"But I knew. I knew. Hadn’t I always known we hurtled toward this? That at some point the bill would come due, and eventually he’d go up in the air and the sky wouldn’t give him back."
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Jesus H. I have the worst book hangover...
I have loved this group of fighter pilots from the start. Burn was the level headed guy, Thor the silent and deep water, Easy the...well...easy going one, a big kid with a quick smile and little depth. Well no, we KNEW that he had layers upon layers about him...
Dani's life took a tragic turn when her husband lost orientation, crashing down to earth while sitting in a fighter jet. She has been trying hard to find a semblance of normalcy but the void in her heart and house is overwhelming at the best of times. The most simple tasks have become a Herculean effort:
“Do you want matte or gloss?� I blinked, the paint cans blurring before me. What type of paint did you use to erase a broken dream? No fucking clue.
Through it all there has been one constant: Alex "Easy" Rogers. He has been her rock, a friend she can count on whenever she feels the ground slip away under her feet.
Easy has been in love with Dani since the first time he laid eyes on her, his reputation as a player a distraction from his love for her. Dani being his squadron leader's wife he never acted on his feelings, the bro-code of honor he lives by has always been too important to him. The guilt that comes with his friend's death smothers him and he would do anything to help Dani through the worst time of her life.
I would have given everything I had to trade places with him, so he could have come back for her.
For the hours Dani spends with Easy she gets relief from the soul deep grief she feels. At the same time there is guilt because she doesn't want to forget her husband, but Alex awakes feelings in her she hasn't felt in a long time. When they escalate they have to face consequences they didn't see coming.
“Don’t you get it by now? There is no one else. There never will be anyone else. There’s just her.�
I fell in love with Easy in the first book of the series and he has been holding a soft spot in my heart ever since. If there is a perfect man out there who is anything like him, raise your hand and tell me where you are. I want to call DIBS. That guy? Utter perfection. He is EVERY-FUCKING-THING. Understanding, tender, loving, funny, loyal, generous, strong, and has so many layers upon layers upon layers that you would have to spend a lifetime with this guy and still would not find the end of his larger than life personality. He is simply everything a woman can want from a man. My heart shattered for him, every time his was crushed yet again by the love of his life. Yet this woman brought out the best man he could be.
I loved her, and loving someone was more about them than you, so it didn’t matter what I wanted.
His unrequited but irrevocable love for Dani was the reason that made me love him so hard. The reputation he had as a player, his silent suffering, his quick smiles despite it, it all added to his appeal.
Dani was such a wonderfully broken heroine. It was hard to watch her pick up her life and start from scratch. Her guilt over wanting to move on is so misguided yet understandable, she loved her husband deeply. Even with Easy's help it is everything but easy. She is confused and afraid and has had her soul stripped to the essence of it - first by the death of her husband and then by Easy. Dani always tries to do the right thing. She knows what she has in Alex, loves him just as much and once her feelings started to change I could hear an imaginary faint "halleluja" from all people involved, including Joker. I felt relief when the angst eased and was genuinely happy for these two.
"I’ve loved you in so many ways� my friend, my family, my lover."
The insane sexual chemistry between these two was magnificent. It was in every word, every sigh, it was so intimate that I almost felt like a stalker looking in.
This was a worthy conclusion of this series and I think Chanel Cleeton has outdone herself. There was lots of angst, lots of tears and a huuuuge amount of love. Each and everyone of the books in this series is a favorite of mine, honest to God, but Easy is hands down one of my all-time favorite heroes. I mourn the fact that Chanel Cleeton is done with this series. I truly hope that she will return to the fighter pilots one day and write more of them. There is something about this group of men that is irresistible. Until then I'll just read whatever she throws at me because, honestly, this author has talent in spades.
“Are you ready to go home?� she asked when she was right in front of me, and I nodded, my throat and heart suddenly so fucking full. She might not have realized it, but I’d been home ever since I’d stepped off that ladder and taken her into my arms. She was my home.
Chanel Cleeton, where have you been all my life? I was fortunate to have the second of this amazing series waiting for me after finishing Fly With Me, thanks to the author gifting me an ARC.
Military men are a league of their own. They own every little bit of confidence, cockiness and arrogance but also loyalty and love for whatever they deem worthy. This is why I love stories featuring them.
Seeing her ex again after such a long time has left Becca angry and confused. And when he comes to his home town after a decade of absence she does everything she can to shut him out and put up walls against this different yet familiar Eric. He sneaks past Becca's walls though and soon she finds herself entangled with him again. Forgiving is hard, forgetting almost impossible, and nobody wants to be second fiddle to your guy's job.
I have no idea how to put all my emotions for this book and the series into words. The heartbreak these two endured separated from the other because of one bad decision, the love that jumps from each page at you, the hope that is tangible, it all lured me in, hook, line and sinker and I just couldn't stop reading.
"What?" "You being here. In South Carolina. With me." "Not a nightmare?" "It depends on the day you ask me." "It feels like a dream."
Becca is an endearing heroine with a huge chip on her shoulder. Her strength is what defines her, so it's no surprise that forgiveness doesn't come easy to Becca but she is willing to work through the history that connects her with Eric. And so is he, he shows her with small and big gestures that he thinks the world of her. The way he treats Becca is achingly sweet. Eric is such a swoon-worthy hero. He has it all, the cockiness, the arrogance and the depth to make him doubt himself and his decisions. His remorse for cutting himself loose is in every word he says. With his heart in Becca's hands he is desperate to find a solution out of the mess he created otherwise it would mean ending up where they did those ten years ago.
"Have dinner with me tonight." She grinned. "Okay." I graduated from "maybes to "okays", and I felt like a fucking king.
Their soul deep connection makes this story so worth reading. They try so hard to get past their messy history, it's beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. And then there is that lady parts-tingling attraction, the undeniable force that draws them together that makes you gasp and hold your breath. Their deep sexual need for one another is exciting and it almost makes you feel like an intruder. I loved their chemistry.
At some point I was wondering how this would play out, with both of them being on completely different paths and not being able to stray from them. I couldn't see either of them give in...but I shouldn't have doubted that the author would get it right. When Becca finally realizes that things have changed from the impossibility of their love to the only way, it is mindblowingly sweet. At that point my heart strings let loose a crescendo of feelings for these two. I was so relieved. You realize that these two had to go through the heartbreak to find a common path. They weren't in the same place when they separated and only the time apart got them to where they had to be.
Maybe it took losing her to realize just how much I needed her, the contrast between my life with Becca and my life without never clearer than in this moment.
What I love about the heroes of this series is that they are good men and still have the edge of badasses and super-alphas. They don't mess around, they go for what they want without being dicks about it. They are open about what they feel and have no shame admitting it. It's easy to fall in love with them.
Chanel Cleeton's writing style is fluid. The dialogues feel natural and you can't help sinking into the story and being swept away with it.
I hope after this series finishes Chanel Cleeton will continue writing romance with fighter pilots. I have no idea why not more authors do it, there is so much potential. Maybe they shy away from the knowledge that is needed, or even the insight that Ms. Cleeton has. But be that as it may, I think if this author continues what she's doing she'll strike a rich vein. I'm her devoted reader at any rate.
ARC received by the author in exchange for an honest review - thank you so much!
Quotes are taken from the unpublished work and are subject to change....more
I was 16 when I saw Top Gun for the first time. The speed, the elegance of those powerho 5 "Need for Speed" Stars
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I was 16 when I saw Top Gun for the first time. The speed, the elegance of those powerhorses in the sky, the uniforms and hot guys, it all drew me in, fascinated me. There is something about military men that is irresistable, too. Here is a bit of personal information: today I work in civil aviation because I love flying (as a passenger) as much as traveling. It's not comparable to the acrobatic art of flying a fighter aircraft but there is nothing cooler than sitting in a cockpit, feeling this monster of a machine taking off and understanding the physics behind it. Needless to say that I wanted to read this series badly.
Jordan is a boutique owner. She loves her professional independence and adores her job. Jordan accompanies her sister to Las Vegas to celebrate Meg's bachelorette party when the fighter pilots from the Wild Aces enter the party scene.
Noah clocks Jordan the minute he sets foot into the bar and damn, this woman is a bombshell he can't pass up. They don't talk a lot but share an erotic dance that leaves both of them breathless. What starts with the prospect of a one-night stand develops into more with each minute these two spend together but the fun time in Vegas comes to an end and they both face the decision of how to go from here. Neither of them wants to walk away from their instant connection and they live in different states so long distance relationship it is. Throughout their journey they are on the same page as far as their feelings are concerned. But Noah has already a wife: the US Air Force. Is Jordan really ready to be a military girlfriend with all this entails, always coming second?
Love was scary enough. Loving a military man was something else entirely.
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Jordan and Noah both are incredibly endearing characters and my love for them knows no bounds. Our heroine has sass and isn't shy about herself or her appearance. She is smart, sexy, adorable and cheeky and follows her intuition which more often than not leads her on the right path. Noah. THAT MAN! Oh he is everything. A heady combination of fighter pilot, super alpha, self confidence and intensity. He wants to do right by Jordan and his honesty regarding his feelings is so exhilarating - I fell in love with him right away.
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There is no unnecessary drama to find in this story, everything that these two go through is relatable and has to happen to advance their relationship and move it forward. Jordan has a couple of freakouts in the face of how fast their relationship develops and who can blame her? She doesn't run away though, she gives good thought to it and makes her decision combining gut feeling and reason. Noah is right there with her but he grounds her when she is overwhelmed with her emotions. There was a funny scene with Noah sporting a mustache when his girl comes to visit and Jordan freaks out about it. Yes, it may appear shallow at first look but it still defines their relationship: Pick your battles and don't get hung up on unimportant drama.
Insta-whatever is usually not my cuppa. I love the slow build of a relationship and all the nuances of the feelings that arise when you meet somebody who you are attracted to. This here is insta-everything. These two meet, fall in lust and in love shortly after. Yet, this story ticked all of my boxes. I LOVED the hero. I ADORED the heroine and the story was captivating from the first page to the last. There is a little bit of heartbreak and lots of deep heartwarming emotions and as a huge bonus it had fighter pilots and their F16s in it. We are also treated to detailed knowledge and a deep insight into the lives of air force pilots. The secondary characters were just as excellent and I can't wait to read their stories. There is nothing that keeps me from wholeheartedly recommending this book.
“What can you promise me?� I asked, needing to hear the words, knowing he’d give them to me. He took a breath as though it pained him.
“That I love you. That I’ll always love you. That I will do everything in my power to stay safe, to come home to you. That I will die loving you, whenever that is. That I will do anything I can to make this lifestyle work for us. That if it comes down to a choice I can make, I will always choose you over my career. I’ll give you a family if you want it. I’ll spend my life loving you, working to make you happy.�
Astrid - The Bookish Sweet Tooth
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