Blistered Redemption

Burning Rivals

Written by Voni Harris

Series: Chasing Fire: Alaska, Book 2 (Series created by Susan May Warren & Lisa Phillips)

Published by Sunrise Publishing

Release Date: 06.10.25

Genre: Christian Mystery & Suspense Romance, Firefighters Christian Romance

5 Stars!

There’s something about smokejumpers. They don’t leap for the thrill. They leap because someone has to. Because not going means someone else doesn’t make it out.

And in this story, the wildfire isn’t the only thing consuming everything in its path.

Bitterness has hollowed Vince out. Cadee carries guilt like it’s fused to her spine. The space between them is dry tinder … fragile, combustible, familiar. What surprised me most wasn’t the danger, it was the gentle way forgiveness unfolded, like smoke lifting at sunrise, revealing the one true and living God who was never absent.

“Forgive me Jesus. She stood still, her eyes closed. No, she didn’t feel forgiven. But forgiveness wasn’t a feeling. Christ was at work in her life, and she’d just leave it at His feet.” Forgiveness doesn’t wait for our emotions to catch up. It stands firm on the truth of Christ’s finished work — even when everything else feels scorched.

Cadee’s prayers aren’t long. They’re not polished. But they’re real: “God, You helped me last time. Help me now.”

That’s what faith looks like sometimes — not certainty, but surrender.

This love story is about the kind of love that keeps showing up even when trust is cracked, when the past still stings, and when the easy thing would be to walk away. Authentic love doesn’t ignore the damage. It steps into it — with grace, with God, and sometimes, when healing is possible, with the very person who once caused the hurt.

The suspense is relentless … wildfires, ambushes, false accusations … but what stayed with me was the undercurrent of grace. A story that makes room for grief, for justice, for second chances. Not the shiny, cinematic kind. The kind that costs something. The kind that Christ holds together when we can’t.

Smokejumpers are trained to leap into chaos. But sometimes, love does too — through regret, through danger, through the things we thought would undo us.

Burning Rivals reminded me that even in the worst fires, God is present, faithful, and more than able to bring beauty from what’s been burned.

I received a digital version of this book from the publisher. I am not required to write a positive review nor paid to do so. This is my honest and unbiased review. My thoughts and opinions expressed in this book review are my own. My review focuses on writing and story’s content, ensuring transparency and reliability.