Reviewed by Jen
TITLE: Fly
SERIES: Railers Legacy
AUTHORS: R.J. Scott and V.L. Locey
PUBLISHER: Love Lane Books, LLC
LENGTH: 214 pages
RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2026
BLURB:
A legacy he never chose. A love he never expected.
Jari Lankinen never asked to inherit his father’s sins, but the name alone is enough to poison every room he walks into. The Railers haven’t forgotten the brutal hit Aarni Lankinen delivered to Tennant Rowe, and they sure as hell don’t want his son wearing their jersey. Jari is a gifted forward with the skill to change games, but his last name makes him a target before he even skates his first shift. Earning respect means pushing through hostility and suspicion, fighting every day to prove he isn’t his father. To the fans, he’s the son of a villain. To his teammates, he’s a reminder of the past. To himself, he’s a man trapped in a shadow he can’t escape.
A steady force in the high-pressure world of professional baseball, Cameron Blackburn has built his career on focus, discipline, and staying level-headed when others lose theirs. He isn’t flashy, but he’s respected, trusted, and known for bringing balance to every team he’s played on. When their paths cross at a shared training facility, Cam is drawn to Jari’s restless energy—the fight in every move, the loneliness in his silence, the way he carries his past like armor. Where others feel only wariness at Jari’s name, Cam sees someone worth knowing, worth trusting, worth holding onto. And while opening his heart to Jari may test the limits of his own control, Cam has never been afraid to stand firm when the storm comes.
Fly is a legacy, redemption, and opposites-attract romance set against the backdrop of professional sport. Featuring a hockey forward fighting to escape his father’s shadow, a disciplined baseball player who refuses to be shaken, the clash of storm and calm, and a love that proves sometimes the biggest risks are the ones worth taking.
REVIEW:
Jari’s story has been brewing for a long time now. The hatred for the actions of his father have affected the entire Railers community, and unfortunately, Jari has been paying the price ever since. Not only has that hatred transferred to Jari through the fans and even other players, but his career has suffered through his playing and being traded numerous times. He has generally walled himself off to insulate against the boos and poor treatment, all while having to deal with his father who basically mistreats him and blackmails him with taking care of his sick mother in Finland. There are hints his abuse was also physical, but this is never really addressed beyond the mention of scars. The Harrisburg Railers are the winners of his most recent trade which presents a unique opportunity at a second lease on life.
Cam is the pitcher for Harrisburg’s baseball team. He is a bit further along in his career and life, although he has a few issues of his own, mainly his need to take care of and help people, whether they ask for it or not. He immediately sees something in Jari and in his desire to become friends, the two hit it off and become friends with special benefits.
Much of this story is about Jari learning to trust the other shoe isn’t about to drop and to accept the forgiveness and acceptance of those he shouldn’t have even needed that through, had he not been Aarni Lankinen’s son. Everything that Jari is dealing with has a direct impact on his playing, so add that onto the list of issues. Thankfully, it doesn’t take long for him to start gelling with his linemates and his play to improve which, in turn, helps comfort the teammates and fans so they ease up on the hostility.
I love this story and especially seeing the rest of the guys now at various stages of their careers and lives. Legacy Railers is generally about the “children” of players from the original series, so it is definitely helpful, especially given this story, to know all the back story is important to fully enjoy what is going on in this one. The story moves along at a fairly steady pace until the last 20% where things wrap up rather quickly, almost too much so. It felt as though the issues surrounding Jari’s mother and father could have been a little more detailed in the end, and some aspects didn’t really get addressed, such as the PI Cam hired, which was big enough to send him to his therapist but never became an issue on any level after that.
That said, this book, and all the previous ones, are extremely enjoyable with a wonderful hockey community and many fabulous characters to fall in love with. I’m rather sad to see it end, although it seems there will be another shoot-off in the near future. You can never go wrong with this author pairing, and I wouldn’t hesitate to grab anything from either of them at this point.
RATING: 
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