While I enjoy other books by Susan Stoker, and was looking forward to The Lumberjack, it missed the mark for me. The story felt too predictable and somewhat forgettable.

Susan Stoker delivers a heartfelt and engaging story in The Lumberjack, the fourth installment in the Game of Chance series. While part of a series, this book stands strong on its own, allowing new readers to jump right into the world of Jack’s Lumber and its close-knit characters without feeling lost.

JJ, known to friends as "Jack," is a resilient former POW who has rebuilt his life as the owner of Jack’s Lumber. He embodies strength and determination, wielding a chainsaw rather than a traditional axe—a modern-day lumberjack with grit and heart. Opposite him is April, the sharp and dependable office manager who holds the company—and their circle of friends—together like glue.

When an accident leaves April with memory loss, the story takes an emotional turn. Though she can’t recall her past, April instinctively feels a sense of safety and connection with Jack, a dynamic that becomes the cornerstone of her recovery. As they navigate this life-altering event, their relationship evolves, transcending the roles of boss and employee to something far deeper.

Their journey to a happily ever after (HEA) is anything but smooth. Both must confront their vulnerabilities, reevaluate their priorities, and build a new foundation of trust and love. Stoker weaves these challenges with emotional depth, blending romance, resilience, and self-discovery.

Fans of heartfelt romances with a touch of suspense will love The Lumberjack. Whether you're a newcomer to the Game of Chance series or a loyal reader, this book promises a moving and satisfying experience.

ARC received for review

My least favorite of the series. JJ and April have been circling each other during all the other books. JJ's reasons are fine reasons for not making a move, but I don't know, it was just ok. I did love the epilogue as always Ms. Stoker does a great job wrapping up the series.

***5 Stars***

Finally! JJ and April get their HEA!

Like many, I’ve been waiting for these two to get out of their own ways and take that first step towards each other, but I never would’ve wanted that first step to be because of an amnesia inducing accident. But that was the instigator and I have to say that I enjoyed watching them get their HEA.

Both are strong personalities who have no issue speaking their minds and are all about ensuring that those they love are taken cared of. What I liked the most was the respect they had for each other and their “quirks” and it only made them love each other more.

As this is the last of the series, it went big. The suspense part was crazy, but it’s unfortunately a crazy that isn’t uncommon nowadays, but it definitely got the heart rate up. But I loved catching up with Chappy & Carlisle, Cal & June and Kendric & Marlowe and watching how they all rallied around JJ and April. And that epilogue was one of the best I’d read in a long time.

The final installment in the "Game Of Chance" series by Susan Stoker, is the perfect blend of romance, suspense and culmination of the lives of the amazing men, their partners and the lives that would be going forward.

The Lumberjack is a thrilling ride as Jackson 'JJ 'Justice and April Hoffman finally admit their feelings for each other and the evil that would go to any lengths to separate them. This also is the story of their brave women, who under extreme dangerous situation rally around each other. This is truly an ode to their courage and bravery!

It is always with bittersweet memories we tend to end a series, and a new chapter begins.

This is the final book in a 4 books series. I need to go back and read the first 3. I wasn't sure about that until after I started reading and decided to keep on. I'm glad I did, as I know I will love the others. I had a feeling before diving in that the title "Lumberjack" meant there were lumberjacks, and I was correct! Jackson aka JJ and his teammates from the military start up a lumberjack business. April is the receptionist who is mostly responsible for the growth in their business. JJ is the boss of April, and you see where this is headed. Well, you think you do, but not without some twists and turns and heartache along the way. I like when authors incorporate amnesia into the plot. It of course makes for some sad times, but there's always that "question" of which way will the story go. An amazing story line with suspense, romance, charm, wit, adventure, spice, heartbreak, and edge-of-your-seat action.

A game of chance during a harrowing POW experience has led Jackson (JJ) Justice and his fellow teammates to a small town in Maine where they own a tree removal business. This rough and tumble life is perfect for Justice except for one small thing, this constant attraction to his office manager April Hoffman.
April loves JJ and her job as office manager for the lumberjacks, but doesn’t know if she can stay and still work with Justice when she has no idea of his feelings. Business and pleasure generally don’t make a good pair, but when an old enemy of JJ and his team show up and April is almost killed in a mysterious auto accident, all bets are off when it comes to making up for lost time. Life is too short to waste!
Suffering from amnesia from the accident April doesn’t realize she knows more of their enemy than they do. Justice will do anything to make sure April and his work family are safe and this unknown enemy is determined to make them pay!
Dive into the exciting world of The Lumberjack. You won’t be sorry! I am definitely going back to read the earlier books in the series and looking forward to book 5!

Suspense and romance at its best. I liked that April wasn't some whimpering girl who didn't know or want to do anything. She stepped up and did what was needed to survive. I really enjoyed this one!

If Susan Stoker writes it I will read it!!!! I love this series so much! JJ and Aprils story was the perfect conclusion.

THE LUMBERJACK Game of Chance Book 4 by Susan Stoker
I loved this series. It has four guys who were POW’s overseas and came back to the states to start a business together. Each book has a different guy featured but has plenty of interaction with the other three guys. This one is JJ and April’s story. This is a friends to lovers, romantic suspense, intrigue filled, mysterious, dramatic, and intense story. This is 5 stars.

This was the first time reading this author and absolutely loved it. I have gone back and read the others in this series. Such a good book!

I wanted to love this romance more than I actually did. It was ok but I've read a lot of others that I prefer.

Susan Stoker never disappoints me... This book is all I wanted and then more. Stoker making it happen to get all of my favorites at page at the same time worked is such a great way. April and JJ's story was intriguing and kept me engaged the whole time.

I had already read a couple of the other books in this series and really enjoyed them. I was patiently awaiting this story and wasn't disappointed. Definitely would recommend but would say to read the series first so this story is more meaningful after doing so!

Thanks to NetGalley, Susan Stoker, and Montlake for allowing me to review this ARC!

End of series are hard. I really enjoyed this series and thought it was well written. JJ & Aprils story was good, but not as good as the rest of the series. I thought it moved slower than the rest of the series but was still a great story. Looking forward to the next series.

5 Stars

The Lumberjack by Susan Stoker is the fourth book in the Game of Chance Series and it was incredible! So incredible that I went back and read the other three books in the series after I read this one. This was the first book I’ve ever read from Ms. Stoker and I can say with 100% honesty that she now has a reader for life. The Lumberjack was full of friendship, love, and phenomenal characters.

JJ and April stole my heart from the very first page. The chemistry between the two was out of this world. I loved the push and pull between them too. I honestly did not want their story to end.

Highly recommend reading this book and the entire series-it was soooo good!

I volunteered to read and review an advanced readers copy of Lumberjack through Net gallery . This story is outstanding . This is April and Justice's story . After April is hurt in a car wreck Justice steps in to take care of her realizing he could have lost her . Unfortunately the group's past is coming to seek revenge and all their lives are on the line . With help from their friends they will fight to survive . This story is a spectacular end to this series . Every story is amazing . I've really enjoyed reading them I highly recommend taking the time to read .

Splendid finish to the series

We've seen Jack and April dance around each other throughout all three of the previous books, so it's no surprise when their romance kicks into high gear. The story starts with April's car crash and subsequent amnesia, but the story isn't really about her amnesia at all. It's about a terrorist coming to wipe out Jack and his whole team, along with the women in their lives.

As the final in a series that I have loved, there was no way I would miss this book. I just wish the climax had been a bit more ... climactic. There's a lot of thrills getting to that point, lots of dangerous threats for our intrepid women, but once our good guys confront the lone bad guy - with twenty mostly unnecessary men - it only takes one of them to take him down and it wasn't even one of our team's heroes. Our hero is left to rescue the women from a seemingly impossible trap, which of course is accomplished without incident. Again, by one guy, while everyone else just watches. I mean, they all got their turns when it was their books, but this rescue was for all four women and I just wish the author hadn't painted her story into such a corner to begin with.

The epilogue is very satisfying, if a little too detailed, wrapping up the entire series nicely. If you've read any of this series you can't miss this one, but definitely read the earlier books first if you haven't. This isn't a book to start the series with. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Many, many moons ago, Susan Stoker was a go-to author for me when I wanted to read romantic suspense. But then, after about two dozen books, I started to not enjoy her anymore. Too stupid to live heroines, outrageously ridiculous storylines…I had walked away from this author, chalking it up to evolving reading tastes.

So I’m not sure exactly why I requested this ARC. Probably because of the “older” heroine - as I get older myself, I’m less interested in reading about 20 somethings and more interested in more mature characters.

And YAY, we get that here. But, we don’t get much else.

April works for JJ, and as such, they have fought their attraction to each other for the past five years. But then April is injured in a car accident which brings out JJ’s protective side. It also lights a fire under him to reach for what he wants once he realizes he could have lost her.

From there, everything is all peachy and everyone is happy they’ve finally decided to give a relationship a go.

Then, of course, a bad guy rears his ugly head and puts all the women (April, plus the other three from the previous books in this series) in grave danger. It all would have been fine, except help is called in from a group from one of Ms. Stoker’s other series (insert self-promotion eye roll here) and they figure out how to save the women with all the deduction skills of Lassie (a la barking dog and “what? Timmy fell in the well?"). “We figured out where the bad guy is holding the women by transmitting info to Meat in the chopper.”

FYI…I used that same sentence about Lassie when writing my review for Rescuing Emily. So clearly this author is recycling concepts from 2016. Which I suppose is bound to happen when you churn out eight to 12 books a year for ten years…

I think I may be well and done with this author, for good this time. She’s just not my cup of tea anymore. I didn’t dislike The Lumberjack, but I didn’t find much to recommend it either. And I have too many books to read to spend my time on so-so stories…

* thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

This was everything I hoped for and more! The ending to this amazing series a has the couple I have been waiting for. Jack is now determined to get April with nothing getting in his way, after having almost lost her in an accident. April has lost her memory and is now stuck in limbo until she gets it back. You can’t have this story without someone coming after April and the other women. This will keep you reading until the very end! I was given a copy for an honest review.