Play with Fire by Sophie L Henderson on February 24, 2026
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Romance / New Adult, Fiction / Women
Pages: 326
Format: Audiobook
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Play with Fire is the first book in Sophie L. Henderson’s firefighter romance series, and while I ended up liking book two more, this was still a fun start to the series—especially because I’ve apparently entered my firefighter romance era lately.
This book follows Savannah, a firefighter-in-training trying to save her struggling fire hall, and Brodie, the journalist ex-boyfriend she never expected to work with again. The setup had all the ingredients for a really entertaining second-chance romance: forced proximity, unresolved feelings, workplace tension, and plenty of spice.
Second-chance romances can be a little hit or miss for me, and unfortunately this one leaned a bit more toward the “miss” side emotionally. I listened to this one on audio, which may have affected my connection to the story, but I just never fully clicked with either of the main characters the way I wanted to. I could see what the author was building toward, and I thought the premise itself was strong, but the emotional connection didn’t fully land for me.
There’s definitely chemistry and tension throughout, and if you love firefighter romances with spice and drama, there’s still a lot to enjoy here. The third-act breakup also gave me a little side eye, which longtime romance readers will probably understand immediately.
Overall, this was a cute, spicy firefighter romance with a solid premise, and it definitely did enough to make me continue with the series—especially since I ended up enjoying book two even more.