The Hitman's Final Job

Pine Ridge #1

by Ana Ashley

Have you ever met a hitman who dreams of having a veggie patch?
It's me. I'm the hitman.

It's the day before I retire from ten years of killing people for hire. Not only am I given one last job- wasn't that job in Budapest last month THE last job?- but then I find out I'm tasked with killing my best friend's dad.

Did I mention he's a total silver fox, the smartest man I've ever met and my all-time crush?

Yeah...life sucks.

Now I have to figure out who hired me so I can stop them. But keeping Vaughn safe while trying not to fall in love with him is a threat I didn't expect to face.

The Hitman's Final Job is a small-town romance featuring suspense, heat, and the sweetness of two men finding real love amongst danger. You can expect slow-burn tension, emotional depth, unexpected humor—including a surprisingly heated giant vegetable competition—and the kind of love that makes you want to stop running.

Genres: M M Romance

275 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 14, 2026

About the author

Meet Ana Ashley, your friendly neighborhood romance author!
Ana has been lost in the pages of books for as long as she can remember, taking a few amusing missteps with her childhood writing attempts. But everything changed when she discovered the magical world of LGBTQ+ romance—cue the confetti!


Ana's books offer sweet and sexy romance with a charming mix of humor and heart. Getting her guys together wouldn't be the same without the meddling but well-intentioned cast of secondary characters, who always insist on having their own story.


When she’s not crafting heartfelt tales, you can find her indulging in her favorite pastime of baking delicious treats, enjoying quality time with friends, or staying up late immersed in the pages of a good book.

You can find out more about Ana and her works-in-progress by joining her Newsletter. To sign up visit Ana's website anawritesmm.com

Reviews

[Betty Loves Books Galore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a best friend’s dad to more suspense / mystery romance, featuring Silas and Vaughn, and is book one in the Pine Ridge series.

Silas is a hitman about to retire when his final job is to take out his best friend’s dad, Vaughn, the man he is secretly crushing on. Now he has to keep Vaughn safe, find out who ordered the hit, and try not to fall for him.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one, there is something awesome about a best friend’s dad and the whole “we shouldn’t, but we will” vibe. I loved the mystery in this story, trying to figure it out, and also getting entertained by these two sexy men fighting their attraction and big feelings.

Audio was fab, I love Alexander.

Things to expect in this book are:
Book 1 in series
MM romance
Suspense / mystery
Small town
Best friend’s dad
Hitman x Target
Age gap (48 / 35)
Forced proximity
Protective
Phallic vegetables
Dates
Carries him
Spicy times & dirty table
Secret fling
Flip f*ck & S*x toys
Secrets revealed
Admit feelings
HEA

[Sarah☀️ Somerville]

DNF @ 26% - I was actually quite enjoying this. And then I got to chapter 8. The writing style seems to be back to normal in chapter 9, but I just can't erase chapter 8 from my memory and it's completely put me off.

[Cindi]

Stopped @ 57%.

I've enjoyed several of this author's books, but this one just didn't work for me. The lack of communication with these guys drove me nuts. One is a so-called good hitman. The other one has several doctorates, and is being targeted for his research. Even so, while they may have been smart, neither one was very bright.

I'm all about age gaps in books, and there were 13 years between Vaughn and Silas. I loved that part. I loved that Vaughn is Silas' best friend's dad. I loved Rowan, Vaughn's son. What I really didn't love was all the secrecy, and again, lack of communication. Most of what was happening up to the 57% mark where I stopped could've easily been resolved had they just talked to each other instead of being all about, "I want him and can't have him because of Rowan..."

I do love that Andrew Biernat is on the cover. That's what drew me to the book to begin with.

I may come back to this at some point, but for now, I'm walking away.

[Caroline Forrester · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

[Julie Underhill · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hitman’s Final Job by Ana Ashley is the first book in her Pine Ridge series. It is the story of a hitman who discovers his final hit is his best friend’s father who he has loved since he met him, and how he finds out who put out the hit and neutralizes it. Silas Cross grew up in foster care and saved money to go to college so he was older when he got there. Rowan Reeves immediately befriended him and they became best friends. Their lives took a turn after they graduated when Rowan became an FBI agent but Silas was recruited by a secret government organization that took out bad guys that couldn’t be prosecuted through legal means. He was very smart and had a photographic memory and with his background partner, Zuza, could take care of anything that came his way. However, at 35 and after 10 years as a hitman, he wanted something different so he told Draven, his handler, that he wanted out. Draven said he had to do one more job and they would talk about it. This took him to Warsaw and with Zuza having only sketchy details of the hit, he was shocked when he saw it was Rowan’s father, Vaughn, who was an agricultural scientist working with ways to change soils that were basically dead into viable ones that could easily grow anything which would be a great help to any country whose soil wouldn’t produce the food they needed. Silas had known Vaughn for 13 years and knew the hit couldn’t be right so Zuza talked Draven into giving him 14 days to make it or he would hire someone else. Silas went into protective mode and followed Vaughn to his farm in Pine Ridge, Colorado. Both men had feelings beyond friendship for each other but didn’t act on them because of what it might mean to Rowan. Vaughn was also 48 and felt he was too old for Silas, but being in close quarters, they inevitably gave into them and had some hot love scenes. Silas had not known what he was going to do after retirement but loved gardening and he was able to do a lot to do at the farm while Silas was working in his lab. He also became enamored of the town with everyone being very friendly and welcoming, something he hadn’t had growing up. The Pumpkin Festival coming up in two weeks and Silas says he will stay to experience it, especially since there was going to be an interesting squash contest that he was going to enter. Rowan comes to visit and takes Silas white water rafting and during that time Vaughn receives another menacing package. He has been receiving threats about his work for 2 years and this time there are pictures of his time in Warsaw and a note that said things were about to become “unfriendly”. He calls one of his friends who knows a hacker and he is going to try to get information about what is going on. Meanwhile Silas is sending Zuza information about something Vaughn was involved in when the town got in trouble but it is going nowhere. When the hacker gets back to Vaughn with what he’s learned he informs the town sheriff of what is going on and he says he will look into it and do more policing of his farm. Then everything comes to a head when something huge happens at the Pumpkin festival that sends everyone into action. Silas tells both Rowan and Vaughn what his job had been for the past 10 years and while Rowan takes it well, Vaughn feels betrayed and that Silas had been lying to him all along so they don’t see each other for a while. Silas sends the new information that he didn’t know about to Zuza and she passes it on to Draven and with the FBI involved, the hit on Vaughn is soon called out and they are able to figure out who has been menacing him. Both Silas and Vaughn have been miserable apart because they both realized they loved each other but Rowan, who is very supportive, devises a plan that gets them to see each other and talk and back to Pine Ridge so they can finally be together. I really enjoyed this book. It really keeps you on the edge of your seat as you wonder who is after Vaughn and if Silas can protect him. Vaughn is a wonderful person who really cares about his son, his farm and the town, the people who work for him, his research, and helping the world. He was always attracted to Silas, even though he was much younger, but wouldn’t act on it because of Rowan. Silas had had a lonely life but found his calling as a hitman taking out the bad guys in the world. However, he had had enough and when he found out Vaughn was his last hit, he did everything he could to protect him. He was also always attracted to Vaughn but again Rowan held him back from acting on it. When he finally went to Pine Ridge it was only a matter of time before they got together in some steamy scenes. When it finally played out Silas was there to protect Vaughn and Rowan and even though the truth of his job caused a separation, they were finally able to get back together and have the life they wanted. Rowan, Zuza, their friends in Pine Ridge, and Draven all played a big part in the story and solving the mystery. I highly recommend this book, especially if you like stories involving a hitman that wants to retire, his final hit being his best friend’s father and someone he has always loved, realizing that this was not right and going after who was behind it, and finally figuring out what was happening so they could be together and in love.

[Nancy Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW
THE HITMAN'S FINAL JOB (PINE RIDGE SERIES) di Ana Ashley
Recensione: The Hitman's final Job è il primo libro della nuova serie di Ana Ashley. Vi consiglio però di leggere il libro 0, Returning To Pine Ridge perché i due libri sono collegati tra loro.
In questo romanzo, decisamente più lungo del precedente, conosciamo meglio Vaughn e Silas. Vaughn Reeves è un imprenditore che studia nuovi metodi per lavorare meglio il terreno e studia come fare crescere piante ed ortaggi in terreni complicati. Per questo motivo, Silas, l'altro protagonista del libro nonchè migliore amico del figlio di Vaughn, Ronan, viene ingaggiato per ucciderlo.
Silas è un sicario di professione, è stanco di quella vita e vorrebbe "andare in pensione" ma prima gli assegnano un caso particolare: senza un vero motivo e addirittura con solo una foto, gli dicono di andare a Varsavia, cercare Vaughn e ucciderlo. Ma Silas conosce troppo bene Vaughn e decide di prendere tempo e capire chi lo vuole morto.
Per questo motivo si trasferitrà a Pine Ridge e vivrà in casa con Vaughn. Le cose tra i due saranno complicate perché l'attrazione tra i due è fortissima (e Silas ha una cotta da anni per Vaughn) ma non vogliono rovinare il loro rapporto con Rowan.
Anche in questo libro ho percepito che il focus fosse più sul giallo che ruota attorno Vaughn e la sua morte e meno la parte romance. Il romance ovviamente c'è e solo quando il pericolo sarà scampato che finalmente ho respirato l'amore che i due provano l'uno per l'altro e alcune scene mi hanno fatta sospirare per quanto sono state ben descritte.
Ho anche adorato ritornare a Pine Ridge, una small town dove tutti si conoscono e ho percepito la calma che si vive in piccole cittadine come Pine Ridge. Mi sono ritrovata sbalzata dentro questa cittadina e ho sentito il profumo del caffè della colazione, ho sentito il profumo del pane, la forte amicizia che lega tutti i protagonisti della cittadina. Vorrei che Pine Ridge fosse reale per passarci un mese e fare la conoscenza di tutti i protagonisti. Ah, e voglio assistere alla competizione delle zucchine falliche! Ahahaha solo questa cosa vale tutto il viaggio!
Adesso devo aspettare per il terzo libro, che vedrà protagonista Rowan.
Consiglio assolutamente questa serie, Ana Ashley scrive benissimo, ti fa entrare dentro la storia e respirare i luoghi descritti. Voglio davvero bere un caffè alla caffetteria di Pine Ridge e assolutamente voglio assaggiare il pane caldo di Tess!

English Review: The Hitman's Final Job is the first book in Ana Ashley's new series. However, I recommend reading Book 0, Returning to Pine Ridge because the two books are related.
In this book, we get to know Vaughn and Silas better. Vaughn Reeves is a researcher for improving soil and studies how to grow plants and vegetables in challenging soil conditions. Silas is a professional hitman; he’s tired of that life and would like to “retire,” but first he’s assigned a peculiar case: without any real reason—and with nothing more than a single photo—he’s told to go to Warsaw, find Vaughn, and kill him. But Silas knows Vaughn too well and decides to buy himself some time to figure out who wants him dead.
He moves to Pine Ridge and moves in with Vaughn. The attraction between them is very strong (Silas had a crush on Vaughn for years), but they don’t want to ruin their relationship with Rowan.
I felt the focus was more on the mystery revolving around Vaughn and his death and less on the romance. The romance is obviously there, and it wasn’t until the danger had passed that I finally got a glimpse of the love the two feel for each other—and some scenes made me swoon because they were so well-described.
Pine Ridge, a small town where everyone knows each other, and I could really feel the beauty that exists in small towns like Pine Ridge: I could smell the coffee at breakfast, the scent of fresh bread, and sense the strong bonds of friendship between the town’s characters.
I wish Pine Ridge really existed so I could spend a month there and get to know all the characters. Oh, and I want to watch the phallic squash competition, that alone is worth the WHOLE trip!
Now I have to wait for the third book, with Rowan as the main character.
I absolutely recommend this series—Ana Ashley writes beautifully; she draws you into the story and lets you breathe in the places she describes. I really want to have a coffee at the Pine Ridge café, and I definitely want to try Tess’s warm bread!

[Bill Bottomley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy. This review is submitted voluntarily.

Silas has been a hitman for 10 years and the book picks up just as he’s finishing up what he thought was his last job in Budapest. Unfortunately, his handler has other ideas including his formal last job. He meets up with his colleague, Zuza, in Warsaw for that assignment. It turns out that his best friend’s father, Vaughan whom we met in Book 1, is attending a conference in that city and he is Silas’ next mark. Silas, of course, recognizes him and refuses to believe that there could be any reason for him to be a target. So, he and Zuza decide that they need to investigate how and why it happened. Next thing, Silas at Vaughan’s farm and lab outside Pine Ridge, a small town in Colorado. What’s interesting is that both Silas and Vaughan are in love with each other, and are both dealing with the same threats without telling each other. They tell each other about their feelings but promise not to act on them because of Silas’s best friend and Vaughan’s son, Rowan.

This is the first book in the Pine Ridge series and demonstrates the author’s mastery of suspense. She feeds the reader with one snippet of information at a time. Until the end, she does not reveal whether the villain from the first book is involved with this contract, but we do once again see Atlas and Kai from the previous book as well as a bunch of townsfolk from Paradise Ridge. Silas is a hitman with a heart (cliché but it fits) and one can almost see how he ended up in that profession based on his description of his background. He and Rowan applied to the FBI together and the latter was accepted while Rowan was channelled into a secret agency because of his particular skill set. Vaughan is by nature a simple farmer who ended up with a doctorate and doing research into reviving “dead” soil to permit food production anywhere in the world. They have loved each other almost from their first meeting thirteen years ago. Even after they finally act on those feelings, they keep them under wraps, so the citizens of Pine Ridge won’t see and possibly tell Rowan. There is plenty of steam, but it totally fits into the plot. Speaking of which, this book has essentially two parallel storylines, the threats against Vaughan and the love story between the two MCs. In typical small-town fashion, there are lots of people present and ready to support the couple.

This book was almost impossible to put down, and I finished it in a day, despite its almost 300-page length.

[Lesetiger · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Hitman's Last Job” is the first book in Ana Ashley's Pine Ridge series. To put it simply: The audiobook had me hooked from start to finish.
As always, the writing is brilliant, and Ana makes you feel as if you’re right there in Warsaw from the very beginning.
That’s where Silas is supposed to carry out his final job as a hitman. He wants to leave this job—and the life he’s led so far—behind, but you can’t just quit this line of work and walk away. That’s why he has to complete this last assignment, which wouldn’t have been a problem in itself. If only Silas hadn’t already known his target very well when he saw him in a photo in Warsaw. It’s Vaughn, a brilliant scientist and the father of his best friend.
And no, that’s not the complication… because the real challenge is that Silas has had a crush on Vaughn since he was a teenager. So just shooting him isn’t an option. So Silas asks his boss for some time to figure out the reason behind the assignment. And where better to do that than right at Vaughn’s home? But that’s when the next problem rears its head: The two keep running into each other, and the sexual tension that’s built up over the years threatens to explode. No wonder, given their explosive chemistry!
There are, of course, plenty of books where the protagonist falls in love with his best friend’s father. But this is by far the best one I’ve read—or listened to—on this topic lately.
The story is a complete success, was super entertaining, and I really enjoyed listening to Silas and Vaughn’s story.
There’s more suspense than expected, which is a definite plus for me; the romance—which isn’t really supposed to happen—has plenty of sweet moments and some steamy scenes. And then there’s Rowan, whose reaction no one knows. And seeing just how well Vaughn and Silas fit together is simply wonderful. Add to that a dash of humor and a happy ending. Perfect. What more could a reader’s heart want?!! (The next volume, of course!).
The audiobook was narrated by Alexander Cendese, and he does an excellent job of narrating. His voice is pleasant to listen to; he conveys the emotions well; he chose fitting voices for Silas, Vaughn, and Rowan; and he does the story absolute justice.
I received an advance listener copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Ana Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another feel good story from Ana Ashley! Vaughn and Silas were a match made in heaven.

It’s no secret that I’m a sucker for age gap romances and even though the age difference between Vaughn and Silas wasn’t huge, it was still an age gap and I loved it. I loved that Silas was such an old soul. Just the perfect man for Vaughn. Him being a hitman notwithstanding 🤣

Rowan was Silas’s best friend. The only person who loved him from the moment they met and the only one who was there for him when no one else was. He wasn’t willing to jeopardize his friendship for something he knew wasn’t possible.

Silas had been in love with Vaughn for a very long time. He never thought he’d ever get a chance to be with him so he kept his distance. Losing his best friend was out of the question so Silas never acted on his feelings.

When he’s tasked with the hit on Vaughn, Silas is forced to change his mind about staying away. Keeping him safe and finding out who wants him unalived is now Silas’s only mission.

That the proximity between them makes Vaughn feel the same was just a bonus. Knowing that Vaughn wanted him just as bad was everything Silas ever wanted.

But when the threat becomes real and people get hurt, Silas has no choice but to tell Vaughn the truth. He knows that nothing will be the same once Vaughn finds out about his job, but the time he spent with Vaughn was something he’d never regret.

Vaughn DEFINITELY didn’t expect the man he fell hard for to be a hitman. Can’t blame him for being shocked, poor man never saw that coming.

Yet knowing the truth doesn’t take away from him loving Silas as much as he did. Silas has been the only person in a long time who made Vaughn happy. No matter what his job was, Silas was a good man and Vaughn loved him just the way he was.

Vaughn was Silas’s dream man. The one he imagined himself growing old with. He knew it from the start, he just didn’t think Vaughn would ever be his.

“𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖,” 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒚𝒔. “𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉. 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆. 𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒚 𝑰 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝑰 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒘.”

These two were just so much fun to listen to. I highly recommend this book! Alexander Cendese did a fantastic job narrating. Truly amazing work.

[Lacocolina · Rating 5 out of 5]

**ENGLISH VERSION**
⭐️ 5/5 - A spectacular start to the series!
The Hitman's Final Job by Ana Ashley is an MM romance that has it all: suspense, delicious slow-burn tension, small-town romance, and explosive chemistry.
What is it about?
Silas Cross is ready to leave his life as a hitman behind after ten years in the business. All he wants is peace, a home, and a garden. But his boss demands one last job. The ultimate twist comes when he discovers his target is Vaughn Reeves, a brilliant and harmless 48-year-old scientist working to end world hunger. The added complication? Vaughn is his best friend's dad... and Silas's unrequited crush since his teenage years.
To protect him from other killers, Silas embeds himself into Vaughn's peaceful life in Pine Ridge under the guise of taking a vacation. While they try to uncover who wants the scientist dead, forced proximity breaks down their walls and unleashes years of pent-up sexual tension, both knowing their time together has an expiration date.

My thoughts:
I loved this from beginning to end, just like everything Ana Ashley writes. The plot perfectly balances corporate investigation suspense with romance. It’s a delicious forbidden romance, packed with sweet moments and high-heat scenes. Seeing a dangerous assassin integrate into a small town (complete with a "special" vegetable contest!) is absolutely wonderful.
It is a well-rounded book with a very satisfying happily ever after (HEA) that leaves you wanting more. I can't wait to read book two and get Rowan's story.
Highly recommended!

Note: I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

**SPANISH VERSION**
⭐️ 5/5 - ¡Un inicio de serie espectacular!
The Hitman's Last Job de Ana Ashley es un romance MM que lo tiene todo: suspense, tensión a fuego lento (slow-burn), romance de pueblo pequeño y una química explosiva.
¿De qué trata?
Silas Cross está listo para dejar su vida como sicario tras diez años en el negocio. Todo lo que busca es paz, un hogar y un huerto. Pero su jefe le exige un último trabajo. La sorpresa es mayúscula cuando descubre que su objetivo es Vaughn Reeves, un científico brillante e inofensivo de 48 años que busca acabar con la hambruna mundial. ¿El problema añadido? Vaughn es el padre de su mejor amigo... y el amor platónico de Silas desde la adolescencia.
Para protegerlo de otros asesinos, Silas se infiltra en la pacífica vida de Vaughn en Pine Ridge bajo la excusa de unas vacaciones. Mientras intentan descubrir quién quiere muerto al científico, la convivencia forzada derriba sus muros y desata una tensión sexual contenida durante años, ambos sabiendo que su tiempo juntos tiene fecha de caducidad.
Mi opinión:
Me ha fascinado de principio a fin, como todo lo que escribe Ana Ashley.
La trama equilibra a la perfección el suspense de la investigación corporativa con el romance. El romance es un prohibido delicioso, lleno de momentos tiernos y escenas de alto voltaje.
Ver a un peligroso sicario integrarse en un pequeño pueblo (¡con concurso de verduras "especiales" incluido!) es maravilloso.
Es un libro redondo, con un final feliz (HEA) muy satisfactorio que te deja con ganas de más. Estoy deseando leer el segundo libro para conocer la historia de Rowan.
¡Totalmente recomendable!

Nota: Recibí un ARC de este libro y comparto mi opinión honesta de forma voluntaria.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC and ALC review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The first book in the new Pine Ridge series gives us the story of Silas, a hitman who wants nothing more than to have his own veggie patch and Vaughn, and agricultural scientist who is developing a way to renew dead soil. Vaughn’s son, Rowan, and Vaughn have been best friends since college, but both Silas and Vaughn have both harbored feelings for each other for years. When a threat to Vaughn’s life collides with Silas’ profession, he makes the trip to Pine Ridge to find out who and why. As the two of the get to really know each other, they try to keep their feelings at bay. The developing relationship is equal part sweet and spicy, as Vaughn realizes he’s spent too much time isolating himself and Silas discovers what it means to discover a found family. This book has lots of character development, a bunch of wonderful side characters in the residents of Pine Ridge and everything you love in a small town romance and lots of yearning before these to inevitably get together. Even though these two did a great job at communicating, they still had to fight for their HEA. I really enjoyed this book, but the timeline seemed rather confusing at times, but other than that, I’m looking forward to the next book in the series. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was an unenjoyable listen for me. While the vocal intonations for Vaughn was spot on, the one for Silas kept changing, sometimes sounding like something from the northeast, sometimes there was a southern twang to it. The sheriff’s voice came across as a good ‘ole southern boy, when I thought he was a born and raised member of the town, which is in Colorado. There are a lot of foreign accents in this book, and not a one of them were successful, some of them down right uncomfortable and stereotypical and not in a good way. Usually, I run my audio books at 1.2x speed but I had to slow this down to normal because it seemed like the narrator was trying to rush throughout the book, sometimes almost sounding like he was out of breath. I received an advance listener copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Ashley | adhdandread · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hitman's Final Job by Ana Ashley
Narrated by Alexander Cendese
Pine Ridge Series #1
Length: 295 pages, 5h57m
Source: Author-direct ARC team (also received ALC)
Publication date: August 14, 2026

4.5 ⭐⁣⁣⁣

WHAT TO EXPECT
MM small-town romance
Slow burn
Emotional depth
Silver fox
Best friend’s dad
Pining/yearning
Protective hitman
Longtime crush
Age gap (13 years)

QUICK SUMMARY
Silas has been a hitman for 10 years, and he's ready to retire and spend his days cultivating a veggie garden instead of a list of kills. He's been in love with his best friend's dad, Vaughn, for even longer. When he's given a final hit–one last job for his elusive handler–it's a shock to find his worlds collide. Somebody wants Vaughn dead, and Silas is the guy hired to do it. Now he's got a short amount of time to figure out what's going on, which is going to put him in close quarters with his lifelong crush. Neither man is prepared for the way their sudden proximity feeds the connections that's always been there.

MY THOUGHTS
This is a delightfully sweet and low-angst introduction to a new series that's definitely got me wanting more! Silas and Vaughn are a perfect match, and I savored all of their interactions, from flirty to romantic and everything in between. It's clear from the moment they appear on-page together that there are real-but-unresolved feelings on both sides. And I love Rowan, too! He's a loyal friend and son, and I like how supportive he is.

Alex Cendese was the perfect choice to narrate the audio book. He's always entertaining and lively, and his vibe fits well with the charm of the writing. I love the way he's able to convey a combination of feelings–frustration, affection, humor, worry, love–all at the same time. The small town and side characters are yet another tick in the win column for this book, and I really can't wait to see what will happen next.

BOTTOM LINE
Yes, absolutely!

–A🩷

Thanks to Ana Ashley for an eARC of this book. All opinions are mine. Reviews posted regularly on StoryGraph, Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram, and BookBub.

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

So happy to be back in Pine Ridge! I’ve been looking forward to this new series and this first book didn’t disappoint! For the last ten years, Silas has been a hitman for a secret government agency. But ten years is a long time to take out some pretty bad people. He wants to be done. But he is forced to take one more job first. The problem? The hit is on his best friend’s father, Vaughn. Also the man that Silas has been secretly in love with for years now. But has never made a move for the fear of losing his best friend, Rowan. Silas knows Vaughn. He knows the work he does. And there is no way that Vaughn can be the bad guy in this scenario. And lucky for Silas, his partner listens to him when he says they need to learn more about who made this request. So in the meantime, Silas will have to follow Vaughn home to Pine Ridge to keep him safe. Vaughn is surprised to find Silas at his doorstep after crossing paths in Europe only a few days before. And when Silas says he would like to stay for several weeks, he has some mixed feelings. Happy but at the same time, he knows how hard it will be to be in Silas’s vicinity. Because Silas isn’t the only one with feelings. They may address the elephant in the room about their feelings and how they can’t cross any lines, but it’s only a matter of time before the pull between them becomes impossible to resist. Also, Vaughn has been keeping his own secrets. Ones where someone has been threatening him and his work. And it’s only a matter of time until all is revealed! I loved this story!! It was just so good. A great new town with awesome characters to explore. And I just adored Vaughn and Silas. They fit together in so many ways despite the little over ten years age gap between them. The age thing isn’t a big deal to them. Their biggest concern is Rowan and the fear of losing him. But they also are just clearly meant to be. A great way to kick off this series! And I’m so excited to see what happens in book two!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me captivated from page one. It is the perfect balance of danger, mutual pining, intense emotions, sweet moments, spiciness, and the genuine love that gives you all the heartfelt feels.
Silas is a hitman who goes into protector mode when he realizes his final target is his best friend's father, and the man he has had intense feelings for years.
Vaughn is kind of a hermit, always in his research lab studying to find ways to feed people in places where they currently can't grow food. He's been getting threats for the last couple years and recently it has escalated. He foolishly keeps this to himself until it is almost too late, because these latest threats will have deadly consequences. Running into Silas at a conference is a surprise, one he is more than happy about. The only thing he struggles with are his hidden feelings for Silas.
When Silas shows up at Vaughn's for a 'vacation', these two men are happy to spend time together, but filled with such longing and trying their best to keep some distance. But their connection is too deep to ignore for long and blossoms into something amazing.
This book will have you edgy with anticipation, waiting for the bad guys to strike and to figure out who they are. You'll be eagerly awaiting every tension filled moment between Silas and Vaughn.
There are many secondary characters that add a lot of depth and humor to the story. There are many friendly neighbors and new friends in the small town that are like a friendly, welcoming community. There's some danger and violence, laughs and friendship, attraction and sexy times, a long awaited connection finally develops, along with a deep love and a sweet, heartwarming HEA.
I would definitely recommend this book.

I received an ARC from the author, this review is my honest, unbiased opinion.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Regrettably, DNF.

Vaughn and Silas were really f*cking cute together. I loved Vaughn's research and that Silas was also into gardening. The side characters were very cute, and I loved the vibe.

But holy moly I could not get over the incompetence.

Silas is supposed to be this bad*ss hitman who knew what he was doing. And at first, he did! I believed that he was good at his job. But once he got to Pine Ridge, it's like he forgot how to do his job. Yes, he looked around the house for information ... but he only did it once. And he didn't search the research center because "of their security," which his friend that was helping him (I can't remember her name! Sorry!) said she could get him in (since ... you know, that's what she does: helps with turning off cameras or switching the video so he's not seen). But did they do this? No, it was mentioned once and then forgotten. It's like he completely forgot that he's supposed to be both protecting Vaughn and figuring out who is after him. UGH.

Vaughn is supposed to be in danger, so why in the heck did Silas not have a weapon on his person????? He left his g*n in his room and even states (when sh*t hits the fan) that he should have been carrying. You think?!

And when things go bad, the g*nman misses who he's supposed to shoot, but when Silas is going after him, Silas says something along the lines of "oh, he's good" ... Ummmm, but he missed his target?

Honestly, it was Silas' incompetence that really bugged me. I just kept getting more annoyed that he wasn't doing anything.

I'm really sad because they were really cute together and I liked the small town vibe.

[Karyn Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silas’s story is filled with action, vulnerability, and the challenge of leaving behind the life he has known. After ten years as a hitman, he’s ready to retire, but his final job becomes complicated when he’s tasked with killing his best friend’s father, Vaughn. The problem? Vaughn is a brilliant, charming silver fox and the man Silas has secretly admired for years.

I loved the way Silas and Vaughn’s relationship developed, with so much trust, patience, and understanding between them. Beneath Silas’s tough exterior is someone who has spent years surviving, and watching Vaughn see the person underneath made their connection feel so special. Vaughn was the perfect person to challenge Silas, support him, and show him that he could have a life filled with love and acceptance.

The balance of suspense, humour, and emotional moments was handled so well. There were plenty of situations that made me laugh, but also moments that showed growth, healing, and the importance of finding someone who truly sees you.

Overall, this was a fun, heartfelt romance with great chemistry, lovable characters, and a unique storyline. A protective hitman, a brilliant silver fox, unexpected feelings, and a second chance at happiness—this was a fantastic read.

[JuQuinthe Norman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg I loved The Hitman's Final Job by Ana Ashley.This a great dad's best friend, small town, and age gap romance! 😏🥰 🥰😍 Ana Ashley does again with a funny, action filled and a steamy book! 🥰😏🩵 I was swooning so hard over Silas & Vaughn. 🥹

I was so engaged by this book from chapter 1. Silas & Vaughn were everything. 🥰🩵😆

Silas is a secret hitman who ready to retire. He is so sweet and charming and just wants to have a simple life. However has been assigned one more person to kill.

Sadly its his best friend's Rowan dad Vaughn. Silas has secretly been in love with Vaughn for a long time.

However plot twist Vaughn has also been secretly in love with Silas.

Silas decides he is not killing the man of his dreams. He is gonna find out put out the hit on Vaughn & save him. 🩵

Omg this book had me smiling, laugh, and swooning.

I love how Silas & Vaughn love veggie farming 🥕🍅 together its so romantic & sweet. Hot damn their spicy scenes were good. I felt the heat! 🥰🥵🥰🫠 I love the yearning and passion they had.🥹😏

Pine Ridge is such fun and amazing town! I love the secondary characters the festivals they had. I wanted to go to the festivals too. 🥰😁

I loved Rowan & Silas friendship too. Rowan is such a sweet and supportive friend. 😆

The action scenes were and the mystery too of who hired the hit on Vaughn was good too.

I'm excited book 2 too which will Rowan's book. 😆 🥰🩵

I love Alexander Cendese voice narrator. He did a great bringing all the characters too life. 🎧 🥰 🥕

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3 🌶🌶🌶

I received an ARC & ALC of this book. This is my honest opinion.

[Tris · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

I love books about hitman/assassins and this book really interested me. I love how it starts by introducing Silas as the hitman who just wanted to retire and grow his own garden patch. That’s just too cute but contradicting as hell.

This story started well and both Silas and Vaughn are pretty amazing characters who mesh well together. I could feel their great chemistry and how amazingly they are together as a couple as they stay at the farm.

What frustrated me the most was the the non-communication (for a book that kept saying how well they communicate they really did not communicate) and also how things were “not happening”

Silas is supposed to be some hot shot hitman trying to keep Vaughn safe from a hit put out against him and yet almost the entire book Silas basically does nothing to keep Vaughn safe. Like my heart was racing the entire book screaming at Silas to “do something” and “get a move on” but he never does (!!) and I was so mad while reading it because I was over half way through the book and Silas is just busy playing happy family rather than doing stuff to rectify the situation.

So it was quite a roller coaster for me - enjoying the developing relationship but at the same time frustrated.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of ARC copy received from the author.

This was a fun and very suspenseful read! I mean, what's an ethical (really) hitman to do when he's assigned to kill his best friend's dad who happens to be his longtime crush? Well, I can tell you that Silas is not about to complete that job. Especially as he knows Vaughn is not corrupt. So then there ensues Silas going to visit Vaughn in the small town of Pine Ridge, while trying to stay away from him. Which lasts... not very long, but they decide there is an end date. Meanwhile, Silas is trying to find out who wants Vaughn dead, and Vaughn is almost being ended more than once and there are neighbors with bread and food who Silas is befriending and it is almost all a great big mess until they figure things out, the danger passes (maybe only for now?) and there is a hilarious Humorous Vegetable (ten points if you get the reference) competition as well. I loved this and look forward to reading the next book with Rowan (Vaughn's son and Silas's best friend) as a main character. Possibly at least a bit to find out how Silas and Vaughn are doing as well...

[Elle Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Silas is a hitman who’s decided to retire. His employer is reluctant and insists on one more job. However, the target winds up being his best friend Rowan’s dad Vaughn. That would be complicated at the best of times. But Silas has had a crush on Vaughn for years and has purposefully stayed away from him and the temptation he represents. Suddenly, a reversal of plans is required. Silas must protect Vaughn. And the only way to do that is to go stay with him, temptation be darned.

As you can imagine, after time spent together, discovering common interests and basically living together, Silas’ feelings grow. And while the love story aspect of this is sweet and hot and the town of Pine Ridge woos all its readers, there’s one pesky detail lying around waiting to wreck everything.

Well, three. Silas’ career, Rowan, and whoever put the hit out on Vaughn. The second half of the book reads like an action-adventure and readers will delight in every line.

These men really have to fight for their HEA. I can’t say more without risking giving something away but pick up this five star read from Ashley. It’s quite a ride.

[Likes2Explore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall 5 STAR
Performance 5 STAR
Story 5 STAR

*suspense *small town *age gap *best friend’s father *slow burn *mm romance

Absolutely Delightful!

I can’t stop smiling right now.

Alexander Cendese brought all the warm fuzzies to life with humor and heart. He has a voice that I could listen to for hours and never get tired of.

Ana Ashley has given us an incredible cast of characters that I easily fell in love with and I am looking forward to getting to know better as the Pine Ridge series continues. I love the small town setting with the suspense and romance. It was cute how everyone welcomed newcomers and got in everyone’s business.

The festival contest was too funny. I volunteer at a food bank and hand out food for our local produce truck and this reminded me of all the times people would comment on the interesting produce that we would sometimes get that would have worked really well in the contest ;)

Silas was too adorable with the veggies and I just loved Vaughn’s reactions to him.


Thank You to the author and team for this ALC.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this romance between two wonderful men in Silas and Vaughn. With a perfect balance between romance and suspense, a dash of drama and a well deserved HEA this book kept me engaged from start to finish.
Silas decides to retire as a Hitman but is given one final job. A job where his best friend’s Dad, Vaughn, is the target. Vaughn also happens to be a man that Silas has pined after for a very long time. So it becomes a very difficult and complicated job to keep silver fox Vaughn alive and discover why this inauspicious researcher from a small town has come to the attention of the wrong people.
With plenty of charming side characters in Pine Ridge to keep things interesting, moments that gave me some feels and others that had me smiling, steam mixed with sweet and a heartwarming HEA for two men who are perfect for each other I had the biggest sappiest smile on my face at the end of this very enjoyable book.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book one of a new small-town series, which this author is great at building. Silas is a hitman, although we find out later on it’s a little bit more than assassin for hire. Anyway, he decides to retire and is tasked with one last job. However, his target is none other than the man he has wanted for the last thirteen years and his BFF’s father. Vaughn’s only “crime” is trying to scientifically find a way to provide more sustainable farming to impoverished areas. Silas, working with his behind the scenes hacker/fixer Zuza, must both protect Vaughn and find out who’s behind the contract to kill him. All while trying to ignore his attraction and protect his heart. That fails spectacularly for both men. But when Vaughn’s son (an FBI agent), and Silas’s bff, gets caught in the middle, all of Silas’s secrets are laid bare. It will be up to both men to either walk away or fight for their HEA. Looking forward to the next book in the series!

[Reading*Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this audiobook wanting more. More Silas, more Vaughn, a little more communication, and a lot more backstory.

The two MCs are prime material for a prequel. A 20-something Silas insta-falling for his best friend's dad that leads to 13 years of (mutual!) unspoken longing? I'd devour that anticipation-building read with a spoon.

Given what reunites Silas and Vaughn in present-day, though, I would've expected more urgency in their story. Instead, it largely unfolds like a conventional small-town romance with a twist (aka the hitman angle).

Vaughn's son and Silas's best friend Rowan was probably my favorite aspect of this story. He's delightful and charming, and should make for an entertaining future MC in this series.

Narrator Alexander Cendese helped bring this story up a notch. His solid performance kept me engaged throughout.

Story: 3.5 Stars
Performance: 4 Stars

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refreshingly original plot🔬🌱👨🏻‍🔬

4.5🌟 stars
I was immediately drawn into this well-written age gap MM romance plot, which I found out of the ordinary, with professional hit man Silas and altruistic scientist Vaughn playing the key roles. They've been attracted to each other for years without acting on it. Can they? Dare they? Will they? All relevant to their attraction since Vaughn's son Ryan is Silas's longtime friend and both fear Ryan's reaction if they actually get together. It was Silas's undercover job and how it had him flummoxed and worried that gave the story that unusual edge. Silas's care for his friend's feelings and his readiness to sacrifice bigtime: really touching.

Steam 🔥🔥🔥
Writing 📚📚📚📚1/2
Romance 💖💖💖💖1/2
Plot 📚📚📚📚📚
Suspense 😯😯😯😯

I read a complimentary advance copy of the story; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

[Andrea Smedley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is first in a series but it's helpful to read the prequel, Returning to Pine Ridge, first, as this introduces the characters of Pine Ridge and provides some of the backstory. In this first full length book of the series, Silas is ready to retire from his job as a hitman - yes, a hitman! But he's given one last hit, on a man he knows, the father of his best friend. And he knows that Vaughn cannot be guilty of anything evil which means he needs to find out who ordered the hit and why. So Silas basically moves in with Vaughn and starts living a very domesticated life, whilst trying to find out what's happening in the background. The whole hitman storyline made it a bit different from Ana's other small town books and I enjoyed the difference, whilst still getting the eccentric small town vibe. A satisfying ending. Look forward to Rowan's story next!

I received an ARC

[Raven and Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this author’s characters! Vaughn and Silas are honestly perfect together. Silas may be living a secret life as a government assassin, but he wants out. He just never expected his final target to be someone he knows - the guy he has crushed on forever who just happens to be his best friend’s dad. He would never hurt Vaughan obviously, but now he has to keep him safe and figure out what is going on. Truthfully, the danger and mystery are a side note to the developing relationship between our MCs and to Silas realizing what kind of life he wants to lead. It is a sweet story with some moments of danger and lots of feelings. I highly recommend reading it. And it’s the start of a new series so more is certainly to come.

[Readingwithmypack · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ARC Review✨

Silas and Vaughn are sooooo good together! I'm always a sucker for best friend's dad as it is, but I thought that this whole set up just added so much fun to this story because of the sheer pining for each other both of these men engaged in for YEARS before they finally get a chance to get together. The cherry on top was really the town, Pine Ridge, and its inhabitants who just add SO MUCH charm to this book!

I think you'll definitely enjoy this if you like books that have fun side characters that are doing their best to wingman/wingwoman for their friend, campy hitman that finally shoot their shot, and big bad villains that I have a feeling we'll learn more about in the next book.

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vaughn and Silas were sweetly entertaining with danger and adrenaline, secrets, hidden agenda, action and humour, and a hard earned happiness.
They had an interesting dynamic and sweet chase until the feelings were acknowledged and their relationship takes contour.
I liked the meddling community that is warm and welcoming, as well as the small town charm.
There’s unexpected developments and revelations, as well as events that gives them a bit of heartache until they mend things.
I liked the intricacies and how they gained their happiness, the bonus stories were a nice touch, and I liked the little snippets for some future prospects.
I liked the adventure and I’m looking forward to the next couple.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is nothing not to like about this small-town romance story. Silas is a hitman who wants to retire, except he’s told he has to undertake one more hit who turns out to be his best friend’s father, and the man he has feelings for, Vaughn. As Silas changes from hunting his target to protecting him, life gets both harder and better. Amidst the intrigue and suspense of who’s threatening Vaughn, and after years of ignoring the chemistry between them, they finally admit their feelings.
This is a sweet, fun tale with heat, some angst, stand-out secondary characters, that I hope we get to hear more of, and a perfect ending. I loved every moment of this book, and can’t recommend it highly enough.