Flirting with Fire

Meader (the Hot in the Kitchen series) provides a strong start to her Hot in Chicago contemporary romance series. Kinsey Taylor, who handles PR outreach for the Mayor of Chicago, is trying to spin fireman Luke Almeida's image. Luke was caught on video in a fistfight with a policeman and is the new designated public proof of institutional insubordination; the Mayor is up for re-election and doesn't need a scandal. But Kinsey, armed with charity calendar shoots and community block party plans, finds Luke almost too stubborn to work with. A large and eclectic cast of side characters and a charmingly real-feeling Chicago provide lightness and fun. Sadly, the central couple never feel fully three-dimensional, and their romance has a few too many plot-required bumps in it. The setup for eventual future books in the series is more interesting than the central situation. Still, Meader's general writing skill and good humor go a long way. (Mar.)