Heat of the Moment    by Jessica Hall Order:  USA  Can Onyx, 2004 (2004) Paperback      Reviewed by Martina Bexte Readers first met fire marshal Cort Gamble and detective Terri Vincent as secondary characters in Hall's recent release, Into the Fire. The author made a point of providing plenty of kindling and just enough spark to keep readers interested in the fiery interplay between the two secondaries. In Heat of the Moment, these two get their chance to take center stage. As the story opens, a serial arsonist known as 'The Torcher' sets off an incendiary device in a New Orleans bar. The ensuing inferno claims the lives of fifteen people, including the wife of a mafia crime boss. On temporary transfer to OCU (the Organized Crime Unit) while her partner J.D. is on his honeymoon, Terry Vincent meets with her new CO, Sebastien Ruel, who immediately assigns her to the high profile Torcher case. Ruel, who has been investigating Cort for some time and is convinced that the fire marshal has connections to the mob, feels that Terry is in the best position to find the evidence needed to implicate Gamble. Both Terry and Cort are trying to forget the scorching night they spent together. But now they're working on the same case, that's all but impossible. Within days the Torcher's agenda becomes more personal. He begins targeting women, with whom Cort has been involved; one has already burned to death after being locked inside her car. Within days another of Cort's 'old flames' narrowly escapes death and it's here that the task force decides to speed up their own agenda. They set a trap for the Torcher using Terry and Cort as bait. Neither is keen on the idea of faking a relationship, but agree that this ruse might be the only way to stop the Torcher. But pretending to be lovers is not as easy as it sounds - not after the pair have been trying to deny their attraction for almost a decade. Heat of the Moment is another great addition to the Gamble Brothers story arc. Terry and Cort are both fully realized opposites whose attraction has been doing a slow burn through a couple of story lines. Once they're thrown together into a high octane situation neither one wants, the sexual tension rises considerably and sizzles throughout the rest of the story. A creepy villain, a few red herrings, nice pacing and imaginative plot twists make this romantic suspense a worthwhile read. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Romance books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews