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Delilah Gordon has a secret.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s been in love with her best friend and the boy next door, Fox Nelson, since she was six years old.<\/p>\n
And while most of her friends and family know about her unrequited crush, the one person who remains oblivious is Fox himself. To Delilah, it\u2019s better this way. She\u2019d rather pretend that they\u2019re just friends, even though her feelings for the moody rugged mountain man are anything but tame.<\/p>\n
Fox Nelson has a secret too.<\/p>\n
As a wildland firefighter or \u201chot shot,\u201d Fox parachutes into danger every day he\u2019s on the job, risking all to fight wildfires that threaten ranches, forests and thousands of lives. But while Fox\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
As the two friends grow closer \u2013 and more intimate \u2013 than ever before, the more complicated their relationship becomes.
\nAnd Delilah has one more secret to reveal.
\nA secret that will change both their lives\u2026forever.<\/p>\n
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Add to Goodreads<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLove is wildfire.\u201d<\/b><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n 5 stars!<\/strong><\/p>\n OMG, I love this book! Fox and Delilah\u2019s story has been simmering in the background of the previous two books of the series, and while I have loved each of those stories \u2013 and this one can standalone – Karina Halle smacked it out of the park with this one! Finishing off the series with a heartwrenching, emotional, passionate, angsty and intense friends-to-lovers story, and though it hurt at times, it was everything that I was hoping for.<\/p>\n My name is Delilah Gordon, and all my life I have been head over heels in love with the boys next door, Fox Nelson. Delilah Gordon grew up with the Nelson boys. After the death of their mother, her mother came along to help the family, and the kids were all raised together. And though she has a brother\/sister relationship with the two younger Nelson boys, from the age of six, Delilah felt differently about eldest brother, Fox, and she has been in mad, all-consuming, unrequited love with him for years.<\/p>\n Fox Nelson is a complicated, troubled soul. The death of his mother left a pronounced mark on him, and he is gruff, broody and tormented by his demons. He has his family, but he struggles to deal with the maelstrom of emotions from his past, and he throws himself into the danger of his job as a hot shot \u2013 a wildland firefighter \u2013 and the stress and intensity of that impacts on him as well. The bright spot in his life is his best friend. Delilah brings light and sunshine into his life, and it\u2019s only with her that he finds calm and peace.<\/p>\n 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. I don\u2019t want to go into detail about the story, because you just need to dive in and experience it, but wow, what a ride. The chemistry between Del and Fox is insane, and as feelings are revealed and boundaries are crossed, I could feel the blend of confusion, elation, wonder, and their passion for each other is beautifully explored.<\/p>\n He\u2019s everything I\u2019ve ever wanted and everything I shouldn\u2019t have and he\u2019s fucking me like we might lose everything tomorrow. I love Delilah\u2019s huge heart, and the way she gave of herself so openly to Fox. She knows he is damaged, and while she is willing to take what he is able to offer her, she\u2019s also strong enough to not just let him walk all over her. She knows what she wants, and though Fox is the love of her life, she\u2019s prepared to fight for it.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t even know what love is. You wouldn\u2019t know it if it hit you in the face. You wouldn\u2019t know it unless you were open to it and you\u2019re not. You never were. You\u2019re closed off. You\u2019re happy in your anger and your sorrow and you shun everything good.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n And Fox\u2026 God, how I want to hug him! I could feel his pain and his genuine confusion, I could absolutely empathise with him, and my heart ached so much for him. He\u2019s so messed up that he doesn\u2019t recognise what he\u2019s feeling or what to do about it, and his journey is so beautifully written.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what I want in general or where my head is. I don\u2019t know what the future holds. I\u2019m too\u2026I don\u2019t know, scared, to even look. I\u2019m just\u2026\u201d he opens his eyes and they focus on me, holding me in place. \u201cI\u2019m a mess, to be honest with you. And you\u2019re the only thing that makes sense. That\u2019s all I know.\u201d <\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n It\u2019s a hard road for these two, and their journey is angsty and emotional, but it\u2019s good<\/i> angst and emotion. It makes you feel<\/i> and fully experience the story with the characters without getting frustrated or annoyed with them. It\u2019s a true journey for them, with a lot of soul searching and character development, and I loved every moment of it!<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re everything I\u2019ve been looking my whole life for and you\u2019ve been right in front of me all this time. My heart, my everything, it belongs solely to you.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n And as much as this is a story about two people figuring out what they want and finding the courage to fight for it, the love story is absolutely beautiful, with twists, turns and surprises, a whole lot of hotness fun, sweetness and so much soon! I had tears in my eyes multiple time while I was reading, and I was completely swept up in the romance.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to be consumed \u2026 I want to love you, burn for you, until there\u2019s nothing else left. Just your heart and mine.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n *swoooooon*<\/p>\n The story ends well, providing great closure for Fox and Delilah, and also for the rest of the Nelson clan. It\u2019s definitely a high point for the series to finish on, and I read it in one sitting unable to put it down!<\/p>\n Truly unforgettable. 5 stars!<\/p>\n An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.<\/i><\/p>\n Wild Card (#1)<\/strong> (Shane) Maverick (#2)<\/strong> (Maverick) Hot Shot (#3)<\/strong> (Fox) <\/p>\n It\u2019s dark now and quiet except for the crickets. In the distance, the town of North Ridge glows, the lights giving way to the dark mountain ranges behind it and beyond that, a clear, starry sky.<\/p>\n I immediately feel better but it\u2019s not enough. I need to walk, to get my head on straight, to get my heart to stop caving in.<\/p>\n I head down the slope to the barn. It\u2019s second nature to want to come here during hard times. Growing up, if anyone in the house was fighting\u2014and it was usually Shane and Fox\u2014this was where you\u2019d find them afterwards, licking their wounds.<\/p>\n Right now the barn is empty, all the horses are either in their paddocks or the pastures. I glance up at the hayloft and contemplate going up there when I hear footsteps behind me.<\/p>\n I immediately stiffen. It\u2019s funny how you can feel someone\u2019s specific presence without seeing them.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with you?\u201d Fox asks gruffly from behind me. Typical. Even if he\u2019s concerned, sometimes he comes across like it annoys him to be concerned.<\/p>\n I take in a deep breath and turn around. \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d I say, my voice measured. \u201cJust felt a bit nauseous.\u201d<\/p>\n He studies my face intently, so intently that I look away, my eyes drifting over the empty stalls. \u201cI thought maybe I\u2019d pissed you off somehow,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Is he baiting me?<\/p>\n I meet his eyes. \u201cWhy would you think that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou could barely look at me during dinner,\u201d he says, taking a step toward me until he\u2019s a foot away. \u201cWas it something I did? Is this about Conan?\u201d<\/p>\n He\u2019s so damn earnest in that last question that I have to laugh. I fold my arms across my chest. \u201cNo, Fox. This isn\u2019t about your squirrel. It\u2019s not about anything. I\u2019m just\u2026tired.\u201d<\/p>\n I can tell he doesn\u2019t believe me and the intensity has changed in his eyes. They\u2019ve become more focused on me, like he\u2019s seeing me for the first time and nothing else around us matters.<\/p>\n \u201cI like this,\u201d he says, his voice sounding thick. He takes a strand of my hair between his fingers and runs them down. \u201cYour hair is so long. You should wear it down more often.\u201d<\/p>\n I roll my eyes and hope I\u2019m not blushing. \u201cYou guys are all the same. A girl wears her hair down and puts on some makeup and suddenly you realize that she\u2019s actually hot. It\u2019s like She\u2019s All That<\/em> come to life.\u201d<\/p>\n Oh shit. I probably shouldn\u2019t have said that last bit out loud since it\u2019s a whole bunch of assumptions and I\u2019m not one to flatter myself like that.<\/p>\n But he just grins. One of those cheeky, warm smiles that makes his eyes crinkle at the corners, the dimples appear in his scruff. He doesn\u2019t smile like that very often and every time he does for me, it makes me feel\u2026invincible.<\/p>\n \u201cDel, I\u2019ve always thought you were hot,\u201d he says, still smiling. No awkwardness or hesitation. He just comes out and says it.<\/p>\n And now I am<\/em> blushing. \u201cYeah right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d he asks, tucking my hair behind my ear and\u2014hell\u2014his touch causes warm shivers to wash down my back. \u201cIt\u2019s true. I mean, look at you.\u201d<\/p>\n Don\u2019t read into it. Don\u2019t read into it.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cDo you remember that birthday party where we played spin the bottle?\u201d I ask him, my voice sounding broken.<\/p>\n He nods. \u201cKind of.\u201d But he doesn\u2019t remove his hand, keeps playing with my hair.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know why I\u2019m feeling brave all of a sudden but I am. \u201cWell you spun the bottle and it stopped right at me. No mistake about it. And you got up and said it was stupid and left. Fox, we were good friends and you acted like kissing me was the worst thing on earth.\u201d<\/p>\n His dark brows knit together but his eyes stay warm. \u201cYou remember that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFox. I\u2019m a woman. I\u2019m always going to remember when a boy rejects me, especially my best friend and especially at a young age.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut we were<\/em> young. And I was pretty stupid back then.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou thought I was gross.\u201d<\/p>\n He lets out a soft laugh. \u201cI can promise you I did not think you were gross.\u201d His hand then leaves my hair and trails down my arm to my hand. Sometimes Fox holds it and I know I shouldn\u2019t think anything of it but every time he does I wonder if he realizes what it does to me. Then again, I\u2019m starting to think he\u2019s oblivious to absolutely everything.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t kiss you,\u201d he goes on, \u201cnot because I didn\u2019t want to. I did.\u201d He swallows, shrugs. \u201cI just didn\u2019t want our first kiss to be from spin the bottle.\u201d<\/p>\n Hold up<\/em>\u2026what?<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean? Our first kiss?\u201d I repeat, my pulse quickening.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, Del. Back then, I kind of assumed that we would end up together at some point. You know all through high school I had just been waiting to make my move and ask you out.\u00a0 At least figure out if you liked me or not. But then you started going out with that guy with the big ears, what was his name, Ryan McGee? And that\u2019s when I realized that it was probably all in my head. You were just a friend. A sister, even. And I was just a brother to you.\u201d<\/p>\n Holy. Fucking. Shit.<\/em><\/p>\n This is way too much to process.<\/p>\n Fox thought we\u2019d end up together.<\/p>\n He actually liked me back in high school!<\/p>\n \u201cYou look shocked,\u201d he says, raising a brow. \u201cI thought it was pretty obvious.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cObvious?\u201d I blurt out. \u201cNo. No it wasn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n He lets go of my hand and shrugs with one shoulder. \u201cIt\u2019s funny how life goes, isn\u2019t it? It was probably for the best anyway. Could you have imagined us dating? Being a couple.\u201d<\/p>\n Yes, fucking yes.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Halle is represented by the Root Literary and is both self-published and published by Simon & Schuster and Hachette in North America and in the UK.<\/p>\n Connect with Karina:<\/p>\n Facebook\u00a0 <\/a>|\u00a0 Amazon\u00a0 <\/a>|\u00a0 Instagram <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Website\u00a0 <\/a>|\u00a0 Join her Reader Group<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Stay up to date with Karina by signing up for her newsletter<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0Amazon US \u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0Amazon UK\u00a0 |\u00a0 iBooks\u00a0 |\u00a0 Nook\u00a0 |\u00a0 Kobo Synopsis Delilah Gordon has a secret. She\u2019s been in love with her best friend and the boy next door, Fox Nelson, since she […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":28368,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","yasr_overall_rating":5,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"Product","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,49,25,9,29],"tags":[59,38,769,48],"class_list":["post-29230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-feeeeeeels","category-friends-to-lovers","category-romance","category-steamy","tag-arc","tag-karina-halle","tag-north-ridge","tag-review"],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Hot-Shot.jpg?fit=150%2C225&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7gaNL-7Bs","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=29230"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29230\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/28368"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=29230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=29230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=29230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nReview<\/b><\/h4>\n
\nAnd all my life I have been acutely aware that he is not in love with me.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nWhat I feel for her has always been so deep and complicated that I still don\u2019t quite know what it is.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nAnd we might.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/h4>\n
North Ridge series<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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\nExcerpt<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\nMeet Karina<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Karina Halle is a former travel writer and music journalist and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of The Pact, Love, in English, The Artists Trilogy, Dirty Angels and over 20 other wild and romantic reads. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband and her rescue pup, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books.<\/p>\nCheck out our Karina Halle Author Spotlight<\/a> for more awesome reads<\/strong><\/h4>\n