If you’re a sucker for tattooed single dads, fake dating, small town drama, and men who can chop wood and braid hair, Axe Backwards by Daphne Elliott is for you!

This book is EVERYTHING. So you’re trapped in a coffee shop bathroom, having the worst day ever, and the universe sends you a literal axe-wielding firefighter with a baby strapped to his chest. (Thank you, universe. 🙌) That’s how Noah Hebert makes his entrance into our Victoria’s life, and honestly? I’m still not over it.

Noah is a dream: broad shoulders, a thick beard, piercing blue eyes, and a heart so pure it could melt the iciest exteriors. Watching him be a doting dad while also low key saving the town and standing up to the FMC’s toxic family? Peak boyfriend material. 😍 And the chemistry? Off the charts! The slow burn romance builds through hair braiding (YES, really), late night chats, and slow burn falling in love—like, who gave Daphne Elliott permission to make me feel all these feelings?! 🥹✨

But it’s not all fluff. There’s a bed of secrets ready to explode (I just LOVE romantic suspense), and when it does, it sets their world on fire (literally and figuratively). The twists and small town shenanigans will keep you hooked, and don’t even get me started on the lumberjack competitions and baby sign language moments. 🪓👶

If you love your romance with a side of heart, heat, and a moose cameo (YES, there’s a moose 🫎), Axe Backwards is a must read. Don’t walk. RUN to pick this one up. It’s got every single trope I am obsessed with tied together in a perfectly emotional, cozy, and spicy package. 🖤🔥

Tattooed firefighter ✔️ Single dad ✔️ Small town romance ✔️ Fake dating ✔️ Wood chopping competition ✔️ Bonus moose ✔️

Thank you to Daphne Elliot and The Author Agency for the eARC of this book!