A standalone friends-to-lovers romance from the NYT bestselling author of The Pact and Bad at Love.If love is friendship set on fire, then theirs is about to go up in flames Delilah Gordon has a secret.She’s been in love with her best friend and the boy next door, Fox Nelson, since she was six years old.And while most of her friends and family know about her unrequited crush, the one person who … her unrequited crush, the one person who remains oblivious is Fox himself. To Delilah, it’s better this way. She’d rather pretend that they’re just friends, even though her feelings for the moody, rugged mountain man are anything but tame.
Fox Nelson has a secret too. As a wildland firefighter or “hot shot,” Fox parachutes into danger every day he’s on the job, risking all to fight wildfires that threaten ranches, forests and thousands of lives. But while Fox’s job is only for the brave, inside he feels anything but. The more he grapples with his raging demons, the more he realizes Delilah is the only one who can put out the flames.
As the two friends grow closer – and more intimate – than ever before, the more complicated their relationship becomes.
And Delilah has one more secret to reveal.
A secret that will change both their lives…forever.
This is book #3 of the North Ridge Series, however like the previous two books, Wild Card (#1) and Maverick (#2), it stands alone and can be read without reading the others
This book contains excess profanity/swearing and scenes of a graphic sexual nature. Sensitive readers who do not wish to expose themselves to bad language and sex scenes should take note. You have been officially warned..
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I’ve been hearing about Karina Halle books for a while. I’ve never read her but I was interested; so when I was able to read an early copy of Hot Shot, I jumped on it. I can see why people talk about her so often. She writes super smoothly and her characters are fun and interesting. I didn’t realize I was starting off in the middle of a series, and I really hate when I do that. However, the story was totally intact in this book. I don’t feel like I missed anything of Fox or Delilah’s story. I know I missed the stories of all the supporting characters which bums me a little that I got that sneak peek into them because you can bet your last buck that I’m going back and buying every single one of the previous books from the North Ridge series!
Halle creates a story with a really solid background. Fox is intense, he’s moody and brooding… everything us ladies want from our leading man! I love how clueless he is to Delilah’s feelings for him, sometimes men are so clueless! I adored Delilah. She was so scared of taking things further with Fox and ruining everything wonderful they had. I guess I was just expecting a hot story but I got so much more! Hot Shot was so much deeper than I ever expected. It was full of heart and pain, oh man, the pain, oh the angst! Fox and Delilah didn’t have an easy path to each other. They worked for it. I can’t recommend reading about their trials more! So good!!
I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I will leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… my opinions.
Great story and excellent finish to the series. Can be read stand-alone, but I believe much more enjoyable if you’ve met Mav, Riley, Shane, and Rachel in the previous books. In particular, there is an epilogue that ties up all their stories and left me completely satisfied on the series. This book in particular features Fox and Del who have been dancing around their relationship for many years, since youth. There are difficulties on both sides transitioning from friendship to romance and (as with the other books) deals with some heavy personal burdens. I shed a few tears, screamed a few frustrations at them, but ultimately I highly recommend this read. Well done, Karina Halle, and I’ll be looking for more of her books.
I knew from reading Wild Card, the first book in the North Ridge trilogy by Karina Halle, that Fox would do serious stuff with my heart in his own book – and I was right!
Hit right in my heart. Tears and all (not an unusual thing with Karinas books though)
“Hot Shot” starts off with a very emotional prologue. It had me in tears rather quickly (Yes, I’m very emotional and cry easily :p) But I love it. I love emotional books. And Karina Halle knows just which buttons to push. And I love the sass and humor within the characters to (Grandpa Nelson…)
4,5/5 smoking stars
Fox didn’t have an easy childhood. Grief and anger from loosing his mother at a young age followed him through the years, making him rough ang tough, feeling unworthy of love.
Delilah grew up side by side with the Nelson brothers, almost like a sister.
But the feelings she had for Fox was something else, he was her everything. Her best friend and her secret crush.
Reading “Hot Shot” you follow Fox and Delilah through ups and downs, through heartache and sorrow. Will Fox be able to let go of past grief? Will he learn to love, or is it all too late?
The 3rd book in the series- Fox Nelson is a Hot Shot fire fighter putting his life on the line every day gone from home weeks at a time. He is haunted by his last words to his mother before she died when he was 8. Delilah has been his best friend forever Delilah runs the local bar and lives with her mother and has been in love with Fox forever.
The Nelson family is full of fun and drama. Excellent ending to this series.
***4 ‘Love is a Wildfire’ Stars***
It’s been a long time coming but Fox and Delilah finally have their HEA! And what a ride it was. Of course it wouldn’t be easy, and there were a few moments where the Kindle almost ended up in the freezer, but they were tempered by some very poignant and humorous moments that kept me turning the pages as these lifelong friends took the long and rocky road to realizing they were so much more.
Oh Fox and Delilah. Fox firmly believes that he doesn’t deserve any happiness because of what he incorrectly believes his role was in his mother’s death, so he keeps most people at arm’s length and simply exists. Delilah is happy with the life she is living, for the most part. She’s a business owner and s surrounded by friends and family, but her heart isn’t entirely filled up as the boy she’s been in love with for her entire life only sees her as a friend and sister and nothing more.
I swear these two drove me a little batshit crazy as they constantly danced towards and around each other and never seeing what was right in front of them, and I will admit that there was a point where I was almost, ALMOST, done with them because they were just too frustrating for words. But I there were two things that kept me going. 1) I really liked them when they were together. There was an ease to them and the chemistry was all kinds of tangible and the 2) was when that “HALLELUJAH! Thank you for finally doing that.” moment happened. It was still all kinds of heartbreaking, but it needed to be done. From there on out, things were still rough, extremely so, but it brought about a lot of goodness in the end and I loved how everything worked out for them.
As much as I enjoyed Fox and Delilah, I can’t deny that a good portion of my love of the book stemmed from the Nelson Family and Jeanie. You all know I’m a sucker for well written secondary characters and keeping up with the couples we’ve come to love throughout a series, and everyone comes out to play in this one. Mav and Riley are still my favorites and had me cracking up, but it was Shane who stepped up and if I didn’t already adore him, I would have after reading this one. Grandpa Dick was simply awesomesauce, I seriously want to hang out with the man and then there is Conan who was just the cutest thing EVER!
I’m kinda sad that this is the last in the series, but I think that things were wrapped up perfectly for each of them and I’m thrilled that I was along for the ride.
Note: These can be read as standalones, but really should be read in series order to get the full emotional impact of all that goes on in Hot Shot.
~ Copy provided by the author via Social Butterfly PR & voluntarily reviewed ~
I loved this book and this series was wonderful. I definitely recommend this book, this series and this author.
Hot Shot is book #3 in the North Ridge series. It can be read as a stand-alone. I am really enjoying this series. Book #1 Wild Card sets an amazing scene for the series and is worth reading first. But – it is not necessary, it’s just a really great beginning! We are once again treated to details and descriptions of beautiful North Ridge, British Columbia. Our hearts are filled with love, family, devastation, heartbreak and healing.
Hot Shot features Fox Nelson. Fox is the oldest of the three Nelson boys. He is a wildland fire fighter or “hot shot.” His job is difficult and demanding. But he is not only fighting fires, he is fighting his own demons. Fox’s story is filled with so much emotion and ‘feels’.
Delilah Gordon is Fox’s best friend. Fox’s mom died when he was five and Delilah’s mom became the nanny to Fox and his brothers. They became the best of friends. Growing up side by side. Delilah shares a special connection with Fox. This is unlike her relationship with his brothers Shane and Maverick. But Delilah has a secret ….
“My name is Delilah Gordon, and all my life I have been head over heels in love with the boy next door, Fox Nelson.”
They share a special connection. An intensity that is obvious to everyone but them. Well, Delilah is sure of her feelings but Fox, he has a lot of layers to get through to find his. When their connection is outed to Fox by a new girlfriend he starts to see Delilah in a different way. Things get hot and all of that unresolved sexual tension between them is unleashed. Hot, hot, hot sexy times!
“Love is wildfire.”
Fox has many demons that he is fighting. He’s guarded, moody, and broody. He keeps things bottled up. Things between Fox and Delilah take a drastic twist leaving them both with tough decisions to make. There is a road that must be traveled in order for them to find each other and for Fox to find his peace.
I enjoyed this series very much! As I said above you can have the scene set and be filled with beautiful words when you start at the beginning, Wild Card. Each story has been unique. It has been a beautiful, intense journey to take. Go for the ride!
“The world is too big, this life too short, to want anything less than magic with someone.”
4.5 stars
NO SPOILERS!
Hot Shot was sweet, sexy, entertaining, and an amazing conclusion to the North Ridge series! Karina Halle never disappoints and I once again loved her writing style and the storyline and characters she created. Each and every installment in this series has gotten better and better, and Hot Shot was everything I wanted and so much more.
Fox and Delilah were great characters and I really enjoyed them and their story. I really liked their personalities and chemistry together, although I wasn’t the biggest fan of how their relationship progressed. There were a lot of up and down moments between them that sometimes frustrated and annoyed me, but I still enjoyed the book nonetheless. Fox was a tortured hero and it took me awhile to warm up to him, but in the end I really liked him. I really liked Delilah and felt like I connected more with her than Fox. I really enjoyed reading the book from both of their POV, and I liked most of their banter and interactions with each other, especially towards the end. The secondary characters were wonderful as well, and I loved getting to see so many familiar faces again. They definitely added extra humor and entertainment, and I was glad the author chose to incorporate them more into the story. There were some parts here and there that I didn’t care for as much, but overall I really loved Hot Shot, and I was very happy with the conclusion to not only Fox and Delilah’s story, but the entire North Ridge series as well.
Hot Shot was another sweet, sexy, and entertaining standalone contemporary romance from Karina Halle, and an absolutely amazing finish to the North Ridge series! Ms. Halle did an incredible job with Fox and Delilah’s story, and I was more than pleased with the outcome. If you haven’t read anything from Karina Halle yet, especially the North Ridge series, you need to do so ASAP. She is by far one of my top favorite contemporary romance authors, and I have absolutely loved everything I’ve read from her so far!
For me, the best one of the series. I loved Fox in this, but Delilah made the whole book for me. She is one heck of a strong lady. This was great series. Each book got better and I loved how it tied everything up at the end.
For all the heros with broken souls….
Wow, what a dedication and what a book! This is my first story with Karina but it won’t be my last.
This story of Fox and Delilah is epic! Their history is poetic and the struggles they had to find each other really moved me.
I loved Fox’s honesty with his emotions, he didn’t fall fast and hard, it was slow and sneaky but he realized it just in time.
Delilah was perfection, brave, strong and steadfast, she kept her emotions inside when she should have let loose, but it made the story more interesting. I found myself cheering them on, knowing they could get to their happily ever after!
This story is fast paced and hard to put down, two things I love in a story! Thank you Ms. Halle for sharing your world and your stories with us!
4.5 stars
“She was always something separate, the girl next door, a light that would always lead me out of the black. She was my saving grace and the one constant thing I had in my life, the one person who could turn things around.”
Hot Shot is my favorite book in the North Ridge series. I had been highly anticipating Delilah and Fox’s story because both of them intrigued me. Especially Fox, because he was such a complex and intense person. He doesn’t let people, even his family, get too close to him. He has built a wall around himself and wants to stay in a dark place to punish himself. He doesn’t think he deserves happiness. Del, always had his back and is such a great support. She is a friend everyone needs in their lives. However, Del has been wanting more than just a friendship but never wanted to ruin things between them.
“I don’t want to be lost. I don’t want to be angry. I don’t want to blame myself. I want to be free, to have peace, a future. I want love.”
When they finally take the leap to things further, things get complicated. My heart broke for both of them so much. There were moments were Fox really said stupid things and disappointed and broke Del’s heart, but I couldn’t really blame him too much because he was battling his own demons. It was really difficult for me to see them go through the things they did. They deserved their HEA so much. If you read the previous two books, you’ll know that especially the relationship between Fox and his youngest brother Shane was bad. I was glad that they finally worked things out. Del and Fox’s road to happiness wasn’t an easy one, and the author did a great job in putting it into words.
“It will eventually consume me and I want to be consumed, Del. I want to love you, burn for you, until there’s nothing else left. Just your heart and mine.”
The writing like always was phenomenal, and very easy to read. I love Karina’s books so much, and I appreciate her coming up with so many different characters who I end up loving. I am going to miss them so much, and I hope Karina will consider writing a novella set in North Ridge series. I highly recommend this series, and I hope when you read it that you’ll end up loving these characters as much as I did.
~ 4.5 Broken Soul Stars ~
Yes! We finally get Fox and Delilah’s story and it’s just as intense and beautiful as I was hoping it to be. My heart fluttered and it ached while it followed these two through the good, bad and ugly. As mentioned in the blurb, this can absolutely be read as a stand alone but if you’ve read The North Ridge Series from the start, you know that the slow burn of the bits of pieces we get between Fox and Delilah from the start was bound to be an epic story.
Fox and Delilah have been best friends from childhood. They’ve grown up together like brother and sister but there’s never been sisterly love from Delilah. Fox has held her heart from the age of six. For years now, Delilah has tried to hide and bury her feelings for Fox but one thing leads to another and now her heart is even more on the line. Once they crossed that platonic line, things get scary, messy and confusing. Now Delilah has to convince Fox that he loves her, too.
From the moment I read the Prologue, I was captivated. I appreciated and understood why Halle opened with that. We needed to get a glimpse of why Fox is the man he is. While there is much more to discover throughout the book, it really sets up our deep seeded need to understand our lovable but sadly broken Fox.
“The hero with a broken soul.”
Hot Shot is full of angst that just tugged at my heart. The description of their love and feels was so eloquently described that I lived every moment with them. From the description of the wildfires to the simple life in North Ridge, it all comes together and makes you feel like you are right there in it.
“Love is a devastating force of nature, a raw, primal element that threatens all who dare to indulge in its flames.”
This story has so many layers beyond the love between Fox and Delilah. It faces some issues that many people can relate to and I once again appreciate that it was included. It’s makes it more raw and real.
If you are looking for an epic love story that is heartbreaking beautiful and will rip you apart but put you back together even better, then Hot Shot is the book for you.
***ARC Provided by the Author and Social Butterfly PR***
Delilah and Fox have been friends for years, 27 to be exact…and they are a part of one another’s lives and families, the kind of connection that has them going to one another’s houses for meals or to help caring for pets.
The issue is, somewhere along the way, Delilah fell in love with Fox, while Fox kept seeing her as a friend.
Fox is a smoke jumper, with issues with things in his present and things in his past. The death of his mother, the way he reacts to it now, the way he handles things now, and the relationships in his current life.
In a lot of ways, this was a friends to lovers romance that was trying to be a little angsty. but, for me, I thought it bordered on slightly melodramatic. If it could happen to them, it did. At about 75% I started to expect the next dramatic thing, and it pulled me out of the story a little, as I wanted to see Delilah and Fox handle the situation instead of watching them navigate through plot points.
While I did enjoy this overall, and I do recommend it, there were places where I wanted more.
This is the final book in the North Ridge series and Karina Halle has saved the absolute best for last. Hot Shot can be described as a friends to lovers story but in some ways this does not give an adequate description of the story as it is so much more. Their story is one that is emotional, heartbreaking, steamy, raw and will have your anxiety levels at times through the roof. Del and Fox’s story is one of hope, inspiration and finding the calm inside your storm. Just like the heat of a fire steals your breath and makes it hard to breathe, Fox and Delilah’s story made me feel like that as I devoured each and every word. This book is undeniably worth more than the five stars that I can rate it.
Holy smokes!!! I have yet another top read of 2018!!!! Karina Halle blew me away with this friends to lover’s romance.
Delilah and Fox have been friends all their lives, but she has a secret….she has always been in love with Fox. He has been oblivious to it, but Fox is oblivious to a lot of things in his life. It is getting harder and harder for her to hide those feelings. She knows in her heart that he doesn’t feel the same way about her, even though family and friends think she is wrong. The carefully drawn line between friendship and more is obliterated in a night of passion. Neither one knows where this will lead them. Make no mistake, you will definitely want to take this complicated journey with Delilah and Fox.
Fox has to be one of the most complicated characters I’ve met in quite some time. He suffered a loss very early in life, and he feels guilty for something he had no control over. But, that doesn’t stop him from the pain which becomes a demon for him. He does whatever it takes to dull the pain. He is a “hot shot,” a wildland firefighter who puts his life at risk every time he leaves for the job. After a while, that doesn’t abate his demons. The only peace he finds is with Delilah, but he has no clue if he is in love with her, but then, he really doesn’t love himself. How could he know? He will face something in his life that will either make him face his demons or lose himself completely to them.
There aren’t adequate words to describe Delilah. She is one of the good ones, and I wanted to throttle Fox at times for being so dense. She is the light to his darkness and his savior. Everyone loves her, even her bar patrons. She does undergo a definite change throughout the book, becoming an even stronger woman. I just adored her.
Halle created as Delilah said in the book, “a messy, imperfect, raw, and real” romance. There were several times she brought tears to my eyes. Without spoiling anything, she hits on some important issues which gave me even more insight into them, especially concerning Fox’s road to becoming the man he was meant to be. In addition, I loved how she tied everything together in her writing, using terms connecting both Fox’s job and their relationship…wild and consuming!
I do have the first books already on my Kindle, so I’m definitely going to be reading them. All those characters added so much to this book. I can’t wait to get to know Shane and Mav better. The epilogue in this one is the icing on the cake!!!!
***Read and Reviewed for Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews***
I’ve been waiting for Delilah and Fox’s story since they were mentioned in Wild Card , don’t worry this can be read as a standalone you wont be confused at all but I highly recommend that you one click all of the North Ridge series because they are a treat and will have your emotions all over the place . I’m a huge fan of Karina Halle she always writes such intense reads that will have you hooked till the very end . Delilah and Fox have known one another almost their whole life through the good and bad times they confined in the other but the fear of not wanting to risk losing the friendship Delilah and Fox had decided not to tell the other how they really felt even though every one but them knew . I love the fact that we get both point of views and to read what they are going through even at times it as painful to read some of the struggles the characters are faced with . Delilah is a great heroine I so understood the choices she made while being kind , funny , strong and beautiful just the perfect package . Now Fox being in his head was so painful I thought Maverick was heartbreaking but this hero takes the cake I wont give to much away but wow . When these come together lets just say I need to fan myself with how hot the sex scenes were , and lets not forget their cute / unique pet I so want one . It’s amazing to see how the other couples are doing and I can’t wait to see whats to come for this author .
copy provided for honest review
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hero=10 heroine=10 secondary characters=10 Chemistry=10 steam= 7
romance= 7 humor= 5 darkness level=6 action= 4 mystery= 4
enjoyment= 9 angst= 4 story line=10 Story ending=10
character development= 10 pacing= 10
cover= 10 stars= 5 author= 10
would I recommend this book= yes
would I re read this book= yes
would I read future books by this author= yes
After Wild Card and Maverick, Hot Shot is the third book in the North Ridge Series by the outstanding author Karina Halle.
While every book can be read as a standalone, I recommend to read the books in order.
Hot Shot is Fox and Delilah´s story.
Delilah Gordon is in love with Fox Nelson for forever. And while everyone knows, only Fox is clueless. He has deeply friendzoned her.
Fox is the oldest of the Nelson brothers and he carries guild and darkness in his heart and battles his demons. He´s a Wildland Firefighter, a – “hot shot”. And sometime he realizes only Delilah can cure him. Fox is burned out, lost and suffers from PTSD. She brings him peace when his world spiurals out of control.
Delilah is owner of the lokal bar and cares for her ill mother. Her best friends are Rachel and Riley, Shane and Maverick´s girlfriends.While they cheer for Del and Fox there´s only so much they can do.
Del and Fox is not a match made in heaven. Their story is raw and gritty. The hero with the broken soul and the heroine who has to stay strong when the only thing she wants to do is wallow in selfpity.
Hot Shot made me laugh, it made me cry and it made me angry at the characters.
Hot Shot is my favorite read in the series and I highly recommend this 5 stars read !
The North Ridge Trilogy Series has finished with a BANG! Fox Nelson is as messed up as they come but that doesn’t stop Delilah Gordon from loving him. These friends turned lovers are electric together and when they finally cross over from the friend-zone, they sizzle. This one had me fanning myself numerous times.
Karina Halle takes these characters on a life-altering roller coaster full of twists and heart-wrenching decisions. Her prologue will have you in tears, the choices our characters are forced to face are jaw-dropping and the storyline is fresh and new. Halle has managed to write three totally separate stories with this trilogy and all are equally amazing. The true-to-life events that happen in these stories are so vivid, Halle’s descriptive writing brings you in the moment, awakens your senses, and places you in the moment.
Picking your favourite Nelson brother is an impossible task. They all have something endearing that tugs at your heartstrings and they all sex appeal through the roof! She brings back the whole gang for this book so you get a chance to catch up with the whole Nelson family. The North Ridge books can all be read in any order but I loved reading them in order and following this family through their trials. I loved laughing with them, crying with them, gasping and grabbing my heart, and just immersing myself in their family, feeling everything they were, as it happened.
If you are new to Karina Halle, just know that you can never go wrong with one of her books. This girl knows how to write! She nails it every time and is a definite go-to author for me.
Hot Shot is the last book in the history of the brothers Nelson and brings the story of Delilah, who spent a lifetime in love with Fox, the oldest and the Broken of the brothers I must say that I like the book , but not as much as the others.
I loved seeing characters that made me company on long nights last year, mostly Mav and Riley, by far my favorite and it was great to see some of their future, as well as Shane, Rachel and all other.
As for our protagonists I can say that I really liked Delilah, in various times wanted to embrace her in the course of the book, and Fox I had a mixed feelings about him, I understand he had problems, but that doesn’t justify his actions to me.He was an idiot in good part of the book and I wanted to beat him at various times. And their relationship didn’t convince me, I mean it was pretty obvious that Delilah always loved Him, but I think she deserved more than that obtained in the end.Another point that I didn’t like was the cliche used here (you’ll have to read it to know what I’m talking about), but really? I found unnecessary.
I’d say this book isn’t my favorite of the author and not of that particular series and the romance captivated me here as in his other books but it was a good read, with pleasant characters, moments that took a few laughs, and it was good to see all these characters and to say goodbye to them.