Hot in Chicago
Meet the Dempseys, a family of foster siblings who have all followed in the footsteps of their legendary firefighter foster father, Sean Dempsey, and live by the lessons he taught them: fire is stronger than blood and defend the people you love to the last ember. Wyatt, Luke, Beck, Alexandra, and Gage all work at Engine Co. 6 in Chicago. Approximately eight years before the beginning of Book 1, FLIRTING WITH FIRE, Sean and his eldest foster son, Logan Keyes died in a high-rise fire. This inspired the remaining foster siblings to dedicate their lives to the Chicago Fire Department.
How many books are in the Hot in Chicago series?
There are six books (3 novels, 3 novellas):
0.5 REKINDLE THE FLAME (Beck and Darcy), novella, e-only, also available in the BABY, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE anthology
1. FLIRTING WITH FIRE (Luke and Kinsey)
1.5 MELTING POINT (Gage and Brady), novella, e-only
2. PLAYING WITH FIRE (Eli and Alexandra)
3. SPARKING THE FIRE (Wyatt and Molly)
3.1 FOREVER IN FIRE: A HOT IN CHICAGO CHRISTMAS SHORT STORY (More Eli/Alex, really an extended epilogue for the entire series)
Bonus shorts:
2.1 AFTER THE FIRE (more Eli/Alex)
Are the books available in audio?
FLIRTING WITH FIRE and PLAYING WITH FIRE, Books 1 and 2, are available as audiobooks. Also, the prequel novella, REKINDLE THE FLAME, is available in audio as part of the BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE anthology. Audio for most of the other titles is on the way!
What about translations or gaming apps?
A number of the Hot in Chicago books are available in French, Croatian, and Italian. See the Translations page for more information. Several are also available in the Chapters Interactive gaming app. Download the app for iOS or Android and choose how you want the story to go!
Do I need to read them in order?
All the books feature one primary couple who gets their happily-ever-after by the end. No cliffhangers! While each story can be read as a standalone, you may enjoy the later books more if you start with FLIRTING WITH FIRE (Luke and Kinsey). Both the couples in MELTING POINT and PLAYING WITH FIRE meet in that first full-length book, and events occur here that will play out in their entirety in the later books.
REKINDLE THE FLAME is a prequel novella that introduces the Dempseys and the Hot in Chicago world. In fact, all the heroes get page time here, but it’s not necessary to read it first – unless you’re like me and are pretty picky about reading things in order!
I don’t read gay romance. Will I miss anything if I skip MELTING POINT, Gage and Brady’s story?
Only one of my hottest and most romantic stories! In terms of how events here affect the rest of the Hot in Chicago series, you won't miss much. A lot of readers have said their first exposure to a m/m story was the Gage/Brady secondary romance in FLIRTING WITH FIRE, so they’re willing to give the novella a shot. What might you miss if you skip it? In MELTING POINT, more background is given on Brady’s friendship with Eli and their history together in the Marines. The story also shows Eli in a better light after his dubious behavior in FLIRTING WITH FIRE. By the time PLAYING WITH FIRE rolls around, you might better understand where he’s coming from—and be fully on board with his wooing of Alexandra!
In PLAYING WITH FIRE, Eli and Alexandra have dinner at an Italian restaurant called DeLuca’s. Is this the same DeLuca’s featured in the Hot in the Kitchen series about sexy chefs?
Yes, it is! I actually had an appearance by a Hot in the Kitchen character in that scene but had to cut it. There is another connection between the two series in FLIRTING WITH FIRE. The photographer at the “firefighters and kittens” calendar shoot is none other than Lili DeLuca, my artist-heroine in FEEL THE HEAT, Book 1 of the Hot in the Kitchen series. Only her first name is mentioned and Luke comments on her Jersey hair :)
Are there any other crossovers?
Why, yes, there are, thanks for asking ;) Eli and Alex make a cameo in one of my Chicago Rebels hockey romances. And Kinsey and Luke show up in GOOD GUY, the first book in my Rookie Rebels series.
Will Madison get her HEA?
Madison Maitland, owner of M Squared, the PR firm tasked with managing Eli Cooper’s mayoral campaign, gets a pretty raw deal at the end of PLAYING WITH FIRE. I have an idea for who might be man enough to handle this career-focused, twice divorced professional woman, so Madison might indeed show up in a future series.
Will we ever learn why Sam Cochrane hates Sean Dempsey?
You betcha! There’s history here for sure that goes beyond the fact Sam’s daughter Darcy is in love with Beck, one of the Dempseys. The reason behind the Cochrane-Dempsey feud is revealed in a freebie short story, AFTER THE FIRE, an extended epilogue I wrote especially for Eli and Alexandra.
What’s Wyatt Fox’s big secret?
You'll find out in SPARKING THE FIRE, the final (or is it?) Hot in Chicago book!
Do any of these books contain my favorite tropes?
Probably! I’ve got enemies to lovers, second chance, scarred heroes, opposites attract . . . for a a full list of tropes and which of my books feature them, see the Books by Tropes page.
Do any of them feature Content Warnings?
Review Content Warnings for all my books before you read.
What’s this I hear about new Hot in Chicago stories?
The next generation of Hot in Chicago romances, a spin-off series called Hot in Chicago Rookies, is here!
Do you have a burning question about the Dempseys and the Hot in Chicago series? Shoot me a message and I’ll try to answer it as long as it’s not too spoilery!