Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Transition
SERIES: Oakley’s Crew (Book 3)
AUTHOR: Nicole Dykes
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 189 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 27, 2026
BLURB:
Gabe
My favorite principle in landscaping is transition. In life? Not so much.
I can’t stand change when it comes to my life. I was married to the same woman since I was in my early twenties and now I’m just supposed to move on from being married to being single. Sharing custody of our daughter.
Transition works for landscaping. It’s the easiest thing for me. Making sure there’s a natural flow in everything we do.
But that works because it’s gradual.
This feels so abrupt, it’s jarring.I don’t know how to make this change.
I’m not sure that I want to.
Dakota
I like my routine. I love being in my house, working from home and I realize that most think I’m weird.I couldn’t really care less what other people think.
But when I hire Oakley’s Crew to build a new greenhouse, I feel things starting to shift. Like it’s possible that maybe the way I’ve been living my life for the last three years isn’t as satisfying as I’d like to think.
Maybe it is time for a change.
Maybe it will be worth it for…him.
REVIEW:
I can’t even imagine a reality that was so abusive and unfair as the teenage years that Dakota suffered through. To the point that it drove him to being such a recuse that he was building a greenhouse to grow his own fruits and vegetables so he didn’t have to go shop for them. To be so afraid that he could only allow one man to come construct that greenhouse. The sheer terror of going into a town where one of your severe tormentors is now a police officer. How do you ever recover from such heinous crimes committed against you and no one cared enough to stop it. It just kills me that no one ever looked out for that scared and tortured young teenager.
I was thankful that it was the hurting Gabe that Travis and Oakley chose to go on the single-man mission. Gabe was still reeling from Shelly’s bomb-shell announcement. It was hard enough to stomach living away from his family. Her marrying Randy was a hard blow. And having his precious Princess only halftime was always hard. But a new baby!!! It was all really real and his life as he knew it was gone forever. So going out and working his gentle magical touch to make Dakota a tiny bit less fearful was a true blessing.
Watching Gabe transition was a treat. We know that change is hard for the sweet man. But watching him discover who he really is and what he needs was special. And who better to traverse this new journey with than Dakota. But it was Gabe’s understanding of what Dakota needed and forming his dates around those special needs that stole my heart for good. He wanted Dakota to always feel safe and loved.
I loved that the entire Oakley crew were furious about what Dakota had lived through and understood now why he is how he is and accepts that. But hell will rain down if they ever figure out and meet up with his torturers. Because they will deserve everything they get!
This is such a good series. We watched Oakley grow into the man he has become and the team he has built with his loving husband Travis. They are no longer boys playing high school football back in Kensley. They are men who know who they are, whom they love and fiercely protect those that are dear to them. This was a very special book that shone those ideals spectacularly.
RATING: 
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