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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
- Excellent exploration of grief from FMC's dead husband and MMC's dead dad. Their individual passages exploring the loss were really moving - almost brought me to tears
- I liked the FMC and MMC together, for the most part. They have good chemistry, they have an easy friendship
- Liked the MMC with the kids, although I think I would have liked more explicit convos with them / thoughts from FMC about introducing a new romantic partner/father figure so soon after their dad died
- MMC was mostly incredibly understanding about the FMCs loss and not being sure if she was ready to move on, but he had a few outbursts which made me dislike him. Getting angry at her for not wanting to take her wedding ring off and demanding she do it to prove her love for him, or on a few occasions saying that he 'doesn't date, and definitely not single mums'
- Felt some of the characterisation of characters from other books was maybe a tad off. All the FMCs were more bold in talking about sex than in their own books
- I felt this book had the best engagement with the forest firefighter career, and I kinda wish getting an intro to the squad's base/HQ and more insight into the work had come in the first book
4.75 stars & all the chili peppers
Single mom / widow
Pining / He falls first
Hotshot firefighter
Neighbors
Xander -
Single mom / widow
Pining / He falls first
Hotshot firefighter
Neighbors
Xander -
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Best of the trilogy. Really loved Xander and Teddy's brilliant friendship and communication and their romance - the book spans one year, set about halfway through book 2 onwards, and really touches on great conversations with grief as well, and honour to duty, and then honour to yourself. Really loved this one, will definitely reread in the future. There was no jealous ex trope, or miscommunication, they really just matched each other and were patient when need to be, and wasted no time in places too.
I think I've read some of BAKER's work before but this was an absolute stand out for me!
I think I've read some of BAKER's work before but this was an absolute stand out for me!
Aw this one def took the cake for the saddest one of the series. It hurt me so many times while reading it. But was also so precious. Very happy for them, and so happy for the kiddos, their little personalities were so great
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
My comments are going to be similar to the ones I gave in my review for Protect and I don't want anyone to think I am not encouraging you to read this book because I am. I think the series as a whole was worth reading, at least once. For me, none of these books are going to be on my "to be re-read," but I'm glad I got to read them once, and I discovered two new authors in the process.
I said in my review for Fight that I love all 5 books that I had previously read written by Sloane St. James. Both Danielle Baker and Paisley Hope were on my radar, but I hadn't actually read their books before. I don't think a collaboration series is the right place to give a full review of an author's writing style. It gives me a good idea of the kind of work they do but, at the end of the day, all of the books within a series need to complement each other. With that said, I am going to confirm that I enjoyed Danielle and Paisley's work enough in this series to push their books on my TBR to a high spot and hopefully get to some of them within this year. Let's be honest. One of the main reasons I put this series at the top of my TBR when it came out 3 months ago is because I love Sloane's work. Her books are some of the more spicier books that I read in 2024 and I was hoping to get that in Fight. I was a little disappointed when I saw that it was "tame" compared to her Lakes hockey series. I am hoping that is the case with the work of Danielle and Paisley. I'm going to talk about Danielle in this post specifically. Okay, Danielle knows how to set a spicey scene because, really, Xander wanted to get kinky with Teddy. However, I found that the climax (hmmm) came just a little too quickly on the page. Pun intended? No, really, there was no real drawing out of the experience. We went from dirty talk, a few thrusts and then the classic "Come for me pretty girl" and they were done. I barely had time to get all hot and bothered.
Now on to the plot, which is what a book is supposed to be about. I'm going to admit that I let my emotions get in the way here. I've never experienced grief the way that Teddy has so I can't talk from personal experience and I know that, as Violette and Scottie tell Teddy,
I said in my review for Fight that I love all 5 books that I had previously read written by Sloane St. James. Both Danielle Baker and Paisley Hope were on my radar, but I hadn't actually read their books before. I don't think a collaboration series is the right place to give a full review of an author's writing style. It gives me a good idea of the kind of work they do but, at the end of the day, all of the books within a series need to complement each other. With that said, I am going to confirm that I enjoyed Danielle and Paisley's work enough in this series to push their books on my TBR to a high spot and hopefully get to some of them within this year. Let's be honest. One of the main reasons I put this series at the top of my TBR when it came out 3 months ago is because I love Sloane's work. Her books are some of the more spicier books that I read in 2024 and I was hoping to get that in Fight. I was a little disappointed when I saw that it was "tame" compared to her Lakes hockey series. I am hoping that is the case with the work of Danielle and Paisley. I'm going to talk about Danielle in this post specifically. Okay, Danielle knows how to set a spicey scene because, really, Xander wanted to get kinky with Teddy. However, I found that the climax (hmmm) came just a little too quickly on the page. Pun intended? No, really, there was no real drawing out of the experience. We went from dirty talk, a few thrusts and then the classic "Come for me pretty girl" and they were done. I barely had time to get all hot and bothered.
Now on to the plot, which is what a book is supposed to be about. I'm going to admit that I let my emotions get in the way here. I've never experienced grief the way that Teddy has so I can't talk from personal experience and I know that, as Violette and Scottie tell Teddy,
There’s no timeline on grief or how you choose to live your life. Healing isn’t linear, Teddy. There will be good days and there will still be really hard days, too.
but there is still a way that it was handled in this book that I didn't like. When we saw in Protect that Xander had helped Teddy deliver Bea, and that there was an attraction he felt for her, I was hoping that this story would have taken place at least a year later. I wish Teddy had taken time to process her grief, deal with and maybe heal from it, and develop a friendship with Xander as opposed to an acquaintanceship that she had with him. I think my first boundary with the story is how Teddy dealt with her loss. She basically shoved her feelings aside to be there for her children, deal with a pregnancy and then jump right into hormones and horniness. Her feelings felt too rushed. It's not that she started flirting with Xander almost 9 months after the death of her husband, it was that she didn't give herself to properly process everything. Yes, she cried every night, but she didn't heal or start to heal.
There were conversations that Teddy eventually had in the book that I had hoped would have happened earlier. I spent a good part of the book wondering why she wasn't talking to certain people about her feelings. And, yes, I understand she doesn't need permission to feel an attraction or even act on that attraction, but out of respect, I think it would have helped me as a reader if the conversations had happened earlier. Not to mention, both conversations happened because the other person initiated them, not Teddy. That..uggg, it just sits wrong with me.
Okay, spoiler, I am going to give my thoughts below because I hate being so vague
2. The conversation with Dalton. I understand that maybe Penny is too young to fully understand the relationship between Xander and Teddy and that she will most likely forget a lot about her father based on the age she was when Logan died, but it has to be confusing for a toddler to see her mother kissing a man when her father isn't around anymore. However, Dalton is at an age where he understands. Seeing that he is a boy who looks up to Xander and is looking to fill that male role model that was left empty when Logan died, I think they could have sat down and had a chat with Dalton. They could have explained the role that Xander was going to play now in the house and see if he had any fears regarding his job. It took Dalton a while to break down and express his thoughts, and only after Xander was hurt. Imagine how much anxiety he had been feeling on his own without anyone talking to him.
I did get a feeling from these books that, while we won't get more books in the series, what kinds of spin-offs we will have? Once we found out that Xander had 2 brothers, I figured Danielle would create a spin-off series starting Zach and Joel and I'm glad to see that this is coming. While the other books don't mention any spin-off, I'm hoping Opp gets a book, too.
5⭐️
If I could this book would be infinite stars! This is the last book I’m the trilogy and I am so sad to see it finish. This was by far the most emotional book of the trilogy, like I think I had a moment for each emotion while reading this book. This book was absolutely amazing and I absolutely adored Teddy, Xander and the kiddies. I adore all of the books in this series, but I think this one will hold a special piece of me!
The last book follows Xander, the Hotshot Superintendent who’s job is his whole life. He isn’t the relationship kind of guy, considering his job is so dangerous, he can’t put a family through that. But all of this changes when his best friends sister, who is recently widowed, pregnant and mother of 2, moves in next door. Teddy happens to be the girl that Xander has been crazy about for years so when he helps her with the birth of her newest baby, he is spending so much more time with her. Teddy is very held up in her feelings and I shaving trouble letting them go. Xander is all in, although his job is priority. But is Teddy worth giving up the only life he has known?
- Age Gap
- Single Mum
- Best Friends Sister
- Love After Loss
- Neighbours
- Curvy FMC
- Career Driven MMC
Teddy, my girl. I think she is my favourite FMC of the trilogy! Her strength is just unmatched. She has been through so much in her life and was so strong for her kids throughout the whole thing. Loosing someone close to you is the hardest thing to deal with, and I can’t imagine what it would be like having kids in the mix of it too. Her dedication to those kids was unmatched and she knew she couldn’t bring someone into their life without really loving them. Accepting a new love after loss must be so difficult and her anxiety and feelings throughout the whole book were so valid and I loved how Xander understood this too.
And speaking of Xander… The man that you are. Oh lord this hotshot is up there in top 10 book boyfriends for sure! This man was OBSESSED and I was all over that! He never pushed Teddy, he wanted her to be ready, be willing and he was willing to wait as long as it took. The way he not only loved, cared and looked out for Teddy, he did for her kids too, and that is so special. His love for those kids was so amazing. He was battling his own grief and it was so good to see that he wants afraid to show it either. His support for teddy and his crew was unmatched, and I’m in love with him.
The ending to this book was just amazing and, if you have read it, and you know me, you know I was so bloody excited! The angst of this book was *chefs kiss* The push and pull was so worth it.
WOW. Danielle can write a book! This is my first book by her and it most defiantly will not be the last. Her way of bring their emotions to the page was amazing and her writing skills are just tremendous! The way she bought the first two books into hers as well was so well done, I loved seeing the characters again, as well as meeting some new ones (Colleen and Kent are my dream mother and father in law IYKYK). The emotion and tension in this book was just phenomenal. The spice was SPICING, like I mean the mirror scene will live in my head forever.
I now don’t know what to do with myself now that this trilogy is over, might have to go try for a min. (If you haven’t already, check out my edits on my insta heheh read_with_charley)
#bookreview #books #nosuchthingastoomuchreading #skyridgehotshotstrilogy #honor #daniellebaker #xandermacomb #teddyhansen
If I could this book would be infinite stars! This is the last book I’m the trilogy and I am so sad to see it finish. This was by far the most emotional book of the trilogy, like I think I had a moment for each emotion while reading this book. This book was absolutely amazing and I absolutely adored Teddy, Xander and the kiddies. I adore all of the books in this series, but I think this one will hold a special piece of me!
The last book follows Xander, the Hotshot Superintendent who’s job is his whole life. He isn’t the relationship kind of guy, considering his job is so dangerous, he can’t put a family through that. But all of this changes when his best friends sister, who is recently widowed, pregnant and mother of 2, moves in next door. Teddy happens to be the girl that Xander has been crazy about for years so when he helps her with the birth of her newest baby, he is spending so much more time with her. Teddy is very held up in her feelings and I shaving trouble letting them go. Xander is all in, although his job is priority. But is Teddy worth giving up the only life he has known?
- Age Gap
- Single Mum
- Best Friends Sister
- Love After Loss
- Neighbours
- Curvy FMC
- Career Driven MMC
Teddy, my girl. I think she is my favourite FMC of the trilogy! Her strength is just unmatched. She has been through so much in her life and was so strong for her kids throughout the whole thing. Loosing someone close to you is the hardest thing to deal with, and I can’t imagine what it would be like having kids in the mix of it too. Her dedication to those kids was unmatched and she knew she couldn’t bring someone into their life without really loving them. Accepting a new love after loss must be so difficult and her anxiety and feelings throughout the whole book were so valid and I loved how Xander understood this too.
And speaking of Xander… The man that you are. Oh lord this hotshot is up there in top 10 book boyfriends for sure! This man was OBSESSED and I was all over that! He never pushed Teddy, he wanted her to be ready, be willing and he was willing to wait as long as it took. The way he not only loved, cared and looked out for Teddy, he did for her kids too, and that is so special. His love for those kids was so amazing. He was battling his own grief and it was so good to see that he wants afraid to show it either. His support for teddy and his crew was unmatched, and I’m in love with him.
The ending to this book was just amazing and, if you have read it, and you know me, you know I was so bloody excited! The angst of this book was *chefs kiss* The push and pull was so worth it.
WOW. Danielle can write a book! This is my first book by her and it most defiantly will not be the last. Her way of bring their emotions to the page was amazing and her writing skills are just tremendous! The way she bought the first two books into hers as well was so well done, I loved seeing the characters again, as well as meeting some new ones (Colleen and Kent are my dream mother and father in law IYKYK). The emotion and tension in this book was just phenomenal. The spice was SPICING, like I mean the mirror scene will live in my head forever.
I now don’t know what to do with myself now that this trilogy is over, might have to go try for a min. (If you haven’t already, check out my edits on my insta heheh read_with_charley)
#bookreview #books #nosuchthingastoomuchreading #skyridgehotshotstrilogy #honor #daniellebaker #xandermacomb #teddyhansen