Blaze

Montana Mountain Protectors #1

by Gemma Weir

Everyone in Rockhead Point watched in fascination as the Barnett brothers found their women, and their happily ever afters.

But I’m not a Barnett.

I’m not destined, or cursed to fall in love at first sight.

So why when she walks in the room, do I feel the sudden urge to claim a woman I don’t know, as mine?

With her, I need to control, to possess and own.

Letting her go, isn’t an option.

But sometimes family ties are stronger than new love and someone who should have stayed in the past is trying to ruin our future.

Lies, mistakes, and doubts challenge us, but she gifted me her and I’ll never give her back.

Turns out the Barnetts aren’t the only alpha males in town, hold on tight, because it’s time to meet the Montana Mountain Protectors.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Small Town Romance, Firefighters, Smut, Erotica

331 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 27, 2023

About the author

Gemma Weir is a half crazed stay at home mom to three kids, one man child and a hell hound. She has lived in the midlands, in the UK her whole life and has wanted to write a book since she was a child. Gemma has a ridiculously dirty mind and loves her book boyfriends to be big, tattooed alpha males. She's a reader first and foremost and she loves her romance to come with a happy ending and lots of sexy sex.

Reviews

[Hey Lin · Rating 2 out of 5]

How to rate this......

Bucks name......reminded me of buck teeth the whole time I was.reading 😂😂😂🤷

It started off great......he's supposed to meet a state budget government funding person named James that he heard was a hard ass. He looks up at the restaurant they're supposed to meet at and sees a smokin hot girl with a "boy" name.

She got the reputation of being a hard ass because many people don't take her seriously as a hot office Barbie with boobs 🤦🤦😂 She wants to be taken seriously people! Its what she do! at the restaurant, he finds out shes currently single but shes been divorced for three years since she just sees her ex husband as a friend while her ex and family do not 🙄🙄

The first half of the book had me cringing so hard 😐😐😐 the first time she meets bucks brother, she tells him during dinner that was was married but now divorced and bro acts shocked as shit. So she turns into a ice queen hard ass again and everything got so awkward 😬😬 buck got mad, she runs away and wants to go home, buck is yelling at her to shut the fuck up and listen to him, etc.....ew. Gross.

Then the whole thing with the exs family was really strange and delusional. They kept thinking that she would come to her senses and get back with the ex. She would call her ex husbands family mom, dad, etc. And yo, ex husbands sister had a lot of skin in the game....like gorl, why you so mad? This aint your life 🙄🙄🙄🤔 focus on your own husband and kids okur? She brings buck teeth to their home for dinner even though ex husband thought ahe was joking and comes to pick her up to take her there. Ex mom wanted grandbabies with James and ex and she's crying and sil is yelling and the whole family thinks she's cheating on the ex husband. I didn't understand this whole part because who thinks like this when someone has been divorced for three years?

Buck leaves to let them have time to talk, but he comes back and sees ex and james on the couch. Ex kisses her and he sees this, gets mad and drives away thinking they still have something going....or whatever. She pushes him away right after, which buck didn't see, and she's calling him after she's home and he doesn't answer since his battery died and he's driving all night like a bad Celine Dion commercial. It breaks James that she was so invested in him, she lost her ex family that night because she chose buck teeth, and she's crying too.

Then she runs to Vegas and lies to buck that shes at a work conference in Denver

And then they eff and hea. 😂😂

Edited to add: I just remembered another thing that really bothered me. Buck kept bringing up his experiences with other women compared to her. Like, its cool that you've had and fucked many beautiful women before but not like james but I don't wanna read about every chapter 😬😬😬😐 I'm exaggerating...but am i? 😂🤦

Now that I told the whole book summary..... I think ill make it a 2. I loved the installer and the part where he thinks she kissed her ex and the drama after 🤷but..... It was so cringy and sad with him telling her to shut the fuck upand she can't talk, calling her a bitch 😬😬😬😬 and the whole ex family thing was weird 🙄

[Darlene I read WAY to many books · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are backish in the OTT mountains!! And we saw these guys before now it's Bucks turn he's living the life as a smoke jumper and closer to his sister aka Juni who's married to Teddy Barnett and we know the story of the Barnett siblings. Buck meets James and doesn't know it's a female because of the name, and he's already sprung. Asking her on a date being an alpha bossy man and James secretly loves it since she's an Ice Queen the Girl Boss. She wants someone to help her carry the weight to be taken care of.

The spice was so delicious, and I just loved the banter between the 2. She pushed away, but she enjoyed doing it. They were just great together, and we got some more info on maybe future characters.

They do have few ups and downs from well her being "friends" with her ex-husband. She truly just wanted a friendship and family with that family since they were all she's known. So yeah, it was wired, and they played on her a lot. That was one big drama near the end about that. And our girl made Buck bend hell she ran away from him.



No ow drama/om drama (the ex), no cheating, secondary charas, drama, sexy times, no virgins

Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶


Instalove
33H/28h
Push away from h
Tampering with birth control
Praise kink
Tiny Sonophelia
Breeding
controlling
manipulative
Cum play
No condom
Hea
Epilogue

[Kursed Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Rockhead Point, the “love at first sight” legacy isn’t just for the Barnett boys.

Chief of the Rockhead Point Fire Service, which serves the heavily forested mountainside, Buck Henderson must meet with James Duncan of the state budgeting committee to ensure funding for their operation.

First things first: Buck’s dirty talk is top-tier and he is a champion 🐱 eater!! I liked the premise, and of course, the backdrop and cameos. While still a little more tame than his predecessors, Buck was OTT and the stuff wet dreams are made of. For being a, self-proclaimed baddass boss bitch, James’ naïveté grated on my nerves, however. All in all, I’m stoked for more time on the mountain with a new band of obsessed alphaholes.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Darkness: 🩶
Heat: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Range of Emotions: 😍🫠🥵🥺😍
Ending: 💗 {HEA}

POV: 👫🏻 {Dual | Present}

🗄️ Genre: Contemporary Romance
🗂️ Subgenre(s): New Adult

✨ Tropes: Age Gap (5), Insta-Obsession,
 
💫 Microtropes: Boy Obsessed, Caretaker MMC, Growl, Hand Necklace, Panty Thief, Pet Name, She’s a Runner

🔆 Character: Firefighter/Smoke Jumper

💋 Kinks: 🍑, Biting/Marking, Cum Jammer, Dirty Talk, Domination, Edging, Finger Licking Good, Phone Fun, Power Exchange, Public Play, Somnophilia, Spanking, Squirting, Toys as Teammates

🤰🏻 Pregnancy: n/a

🚩 Red Flags: Alphahole, BC Tampering, Bulldozer MMC, Jealous/Possessive/Obsessive, MINE!, OTT Hero

⛔️ Safety Squad: OM Drama (One Sided)

📍 Setting: Small Town

⚠️ Warning: This smutty read will have you DoorDashing batteries for BOB.

📣 Type: Blaze is the first book in the Montana Mountain Protectors series of interconnected standalones.

🛑 Be Advised: My Goodreads shelves are … explicit in both senses. As such, they could be considered spoiler-y.

[Michelle G · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only problem I had with this book was that I don’t have the next book to read till November. You just can’t help but fall in love with Buck. His take charge approach at everything in this story just leaves you wanting more. I would 100% recommend this book. I will be adding Blaze to my home library! This book was AMAZING!!!!!

[Lily]

i can't finish this, i tried but it's all so cringe, the author wants so bad to show us that H is a alpha that all his actions seen forced, does every time he lift her out of his car need to be narrated? Like we get alpha man lift is lady out of his car betas don't bla bla bla.
Now to the dialogue the words alpha and beta is actually used like we are on goodreads and mind you this is not a book about wolfs, no one in real life say that, we can tell when a hero is a alpha by his actions we really don't need the heroine to be talking like she is in a bookstan forum.
Something else that bothered me was the talk about how H is with other women how he took them to a date and then to bed and cut contact, that's a manwhore to me and manwhores aren't attractive at all and these talk about other women keep going and going ew, all this in a small town where the h could easily bump into one of these women but if it's going to happen idk because i will not finish this, h also is no better she keep her ex husband around and even call his parents mom and dad, you see? a mess, i read a review that the ex husb kiss her and H see it and just leave her, where's the alpha the author was so passionate about? lol anyways a mess, i just wanted a book with a man that knows what he wants and goes for it but i got a cringe drama with a manwhore H and ex drama err pass

[Christy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to say that I love Gemma Weirs other series with the Barnett Brothers so my issue with this one isn't really the over the top cavemen side more James and her weird relationship with her ex. 😂 It was so strange that I was starting actually tear up from how embarrassed and weirded out I was every time she called her exs parents mom and dad. It was so toxic and...and just uncomfy lmao.

I'm really banking on Nero and Tori though. I think it's gonna be great.

[Kathyjacks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blaze
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
✅Alpha obsessed
✅Instant love
✅Praise
✅Buck is a dirty talker
✅James is the heroine’s name
✅Buck is so jealous he’s jealous of the fork in her mouth
✅He loves picking her up and moving her where he wants her
✅Nicknames her Precious
✅Cockwarming
✅Shoves his 💦 back in her where it belongs
✅Forced βrεεdιηg
✅ Plugging her 🐱 so his 💦 stays inside her to get her🤰 with his 👶
✅Takes her BC pills




“James Duncan is mine. I know that right down to my core. She’s mine and I’m going to keep her, marry her, and breed her because I need to own her in a way that is most definitely not okay.”

I’m going to marry, breed, and keep this woman, no matter what it takes.

“We are not anyone’s business except ours. Where you sleep, how many times I fucκ you and fill you with my cυm. How many days we’ve known each other, or how quickly I give you my last name and a baby in your belly? It’s no one’s business but ours.”

James is a strong professional woman who has to be hard and in control at her job. She wants someone who can take control and make decisions for her when she’s at home. She finds Buck who needs to be in control and take care of her. They are the perfect match.

Like the Barnett brothers before him Buck knows the second he meets James that she’s his. We get to see the Mountain Men , their women, and their kids as side characters in this book.

More over the top obsessive possessiveness and of course brεεding. I can’t ever get enough of this author’s crαzy antics. This was another 5 star read for me l. Buck is definitely book boyfriend material.

[Kate V · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - 4 stars!

I was so happy to be back in the OTT and possessive world of the mountain men. The smoke jumpers are getting their stories and first up is Buck, Juni's brother who is married to Teddy Barnett. When Buck meets James he is wholly unprepared for a beautiful woman to sit down in front of him. But as soon as he sets his sights on James...well you know...he takes a page out of the Barnett handbook and decides she is HIS.

“Dating is casual. It’s easy to walk away from, easy to forget, easy to underplay. I don’t want to fucking date you, James. I want to own you. I want to be your everything. I want to know every thought, predict every move. I want to take all of you and make it mine so neither of us is ever the same again. So, no, Precious, I don’t want to date you.”

James is initially hesitant to let Buck steamroll his way into her life but she also secretly loves and needs it. Buck has no reservations about where their future is heading but James is a divorcee and still carries a lot of baggage...literally and figuratively. James' ex and his family are still heavily involved in her life and it will be quite the journey. Despite the obstacles, James can't help but fall in love with Buck.

"The day I met him, he set my life on fire, and I’ve been burning for him ever since. Our love is too fast, too bold, too intense, but being with him is an inferno and I’m ready to spend the rest of my life watching it blaze."

Buck and James were super hot together and I really loved Buck's OTT attitude. You have to leave your feminism at the door with this one just like with all the other mountain men books. Me? I love these kinds of books and these kinds of men. Blaze was super steamy, pretty angsty at times and an enjoyable read. My only problem with this story was the ex drama. It felt super silly to me and I HATED the decisions James made around them. I'd also say there were a few times Buck could have spoken to James differently. However, I know what to expect with these books and I'm looking forward to Buck's brother's book.

[Mia S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caveman switch!

I’ve been in love with the Barnett brothers and was sad when the series ended but knew there was a missed opportunity with the fire squad and soooo happy that the series continues! Yes still ultra possessive and take alpha male to another level, and I would have loved to see the story unravel from the ex and the spiteful family.

[Audrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not a two star book, I just have a deep and burning hatred for Buck Henderson.

I’m no stranger to alphahole characters like this - and I really enjoyed some of Gemma Weir’s other work! - but buck literally shouts in James’ face, tells her to “watch the way she speaks to him” tells her to shut up, and calls her a “fucking bitch”. Every time he thinks of her as attractive he either describes her chest, ass, hips, or waist, or he immediately relates his attraction to a desire for sex. I cannot express enough how little interest he shows in her outside of sex. He’s pathetic and disgusting and I hate him.

Speaking of sex - this book has wayyy too much of it. It’s constant for about 200 pages. Every chapter either begins or ends with sex, several do both. Problems in their relationship aren’t solved with conversations, they’re solved with sex. Argument? Sex. Happiness? Sex. Sadness? Sex. Going on a date? Talking about having sex and showing the sex. And it’s all the SAME!!! None of these sex scenes are unique, to other books or to each other. It makes this book frustrating and boring.

[Alex(Books-In-A-Storm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this one. It was so amazing to see others fall in love like this. I can't wait to read the next book when it comes out.

[Jessica Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The spice was top notch, and the plot was on point. I really felt for James when they had the big conflict with her ex's family. Honestly, I kinda wish there had been a showdown where Buck got to call them all out for being jerks. But that's just me. The name James for a FMC was definitely unique, but I'm not going to lie, it kinda through me for the first few chapters. The book I read before this one was mm, so that may be why lol. It definitely didn't take away from the story. If you like instalove with an ott alpha, then I highly recommend this book.

[StellaR]

Started out promising, like the Barnetts I wish I was in for a fun and crazy read, alas didn't live up to my expectation. For such a supposedly badass woman, she acted dumb especially to her ex and in laws. The H didn't deliver either, his character was just..bland, for lack of a better word. Infuriating read, this one.

[a seductive cactus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes I'm just in the mood for obsessed alphaholes. brb while I dive head first into this entire series.

Reminders for when I go to rec this in the future - the FMC, James, is a self proclaimed badass at work, and desperately wants to not make decisions or be in charge when she comes home. MMC Buck is more than happy to take charge, and the "Barnett" effect of love at first sight is in full swing.

[Brittany (Brit.tea.reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gemma never disappoints with her OTT, possessive, unhinged mountain men. The Barnett brothers have found their forever women, and they're passing the torch to the new guys in town.

𝐼'𝓂 𝑔𝑜𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝓂𝒶𝓇𝓇𝓎, 𝒷𝓇𝟥𝟥𝒹, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓀𝑒𝑒𝓅 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓌𝑜𝓂𝒶𝓃, 𝓃𝑜 𝓂𝒶𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒾𝓉 𝓉𝒶𝓀𝑒𝓈.

The smoke jumpers are finally getting their stories, and first up is Buck, Juni's brother, who is married to Teddy Barnett.

As soon as Buck saw James, he was a goner.

𝒲𝑒𝓉 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓅𝒾𝓃𝓀 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒹𝑒𝓈𝓅𝑒𝓇𝒶𝓉𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝑒 𝒻𝓊𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝒻 🍆. 𝐼'𝓂 𝑔𝑜𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝓇𝓊𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 😻; 𝒾𝓉 𝒷𝑒𝓁𝑜𝓃𝑔𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝓂𝑒 𝓃𝑜𝓌.

James has always been in control of things, making all the decisions. But she wants someone else to take the reins and tell her what to do, and Buck is more than willing to help her out.

He knew he would do ANYTHING to get her to be his forever woman, and he did. 😉 He even goes above and beyond and steals her BC pills, hoping she will get pregnant.

Buck and James had some amazing banter, and like always, the spice was top-notch. Blaze was a great start to this new series. I enjoyed reading how the Barnetts are doing and meeting the new characters.

𝐼 𝒸𝒶𝓃'𝓉 𝓌𝒶𝒾𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝓌𝒶𝓉𝒸𝒽 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓉𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉 🍑 𝓈𝓉𝓇𝑒𝓉𝒸𝒽 𝒶𝓇𝑜𝓊𝓃𝒹 𝓂𝓎 🍆, 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝓅𝓊𝓂𝓅 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒻𝓊𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝒻 𝓂𝓎 💦.

I can't wait to read Nero's book. Hurry up, November!

[jenniO · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love it!

Honestly the Barnetts have become one of my fave book series ever and I don't know how it happened but Blaze Honestly just ... I can't even find the words.

Buck holy moly!! It's so blooming good it's up there with my fave mountain men! I don't even know how I'm saying this but I think I have a new fave!!

Buck and James have a similar insta possessive fast pace relationship as the Barnetts, and words gonna hit town their legacy is catching! I can not wait for Neros book and to see more of the sexy smoke Jumpers cause omg! I need them now lmao

Well done Gemma Weir you smashed it out the park with this one xx I loved it 15 out of 10 from me lol xx
And 6 stars on amazon if I could lol xx Honestly check it out x

[Zoe_isreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic, smoking hot start to the Montana Mountain Protectors Series!

Buck and James are hot for each other straight from the get go and Buck is determined to get James straight away - which you should expect from Gemma Weir! It's a hot passionate read, filled with some old faces you'll recognise from the Mountain Man series too!

I also love the fact the FMC is called James. I can't wait to read the next in the series!

[Skittles Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

Took me more than three months to finish this! 🥵This is a spin-off series from The Mountain Men, where the characters are Juni’s brothers and the rest of the smoke jumping team.

Buck is the chief of the smoke jumpers/ firefighters. He saw James Duncan and thought she was a male, but when she turned out to be a hot, sassy female that was it, end game for him. The first 1/3 was typical of Gemma Weir’s heroes like the Barnett brothers: insta-love/ love at first sight, possessive, overbearing hero who falls hard and fast (like really hard and very very fast, no kidding), wanting to claim and take care of his woman, doing dubious things to her like stealing her pills and planning to impregnate her (reminiscent of Huck and Cora), and basically going caveman apeshit when she wanted space.

The middle third- God. I wish Gemma Weir would trim the smut and actually right about what Buck and James felt when things got awry. That’s what made Huck and Cora’s story better than the rest of the novel- we read this stuff not for the smut but the actual desperation and crazy need that these characters have in their heads when the other one’s not around. Yes yes, my taste is a bit unhinged when it comes to pining, but I read these kinds of books not for the really over the top spicy scenes, but for the actual pining. We all know these men are red flags in real life, that’s why fiction is the only way to go.

The last third kind of redeemed it for me. James finally got some sense into her and tried to put space between them. Thank goodness! About damn time. This book needed that drama because all the possessiveness and clingy intense messages and proximity between the MCs were seriously making me sick. Wish she concentrated on this part more than the smut in the middle. Would have been a better reading experience.

2.5 stars.

[whorefortyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars - gemma weird mountain men books are always such a good palate cleanser.
i loved how ott the H was in this, and really liked how little push the h had.
i did kinda get annoyed a few times though. i wish the H would’ve gotten protective over the h when she was upset at dinner w his brother, instead of just calling her a cold bitch multiple times.
also i felt like the pushing of alpha men was a bit harsh. not in the actual actions, but in gemmas writing and acting like wanting to be more submissive as a woman isn’t the societal norm (??) - and how crazy rare the h is because she wants a man that takes a bit more charge … again… as if it isn’t the norm. idk if felt embarrassing seeing how she used “girl boss” in such a millennial way too 😭😭

also disliked how the h was with her ex. it felt super disrespectful for me, and i really struggled getting through the whole situation of her letting the H get kicked out of her ex’s home - and then staying there after the ex’s family disrespected him. i thought that the whole situation was her fault and that the H’s response was completely valid.

i also despised how she then lied to the H? i would’ve loved to see the h tell the H straightforward that she was leaving to get space - and then get to see a whole scene where he goes crazy rushing after the next plane to see her. instead it felt disloyal to see her continuously lie :///

the H also tho, could’ve been more possessive and aggressive towards the ex?? like how can he be jealous towards his brother regarding the h, but then be fine(using “fine” lightly”) with the h having contact and talking w her ex… idk man.

either way, smut was super hot. loved seeing the other families in the book. the friend seemed like a super funny person, and am excited to see the brother’s story. :)))

[Claudia, Cmarie927 · Rating 5 out of 5]

No space, No distance

As a huge fan of the Barnett family series (Montana Mountain Men) and their OTT, Alpha, caveman behaviors... I was excited to dig into the new series following a crew of smoke jumpers.

Blaze and Nero manage this group of guys. They are also Juni's brothers (Teddy Barnett's wife), who never really understood the "insta-love" aspects of the Barnett family. Until James entered Blaze's orbit, and he felt it.

There were a few times that I was frustrated with both of these characters. Oh, the miscommunication and the lies... I could have smacked them both!

This couple's chemistry and steamy scenes are crazy hot, and his claiming and control of James is very entertaining!

PLEASE read and believe the author's "warning" that all his control and Neanderthal behavior is fiction and not at all appropriate in real life - but is, in fact, wildly entertaining and addictive.
Trust that you will enjoy his pursuit of her, and how this storyline spins around. (I certainly did.)

Can't wait for the next one!

[FANCHON · Rating 4 out of 5]

My guilty pleasure

If you are unfamiliar with this author, or haven’t read or heard about the crazy Barnett Brothers, then I insist you STOP and familiarize yourself before you go any further. Seriously, you have been warned.

These are not your everyday book boyfriends. Quite the opposite actually. These are men that are built around every red flag imaginable. These men would guaranteed have restraining orders in place. But in fantasy land, being so obsessively in love with your woman the moment you meet her is HOT. Being so out of their mind obsessed these men have zero issue with going full on caveman, sometimes kid napping their woman or refusing to let her leave. Sometimes stealing her birth control and talking a lot about breeding her. You get the idea. It’s over the top. It’s anti everything feminism. But in make believe world, being that woman whose life is turned upside down and is being pursued relentlessly, even bulldozed, by a man who worships you so completely is swoony instead of scary. So if you can take off your reality hat and step into the fantasy, you might just enjoy this as much as the rest of us do.

[Tabatha Reed · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This started out pretty strong but hit a few stumbling blocks along the way. Overall, I enjoyed it, mostly.

I liked the whole bossy, possessive alpha thing Gemma Weir has going on with her heroes. It’s really the whole selling point for her books. These gruff heroes bulldoze their way into the lives of the heroines in fun and sometimes infuriating ways. It’s pretty fun to read.

This one felt a bit off to me. Gemma Weir is far from the only author to write this kind of book and she has an impressive stable of these gems in her repertoire. However, this is the first time I have ever felt like I was being spoon fed a message.

It very much came off like “bossy, possessive alpha dudes” are the superior choice over “boundary respecting, weak beta males”. Of course, that’s not how it’s played off but that definitely feels like the message here.

Real talk, I want my book heroes to 1000% be the bossy, possessive alpha type who won’t rest until he has the heroine. I don’t need it spelled out like this or the comparison to the weaker beta guys. It’s 100% ok to imply the difference I don’t need it shown to me in technicolor. Because the message starts to come off as political and DO NOT WANT POLITICS in my romance books. I want the fantasy not a message preached to me. I liked this book, in spite of the blatant messaging, not because of it.

Subversive messaging aside, this book lost some steam for me with our 3rd act conflict/separation. I long for books to give us more juicy OM drama, especially this kind of book, that can showcase that possessiveness from the H. This had quite a lot of promise but it floundered. The H ends leaving h to deal with the “family” issues. I swear I’d have rather seen him literally chuck her up in his shoulder and leave with her. The following action felt not only out of character but deeply contrived.

Having H run off butthurt when he sees h’s ex kissing her instead of rampaging in and knocking him on his ass also felt out of character given what we’ve seen. There’s never any real explanation for his out of character behavior.

The h pulls a runner which is, admittedly, in character for her - but it takes H too long to catch on and intervene. Separations, even brief ones like this, are never welcome in romances with me.

This is a fast burn, they bang around 19% and Gemma stays on brand with having H manipulate and control h with sex 🔥🔥🔥

No virgins
H is somewhat a reformed manwhore
No condoms
Birth control tampering but no pregnancy
No OW drama
OM drama
No sex scenes with others
No cheating
HEA
Epilogue (but no time has passed)

Safety - this is mostly safe. H makes too frequent references to his sexual history which was mildly annoying but no OW drama.

The respectful, boring beta ex husband OM is lurking about hoping h will return to him. The h is somehow oblivious to his machinations. He ambushed her with a kiss that H sees. H runs away in a mantrum instead of breaking the OM face which results in the third act conflict/separation.

[Deidre Isaac · Rating 2 out of 5]

My Rating: 2 / 5 🌟

I was expecting this to be my new guilty pleasure series, but unfortunately that won’t be the case.

This book was just so boring especially towards the end. I was somewhat expecting this to be the the Montana Mountain Men series 2.0, but I was just left disappointed and that’s on me.

[Lisa Warmington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Been waiting so long for this that I hardly put it down all day as soon as I started reading. Absolutely loved it and will probably read it and all Barnett brothers stories over and over again between now and November while waiting for scorch to be released.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how this felt a bit more grounded then the Montana books. At times, it was a bit too set-up-y for the rest of the series, but I loved buying into it and getting excited for the rest of the series!!! Can't wait for Nero

[Stephanie Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gemma Weir just gets me. She knows exactly what I am looking for and just nails it every time. I could do without the name "Buck" though.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

what is with this woman and having her MMC steal/tamper with the FMC’s birth control??? (not a one star, that is reserved exclusively for Colleen Hoover)

[Soph · Rating 1 out of 5]

1⭐️

All I can think of is kill bill where he says, "my name is buck and I like to fuck" and it can't be unseen 😩☠️

[Fiatgal · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 This story was missing some of the charm and craziness of the previous books. Slow getting started, lots of sex, but not as enticing as you would think. The last 25-30% redeemed this story for me. Well written, and I'll think about reading another GW book, but maybe not this series.

[Reading Raccoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gemma's books are always such a fun, not so guilty pleasure to read.
Loved the book, cant wait for the next.