All Things Burn By Jodie Slaughter: If This Is The Way Fire Burns, Burn Me Up and Consume Me

All Things Burn by Jodie Slaughter
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A woman forced to take dark, desperate measures for the sake of her safety seeks out a man who deals exclusively in doling out death sentences. What sparks between them is just as unavoidable as it is life-changing.

Halle Temple is a good person; she doesn’t know anything as surely as she knows that. A successful black woman who uses her expensive law degree to work full-time at a women’s legal aid center, she has no doubt that her entire existence is being spent in the service of others. That perfectly normal life takes a deadly turn, however, when she crosses paths with a man who is willing to go to extreme measures to take possession of her.

After he sets his threats on her family, Halle begins to question every moral she has ever held dear as she realizes that there is only one way to get him out of her life for good. To do that, though, she needs a bit of help.

Callum Byrne is an Irish-American hitman who has made a life out of robbing others of their own. Darkness has always lurked inside of him and he has no qualms about setting it free - especially for profit. Halle enters his life suddenly, bringing with her an intensity that he has never felt before. It isn’t long before Callum’s narrow view of himself is twisted and challenged.

As the job she’s given him becomes more complicated by the minute...so do Callum’s feelings for her.

Content Warning: this book contains themes of violence and murder as well as mentions of domestic violence.

All Things Burn burned right through me from page-to-page. This is the sinister, dark interracial romance you never knew you needed.

I knew from page one; that ATB was a winner; from page one people.

Halle is being stalked, and that’s putting it mildly. Her ex can’t seem to let go and seems to feel entitled to her even though their relationship has long since ended.

So, she decides to kill him. Okay, she hires Callum to do it. Callum has been a hit-man for as long as he can remember. It’s in his breeding. Get the call, meet up, and get out. But things don’t go according to plan and as the reader, you’ll be glad they didn’t.

I might be a little weird but I can almost always get into dark romance. I might not be right in the head, but I digress.

This book is as so expertly written I had to keep reminding myself that Slaughter is a debut author. I mean, like hell she is. The pacing? On point. The build up? On point. The backstory? On point? I mean, there are no rookie mistakes; or immaturity to any of this.

The slow burn was just right while allowing the reader to get fully engrossed into each of the characters—all the while expecting when they would come together. And, it did not lack at any point.

I really cannot complain, but I can rant. This book was effing good. Point blank and a period. Halle was perfect; she remained wholly black and her blackness wasn't ignored or disregarded because the love interest was white. There was respectability between the two. And Slaughter did not harp on details, but she gave enough for it to satisfy the reader.

When Callum slipped that bonnet on her head while she dozed off I’d like to die. Pure respect without doing too much. The love was timely and believable. No insta-Love was to be found and thank goodness for it. This is a novel-meal is to be devoured in small bites—to allow for savoring.

If this is the literature Slaughter is writing; you veterans better watch out because she’s coming for necks. I will gladly lay down like a lamb for Slaughter for these types of delicious romance novels.

Very well done, Jodie. Very well done.