Noble Hops

I’ve mentioned – several times now – how much I enjoyed Ms. Reyne’s first series, Irish & Whiskey, and how I though her spin-off Trouble Brewing series could turn out to be even better. With the series now complete, I can confidently say that it is better. One note for new readers – this is not a standalone! It’s hard to do a summary of this book without referring to the events of the previous two – or giving any spoilers! The first book in the series set up Cam and Nik’s relationship, the second dealt with Cam’s demons from the past, so it makes sense that the third book would finally explore Nik’s past (his “mess” and tangle of regrets) and wrap up the Vaughn storyline once and for all. Who is the mysterious GS that Nik has tattooed on his back, and will finally revealing all of his secrets to Cam make their relationship stronger or tear them apart? “You are a good boyfriend,” he whispered against his lips. “I wouldn’t want to go through this with anyone else, or alone.” That’s what the old Nic would have wanted, but the one holding Cameron Byrne’s hand, the one who knew he had someone to call, someone to tell his story to, someone to go home to after a no good horrible day, wanted this man with him, always. Cam’s dark, heated eyes stared back at him. “I’m with you, baby.” One of my favorite parts of romance novels is how, ideally, the relationship between the main characters makes them stronger, better versions of themselves than they are apart. Ms. Reyne does this beautifully, and honestly, while the suspense plot is excellent as always, it’s the nuances of Cam and Nik’s relationship that keep me coming back for more. With Nik dealing with the death of his father and his grieving process – or lack of it – Cam is an amazing rock and knows exactly when to push and when to let Nik be. My favorite part was, when Nik is trying to figure out, after being raised as an only child, how to deal with his new-found family, he emulates how Cam interacts with his family. It was a delightfully sweet moment and just one more example of how well they complement each other. They’re very much an established couple by this point in the series, and while there are tests to their relationship – mostly due to Nik’s need to protect Cam, and, well, everyone – they’re dealt with quickly. “But they weren’t safe. Not since he’d gone after Vaughn, hastening the inevitable confrontation. He hadn’t thought there was anyone but trained professionals in the line of fire, and hell, he’d tried to keep them out of it for over a year.” The suspense plot focuses more on Nic’s work as the AUSA this time, though we do get to see Cam in action, as well. It was a nice change from previous books, and it was wonderful to watch him build the case to take down Vaughn one piece at a time. The department moles are also ferreted out and exposed – no surprises there, though I found the reveal immensely satisfying due to how awful one of them was. While I expected the plot to be pretty predictable – there’s been a lot of breadcrumbs laid down in previous books – there were actually a few twists and turns that were pleasantly surprising. Living in the SF Bay Area, I was also pleased to see some references to southern Silicon Valley (shoutout to Morgan Hill!). I’m hoping my suspicions are true and that the hints of a new couple in this book materialize into a new series. While I’ll miss Cam and Nic, I’m more excited than ever for wherever Ms. Reyne goes next! I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A solid 4.5 star !!!! I never did manage to write the reviews for either the Irish and Whiskey trilogy or the first two books of this one, despite these couples being some of my favorites of this year. And I couldn’t contain my excitement when I got approved for this advance copy immediately after I requested, because I really have been waiting to know the conclusion for Nic and Cam’s story. All the intrigue that has been slowly building up for two books finally comes to a head here and I had such fun reading this in a single sitting. It was difficult to see Nic struggle so much in this book, especially when he just starts feeling happy in his life with Cam and is excited for his future. With his father’s mysterious death and the existence of a sibling revealed along with some of his painful past coming back, he is drowning more in his guilt and wants to keep everyone in his new found family safe. Cam is confident that Nic will succeed in his case and everything will finally go back to normal, but seeing ghosts of Nic’s past leaves him feeling uncertain about their future. He also has to use all his K&R expertise to as well as his love for Nic to keep him from floundering. It was great to see their relationship grow into such a strong one that even extreme circumstances can’t really separate them. And I finally got what I was waiting for – seeing Nic in his full AUSA mode, building his case, both in and out of the courtroom, outmaneuvering his opponents and never losing sight of his goal even in the direst of circumstances. He is expertly supported by Cam every step of the way – as a partner on the case, a sounding board keeping him tethered to reality and doing the one thing Nic needs most, keeping their family safe. Though the individual mysteries in this series have been interesting, I was quite sure that the mystery related to Vaughn would be predictable, but the author succeeds in pleasantly surprising us there too. Despite seeing the excellent support system this group of friends make in Barrel Proof, it is even more evident in this book where there is more danger and the professional lives of Nic and Cam are at stake. It was such fun to see Aidan, Jamie, Mel, Lauren and all other new additions like AD Moore, Eddie and Garrett play significant roles in finally bringing the truth out and get justice for Nic. This is a great ending to the amazing love story of Nic and Cam, with a very adorable final chapter that had me grinning all the way through. This book had all the elements I have come to expect from this series – love, friendship, suspense and action – all in good doses, keeping us readers on our toes every step of the way. I’m also sad that the series is over but hope we’ll get a wedding novella, just like we got one for Irish and Whiskey. And do I detect a possible couple for a new series… let’s wait and watch.