Noble Hops is a gripping, intense romantic suspense and there are such twists and turns in the story you will be captivated.

I Highly Recommend this wonderful story to all readers.

Cam and Nic are doing their best to make their relationship work. But life keeps getting in the way. So close to nailing the bad guy and his mole(s). Discovering that the two of them together make things happen and that with their trusted friends and colleagues they are unstoppable.

Nic and Cam finally get their happy ending. Not without bad guys, intrigue, a little blood, a dead father, and a family found. Cam creates the perfect brew for his man in what I’m assuming is the final book of this series. The two of them together work, although I felt that their relationship was secondary in this book. I’m not against action at all, I just would of liked more one on one time with them. I did enjoy their story.

Review Copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads

Loved the romance as well as the suspense the story had plus the interaction between the characters. Will be reading more by this author

Cam and Nic have been a fave couple for me alongside Aiden and Jamie, and finally getting the conclusion to their story was awesome, I couldn't put it down - except for the basic human function of sleeping :P.

Cam and Nic are back in this last installment to finally take down Vaughn once and for all, who has been a looming threat since book one.

I did give .5 stars off for not as much romance as I wanted - it was there, but a big part of this book was focused on the case, and Nic's past and all that - and the sex felt rushed, mostly, and given that this was their final book, I feel that those sex scenes, or at least one of them, could have taken it's time and lasted longer.

But ultimately it didn't take too much away from the story, which was exciting and tense and page turning. And despite not as big a focus on Nic and Cam's relationship, it was still there, subtle but strong, and every interaction they had was permeated by their love for each other, and they didn't give up or waver in that love throughout all the ups and downs in this book - even if there was a doubt a few times.

This book tied up all the loose ends well, too - taking care of the moles in the FBI and the Attorney's office Nic worked at, and finally getting Vaughn and Nic and Cam getting to settle down and be happy together. Plus the things from Nic's past that needed to be dealt with, talked about with Cam.

I've loved these two together so much, and I definitely want another short about them, at least, like we got with Aiden and Jamie, and hopefully it can (view spoiler)

I very much recommend this if you've been keeping up with this series and have been enjoying it. It might not have had as much Nic and Cam together, just them, alone, as I wanted, but it was so good and entertaining and the ending was perfect. Two massive thumbs up from me!

Reviewed by Alpha Book Club

I love this series soo much! I’ve reread all books 3 times now and They are still as amazing as the first time!

I wish this series would go on forever. I absolutely love Cam and Nic and I love how they are both working through professional and personal issues at the same time. I also love the storyline of the book.

Assistant US attorney Dominic Price is happily living with his partner, FBI agent Cameron Byrne. After their trip to Boston, Nic and Cam are closer than ever, with Cam out to his family about their relationship. Things get thrown into chaos, however, when Nic’s father dies under suspicious circumstances. His father was deep in debt to Duncan Vaughn, a gangster who has been putting pressure on Nic to cover his dad’s debts. Now that his father is gone, Nic just wants to settle his estate and continue building his criminal case against Vaughn.

The situation gets even more complicated when Nic learns that he has family he never knew existed. Suddenly he is not the only heir to his father’s estate, something that puts yet another person at risk to Vaughn’s manipulations. With Cam’s help, Nic is determined to protect his family and prove Vaughn’s guilt. But staying one step ahead of the gangster is not easy. It is going to take everything Nic and Cam have, along with the help of some friends, to close the case and keep everyone safe.

Noble Hops is the final book in Layla Reyne’s Trouble Brewing series and wraps up both the Vaughn storyline, as well as Cam and Nic’s journey. This one is best read by those familiar with the other books in the series, as this storyline crosses all three books. Bonus points if you are familiar with Reyne’s wonderful Agents Irish and Whiskey series because most of the side characters cross over, but it is not necessary in order to enjoy this one.

As I said, this plot line has been in the works since the start of the series and things come to a head here with Nic’s father and the threats from Vaughn. Nic has been building a case against Vaughn with the FBI’s help, but suddenly it all comes to crisis when his father dies. With Nic as his heir, Vaughn is now turning his sights in Nic’s direction. That is, until they find out that there is another heir and suddenly not only does Nic find out about new family, but there is immediate danger as Vaughn has another leverage point. Reyne does a really nice job with the suspense end of things here and the story has some surprises as well as a lot of excitement. It ties together really well with threads from earlier books and gives Nic not only some closure on many issues, but a chance for Cam to be there to help him through things. I found the suspense part of the story really well done and it brings the storyline to a great close.

We also get to see our guys happy and in love, something rewarding at the end of their sometimes difficult road. There is no doubt that these men are meant for one another and Reyne gives them a sweet and romantic ending. We also see Nic finally let down those last walls he has had up as he shares his final secrets about his past with Cam. I wish the balance of the story had allowed for a little more relationship time, as it gets overshadowed by the suspense plot for most of the book. But we get a super romantic ending here that made me quite happy, not to mention sad that the series is wrapping up. I don’t know if Reyne has any more plans for her Whiskeyverse, but I would love to revisit with any of these characters again.

Overall, I think this is a nice finale to a great series. Reyne pulls everything together really well here, giving us closure on both the suspense plots, as well as the relationship. Fans of this series will not want to miss this final book, and if you are new to this world, definitely check it out.

I can't review Noble Hops. I haven't read the previous books in the series, and I definitely need to do that before reading this one.

Book three in the series, Noble Hops follows Nic and Cam as Nic is directly targeted by his estranged father's killers. While their relationship in the previous books was much closer to the focal point, everything here takes a backseat to Nic's history and family. While I didn't dislike it, I also didn't find it as memorable as previous stories in the series, or as the installments in the author's Irish and Whiskey series. Overall a fun read, but not one that really stuck with me.

I don’t know why, but I struggled to finish this book. It’s taken me...four months to read this book? I thought this series finale was just okay after the intensity that was book two. It was still action-packed but there weren’t that many surprises waiting for Nic and Cam. The bad guys were the bad guys, and the good guys were the good guys, so it was all rather straightforward.

I winded up finishing this book by audiobook because audiobooks narrated by Tristan James are *chef’s kiss* He brings the characters to life so well. The only downside was that Harlequin audiobooks are no longer available on Hoopla through the library now so I had to wait before I could get the audiobook.

I’m also wondering if Eddie will get his own-spin off book? I want him to find his HEA too!

At this point of the series, you think that Cam and Nic should have been having smoother sailing, but now its Nic's past coming to make their lives bumpy. Thankfully they are each others ropes and keep each other afloat.

This whole series once I started I couldn't put it down. I love it and can't wait for more from this author. This series had such a good balance of suspense, sizzle, banter, friendship, family and love.

Solid 4 stars!

Nice end to a really good series. I definitely enjoy romantic suspense. It adds something to the story besides relationship drama.

Aiden and Jaime are probably still my preferred couple but I really enjoyed Nic and Cam.

I get the feeling Eddie might be getting a book or series next. Perhaps with Garrett?

It’s the end of the Trouble Brewing trilogy, and it was the best one! That both makes me happy, because it ended on a great note, but it also makes me a little sad because now I want to read more about Nic and Cam!

I’m thinking a epilogue short story? Maybe?

Where Imperial Stout caught us all up on the early romance bubbling between Cam and Nic, Craft Brew focused more on Cam’s history. Now with Noble Hops we got to dive into Nic and his history. I far preferred to get this story more than Cam’s, as I feel it’s been the plot that’s been simmering the entire time. The ending felt worth it.

However, the real shining aspect of this trilogy was Cam and Nic, most definitely. There’s some serious chemistry between them, with minimal angst. My favorite! Once they decided to make it work, neither one backed up or flaked out. Even when there was room for a huge blowout or separation, their love kept them communicating.


I really can’t say too much more without giving away the plot, but there were pretty entertaining twists that I hope will be delved into eventually.

This is reviewed at the 14 minute mark in episode 175 of the "Big Gay Fiction Podcast." Among the things that Jeff said about this book: "Layla has done a great job of planting seeds to tie the universe together. She's a masterclass in this romantic suspense stuff" and "This is all handled brilliantly. I can't thank Layla enough for such a wonderful series."

It’s never easy saying goodbye to a series. To be honest, the finale of Trouble Brewing was ind of double edged. Because this was a spin off of Agents Irish and Whiskey and even though I was sad that Jamie and Aidan’s story came to an end, I knew it wasn’t truly the end… but now? *sigh*

Even so, if Nic and Cam’s story had to come to an end, the author definitely did them justice. There was little or no down time in Noble Hops, which made these 300+ pages a fairly quick read. Not only was it action packed, this one was emotionally packed as well. My heart kinda broke for both these guys. Nic because he wanted to protect everyone he cared about and Cam because he had no idea where he stood… even though he should have. But yeah, it’s easy looking from the outside in and readers had the advantage of knowing what was going through Nic’s mind… Cam didn’t and he was feeling just a little bit insecure, especially when one of Nic’s last secret was revealed.

A lot happened in Noble Hops and not all of it was bad. Some of it was kind of great and “family” both by blood and by chance was a strong theme throughout the whole series, not just the last book. I really loved getting to know all the cast of characters in both series and I’m really hoping that readers haven’t seen the last of them. 😉

4,5 stars

I loved this one, but I kind of loved the previous book more. Maybe that's why I can't rate this with 5 stars.

It's the third book in the Trouble Brewing series. The books in this series must be read in order.

I devoured the first two books. I really loved the dynamics between the main characters and their pasts, their secrets.

This book was packed with a lot of action AND suspense. The moles are revealed. The bad guys are punished. We also get some surprises, but to be honest I kind of expected some of them, so it was nothing earth shattering for me.

Nic and Cam were extremely sweet here. I absolutely adored them as a couple! I was so invested into the story and I loved how the suspense didn't take ALL the light from them. They were so in love and the ending was super sweet and my favorite kind of HEA!

It was great to revisit Aidan and Jamie. I loved all Nic and Cam's friends. They all had their backs.

My favorite book in this series is still book #2 Craft Brew. But we got an amazing ending to this series!

This was a wild ride! I enjoyed every twist and turn in the action just like the other books. I loved Nic and Cam so much in this and I was on the edge of my seat but I knew they would make it through to the end

Although I haven’t given as high grades to the books in Layla Reyne’s Trouble Brewing series as I did to some of those in her earlier Agents Irish and Whiskey one, for the most part, I’ve enjoyed the novels in spite of their weaknesses. This is primarily because I like the two principals – FBI agent Cameron Byrne and Assistant US Attorney Nic Price – and the sense of family and connections the author has created between them and the recurring secondary characters, most of whom appeared in the earlier series. These are quick, easy reads that are rather like TV shows or action movies in book form; the heroes are impossibly handsome, the ex-SEAL-turned-Lawyer gets to kick ass physically as well as in the courtroom, and the computer experts can hack pretty much everything in the world without breaking a sweat, or turn up all sorts of information in the five minutes it takes most laptops to simply boot up!

So. Taking a degree of suspension of disbelief as read, Noble Hops brings to a close the overarching plotline of the series, in which Nic discovered that his father Curtis Price, a wealthy businessman, was heavily in debt to Duncan Vaughn, a dangerous criminal and slippery character with a finger in many, many pies, that nobody has – as yet – been able to pin anything on. Vaughn tried threatening Nic and his business – the small craft brewery he co-owns with a former SEAL buddy – as a way to force Curtis to pay off his loans, and then to force Nic to pay them – and the fear of putting those he loves in harm’s way led Nic to try to conceal what was happening from Cam and those he’s closest to. Fortunately, by the end of book one, Nic was brought to see that he didn’t have to deal with the situation alone, and now, he and Cam are openly living together and obviously in it for the long haul. That’s not to say Nic isn’t still carrying around a large crate of worry and guilt over events in his past, but he’s at last adjusting to the fact that he has a family now – maybe not a family by blood, but one forged of strong bonds of friendship and loyalty – people who love him and he can trust to have his back.

The book opens as Nic and Cam are attending a ceremony honouring a former colleague of Nic’s when a phone call comes in that changes everything. Curtis Price is dead, and now it’s time to step up the investigation into Duncan Vaughn and start putting the squeeze on him. Cam is worried at the stoic way Nic takes the news – he might have been estranged from Price but the man was his father – but he offers the emotional support Nic needs in order to focus on setting the endgame into play. Nic and the FBI team that includes Cam and his boss, Aidan Talley, have been gradually amassing evidence of Vaughn’s felonious activities and are finally in a position to make a move and bring him down. They have also ascertained the identities of Vaughn’s moles on the inside, one of them a young FBI agent, the other a much more senior staff member whose complicity they’ve long suspected but have not, so far, been able to prove. Everything is in place. Nic is to take his evidence to the Grand Jury in order to obtain the necessary indictments, while Cam and his team will bring Vaughn in – but the discovery of a long-buried family secret and the reappearance in his life of Nic’s first love threaten both the operation and Cam’s peace of mind.

As was the case with Barrel Proof (book three in the Irish and Whiskey series), the focus in Noble Hops is more on the suspense element of the plot than on the romance, but I didn’t mind that. Nic and Cam have been firmly established as a loving, committed couple; I liked that their personal connection makes them so compatible professionally, and the way that Cam keeps Nic grounded when things look like they might go to shit. I did find Cam’s insecurity about his place in Nic’s life a little unnecessary, but Ms. Reyne doesn’t drag anything out, and watching them pull together in spite of the unfolding chaos around them was sufficient to convince me they have a successful future ahead of them.

But as with the other books in the series, I found some things about the writing that were a bit cheesy and kept taking me out of the story. Ms. Reyne knows how to construct a fairly tight plot and create likeable characters, but some of her dialogue and sentiment is repetitive and a bit creaky. In Craft Brew, Cam kept telling Nic to ‘just breathe’ when he got stressed, and here we get several reminders of how they each need to be ‘Nic/Cam the SEAL/FBI agent’ rather than ‘Nic/Cam the boyfriend’ or ‘Nic the federal prosecutor rather than Nic the brother’. There are several instances where Nic’s internal monologuing about his guilt over his perceived failure to protect his family years earlier crosses the line into the melodramatic, which just felt wrong for a forty-something ex-SEAL Captain and terror of the San Francisco courthouse.

Still, all ends well, Nic, Cam and the crew come out on top and there’s a hint at a possible couple and new direction for a future book or series. Trouble Brewing hasn’t been as big a hit with me as I’d hoped, but Noble Hops rounds out the series nicely, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for Layla Reyne’s next venture.

Grade: B-/3.5 stars

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Veronica – ☆☆☆☆☆
Noble Hops is the final instalment of the Trouble Brewing series and is full of action right from the get-go. The case against Vaughan heats up and I loved seeing the team build their case against the bad guy as they try to bring him to justice at the same time trying to work out who in their respective offices is working with said bad guy.

On the romance front, Nic and Cam are now living together but a huge change in Nic’s life throws a bit of a spanner in the works and added a good dose of angst to the story. My heart was really worried for a while there that it just might end up broken.

The combination of crime fighting, action, and love story is well balanced. Add in the fact that it is an m/m love story and it is pretty much my idea of book perfection. I love the way Cam and Nic’s story played out and I cried a happy tear or two in the end. Layla Reyne saved the best for last with Noble Hops. For me, stories don’t get much better than this.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
I loved this book. After all of the turmoil in the early days of their relationship, Cam and Nic have finally built the trust they need to work together and make each other stronger. The complex investigation into the gangster controlling Nic’s father comes to a head with Nic’s father’s sudden death.

I’m a huge fan of the Irish and Whiskey books but I think the addition of Nic’s legal skills – and the potential corruption in his office – actually make the investigations in this series more interesting. I think the plots have become a bit tighter with each story and I’m really enjoying the overarching series-long storylines.

If book two belonged to Cam as they raced to find his sister, this book belongs to Nic as all the various pieces of his life finally come together. I love Nic. He was fascinating as a military vet turned attorney/hipster beer brewer and he’s even more interesting when we finally get to learn more about his early years and the people who shaped him as a child.

This story isn’t as much of a romance as the first two books but I got all the good feels from the solid, quiet trust that now exists between Dom and Nic. These two are partners in every sense and I love the way they intuitively meet each other’s needs. The ending felt a little bittersweet as almost all of the series’ loose ends have been wrapped up. I don’t want to say goodbye to these characters yet and I’m holding out hope for a fourth book.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars rounded up after I wrote the review and was reminded of all the goodness in this book!

This is the third book in the series, and draws together many strands from the previous two books – so I would highly recommend that you read them in order.

Nic continues to juggle many issues and it is taking a toll. But suddenly everything crystallises, and we then get a rollercoaster of an adventure story. It is a complex mix of fraud, family, FBI, and friendship, all kept stable by the love of his life, Cam. It was a great relief to me that they did not go back to being hidden, but rather used their relationship for good, and (mostly) remained on the same page!

I should also mention the brewing side of the story, which I really enjoy as it makes the otherwise very serious and lawyerly Nic into a creative soul. His tribute brew to Cam sounds absolutely delicious, and I would love to be able to try it!

It is certainly not an easy ride though, and when Cam finally meets GS, and gets the cypress tree connections, he has to wonder whether his life will be as he so dearly wishes it to be. Of course, Layla Reyne does not let her fans down, and along with the drama, we get a very intense romantic edge to the story. These men love each other, no doubt about that, none at all.

This is the first book I have read by Layla Reyne, and although perhaps not ideal to start with the third book in a trilogy, I had no trouble following along and getting to know the characters. That said, I will be getting the first two novels in the series. But Cam and Nic's ongoing story and relationship was easy to fall into, and their charismatic personalities coupled with a lot of plot action led to a happy ending and most satisfactory conclusion.