The Lumberjack Written By Susan Stoker.

Star ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ / ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️ 🌶️/🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

This was my first Susan Stoker read, the story is based on April and Jack. I am all for amnesia tropes and I fell in love with April. April is a strong minded woman, along with Jack who is very head strong. The beginning of the story it was grabbing my attention, it was a great storyline, however, I felt the book lacked in the romance department, therefore, I rate this book 3/5 stars

The attraction between JJ and April had simmered throughout the other books in this series. When April is hurt in a car crash JJ finally gets up the courage to tell her how he feels, unfortunately she has amnesia from the accident. Even although she can’t remember him or their friends, she knows that she trusts him.

It was nice to see how he showed her how special she was and for her to rediscover what an amazing man he was. She was loving, headstrong and efficient. He was loyal, caring and protective.

I definitely felt that their love story was more of a backdrop to the story that brought the series to a close. The mens past comes back to haunt them and puts all of their lives at stake when a man hell bent on revenge comes after them all. I loved how strong the women were and how the men and their friends would do anything to save them.

This was a really nice conclusion to the series and I really liked the epilogues.

The perfect ending to this series! I like that it could be read as a standalone, if need be. There was enough information on the previous stories, but not so much that it was repetitive.
I was so ready for this couple to get their happy ever after. It came about in a dramatic way! Having all the couples be part of the story is refreshing. In so many series, not Susan’s, once their story is done you never hear from them again.
Susan is alway one of my very favorite authors and I buy her books the day they are released. After this one, I certainly will again!

The series finale, and it ends in style with the rollercoaster of April and JJ, finally! A lot of emotions and stress, and some very tense moments - a great multi-epilog ties everything up. A solid series with action and romance!

Loved this series! If you haven’t read it you need to. When April is in a car wreck and has memory loss, JJ is afraid his chance of love is lost! But was the car wreck really an accident? Love this author when reading her books, they are hard to put down before finishing.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley.The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you for allowing me to review

Must be read as part of a series, but that's no hardship as the series is going from strength to strength.

Stoker is such a reliable author, you know her books will hit and hit well. A wonderful romantic suspense with pining, Amnesia and a marriage in trouble.

Lumberjack wrapped up the Game of Chance series and put a bow on it for all 4 couples. This is Jack and Aprils story and we really get to know them. I enjoyed watching this relationship unfold, it felt real. The suspense came later in the book and though it raised questions, it brought to light once again the sad reality of indoctrination of the young all over the world being taught hate. April and Jack were strong for their friends but we see their self doubts, their questions and they felt like people I knew. Bringing in numerous teams was a nice wrap up also, and yes I think if my loved one and friends loved ones were in this position, I too would call in every favor known to man. Game A Chance Series was a winner from Book 1 to Book 4. Thank you for the opportunity to read #TheLumberjack #GameofChance #SusanStoker #Montlake #NetGalley I freely share my own thoughts and opinions.

The final book most definitely wrapped up things in a big way. Jack's alpha & OTT tendency suits his personality. You have to admire his honesty when he finally admits his feeling with the sizzling chemistry. I found myself smiling as I read the growing attraction between April & Jack as they faced the truth. April is as independent & take charge as they come with a touch of venerability. The bond these men & women have is admirable & enjoyable. When danger comes, the big guns drop in to make a splash. You will enjoy these Apha men & their strong women. Honest review.

thank you net galley for the arc. this is my first susan stoker book ever and i really enjoyed it. JJ and April relationship.havent read to many amnesia tropes but i like how it was done. i would recommend if you like small town, possesive mmc.

I really enjoyed reading this romance arc. It was packed full of romance and action and definitely kept me interested.
This was an interesting read for me because I am so used to romance books being a slow burn but I got the romance pretty quickly in this one.
I LOVED the relationship between all of the characters in this book, one big happy friendship group. I also really enjoyed the fact that the FMC was in her 40's, I had never read a romance that had mature aged MCs.
In summary, this was a great book that had plenty of romance but also another suspenseful storyline. The ending was a nice way to wrap it up by letting me see where all of the couples ended up after 10 years. Definitely recommend for romance readers.

I'm a huge fan of the amnesia trope so when I saw it in the epilogue of the previous book, I had to get this one. There's just so much wrong with the book though the writing is brilliant and got me through the entire read.

The characters in the book constantly use "our men" and "our women" to address their partners and it got annoying pretty quick. I found it very patriarchal and the fact that it's just in my face made it worse. The adventure aspect was a constant from the previous book in the series, but this one felt too much of a far shot also lacking in romance.

Susan Stoker’s “The Lumberjack,” the concluding installment in her beloved series, delivers a satisfactory conclusion that longtime fans will appreciate. The relationship between Jack and April is a standout feature, providing a believable and heartfelt progression from their interactions in the previous books. Their chemistry and evolving bond are consistent with the foundation laid earlier, making their romance both compelling and genuine.

However, the book’s central conflict—threats to April and the other women—felt underwhelming. The danger presented by a single antagonist seemed insufficient, especially given the buildup throughout the series. This lack of a formidable threat diminished the tension and left the climax feeling flat.

The inclusion of the other teams, while a nod to the series’ expansive universe, came across as anticlimactic. The mobilization of twenty men to rescue the women from one individual felt like overkill. The overemphasis on their involvement diluted the story’s focus and left me questioning the necessity and purpose of such a large-scale response for a seemingly minor threat.

Despite these shortcomings, “The Lumberjack” provides a satisfactory conclusion to the series. The wrap-up of Jack and April’s storyline, along with the broader narrative arc, offers a sense of closure. However, the weak threat and its resolution left me wishing for a more robust and thrilling finale.

Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

April and JJ are a perfect end to this series. The epilogue is a glance into everyone’s lives 10 years down the line and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. It can be a standalone but knowing the other couples adds so much to this story. After a bad car accident causes April to lose her memories of the last 5 years, JJ is certain that he won’t waste another moment with the woman he’s been pining over for years. JJ cares for her as she recovers and they begin dating along her road to a full recovery. But a threat from his past threatens the future for everyone.

Jackson/JJ and April

The couple we have been waiting for throughout the series. If you didn’t read the others, first, you should. The series is about 4 retired military friends, and their lives now that they live in Maine. They suffered great trauma, as POW’s, and each book is about one of the men. The leader of the group is JJ and this is his book. Warning- there may be spoilers if you haven’t read the series.

At the end of book 3 we learn that April has been in an accident, so this resumes with her right after that moment. April works with the guys, they own Jack’s Lumber, and she runs the office. They are all best of friends but one in particular, JJ, she has more than liked for years. They circle around each other day after day but have never crossed that line.

JJ has liked April for years but never thought he should act on it. He watches his 3 best friends, now all attached, and he is envious. He wants that life also but just don’t know how to go about being with April. He feels by working together and being such good friends that he will ruin something. That is until he is staring at her, in a hospital bed, and realization comes crashing down. No one is guaranteed tomorrow and as soon as she gets feeling better, he is determined to make her his.

As time passes, JJ and April feel like they are finally in a place where they can make a go at being in a relationship when old demons come back to haunt the men. A past threat is once again threatening them and this time their wives are included in that. They gather the troops and will stop at nothing to win this war.

Very entertaining! It is very difficult to put down once you start reading. I would read the whole series in order so you have better character development and story details. Loved the bond these 4 men have and hate to see it end. Loved the epilogue!

When The Lumberjack came up on Netgalley, I dropped all my other books and just dove in! I had to know what was happening between April and JJ.

And while this last part in the series starts of a little tame (in comparison to the other stories), Susan makes sure, you keep turning the pages. And of course, April and JJ can light up the room with all their sparks flying. And of course: all the other friends of JJ make an appearance as well. So all good and yummy!

Very sad to see the end of this series, but highly recommended. Especially when Susan made a crossover with the other series in the finale of the story.

Five out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

This was my first Susan Stoker romance and it was a blurb made me do it, read. I am always intrigued by a good amnesia romance and this one promised that and found family, which is another trope I adore. I did enjoy certain parts of Jack and April’s story but I think that there was just too much going on that I wasn’t fully aware of. Having said that, I will definitely read more by this author.

This was a bit too many tropes for me: amnesia, overprotective MMC, age gap, found family, and then every group of characters that Susan has written. This is not a standalone (which is fine, it's part of a series), but I didn't need to be reminded of everything the women and men went through on each page.

I did like that the company grew to be amazing in Maine, and I loved that he rushed to April's side in the middle of the night.

Overall, it was a hard read to keep me reading. It sucked me in but couldn't keep me in.

3.5/5⭐️

The Lumberjack is the final book in the Game of Chance series. This was an interesting read but fell kind of flat for me cuz I hadn't read the previous books in the series. So that's partly on me.

I thought this was a standalone that could be read on it's own but there seemed to be a lot of backstory that was already covered in the previous books for Jack and April and it seemed like the scene was already set for them, with them pining after each other for 5 years and already having this bond/connection which I couldn't relate to since, again, I started the series with this book.

However, I feel like the author could've slowly eased us into their relationship rather than getting into it too early in the book which made me feel like I started a book midway through the story, especially with the amnesia trope.

After April suffers from a terrible accident which leads to her temporarily losing her memories and she has no recollection of the last five years of her life, but she feels this sort of familiarity and connection towards Jack. She then finds out that they've both been attracted to each other for years but avoided taking it further for their own reasons. For April it's because he's her boss and after being in a loveless marriage for far too long, she didn't want to get into another relationship and also the fact that Jack was younger than her. For Jack, he had his insecurities that she would reject him and that he would be too intense for her given his past as a Special Forces Soldier, and knowing what a huge role April played in the success of his business that he didn't want things to get awkward and for her to leave. The accident puts things into perspective for both of them about how short life is and how stupid they were to keep denying their feelings for so long.

Jack decides to take April back to his place to recover after she gets discharged and they get into a relationship the same day. It felt too rushed especially not having any backstory or insight into their relationship. I felt too disconnected from these two to relate. Also, they kept mentioning that April was older than Jack and though we knew her age to be 46 yo, but Jack's age isn't mentioned till the end here.

These two get into a relationship and once the dust settles on that, the suspense aspect of the book takes the lead with someone from Cal, Jack, Bob and Chappy's past coming back for revenge and using the women as bait to lure them in. And then it's a race to save these women and how the villain has laid out a meticulous plan that he's worked on for years and has thought about everything to make sure the men can't escape.

Reading the things this guy did to the women was terrible and made me want to beat him up myself. But the women stayed strong and did everything they could to not lose it and fought till the end. April was the real star here with how she managed the whole situation and got them all the help and played the major role in getting them to safety.

We see characters from other series join the men to help them track the women and they plan out the rescue mission and execute it.

The ending shows us how all the couples are doing after a few years and ties up the series pretty well. And reading the little snippets of the other couples has got me interested in their books now.

Thank you Montlake and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in return for an honest review.

I've been waiting a long time for this book. Jack and April finally have a chance at love, as long as they can get past a villain set on revenge. This story has lots of surprises for long time Susan Stoker fans. I think it's wonderful that the author acknowledges her readers' love of these characters and gifts us with a fantastic epilogue at the end of each series. I've read every book Susan writes and this one doesn't disappoint!

Tears of joy, people, tears of joy. Wow, this book really had me going. I don’t know if it was just me or did everyone experience the madness and tears that I experienced? Love seeing all of the guys together, working together and along with people from Susan’s other series, and one of my favorites, Tex. The story wrung me out and left me to dry. Such a beautiful read. Subtle but very effective. Susan, you deserve applause.