A Woodland Park Firefighters Romance: Book 2
Publication Date: August 22, 2023
Romance blossoms in the Colorado foothills in this sweet romance by New York Times bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray
Former Army captain Greg Tebo loves his new life in Woodland Park. In the two years since he joined the WPFD, he’s gained a reputation as a fearless firefighter, and after being stationed all around the country and overseas, he can’t wait to settle down with a wife and kids.
When a call comes in about a possible heart attack at the scene of a fire at the Garden Center, Greg assumes they’re going to be helping an elderly customer—not the beautiful, feisty proprietor in her late twenties. Kristen Werner has been determined to pretend everything is fine. She refuses to leave the company she’s carefully nurtured and move home to her loving but meddling family in Houston. Since her devastating diagnosis caused her fiancé to dump her, she’s given up on love and thrown herself into cultivating her blooming business instead—even if the hard work further weakens her heart.
Greg is drawn to Kristen’s vibrant, independent spirit and hopes romance will flower. But she’s had enough trouble with her heart to last a lifetime, and can’t trust Greg not to break it—especially if he finds out she can never give him the houseful of children he longs for….
Moving Forward is a nice continuation of The Woodland Park Firefighters series by author Shelley Shepard Gray, and I can’t wait for more.
The story is a sweet romance between Greg, a firefighter, and Kristen, a garden center owner. Neither expects to find love, but when Kristen’s center catches fire, Greg’s one of the firefighters who respond and steps forward to keep her calm when she has a medical emergency, which leads to an instant attraction.
Neither is originally from Colorado, but they have another connection. There are secrets and awkward conversations, and they both have many layers they tend to hide from others as we get to know them a little at a time. Unfortunately, they take one step forward and so many back before finally getting on the same page due to their poor communication skills.
Many stories are being told that are tied together nicely, and so many characters we get to know. The story has unexpected twists and turns, which adds more depth. There are sweet moments between Greg and Kristen but also between some of the secondary characters, especially newly graduated high schoolers Jen and Ryan.
There is some closure but also loose ends, which I hope will get tied up in future books. The ending felt rushed since we jump to the epilogue with little knowledge of what transpired between Greg and Kristen making peace with each other and acknowledging their attraction. Still, there’s a better-than-expected portrayal of their happily ever after.
Moving Forward is a clean romance set in a small town in Colorado with multiple storylines within the general arc. Getting to know many of the characters was fun, and I can’t wait to see whose story is next.
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.
