Title: Fate on Fire
Author:  E.L. Todd
Publisher/Year:  E.L. Todd 7/17/20
Length:  200 Pages
Series: Stars #3

Overview

I’m alone on Earth and Neil is gone.

He may never come back.

I know I have to move on, to be strong, to carry on…especially since I’m not the only person I have to take care of.

Kyle gives me an option I can’t refuse.

So I take it.

My Thoughts

The unthinkable happens at the end of book two and we’re left picking up the pieces. We know that Neil’s #1 priority is space and working for NASA. This mission that he has been working towards for his whole career- going to Mars has finally happened and we watch him leave Earth, likely for 3 years if he ever comes back. We watch him fall in love with Charlotte before he leaves but never share that information since he knows that it’ll hurt her, but in return, he misses out on something amazing.

Charlotte on the other hand was damaged before this relationship and likely will be forever hurt. She’s fallen in love with Neil and makes her feelings known, knowing that he’s not able to give her what she wants in life – marriage and a family. Her first marriage ended because she was told she couldn’t have kids, so that wasn’t an issue with her future with Neil, until she learns the day before he leaves that she’s pregnant.

So we pick up book 3 watching Charlotte come to terms with being a single mom, living her life without Neil, and watching Kyle make his move. We know that all he’s ever wanted was to be with her, and it’s no surprise that he takes this opportunity to be the father that her child needs and to swoop in. It’s painful as a reader to watch this all happen because we know that Char is still very much in love with Neil, even though she knows that he won’t be back or back any time soon. So she chooses to settle. She goes for the man that she knows she loves, because he gives her the safety and support that she needs, but he’s not able to fulfill everything for her.

The story jumps bits into the future so we see Char give birth to Kingston, and then we see him grow into a 1 year old. We watch how she convinces everyone that the baby isn’t Neil’s but Kyles, and that makes our hearts hurt even more. It’s sad to think that while she feels like this is the right thing to do, it’s wrong on so many levels.

She feels vindicated though when there’s an explosion on Neil’s shuttle and comms are lost. NASA declares them dead since there haven’t been any communications in weeks, and that is what Charlotte needs to be able to move on fully with her life. She knows that Neil isn’t coming back and from there we watch this story become one of rebirth. Charlotte finds her new happiness in a life that works – it;s stable and secure and she gets the friendship and loyalty that she needs.

Until…..of course – you knew it, some how Neil manages to get the crew back to Earth and her world is in a tail spin AGAIN. She’s engaged to Kyle and yet Neil is back in the picture. She doesn’t want to break her word to Kyle, yet there’s a pull that she’s trying to fight from Neil. He doesn’t even know that he has a kid and all that adds to the complication.

You can only imagine the roller coaster of this story. How there are happy moments and heartbreak, there are lies and truths revealed left and right and there’s really no clear vision on how this will end. Will Kingston know his true father and will Neil want to be in the picture for that. What will Charlotte allow now that her live has moved into something new and different.

This is the closure that we needed but perhaps didn’t want when we saw the trajectory that they were on in the first two books. It makes you wonder if love is enough and if there’s something bigger out there that trumps love. On that note, now I have to find something else to read so…..Enjoy!