Review by Jen B.
TITLE: Up in Smoke
SERIES: Hotshots #4
AUTHOR: Annabeth Albert
PUBLISHER: Carina Press
LENGTH: 277 Pages
RELEASE DATE: April 27, 2021
BLURB:
“A poignant, sexy and satisfying romance featuring likeable, complex characters whose intense emotional connection leaps off the page.” —All About Romance on Feel the Fire
Three Men and a Baby meets Backdraft with explosive chemistry and heartfelt feels.
Freewheeling smoke jumper Brandt Wilder thrives on adrenaline. He’s never met a parachute he can’t repair or a dangerous situation he couldn’t wrangle his way out of. He’s popular and fun-loving and not at all looking to settle down or form lasting relationships. It’s a lifestyle that’s served him well…right up until the day he finds a baby on his doorstep.
Shane Travis is used to putting his country music career—and his own happiness—on hold after his sister rolls through his life. Like last spring when she convinced him to try skydiving for his birthday—and she walked away with the hot parachute instructor.
Now he gets to deliver the piece of news that will upend Brandt’s carefree life: he very well might be a dad.
Shane’s niece is safe in Brandt’s strong, capable hands, but too many questions remain unanswered. Co-parenting while they sort it out leads to late-night talks, and soul-bearing confessions lead to a most inconvenient attraction. Still, Shane can’t leave this makeshift family behind—even if it means playing house with the one man he can’t resist.
REVIEW:
I’ve been enjoying this series so far, but boy, do I need to look a little closer before grabbing some of these. Disclaimer. I’m not a fan of children in my stories on a good day, and lately, I’ve had 3 or 4 of them. Don’t get me wrong, there are times where this doesn’t bother me much at all, such as when the kids are acting their age, don’t already have a ton of what feel like forced issues, or they aren’t the main focus of the story. Here, while there is quite a bit of baby talk, Ms. Albert does a good job of balancing it out.
That aside, Shane and Brant’s story is low drama, low angst and lacking the communication issues many couples seem to have these days. These guys have a lot of chemistry, and it is a main factor of their relationship. Throw in some first-time exploration, and you’ve got a winner. As I said, there is little drama with these two as they work on scheduling and making things work. There is a lovely epilogue to finish things off.
These stories all take place around the smoke-jumper firefighting scene/theme. While there are some cameos, each story can easily be read on its own. It’s an interesting storyline that’s refreshingly different, and Ms. Albert is a well-seasoned author you can rely on producing a satisfying story.
RATING:
BUY LINKS: