Getting the Axe

Ross Brothers Trilogy #3

by Nikki Mays

Elle has gone through so much in her life. After dealing with an overbearing and abusive father the last thing that she wants to deal with is having a jerk for a boss. Luckily for her that two out of the three are sweethearts. Unfortunately, the grumpy one just happens to be the sexiest man that she's ever seen. Too bad he can't seem to keep his mouth shut. Otherwise, she would have the most perfect job in the world.
Noah knew the moment that Elle walked in for her interview that he was a goner. She was the most gorgeous woman that he's ever met, inside and out. So naturally instead acting his age and being a decent human being, he decides to do the opposite and make sure that she hates him. You can't get hurt if the woman of your dreams hates your guts.
Too bad for both of them, fate and Noah's momma had other plans.
Can these two give into their mutual attraction and feelings that they've both been denying. Or will one or both of them Get the Axe?

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance

158 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 5, 2020

About the author

Nikki Mays is a pen name that was created from her maiden name. She is a wife and mother, who lives in a small town in New Jersey. She has been with her husband for well over a decade and is surprised that he's still alive. She has 3 small boys that she loving refers to as her hellions. Seriously, they only look sweet and innocent. She began writing as a creative outlet after becoming a stay at home mom. She decided that she needed something exclusively for herself, not just being mommy. She has two crazy boxers that legitimately think that they're humans but graciously share "their" couch with the rest of the family. Besides writing and spending time with her little hellions, she enjoys cooking and baking. She has recently taken up gardening and made her loving husband plant her a mini fruit tree orchard, that unfortunately deer get to eat more of than she does. Life living in the woods can be a pain at times! Nikki loves to be stalked by her readers and encourages all interaction.

Reviews

[Vashti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grumpy Boss/employee..older man/younger woman trope.
The title says it all...the heroine literally axed the hero in the shoulder during an argument at a retreat for the hero's company put together by the heroine.
A first time author for me....reading this book gave off some Lani Lynn Vale vibes .
The book started off a solid 4 star read that turned to 3 stars midway thru..there were some funny moments that I enjoyed but soon got tired.A bit ott with the situations.I did enjoy the side characters especially the mother of the 3 Ross siblings.
This is the eldest brother's book.
I may check out some of the author's other series.

[Leslee · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's no secret how I feel about Nikki Mays' books, I adore them. She manages to make the characters real, not just seem that way. I thought for sure that I would want to beat Noah upside the head when I started Getting the Axe as he has been a complete jerk to Elle in his brothers' books. Elle is the sweetest, kindest girl and now she is planning his murder in the grocery store. He brought her to this, his behavior drove her to try and specifically plan his death and how to get away with it. After a mishap that I will not reveal because it is hysterical, they start spending a lot of time together. I didn't know if Noah could pull his head out of his butt and realize how perfect Elle was for him. I didn't know if she could forgive him for all the horrible days when he put her through hell. They finally find their way to each other with help from their families and they took the top spot in my heart. These two are my favorite Nikki characters! They are everything, all the stars forever! I cannot live without this crazy, wicked, talented lady and her books. So she will just have to write forever, just kidding. But I'm not, no, I'm really not. If you need to laugh, to escape this crazy world we are living in and join hers, buy her books and dive in.

[Mags · Rating 4 out of 5]

Getting the Axe was an engaging read. That was packed full of Ms Mays signature humour and characters. But at around 139 pages long, it felt a little lacking in places, particularly regarding the romance and sadly I didn't get Noah and Elle as a couple or really feel the enemies to lovers vibe. But overall, I did enjoy the story, especially as I got to catch up with the crazy Ross family and a few of their friends.

[JudyAnnLovesBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Nikki Mays has outdone herself with the final book in The Ross Brothers Trilogy and I for one am sad to see this series come to an end, but I have no doubt that there will be more delicious books to come from this talented Indie Author.

Getting The Axe is romance comedy writing gold! I can’t get over how hard I laughed not to mention how many times I had to stop and fan myself ‘cause them Ross brothers sure know how to heat up the page! I’m going to be totally honest with you and say that although I loved Mason and Ben’s books, I was waiting (im)patiently for the the grumpmiester’s, a.k.a. Noah’s book before picking my favorite.

Noah is an adorable grump, he’s infuriatingly handsome and a pain in Elle’s side. The poor girl doesn’t stand a chance against the older, sexy, tatted man with chocolate colored eyes who also happens to be her boss. She thinks her in-lust-uation is one sided when in reality Noah has it bad for the sweet spitfire that has turned his world upside down.

Watching these two spar with one another to the point of (accidental) maiming will have you laughing out loud and when they finally give in to their feelings, fanning yourself furiously as they melt your Kindle. As always, Mamma Dee plays an important role in bringing and forcefully keeping these two together and you will love her for it. TBR this fantastic book and make sure to read Nailed By You and Hammered With You as well in order to get the full Ross Bros experience.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great finish to the Ross brothers series. Noah and Elle were hilarious with their love/hate relationship. I can't believe she actually stabbed him with an axe. That was actually the catalyst to their relationship changing.

It was nice to see a cameo from Declan in this book. The usual antics were times down a little but it did not take away from this story at all.

The heat level was🔥🔥🔥. My only problem is this: where will Danny & Brad's stories be featured??? They both deserve at least a novella so we will know that they too hot their respective HEA's. I can't wait to read all about the Rebel Chasers M.C.

Definitely recommend this book and series.

[Read With Ren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big believer in a climax... No, not what you're thinking, I mean the crux of the story. You know when you hit that 60-70% mark and know that everything is about to go down? That's my favourite part and I hate when it's written as some tiny little argument that is then forgotten. Or worse, when it's a massive blow up and twist and it's all amazing and then it's somehow all resolved within like 2 pages. This book didn't have a massive crux, but surprisingly enough, I LOVED it.

The characters in this book were unlike anything I'd read before. They were crazy, they were real, they were passionate and they had real people problems. The way they all connected and their relationships just made my heart happy. Especially our leading couple. Noah and Elle were so realistic it was unreal. Elle was smart, kind, caring, beautiful and absolutely hilarious, despite her horrendous childhood. Noah was broody and grumpy...but only to Elle at the beginning and for a very good reason. When he finally let go, he was everything you want in an alpha book boyfriend. He just wanted to make Elle happy. And the secondary characters were hilarious! I'm pretty sure I nearly wet myself from laughing a couple of times, especially when it was Dee or Edge talking.

This book had me screaming with laughter (literally), crying for Elle and her brother and absolutely melting whenever Elle and Noah were in a room together. Nikki Mays has written an easy to read, and yet truly beautiful story that is so easy to connect to and fall into, it was amazing. I don't know how many more times I can say that. This is definitely one that will stick with me for a while. I'm still laughing at parts of it hours later!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author has done it again! I can’t even say how much I have enjoyed this story. It flows nicely and I really care about the characters. I easily devoured this. I will say at times I read slower just to make it last longer. Then other times I couldn’t read fast enough to figure out what was going to happen next.

Oh Elle how I love you and your antics. Usually I am a fan of the male character but Elle upstages him multiple times. She is outrageous at times and others she an evil genius. I was in awe of her and she made me laugh many times. Noah ~I didn’t care for you at first. Too stodgy and rough but the more we delve Into you I liked your cool exterior and sexy guy underneath. The conversations with his brothers are priceless!

The secondary characters are great! I want more of each of them. I am hoping we will enter into the MC with Dee and MAC next. I can only imagine the chaos that she (Dee) can make with the men there. Edge was a definite favorite. I loved many things about him. His charm and friendship but he is also a straight shooter. Below is a selection of a conversation between Elle and Edge:

“Aren’t you not supposed to tell people that you abuse your patrons?”

“Aren’t you not supposed to stab your boss?”

“Touché”

How can you not love these characters with chats like that? Declan, Mason, Ben and Brad were other wonderful characters and I enjoyed whenever they came on the page.

Overall I loved this! This is the third in the series. I have not read the previous two and had no problem following along with this story. Get it! You won’t regret it!

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was in stitches from the very first chapter. I can not Rave about this book enough, Nikki Mays had stuck to what really does it for me for her books it has the right amount of real life to humour and it is the perfect balance. This book is really well writen and it flows from page to page and you dont realize you have got lost in it until you finish it and you need more. I also love that all of this authors charecters are connected and you get to revisit them again and again.

Elle came of as a shy sweet girl but she definetly new when to stand her ground and she definetly gave a few people a shock when she opened her mouth with what came out, she is a hilarious little chicky. Noah was hard headed with a bad attitude, an attitude to cover up what he wants more than anything. He is a stubborn man who will do anything for those he loves even if he is making fun of them while he does it. Elle and Noah together is going to be like a mini explosion going off in the middle of a fireworks factory.

I would honestly recommend that you read all of this authors books, its like making a new family that you always want to read more and more about. Nikki mays books are like a well honed receipe, it has all the ingredients in perfect measurements to make it perfect and you are going to enjoy every single little piece. I honestly hope you love it as much as I have and I can't wait to get my little girly hands on the next book she writes. Happy Reading ♡

[Audrey Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third Ross Brothers book, featuring Noah was nothing short of amazing. We finally got to see what happened with him and Elle, and it was so fun to read. The characters in this book were written in a way that they were so real, they were funny, you could feel their emotion. Hats off to Nikki Mays for a great job in writing this book (and the previous two Ross Brother books)!

Noah is an muscular, hunky, lovable grump. He’s handsome and sexy, and a thorn in Elle’s side. She doesn't stand a chance against the older, sexy, tattooed man who also happens to be her boss. She thinks her crush is one sided when in reality Noah has it bad for the little spitfire who has turned his world upside down and made him feel feelings he's never felt before, even with his previous girlfriend.

Watching these two go toe-to-toe, to the point of 'slight accident', ending in Elle having to take care of Noah, will leave you literally laughing out loud. When Elle and Noah finally give in to their feelings, there is so much heat and passion between them and the age difference that Noah was worried about isn't even a question anymore. The secondary characters throughout the book, like Noah's mom Dee, and his two brothers make the book all that much better. This was a great series and this book was a perfect wrap to the series!

[Kathy Brinkley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nikki Mays' third book in the Ross Brothers Trilogy entitled Getting the Axe is the funny, sexy, snarky story of Eleanor or Elle and Noah. He is the oldest of the Ross brothers and fourteen years older than Elle. Noah thinks that he is too old and set in his ways for someone as young and vibrant as Elle, but his construction company hires her (against Noah's wishes) as the secretary, and their bickering begins. The brothers rightly think the squabbling between the two is a type of foreplay, but Elle in all of her innocence thinks Noah hates her and wants to make her life miserable. She is used to dealing with miserable circumstances because of her awful parents. During a fun employee weekend get-together intended to build company morale, their sparring escalates, and Elle forgets she is holding a throwing axe which ends up in Noah's chest. Her guilt dictates that she care for Noah after his operation. The enforced closeness creates a love shared and a pregnancy between the two. Though this story has no danger as in Mays' SWAT series, which keeps readers on the edge of their seats, this book is such a fun tale of life and the families of characters who live it to the fullest with their ongoing shenanigans.

[Megan Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK guys I was waiting for Noah's story. I was absolutely not let down. I laughed, got frustrated and fell even more in love with both of these charecters. Elle is the perfect balance for Noah. She is the biggest sweetheart until Noah drives are bonkers. Even though this could be read as a stand alone, I will say I think Nikki's books are best if started from the beginning of the series. In this case read the SWAT first than this series. This is a spin off, you really should meet the cast of characters in the other books, the back stories make this book even better. This book won't disappoint you. These brothers are awesome and their mother, of course you need Dee or it wouldn't be complete. Put all that together and you have the perfect book to read as a stand alone, but again it's much better if you know stories the other characters. The love and kindness and the frustration between these two was just off the chart and I just loved their passion. Anyways this is my honest review for a book I volunteered to read and it is pre ordered.. I really just enjoyed this book. I'm very excited that she's gonna continue on with even more characters and we're gonna have quite a bit more books with Dee in the future.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I was excited to read Noah’s story from the moment I first started the Ross Brothers series. You see snips of Noah’s feelings for Elle in the first two books and I couldn’t wait to read Elle’s perspective. Elle is a very sweet h despite her home life growing up. Once Noah gets over their age difference, their relationship takes off with no looking back.
The secondary characters (some from Nikki’s SAPD SWAT series) are great and bring some funny dialogue. I will say, because of some of these secondary characters, it may be helpful to read her SAPD SWAT series first. If not, you may not understand some of the dialogue. Also, the characters are not explained in detail and it may take you a second to realize who everyone is and their relationship to each other. For example, Brad is Elle’s brother and he is introduced in one of the SAPD SWAT stories. It may take a second to put that together unless you have read the SWAT series. I don’t think this takes away from the story at all, but again, it could be helpful if you read that series first. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a quick read with a relatively low amount of drama.

[LaWanna Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Getting the Axe
This book is just as good as the 2 before it. Nolan and Elle are trip. They are constantly arguing, avoiding each other, ignoring each other until an unfortunate accident happens. Then momma steps in and makes them stay together until the other one is healed. Then the chemistry starts and they start fighting it. But something happens and it makes them open their eyes and finally see each other as the person who they really love and then start thinking why did they fight this thing that they have for one another, when they could of been having months and months of awesome sex (As Elle puts it).

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Elsie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series so much, not only Ross Brothers but our amazing Swat guys too.

This guys are Hot, handsome, a little crazy (not just Damian) but oh so overprotective of their loved ones.

Getting The Axe is Noah and Elle story. In the previous books we can feel the tension between them and the collision was bound to happen. First thing I said when I got the book was: Man it's too short and my husband looked at me like I was crazy.

Noah and Elle work together and apparently they don't get along. Also there's some age difference between them. After a little incident with an Axe they are pushed to be roommates and the sparks start flying. After that we get a pretty amazing love story with a Happy Ending.

This group of people is truly amazing and that Epilogue with Dee pretty awesome too.

[Rhonda Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE these books. The Ross Brothers are a mess and Noah is no exception. He has been in love with Ella since day one but will not make a move. Ella has been enfatiated with Noah from day 1. Neither want to give in as they are both stubborn
Then while on a team building exercise Ella slams an axe in Noah's chest. Enter Dee the menace herself. She decides enough is enough and forces the issue. She forbides anyone from helping Noah in his time of need and forces Ella to take care of him. What will happen? Will nature take its course or will theu continue to resist.? I can not get enough of this family and their friends. Uou wi not be disappointed with this story. Anxiously awaiting the next installment.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received an Arc from the author of this book


We have been waiting for Noah and Elle's story since "Nailed by You" they were in the background of both Mason and Ben's stories and now it's their turn…


Nikki as always grabs your attention page one paragraph one. I love that we start book 3 with a peak at one of our favourite cops Declan 😍. I laughed my way through chapter one falling back into Nikki's writing style of humour and returning characters.


While you could read this as a stand alone, it would be much more enjoyable to read the full series 😉


This is an enemies to lovers read with a lot of laughs, some romance and great secondary characters!


We all need to know when is Edge getting his own book? Swoooooon. Rebel Chasers MC needs a series 🙏

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have looked forward to this one for so long! Elle and Noah have been at each other’s throats since Elle was hired as the office manager for there company. They were instantly attracted to each other but Noah thinks the age gap is to much and they will never work. So instead he decides to push her away and in the process make her want to stab him.... literally. LOL. Unfortunate circumstances and some manipulation from Noah’s mischievous mother puts Noah in Elle’s care after he has surgery.

This was so much fun and the epilogue was just amazing with Dee and Mac. I hope I’m not wrong but I have a feeling we will be seeing an MC series and I am so excited! Can’t wait to see more from Nikki Mays.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Getting the Axe is book 3 in the Ross Brothers Trilogy. Elle has been working for the Ross brother's and gets along fabulously with 2 of the 3. Noah is the biggest jerk but also the sexiest man she has ever seen. Noah knows that if he doesn't keep Elle at a distance she will own him heart and soul.

Nikki Mays has made me laugh so hard right from the beginning. She has an amazing knack for making her stories laugh out loud funny and HOT at the same time. Love the fact that we get characters from the SAPD SWAT series too. Noah's Mom is a riot and always up in the middle of her boy's lives. Highly recommend if you need a good Rom-Com to brighten your day.

[Mari (Mystics & Metaphysics Book Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ross family and friends are at it again in this book. Noah finally wakes up and makes Elle his; b ut not before some damage is caused. If you haven't read the previous Ross brothers books, this stands alone and will provide enough information to understand what is going on. You will also get to see what kind of crazies this family has and the laughs. The title of the book is perfect! It's funny, utterly sexy, and the love of family is one thing I will never get tired of.

I laughed, I cried and I’m sad to see them go. However, I hope now the MC gets their story from that little snippet in the epilogue.

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enemies to lovers

Kudos to Nikki Mays. I fell in love with her band of misfits after reading Cuffed to You in her Swat series. We meet the Ross Brothers in this book. It was my first Nikki Mays book and it got me hooked. Her characters are laugh out loud funny and sexy as hell, but what I like most is the sense of family throughout. Getting the Axe is older brother Noah's book. He's at odds with the much younger Elle who happens to be his employee. He's fighting off his feelings and fighting with Elle...one of them is getting the Axe...but you'll have to read to find out...Your gonna love the enemies to lovers romance.

[Daisy Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book written by Nikki Mays. This enemies to lovers book will make you laugh and swoon over the characters.

This is the last book in the trilogy but they are all Standalone.

Noah and Elle are amazing. They don’t like each other but you can definitely feel the tension. Due to certain circumstances they are forced to spend a little more time together and ohh boy was this an amazing read.

Noah is older and thinks Elle is too young. Chemistry is there but he thinks that things should never happen.
Elle comes from a rough family and has a wall that needs to come down .

These two will make your day.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Getting the Axe is a wonderfully written enemies-to-lovers romance; it's engaging, funny, and totally entertaining. Noah and Elle were such delightful characters, absolutely appealing and realistic. Despite Elle's terrible childhood, she is grown into a strong, well-rounded, and feisty woman. Elle and Noah's connection was unquestionably one of passion; I had loads of fun listening to them banter.

Willa James did an excellent job with the narration. She portrayed the characters nicely, capturing the emotions and chemistry. I really enjoyed the audiobook, especially the humour. I'm definitely recommending it.

[Becca McClintock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a crazy funny love/hate story

This is the last book in the Ross brothers trilogy and is about the eldest brother Noah ,

Noah and Elle work together and Noah is a total jerk to her all because he wants her although he thinks he shouldn't because of there age difference after a little accident with an axe yes an Axe they are made to live together while he recovers,with sparks flying a lot of crazy friends and family this book was a great read,
I received this ARC for an honest review

[Cathy hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot 🔥🔥 funny 😂😂

This story you start and can't put down. It's is funny, sexy, romantic, and a good time. Ms. Mays writes a story that pulls you into and doesn't let you go. When you reach the end you are wanting more and more. This story is of grumpy Noah and the sweet secretary Elle. He thinks he's to old and she thinks he is a pain in the tush. They argue and fight which is foreplay for them. You get to see characters from other books that you love. I can't wait for more. Definitely a 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally! Noah & Elle

I have waited so long for this and I was not disappointed! Noah and Elle were so great in this. And I laughed so hard at the axe scene that I cried! I enjoyed getting caught up with all the other characters, but wish we'd gotten a little more about the cops (we got some of Declan and Marc at least). As is usual with Nikki's books, the editing left something to be desired, which is why it got a 4-star instead of a 5. But if that doesn't bother you, you'll love this book. Can't wait for the MCs books! I hope Edge is first!!

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet short finale to the series. I had been waiting for this one... and did like it...

but... the errors made it hard reading... isles/aisles... Ben used instead of Brad... suddenly she was drinking almond water instead of milk... this was the same page. This, sadly, spoiled the read for me. Instead immersing myself I found that I was looking ( or even waiting ) to find the next error.

Having said that... it was a nice read. No angst really - which was surprising considering her background.

Now am waiting for Danny and... sshhh... spoilers!!

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

A humorous and enjoyable story that was a joy to read. The characters have a tumultuous relationship with an underlying attraction that leads to numerous laughable scenes. The supporting cast adds to the enjoyment by adding in their two cents. I absolutely loved this book and look forward to reading more from this author - especially this series where the ending left me with the impression that is a very welcome possibility.

[Lauren Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another absolutely fantastic story. I loved this whole story so much. I found myself laughing quite a bit. I love all the characters in this series and this book was no different. I read it start to finish without stopping, I just couldn't put it down. It had everything we love about Nikki's books. An absolute must read.

[Jennifer Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

MUST READ ALL HER BOOKS! HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR NOAH'S BOOK SO PATIENTLY I KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE GREAT. HE IS FIGHTING HIS ATTRACTION TO ELLE BUT BOY DOES HE FALL.
I LOVE THE FAMILY THAT THIS GROUP HAS FORMED AND THE TROUBLE THEY GET INTO.
I HAVE READ NIKKI'S BOOKS SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE JUST ONCE IS NOT ENOUGH!

[Bec McQuillan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book.

Between laughing so hard at Elle’s team builder forgetfulness to laughing at the Ross brothers antics, this book is an absolute must read.

Also everyone needs a little Dee to make them have a great day.
Nikki has an outstanding ability to write loveable but completely male characters that you love to strangle.