This was my first Susan Stoker romance and it was a blurb made me do it, read. I am always intrigued by a good amnesia romance and this one promised that and found family, which is another trope I adore. I did enjoy certain parts of Jack and April’s story but I think that there was just too much going on that I wasn’t fully aware of. Having said that, I will definitely read more by this author.

This was a bit too many tropes for me: amnesia, overprotective MMC, age gap, found family, and then every group of characters that Susan has written. This is not a standalone (which is fine, it's part of a series), but I didn't need to be reminded of everything the women and men went through on each page.

I did like that the company grew to be amazing in Maine, and I loved that he rushed to April's side in the middle of the night.

Overall, it was a hard read to keep me reading. It sucked me in but couldn't keep me in.

3.5/5⭐️

The Lumberjack is the final book in the Game of Chance series. This was an interesting read but fell kind of flat for me cuz I hadn't read the previous books in the series. So that's partly on me.

I thought this was a standalone that could be read on it's own but there seemed to be a lot of backstory that was already covered in the previous books for Jack and April and it seemed like the scene was already set for them, with them pining after each other for 5 years and already having this bond/connection which I couldn't relate to since, again, I started the series with this book.

However, I feel like the author could've slowly eased us into their relationship rather than getting into it too early in the book which made me feel like I started a book midway through the story, especially with the amnesia trope.

After April suffers from a terrible accident which leads to her temporarily losing her memories and she has no recollection of the last five years of her life, but she feels this sort of familiarity and connection towards Jack. She then finds out that they've both been attracted to each other for years but avoided taking it further for their own reasons. For April it's because he's her boss and after being in a loveless marriage for far too long, she didn't want to get into another relationship and also the fact that Jack was younger than her. For Jack, he had his insecurities that she would reject him and that he would be too intense for her given his past as a Special Forces Soldier, and knowing what a huge role April played in the success of his business that he didn't want things to get awkward and for her to leave. The accident puts things into perspective for both of them about how short life is and how stupid they were to keep denying their feelings for so long.

Jack decides to take April back to his place to recover after she gets discharged and they get into a relationship the same day. It felt too rushed especially not having any backstory or insight into their relationship. I felt too disconnected from these two to relate. Also, they kept mentioning that April was older than Jack and though we knew her age to be 46 yo, but Jack's age isn't mentioned till the end here.

These two get into a relationship and once the dust settles on that, the suspense aspect of the book takes the lead with someone from Cal, Jack, Bob and Chappy's past coming back for revenge and using the women as bait to lure them in. And then it's a race to save these women and how the villain has laid out a meticulous plan that he's worked on for years and has thought about everything to make sure the men can't escape.

Reading the things this guy did to the women was terrible and made me want to beat him up myself. But the women stayed strong and did everything they could to not lose it and fought till the end. April was the real star here with how she managed the whole situation and got them all the help and played the major role in getting them to safety.

We see characters from other series join the men to help them track the women and they plan out the rescue mission and execute it.

The ending shows us how all the couples are doing after a few years and ties up the series pretty well. And reading the little snippets of the other couples has got me interested in their books now.

Thank you Montlake and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in return for an honest review.

I've been waiting a long time for this book. Jack and April finally have a chance at love, as long as they can get past a villain set on revenge. This story has lots of surprises for long time Susan Stoker fans. I think it's wonderful that the author acknowledges her readers' love of these characters and gifts us with a fantastic epilogue at the end of each series. I've read every book Susan writes and this one doesn't disappoint!

Tears of joy, people, tears of joy. Wow, this book really had me going. I don’t know if it was just me or did everyone experience the madness and tears that I experienced? Love seeing all of the guys together, working together and along with people from Susan’s other series, and one of my favorites, Tex. The story wrung me out and left me to dry. Such a beautiful read. Subtle but very effective. Susan, you deserve applause.

Great end for this series, I've read the all. Highly recommend. And this book has an amazon epilogue that ties it up for all of the characters. 5 strong stars!

As the rest of the guys find their happily ever after and settle down, JJ and April continue their slow burn avoidance of a relationship until April is involved in a car accident and loses her memory. Now all bets are off, and JJ is done with restraint and holding back.
April has lost a chunk of memory and doesn't recognize the guys and the gals that she's become like an older sister den mother too who show up in the hospital. The one thing she knows is that JJ makes her feel safe even as the presence of her ex-husband starts to become an irritant.  Once discharged from the hospital she's ensconced in JJ's apartment and begins to open her heart and accept a relationship with JJ. 
At the same time a young man who holds JJ responsible for the death of his brother with a completely warped sense of justice shows up in town ready to take his revenge on JJ and the guys and hurt them where it would hurt which would be the wives.  A series of small accidents plague the women, but they seem to lead a charmed life until they are all four kidnapped.
Now all bets are off. The guys call in every single favor owed to them and all the guys from the other series of Ms. Stoker's books in a cameo appearance to help them find the women and defeat the enemy. The action and adventure is enough to get your adrenaline going for a wonderful finale.  
Just a word of caution, this is one of those books where you should have read the earlier books in the series so that you can relate to the characters and the references to how each of their romances came to be.

Dam I can't believe the series is finished, what a perfect ending. The Lumberjack had great energy. An emotional rollercoaster filled with drama, action and laughter. My only gripe, it’s me and Ms Stoker can’t please everyone, I'm not a fan of the c**t word, so for me that was disappointing. Jack and April are perfect together they are each loyal, strong, determined but together unstoppable. The story builds slowly you know somethings coming and at about the half way mark the novel is an unputdownable suspension. I would suggest reading the first three books of the Game of Chance series where you do see their relationship building slowly and you get a better insight to the friendship and bond both the men and women have. Susan Stoker does an amazing job writing incredible novels. 4 stars

I would like to thank Montlake, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this complimentary copy for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#TheLumberjack #NetGalley #susanstoker

What a great conclusion to this series. April and Jack finally give in to their feelings and stop tiptoeing around each other. Plenty of action, strong characters and a sweet look into all of their futures in the epilogue.

Love gives you strength to overcome anything. In fact, that may well be the theme for this entire story which has been years in the making in more ways than one. For April and Jack, they have been on a collision course for love since book 1 and in this book, they finally took the plunge because they were better together. April, a little older than the other girls and guys in the books had become something of a de-facto older sister or den mom or guiding light for the team. Her strength, resilience and love shined throughout the entire book. She was even strong enough to admit she was afraid and to let herself be vulnerable. She is more than a match for Jack, the leader and in the end the favorite uncle to her being the favorite aunt.
The action starts a little slow. The first half of the book is about healing and learning to give love a chance with plenty of spice on the side. The action is very subtle in the beginning with a few accidents and a mysterious visitor but like the ladies, you had to know something was wrong to see that pattern. Speaking of the ladies, when they get taken the action rachets up at an 11 but even amid such fear and tension, the love shines.
Unfortunately, our villain uses love or some perverse definition of the word to justify the horror he subjects the team too. Susan did an amazing job of constructing a villain so vile, you really wanted to smack him while reading. He tried to weaponize the men’s love for their life partners to get his vengeance. This book was the conclusion of the entire series and while it was Jack and April’s love story, this book was about the whole team because it took every man and every woman to win the day. In fact, we got a drop in from a few of the other teams.
The ending was an amazing and spicy and family oriented conclusion for each of the couples. We also were reminded why the series name was about a game of chance. One game of chance, one choice set into motion the course of action that took us through 4 books, a lot of love and some wild action. The soldiers took and chance and were rewarded in spades or should I say in hearts.
Judging this book was a little tough for me because the first half of the book was a bit of a pure romance and that is not my style. The first half also felt a little like a let down after the wild beginning of the last book. Don’t let that prevent you from reading it. Like me, you will need to soldier through because the end is an amazing rollercoaster ride of terror and action and love with a terrific ending for all. BTW, I loved the pun of Jack’s lumber and Lumberjack, it was cute.
Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This book features compelling characters: Jack, a protective and possessive former soldier deeply in love with the older April, and April, whose memory slowly returns in a realistic manner. The story highlights Jack's vulnerability and insecurity, making his devotion to April endearing. Their journey to acknowledge and accept their feelings is sweetly portrayed, with a near tragedy cementing their mutual love. Stoker’s universe, with its strong bonds and realistic characters, adds depth, despite some stilted dialogue and repetitive proclamations about "our women" and "our men."

The next book in the series has April the receptionist of the lumber company being involved in an accident and Jack and the others coming in to help her. You also have the story of the two of them working at becoming a couple and covering their past issues all the while there is still something dangerous lurking about that none of them know about. This is an excellent book with a wonderful storyline and characters.

With thanks to Montlake and Netgalley for advanced copy.

Finally, JJ and April get their story – and what a story it is filled with dram and, suspense right from the start but also love and friendship. An unexpected threat to all the friends leads to help from some old friends. There is humour in the story as well and loved the epilogue . Brilliant series.

Game of Chance is the first of Susan Stoker’s series I’ve read, and I’d definitely pick up her books again in future. They’re hard to put down, with lots of tense moments, plenty of sugar sweetness, and some surprisingly hot scenes.

Having said that, as much as I enjoyed the first three books about this quartet of Special Force friends, The Lumberjack is probably my least favorite. Don’t get me wrong; it’s still fun to read, still sexy and suspenseful, but maybe just a smidge too cheesy, even for me.

I also have to note that there were a couple of inconsistencies throughout the series that, as someone who read all four books back to back, bothered me. In particular, the fact JJ is 39 in the prologue of The Protector *and* this book — in his own story — which is set 4+ years later. Hoping that’s simply an ARC mistake, but I don’t think it is.

Beyond that though, The Lumberjack is a solidly enjoyable read with good — if slightly unbelievable — suspense, a lovely ending that rewards those who’ve followed the series, and cameos that’ll no doubt thrill loyal readers and pique the interest of newbies like me.

100% worthy of a read, especially if you’ve picked up the others that came before it, just be prepared for the occasional super fluffiness.

The Lumberjack (Game of Chance #4) by Susan Stoker
Publisher: Montlake
Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Romance
Expected Publication Date: July 30, 2024

The Lumberjack is the 4th book in the Game of Chance series by Susan Stoker and I am here for it! I thought this book was absolutely amazing and I loved it!!!

This book grabbed me on page one and did not let go! I found the characters to be captivating and the story to be absolutely fascinating! This was so intense and had me so worried for the ladies.

With all of Susan Stoker's books, there was such intensity running throughout the story. I was on the edge of my seat through the whole book! AMAZING!

I highly recommend this book!!!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read the conclusion of this series early. Jack could be a good example of "if he could, he would" as he takes care of April after her car accident. One thing I love about Susan Stoker's books is how she always develops such strong female characters (to balance their strong male partners). I loved the addition of bringing in the men from the other series to help the guy find (and rescue) their women. For me, it brings all these series together. I have enjoyed this series from the beginning and am so sad to see their stories end, but then I remember, I can always read them over again. This is the perfect conclusion to the Game of Chance series and these characters!

Lumberjack gives the reader of Susan Stoker's series another hero to delve into. The quiet romance, the hidden longings bring romance and the story full circle. A great read

It all started with a game of chance… “The Lumberjack” is the highly anticipated final installment in this amazing series by Susan Stoker and I loved every moment of it.

April and JJ have been dancing around each other for years until an accident finally makes them realize that life is too short to not be with the person you love. I enjoyed how quickly they moved into the relationship phase because it has been such a long time coming. It also leaves room for the suspense element to be fully developed.

Someone has it out for the team and April’s accident is the first in a series of suspicious incidents. I won’t spoil the lead up, but things come to a head in an explosive ending that had my emotions all over the place. JJ and the guys need help and they call in ALL of their markers. The number of cameos from other series made my heart so happy.

And that epilogue… Susan Stoker does an amazing job of giving readers a glimpse into the future of all the characters at the end of every series and this one was no exception. I love the continuation of the HEA for every couple. There is also a scene with Baxter that brought everything full circle and made me tear up more than a little bit.

I am sad to see this series come to an end but I’m hopeful these characters will make appearances in future books. Susan Stoker is an auto buy author for me and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

I wasn’t a great fan of The Lumberjack although I have liked other books in this series.
I had difficulty with the comments about ‘our women’ and not wanting them to go anywhere to ‘keep them safe’ etc.
The main character is older than the other women in this series and there were comments about her being the ‘mother hen’
Other than that the story was okay.

Wow! This was my first Susan Stoker book and what have I been waiting for? I absolutely loved April and Jack’s story. Though part of the Game of a chance series this book can be read as a standalone. And after meeting all the other characters through this story those have rocketed to the top of my TBR pile.

April has an accident that wipes her memories from the last five years including her feelings for one of the owners of Jack’s Lumber, Jack “JJ” Justice. If you were to look up the word intense or protective in the dictionary JJ’s photo would be there. He is the alpha male in the best ways possible, overprotective of those in his life, yes! Will kill anyone that dares to touch his woman, yes! Will go to the ends of the earth to protect those he loves, including his friends and their wives and children, yes!

This is a story of second chances, taking risks and not waiting until it’s too late to do something about it.

You will not regret the time you spend in Maine with this crew as you watch April and JJ figure out that life is better when you are with your people.