Book Review | At The Edge Of Surrender – A.L. Jackson (Moonlit Ridge Series, Book Three)

At The Edge Of Surrender
By: A.L. Jackson

Series: Moonlit Ridge
Book # in Series: 3 of 5
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Trope(s): Surprise Single Dad, Small Town Suspense
Publisher: A.L. Jackson Books, INC
Publication Date: June 16th, 2025
My Rating: ✮✮✮✮
My Reading Format: kindleunlimited

Synopsis:

A surprise single dad, small town romantic suspense…

I’m the last guy on the planet who should be a dad. My life is chaos. My sins written dark and deep.
So, imagine my surprise when my doorbell rings and I open it to find the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen standing on the other side.
And she’s holding the hand of a little girl who looks just like me.

Emery tells me her sister, the child’s mother, is dead.
I feel like dirt since she’s a woman I can hardly remember, and it’s no wonder Emery doesn’t trust that I’m worthy of caring for her niece.
But I can’t turn my back, and I insist on raising Maci.
So, we strike a deal—she’ll stay with me for one month to ensure the little girl is safe.

Emery tries to hate me for who I am, but neither of us can resist the attraction that blazes between us.
One brush of her hand, and she has me on my knees.
One kiss, and I’m falling fast.
Soon, we find ourselves tangled in my sheets.

But when it’s discovered her sister’s death wasn’t accidental, the secret life I’ve been living collides with the past Emery has tried to keep hidden.
And when the fiends come back to finish the job they started, I’m in a race against time to save the two people who I’ve come to love most…

honey-script.light

I cannot get over that ending!! OH EM GEE! My heart damn near jumped right out of my chest. A round of applause goes to A.L. Jackson for incorporating all that suspense and shocking the heck right out of me! This is the reason why I will always instantly pick up books from this author. Now let’s dive deeper into my review.

At The Edge Of Surrender is the third book in A.L. Jackson’s Moonlit Ridge Series. If you love a touch of suspense in the romances you read, I highly recommend you pick up this book! Also, if you love surprise single dad romance novels, this one is for you!

Emery Voss’ world came to an end the moment she received the news that her twin sister passed away. But in the midst of gathering her things, she comes across a letter with instructions that Emery must follow, even if in the end, it breaks her heart.

Kane Asher is living his life in the dark. With owning a few bars and his rescue missions, Kane has made it his life ambition to protect those who are unable to protect themselves. But when Emery Voss comes into the picture with a secret that she is promised to set free, Kane’s reality shifts and realizations set in.

My Thoughts:

WOW! A.L. Jackson knows how to weave a tale of suspense and mystery, that’s for sure! When I first picked up At The Edge Of Surrender, I did not know what to expect. I knew, from past reads, there would be spice and suspense. But holy crow, I did not know what I was in for until I was in the deep end! I loved the element of surprise that was thrown in my face! I literally could not put this one down!

Let’s talk about the Characters! Starting with Emery. I loved the fact that Emery’s character was nothing but a mystery. She had secrets, and at the back of my mind, I had a feeling I knew what those secrets were. But, A.L. Jackson exposed her secrets on a whole different scale! I still can’t comprehend that ending. On a different note, I loved how protective of the little one she was. Her mama bear instincts were fierce. And to avoid spoilers, that’s all I’m going to say about that.

Now, let’s discuss Mr. Kane Asher. This man was born to be a protector. His story is dark and terrifying but it was great to see him rise above the ashes and become the person that protects the weak. I loved how a certain little one caused his armor to crack a bit. He quickly had a new mission on this earth, to be the best father he could possibly be. This man literally had my heart melting in two!

I love the premise behind this novel and this series. These men were created to protect the weak. They each have a backstory that warranted them into this role in life. And it seems like each back story comes with even more trauma than the last.

Now, for the reasoning behind why I dropped a star on my rating. I wanted more moments where the three of them together, I wanted more time to see Kane become a great father. I wanted to see that connection being nurtured more by Emery and grow throughout the story. It’s a double edged sword, I understand I can’t have it both ways. The suspense would have been downplayed and I loved the suspense moments. That’s why I only dropped a ½ star for this portion. I decided to drop another ½ star for Emery. I would have loved to see her conquer her fears and actually seek help for her trauma. You can’t live in the dark by yourself, some cases call for the help from a professional. I wanted to see this woman grow from her trauma, but the ending happened so quickly, I didn’t get the chance to bear witness to it.

Overall, I loved the romance and the suspense that Kane and Emery’s story brought to the table! I loved the sweet moments just as much as I loved the spicy moments. And let’s not forget the silly aspect a certain child brought to the table. It was the icing on a great story! I just needed a little bit more to bump my four star rating up to a five star rating.

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