•spoilers•

Things have been quiet for months, leads have gone cold, and there's nothing but dead ends as the guys continue to try to uncover the organization working out of the Cottonmouth Club. All that changes when John-Henry gets arrested for a heinous crime. The group comes back together to support their friends and help Emery prove John-Henry's innocence by finding the real criminals. 

The entire time I was reading this I just felt nothing but dread. John-Henry gets arrested for a crime (I won't write details because I'm sure it'll flag something) and it's literally life changing. Ashe typically writes things that are really realistic, so realistically, it's so hard to live your life after being accused of these crimes. The whole time I had no clue how it was going to work out. 

John-Henry (now forever JH in my head) is and has always been a pillar of the community, but this accusation turns his entire world upside down. People are actively violent towards him, passive aggressive, and he comes close to leaving altogether, because how do you come back from this? But Wahredua is his and Emery's home and they've worked hard to make it a happy, loving place for their family, especially after their painful childhoods. 

John-Henry is still reconciling who he was and his past actions with who he is today. The public of Wahredua turning against him so easily exacerbates his struggles. Growing up, he was the golden boy, everyone was charmed by him, and he could do not wrong. He also had never felt more alone and scared, and he now despises how he acted then because of those feelings. However, this public respect was his safety blanket, and now that it's gone he has to be openly vulnerable. It's not easy, at times he wants to just give up - whether by leaving town or through the bottle - but he comes into his own confidence with Emery loving him every step of the way and the strength of his new friendships. He owns who he is today, a gay chief of police with more happiness than he ever knew was possible. He has an amazing family, has a love that he could have never imagined, and can be his honest messy, lovable self. Those are things that matter, and while it's not easy, it gives JH the strength to be the better person he knows he is, being true to himself while rising above the backlash from the town. 

The book seems very JH focused, but we do get a lot of what Emery is having to deal with on his side of things. While JH is going through this, Emery has to be the one holding it together and being empathetic - not his strongest trait. But he's not alone, and the group of guys help them work through the hardest parts by reminding them of the light and love that exists outside of their bubble. It really shows how far they've come as a couple that even with these debilitating circumstances, the inevitable fighting, they are able to talk to each other and find themselves through it all. 

I loved this book for its character development and found family vibes. JH and Emery have been through so much and their relationship has become this strong partnership full of respect and love. They are with each other through everything, and will do anything for one another. The group of guys is there for them when they need it the most. Tean and Emery's friendship is so perfect, Tean just gets Emery and his calm, empathetic soul is exactly what Emery needs when his anger takes over. Jem always keeps things interesting, surprising them at every turn. North and Shaw become the people they can rely on to get the job done, even if their methods are questionable. Theo and Auggie are there for whatever they need, whether it's supporting their family or scouring the internet for backgrounds on people. But through it all, there's nothing but love and steady support for everyone, creating a family they can resolutely rely on. 

The case kind of had a bit of an anticlimatic end - which wasn't the worse because by this point I need these guys to have a break from all the trauma, and I especially don't want Colt to have any. I was too caught up in the emotional aspect of what was happening to really get a good guess at who was behind everything. But I never understood why JH was a target of this crime - was it just because they just happened to stumble upon this? And how was this guy able to work through the government in Wahredua and set JH so thoroughly? The details of how and why it happened just kind of lost me. But I did love the justice at the end. Emery going to Shaw of all people, who we know isn't afraid to do what needs to be done, shows just how much their relationship specifically has grown. Emery chose him because he sees beneath Shaw's personality to the determined, resourceful man who would do anything for those he loved. It was one of the most satisfying parts of the book just for that. It'll be interesting to see how everyone moves on from the events of this book. 

I can't believe the crossover is over. Ever since I started these books I've been looking forward to this series. It lived up to all the expectations I had, full of laughter, heartbreak, and love. All these couples have gone through so many ups and downs but now they have each other's backs through thick and thin. I'm so thankful that we have more Hazardverse to look forward to through the short stories, sidetracks books, and hopefully more series for these couples. Their stories definitely aren't over, and I know these characters have so much left to experience in their happily ever afters. 

Read if you like:
• mystery/suspense
• Hazardverse crossover series 
• found family 

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