This was a cute read, and honestly I would've been into it even if they hadn't professed their love. Adam and Isla's friendship did reignite at a rapid pace at the beginning of the book, but I even found that believable, as they were two lonely characters who felt misunderstood even by the people who love them. The reasons for the marriage of convenience were a little unbelievable, but it worked. I actually thought the marriage of convenience was really sweet, that they would be best friends and partners who support each other even without romantic love. I also really appreciated that Adam's backstory and relationship with his brothers felt well-formed even without reading the first book. This book really did function as a standalone. I sometimes find small-town romances sort of hit or miss, but this one mostly worked for me. Would always like a little more steam, though. This is probably a 3.5 star book, rounded up to 4.

I have an unhealthy obsession with marriage of convenience stories, I’ve read more than my fair share of them. This was a sweet example, set in a small town, both of them army vets, now she’s an aspiring baker and he’s a rookie firefighter:

I loved the small town setting and the family dynamics and once this got going the chemistry and the heat, but what was unusual in this was that the chemistry wasn’t really there from the start for either of them. That confused me a bit as I wasn’t sure if this was deliberate or not. I think on reflection it probably was deliberate and this was intended to be a slow burn starting from a genuine friendship and mutual respect. This bubbled along for a while being sweet and witty and warm and I’d have been quite content with that so the heat ramping up seemingly from nowhere was a fab surprise.

This is part of a series but the story stands alone. I’d definitely be up for reading more of these. Recommended.

I feel very conflicted about this review! There were aspects of this book I really loved, and others that I found distracting and took away from the overall enjoyment of the book. I like that there wasn’t one specific “trope” the romance fell into - a little bit friends to lovers, a little slow burn, a hint of instalove even, forced proximity - you name it. I liked in general that there was a wide cast of characters - however, they didn’t feel blended into the storyline, like those side little plots didn’t get explored enough. I liked the hero and heroine, I liked their banter, and how they took care of one another. I just get like some of the plot points drama were too short, not fully explored and unfinished. But I would absolutely pick up another book by this author!

Received this arc from Victory editing for an honest review.
A story about two friends that decide to become lovers for just one night but then later decide to marry out of convenience for a business.
The story takes place in Pine Harbor and Adam Kincade the youngest brother is out to prove himself as a firefighter to his brothers mainly his oldest Owen. Before that happens though he runs into a former Captain from the Army and Isla Pederson who has become a pastry chef and other than looking at doing pop-up events really does not want to go back to working for someone one.
After they have their one-night stand weeks go by and as Adam is looking into buying a home, he overhears a bakery for sale in town. The catch is the couple needs to be married and from Pine Harbor. Adam broached the idea to her about the bakery and the idea of them marrying. After Isla coming to Pine Harbor for a weekend, she decides on his plan and they set a date and get married.
Their plan works well at first but like every good plan, it begins to change as Adam helps her with changes at the bakery and she sees all of the work he does with fixing the home plus the hours at the firehouse that they begin to spend more and more time together. Of course, you see where this is leading. Adam does not believe in love though he supports her in everything she does and becomes protective when her ex-husband just shows up. Still though when the shift changes between them he panics which is wrong. See who this story ends and really how these two people find themselves before they can find the other one. A very good story with good characters and a few from one of her earlier series. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us www.1rad-readerreviews.com

I jumped into this new spin-off series out of order but loved every single second of the story! The characters are fleshed out nicely and their emotional growth happens at an exhilarating pace. Fun storytelling, compelling characters both main and secondary and seriously sexy pining that leads to super hot sex scenes that properly progress the story. Well done, will read more by the author and in the series.

Featured on Book+Main blog as a romance recommendation. LInk to post below.

This book is everything I needed right now. I've read it in 24 hours, my favourite thing about this book is the fake-marriage trope, in fact I love this trope in general. In my opinion the characters felt pretty real and dealt with issues that some people can feel identified with. Isla is such a force of nature and I admire her determination to make her dreams come true. On the other hand, Adam is a really nice guy that would do anything for Isla but also carried some feelings hard to deal with given what he went through. Another aspect that I enjoyed about the story is the baking aspect and the setting of a small town. If you are looking for a romance novel and love the fake relationship trope this has to be your next read.

I love this author, I've read most of her books and I really enjoy this one too.
Ilsa needs to find her place in life after leaving the army and suffering an awful marrige. Now she is a baker and can use all the help she can get.
Adam is a firefighter now, but used to be under Isla's command in the force. When they see each other again, they realize that they have a lot in common and develop a strong friendship.
But when the opportunity to live in the same city present itself, they decided to marry in order to help each other's dreams.
Soon feelings are going to get involved and both will learn a lesson about love and commitment.
It's a slow burn romance most of the book but a beautiful journey all the same. It's sweet and romantic, with deep dialogs and strong emotions. There are a few steamy and enjoyable moments.
Another winner for me!
I've received an ARC of this book and all the opinions are my own.

Fierce at Heart was 🔥🔥 (definitely steamy)! I love the small town bakery vibes, older woman, and how they ended up falling in love, for real. I feel like these two were made for each other and are the perfect match. I loved the writing, plot and characters. They were definitely lovable. It made me want to move to a small town! Great book! #netgalley #fierceatheart

The month of February creates the warm illusion of heat and passion and this book was no exception. The two main characters Adam and Isla are old army buddies who get reacquainted after serving together in Afghanastan one night and have a one night stand and become friends there after. Afterwords, there becomes a opportunity for Isla to finally get a bakery of her own (which is what she really wants) but the catch is, is that she has to be married to someone so that she can get her business loan. Their relationship takes a turn and the lines between friendship and love become faint.


I loved what this book portrayed. The characters were honest and caring and the relationship with Adam and his brothers was real and raw and reminded me of my own relationship with my sister. I've always felt like the kid in the family so his feelings on the subject really brought it to life for me.

Second, I loved that the relationship had a lot of challenges and perseverance. That is what a normal relationship has and it was nicely portrayed. The feel of community exhibited in this small Ontario town had me happy that books like this exist, to showcase what Ontario has to offer for outsiders who aren't from here.

The only negative aspect of this book I found was the length as I found it was a tad long and there were some drawn on scenes that could have been cut, but otherwise a lovely quick read for a nice February day.

All thoughts are my own. Thank you to NetGallery and Victory Editing Netgalllery Co-Op for an ARC for an honest review.

I kind of fell a little in love with Adam Kincaid in the first book in this series and he definitely doesn't disappoint in his book! Adam is the youngest of his five brothers and has always felt that he wasn't good enough - or just enough. Even though he is extremely close with his family - you can see that the death of his parents had a pretty profound effect on him. He's finally taking steps to start his career as a firefighter and it isn't easy. When he reconnects with his former captain in the armed forces right before his graduation - it feels like fate. Isla is also in the process of reinventing herself. After a terrible divorce and leaving the military, she is just finishing culinary school and dreams of starting her own bakery.

Isla and Adam are so incredibly good together. They are basically the reason why being friends first so often leads to amazing romantic relationships. They both are each other's cheerleaders and biggest fans. Even though each believes they don't want a romantic relationship - it is apparent to everyone else in their orbit that they are 100% in love.

This story is a great mix between friends-to-lovers and fake-relationship. In all the best ways.

I am loving reading about this big family!

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

Fierce at Heart is the second book in the Kincaids of Pine Harbour series and although I unfortunately have not read the first book, I think you can safely read this one without getting lost. Each book is a standalone even though family members all appear throughout the book. I've read books written by Ms. York and always find them enjoyable and this was no exception. Isla and Adam's relationship was an interesting, slow burn, fake marriage which is one of my favorite genres. This one, though, wasn't just a fake marriage/relationship -- it had a few twists to make it just a little different which is why it was so enjoyable. Adam is the youngest of the Kincaid brothers and I have a feeling I'm going to like reading the other brothers' stories as well. Another enjoyable 4-star read by Zoe York. I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC for NetGalley.

4.5 stars
I love Adam and Isla so much! What a great story about two people who were not expecting anything more than a mutually beneficial friendship and found a wonderful passionate love along the way. Full of a lot of other fantastic side characters, this story has so much good stuff going for it. I adore this couple and loved watching their relationship grow and shine! I also loved being in Pine Harbour again!

This was a really cute story of two people who reconnected, became friends again, and fell in love!

Isla is a former army captain and is now finishing up culinary school and trying to open a bakery. She runs into Adam, a former member of her team in Afghanistan, when she's doing a pop-up bake sale. They reconnect and become friends. They also have a one-night stand. Then Adam moves back to his hometown to start his new job as a firefighter. He sees a cafe for sale that would be a perfect spot for Isla's bakery. The only catch: it's being sold for $1 to a member of the community. So he proposes to Isla that they get married and live together as friends only. Too bad their hearts might not actually agree with that...

I really enjoyed how Adam and Isla are both figuring out their lives and what they want out of it and their relationships. They were really there for each other. I also love the Kincaid brothers and definitely need to read the rest of the series!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy reading books by Zoe York. I was very excited when I was given this ARC,but since it had already been published, I knew I needed to get it read as quickly as possible.

It was a long story with a lot of back story and details, but I found myself thinking about it more and more when I wasn’t reading it. I eager sat down to finish it this morning and I have got to say that it was refreshingly beautiful!

Adam finally realized that his heart was full of love despite thinking that he could never possibly love someone. Isla has always been Adams guiding light - since his days in the service.

The contemporary romance novel, FIERCE AT HEART by Zoe York is a story full of dreams, careers, friendships, family, and love… all wrapped into a small-town setting. Pine Harbour is a fictional town plopped into real geographic locations that happen to be right in my backyard. I couldn’t believe it, when I realized the story took place on the Bruce Peninsula, with the characters going to a pub in Lion’s Head, a grocery store in Wiarton, the military base in Meaford, and visits to Owen Sound. These are all real places in my neck of the woods. So cool.

This was my first Zoe York novel, so I started out just wanting to take a peek at the first chapter to get a sense of whether I liked the writing style or not… and then, BAM! The book was done. It was a fast and fun read all in one night. I’m not much for the marriage of convenience trope, but this novel worked quite well. Starting over after retiring from the army is hard, but if you find a friend who is trying to do the same thing, then why not do it together? It might not be love, but at least you have someone struggling and possibly succeeding right along beside you. Basically, you are not alone. This pushed the novel into the friends-to-lovers category, as well.

I loved so many things about this book besides the emotional Kincaid brothers. The baking aprons were adorable, and so were the amazing names for baking items such as, the Raspberry Bamboozle cupcakes and the Born in the Bruce butter tarts. I loved how York explored the struggle of becoming a first responder, their need to learn how to balance their home lives around long 24-hour shifts. York also nailed the struggle of starting over after retiring from one career and diving into the next one. Also, I enjoyed the journey for one of them finding love after dealing with a difficult divorce to a narcissist.

Overall, even though there were a few threads left hanging at the end of the story, I thought this was an excellent small-town romance story. I’m sure the next book in the series might mention a few things from this book and allow the storylines to continue along. I look forward to reading all the Pine Harbour books.

Thank you to NetGalley, ZoYo Press, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and Zoe York for allowing me to read an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This is book 2 in the Kincaids of Pine Harbor but I hadn't read the first book before. You don't have to read the previous book.

I did enjoy this book . I found it entertaining. I liked the story and the characters.

I do recommend this one.

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an independent review.

Another sweet and easy romance in this new series. Whilst the premise of the book is probably a bit of a stretch in reality, the story is quite charming and it it is nice to find out more about the Kincaid family. The relationship between Adam and Isla was a slow burn but their friendship builds into love.

Great book for a rainy day. 3.5 stars. Look forward to the next brother’s story.

Adam didn't expect to meet his former commanding officer selling cookies at a Toronto market, nor did he expect the mind-blowing one night stand or the ensuing friendship, but when he sees a chance for her to own her own bakery, he suggests a marriage of convenience based on friendship, not love. Adam doesn't even believe he can love - and Isla's still scarred from an emotionally abusive relationship.

Most romances go roughly friendship (or lust) > love > sex > marriage, but these two flip this on its head, going something like sex > friendship > marriage > love, and it was believable every step of the way. Their chemistry is never in doubt and the solid friendship sets the foundation for a successful marriage even before love sneaks in.

Adam's a great guy who is starting a new career out of the army and still seems to be the baby of this family in his brother's eyes. Despite the teasing, it is clear the brothers all love each other and they (mostly) wind back the matchmaking when he asks. His confusion over love starts very demiromantic and I'm glad his brothers are there to talk sense into him when he needs it.

Thanks to her time in the army and her awful ex-husband, Isla is terrible at asking for help, but the welcoming small town and supportive husband go a long way to helping her trust again and I loved seeing her open up. The ex-husband deserved a comeuppance but I feel like his sub-plot disappeared suddenly which was a bit disappointing. Even a sentence or two could've wrapped it up.

This is actually the second in a spinoff series from an eight book series set in the same town and it was nice that while some previous characters made an appearance (I even commented on the wealth of Minellis to my roommate and it turns out those four siblings get four books each), it didn't feel overwhelming or annoying. This book stands well on its own and its quality makes me glad of such a large back catalogue.

Overall, a very enjoyable small town marriage of convenience and when my TBR calms down I'd love to read more by the author.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

This would be a 4 1/2 – 5 star read if it weren’t for the inclusion of some completely unnecessary trauma. Before I talk about what I hated, I want to talk about what I loved.

Fierce at Heart explores a modern marriage of convenience between friends who want to support each other as they take on new, post military, careers. Isla Petersen had been Adam Kincaid’s commanding officer during a difficult tour in Afghanistan. A few years later, Adam is in Toronto about to graduate from a year long fire fighting program and Isla has finished with culinary school and participating in a series of pop up bakeries. They have coffee. They have friendly sex. She isn’t interested in more and they agree to be supportive friends who are soon to go their separate ways. Not long after Adam returns to his hometown, he has a reason to propose a marriage of convenience to Isla and she accepts. I loved the relationship between them. They have their own goals and are each other’s biggest cheerleaders. They are beautifully imperfect and working so hard to be best friends. I loved them and wanted them to succeed. I didn’t need more than these two slightly battered hearts learning to be vulnerable and in love.

So here’s the thing I hated and two reasons why I hated it. Isla’s ex-husband forces himself back into her life and is vaguely threatening. I hated it because 1 – it was entirely unnecessary. And 2 – it was entirely unnecessary trauma. Having an ex-husband who gas-lit her and made love feel transactional was plenty of drama. He was a barrier for Isla to overcome before she could trust herself to rely on Adam. Isla was working on undoing that damage, and Adam was helping through his supportive actions. Having the ex show up, cause drama, and then have no discernable impact on character development or plot felt like a gratuitous helping of trauma. As a reader, I didn’t need it. This past year has narrowed my tolerance for unnecessary trauma. Not every reader is going to be bothered by the thing I hated, just like not every reader is going to love Adam and Isla as much as I did.

Fierce at Heart is the first Zoe York book I’ve read. It’s second book in a series and connected to an even larger series, but it was easily read as a stand alone. I received this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great love story about Adam and Isla. They have a marriage of convenience. Adam doesn't believe in love but wants a partner in crime and Isla is recovering from a disastrous divorce and wants her own bakery. This arrangements works well as they are friends turned into lovers. Sweet story with a fun cast of brothers.