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Off #5.6

Off Duty

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As a member of the New York Fire Department, single father Tim Davis is about as tough as they come. But underneath the muscles and tattoos, he still nurses a bruised heart handed to him courtesy of his first love. While on vacation with his son in New Orleans, Tim runs into the very woman that taught him about love before pulling it all away.

Holly Reynolds is rebuilding her life as an orthopedic doctor, far away from her home in New York City and her controlling father… the man responsible for tearing her and Tim apart. While she knows the hurt she caused Tim could never be forgiven, she can’t help the overwhelming feelings she still has for her first and deepest love.

Truths are revealed as lies are exposed.

Two people come back together again to explore the fragile emotional bonds that still keep them tethered, even as their passion ignites hotter than any fire Tim has ever had to put out before.

5 pages, Audible Audio

First published June 16, 2015

116 people are currently reading
2300 people want to read

About the author

Sawyer Bennett

166 books14.4k followers
New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Sawyer Bennett uses real life experience to create relatable stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From contemporary romance, fantasy romance, and both women’s and general fiction, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.

A former trial lawyer from North Carolina, when she is not bringing fiction to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to her very adorable daughter, as well as full-time servant to her wonderfully naughty dogs.

If you’d like to receive a notification when Sawyer releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter (sawyerbennett.com/signup).

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5 stars
616 (29%)
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732 (34%)
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611 (29%)
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124 (5%)
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19 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
Profile Image for Lyndy Ann ♫.
672 reviews
December 11, 2015
LOVE IS LOVE

This is a second chance romance for Holly and Tim who were torn apart by Holly's bigoted father when they were high school sweethearts.

Ten years later and a ER visit and a chance meeting and soon the old feelings soon surface. What will happen between them?

Off Duty in the seventh story in the Off series by Sawyer Bennett, this is short at 72 pages but it still has everything you expect from Ms Bennett.

Profile Image for Michelle.
2,082 reviews895 followers
December 11, 2015
Off Duty brings us the story of Tim Davis and Holly Reynolds, Tim who we met in Off Chance as Flynn’s best friend.

While Tim and his son Sam visit his sister in New Orleans, an accident brings him face to face with his first love and the woman who broke his heart.

Holly had huge dreams as a teenager and when her father’s actions press a young, naive girl, she let go of the man she loved. A mistake she’s lived with for a decade. But when she pulled that hospital curtain back she never expected to find the man she lost standing behind it.

This was a quick read that was, in SB fashion, full of feels and some steamy scenes. I just wish there was more time to really settle into their story because they had a pretty major issue that tore them apart and the resolution to that whole aspect came really quickly. A little too quickly. But limited space and all sort of explains all that.

I am a sucker for a single dad though. For fans of the Off Series, this is a no brainer!
Profile Image for Selva Palacios.
Author 24 books155 followers
February 19, 2022
2.5 stars actually. English IS not my first language so this is not going to be long: simple story, simplified feelings, everything happens so fast, so quickly. It could have been good, but in the end It takes more than this to build Up a good story.
Profile Image for Michelle.
2,103 reviews1,416 followers
March 17, 2015
ARC provided by author in exchange of honest review

**This book/story can be found in the Night Shift Anthology***

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Off Duty by Sawyer Bennett was a smoking hot and sweet read to kick off the Night Shift Anthology. This book just put a BIG FAT SMILE on my face throughout the whole time I was reading this book. This story is about second chances, forgiveness, and rekindling an old love. I love the simple message of this story. Love has no bounds. Love sees no color. And Love is LOVE. So if you are looking for a book with hot sexy firefighter and a sexy bombshell doctor, then go read Off Duty because their love is fiery hot. #LoveIsLove

#001


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Profile Image for Sandra Shipman ~ Two Book Pushers.
2,080 reviews52 followers
July 28, 2015
I have read a few of Sawyer's novels but haven't had the chance to read any of the Off Series books. Now that I have read this one, I will have to had the rest to my crazy TBR list.

Tim is visiting his sister in New Orleans with his son, Sam. Tim is a fireman in New York City and a single dad. He hasn't truly been in love since his first love broke his heart when he was 18. He hasn't seen her since the day she shattered his heart. He has thought about her over the years but when he sees her 10 years later he was in shock...

Holly moved to New Orleans nine years ago and now a doctor. She still hasn't found love and still think about her first love, Tim. After her controlling father broke her heart, she broke Tim's. Her relationship with her father hasn't been the same since. She didn't think it would ever be the same with Tim either because she ever would of thought she would see him never again. But when fate stepped in...her life is changed forever.

Holly and Tim have a second chance. They still have the chemistry and feelings but can Holly mend his broken heart? The one she broke in the first place. They also live in different states and have 10 years to catch up on. What will happen after spending some time together and Tim and Sam go home to NYC?

I loved this story. It's about second chances and about forgiveness. I want more Tim, Holly and Sam!

#Loveislove

Quotes:

“A dog would be so cool. I want one just like Scout, except we couldn’t name it Scout. Maybe I’d call him Ranger… or Pete… or maybe even Sweet Foxy Brown.”

“Damn Holly… I truly only came by to see if you had time for a cup of coffee.”

“Trust me, buddy. One day, this won’t seem gross to you.”
Profile Image for Kara Hildebrand (Two Book Pushers).
1,757 reviews143 followers
July 28, 2015
I love second chance romances. I love Sawyer Bennett. So, a Sawyer Bennett second chance romance is like spun gold to me! Off Duty is a short story, but packs all the punch of a full length novel. Tim and Holly were high school sweethearts until her father tore them apart. While on vacation in New Orleans, Tim runs into Holly and it's obvious that they still have strong feeling for each other. After the initial shock of seeing each other wear off, the old hurts come barreling back. Tim still wants Holly and he doesn't think it's too late. Can they talk about the past and move on? Will Holly forgive herself for hurting Tim and give him her heart again? I just love this story. It's sweet, funny, sexy, and emotional.
#Loveislove 


There is just something between Holly and me that can't be explained for whatever reason, it connects us on a different level. A higher plant. A cosmic emotional universe where only we exist.
Profile Image for Jade aka MrsTosh.
1,116 reviews63 followers
March 26, 2019
I am a big fan of Sawyer Bennett, all her books I have read so far have been entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable. This one was too for a short audiobook but I just couldn't connect with the characters.
Profile Image for Darlene Avery.
998 reviews3 followers
July 28, 2015
Off Duty is soooo good there are not enough words !!! I absolutely love how Sawyer Bennett grabs you from the very beginning of a story and doesn't let go. And the characters in Off Duty, Tim & Holly, will completely steal your hearts. Bennett has the ability to write characters that come alive and make you want them to find their way to an HEA. Love love loved Off Duty !!!
Profile Image for Deniz.
1,204 reviews97 followers
November 29, 2020
2.5 Stars

While I think this is well written and I like the character building, it was all a bit too happily convenient and just a bit tooooooo sweet for me.
And the whole first love and true love thing is just not my cup of tea.
Profile Image for CC.
1,781 reviews238 followers
March 1, 2017
Super short but super sweet. Second chance aspect did not really bother me. They both had lives after each other. I mean she made the bigger sacrifice but it was still her choice.
Profile Image for Byron Washington.
732 reviews4 followers
June 3, 2018
This is one of those stories that rings so real and true. The world is changing, but there is still a long way to go. Though I have no doubt that we'll eventually get there.
Profile Image for Sandra R.
3,353 reviews47 followers
June 20, 2022
I listened to the audio. A nice second chance romance novella with steamy romance scenes.
Profile Image for Sandy S.
8,275 reviews207 followers
July 21, 2015
4 stars

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Original Release: Night Shift Anthology March 17, 2015

Single Release: June 16, 2015

As a member of the New York Fire Department, single father Tim Davis is about as tough as they come. But underneath the muscles and tattoos, he still nurses a bruised heart handed to him courtesy of his first love. While on vacation with his son in New Orleans, Tim runs into the very woman that taught him about love before pulling it all away.

Holly Reynolds is rebuilding her life as an orthopedic doctor, far away from her home in New York City and her controlling father… the man responsible for tearing her and Tim apart. While she knows the hurt she caused Tim could never be forgiven, she can’t help the overwhelming feelings she still has for her first and deepest love.

Truths are revealed as lies are exposed.

Two people come back together again to explore the fragile emotional bonds that still keep them tethered, even as their passion ignites hotter than any fire Tim has ever had to put out before.

•••••••

REVIEW: 4 stars--OFF DUTY is the seventh installment in Sawyer Bennett’s OFF series. This is New York firefighter Tim Davis, and New Orleans physician Holly Reynolds’s storyline.

NOTE: OFF DUTY can be found in the anthology NIGHT SHIFT anthology: Dirty Things Happen in the Dark

Told from alternating first person points of view (Tim and Holly ) OFF DUTY is a second chance storyline about two people who were torn apart ten years earlier by racism and a bigot for a father. Tim and Holly were high school sweethearts who in the blink of an eye found themselves separated by the racist ideals of Holly’s father. Tim is an African American male and Holly’s dad forcibly removed Tim from his daughter’s life. Fast forward ten years, Tim is now a divorced dad with a five year old son, and reconnects with the now Dr. Holly Reynolds while on vacation in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The relationship between our couple has already been established. They are quick to reconnect with one another as though ten years and a lifetime of happiness had never been ripped from their grasps and in this, there is no lingering or sexual build up to the storyline-our couple immediately fall back into one another’s lives . The $ex scenes are erotic, provocative and hot.

The secondary and supporting characters include Tim’s sister Denise, and Tim’s son Sam. And in the background, there is a little Flynn Caldwell for OFF series cohesion.

OFF DUTY is a fun, romantic and quick read; a novella that sees Firefighter Tim Davis finally find his happily ever after. Sawyer Bennett does what she does best writing happily ever afters for everyone to enjoy.


Profile Image for Christi Snow.
Author 69 books738 followers
March 28, 2015
Off Duty by Sawyer Bennett
My Rating: B
My Review:
I do enjoy stories about second chances and this one was pretty cute. Ten years ago, Holly's father managed to rip apart Tim and Molly their senior year in high school. Neither has ever fully recovered from that, although they have managed to move on in their lives...until they meet unexpectedly again in the ER.

The saying Love is Love tends to be used in LGBT couples (at least in my experience, but I may be off here), but I really loved the twist on it in this relationship. I love that theme and the fact that these two were in love as teenagers. I enjoyed the set-up and pretty much everything about the overall story. That being said, the romance felt a little too soon for me. I understand it's a novella, but I needed just a tiny bit more of anticipation and exhilaration between the two. Just a tiny bit. I did like that there was resolution between Holly and her family, too. It was fun and sweet. Overall, I liked it.
Profile Image for My Own Bookshelves.
717 reviews136 followers
January 9, 2018
Sucker for a second chance romance? Need a short read while sitting by the pool or on the beach? This novella is for you! I find that novellas are harder to review than books. They are limited to few pages and sometimes difficult to get any type of sense of the characters. Sawyer Bennett does not falter and gives a wonderful story along with very steamy scenes.

Tim and Holly are separated by time and distance after a break up senior high school year. It's very apparent to the reader that neither character has lost all depth of feeling for the other. This second chance allows them to grow that love and build a family too. I could relate to the characters reasons for their separation not first hand, but being part of a narrower minded community while growing up. These characters definitely teach us that #loveislove.

Again Ms. Bennett wows the reader with another great complete HEA as part of the Off Duty series. Keep them coming!
Profile Image for Bette Hansen.
5,073 reviews40 followers
August 1, 2015
Loved this one!! It's a fantastic second chance story that's full of emotion, family, and lots of sizzling sexy times! A great addition to the Off series that everyone needs to read! I highly recommend it.

An emergency room visit for his young son brings Tim Davis face to face with the one woman who has ever really owned his heart. It's immediately clear that the attraction is still there but has the passing of time healed to whole in his heart her betrayal left???
Profile Image for Rebecca.
2,889 reviews160 followers
July 29, 2015
Love is love is the overpowering theme in Sawyer Bennett’s Off Duty where a second chance at love is exactly what Tim Davis and Holly Reynolds needs to get over their mutual heartbreak from what could have been and focus on what is now.

I loved how Tim and Holly worked through their past and found the feelings that they had once had for each other were still simmering under the surface ready to be freed and experienced many years later where they could actually fight for one another.
Profile Image for Bev .
2,235 reviews482 followers
April 20, 2015
Read as part of the Nightshift Anthology.

Now this is how you write a novella. I read another story in this anthology and was so damn angry, I felt cheated you know. Thank goodness I gave the anthology another chance and read this and oneby Kindle Alexander and enjoyed them both.

Thank you Sawyer Bennett for redeeming the anthology, Off Duty was a truly fabulous little read

4.5 stars
Profile Image for Lisa.
1,847 reviews
April 1, 2015
A sweet second-chance romance between Tim and Holly. A surprise reunion at the hospital Tim takes his 5 year old son to, starts a re-kindling of lost love and healing. Enjoyable novella read, part of the Nightshift Anthology.
Profile Image for Lora.
1,330 reviews10 followers
June 18, 2015
Very cute...I liked this one. Easy short read. Just what I needed after this series was complete.
Profile Image for Sarah.
153 reviews7 followers
July 22, 2015
i read this in the night shift book that i got from loveNvegas this weekend on the car ride home and it was amazing. i loved it.
Profile Image for Carole Rae.
1,618 reviews43 followers
July 29, 2022
Stumbled upon this one while casually searching in Audible. I like firemen and second chances, so why not ;)

Here we follow Holly and Tim. Holly is rebuilding her life far away from her home in New York and her father. Her father is responsible for tearing her away from her first love, Tim, years ago. She can't forgive her father and she can't forgive herself for the hurt she gave. Tim is now a single father and a member of the NY Fire Department. He has never really gotten over his first love, but time goes on, right? While on vacation in New Orleans with his kid, he runs into Holly. Truths are revealed and hurts are mended.

This is technically book #5.6...but it could read as a standalone. I'm sure some of the characters mentioned are couples from previous books, but you don't need to know them. I feel like Tim was a side character that just got a story, which is fine with me.

I liked Tim and I liked Holly. They deserved this second chance. Her dad was a racist a-hole back in the day.

Now...I do wish this had been a full-length novel or even a few more pages would've been nice. There are such deep hurts between Tim and Holly. And hell, between Holly and her family. Everything was solved so easily and quickly. It didn't feel realistic to me. They talked for like one chapter and then BOOM back in each other's beds and lives. Too quick for all the deep pain. I can forgive Tim and Holly for moving on and forgiving each other so quickly especially after they talked over dinner. But the scene with Holly, Tim, and the dad? Nope. That dad has a lot of things to do to get that forgiveness.

Tim was treated like crap and deserved to be wined and dined by Holly and the dad.

This needed more pages and more time.

The narrators did a good job. They did all the voices well.

In the end, I did enjoy this, but it needed more. The solutions were too easy and too quick. Tim deserved more. 2 stars from me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews

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