Lincoln Reed, Fire Chief, saving lives, and charming the pants off all the women he meets. For Lincoln, he was known as the ladies man in the town of Benevolence, but one day on the scene of a big accident, he came face to face with a beautiful woman, a straight up, tough doctor who seemed immune to his charm. For Mackenzie a.k.a. Mack, it seemed like another day on the job  of ensuring all went well with her patient in the middle of an accident. Mack was use to all the adrenaline and thinking on her feet due to having previously worked with saving soldiers as part of being an on flight trauma doctor. With the new job of being doctor at a family practice for the next six months, Mack found herself accepting a job in the small town of Benevolence where it just so happened was where Linc lived. 

In the past two books, it centered on the other couples such as, Luke, Harper, Aldo, and Gloria, and throughout those stories Linc made appearances. Even before this book, it was clear that Linc was charming and such a flirt (but in the best/fun way possible). Lincoln seemed like the kind of man who could show you a good time, but also maintaining his bachelor lifestyle. Things started to change for Lincoln when he met Mack (Mackenzie), a doctor who was tough as nails and could go toe to toe with Lincoln. The thing I really liked about Mack was her no nonsense attitude. Whenever it came to work, Mack got in the zone and was prepared to do whatever was necessary for her patients. Not to mention, I just loved seeing Mack initially turned down Lincoln’s advances haha. Lincoln was so use to having women fawn over him, but Mack was the complete opposite. Mack could see the appeal that Lincoln had and even told him he was attractive, but that didn’t take away from the fact that Mack wasn’t going to sleep with Lincoln. Try as he might, Lincoln was persistent, and never faltered with his charm, flirty comments, and hope that the devastatingly beautiful doctor would give him a chance.

Right away, I got the vibe that Mack wasn’t by any means the type of woman who was use to taking things slow and easy. With such a high risk/ adrenaline filled career as a doctor with the on flight trauma unit, Mack had her fair shares of seeing lots of blood, gore, and terribly injured soldiers/ patients while she was in the military. Compared to the other previous characters in the other books, Mack was a different type of character I wasn’t expecting, but loved right away. I loved seeing Mack being a total boss and not taking anything from anyone. Mack was so cool to me liked her heaving Linc around after leaving the hospital and her doing her workouts in the morning to just having this sense of calm underneath her tough exterior, I just found Mack to be impressive and inspiring. 

With Mack’s new job as the doctor at Benevolence’s family practice, she learned that in a small town, everyone knows everything and more. Mack wasn’t expecting the citizen’s of Benevolence to be so close knit and affectionate such as, when Mack met Harper for the first time while checking on Harper’s kid. For Mack meeting these people she had never met before or even just knew briefly was a change in pace in her life, especially considering how everyone was so warm, friendly, and overall close with one another. Another moment that it hit Mack in terms of her lifestyle and way of living up until she arrived in Benevolence was when she saw how Aldo, Gloria, Harper, Luke, and their families interacted with one another. Mack was use to being a “lone wolf” so to speak, and had never considered nor imagined herself as someone who would want a family of her own or even a significant other. I will say, that for Mack to be incorporated into the friend group was good for her benefit because, it allowed her to make new friends, and to become part of a tight knit community that she never had before. 

This story took place five years later after the last book so Luke, Harper, Aldo, Gloria, and the rest of the gang appeared again! It was so nice seeing everyone still so close to each other, but also with the added wholesome touch of everyone with their own children. Five years may not sound like a long time, but it did highlight the changes they characters went through and how far they’ve come from their own respective hurtles in life. The transition to being married, having kids, and whatnot was just a reminder that even while the story took place, everyone was happy and loving their best lives *cue me feeling all warm and happy over these amazing characters.

Mack was use to being on her own and had never really experienced an healthy relationship so when Linc came into her life, it was all new for her. Mack was attracted to Linc and even flirted with him too, but she was determined to not get involved with him for her own reasons, and yet she could ignore the feelings and want she experienced being around Linc. I liked how honest Linc was about his intentions with Mack and despite the persona that people in Benevolence believed of him as just being a total ladies man, Linc knew for a fact he wanted more with Mack, as well as could picture a serious future with her. Linc was a great love interest for Mack because, where Mack was all tough and a bit grumpy at times, Linc’s bright, flirty, positive personality brought out a lighter, playful side in Mack. Once Mack realized she wanted to pursue something with Linc, it was like something clicked into place for her, and with her change in her demeanor and vibe, everyone could tell Mack was feeling good just from being with Linc. I also thought it was so endearing how Linc would occasionally tell Mack how they should get married or how he envisioned their future together of getting married, etc. Linc gave off “head over heels” and “man obsessed” vibes with the way he thought, acted around Mack.

For all the initial shut downs of Mack deciding not to hook up with Linc, with all that time sporadically spent together, it was undeniable that Linc and Mack were brimming with desire for one another. Linc definitely lived up to his own personal hype and made sure that Mack enjoyed all the pleasures he provided her *wink, wink if you know what I mean. Mack wasn’t by any means fragile and just like her own powerful, strong self, she also dominated in the bedroom with Linc. In a way, it felt like once Linc and Mack got intimate, they’re strong personalities translated in their sexy times and it was just pure control over one another, as well as letting go of all inhibitions. In other words, Linc and Mack had great chemistry and it was just nice to see Mack give into her attraction and lust over Linc, and for the first time in a very long time genuinely feel a connection. 

One of the many things I loved about this book/ series was the heartwarming feel I got while reading. With each book, each couple not only found love, but was embraced by the small town community. For Mack, she was introduced to a new way of life. For the longest time, Mack was use to being on her own, but with Linc, and the rest of the town they made her feel included and she’d experienced a sense of calm, peace, and joy she’d never really known. I absolutely loved seeing Mack becoming part of the found family in Benevolence and how over the time  she was in town, she started thinking about her life in a way that opened new possibilities, a potential future with Linc. I also loved the Halloween scene where everyone celebrated Mack and her heroic efforts that saved the lives of a few fellow townspeople, and it made me tear up a bit. I love small towns due to that ability to make you feel warm and loved, and I truly felt that for Mack and Linc. 

My goodness, I had a feeling I was going to love this book with the minion of Lincoln the fire chief and Mack (Mackenzie) being a total boss saving lives, but this book went above and beyond my expectations. With the good natured humor, banter, romance making me both swoon and lose my breath! I couldn’t get enough of Mack and Linc! In addition, to seeing those familiar faces that I love and adore of Harper, Luke, Gloria, Aldo, and others, it was fantastic! With the added element of danger due to Mack’s family and past, it was unexpected but had me at the edge of my seat! Mack and Linc were amazing together and the growth they developed over the course of the story was beautiful and inspiring. I loved the overall story and with the ending, epilogue, and bonus epilogue I was an emotional mess with all the love this book gave. Seriously you guys I cannot stress enough how good Lucy Score’s books are and if you’re looking for a small town series, this book as well as the previous two are an absolute must!