Raging Ranger

Flowershop Assassins #3

by Louise Collins

Ranger Keyes, assassin, occasional stripper and full-time hopeful (not hopeless) romantic is determined to get his happily-ever-after. His best mates, Donnie and Yates, have both found love, and he knows it’s finally his turn to step into the spotlight and star in his own love story.

For that, he needs a co-star, and he sets his sights on one guy and one guy alone.

He may have a chip on his shoulder and a permanent frown on his face, but Ranger knows that Troy’s the guy for him. Convincing Troy to go on a date, let alone that they’re supposed to be together isn’t easy. Troy’s guarded, and dismissive and tells Ranger repeatedly he isn’t the co-star in his love story, he’s the bad guy.

But how can he be the bad guy when he’s put butterflies in Ranger’s gut?
How can he be the bad guy when he helps Ranger with his building rage?
How can he be the bad guy when Ranger falls in love with his laugh?

Ranger’s about to find out exactly how…

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Crime, Dark, LGBT

246 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 18, 2022

About the author

Writer of mm romance and erotica.

I write the stories I'd love to read, I hope you enjoy them too.
Lover of Romance but not without angst along the way.

Seduced by the dancing of a neanderthal and now a mother of two monsters.
Drinks tea with a passion, adores dogs, and their sea dwelling cousins.

Failed two chocolate eating challenges but will return for round three.

https://mailchi.mp/ad6955eed18f/louis...

♥

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Reviews

[Imme [trying to crawl out of hiatus] van Gorp · Rating 2 out of 5]

|| 1.5 stars ||

This immediately started out pretty badly: Ranger had a very clear case of insta-love for Troy, there was absolutely no build-up whatsoever, their connection can only be described as non-existent or just plain awful, Ranger's chase to get Troy to go out with him was painfully pathetic, and I can honestly say that I thought Ranger had more chemistry with the dude he used to make Troy jealous than he did with Troy himself.

Eventually I did warm up to Ranger and Troy's romance, but only just barely. I didn't find them sweet or cute together at all, but maybe Troy was a decent match for Ranger. After all, I don't see how anyone else could deal with the ridiculousness and whirlwind that is Ranger, so maybe Troy was the best choice even if he was pretty much unbearable as a love interest. At least he managed to help Ranger cope with his blatant control issues, so that's something.

But then. God. Then, the plot twist happened and suddenly everything became even worse than it already had been at the beginning, and none of it even made much sense. The tiny sliver of love that had been present between these two was absolutely ruined for me, and I can honestly say that at this point I completely hated the whole thing. And it never got any better. It ended badly in my opinion.

Now, when it comes to Ranger as a character..
Well, in the previous book, Ranger was funny, overly excited, desperate, and overall just very entertaining and even charming.
Yet in this book Ranger was genuinely bordering on insane. He was completely ridiculous and out of touch with reality, and I can honestly say that he was downright certifiable and utterly pathetic. He didn't even feel like a real person at all, and I didn't connect with him whatsoever.
The whole 'rage' thing was also so over the top, it almost felt like some sort of paranormal thing (which, it wasn't). It was weird.

There were really only two things I liked in this book:
1. I freaking loved the dogs. Scope might literally be the love of my life: he was so overly enthusiastic, extremely dramatic and ridiculously affectionate. I simply adored that dog with all my heart.
2. I really appreciated all the cameos from Yates and Dylan. Their relationship was so incredibly swoon-worthy here, and both of their friendships with Ranger were great. But, truly, the fact that I was more invested in anything that had to do with these two (whether it was jealousy, possessiveness or drama) than the entire rest of this book, also tells me a lot about my utter lack of interest in Ranger (and Troy).

Also, can I just quickly mention that for literal assassins these guys are pretty damn ineffective, clueless and stupid at being.. well, an assassin.

I really didn't enjoy this book, and was very disappointed with it.


'Flowership Assassins' series:
2. So Pathetic - 4.0 stars
3. Raging Ranger - 1.5 stars

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally have my act together. (As far as this review goes. Not as far as life goes. Don't be silly. 😂)

So



Hi! 🙃

If you've been reading this series, then you're probably like me and have been dying for Ranger's book since he first appeared. Never has a side character screamed so loudly for his own love story. I mean that literally too. He has been actually begging for love, quite vocally, during the first two books. And it's finally time! I should note, I don't think this should be read as a stand-alone. The three books in the series would be best enjoyed in order.

Ranger, Ranger, Ranger. He was, to me, the heart of this whole series. The kind of glue that kept all the guys together. And while Donnie and Elliot from book one remain my favorite couple of the series, Ranger is my favorite character of the series. I love everything about him. How he's this tattooed assassin who clips articles out of women's magazines about things to do on dates. How he's always one moment away from being in a rage but has two dogs that he babies. Two Doberman no less.



Basically he's all these contradictions that shouldn't make sense but they do the more you read about him. And he's amazing and funny and I was so excited to see him get his own story. It was worth the wait. Raging Ranger was satisfying in two ways. It gave Ranger his time to shine and it wrapped up the series, tying up things and leaving all of our gang in a good place.



I LOVE that Ranger got paired with a grump because you know how I feel about grumps. There can never be too many of them. To see Ranger slowly break down Troy's shell was...well it was funny but also very sweet. He was a man on a mission and would not be deterred.

All of this tied in with the side plot but to say more would be spoiling things. 🤐 I will say that I did have some hunches that turned out to be correct. However, that didn't take away from my enjoyment at all. I'd say the steam was a medium amount. What was there was sizzled.

Throughout this series, what I've loved, almost more than the romance, is the found family with this ragtag group of kooky assassins. The banter, the friendship, the reluctant love. (Reluctant for Yates at least.) Such an epic bromance. 🥰



It's brought me so much joy that I'm sad to see it end. Kudos to Louise Collins for writing such a quirky, awesome little gang. I cherish them. And look forward to seeing glimpses of them in a possible bakery brothers spin-off in the distant future.

This was a satisfying ending to a delightful series. I know it's one I will reread in the future.



**I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.**

[Renae Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

** I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.***

Ranger's story was so much fun, I loved seeing how much of a big softie he is, and trying to find his true love was comedic genius. Raging Ranger features Ranger, a hitman who is determined to find his true love, which he thinks is Troy, but Troy is adamant that he wants nothing to do with him.

Thus begins a great game where Ranger is determined to prove Troy's affections, even if it's through jealousy and envy. I loved seeing Ranger's huge heart while he schemed to win over Troy's affections. Their romance was so complicated with a few twists and surprises that I thought added a lot of depth to their connection and added a lot more tension.

Overall this was a fun entry in the Flowershop Assassins Series that has a great mix of action/suspense with great enemies to lovers romance woven throughout.

[Maisha Farzana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ridiculous, Nonsense & Bat-shit crazy. Yet you already know what I'm gonna say - I LoVe it.

My Flowershop Assassins are back. And Ranger's story was as good as I expected it to be. Oh God! I had been waiting for so long for Ranger to get a boyfriend and a cute hea. Louise definitely gave me that and so much more...I really can't believe it's over now; we won't get to meet the Floweshop Assassins ever again. I wanna cry right now...😭😭

" He carried on walking with a small smile on his lips.
Proud of himself for not killing anyone."

Ranger and Troy's story was a little different than the other two. It borders on being slightly manipulative. But Louise Collins handled all of that very expertly. I really enjoyed their romance. It was both sweet and crazy. The characters were really interesting and humorous. Specially Ranger, he just might be my favourite character in the entire series. Ranger, Yates and Donnie's bromantic moments were my favourites part of "Raging Ranger". The bromance was pure gold. I loved the bromantic banter a lot more than the romantic banter.

"My bitches, my boys and my boyfriend. That's the definition of happiness right there."

"Later, bitch.”
“Just call me Yates.”
Ranger slipped out of the door. “Never going to happen…bitch.”

I am officially a huge fan of Louise Collins from now on. And The Flowershop Assassins? They will stay in my heart in years to come. Highly highly recommend this series if you're looking for pure, nonchalant fun.

[juli✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

❝my bitches, my boys, and my boyfriend. that’s the definition of happiness right there.❞

i'm gonna miss my flowershop assassins 🥺🥺

the rangeryates bromance >>>>>> scopeblade >>>>>> troy

[Nelly S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 stars

“It had been beautiful.
Or at least he thought it had been. Ranger had punched him.
He’d punched Ranger.
The next part had been confusing. Red Fog. Spinning lights. Soaked clothes.
Then they’d scowled at each other across the A&E waiting room.
Talk about a match made in heaven.”

I read this a while ago so I’m calling upon my goldfish-like memory, but Raging Ranger was everything I wanted it to be and much more. It’s hilarious, sweet, sexy, and quintessentially quirky in the Flowershop Assassins way.

Ranger, our intrepid assassin and occasional stripper, is undoubtedly the star and such an endearing character. He’s a hopeless romantic and just wants to be loved. Badly. Desperately. With every fiber of his being. I mean the poor guy even takes courses on cooking/massage/homemaking so he can be the perfect boyfriend. And he tries so hard to control his dark side. The inner conflict between his previous cruel self and present-day teddy bear Ranger is a running theme and really fascinating.

“I feel like… I feel like Romeo.” Ranger clutched his chest. It was a slow bleed, but still a bleed. His heart longed to love. “I feel like I’m dying on the inside. I’m so full of love, but the world is keeping me from my Juliet.”
“Have you ever read Romeo and Juliet?" Dylan asked.
“Why would I put the subtitles on?”
“No, I meant… Never mind.”

My main quibble is because Ranger is such a larger than life character, he can’t help but overshadow Troy. But I do think it would be difficult for any character to be Ranger’s equal. And to give him credit, Troy is exactly the kind of rough-and-tumble, damaged guy that Ranger needs. I love the way that Ranger insists on dating even though Troy just wants a quick fuck, and the tug-of-war that ensues. And you’ve got to admire Ranger’s stubbornness and ability to withstand repeated rejection.

“I’m just going for a quiet drink too. Maybe we can sit at a table—"
“No.”
“Maybe we can sit next to each other at the bar.”
“No.”
“With an empty stool between us?”
The stranger smirked. “Make it two empty stools, and we have a deal.”

“Ranger cleared his throat. “Do you believe in love at first sight? Or should I walk by again?”
Vince sucked in a huge breath until his eyes verged on popping out.
“I didn’t hear that,” Troy muttered.
Ranger shrugged. “I can say it again?”
“No, I meant, I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear it.”

Ranger’s unabashed vulnerability, his adorable dogs,Troy’s prickly personality, and a rollicking OTT plot add up to an entertaining read that will have you laughing and feeling all the feels.

[Rosabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I totally enjoyed this, I imagined something really different from a character like Ranger.

Maybe he shouldn't have been the last one, so that Louise could manage this in a more fun way, but... I did enjoy it and I love Ranger. ❤❤

Ranging Ranger was the conclusion of this whole series, where we get the closure to a problem that started since book 1, we got all the characters together and a happily ever after.

The banter was on point, the characterization, the action, everything was fun and quirky, like the whole series. I really enjoyed it, maybe give us a mini novella from them Louise?

My favorite couple: Bye Baby.
My favorite character: Ranger.
Favorite bromance: Ranger/Yates (they made this series awesomeness)
Favorite book: So pathetic.

Anyways, here some gems/quotes that made this whole series what it is:

Ranger shook his head. “I’ve seen him lots of times, but that was the first time we interacted. The first time I looked him in the eye and felt a gooey, warm feeling.”
“Maybe you’d pissed yourself?”

Ranger cleared his throat. “Do you believe in love at first sight? Or should I walk by again?”

I’ve got nothing to lose and potentially everything to gain. Maybe I’ll hire a high-end, classy escort, and we’ll slowly fall in love, and at some point, I’ll climb up his fire escape with an umbrella and a bunch of roses.”
“That better be a euphemism,” Yates muttered.
Dylan shook his head. “It’s the ending of Pretty Woman.”

He resisted the urge to run over to the door and press his ear against it. Trust was important in relationships; all the magazines said so.

“Mine’s the beginning of July. We’re both Cancers.”
Troy groaned. “Please don’t tell me you believe any of that shit.”
“I do actually, and cancers can be compatible, really compatible. They can be soulmates.”

Loved it!! Can't wait for the spin-off. 🤣🤣👁👄👁😎

[Simona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Louise is always a yes for me

[Ninni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this series - amazing!! 🖤. First ones I've read from this author but will be reading more for sure.

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I actually found this a lot more entertaining than I thought I would, because I really hadn't liked Ranger at all before this book.

Ranger still wasn't my favourite, but there was more of Donnie and Elliot again which I enjoyed. I'd also liked to have seen more from Dylan seeing as he was such a big part of this but after the rescue there didn't seem to be much else.

[☆Kylie☆ · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was meh. Seriously, even at the second time (I'm usually more forgiven the second time because I already know what's going to happen) and still... I just can't like this book.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Wow. Wow. Ranger's book is everything. Glad to see Yates, Donnie and their respective boyfriends being around this time. Love the suspense and the wow factor of the story. Ranger is the most precious among the three hitmen and so desperate to be love. I'm kinda pissed that his love life is so overall dramatic and challenging compare to his bffs, but by the end, is worth all the dramas and heartache.

[Jessi 🥀]

Soon 🥰🥳

[⋆｡°✮ Lucy InTheSky ✮°｡⋆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have no words.
I read the whole damn series to get to Ranger's book!

It was supposed to be the best book in the series.

Well, it wasn't.
Actually, I'm pretty sure it was the worst.

Ranger is a part of the trio of assassins; he got shot in the head and experienced a complete personality change afterwards.

He's a big, tough, scary guy, who's softened a bit after the accident (check the hot guy on the cover). He's become this stylish, funny, romantic, domesticated prototype of a perfect husband and naturally, he wants love.

He wants love, a serious boyfriend, he wants it all.

Ranger nodded. “I want it all. The love, the sex, the ups and downs, the petty arguments, the makeup cuddles. Even the mundane things like making a grocery list for the week, then going shopping. Walking the dogs around the park and arguing whose turn it is to bag up their poop.”

He's a very interesting, complex character and if anyone, he deserved the perfect match.

Well, he didn't get it.
I'm really sorry, but Troy wasn't it. And even if maybe Troy could be the one, since he's the total type of the former, pre-accident Ranger, I really disliked how their story was delivered.

When I was approaching that 50% mark, I already knew I won't like the rest of the book.
The second half was terrible.

Ranger was literally begging for attention and it wasn't working, the chemistry between Ranger and Troy wasn't palpable at all.

Their dialogues were awful, I felt bad for Ranger's character, because while he was saying white, Troy was saying black, there was no mutual ground and even the spice wasn't satisfying in this book.

I definitely didn't think the story would take this turn, Ranger was so interesting, stupidly romantic and silly and he needed a different love interest, or at least for Troy to be silly right there with him!

For a minute there I thought the author was going to go with the "hired escort turned lover" theme, but sadly, it didn't happen.
Yes, I think even Scott would've been a better option.

I'm so, so disappointed.

🔵 Wtf moment - That part when Troy comes from the hospital completely broken, colapses on the floor and is grabbing Ranger's ankle, begging him to come in, what was that??

🟢 We did get to see more of Elliot and Donnie , who were completely missing from the previous book.
If I had to decide for the best book in the series, I'd go for Donnie and Elliot's, their book was funny and entertaining.

🟡 I feel like Yates and Dylan's story had so much more to unpack, they have a deep, co-dependent connection and it wasn't explored enough , but I've absolutely grown to like them a lot with this book.


Maybe because I expected a big bang, a nice, epic finish to the series (if it's ending, I don't know), I don't know why, but I was just completely disappointed in Ranger's story.

It's 2.30 am and I'm just completely bummed about this. 😐

[Lily Loves 📚 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is closer to 3.5 but I love Ranger so much. He’s the sweetest assassin ever! This has been a really great series.

This book wasn’t as good as So Pathetic for me. There was something missing and I didn’t like where the story went in a lot of places. Ranger really makes this story and so do Blade and Scope! Troy wasn’t a bad character but he wasn’t my favorite for Ranger.

[Mello · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know what was that but I loved every second of it.
I'm out of words 🤯

[Cyndy]

DNF 35%

[Kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Troy "handles" Ranger.
Better a gaybot and dogs
than this pierced zero.

[~Nicole~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m totally and absolutely in love with Ranger! I knew his book would be the best ! He’s so funny and endearing and a little crazy and Troy was indeed a perfect fit for him. Also , I liked that Dylan kind of redeemed himself in my eyes -I really disliked him in the previous book. Good laughs, a little more action and gore than the second book and some very good characters and I was in heaven. Less sex than the previous one also and I kind of like it like this.. more balanced.
I wanna mention Scott the escort now…. I liked him a lot on their first date (not as a love interest for Ranger , just as a person) , he was so good at interacting with Ranger, so confident and interesting and I hate it that the author made a caricature out of him later with him taking advantage of Ranger. I was disappointed 😔.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

Oh, Ranger. I honestly thought this one could go either way for me, but I’m glad I ended up loving it. I couldn’t help but love Ranger, and his insistence to be better and not just be the rage monster he used to be. Of course, it gets him into some crazy stuff, but at least Troy was just as obsessed. Cause of course.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ranger el mejor de toda la serie ❤️

[True Loveislovereview · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ranger is a killing machine, when his head is throbbing and his sight goes red he can kill without a blink.
Yet, he is the sweetest guy, super romantic, and just wants someone to love him. He thought he found ‘the one’ Troy, only, he doesn’t want him, Troy only wants a fuck and get over it.
A fake date could make him jealous... so it was done. Watch them ha!

Sooooo much fun, hundreds of funny things to find, in attitudes or gestures or just bluntly spoken things. I snorted my tea through my nose.

Omfg Ranger, you got to love him, and pity him, feel sorry for him, cry for him, and laugh.
Pathetic is maybe a term to use, but that’s something Yates would use.

You don’t want to meet a raging Ranger, believe me!!

I got stuck in a laugh spiral because of those men, hahaha it was sooooooo hilarious, man I can’t remember laughing that hard over a book. It was amazing, absolutely marvelously done!

There’s also time for action, the perfect moment to see all real assassins shine in what they are good at.
Dang, it’s so amazing to watch the guys in action. Ranger is the top dog alpha assassin.

This is one of those reads you don’t want it to end, it should go on and on.
All the characters, separate and together, are immensely entertaining, there’s a dynamic like no other. Ranger and Troy are the main, but the others Donnie and Elliot from Bye Baby, and Dylan and Yates from So Pathetic, have an equal amount of attention, they can’t act or be without each other, they are a fighting team and would die for each other.
Like I said a marvelous read, smashing plot, consistently and absolutely stunningly written and super-duper entertaining!

ALL the stars and more!! Highly recommended!

[aria ✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“My bitches, my boys, and my boyfriend. That’s the definition of happiness right there.”

I can’t believe it’s over😭I’m so glad Ranger got what he'd been craving for so long. Also every Ranger x Yates scene was comedic gold. The bromance was strong

I REALLY hope there’ll be a spinoff series about the four brothers in the bakery.

edit: THERE IS A SPINOFF SERIES: Bakery Brothers

[Kath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this. Ranger is so sweet (but psycho 😂)

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, Louise Collins saved the best for last and she pulled out all stops when she picked out the perfect love interest for our mad boy, Ranger. To be fair, "Troy" does warn us that he's a "bad guy," but I, like Ranger, dismiss that as Troy often sends conflicting messages. "No, I'm not interested in you," and "does it bother you I'm following you around?" Troy is about as tsundere as any mafia/yakuza underboss can get, and it's actually very cute on him. Kudos to LC for wrapping the plot around from the first book to complete the assassins' mission and giving all the men a part in the final showdown. Bonus points that the two guard Dobermans from book two have become Ranger's boys and have become an integral part of Ranger's story. Heat level is HOT with some switching and some light kink. HEA is assured despite grievous injury, or maybe even because of it.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this was my favorite of the series. Ranger , a hopeless romantic assassin who just wants to cuddle with his dogs and his forever person . He just so happens to hulk out every once and a while . I love the found family and unconventional love this trio of assassins have for each other . Great mix of humor, steam , and violence.

Favorite Quotes:

“I’m not ‘people.’ I’m Ranger. So I’m wondering whether this is going to be a friends-to-lovers situation. I hope it’s not enemies-to-lovers.”
.
“He’s a shark, he’s a shark, and I’m a…” He turned his frown to Donnie and opened his eyes.
"What do sharks eat?”
“Fish.”
Ranger waved the insult away. “I’m higher up than a fish.”
“A squid?”
“Yeah, a squid…the cuddliest of earth’s creatures.”
.
“My bitches, my boys, and my boyfriend. That’s the definition of happiness right there.”

[Natalie H · Rating 4 out of 5]

August 2025
Kindle edition

The last of the flowershop assassins. Despite Troy's betrayal, I still though Dylan was the worst out of the group. The way he ran out and then got himself kidnapped was annoying. The dating situation was comical. The dogs were adorable. Ranger and Cayden were sweet together. The piercing pulling was cruel and brutal. Yates' torture session was wtf. Already on book 2 of the bakery boys.

[Marzipop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best one of the bunch

[Elci · Rating 5 out of 5]

For real, a book about an assassin made me all verklempt. All full of emotion and it was funny af. Soo perfect. Ranger is my favourite.

[NanaloveKoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book! I think Troy is the perfect match for a softie like Ranger. I have my complaints about a few things, but I don’t want to focus on that. Their relationship was heated but sweet, hot but romantic, just perfect. I would like to read an extra or something like that. I couldn’t get enough of them🤧❤️