*before I begin with this review, I would highly recommend reading this book duet (The Blue Line duet) first before reading, “The Left Side of Perfect” and “The Right Side of Forever” from the Perfect duet, since this duet sets up the continuation of Colby’s story and more. On another note, I didn’t realize the order so I kind of went out of order. Regardless, just wanted to let you know in case you’re interested in reading this book duet(s).

This story followed Colby Brooks as he was part of the Air Force academy, and dreaming of the day he’d finally have the chance to fly a plane of his own. Alongside Colby, he had his best friend and fellow classmate from the Air Force, Stryder Sheppard. Stryder was the more outgoing one, whereas Colby was more inclined to wanting to study, focus on his goal, and wasn’t much of a extrovert as Stryder was. In a way, Stryder and Colby being best friends was a good thing because, they balance each other out with their differences, and were also supportive and honest with each other. Meanwhile, the other characters who were also part of the story were, Rory and Ryan. Rory, in a way was similar to Colby in that, she was always focused on work, but unlike Colby, whenever Rory had time off work, she definitely took the time to recharge and relax. Ryan on the other hand was like Stryder in a way that she too enjoyed to go out and have fun. All these characters shared similarities and differences, and yet one night changed all their lives in a way they never expected. 

Through the early chapters, there were some details about Colby’s life from when he was a child that shed light on his past and the things he went through. From the beginning, it was clear that Colby had always had admiration for planes, his grandpa, and his father. The relationship between Colby, his father, and grandpa were close and loving. Through the flashbacks of Colby as a kid, it was clear that losing his father was a heartbreaking moment for him. In a way, seeing Colby as a kid made me think that due to the things he had experienced, he kept himself guarded because he didn’t want to get hurt, but also remain focus to the dream he had always set out to make true. Colby didn’t want any distractions, and with Rory, he felt like just being around her could potentially get in the way of his goals of becoming a fighter pilot. In a way, there was some angst due to Colby’s guarded and serious personality, as well as his fears preventing him from fully experiencing happiness that he deserved. 

Colby had become one of those characters that I not only fell in love with, but truly cared for. Yet again, reading the chapters from when he was a kid broke my heart, and made me want to protect and hold Colby in my arms. Colby endured a lot as a kid, and those moments from his past left a nasty mark on him. I hated Ted, and everything he did to Colby ugh! 

Little by little through Rory’s persistence, she was able to make it past Colby’s defenses, and  get him to open up with her. With Rory and Colby then writing letters to each other, it kind of reminded me of “Dear John”, since they wrote to each other, and gradually those letters became significant to one another. Colby was kind of a gruff, serious guy so to have him accept his attraction to Rory and accept the progression of it was a little “hooray” moment for me as a reader and especially for Rory. 

The romance between Rory and Colby was a mixture of angst, happiness, sadness, and passionate. From the very first moment, Rory and Colby couldn’t deny their attraction, even though Colby was the hesitant one, even he could see that being with Rory was unlike any other relationship he had experienced. Likewise for Rory, the connection she had with Colby went beyond the basic admiration of Colby’s good look, it was his quiet, reserved yet stoic nature that left her wanting to uncover the mysterious Colby Brooks. I felt like Rory and Colby had great chemistry together, and despite knowing how eventually their story would end up playing out, I was still invested in their story to see for myself. Colby Brooks definitely had a way with words, and when he busted out his commanding voice, I melted into a wet puddle! Colby had his moments of radiating alpha energy, but in a respectful way. Colby was equal parts romantic and endearing and also super thoughtful and downright steamy with his dirty talk! I LOVED IT! Rory also commanded Colby’s attention and I was loving her confidence especially when she surprised Colby on his birthday, YOU GO RORY! WOO! All in all, the spice in this book was written in a fun, steamy way that had me loving it. 

This story had everything from sadness, heartfelt moments, romance, humor, and well loved characters. Colby was my favorite and learning about him more allowed me to truly see the depths of life. Rory was sweet and kind, and was persistent in trying to get to know Colby. I also loved the family aspect of Rory with her family and how devoted she was, as well as the bond Colby had with his grandpa. There were some sad moments that had me wanting to hug both Colby and Rory, and the angst was definitely present in the story. The way the story ended with the cliffhanger, and reading how Colby reacted to seeing Rory and Stryder a year later was an unexpected moment I wasn’t expecting, not to mention all the emotions that Colby was feeling in that moment, it felt like a lot was hitting Colby in that exact moment. I’m curious to see what happens in the next book of the duet to see more Colby and how everything ends up playing out especially with the shift amongst the characters that was mentioned towards the end. If you’re looking for a story with fighter pilots, kind of reminiscent of “Top Gun” the movie, angst, passion, romance, and more, this book is the one