Axe Backwards

A Single Dad Lumberjack Romance (Maine Lumberjacks, Book 4)

De: Daphne Elliot

Narrado por: Gabriel Spires, Samantha Cook

Once in a while, after life gets you down, the universe throws you a bone. And if you’re really lucky, it comes in the form of a tattooed baby-wearing firefighter with piercing blue eyes and a heart of gold.

When Noah Hebert swung his axe and rescued me from a coffee shop bathroom, I had only a vague sense of who the tattooed lumberjack was. Turns out he’s more than broad shoulders and a thick beard. He’s a devoted single dad and my new neighbor.

Soon after, we find ourselves falling into an easy friendship. I help him with his fussy baby, and he helps me survive my ex-husband and little sister’s wedding. Despite my vow never to risk my heart again, my defenses quickly crumble. The sight of him rocking his sweet baby in those muscular, inked arms only makes matters worse. And when he defends me to my toxic family, the sparks of attraction between us catch fire.

I moved back here with a mission. Grow the food pantry and make our little town a better place. I can’t get mixed up with the grieving single dad, even if he likes to braid my hair and slow dance in the kitchen.

He moved across the country to escape the flames of his past and protect the little girl he now calls his own. But our town is sitting on a bed of secrets ready to ignite.

And when the heat causes my world to go up in smoke, I’m not sure it’s possible to sift through the rubble and find our happily ever after.

Author’s Note: Axe Backwards is a standalone small-town romance featuring a bleeding-heart heroine, a lumberjack firefighter, and a cute baby. If you enjoy single dads, fake dating, small-town shenanigans, lumberjack competitions, and baby sign language, you will not be disappointed. Come for the wood chopping, stay for the moose!

©2025 Melody Publishing, LLC (P)2025 Melody Publishing, LLC

An amazing presentation of a terrific story!

I listened to the audiobook version of this novel, in duet format narration by Samantha Cook and Gabriel Spires. These two amazing voice actors did an outstanding job making this story sound life like and so real. It was like being able to follow the characters' thoughts (as if I was thinking the same things through with them) that produced the things they were saying. This novel takes place in the small town of Lovewell, Maine, and both narrators also did terrific work expressing the large cast of characters, especially Noah's wonderful family and Victoria's extremely obnoxious relatives.
Ms. Eliot has written an amazing story for these narrators to work with. Noah Hebert has left his west coast wildland firefighting job and returned to his home town to raise his godchild Tess.This is just the first example of how wise he is, knowing that he'd need help caring for an infant. Victoria has come back to town after a bad break up and lives in the apartment downstairs from Noah. Their paths cross when Noah anonymously comes to her rescue in town, and then cross again when she discovers he is her noisy upstairs neighbor pacing the floor with baby Tess. Mayhem ensues, including Noah posing as Victoria's fake boyfriend at her sister's wedding, and of course they try and fail to deny the attraction to each other. They both have some serious emotional baggage that each believes should keep them apart, and I was constantly impressed with their communicating and learning and growing to overcome their issues. Their chemistry was incredible, and this book has some of the best, most evocative, fair, fun, and believable scenes of physical intimacy I have read anywhere. Victoria and Noah have the "banter gene", and it comes into the bedroom with them. If one can be jealous of fictional characters, these two are folks I can truly admire. This book is #4 in the Maine Lumberjacks series, and the suspense plot that began with the first book continues here (the event in this book is solved, so not a cliffhanger). I can hardly wait for the next installment in this wonderful series!

Daphne Elliot broke the mold with Noah Hebert.

Daphne Elliot broke the mold with Noah Hebert. This man was so swoon worthy my heart was bleeding right along with Victoria's.

The way Samantha Cook & Gabriel Spires told Victoria & Noah's story will have you loving them and sweet baby Tess from beginning to end. The heartwarming moments between Victoria & Noah were perfection, and the

Noah took on being a single dad to a baby girl that wasn't his after a tragedy with her parents, and ends up back home in Lovewell, Maine. Victoria comes back to her hometown after a nasty divorce to a vile man, and is struggling to find her new normal.

As luck may have it, the sexy firefighter that rescued her from a coffee shop bathroom also ends up being her loud, hot shot single dad neighbor. After a not so friendly middle of the night run in, Noah and Victoria spark up a genuine friendship and she begins helping with baby Tess.

Their bond is almost instantaneous, and the way they both begin to care about and depend on one another was beautiful. Noah's wading through being a single dad and Victoria's stuck dealing with her vile ex and toxic family, so naturally they begin a fake relationship and Noah takes on being her protector and cheerleader. With the chemistry and connection these two have, there was no chance fake wasn't going to become very real. They were sizzling, yet sweet all wrapped up in one incredible little family that they built.

Love love

I’ve listened to all four books so far and loved each one of them! I definitely need more!

Love Makes a Family

Axe Backwards, Book 4 in this Maine Lumberjack series by Daphne Elliot, continues the storyline for the Hebert brothers bringing us Noah and Victoria this time. This another good one!

Noah & Vic were AMAZING! LOVE this SERIES!

I'm seriously in LOVE with this series! Everyone of these stories have left me with the biggest smile on my face. I absolutely LOVED Noah and Vic! I was hooked from the very beginning and didn't want this book to end.

The narrators Gabriel Spires and Samantha Cook did a fantastic job telling this story. Their voices kept me entertained and held my attention through the entire book.

Noah is a single dad to a little girl and is trying to adjust to being a dad and figure out what he wants to do with his life. Noah will sweep you off of you feet! He was such a sweetheart and the way he loved Tess OMG!!!!

Vic is newly divorced and trying to put her life back together. When her upstairs neighbor keeps her up at night she finally decides to say something to him. When she knocks on his door she's surprised to see Noah with a baby pacing back and forth. Now she knows why he's been so noisy. She decides to help him out to allow him to get some sleep. That ends up turning into a friendship. I LOVED getting to know these two. They were such a great pair and I just FELL IN LOVE instantly!

This book will have you laughing, SWOONING like a fool, smiling and will leave you with. beautiful ending! I HIGHLY recommend this book and this entire series!!

Loved this!!

I loved this book. it was the first book I read out of the series and I fell in love with it. The banter was great. Clive made another appearance

So good

Oh these narrators were perfect. Samantha was amazing for Victoria but Gabriel did an excellent performance even making me cry all over again with this story it was awesome. These Lumberjacks are everything and like with the previous books listening to the stories was way better than reading. I’m obsessed! And special for meeting new narrators. Can’t wait for Jude’s.

Still loving this series

I love how this story came together with the missing brother and seeing how things grew for him and the problems he experienced. Each of these stories have tackled a different huge problem that people have dealt with but all ending in the love they deserve.

💯 recommend

Hands down this is my favorite in the series thus far! The characters, the growth and development the intrigue and of course the spice were all perfectly written. Noah, Tess and Vic are just 💕💕 I have no words. I definitely suggest listening or reading starting from book one, as there is an ongoing connected plot. I highly recommend all on audiobook the narrators have been amazing and the narrators for this one were just perfect! Looking forward to wrapping up with Jude ♥️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Friends to More

Absolutely love this audiobook. Samantha Cook and Gabriel Spires' performance is perfection. All the emotion they put into Noah and Vic could be felt. Noah and Vic are two beaten down and broken souls who lean on each other in a time of need. I love their journey from friends to lovers to so much more. The growth of these two on their own and together is inspiring. They really are each other's rock in everything. This book has lots of angst, heat, and the perfect amount danger and suspense. This town and all the people in it show what community support can really accomplish. Also, we finally get more clarity on all the town turmoil surrounding the Herbert family. Definitely a 4.5 star must listen.

I was sent an advanced copy audiobook from HCB and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.