Rating: 4 out of 5.

I love the Toronto Terror book series and the found family it’s created. This is book 5 in the series, but can be read as a stand-alone. Mildred (Dred to her friends) is so strong I instantly loved her. She has a lot of past trauma but she actively works to not let it affect her life. Connor is so broken and misunderstood my heart melted every time someone put him down and he had to act like it didn’t affect him. Being a grumpy jerk is his defense mechanism, but his mask slips when he’s with Dred. I loved that she saw right through his act to the man beneath and gave him comfort and support.

The author does a great job in portraying characters with difficult pasts. Dred was in foster care most of her life and didn’t have a stable home or family until she met Flip and grew her found family around her. Connor’s family made him feel on the outside his entire life and that he’s not good enough. He’s been seen by players and the public as an entitled a-hole and villain and he’s not done much to dispel the rumors. They find solace in each other, but still have a long way to go in trusting each other and believing that they’re worthy of love and acceptance. This is a sweet book with lots of heat.

I received a complimentary ecopy from The Author Agency. All opinions are my own.