Code Red

Code Red is the latest short story from Lilah Hart to be checked off my to be read list. I’ve been reading a number of Lilah Hart’s short stories since I first discovered her writing over the summer. This is book two in a multi-author series called Side Hustle.

Each story can be read as a standalone story, or part of the entire series. In this case, I am choosing to only read Lilah Hart’s story for right now. My reading time is limited, and I like reading more from my favorite authors. But that is my choice. You can do either one.

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Reading the entire series is a great way to be introduced to new authors though. Especially because they are short stories that can be read in an hour. Which is exactly how I discovered LIlah Hart originally. I was searching Amazon for short hour-long romance reads, and she was a recommended author.

I started with the Wildwood Valley Brides series, and I was hooked from the start. Now it is one of my goals to read everything she has written. Code Red is my latest story from her to be checked off that list.

I have several authors where that is a goal, to read everything they’ve written, and I’ve decided to make it a point to spend more of my time doing that in the new year. Do you have any specific reading goals like that? I’ve been hearing other readers mention taking a month to binge everything from one single author, and then moving on to other goals. There are so many ways to read books and reach goals.

Have you read Code Red? Come on in and let me tell you about it!

About Code Red

She lost a cat. He found his forever.

I’ve been a good girl my whole life.

Followed the rules. Obeyed my father. Kept my head down and my heart locked up tight.

One day in Wildwood Valley changed everything.

It started with a cat. A diabetic escape artist named Snowball who bolted from my clinic on my very first day flying solo. Desperate and panicking, I ran to the fire station next door for help.

I didn’t expect to find a man in nothing but black boxer briefs, singing into a spatula like he owned the world.

Devon Carlisle was grumpy, gorgeous, and completely off-limits. A rugged construction foreman with callused hands and a volunteer firefighter’s heart. He had no business looking at me the way he did—like I was trouble he wanted to get into.

I had no business letting him.

But somewhere between chasing that cat through the woods and sharing drinks at the new honky-tonk in town, I stopped being the pastor’s dutiful daughter. I stopped playing it safe.

I started playing with fire.

Code Red is a short and steamy instalove romance set in the small mountain town of Wildwood Valley, North Carolina. This 1-hour read is part of the Side Hustle series. If you like short, steamy instalove novellas, you’ll love the entire Side Hustle series!

About the Side Hustle Series

From broke beginnings to business dreams, the real hustle begins after hours. Whether it’s garage startups or late-night gigs, these blue-collar heroes and heroines are chasing goals bigger than the next bill. When love throws them a curveball, they learn that building a future means risking their hearts.

Side Hustle is a multi-author series of short, steamy instalove stories with guaranteed happily-ever-afters. Each one delivers open-door heat, real-world grit, and chemistry that burns hotter after midnight.

Thoughts on Code Red

“A man stood at the stove, his back to me, wearing nothing but black boxer briefs and apparently zero self-consciousness. He was singing into a spatula like it was a microphone at Madison Square Garden, his hips doing a little shimmy that should’ve required a permit.”
Lilah Hart, Code Red

In Code Red we meet Rylie and Devon.

Rylie has a cat escape from the vet clinic she’s working at, and enlists firefighter Devon to help track down the cat. It is a hilarious way to start this story, and I love that. Unique meetings are super memorable, and always my favorites. Because that is the kind of story you tell the grandkids when you’re elderly, and none of them believe you.

Things heat up quickly between them, and it progresses very quickly. But it also works perfectly. I’m always impressed at how Lilah Hart manages to balance a short story with good character development and just enough backstory to really keep it both unique and interesting.

I have to admit that I may be a bit biased, but I do love all of her stories that are based in Wildwood Valley. There is something great about this fictitious town, and the stories she builds there. Maybe it is because I was hooked when I read the Wildwood Valley Brides series. But I’ve often found that her stories based there tend to be my favorites versus others.

Those stories just feel extra special and memorable for me. Which I can’t quite explain yet, but it is a definite thing.

Code Red was funny, steamy, and memorable for me. If you want a funny yet steamy quick read, Code Red will satisfy both exceptionally well.

Final Thoughts on Code Red

“One week ago, this man was eating cold pizza alone in the station kitchen. Now he’s got a girlfriend moving in next door. Cupid took him out like a sniper.”
Lilah Hart, Code Red

I’m calling Code Red a five star read. This story had me laughing, wanting to see our two main characters have their happily ever after, and so much more. Code Red could easily become a full novel, and has that potential. Yet it also feels complete as a short story. This is the hallmark of a good author. Where the reader is left wanting more, yet it is still complete as it is.

Code Red is a story that I will definitely come back to and read a second time, which is a big criteria for a five star read for me. It is a fun and quick escape from the darker romance novels I’ve been reading lately, and I have to appreciate that. If you’re one who needs breaks from other types of genres, any of Lilah’s short stories are perfect for that job. Short stories like Code Red are also great palate cleansers to keep me from falling into a reading slump when I can’t find anything that fits my needs. I simply go read one of Lilah Hart’s stories, and then go back to whatever genre I was previously reading.

One of my favorite things about short stories is that they are perfect for when life gets too busy to read full novels. I find this to be especially true during the summer months and holidays. Life can go from zero to crazy in a matter of minutes, and I lose time to read. With stories like this, it takes less than an hour to read. For me, it takes longer to write and format a review for the story than it does to actually read it. If you’re anything like me and take your Kindle wherever you go, you’ll love having a short story like Code Red to read whenever you have even a few minutes to read.

The chapters are short, making them perfect for when you’re waiting for something like a bus, or a takeout order to be ready. Read a chapter instead of mindlessly doom scrolling social media. Trust me, it’s just a far better use of your time.

They’re also great for reading before bedtime. If you’ve ever played fast and loose with the “just one more chapter” game, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. Reading one of these stories will allow you to read the entire thing and still make it to bed on time without losing any sleep. I know for me personally, I am notorious for playing the just one more chapter game and suddenly it is two in the morning and I’ve forgotten I need to sleep.

At the time of publishing this review, Code Red, and all of Lilah Hart’s short stories are available via Kindle Unlimited, making them easily accessible to readers without breaking the bank. In this day and age, that is even more important than ever. Books aren’t cheap. Reading can become a very expensive hobby, and I love the opportunities to help offset that cost. Kindle Unlimited is a big help there.

Discussion

Have you read Code Red or any other writing from author Lilah Hart? Are you a fan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

About the Author

Lilah Hart has been writing and publishing for more than a decade, both for traditional publishers and independently. She writes short, steamy reads with plenty of heart. When she’s not writing, she loves binge-watching reality TV shows while sipping moscato. She lives in Knoxville with her husband and her pet Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

Purchasing Code Red

If you are interested in buying the Kindle version of Code Red, click here.
Click here for my favorite Kindle I currently own.

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Code Red

Code Red

About Code Red

About the Side Hustle Series

Thoughts on Code Red

Final Thoughts on Code Red

Discussion

About the Author

Purchasing Code Red

More from Lilah Hart

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Rosewood Ridge Riders

Rosewood Ridge Rescue

Rosewood Ridge Heroes

Rosewood Ridge Fire

Rosewood Ridge Christmas

Seduction Summit Lodge

Seduction Summit Lumberjacks

Seduction Summit Warriors

Seduction Summit Trails

Wildwood Valley Brides

Wildwood Valley Harvest

Wildwood Valley Christmas

Wildwood Valley Firehouse

Wildwood Valley Rescue

Wildwood Valley Bloom

Wildwood Valley Rapids

Copper Peak Sparks

Standalones

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