There's something particularly adorable about men learning how to care for a little baby. The two of them looking after her and growing attached was like some additional bonus love added to their own love story. It was sweet. A fair amount of spice between the couple as well though to balance out that sweetness. I liked the characters and enjoyed it quite a bit. A solid ending to the series. ( )

I’ve read almost everything that Annabeth Albert has written and enjoyed them all immensely, including the first three books in this series. I was surprised that I didn’t especially care for the this one...not the story or the characters. Without really knowing why, I just felt that it was a weaker entry than the others. I don’t really care to have babies a part of a m/m romance... or maybe it was there was way too much plot for this book, and not enough time to go into depth...giving the story an unbalanced feel that leaped from point to point without any rhyme or reason. Whatever the reason...could have just been me... I was a bit disappointed in this entire story. ( )

Another Solid Entry In Series. This is another solid entry in the series Albert has created over the last year featuring MM romances set in the hyper-macho world of western US "hotshot" firefighters and smoke jumpers - the front lines of any wildfire containment efforts. Here, we finally get smokejumper Brandt's story, and it is at least as good from the romance angle as any of the other entries in this series. Maybe even better, since it runs a bit smoother with lower angst, minimal separation, both equally hoping for the other's success, etc. Has an almost A Star Is Born vibe to it at times, though without the more depressing elements of that tale. But the biggest thing that will be hit or miss depending on exactly what you feel about it is the baby stuff in particular. Even as a childfree married male who generally doesn't like babies (older kids are much cooler, though I'm always grateful that I can leave when I need to :D), I didn't find the baby aspects *too* detracting, even for my tastes. Because the story really did focus on the interactions of the adults, with the baby providing the realistic distractions that adults having to care for a baby would actually provide. But if you're particularly opposed to anything remotely baby related... well, you were told in the description that this one had one. ;) Overall a truly solid story, and very much recommended. ( )

Up In Smoke by Annabeth Albert
Hot Shots #4

This book left a smile on my face. It was a steamy-sweet romance between two men that so deserved to find happiness. No major drama for the couple though taking on the care of an infant baby girl was definitely not easy…but so much easier together than it would have been for either to do alone. It almost had a fairytale feel to it and was perfect reading for me the day I read it!

What I liked:
* That the backstories of the two men had commonalities
* That I felt both men were “equal” and brought qualities that would support the relationship
* That the two men communicated openly and maturely
* Shane: good brother, musician, loving uncle, has goals and dreams, a good person
* Brandt: firefighter, a bit of a rambler, professional, caring, team player, a good person
* The growth in both main characters
* How the two dealt with the situation they found themselves in
* That they were there for Jewel, the baby, and for one another
* That there was no major drama between the two men
* That it felt believable – mostly
* The fairytale feel of the story that might have been less believable but that was very nice indeed
* The happy ending
* Seeing/hearing about some of the characters from previous books in the series
* Wondering if there will be more books in the series
* That there was no “bad guy”
* All of it really except…

What I didn’t like:
* Being reminded that firefighters have a tough life and that they sometimes die as a result of the job(s) they do.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin-Carina Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars ( )