Book Review: Hope Ignites by Jaci Burton

Hope Ignites

By Jaci Burton 

Release Date: March 25, 2014 

Source: Publisher

Summary: Logan McCormack likes his isolated life on the ranch, until a movie crew starts filming there. When actress Desiree Jenkins blows into his life, she wrecks it harder than the Oklahoma winds with her brutal honesty and soft touch. Des knows this is a temporary stay, but she loves the open freedom of the land, and for the first time in her life, Des feels like she might have found a place she can call home, with a man she might be falling in love with. But Logan’s heart is tougher than the soil beneath them—can she convince him that they belong together?

Review: I absolutely loved Luke and Emma's story in Hope Flames, the first book in this series. And when we met Logan in that book, I instantly fell for Luke's brooding cowboy character. Needless to say, I couldn't wait to read his story in Hope Ignites. 

Logan has dedicated his life to running the family ranch after his dad died and mom left to start an entirely new family that had nothing to do with raising animals and working the land. Hurt from his mom's hatred for their livelihood, Logan can't imagine letting any woman into his life, only to have her hate the ranch and abandon him yet again. But when Logan agrees to let a movie production company use his land for their latest film, the last thing he expects to find is to be enticed by the lead actress Des. Des is a fiery woman who speaks her mind and puts her heart and soul into her career. And when she meets Logan, she can't wait to see what lies under that hard exterior and figure out the mystery to the stubborn man. Logan starts to enjoy the time he spends with Des, despite pushing her away when they first meet, but can he doesn't know if he can truly trust she won't leave him when he needs her the most. 

Gah, these men in Hope are just so yummy! Seriously, first a police officer and now a cowboy? They're definitely doing something right in that small town! And while I normally don't like books that have to do with "celebrities," I really liked Des's character. She didn't let fame get to her head and she was a really headstrong girl. Even when Logan was pretty rude to her, she didn't let that faze her at all, but rather met his stubbornness head on. I loved how she could break down Logan and really get to know the man who has become so closed off to the rest of the world. 

With two strong characters who were very dedicated to their own livelihood, it was great watching them finally learn to share their lives with someone else. Des realizes that a career as an actress is great, but not something she can see herself doing forever. What about a family? What about having an actual home? Logan has all of that, but he's definitely not ready to trust a city girl who can end up being just like his mother. Logan and Des are two people who have met their match with each other, and it's up to them to decide if they're finally ready to let someone else in. 

While Hope Ignites has the small town romance that I love, it also brings in two dynamic characters who really test each other. The passions were strong, the emotions were real, and the characters were fun to follow. And we even get a bit more of Luke and Emma from the first book, which made me super excited. Any fan of contemporary romances needs to pick up a Jaci Burton novel right away. If you haven't read this series yet, your definitely missing out! So pick these books up now so you can catch Carter's story when it comes out in September. I can't wait!