We were supposed to be over. But when the flames came, he was the one who showed up.
Tarryn Declan Conner broke my heart two years ago. No warning. No explanation. Just gone. I built a life without him—until my cottage burned down the week before Christmas and he was suddenly there, dragging me into his arms and back into the past. He says he’s back for good. That this time, he’s staying. But I don’t believe in second chances. Especially not with the man who walked away like I never mattered. Still, every look, every touch, pulls me in deeper. And when the fire investigation heats up, so does everything between us. Now I have to decide if loving him again is worth the risk. Because I swore I’d never let him burn me twice.
Declan Tarryn Paradise was always it for me. But back then, I wasn’t the man she deserved—and I proved it by walking away. Now I’m home, and the moment I see her surrounded by flames and wrapped in a blanket, every instinct says don’t let go. She’s hurt. Guarded. And furious I’m back. But I’m not leaving again. I’ll fight for her—for us—even if her brothers want to kill me and the past refuses to stay buried. Because she’s the only thing I want under my tree. And I’ll light this town up to prove it.
EMT Declan is a standalone holiday novella with a guaranteed HEA. It’s the fourth book in the Brothers Paradise series and brings the heat, the heartbreak, and the holiday magic. You can start here, but you’ll fall in love with the entire Paradise family.
What you can expect from Dr. Declan:
small town medical holiday romancesecond chancefire investigationforced proximitybig brother interferencefast-paced timelineemotionally charged reunionsteamy, steamy scenessoft hero with alpha instincts
This is the fourth installment of the Brothers Paradise series and it definitely didn’t disappoint. I’m so glad Tarryn got her own story! Tarryn has successfully run and expanded the Paradise winery. Being a female leader in a relatively man’s world is tough and she always feels like she has to do more to be recognized for all she has done and has put up a wall in front of her heart. One night, her home goes on fire and she is lucky she escaped. In walks Declan EMT, her first love who left her years ago. Declan also has his walls up. He felt inadequate to the Paradise Brothers and family so he left. Now he’s back and determined to win Tarryn’s heart back. The mystery behind the fire and other problems with the winery adds a level of intrigue. It was so sweet to see their love blossom as they let down their walls and truly shared the true person. I would definitely recommend this novel and the entire series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I absolutely love Tarryn and her fierceness from the previous books where her brothers got their HEA. She was always the glue of the family and a character that I grew to love! I am glad that we got to read her story. I have to admit, because I found her character endearing, I was quite protective of her and wanted the best for her so I was quite reluctant of this Declan guy who only brought heartbreak to her door. But he grew on me! As the drama with the vineyard intensifies, so is their romance, or their rekindling. What a lovely present Grace Maxwell gave us for the festive season!
Since the Dr. Greyson, Beckett & Ryker brother books the human stories behind the main characters, who live & work at Paradise Hill, have been building to Tarryn & Declan's story.
Simultaneously, Grace Maxwell has been skillfully revealing a treacherous plan to destroy the Paradise Hill & Black Bear vineyards.
Tarryn Paradise has been the backbone and future of Paradise Hill and EMT Declan Connor compliments and completes her. This book tells their love story. It is passionate and deeply satisfying and the story ends on a heart stopping cliffhanger. Every reader will be anxiously waiting to read the culmination of these stories in Dr. Kingston story.
However, it is important for all readers to read these stories in order, or the story will not make sense. Each book contains a satisfying romance on their own, but the magic and final plot reveal has yet to happen. I cannot wait for Dr. Kingston to be released.
I’m not going to apologize for the puns…this story was blazing with excitement, steaming with the best kind of heat, and heart melting with the kind of second chance love that makes you believe anything is possible. Combine all this with the fascinating Paradise family, winery chaos, and the magic of Christmas, and you have a brilliantly crafted story that will capture your heart. I adore this couple. Tarryn’s obsessive lists and Declan’s solid reasoning makes for great banter and a really enjoyable book! Cheers!.
Love the underlying tension throughout this book that doesn't end at the end. This is building up to hopefully an explosive conclusion in the next book. Tarryn deserves happiness as she is a powerful woman with a soft hidden side and Declan is there to provide support and protection while gaining redemption for last mistakes. Another great Paradise book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Since Dr. Greyson I’ve been hoping (and asking lol) if Tarryn will be getting a book and I’m so happy she did. Y’all I was hooked from the beginning all the way to very end. I am beyond thrilled that Tarryn got her HEA and her man. Now, I can’t wait for book 5, Dr. Kingston. That sneaky peek we got has me wanting so much more. 🖤🔥🍷🔥🖤
My favorite quote from Tarryn:
I square my shoulders and step forward. If someone wants to scare me off my family land, they chose the wrong woman. They wanted a reaction. I’ll give them action instead.
Growing up as the only sister in a family of six handsome, intelligent, caring men, Tarryn Paradise knows how good a good man can be. Over the years, she had watched her brothers traverse the often-rough roads of life and romance. Each brother had confronted difficult challenges of love and life. The intelligent, handsome medically trained physicians had remained steady in the pursuit of their shared dreams of improving their world through medicine, a pathway first walked by their mom. And while their professions were challenging, each brother, with the love and support his loving mate, had found those challenges of life more manageable when shared in love, just as all the Paradise children had observed their loving dad support their mom and dad support each other in their careers.
And now for Tarryn, the only daughter and the only child to follow the path of her dad—caring for the family’s generational profession of tending the grapes that covered the hills of family lands bearing the family name, Paradise—is in the process of taking the reins of leadership of the winery from her dad. And, just as the name Paradise was the name of the community, it has also been associated the award-winning wines produced by the in the family’s winery, bearing the name Paradise.
And what has made Tarryn’s involvement in the family business both rewarding and challenging is that she the only child of her generation to accept the challenge of being entrusted with the success of the family’s grapes and the wines produced with the family's name on the label. And apparently, it is path that she will walk alone, without the loving support of a partner as her dad and mom had shared.
The man whom she had thought would walk beside her in her evolving role at the winery, the man to whom she had given her heart, had left the community and left her months earlier. As a fireman, Declan Conner the man who held her heart, had left their community to continue his training. And while Tarryn had the love and support of her family and her best friend Elise Anderson and of Elise’s dad Mitch Anderson, who had also worked with Elise’s father and the Master Vintner of Paradise Vineyard, Tarryn felt isolated from love, drift and deserted by Declan’s departure. She felt alone even while surrounded by love and support.
And while, happy to embrace her family’s business with her dad's support and guidance, Tarryn must acknowledge that something isn’t right in her world. Strange and potentially threatening sabotage is taking place in the vineyard. The grapes are being intentionally damaged by toxic spills that could destroy the vines. And, in other areas, water has been cut off from the vines, and some vines have been damaged by apparently intentional fire. So, when the house that she and her friend and co-worker Elise share is destroyed by fire—a fire that almost kills the two friends with apparently with no clear source—the local fire department becomes involved. And the lead in the fire investigation is Declan Connor, the man who left the Paradise area for the advanced training needed to read the signs that fire leaves, is the one person who can help explain its origins. And, just as Declan possesses knowledge of the nature of fires and how they burn, he recognizes that the fire at Tarryn’s place was set and it was intended to consume everything and everyone—including Taryn and Elise.
So, just as Tarryn must confront the threats to herself and to her family’s vineyard, she must also accept that the return of Declan Connor to Paradise is a return that may threaten her heart as much as the fire she barely escaped threatened her life.
Grace Maxwell continues the family saga of the Paradises of Paradise Vineyard as she continues to explore the creative, loving family as the family elders begin to proudly and lovingly welcome the skills and insights of their children—now adults—welcoming the next generation’s leadership.
I happily received a review copy and am eagerly leaving a review.
After Tarryn and her sister flee from a fire at the guest house at Paradise Hill Vinyard, she sees firefighter Declan Connor, the man who broke her heart two years ago. But the more important issue is the source of the fire because the fire alarm did not activate even though it had been inspected just a few months earlier.
The final report confirms that the fire was caused by an accelerant, so everyone is on high alert. Meanwhile, Declan and Tarryn agree to explore the possibility of being together again after he declares that he left because he wasn’t good enough for her.
Working together, they share feelings about their frailties and insecurities, hoping that they will have a better chance of developing a better relationship based on trust and respect. They also find the romantic rhythm that takes then to sizzling passion, but there are still outside forces who threaten not only their happiness but the security of the entire town.
Grace Maxwell has penned a delightful holiday story featuring two people separated by faulty communication and fear, but with careful intentionality they find their way back to a second chance HEA. I devoured every page of EMT Declan in one sitting and am confident that romance aficionados, reconnected to characters from previous Brothers Paradise books and treated to a thrilling cliffhanger at the end, will come to the same conclusion.
I received this book as an ARC reviewer and voluntarily offer my honest opinion.
This book just did not catch me like the others in the series. It seemed like it was just something thrown together. A lot of sentences were repeated over and over. In the other books it did not mention Tarryn's use of lists or the fact that she might have ADHD. That might have been a good subplot. Declan's reason for leaving was pretty weak and never really touched on much in depth. I found myself skimming through a lot of the book because it felt full of filler. I wish more was put into the mystery of the fire and who was out to get her.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I wanted to hug these two on more than one occasion reading this, the connection between them was still so strong that somehow they were able to address their past and discuss how to move on. I loved the support from friends and family in this, the standing up for yourself, the suspense, the trust, honesty and the love that was shown. This family really knows how to stand together and protect and look after their own.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Finally Tarryn’s story!! Declan reenters Tarryn’s life at the worst and best time. She doesn’t want to need him, but she can’t fight it. Declan knows exactly what she needs as they work diligently to find whoever wants to hurt her while deciding if they can start over. This story is full of intrigue, suspense and chemistry!! Loved this book!
EMT Declan is an enjoyable second chance romance between Taryn and Declan after their first relationship break-up when he left her. Their reunion had strong emotions mixed with steamy chemistry. This well written book with keep your reading interest with its plot twists.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book has small-town charm, forced proximity, and holiday vibes. I loved Declan and Tarryn’s story. They had some real hurt-and-healing moments, but some great swoon-worthy moments as well. It is a cozy, quick read perfect for fans of emotional, small-town romance. ✨📖.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
EMT Declan Book 4 of Brothers Paradise by Grace Maxwell sucked me right back into the Paradise Brothers world. O.M.G. this is so GOOD! I loved everything about this story and about this series!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.