First in Line Series by Declan Rhodes

Some fires can’t be contained. Some obsessions never burn out.Firefighter Marcus McCabe knows fire. He knows its hunger, its unpredictability, the way it takes without mercy. But nothing has ever felt as dangerous as the man watching him from the flames.When a series of arsons turns personal, Marcus is forced to work with James Reynolds, a forensic psychologist with sharp instincts and a past he doesn’t talk about. Their chemistry is immediate—raw, undeniable, and completely reckless... moreSome fires can’t be contained. Some obsessions never burn out.Firefighter Marcus McCabe knows fire. He knows its hunger, its unpredictability, the way it takes without mercy. But nothing has ever felt as dangerous as the man watching him from the flames.When a series of arsons turns personal, Marcus is forced to work with James Reynolds, a forensic psychologist with sharp instincts and a past he doesn’t talk about. Their chemistry is immediate—raw, undeniable, and completely reckless. James sees patterns where others don’t, and the deeper they dig, the clearer it the arsonist isn’t just setting fires. He’s leaving messages. For Marcus.The case should be Marcus’s sole focus, but with his first responder family watching his every move and the weight of his late father’s legacy pressing down on him, his life is already a balancing act of duty and expectation. James isn’t part of the plan—he’s a complication, a risk, and maybe the only person who sees Marcus for who he really is.As the heat between them intensifies, so does the danger. With the city on edge and a predator closing in, Marcus and James have to decide what they fear more—the monster in the fire, or the one inside themselves.Burn Patterns is a 66,000-word firefighter romance with romantic suspense and psychological thriller elements. It includes hurt/comfort and opposites attract themes with a guaranteed happily ever after. less

I didn’t know his name yet, but I knew the sound he made when he came.Michael McCabe doesn’t take vacations—especially not after nearly losing his brother to a psychotic arsonist. But when an explosion rocks his enforced getaway in Tahiti, the off-duty SWAT officer is pulled into a crisis that smells like more than bad luck.Alex Kessler came to the islands to scatter the ashes of his late wife, a year and a half after a tragic accident took her life... moreI didn’t know his name yet, but I knew the sound he made when he came.Michael McCabe doesn’t take vacations—especially not after nearly losing his brother to a psychotic arsonist. But when an explosion rocks his enforced getaway in Tahiti, the off-duty SWAT officer is pulled into a crisis that smells like more than bad luck.Alex Kessler came to the islands to scatter the ashes of his late wife, a year and a half after a tragic accident took her life. The last thing he expects is to be swept up in violence—or into the guarded orbit of a man like Michael. But when the threat follows them back home to Seattle, trusting each other becomes a matter of survival.What began as a single, violent incident soon spiraled into something secret files, hidden agendas, and a classified operation known only as Project Asphodel—a program buried just deep enough to endanger the unknowing.As Michael and Alex piece together the truth, their connection sharpens into something neither of them saw coming. Sometimes, what happens in Tahiti doesn't stay there.Sometimes, it follows you home.Breach Point is a romantic suspense novel with first time, protector, hurt/comfort, and surviving grief themes. less

Some secrets are meant to stay buried.But love has a way of digging them up.EMT Matthew McCabe has seen it all—heart attacks in the back of moving ambulances, overdoses in alleyways, even the occasional gunshot wound. But nothing prepares him for the man pulled from a twisted car wreck with no ID, a bullet lodged in his side, and a story he refuses to tell.The man vanishes from the hospital before Matthew can learn his name... moreSome secrets are meant to stay buried.But love has a way of digging them up.EMT Matthew McCabe has seen it all—heart attacks in the back of moving ambulances, overdoses in alleyways, even the occasional gunshot wound. But nothing prepares him for the man pulled from a twisted car wreck with no ID, a bullet lodged in his side, and a story he refuses to tell.The man vanishes from the hospital before Matthew can learn his name.Until he shows up again at Matthew's door—bleeding, hunted, and very much alive.Dorian Wallace was supposed to be dead. It was cleaner that way. But a mission gone sideways and a body count that won’t stop growing have forced him out of the shadows. Now he needs help—and for reasons even he can’t explain, he turns to the EMT who saved his life.Matthew knows he should report him. But something in Dorian’s eyes—sharp, haunted, and unexpectedly vulnerable—keeps him from walking away. Instead, Matthew finds himself pulled into a deadly game of buried files, coded messages, and a conspiracy that was never meant to resurface.As danger closes in and their connection deepens, both men are forced to confront what they’re running from—and who they’re running to.Because the past always catches up.And this time, it might be the only thing that can save them. less

He talks people off the ledge, but when the danger turns personal, he’s forced to face the one thing he’s never been able to handle—himself.Dr. Miles McCabe knows how to carry the weight of other people’s suffering. As a crisis counselor, it’s his job. But when his own past collides with a disturbing new case, he’s forced onto the sidelines—his license under review, his every move scrutinized.Rowan Ashcroft has built his reputation on silence... moreHe talks people off the ledge, but when the danger turns personal, he’s forced to face the one thing he’s never been able to handle—himself.Dr. Miles McCabe knows how to carry the weight of other people’s suffering. As a crisis counselor, it’s his job. But when his own past collides with a disturbing new case, he’s forced onto the sidelines—his license under review, his every move scrutinized.Rowan Ashcroft has built his reputation on silence. Former covert operative turned investigative podcaster, he’s made a career out of exposing the hidden machinery of power. He doesn’t trust easily, and he doesn’t talk about the scars he carries.A violent breach of patient confidentiality throws Miles and Rowan into the same fight—one that stretches from therapy rooms to shadowy research facilities, from Senate hearings to a deadly conspiracy determined to stay buried. What begins as reluctant cooperation turns into something a partnership forged in danger, sharpened by attraction neither man expected.But the closer they come to unraveling the truth, the higher the cost. Miles risks losing the profession that defines him. Rowan risks breaking the one rule that’s kept him alive—never let anyone close enough to borrow his pain.For both men, survival isn’t just about exposing secrets. It’s about learning how to trust, and deciding if love is worth the risk.Borrowed Pain is a romantic suspense novel where true crime meets real danger, and reluctant allies become lovers—with a guaranteed happily ever after.Trigger This story contains references to suicide and depictions of suicide aftermath. It also includes depictions of toxic psychotherapy. Please read with care if these are triggering for you. less

Cormac "Mac" McCabe made history as Major League Baseball's first openly gay MVP. Now he just wants a quiet Thanksgiving with his cousins in Seattle—a chance to escape the spotlight and heal from a bruising breakup.But when a stalker's obsession disrupts the family’s Thanksgiving dinner, Mac's cousin, Michael, hires Eamon Price, a bodyguard haunted by a past failure that cost a client her life.Eamon's job is keep Mac safe. What he doesn't expect is Seattle's Christmas magic—or Mac himself... moreCormac "Mac" McCabe made history as Major League Baseball's first openly gay MVP. Now he just wants a quiet Thanksgiving with his cousins in Seattle—a chance to escape the spotlight and heal from a bruising breakup.But when a stalker's obsession disrupts the family’s Thanksgiving dinner, Mac's cousin, Michael, hires Eamon Price, a bodyguard haunted by a past failure that cost a client her life.Eamon's job is keep Mac safe. What he doesn't expect is Seattle's Christmas magic—or Mac himself. Between holiday lights, family dinners, and stolen moments on a Christmas ship cruise, professional lines blur into something neither man planned for.When the stalker strikes a week before Christmas, Eamon must face his demons and Mac must fight for the man who's been protecting him all along.Swoony Christmas romantic suspense where danger meets magic, and love means learning to be brave together. less