates, arguments, anger, romance, and love in various forms. There is a good flow to this heartwarming story, along with some heartache.
Many descriptive details enable us to know the characters and not just on the surface. There is lovely closure with a happily-ever-after beautifully portrayed six months later. The cover and title fit the story well. In the back of the book was a preview of the next book in the series, Moving Forward. It won’t be long before I’ll be reading it!
Coming Home is a delightful small town, clean contemporary second-chance romance with attention to detail and solid characters whom I kept rooting for.
Shelley Shepard Gray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time HOLT Medallion winner. She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.
