Review: Up in Smoke (Hotshots #4) by Annabeth Albert

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.

Heartwarming and sweet.

Brandt and Shane first meet on a skydiving excursion. There are sparks between them, but nothing comes of it.

In fact, things go in an entirely different direction. Mainly, an unexpected niece on Shane’s doorstep - who also happens to be Brandt’s daughter.

Yeah it’s a bit of an odd situation, but hey families can be weird!

Also, kudos to the author for portraying the mother, Shelley, in a compassionate light. Things happen, and sometimes the hardest decision can be the right one.

From the get-go, I adored how devoted Shane and Brandt were to little Jewel. They did what needed to be done, even if it all happened very suddenly.

This is definitely a very baby-centric story. A lot of the interactions and page-time revolve around how the two men adjust to coparenting. So beware if that’s not your jam!

That’s not to say that the romance plays second fiddle - Shane and Brandt’s connection and pull towards one another is the big elephant in the room. And the two find it harder and harder to resist.

When they finally give in, sparks fly! A+ for experimenting and being open to new things.

And on top of that, the two men just clicked. They were mature and communicated openly, and they were willing to make space in their lives for each other and for Jewel.

This isn’t an overly angsty or drama-filled read. Some major life events happen, but overall it’s a fairly low-key book. I liked the easy pace.

The story did drag a bit in the second half, but then I think it was just because of my personal preferences. Shane’s music career storyline just wasn’t particularly interesting for me.

However, the HEA and epilogue were lovely. Everything was tied together perfectly with a bow on top.

If you’re looking for an easily enjoyable romance about two men and their unexpected baby, give ‘Up in Smoke’ a try!

A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.