Fire Line: An Enemies to Lovers Romance (The Griffith Brothers) Paperback – September 6, 2024

4.75⭐️ CJ and Lennon hook up at a bar and expect to never see each other again. Then Lennon shows up as the chef at CJ’s family’s restaurant. CJ decides Lennon is trouble and instantly dislikes her, but when Lennon has no where else to go, she ends up at CJ’s door. This is a great read with all the Griffith family members in it.

For the record, I thought I was going to DNF this one. Though I loved the first two books in the series, this had a bumpy start for me, with an extremely fast burn followed by some bully vibes that gave me whiplash. I set it aside for about a week, but I just couldn't seem to convince myself that I was really done with it, so I jumped back in and ended up bingeing the rest. Gates' writing style is exceedingly easy to devour and my love of the series took over, but this was definitely my least favorite of the series. The real wins for me were the found family vibes, the interconnectivity of the series, and the smitten cowboy. Once our hero decides he's in, he is ALL in, and I certainly didn't mind how hard he fell for his girl. It was definitely a case of serious instalove, but I loved the way he supported and protected her. We get some suspense too, which kept the pages turning. Ultimately, this sits somewhere between three and four stars for me, but I enjoyed being back in this world.The story follows Lennon, a chef with a troubled past. Behind her tattooed tough girl persona, she's hiding some vulnerabilities and secrets that mean she never settles in one place. So when Lennon meets a sexy cowboy in a bar, she's happy to have a quick hookup with him and leave it at that. But when Lennon discovers that CJ is one of the owners of the new restaurant she's cooking at, it's a shock to the system. CJ is resentful of the restaurant being around in the first place, and he takes his frustration out on the beautiful stranger who has taken up residence in his thoughts. The two clash until Lennon's past begins to threaten her future, until suddenly CJ is showing a softer side that feels all too good.So let's talk about what didn't work for me for a minute. I don't mind a fling to more romance, but if the hookup is the foundation of their feelings, I do like that interaction to be a little more extensive. This was very much a "wham bam, thank you, ma'am" situation in a public place, so I didn't feel like they'd really made a connection. Then CJ was mean and hostile for exactly zero reason. He crossed the line from grumpy to cruel, and I did not like that at all - that's what caused me to temporarily DNF. Then almost immediately, he was in love, which... was a lot. If I hadn't loved the first two books in the series, my rating almost certainly would've been a lot lower, let's say that. However, I've really been enjoying the series, and the family connections warmed my heart. I loved the subtle signs that Lennon meant more to CJ than he'd like to admit, and it was great to have those family bonding moments. Lennon is a fierce and feisty heroine who has gone through a lot in her life, so she was able to give as good as she got. I may not be sold on their love story, but that doesn't mean this wasn't an entertaining read. I'm curious to see what's next from the author, and sad to see the series go.

I’m so very sad to say goodbye to the main Griffith Brother’s crew, but I’m confident that we’ll see them again eventually. Maggie has created such a beautiful interconnecting world, and there will hopefully be glimpses of all the characters we know and love.Fire Line focuses on the last of the Griffith Brothers. CJ isn’t handling the expansion of the ranch well. Although he supports his family, it’s hard not to feel like the ranch’s growth has been at the expense of his own happiness. So now he’s giving Ray a run for his money as the grumpiest brother. Especially when the beautiful new chef shows up. His family wants him to play nice, but the woman represents everything that’s changed.Lennon is fiery, and confident, and is not going to take CJ’s sour attitude lying down. The sparks flying between these two are enough the ignite the entire ranch. The question is, will they figure out a way to coexist?I was eating up every minute between these two. Even when they’re at each other’s throats, it was so very funny. I loved the dynamic between Lennon and rest of the family. She truly was the perfect addition and fit right in. She has quite the past, and her backstory sucked me in immediately. I could not put this book down.I loved how this book made me feel so angry at CJ. He’s so attractive, but it didn’t excuse his behavior. There was a conflicting moment where I truly hated what he did and boy did this man need to grovel after that. I loved it! CJ has his very realistic flaws, and it made me appreciate all the character growth he went through. By the end, I was head over heels for this sweet man.If you haven’t picked up this series yet, start with the standalone The Stars Above Us then dive right into this incredible trilogy.

“Sometimes you get to cut the fire line to stop the blaze, and sometimes you have to walk through it to get out of the heat.”The final book in the Griffith Brothers series was a bit of a let down. So much of this book just felt forced. It starts with your standard workplace romance trope that I love, a one night stand then the next day they realize she works at his ranch. Carson is angry at his family about the lodge and the restaurant that's on his land and takes it out on Lennon. Lennon is just trying to get by and stay outta trouble, and never ever trust anyone.The two quickly get over their issues, too quickly honestly. Yes, they are given the little Fire Line speech, about how with a wildfire you gotta cut a fire line to save what you can, but you still have to give something up. With a fire, it's the area you're gunna let burn out, for both of them it's their pride. Lennon also ends up with a "I didn't have anywhere else to go" moment, but again it felt rushed and forced. We get a lot of time jumps in this book that aren't always laid out clearly.I did enjoy the cow named Kevin though.