If Susan Stoker writes it, I will read it. No questions asked, no need to know the plot.. just hand it over!

I can’t believe this series is over 🥺 I’m so happy we finally got JJ and April’s story though. 😍 I’ve been dying since the first book. And seeing all the other men with their women and where they are now in life. 🥹🥹 Everything was perfection!

Read if you like: Ex soldier MMC, amnesia, romantic suspense, small town romance, workplace romance, boss x employee, stalking, villain pov

I wish we got to see more of their friendship before the accident. I wanted to see their connection and chemistry as friends and the push/pull game they played. I felt like it was harder to connect to the MCs and I wasn’t convinced on their romance.

I liked that the MCs were an older couple, but I didn’t love them - I felt they were both quite boring. Jackson kept saying he was bossy and demanding but I didn’t see it tbh. He kept trying to hold himself back from her so I didn’t really see the “real” him. He wasn’t giving the alpha vibe I needed as an ex soldier. April at least had a bit of personality to her and I liked that she held her ground.

The suspense had me feeling creeped out (which is exactly what you want). The stalking, plotting, revenge, and being able to read the villains pov to know what he was thinking had me going “this dude is crazy”

The book picked up at the halfway point and got good. When the *big event* happened and all the guys all went “hunting” I was like YESSS this is the alpha energy I was wanting to see. I was on the edge of my seat and hooked from there. I loved seeing old friends like Tex, and the epilogue brought everything together seeing a glimpse into each couple and their lives

I usually love Susan Stoker books but this one disappointed me. I just didn’t feel a connection to the characters.

Jack/JJ was a soldier and he and his teammates were held hostage and tortured. They played a game of rock, paper, and scissors and it was decided they would move to Maine and open lumberjack business. April is divorced and is hired as the office manager. She has feelings for Jack but he’s her boss and she’s older than him. Jack has feelings too but is scared to tell her.
April is trying to avoid Jack because it’s getting to hard to be around him. She goes to check out a job and wrecks. She wakes up in the hospital but has no memories of the last five years. Jack is shaken to his core and decides that when she regains her memories he plans to tell her how he feels. April feels safe with him and wants him too but he won’t until she remembers him.
Once her memories return, they tell each other their feelings because they realize life is too short. But someone from Jack’s past is lurking in the background. When the women are kidnapped, Jack and the guys will do anything, call in whoever can help, to get their women back.

I do believe this was my favorite. Plenty of edge of your seat suspense. Sex. And I about cried at the end. Tough ex soldiers. Smart and strong women.

** Voluntarily read and reviewed and received a copy from Netgalley **

Series enders always give that emotional kick, and this was no exception! JJ and April finally act upon their attraction, much to the delight of their friends. The kicker in this one, once we get our couple together, is that the bad guy is, well, I won’t give it away, but there is lot of story with our characters and the bad guy. My heart was racing and I couldn’t read the story fast enough while making sure I wasn’t missing anything important. We get to see old friends, and of course Tex, and an epilogue taking us into the future with our happy couples. One of the moments in that epilogue brings us full circle in the series, with how they started, with the children. It is a soft, simple, moment, but so powerful in its’ meaning with how it brought these men to be living the life they now are, and the love and simplicity they have found <3

This is the final book of 4 in this series. It can be totally read as a stand alone and whilst there are small references to the couples getting together before this book starts, the book holds together without any other info needed. The book is action packed and almost split into two halves. The first is a bit more tender and gentle and then the second half is more brutal and brutish. A great fast paced read with a strong alpha male lead who will go the extra mile to protect the one he loves. This isn’t overshadowed with a weak female and both give as good as they get.

Spoilers ahead: I was torn on this one. I really love Susan Stoker books and for the most part you always know what to expect. I started out really loving April and JJ’s long-awaited story. But it almost lost me in the middle when Susan did probably my least favorite thing she sometimes does, which is retraumatize multiple of the women to end the series. That three of them were pregnant was even worse. But there was something so satisfying about all the teams from the different series coming other that really brought it back for me. It made me want to reread Mountain Mercenaries! And the wrap up epilogue was sweet as well. Overall would recommend for any Susan Stoker fan!

Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.