Up in Smoke (Hotshots #4)

Up in Smoke (Hotshots #4)

Annabeth Albert

Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

Three Men and a Baby meets Backdraft with explosive chemistry and heartfelt feels. Freewheeling smoke jumper Brandt Wilder thrives on adrenaline. He’s never met a parachute he can’t repair or a dangerous situation he couldn’t wrangle his way out of. He’s popular and fun-loving and not at all looking to settle down or form lasting relationships. It’s a lifestyle that’s served him well…right up until the day he finds a baby on his doorstep. Shane Travis is used to putting his country music career—and his own happiness—on hold after his sister rolls through his life. Like last spring when she convinced him to try skydiving for his birthday—and she walked away with the hot parachute instructor. Now he gets to deliver the piece of news that will upend Brandt’s carefree life: he very well might be a dad. Shane’s niece is safe in Brandt’s strong, capable hands, but too many questions remain unanswered. Co-parenting while they sort it out leads to late-night talks, and soul-bearing confessions lead to a most inconvenient attraction. Still, Shane can’t leave this makeshift family behind—even if it means playing house with the one man he can’t resist.

Publication Year: 2021


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  • Annen
    Jun 03, 2025
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    Mar 28, 2025
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  • Cheri
    Apr 03, 2025
    Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

    Sometimes I fall in love with an author’s description of a character well before I even get to know the character enough to fall in love with them. One of Shane’s thoughts when he sees Brandt for the first time…”Rugged stubbly jaw that was somewhere between lazy and beard. Hazel eyes with crinkly lines, like he laughed his way through life.” I mean, come on! Those descriptions! It not only helped me to get a picture of Brandt in my mind, but also gave me a good idea of the type of person Shane was.

    As with all of the other amazing men in this series, these two guys stole my heart pretty quickly. From their first meeting when nothing even happens, I was hooked. I was all in on seeing them find their way to each other and an HEA. Off the charts chemistry with that vulnerability that I find this author is amazing at writing for her characters.

    All of the “getting to know you” parts in the beginning were great. The way Brandt and Shane learn to trust each other and work together to keep baby Jewel safe, happy, and healthy is sweet and touching. Then the middle parts, the parts where they both start thinking there could be more, wondering if the other would ever want more, were heartrending. Yet when we got to the last quarter of the book, things seemed a bit too rushed for me. Too much like the author realizing she still had a lot to say but not a lot of time to say and do it in.

    Listen, I love this story. I love the how things ended up for Brandt, Shane, and baby Jewel. The highs and lows and everything in between kept me engaged. I had butterflies and warm fuzzies galore. So don’t think this is one that should be skipped just because I felt the pacing of the end was off. It’s still 100% worth the read.

    **I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**

    You can find an excerpt from this story over on my blog at All In Good Time.

    Merged review:

    Sometimes I fall in love with an author’s description of a character well before I even get to know the character enough to fall in love with them. One of Shane’s thoughts when he sees Brandt for the first time…”Rugged stubbly jaw that was somewhere between lazy and beard. Hazel eyes with crinkly lines, like he laughed his way through life.” I mean, come on! Those descriptions! It not only helped me to get a picture of Brandt in my mind, but also gave me a good idea of the type of person Shane was.

    As with all of the other amazing men in this series, these two guys stole my heart pretty quickly. From their first meeting when nothing even happens, I was hooked. I was all in on seeing them find their way to each other and an HEA. Off the charts chemistry with that vulnerability that I find this author is amazing at writing for her characters.

    All of the “getting to know you” parts in the beginning were great. The way Brandt and Shane learn to trust each other and work together to keep baby Jewel safe, happy, and healthy is sweet and touching. Then the middle parts, the parts where they both start thinking there could be more, wondering if the other would ever want more, were heartrending. Yet when we got to the last quarter of the book, things seemed a bit too rushed for me. Too much like the author realizing she still had a lot to say but not a lot of time to say and do it in.

    Listen, I love this story. I love the how things ended up for Brandt, Shane, and baby Jewel. The highs and lows and everything in between kept me engaged. I had butterflies and warm fuzzies galore. So don’t think this is one that should be skipped just because I felt the pacing of the end was off. It’s still 100% worth the read.

    **I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**

    You can find an excerpt from this story over on my blog at All In Good Time.

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