Lick of Fire
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- Create Date：2022-02-27 00:16:40
- Update Date：2025-09-23
- Status：finish
- Author：Clara Elroy
- ISBN：B09KY92366
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
You can’t escape fate， no matter how fast you run。 That was a lesson hard learned for me。
I spent years trying to bury my past， but my future held skeletons bleaker than the ones I'd left behind。
Darkness follows me everywhere I go， hanging over my shoulders like a scythe。 A byproduct of my bad karma。
For so long， I refused to even look at my hometown on a postcard。 That is until trouble comes knocking at my door， and I’m forced to move to the one place I’ve been avoiding like the plague。
Ares Alsford， my deepest regret， and most painful memory is the one I need to stay away from at all costs。
But I’d be naive to think old wounds stay closed when you scratch them， and I fear my presence back in the city he ran me out of is going to cause more shock waves than I can handle。
One thing’s for sure， though…
I might be broken， but I refuse to bend， regardless of how hard he tries to hurt me。
Lick of Fire is a complete standalone and a part of the City of Stars series。
I spent years trying to bury my past， but my future held skeletons bleaker than the ones I'd left behind。
Darkness follows me everywhere I go， hanging over my shoulders like a scythe。 A byproduct of my bad karma。
For so long， I refused to even look at my hometown on a postcard。 That is until trouble comes knocking at my door， and I’m forced to move to the one place I’ve been avoiding like the plague。
Ares Alsford， my deepest regret， and most painful memory is the one I need to stay away from at all costs。
But I’d be naive to think old wounds stay closed when you scratch them， and I fear my presence back in the city he ran me out of is going to cause more shock waves than I can handle。
One thing’s for sure， though…
I might be broken， but I refuse to bend， regardless of how hard he tries to hurt me。
Lick of Fire is a complete standalone and a part of the City of Stars series。
Reviews
lowkeyreader
，
I really enjoyed Serena and Ares' story。 Right from the start， these two had caught my attention and finally reading their story is an amazing experience。 They are everything and so much more。 I loved their banter and back and forth。 Then there's their undeniable chemistry and the angst and tension that build up during the journey towards their HEA。 These two consumed me like no other and I loved it！ I really enjoyed Serena and Ares' story。 Right from the start， these two had caught my attention and finally reading their story is an amazing experience。 They are everything and so much more。 I loved their banter and back and forth。 Then there's their undeniable chemistry and the angst and tension that build up during the journey towards their HEA。 These two consumed me like no other and I loved it！ 。。。more
Miss Miel
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Oh this book was everything I needed in an enemies to lovers and second chance trope。I was hooked from the beginning and couldn’t put it down。 You can definitely see the progress the author has had as a writer in comparison with the earlier books。 I liked the first books but this one is my favorite so far from the series and can’t wait for the last book。 The story and the writing flowed smoothly。 I just wish I hope to find an Ares in real life。
Edie L。
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Lick of Fire by Clara Elroy I am new to this author and went in completely blind into this book。 This is a second chance romance you do not want to miss。 You will feel what Serena feels right along with her。 You will truly enjoy how strong the chemistry is between Serena and Ares。 It’s a must read book I recommend。
Kaitlyn Waggoner
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** I received an ARC **Oh my goodness， Clara Elroy is AMAZING。 The dialogue， character development， and spice were all phenomenal。 If you love the enemies to lovers trope， the second chance trope， or the friends to lovers trope， you'll love this book。 The chemistry between Ares and Serena is absolutely amazing and incomparable， and Clara's writing gave me goosebumps。 It was beautifully written and I highly recommend this book to everyone。**Check TWs prior to reading** ** I received an ARC **Oh my goodness， Clara Elroy is AMAZING。 The dialogue， character development， and spice were all phenomenal。 If you love the enemies to lovers trope， the second chance trope， or the friends to lovers trope， you'll love this book。 The chemistry between Ares and Serena is absolutely amazing and incomparable， and Clara's writing gave me goosebumps。 It was beautifully written and I highly recommend this book to everyone。**Check TWs prior to reading** 。。。more
V Garcia
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My goodness where do I even start？！ I had been eagerly waiting for Ares story and I've got to say I was not disappointed。 First of all the whiplash was intense falling in love with Serena after hating her character for a whole previous book。 Which while not necessary to understanding the plot， I highly recommend reading both Vow of Hell and Kiss of War。 I really enjoyed the back and forth between the past and the present， it was so beautifully written and enhanced the overall story in more than My goodness where do I even start？！ I had been eagerly waiting for Ares story and I've got to say I was not disappointed。 First of all the whiplash was intense falling in love with Serena after hating her character for a whole previous book。 Which while not necessary to understanding the plot， I highly recommend reading both Vow of Hell and Kiss of War。 I really enjoyed the back and forth between the past and the present， it was so beautifully written and enhanced the overall story in more than one way。 I absolutely lived for the chemistry between Ares and Serena， especially seeing how even though different reasons drove them in the past and even now， they are still able to find the spark and turn it into a raging fire between them。 We this book is a second chance romance， with everything that went down in the past I didn't see where Serena and Ares got much of a first chance to begin with， so for me this was a bit more of， as Ares himself puts it， enemies with benefits arrangement， and I've got to say this is my new favorite trope。 This book did not hold anything back and II highly recommend it if you're ready for your heart to be devastated and then pieced back together again。 。。。more
•Cici• Theory of A Dreamer Book Blog♥
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4。25 Siren Stars！！ 🧡Having read Vow of Hell i couldn't wait for more！ The moment this third installment was announced i got so excited for it！ I picked this one up as soon as i could and got right back into the City of Stars world！ I really enjoyed this third book！Serena and Ares's journey pulled me in so quickly！ It wasn't an easy one。 I really liked how i didn't know what all to expect in their story。 I loved how these two had me going through such a range of emotions throughout。 I enjoyed get 4。25 Siren Stars！！ 🧡Having read Vow of Hell i couldn't wait for more！ The moment this third installment was announced i got so excited for it！ I picked this one up as soon as i could and got right back into the City of Stars world！ I really enjoyed this third book！Serena and Ares's journey pulled me in so quickly！ It wasn't an easy one。 I really liked how i didn't know what all to expect in their story。 I loved how these two had me going through such a range of emotions throughout。 I enjoyed getting to dig deeper with them。 Their chemistry was undeniable！ I didn't want to turn away from this story！With Lick of Fire， Ms。Elroy has created such a great and dark read with heat that'll make you feel so much！ I can't wait to dive back into the City of Stars world with the fourth installment， Sting of Ice！ 🧡*I volunteered to read and review a copy of this book from Grey's Promotions / the author* 。。。more
Kathi
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Part Second Chance / Part Big MisunderstandingSerena grew up with a group of friends who had no idea what her home life was like。 Her history is revealed through the story， and now she is back in her hometown under a new name and wanting to buy her mom’s old house。Her “realtor” is the man whose heart she broke， or who walked away from her - depending on who you are listening to。 Somewhat of a rollercoaster ride as past hurts are still sore points today。This is book 3 in the series， and I did not Part Second Chance / Part Big MisunderstandingSerena grew up with a group of friends who had no idea what her home life was like。 Her history is revealed through the story， and now she is back in her hometown under a new name and wanting to buy her mom’s old house。Her “realtor” is the man whose heart she broke， or who walked away from her - depending on who you are listening to。 Somewhat of a rollercoaster ride as past hurts are still sore points today。This is book 3 in the series， and I did not read the previous stories; but I found myself “working” to keep track of the characters， and timelines。*** I am voluntarily leaving my honest review of this book *** 。。。more
krishasbookshelf
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my first arc！！ i loved this book wholeheartedly。 SO MUCH ANGST AND TENSION AGH just so good。 clara elroy miss you outdo yourself everytime i love u😭 and i love ares<3
Melissa Ledet
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Great Read A second chance romance between Ares and Serena。 My heart broke for everything that Serena had gone through in her life。 Love how Ares loved her even when they were apart。 The chemistry between the two of them is off the charts。 Love their ending。
Wendy Livingstone
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This is the third book in this amazing series and is Ares and Serena’s story。 Serena is resilient， brave， strong， and flawed and she has endured so much in her life but has worked hard to try and overcome it。 Ares is funny， obsessed， and protective of this he loves， and when Serena arrives back in their hometown after being away for 10-years， he wants answers。 Both characters are engaging and relatable， and Ares’s devotion and love for Serena is unpartable。 This is a beautifully written story wh This is the third book in this amazing series and is Ares and Serena’s story。 Serena is resilient， brave， strong， and flawed and she has endured so much in her life but has worked hard to try and overcome it。 Ares is funny， obsessed， and protective of this he loves， and when Serena arrives back in their hometown after being away for 10-years， he wants answers。 Both characters are engaging and relatable， and Ares’s devotion and love for Serena is unpartable。 This is a beautifully written story which is an emotional roller coaster， which is dark， raw， gritty， and powerful， with angst， tension， regrets， heartbreak， second chances， healing， redemption， and love， which leads to a heartfelt and steamy addictive page turner。 I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend。 。。。more
Sai♡'s Shelf
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This is my first time writing a review so I apologise for any mistakes。I was not thoroughly excited for this book because I knew it was Ares' and Serena's HEA and I did not know how anyone can redeem her。 But Miss Clara hit it right on spot and I think I love Serena more than the others now。 I wanted more of confrontation between Leo and Serena because Leo hated her（ for the right reasons， sure） but he was forgiven， I wanted someone to point out what made him think Serena shouldn't be when he go This is my first time writing a review so I apologise for any mistakes。I was not thoroughly excited for this book because I knew it was Ares' and Serena's HEA and I did not know how anyone can redeem her。 But Miss Clara hit it right on spot and I think I love Serena more than the others now。 I wanted more of confrontation between Leo and Serena because Leo hated her（ for the right reasons， sure） but he was forgiven， I wanted someone to point out what made him think Serena shouldn't be when he got away with same behaviour （more or less same behaviour）。 But at the end this book was brilliant and I will sell my fucking soul to read it again the first time。This book does have triggers of rape， assualt， starvation（these are mentioned briefly）。 So check out for those。 But if those aren't a problem， this book is worth a read and more 。。。more
World Of Books 65
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Lies， betrayal， tragedy and lost love are the exceptionally strong bases for this deeply moving story。 A strong yet soft hero and a heroine that wasn't always thought of as one， Lick of Fire is a gripping must-read。 Ten years after the devastation she left behind， Serena is back in town but coming face to face with the man she once loved was not on her list of things to happen， however， the more she tries to keep her distance， the more Ares pulls her back， but in the beginning not out Lies， betrayal， tragedy and lost love are the exceptionally strong bases for this deeply moving story。 A strong yet soft hero and a heroine that wasn't always thought of as one， Lick of Fire is a gripping must-read。 Ten years after the devastation she left behind， Serena is back in town but coming face to face with the man she once loved was not on her list of things to happen， however， the more she tries to keep her distance， the more Ares pulls her back， but in the beginning not out of kindness but out of hate for what he believes Serena did all those years ago， once again as these two strong elements collide， their explosive feelings for each other are about to surface but what is a lie and what is the truth， now and 10 years ago， Lick of Fire expertly brings all of those parts together in a truly deeply moving way， this couple's journey is anything but easy。 。。。more
Jesi Mary
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I feel so overwhelmed by emotions。 Ares and Serena were firecrackers ready to implode。 In a way， I suppose they did。Ares and Serena have bad blood with each other。 In their stories， they are each other's villains。 They both believe the other ditched after the night they spent together。 In reality， their problems。could have been solved and ten years wouldn't have been wasted if there hadn't some miscommunication nor if they hadn't avoided each other。But Ares isn't the only one Serena has bad bloo I feel so overwhelmed by emotions。 Ares and Serena were firecrackers ready to implode。 In a way， I suppose they did。Ares and Serena have bad blood with each other。 In their stories， they are each other's villains。 They both believe the other ditched after the night they spent together。 In reality， their problems。could have been solved and ten years wouldn't have been wasted if there hadn't some miscommunication nor if they hadn't avoided each other。But Ares isn't the only one Serena has bad blood with， with Leo and Eliana as well。 As Serena was forced to come between their relationship in the past because of her father。Through these ten years apart， things have not been easy for Serena and Ares is about to find out。 You， as a reader， will not be ready either。 I admit I cried about half way through this book。 It grip at my emotions tightly。 Ares and Serena， along with the other couples in this series， have gone from being enemies to lovers。 Each other story is as mesmerizing as the one before。 Because of the topics Lick of Fire touches on， I think this one may be the darker one from the series。 。。。more
Fareeha
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As it is with the City of Stars books， Ares and Serena's did not disappoint。 With it being a second chance romance with redemption， we see a return of Serena from the first book， Kiss of War， whose life is far from perfect as we initially thought。 Seeing how different Serena's character was in this book compared to the first and having an explanation for so many of the cruel things she did was somewhat enlightening， but what I loved most of all was the dynamic between Ares and Serena。 Ares is th As it is with the City of Stars books， Ares and Serena's did not disappoint。 With it being a second chance romance with redemption， we see a return of Serena from the first book， Kiss of War， whose life is far from perfect as we initially thought。 Seeing how different Serena's character was in this book compared to the first and having an explanation for so many of the cruel things she did was somewhat enlightening， but what I loved most of all was the dynamic between Ares and Serena。 Ares is the best friend of Leo and Saint from the previous two books and in all honestly， I don't remember much of him considering it's been a while since I've read them。 Though this was still technically an enemies to lovers， it's a far cry from the previous two books where the main characters were volatile in their anger。 Despite 10 years having passed between them， we see what the two were like as children and how those feelings are still just as strong。 Serena's character development is something else I couldn't help but think about。 I wish we had gotten some more redemption， but seeing Serena live through her past and heal from the horrors from the past years was just as good。 She's shown to be such a strong character， especially after everything she's had to go through from even before 10 years ago， and I can't help but admire that about her character。 I think I enjoyed the plots of the first two books more， but this was still an amazing read and I love Serena and Ares just as much as the others。 *Arc received in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Nura
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Oh boy。。。 this book is not for the faint of heart， check the trigger warnings before reading this it starts really strong。 I had goosebumps and was on the verge of tears from the PROLOGUE！ Clara Elroy came to slay with this one， it is a very emotional read that will probably have you bawling your eyes out once or twice while reading it。 To be honest I don't like to cry a lot with the books I read， but somehow this managed to weave the sad moments with the happy ones， and I couldn't help routing Oh boy。。。 this book is not for the faint of heart， check the trigger warnings before reading this it starts really strong。 I had goosebumps and was on the verge of tears from the PROLOGUE！ Clara Elroy came to slay with this one， it is a very emotional read that will probably have you bawling your eyes out once or twice while reading it。 To be honest I don't like to cry a lot with the books I read， but somehow this managed to weave the sad moments with the happy ones， and I couldn't help routing for the happiness of the main couple。 It wasn't all sad， and that's what made it more worth it in my eyes。 As I said， this book deals with heavy subjects， but it doesn't lack on sarcasm and a very witty prose that will have you scouring each page for all the tiny details。 I loved the originality of the characters， especially Serena。 I haven't read about a female character like her in a long while， and I think they're very rare。 We like to depict women as perfect in books because the standards for us are fucking sky high， but this was a welcome break。 I loved that Serena was flawed。 I loved that she wasn't a nice girl。 I loved her period because she grew from her past in the most organic way possible， all the while remaining true to herself。 She was seriously badass and always stood up for herself， but knew when she was in the wrong too。 Ares。。。 I kinda hate him because he made my standards rise to impossibly high lengths and it's hard as is already finding a real life men that measures up to my fictional ones， GAHH！！ He was literally so amazing。 His devotion and love to Serena was unparalleled， and his obsession with her oddly satisfying as was hers with him。 He is such a well written male character in my opinion。 And also， the nickname he has for Serena is one of the best across any book in my opinion， haha。 I adored this book， Clara's writing keeps getting better and better， and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us with Killian。 。。。more
Bookish
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I was struggling not to cry while reading this because it was so heavy on the angst。 I love the City of Stars series so much， and the author definitely did a great job with all them but Lick of Fire is definitely my favorite （Killian might change my mind though）！ I love this story soo much， it is dark， intriguing， intense， emotional， an overload of emotions， UNPUTDOWNABLE， it is those kinds of books that you never forget， amaze you， leave you gasping， they steal your breath and it leave you in a I was struggling not to cry while reading this because it was so heavy on the angst。 I love the City of Stars series so much， and the author definitely did a great job with all them but Lick of Fire is definitely my favorite （Killian might change my mind though）！ I love this story soo much， it is dark， intriguing， intense， emotional， an overload of emotions， UNPUTDOWNABLE， it is those kinds of books that you never forget， amaze you， leave you gasping， they steal your breath and it leave you in awe。 Serena and Ares owned my heart， paragraph after paragraph， page after page intense emotions flow， and the twists blown me away。Ares， is everything， intelligent， sexy， funny and so protective of those that he loves， his devotion towards Serena is unbeatable。 Serena is so brave， resilient， strong， she just left me speechless， Clara Elroy brought to life a unique couple， I am absolutely obsessed with them， one of the sexiest I've read， but at the same time so emotional！ Lick of Fire is dark but inspiring， angsty and heartfelt。 A perfect addition to this series！ 。。。more
Corina
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Wow I adored this！ The tension in this book， the character development， the dialogue， the iconic scenes and sexy times， they all bound together to make for one unforgettable read that will haunt you for a long while after reading it。 I found myself getting sad when the book ended because I wanted to live in this world forever。 Clara Elroy built an incredible story， with real and raw characters that will make a mess out of your heart and will leave you craving more！ Do check the TWs before readin Wow I adored this！ The tension in this book， the character development， the dialogue， the iconic scenes and sexy times， they all bound together to make for one unforgettable read that will haunt you for a long while after reading it。 I found myself getting sad when the book ended because I wanted to live in this world forever。 Clara Elroy built an incredible story， with real and raw characters that will make a mess out of your heart and will leave you craving more！ Do check the TWs before reading it though， it deals with some very heavy subjects。 。。。more
Jenny
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I loved this so much， Serena and Ares where everything。 Clara Elroy came to slay with this， and this book was teeming with tropes I loved。 Second chance， friends to lovers， and enemies to lovers。 They all mash so well together， you're left with a melting pot of feels and off the charts angst and steam you won't be able to stop reading。 These two kept me up all night， I swear to God。 Such an amazing read！ I loved this so much， Serena and Ares where everything。 Clara Elroy came to slay with this， and this book was teeming with tropes I loved。 Second chance， friends to lovers， and enemies to lovers。 They all mash so well together， you're left with a melting pot of feels and off the charts angst and steam you won't be able to stop reading。 These two kept me up all night， I swear to God。 Such an amazing read！ 。。。more
Daria
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How can a male main character be both an alphahole and sensitive and sweet？？？ Clara Elroy is about to show you。 Oh my god， what to say about this book。 First of all the combo I mentioned above is one of my favorite of all time， I like my male main characters on the tough side， but I don't like it when they're too much because after a certain point they start sounding comical or borderline abusive。 Ares was none of that though， he was freaking perfectttt。 I really adored him， and to be honest I k How can a male main character be both an alphahole and sensitive and sweet？？？ Clara Elroy is about to show you。 Oh my god， what to say about this book。 First of all the combo I mentioned above is one of my favorite of all time， I like my male main characters on the tough side， but I don't like it when they're too much because after a certain point they start sounding comical or borderline abusive。 Ares was none of that though， he was freaking perfectttt。 I really adored him， and to be honest I knew from the start he was going to be my favorite。 The lengths he went to for his girl were astronomical and the way he was so obsessed with her。。。 literally the tension between these two was suffocating， it had me on a chokehold。 Here are some of my favorite Ares Alsford quotes: She didn't know it yet， but every laugh， every smile， and every fucking blush she wasted on him， she'd have to pay back in spades。 Or maybe in spanks。"If there is one thing I hate in this world more than you being back。。。" His thumb caressed my wrist leaving behind trails of electricity。 "It's living in it without you。"I mean the way I was holding my tears back with that second quote。 Seriously this book was such a rollercoaster ride， you get second chance， friends to lovers， and enemies to lovers all in one。 Not to mention the steam and the angst is off the charts。 Clara never fails to deliver on both of those accounts。 Now， let's talk about the elephant in the room。。。 Ms。 Serena Laurent。 She was one of the villains from the first book， but even if you don't read that one， the author does not shy away from mentioning how vile some of her actions were。 I don't want to get too into it， seeing as it would spoil the story， but let's just say I wasn't all that impressed when I found out the main character was her in the first place。 Boyyy did that change。 Talk about growth， and talk about a badass female lead， no kidding I probably loved her more than Ares and she definitely made it to my top 5 heroines list， I'm giving her an extra edge because I went from legit loathing her， to adoring her！ She goes through so freaking much like I don't know how the hell she kept going， all the while remaining true to herself， deeply flawed but ultimately with a good heart。 I felt like that's why I loved her so much， I could relate to her。 She experienced all the nasty feelings a human does on a daily basis， Clara didn't sugarcoat anything， and I love that because at the end of the day we're all flawed and perfection is freaking boring。 So yeah， all in all this was phenomenal。 This book has some of my favorite characters to date， and once I started it I couldn't put it down。 It has steam， angst， heartfelt moments， heartbreaking ones too， and it will make a mess of your heart before it stitches it back together！ 。。。more
Paige | Paige Reading Books
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I absolutely loved this book， Ares MIGHT just be my new book boyfriend。 I adore him， he is so sweet， and patient and caring… all while having the dirtiest bedroom talk I’ve read in a while 😂Clara Elroy had me crying while I was reading the prologue and learning about what Serena was going through。 But the way she grew during this book。 What a badass。 I am so beyond proud of her。Ares and Serena’s story was beautiful， heartbreaking at times， but so so so beautiful。 And I cannot wait for y’all to r I absolutely loved this book， Ares MIGHT just be my new book boyfriend。 I adore him， he is so sweet， and patient and caring… all while having the dirtiest bedroom talk I’ve read in a while 😂Clara Elroy had me crying while I was reading the prologue and learning about what Serena was going through。 But the way she grew during this book。 What a badass。 I am so beyond proud of her。Ares and Serena’s story was beautiful， heartbreaking at times， but so so so beautiful。 And I cannot wait for y’all to read it！ 。。。more
Mindy Lopez
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This is Book 3 in the City of Stars Series and my first read by this author， and I must say that I quite enjoyed the storyline and the characters。 It is a second chance romance between trust fund babies， Ares and Serena。 These flawed characters are likeable， the connection strong， the chemistry steamy， and the unique plot makes for an intriguing read。 It is a heartfelt love story with drama， secrets， lies， humor， angst， sweetness， frustrating moments， and love， plus appealing secondary character This is Book 3 in the City of Stars Series and my first read by this author， and I must say that I quite enjoyed the storyline and the characters。 It is a second chance romance between trust fund babies， Ares and Serena。 These flawed characters are likeable， the connection strong， the chemistry steamy， and the unique plot makes for an intriguing read。 It is a heartfelt love story with drama， secrets， lies， humor， angst， sweetness， frustrating moments， and love， plus appealing secondary characters to keep the reader interested。 Overall， it is an engaging read with heart， heat and a happy ending。 It can be read as a standalone but you enhance your reading pleasure if you read the other books in the series。I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Grey's Promotions and am voluntarily leaving my honest review。 。。。more
Robin L。
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Clara Elroy did not come to play。 Lick of Fire is book three in the City of Stars series and it is probably my favourite。 The plot， the writing， the character development are just *chef’s kiss* Enemies to lovers， friends to lovers and second chance are some of my favourite tropes and Clara really outdid herself。 I love the dual POV and how the story ping pongs between past and present to show us who they were and who they became。Ares had a crush on Serena for the longest time and he only had eye Clara Elroy did not come to play。 Lick of Fire is book three in the City of Stars series and it is probably my favourite。 The plot， the writing， the character development are just *chef’s kiss* Enemies to lovers， friends to lovers and second chance are some of my favourite tropes and Clara really outdid herself。 I love the dual POV and how the story ping pongs between past and present to show us who they were and who they became。Ares had a crush on Serena for the longest time and he only had eyes for her。 While Serena has always been attracted to Ares， she could not act on it。 When they finally gave in to their desires and spent the night together， everything went south。 They were apart for ten years and to say they had been through the wringer is an understatement。 Ares lost his parents in an accident and Serena lost herself。The admiration I have for Serena is beyond words。 Don’t get me wrong， she was a real bitch at the beginning especially the things she did to her best friend Eliana。 We got to know why she behaved the way she did and she completely redeemed herself。 The strength Serena demonstrated is like no other heroine。 I applaud her for owning up to her mistakes， making amends with people she hurt and recovering from the traumatic experiences。 It was painful to hear what she went through all those years and my heart broke for her。 That said， I am super proud of how far she has come。I have a real soft spot for Ares。 He is the only person who has been there for Serena through thick and thin。 Though there were times he acted like an absolute dick， I understood where he was coming from and I forgave him。 I also love how he could turn from the most possessive alphahole to the sweetest guy who would do anything for his queen。 The complete devotion he has for Serena just melts my heart。 How can someone be so perfect？They had so much bad blood between them， the slow angst of them overcoming the hurt， jealousy， disappointment from the past， accepting their soul-crushing attraction， and embracing their undying love for one another is a hell of a ride。 Their journey was certainly not easy， but soulmates would always find their way back to one another。 Needless to say， the chemistry between them was explosive and they gelled so well together。 That mouth of Ares， filthy and panty-meltingly hot。Their love is beautiful， intense and all-consuming。 These characters are flawed but that’s also what makes them so perfect。 A special mention to Leo and Saint who always look out for their bro， and also Sam who saved Serena’s life in more ways than she knows。 I hope you all find the love you deserve。 。。。more
Infinity Navarro
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I love this author already so much so reading this book was not a hassle at all。 Every book Clara Elroy writes I absolutely fall in love with characters in the story。 This was one of the first times I read about book where the Male Character was like "it was always you"。 Ares had been through heartbreak and he was haunted by the past because she had finally admitted her real feelings only for something to happen and then disappear。 This second chance romance wasn't like anything I've read before I love this author already so much so reading this book was not a hassle at all。 Every book Clara Elroy writes I absolutely fall in love with characters in the story。 This was one of the first times I read about book where the Male Character was like "it was always you"。 Ares had been through heartbreak and he was haunted by the past because she had finally admitted her real feelings only for something to happen and then disappear。 This second chance romance wasn't like anything I've read before。 What made the book even better was the parts were his friends were included。 We got to Leo and Eliana， Saint and Aria， and a little bit of Killian in this book。 I will say I always love when an interconnected series gives small hints onto who the next book will be about。I will say at the beginning I was getting a little confused because of the name switching in the early chapters because one was like， "Amelia - 10years ago" but I was like wasn't she still going by Serena 10 years ago。 Other than that I had no real issues or anything that made me dislike parts of the book。I don't know which was better the Epilogue or the part when she finally tells him what happened back then and he wants to be mad but can't because he knows it hurts him if she's hurt *chef's kiss*。 One of my favorite chapters honestly。*ARc provided in exchange for an honest review* 。。。more
Neeru Rana
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With every book I fall even more in love with Clara's writing and the world she is building with amazing characters has me enamored。 I had goosebumps just after reading the prologue and the entire read was enticing。 I have been curious about Ares since book 1 and felt content after reading his book though a bit disappointed that I din get more of him（hopefully in the next book😜）。 Serena was one of my least favorite character at the beginning of the series but after knowing her my heart warmed to With every book I fall even more in love with Clara's writing and the world she is building with amazing characters has me enamored。 I had goosebumps just after reading the prologue and the entire read was enticing。 I have been curious about Ares since book 1 and felt content after reading his book though a bit disappointed that I din get more of him（hopefully in the next book😜）。 Serena was one of my least favorite character at the beginning of the series but after knowing her my heart warmed towards her。 Knowing what Serena goes through and Ares heartbreak left me speechless deriving so many emotions which cannot be described。 There were moments which made me tear up and feeling their pain was overwhelming。 It's a book worth loosing your sleep coz I could not keep the book aside once I started。Although， it can be read as standalone it's best if read after the first two books to understand all the dynamics and reasoning for everyone's behaviour。 The spice level is added bonus and it's obviously 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5。 One of the best second chance romance 😁。 I received an ARC copy for a honest review 😊。 。。。more
Alyssa Childers
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“Don’t settle for scraps from anyone， Siren。 Least of all me。 I’m planning on handing you the world; anything you want， just ask for it， and it’s yours。”Secret Identities。 Second Chances。Undeniable Attraction。"Lick of Fire" by Clara Elroy is a hot， intriguing， dual-pov second chance romance with trauma and heartbreak resolving full circle once and for all。The story follows hero Ares Alsford， a guy head over heels for the heroine， Serena Laurent， ever since they were young。。。the only issue was sh “Don’t settle for scraps from anyone， Siren。 Least of all me。 I’m planning on handing you the world; anything you want， just ask for it， and it’s yours。”Secret Identities。 Second Chances。Undeniable Attraction。"Lick of Fire" by Clara Elroy is a hot， intriguing， dual-pov second chance romance with trauma and heartbreak resolving full circle once and for all。The story follows hero Ares Alsford， a guy head over heels for the heroine， Serena Laurent， ever since they were young。。。the only issue was she was in love with his best friend until one night that ended with her fleeing the city。 Only years have passed， and things have changed immensely， starting with Serena's name。 Returning home was a shock for both， especially when caught off guard at a house showing for Amelia Duante， which to Ares's surprise， caused his suppressed feelings for her to ignite once more。 A second chance was never in the cards for him， and a relationship was the last thing on her mind。。。but how long can someone deny feelings that were never really gone？"Lick of Fire" is the third book in the City of Stars series。 I had previously read Vow of Hell （City of Stars #1） some time ago， although I don't recall much。 This book CAN be read as a standalone and had no impact on my overall enjoyment。 I struggled at the beginning of this book， but the more in tune I got with the characters， the story became addicting。 There was a great deal of healing on both ends， which is an aspect of second chance romance I LIVE for reading。 What Clara Elroy does with it is incredible。 Both Ares and Serena have healed in their own way before pulling all the pieces back together with each other， not because they need to but because they want to。 It is a level of trust very well executed。 Even though I pretty much read this book as a standalone， seeing the other couples in this book was enjoyable and pulled on my heartstrings enough to make me go back and reread the first two。 In simple words， I loved this book， and it definitely has me intrigued and wanting more from this series。 From the angst and tension to the healing and trust， "Lick of Fire" made me fall in love with these characters and their dynamic head first。Trigger/Content Warnings: Strong Language， Graphic Sexual Scenes， Graphic Violence， Sexual Assault， Physical Assault， Sex trafficking， Miscarriage， Murder， Rape。Thank you， Clara Elroy and GreysPromo， for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Tannie
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I read the second book of the series and I had forgotten about， and I hate myself for that。 LOL ARC！！Tropes: -enemies to lovers。-Love triangle （was it really though） -Heroine in danger。-Alpha male。 TWs: Drugs and alcohol abuse， sexual abuse。 I really loved this book。 It consumed me， and to me that is an amazing book。 I connected with the characters and really was ready to scream and kill everyone。 The book follows Ares and Serena。 They used to have the worst and most toxic relationship of the bu I read the second book of the series and I had forgotten about， and I hate myself for that。 LOL ARC！！Tropes: -enemies to lovers。-Love triangle （was it really though） -Heroine in danger。-Alpha male。 TWs: Drugs and alcohol abuse， sexual abuse。 I really loved this book。 It consumed me， and to me that is an amazing book。 I connected with the characters and really was ready to scream and kill everyone。 The book follows Ares and Serena。 They used to have the worst and most toxic relationship of the bunch， their love was honestly real。 The circumstances just didn't allow for them to actually pursue their love。 Serena and Ares are both trust funds babies， they grew up in wealthy families， and their friend group was just the same。 Serena had more than just what meets the eyes， and no one knew how much she was suffering and that actually hurt。 Ares was burned badly from Serena's decisions， but nothing would've anticipated how Serena's life really burned。 To me Serena is an amazing woman， so strong and amazing that I loved them so much。 Like she went through a lot， since she was a teen and held her shit together。 Not even I can do it at 25！！ Honestly can say her character is underrated， her development throughout the book was outstanding as well。 Ares does have his own redemption， he does her wrong in so many ways but he learns from his mistakes and actually accepts that their love was doomed。 He does some shitty things to her， but I kind of forgiven him ONLY because he didn't have the full information。 If he would've known， I know for a fact that he would've gone to the ends of the earth for her。 I felt horrible for their whole relationship as well， like they went through a lot at such a young age and they still had to get through more crap when they were older。 I really did love this book but it definitely was an emotional rollercoaster and not for the light hearted tbh。 。。。more
Char
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Out of all of the books in the series this one was my favorite。 The characters， the plot， even the small details in this book were all just so perfect！！！ I love love loved Serena in this， I had sympathized with her since Kiss of War since I’m just the type to always sympathize with girls like her and this book was just so raw and honest that I couldn’t help but love her even more 💕She was such an amazing， strong heroine and I loved how she never backed down no matter what。 Her and Ares were amaz Out of all of the books in the series this one was my favorite。 The characters， the plot， even the small details in this book were all just so perfect！！！ I love love loved Serena in this， I had sympathized with her since Kiss of War since I’m just the type to always sympathize with girls like her and this book was just so raw and honest that I couldn’t help but love her even more 💕She was such an amazing， strong heroine and I loved how she never backed down no matter what。 Her and Ares were amazing together and their chemistry was off the charts。 I loved Ares’ character I thought that he was perfect for Serena and I loved how protective yet gentle he was with her。 He’s truly the best type of man。 If you love second chance romances， enemies to lovers， and LOTS of angst this book is for you ❤️ 。。。more
Gladys
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I have enjoyed each entry in this series but in my opinion， this book was special。 Maybe it was simply because I felt such a strong emotional connection to Serena or that I could deeply relate to the story or maybe it was simply that this read was incredible。 Whatever it was this book hit me hard， entangled me in its web and had me fiercely consumed with reading every sentence I could， whenever I could。 Ares and Serena bombard you with a tsunami of feels as their heart tugging， heartbreaking， te I have enjoyed each entry in this series but in my opinion， this book was special。 Maybe it was simply because I felt such a strong emotional connection to Serena or that I could deeply relate to the story or maybe it was simply that this read was incredible。 Whatever it was this book hit me hard， entangled me in its web and had me fiercely consumed with reading every sentence I could， whenever I could。 Ares and Serena bombard you with a tsunami of feels as their heart tugging， heartbreaking， tension filled， angst fueled， temperature rising， have you swooning romance unfolds。 I honestly don't think I have the words to try to prepare you for this couple。 They are a potent combination of meant to be and star crossed that punches right into your chest to brutally grab your heart with a vicious grasp that squeezes and wrenches away until you are granted the sweet salvation that only reaching the end of their epic romance can give you。 This book is a standalone， but I firmly believe that one you step into this world you will want more， and I highly recommend every single one of these books。 。。。more
Naty
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For the first time ever in life I received an ARC and it was for this book。 I had read Kiss of War and Vow of Hell by Clara Elroy so I was pretty excited about Lick of Fire and OH。 MY。 WORD！！！！！ It did NOT disappoint！ This book was unputdownable！ Serena is such an incredible character and it’s so gratifying to see her growth from the first book to this one。 I love how she acknowledges her trauma and her feelings but also refuses to be taken down by it。 I love that she’s messy and imperfect and a For the first time ever in life I received an ARC and it was for this book。 I had read Kiss of War and Vow of Hell by Clara Elroy so I was pretty excited about Lick of Fire and OH。 MY。 WORD！！！！！ It did NOT disappoint！ This book was unputdownable！ Serena is such an incredible character and it’s so gratifying to see her growth from the first book to this one。 I love how she acknowledges her trauma and her feelings but also refuses to be taken down by it。 I love that she’s messy and imperfect and a little petty and mega sarcastic。 We stan an opinionated queen。 And Ares？？？ Oh my heart belongs to Ares Alsford and he won’t give it back [insert dramatic swoon here]。 One of the things that I loved most about the writing was that the main characters were always brutally honest with each other and avoided the typical miscommunication/ “I’ll let them think the worst of me because it’s for the best” tropes that I loathe。 This was my favorite book in the series so far。 So， so， SOOOOO good！ 。。。more
Stephanie Groves
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ARC Review“Lick of Fire” is a great telling of Ares’s and Serena’s life and struggles。。In the previous books， these two strong characters played integral parts in the City of Stars storyline。In this story， the reader learns of Serena’s horrific past experiences and how she pulled her way out of the destructive conclusion with her father， drugs and her escape。 Her early relationship with Ares was filled with mistrust and anger which resulted in her subsequent trauma。Once she shares her story with ARC Review“Lick of Fire” is a great telling of Ares’s and Serena’s life and struggles。。In the previous books， these two strong characters played integral parts in the City of Stars storyline。In this story， the reader learns of Serena’s horrific past experiences and how she pulled her way out of the destructive conclusion with her father， drugs and her escape。 Her early relationship with Ares was filled with mistrust and anger which resulted in her subsequent trauma。Once she shares her story with Ares， the truth brought heartbreak and joy。Great story！ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Lick of Fire
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Lick of Fire&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Lick of Fire&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0