Le Bûcheron

Game of Chance #4

by Susan Stoker, Valentin Translation (translator)

C’est lors d’une terrible expérience en tant que prisonniers de guerre que Jackson Justice, surnommé JJ, et ses coéquipiers ont décidé de changer de vie. Des années plus tard, ils sont installés dans une petite ville du Maine où ils gagnent leur vie dans le commerce du bois. Depuis leur arrivée, JJ craque pour April, la femme à laquelle ils doivent en grande partie l’essor de leur business, mais les doutes le retiennent de tenter sa chance auprès de la secrétaire si sexy.

April Hoffman adore son métier… et son patron. Elle ignore les sentiments de JJ à son égard, mais de son côté, elle sait pertinemment pourquoi elle ne lui avoue pas sa flamme. Non seulement son passé amoureux l’a refroidie vis-à-vis des hommes, mais elle a aussi plusieurs années de plus que JJ. Pourquoi un homme si séduisant se mettrait-il en couple avec une femme plus toute jeune ?

Après un accident de la route qui l’épargne de justesse, April se retrouve temporairement amnésique. Tous deux comprennent alors ce qu’ils ont failli perdre. Les vannes sont ouvertes, les sentiments mis au jour… mais c’est peut-être trop peu, et surtout trop tard.

Un ennemi du passé de JJ refait surface, mettant non seulement son bonheur en danger, mais aussi la vie de ses proches… à commencer par April.

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Romance, Audiobook, Suspense, Military Fiction, Contemporary, Military Romance

398 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2024

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New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Susan Stoker has a heart as big as the state of Tennessee where she lives, but this all American girl has also spent the last fourteen years living in Missouri, California, Colorado, Indiana, and Tennessee. She's married to a retired Army man who now gets to follow her around the country.

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Reviews

[Kait · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Mindy Lou's Book Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

The long awaited story of April and Jackson. I loved that Jackson was the most intense out of all the men. It's my favorite trait in a hero. I also just realized that Jackson and April were the leaders of their friendship groups. It seemed fitting they were paired together. The epilogue for all couples at the end was also very satisfying. Great series!

[Erin Snider · Rating 1 out of 5]

Y'all. I don't know why I keep reading Susan Stoker books. I always forget how much I dislike them until I'm reading the next one. The internalized misogyny. Good grief.

[Ꮗ€♫◗☿ ❤️ ilikebooksbest.com ❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lumberjack, Leader, Lifesaver



The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💚💜💙❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏🌍
Character development: 😋🙂🤨🤣🥰
Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration type: Dual Narration

🛡️ Audiobook Review: The (Game of Chance, #4)

Author: Susan Stoker
Genre: Military Romance
Narrators: Mackenzie Cartwright and Teddy Hamilton.

🦸🏻‍♂️ The Hero: Jackson “J.J.” Justice

J.J. Justice, former Delta Force team leader, has spent the last three years trying to outrun the ghosts of a mission gone wrong. He and his three closest brothers‑in‑arms traded combat boots for work boots, landing in a tiny forest town in Maine after a fateful round of rock‑paper‑scissors. Another round determined their new profession—lumberjacks and forest guides—and naming the business Jack’s Lumber in J.J.’s honor felt like the perfect tribute.

Even out of uniform, J.J. remains the natural leader: steady, protective, and quietly carrying more weight than he lets on. What he doesn’t handle nearly as well is the woman he’s been in love with for years… and the fear that he’s already missed his chance.

🦸🏼‍♀️ The Heroine: April Hoffman

April Hoffman, the office manager at Jack’s Lumber, has rebuilt her life in Maine after a marriage defined by emotional neglect. She’s found purpose, friendship, and a sense of belonging she never had before. But working every day beside J.J.—the man she’s been falling for in slow, painful increments—has become its own kind of heartbreak. She’s terrified that confessing her feelings could cost her everything: her job, her stability, and the friendship she treasures.

So she keeps her love quiet… until fate forces everything into the open.

🔥 Plot Dynamics

After a late night at the office, April swerves to avoid a moose and crashes down a steep embankment. She’s trapped, injured, and alone—while the driver behind her, who witnessed the accident, simply drives away. By the time help arrives, she’s unconscious.

J.J., who had finally worked up the courage to tell her how he feels, gets the call that she’s been airlifted to Bangor. The shock strips away every excuse he’s ever made. He’s done waiting. He’s done hiding.

But when April wakes, she has no memory of the last five years. No Maine. No Jack’s Lumber. No J.J.

And just as J.J. decides to fight for her, a figure from the men’s military past resurfaces—bringing danger straight to their doorstep and threatening the women they love.

🌟 Strengths

• The slow‑burn tension between J.J. and April has been building for three books, and watching it finally combust is deeply satisfying.
• April’s ex‑husband reentering the picture adds just the right amount of emotional friction—especially for J.J., who waited far too long.
• The threat from the men’s past injects suspense and ties the series together with a sharp, adrenaline‑laced thread.

💔 Limitations

• The middle section loses a bit of momentum, but the lull is brief. Once the suspense kicks in, the story tightens and delivers a gripping final stretch.

🎙 Audiobook Narration

The dual narration by Mackenzie Cartwright and Teddy Hamilton elevates the entire experience. Teddy’s deep, gravelly delivery captures J.J.’s quiet strength and emotional restraint, while Mackenzie’s warm, natural tone makes April instantly sympathetic. Both narrators bring nuance, chemistry, and authenticity to their performances, making the emotional beats land even harder.

💭 Final Thoughts

This installment delivers a rewarding payoff for readers who’ve been invested in J.J. and April’s slow‑burn connection from the beginning. The amnesia twist adds fresh emotional stakes without feeling contrived, and the blend of romance, danger, and character growth keeps the story engaging even when the pacing dips. With strong narration and a satisfying emotional arc, this audiobook stands out as one of the more heartfelt and suspense‑tinged entries in the series. It’s a must‑listen for fans who love rugged heroes, resilient heroines, and romances forged through both tenderness and turmoil.

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[Amanda Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Eilidhs World · Rating 3 out of 5]

Star ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ / ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️ 🌶️/🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

This was my first Susan Stoker read, the story is based on April and Jack. I am all for amnesia tropes and I fell in love with April. April is a strong minded woman, along with Jack who is very head strong. The beginning of the story it was grabbing my attention, it was a great storyline, however, I felt the book lacked in the romance department, therefore, I rate this book 3/5 stars

[Bjørn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like romance novels, because a ‘romance novel’ can be so many things. Helen Hoang’s trilogy that’s a sensory delight with often heartbreaking plot, incredibly complex and real autistic heroines – romances. The old Harlequin pulp pocketbooks – romances. Lord of the Rings – well, not officially, but Frodo and Sam seem to follow the romance beats quite well, except for that bit where they don’t even kiss (but one carries the other). And there is so much in between. I love so much of it. I love Judith Krantz’s pomp and circumstance, I notice, but don’t complain about the billionaire ripped guys and virgins half their age giving up their inconsequential jobs – a friend of mine has written a thesis on the success and structure of Harlequin novels, and while all of them are similar, some are really good at it. I also tried to write romance and I failed, because it’s the most difficult genre. Hoang’s The Kiss Quotient was my book of the year because of how structured romance actually is, how strict its rules are, and how much she managed to do within those confines. I only know it’s a romance novel because I have read so many (and tried so hard) that I can recognise the bits and the tropes. But that’s the point of the genre. It has to be unpredictably predictable. The things that are supposed to happen have to come from a not-that-long list, which combines into a finite number of possibilities, and they have to surprise the reader without over surprising the reader. Romance writing is an art and I will die on this hill, while trying to get it semi-right myself just once.

Susan Stoker resolved those problems in a new, unexpected way: The Lumberjack is not a romance. So, that’s the first thing I had wrong about it when I requested it on NetGalley. In my defence, look at the cover. And the fact the book is listed in the romance genre. Reader, this book is not a romance. If you don’t mind that, and Stoker is a NYT bestseller so you probably don’t, you’re up for something that is either an accidental or conscious self-satire with Hawt Sex. (No, that’s not the male MC’s, his name is Jackson Justice.) Also, it paradoxically provides me a weapon in my eternal battle against the idea that ‘women’s fiction’ is a genre, while ‘men’s fiction’ is just called fiction. This is a women’s thriller with sex and controlling men going bonkers when out of control.

We meet April, our heroine, when not just we, but also April has to learn about herself, because she had an accident. When she hit her head, she lost memories specifically from the last five years, but not the years before. She is forbidden from trying to remember anything, because that can worsen the brain swelling. I am completely convinced this is a legit medical condition. Jackson Justice, or JJ for short, is – as I mentioned – the male MC, not a tribute album to Michael Jackson. He’s hot. I mean, he’s a lumberjack. AND an ex-super-duper-elite-soldier. (I kinda confuse the Deltas and the SWATs and the Marines, not the author’s fault and not sarcasm, I just can’t remember.) It has apparently been April’s ~*hilarious*~ idea to name the lumberjack shop Jack’s Lumber, which brought a lot of business. However, the nature of the business is quite… vague. In the book called The Lumberjack I received absolutely no actual lumberjacking, and (for research purposes) I hoped for lots of close-ups of sweaty, burly, muscular men chopping and chainsawing in the metaphorical sense before progressing to the literal sense. The sense of the author having actively avoided research extended past the fact that the entire knowledge of chain saws the collective employers of Lumber’s Jack display is that chain saws need oil. The sentence “he watched as she efficiently did what she needed to do in order to secure the computer and the files she’d been working on” (…logged out?) made me wonder what machinery the author used to write the book, and “

Normally this would be a compliment: the men in the book (except the Baddie – who’s coming!) believe in equal treatment of both genders, there is no sexism, and the butts compared to each other are the men’s. EXCEPT April and her workmates keep being referred to either as ‘our woman’ when there’s only one, or ‘our women’, or, once the Baddie enters the scene (that in itself was quite a plot twist – I thought I was reading a romance?!) and JJ + Chappy + Cal + Bob (the Jack’s Lumber bros) are joined by, I think, 16 more SEALs, Deltas, Special Forces, assassins, and a whole selection of other men whose camaraderie (not my word) spared Jackson Justice from being intimidated by so much testosterone (also not my word), who then proceed to refer to the women as ‘your women’ in preparation to save them from the baddie. (Out of the 16 testos, one actually gets to do something.)

THE BADDIE IS NOT AMERICAN. You must know that. The author will hammer (accidental pun, but it stays) home many, many times. Ryan is NOT AN AMERICAN no matter how good his English sounds. He is the brother of a man who tortured JJ, 2Cs, and B (there are surprisingly gruesome flashbacks) and wants revenge. With great fascination, I watched the Computer Whiz get to this conclusion from the fact that the Baddie, who is VERY BAD, introduced himself as Ryan Jackson, has been identified as twenty years old, and has a porn channel subscription. This, together with the fact that Ryan captures four (our) women, three of them very pregnant, hits them, and throws around phrases like “shooting the fetus first” (the Whiz doesn’t know that last one) helps the Whiz deduct he is a male family member of one of the many killed foreign tormentors of the good American men who now lumber while jack. (To give Justice justice, as April notices, he is not perfectly ripped from all that off-page lumberjacking, there is a ‘small pouch’ that surprises her.) ANYWAY. RYAN IS NOT AMERICAN. Write that down somewhere and look at every time he hits one of the women (mostly, but not exclusively, April) or says things like *insert incredibly clichéd horrible things a Baddie would say to pregnant women*.

I haven’t read the first three books (this is the #4 in Game of Chance series) but it works as a standalone, since over the 253 pages at least 15 are devoted to flashbacks, largely consisting of how brave Our Women were while the men were rescuing them from the sort of situations women belonging to Deltas and NAVYs tend to find themselves. Such as hiding in an underground bunker during an avalanche.

The fatphobia in the book is of the “look at me not being there” sort. The epilogue graced me with “His wife had gained some weight over the years, but that just meant there was more of her to love. And Chappy loved every inch. It didn’t matter what the scale said when she stepped on it. She was the best wife, mother, and a friend he could ever ask for.” (This gives away both the top three ways in which Chappy sees his ever-growing woman and spares him from having to call her a ‘person’ with a ‘personality’. Also, isn’t Chappy the best for loving her no matter what the scale said? I think Chappy deserves a round of applause.) April’s insecurities are written in a similar way. It doesn’t feel like she’s battling insecurities and JJ helps her feel better, but April displays them, i.e. there is a light on, and together with his small surprise pouch (the other pouch is unsuprisingly of the large variety) JJ doesn’t comment unpleasantly. This is the ‘despite’ sort of body positivity. To my surprise, Bob openly ‘grumbles’ (NOT MY WORD) about “why couldn’t we have had a boy first?” – and “they’d had many conversations like this.” (Bob’s epilogue in its entirety freaks me out a bit.) (OMG THAT ONE DETAIL I COULD HAVE LIVED WITHOUT. THE BIGGEST ONE.)

(THE BADDIE IS NOT AMERICAN FYI.)

I could go on for a while. Not because I feel deceived, although I do too, or because the author wrote a conversation that uses, in order: ‘swore’, ‘exclaimed’, ‘said in a vicious tone’, ‘didn’t say a word’, ‘continued to swear’, ‘ordered firmly’, ‘barked’, ‘ranted’, ‘muttered’ and, finally, ‘told’ – and what he told was “strap on your boots, Deltas – we have work to do.” Or because you can learn about lumberjack work from YouTube over the course of two minutes if you speed the video up and use subtitles. But mostly, I am proud of myself for finishing it [because NetGalley keeps stats – Ed.] even when seriously graphic (NON AMERICAN) violence towards a gaggle of heavily pregnant Our Women not just started, but continued. With the first 20% and the interesting injury that causes brains to potentially explode from thinking about missing memories and Jackson Justice being a lumberjack, I set my expectations… to average, possibly funny. I think this is a book for American women who are afraid of foreigners, secretly hate their bodies for being fat (but Chappy will love every inch), are insecure about sex because they’re pregnant (Bob will give you the BIGGEST detail) or Too Old and Too Having Things Removed to be (JJ won’t mind), and… uh… this bit defeats me. Want to get roughed and then saved by many, many Special Delta SEALs who have names and nothing else? (My guess is that they’re characters from Stoker’s previous novels? So many questions???)

Well, let’s focus on the positives. The word lumberjack in itself sounds cool. April is cool. The guys have good butts (not pictured). I liked the cover. The grammar was correct and I haven’t noticed any typos. *sound of barrel bottoms being scraped* Oh! Wait! I just found out how to become a NYT bestselling author!

[Allison Thommen · Rating 5 out of 5]

April and JJ are a perfect end to this series. The epilogue is a glance into everyone’s lives 10 years down the line and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. It can be a standalone but knowing the other couples adds so much to this story. After a bad car accident causes April to lose her memories of the last 5 years, JJ is certain that he won’t waste another moment with the woman he’s been pining over for years. JJ cares for her as she recovers and they begin dating along her road to a full recovery. But a threat from his past threatens the future for everyone.

[KDRBCK · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lumberjack by S. Stoker is book 4 and the final book in the Game Of Chance Series. 4soldiers, 4 women and this are their stories.
April and JJ's story already started in book 3, The Hero. I recommend to read the books in order. There are cross overs.
So April was injured and suffered from amnesia. Her last 5 years, just gone. JJ is her employer, but karma showed them time isn't endless. They start dating ahem, lets call it dating. But the showdown is already in the works. Sorry not sorry no spoilers here.
A fitting finale with well deserved heas for all couples, an entertaining well written story, unputdownable, suspenseful.

[Booksandmeforevermore13 · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received ARC for honest review

JJ was the perfect story to end this series. There was always something brewing between JJ and April and I’m glad that we finally got to see the story unfold. While I usually don’t really like amnesiac stories, I did enjoy this one. With no memories or recollection of what has happened to her during the accident, April has to rebuild the friendship she had with everyone as if they are meeting for the first time. This prompts JJ to finally admit what he feels for April and takes matters into his own hands. Even though he may have been a fierce Special Force, with April, you never would have thought so. His gentleness with her is adorable and no one can turn this soldier into a giant teddy bear but April. But while they try to figure out this thing between them, danger is always lurking on the side. In this last installment for this series, we get to see all characters, JJ, Chappy, Cal, and Bob in action and it is wild. We also get to see the unbreakable bond that the four leadings ladies have with each other and it is honestly just a really great found family. They all have their different strengths and are always quick to help one another without question. It was nice to finally see April be a part of that group and seeing her allow herself that happiness. This novel was packed with so many things – found family, brotherhood, overprotective alphas, and overall, just a great bunch of people that take care of their own. If you have read her previous novels, you’ll see that there are often cameos of characters from her other series and that is one thing that I loved seeing here in this novel. If you love military romance, Susan Stoker is it for you. Her backlist goes on and on and is filled with the wonders that is military romance.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
I enjoyed this series and liked the last book. The girls were fabulous and held on until they were rescued. I enjoyed the last half of the book which had a bit more suspense and action then the first half

[Taylor Jefferson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this series is a 3.5.

This follows JJ and April. JJ is part owner of Jacks’s Lumber and April has been the assistant there for the last 5 years. Both have pined for each other but never made a move. When April is involved in a car accident JJ realizes he could have lost her, and he won’t waste any more time staying away.

This is my 4th Susan Stoker novel and they all seem to follow a fairly similar formula. The main characters fall hard and fast for each other. Confessions of love and marriage happen early and any issues between them are usually resolved quickly. There is always an element of danger and suspense. The men are overprotective but don’t bulldoze. While some might find the predictably boring I like knowing what I am getting with certain authors. It’s comforting.

We had seen JJ and April tip toe around each other for the first 3 books so I was happy we got right into it with this one. JJ is not messing around. He wasted too much time and won’t let April slip away. He is honest and up front about his feelings right away. April had reservations in the earlier books, she is older than him and he is her boss but she doesn’t make JJ sweat. She is just as eager to be with him. I loved seeing how competent April was when shit hit the fan. I won’t spoil it but if it wasn’t for her, things would have gone very badly for the other ladies. She wasn’t trying to be tough or a badass. Just did what she had to do to save herself and the people she cares about.

I almost don’t even want to write this in the review because it grossed me out, BUT I HAVE TO TELL SOMEONE!!! In all 4 books in this series during the spicy scenes the author used the phrase “their pubic hair meshed together.” NO! STOP! MY EYES!!! Why would you put this imagery in my head?!?

That aside, I don’t see any books by this author making my top 10 lists but I do see myself reading more.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, given to me by Montlake via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Two people who have been (not so) secretly longing for each other finally realize the intensity and depth of their connection when a potential fatal event happens, in the “The Lumberjack”, by Susan Stoker.
Jack and April are great characters; the super protective and possessive hero who is so certain of his unending love for the older heroine is surely a magnet. Add pragmatic, respectful, thoughtful and tender dimensions to the former soldier personality and who could resist?
Besides, it’s always cool having a hero pinning so deeply for the heroine and showing vulnerability and insecurity when he’s not yet sure of her feelings. JJ’s devotion is total.
I liked the process of April’s memory returning; it seemed realistic and well written.
Watching the leads coming to terms with their mutual feelings, and admitting they’d been trying to avoid and ignore them, was sweet, too.
I also appreciated the before and after with JJ and April and how the indecision becomes certainty when a near tragedy occurs. The fact there was a strong mutual feeling before and neither acted on it was interesting, too.
Stoker’s universe of deep fraternal bonds, fiercely loyal friendships and romantic relationships is attractive.
I liked how the average woman is attractive and how the heroine has a range of attributes and skills that go beyond the usual external beauty.
Some dialogue seemed stilted and they sometimes talked as fictional characters (calling the others who came to help “badass men”…), or maintained puerile conversations during high danger situations.
The proclamations about “our women” and “our men” seemed repetitive, and the same with the dialogue about feelings and emotions.

[Lyndsay Durbin · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

Thanks to the Author and NetGalley for the Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review!

The Lumberjack is the fourth and final book in Susan Stoker's Game of Chance series. The Lumberjack focuses on Jackson Justice (JJ), the Jack's Lumber business leader, and the longtime office manager, April. We finished book 3 (The Hero), on a car crash involving April and a moose and maybe someone else? We kick this story off with April having some memory issues and not remembering the past 5 years but Jackson has been shaken by the events and has decided to stop hiding his feelings from April.

This book was spectacular! It was such a good conclusion to the series and brought in a number of side characters from Stoker's other series (specifically mentioning other characters published by Montlake and therefore also on KU)!

Because the plot to this book's suspense was a little more complex, it has to have more page time and doesn't exactly match up with a lot of Stoker's other series conclusions but I really enjoyed it. There's a lot more action here and a bit more of a casual day-to-day view of April and JJ's relationship growth. We've seen a lot of the pining in the previous books so we don't need a ton of lead-up compared to the other books which definitely felt a bit more insta-love.

[Whispers From · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 **

[JP · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing

I was looking forward to JJ’s book most of all. Unfortunately, the author turned her most alpha of characters into an overdone simp. It was cringey and I could no longer see him as the character she’d portrayed in the previous books. And he DEFINITELY wouldn’t say (paraphrased) “I’ll be the ooiest, gooiest man for you.”

Also, how many times do these two characters need to have the exact same conversation about being together…only to doubt, rinse, and repeat. The book could have been 100 pages shorter.

And then these previously “strong and capable” women turned into complete victims, allowing themselves to be put in the worst possible situation, which I get was a plot device, but still…

This book was one long, painful equivalent of shouting at the TV, telling the woman in the horror movie not to go into the basement alone to check on the weird noises.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

After an accident, April is put in the position where she is relying on those in her life she doesn’t fully remember.

Jack’s life has been plagued by loss and hardship. April moved to Newtown in the hopes of starting a new life after being in an unfulfilling marriage. Forced proximity stirs up feelings between April and Jack, both afraid of making a move at the risk of losing the other. With April and Jack constantly denying their attraction and feelings for each other makes their tension even stronger and more satisfying.

After Jack almost loses April (what he fears most), he shows how much he can’t live without her and gives her the attention and affection she deserves.

“Not seeing you every day would slowly kill me.”

I’m an absolute sucker for a protective mmc, and Jack is so caring and so obsessed with April, it makes me giddy.

“I’d do anything to make the woman I loved happy.”

Seeing Jack and April slowly develop their relationship was sweet, and Jack was so respectful of April and her memories returning. The suspense was great, making eager to read more! I liked that April was older than Jack, it’s definitely not something we see often, but Susan wrote this age gap brilliantly!

[Shelley C · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lumberjack🤩

Finally, JJ gets his head out of the sand when April is involved in a car accident and temporarily loses her memories of the last five years. JJ cares for April during her recovery but won’t make any advances until she has regained all her memories, convinced she won’t want to be with him when
she does🥹

April feels safe with JJ even though he’s a stranger to her, upon her waking up after the accident. Though after finally leaving the hospital, her and JJ embark on a new journey together but unfortunately, an enemy with plans of revenge is closer than any of them thought and when all four women disappear, the men rally the troops to get them back…which is more daunting and hopeless than originally thought when they have literally no clues😭

Loved meeting up with some old favourites and the suspense and anguish the men were going through not knowing what was happening to their women but knowing what it’s like to be a prisoner😳 Suffice to say I enjoyed this ending to the series, and that epilogue was magical❣️I received an advanced copy via Netgalley and willingly leave my honest review❤️

[Avid Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lumberjack (Game of Chance, #4) by Susan Stoker
4 stars
M/F Romance
Triggers: POW and stalking
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.

This was a story that I was looking forward to. The Lumberjack is actually JJ, a former military POW turned business man with a couple of his friends. When April is in an accident, JJ stops at nothing to get to her and when he realizes that he’s been biding his time for nothing, JJ will pull out all of the stops to show April that he not only needs her, but wants her and loves her too.

April loves her job. After leaving a less than stellar marriage, she’s trying to start over. She finds herself at JJ’s business and now she’s indispensable. When she drives off the road, she loses her memory. Her friends all band together to help her through this trial, but when her husband comes back and states that they made a mistake, will April feel the same way?

JJ and April have a family surrounding them and cheering them on. Both will need to take a leap of faith to figure out what’s going on around them or who is trying to harm their friends.

This is a sweet love story about friends who must face their attraction or risk losing everything dear to them. I really enjoyed this story.

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second chances, terrible life experiences and the best Epilogue I've ever read. This series has been perfect. Adventures, mysteries, friends, life! Four tough ex-captive military men met four women that would become part of their lives with homes, kids and a lumber company that kept them busy and happy. Amazing writing about JJ finally accepting the fact that April was the love of his life, and he needed to step up and make the "I love you" statement. There are intense sensual scenes so recommended for adults. How four very different men from royalty to swinging an axe could live in the same community, read each other's minds, love very different women but, become lifelong friends is amazing. Horrific POW experiences to having families with kids, homes and responsibilities, is the heart of this Game of Chance series and I loved it!

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the beginning of this, the romance between Jack and April. But then the entire rest of the book after like 50%, they were separated because April and the other girls were kidnapped. I’m just not an action/suspense girlie so that really bummed me out because the rest of the book wasn’t romance at all. And the epilogue bummed me out because it had a pov from each couple in the series (and didn’t either didn’t read the whole series I couldn’t care less about them) and their section of epilogue focused on the couple it was about, while jj and aprils wasn’t focused on them like it was the other couples

[Kristen Mickins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to net galley for an ARC of The Lumberjack by Susan Stoker. I have been looking forward about April and JJ! April was in a car accident that caused her temporary amnesia. JJ was so distraught that April could've died, he decides that its time they acknowledge their feelings. Without giving too much away, I loved the closure of this story and how Susan tied all of the guys and their women, together. The Lumberjack was a captivating read with suspense, mystery, a touch of thriller, romance, adventure, and comedy.

[Phuong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a wonderful way to end the Game of Chance series! Loved JJ and April together, the friendships and the suspense had me at the edge of my seat. Bonus was some of the guys from Susan Stoker’s other series made cameo appearances. Loved this one and my favorite in this series.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan Stoker never disappoints me... This book is all I wanted and then more. Stoker making it happen to get all of my favorites at page at the same time worked is such a great way. April and JJ's story was intriguing and kept me engaged the whole time.

[Alaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book! I’ve been waiting for JJ and April’s story since the first book. It was fitting that their story was the final one, and I liked the glimpses of their pining throughout the prior books making the set up even better.

The MMC JJ was great. We’ve seen him as gruff and take charge in previous books. I loved seeing another side to him. It was so sweet to see how patient, loving, and respectful he was with April during her recovery. He was also so protective and intense which is true to his character.

I also loved seeing how both JJ and April are the leaders of the men and women in their friend group. The others all look to them for comfort and guidance when they don’t know what to do. Also, April really took charge during that crazy situation. She kept her calm and kept the others calm as well and was super smart in how she handled everything.

It was awesome to see the military side of the guys in action and JJ leading his team. I also really liked the team up with the characters from other series. I’m now super interested to read the ones I haven’t read after seeing them all work together.

Finally, I loved we got a final epilogue of all the couples. It was great to see how they were all doing in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Pili · Rating 1 out of 5]

por dios qué malísimo

[Judy Churchill · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I need a break from heavy topics, Susan Stoker is one of my ‘go to’ authors.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the last of the 4 men who were held priswith oner while they were in the service that found his HEA. Jack or JJ knew April as she ran their office with precision. She made sure everything was up to date and got them to their appointments. She swerves to miss a moose and looses her memory. Her ex-husband shows up and tries to convince her that they are still married but she remembers that much, just can't remember the last 5 years. Jack and April were very attracted to each other but for many reasons didn't act on it. While she was in the hospital, Jack made her feel safe and calm. The other 3 men and their women came to visit, but she had no memory of them. What they didn't know is that a man with a grudge was determined to harm all the women to make them suffer and then kill them.
The story was full of drama with some romance finally. Tex even got into the mix along with men we have read about in other series. It was a very good story full of suspense. I loved the epilogue 10 years later that gave us a glimpse of how everyone is doing.

I got this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.