Things You Save In A Fire by Katherine Center

Cassie Hanwell is doing just fine, thank you very much.  She is a rising star in the Austin, Texas, fire department.  She is tough and creative and energetic.  Quite a turnaround for someone who had a horrific teenage life.  On her sixteenth birthday, her mother left Cassie and her father to start life with another man.  She wasn't around when the worst thing in Cassie's life occurred and she had no one to talk to about it.  Cassie has no love life but she thinks love is highly overrated and doesn't care.

So when her mother asks her to give up her job and move in with her for a year in Massachusetts, Cassie's first instinct is to say no.  But when she punches out a councilman at a big citywide event, it's take a transfer or give up firefighting.  Firefighting is in Cassie's blood and it's the foundation of her life.  She can't give it up so she takes the transfer.

Her immediate impression is that it won't work.  She moves from an enlightened fire department with many female employees to a small, out of date firehouse that has never had a woman on board.  She comes in the same day as a rookie, and he is everything she is not.  He looks like a firefighter; plenty of muscles and a clean cut appearance.  He is the son of a lifetime fire fighter and he knows everyone in the house already.  Cassie has one advantage over him; she is experienced and much better at everything.  Her new chief assigns her to train him and that is a problem.  For some reason, Cassie finds herself attracted to the rookie even though she would never admit it to him or anyone else.  She doesn't want an attraction, she just wants to do her job, put in her time and move back to Austin.

When the city decides it needs to cut back personnel, the rivalry between Cassie and the rookie becomes more heated.  One of them will be cut as they are the newest and started on the same day.  Will the department go for the picture perfect firefighter or for Cassie with her clear advantage in knowledge and skillsets?  Will the sexism that is rampant in the firehouse ruin her career path?

Katherine Center has written an engaging love story that fits in perfectly in the modern workplace where women now are represented in every occupation.  It highlights sexism, the need for inclusion and attachment to others, sexual harassment and the freedom that forgiveness gives one to pursue a healthier life.  The characters are realistic as are the situations Cassie faces.  Her life isn't perfect but maybe she can learn to make it better.  This book is recommended for readers of women's fiction.