Overall, this is a very strong start for a rebirth romance novel. It hits all the right emotional notes, has a believable and compelling lead, and introduces a love interest who is flawed but endearing. The setting is vivid, the stakes are clear, and the pacing is excellent. It's the kind of story that makes you want to clear your schedule and read straight through. I'm happy to have found this. I expect good things from it.
I wish we got more internal reflection about his past life. He was a volunteer firefighter, he rode a motorcycle, he died in a rescue. That's a heroic death. But he barely thinks about it after the initial memory. Does he miss his family? His dad's old motorcycle? That could give emotional depth. Right now, he's very focused on survival and the system. I'd love a chapter where he mourns his humanity, even briefly.
The students are dangerously naive. The teacher's anxiety about them treating a life-or-death crisis like a game is completely justified. 'They are having fun as if the initial anxiety was a lie.'