Rating: 4 out of 5.

I love the world the author built for this series. The MFC’s intimidating family, the small town characters, the mysterious secrets, the small town cops – this book has everything you could want in a romantic suspense. I listened to the book and the narrators did a fantastic job. They infused plenty of suspicion, snark, hesitation, and steam into their voices to bring the book alive. Samantha Brentmoor’s voice is so versatile that you can easily recognize all the various characters. Connor Crais is smooth as whiskey (see what I did there? lol) and sexy AF. You can feel the heat pouring off him when he interacts with Wyn. I highly recommend you listen to the audio of this book.

The book starts with Wyn working in a remote small town bar under an assumed name, cautious of strangers asking questions, and closed off to getting involved with anyone. She and Julian have a steamy one-time encounter they both can’t forget. Months later Wyn is reunited with her family, teaching at the university again, and developing new whiskey flavors. Imagine her surprise when Julian pops back into her life. Wyn is spooked and even though she wants to, doesn’t welcome Julian with open arms. Julian has his own secrets, but refuses to lose Wyn again and is determined to stick around.

This book has a lot going on which isn’t surprising since it needs to set the scene for future books. I loved the building tension as the various mysteries developed. The interactions between Wyn and Julian are electric. I liked that Wyn didn’t immediately let her guard down and fall into Julian’s arms. He had to earn her trust and was up for the challenge. He was patient, kind, and steady which is what Wyn needed. Some of the various storylines resolved in a satisfying manner and the ending set the next book up well. I look forward to reading it.

I received a complimentary audio of this book from Sourcebooks and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.