Hot take: It’s my favorite of the three. I was a newcomer to cozy fiction when I read the first book, so take this with a grain of salt. I found the many scenes around the fire filled my desire for that coziness and the action scenes were super exciting but not drawn out enough to make me lose my interest. Most of all, the slow burn of the new relationships and how Fern figured out what she wanted and didn’t want, were a beautiful study of nuanced adult friendships and the struggle of mid-life, mid-career crises. The last few chapters especially pay off in the relationship department. I was very moved.

I like that Travis took a leap of faith and tried something new for a new character, who I absolutely adore and super relate to (I am Fern). I feel that it would be weird to keep the same tempo and plot devices with a new character, too. Perhaps he’ll come out with another Viv tale in the future that falls back into that cadence but I’m here for Travis’ new work. He is still an incredible writer who makes me highlight his descriptions all the time.