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Saturday, December 27, 2014

Book Review: Last Call, by Alice Clayton

This is the beginning of the end of this love story. Where girls are beautiful and boys are handsome and cats are rock stars. Where friendships endure and relationships mature. Skirts are flippy and emotions are trippy and everyone gets a happy ending ... don't they?

This novella is the last book in the Cocktail series by Alice Clayton. I reviewed Wallbanger back in October 2013, and I have Mai Tai'd Up to review but haven't been able to read it yet. The second book, Rusty Nailed, focuses on Simon and Caroline as well (characters in the first book), and the third and forth, Screwdrivered and Mai Tai'd Up, focus on different couples in the same Simon/Caroline realm.

This one, Last Call, wraps up Simon and Caroline's story, but I found that you didn't need to have read Rusty Nailed to enjoy this one, though I do recommend reading Wallbanger to have some sense of their back story.

Official synopsis:
From NEW YORK TIMES & USA TODAY bestselling author Alice Clayton, known for her “deliciously addictive” (The Book Vixen) novels, this Cocktail series novella reunites readers with Caroline and Simon from the wildly successful Wallbanger.

Simon and Caroline are back for another round of baking, banging, and big life changes. Settling in, but never settling down, Caroline has finally struck a balance between the professional and the personal. As one of the top interior designers in San Francisco, she travels all over Northern California between nook time with Simon.

Perpetual globetrotter Simon has cut his frequent flyer miles in half over the last year, preferring to balance his professional and personal life, as well.

The next step in their lives seems preordained—toasts, veils, and the aisle of rose petals. But when an accident on a photo shoot in Southeast Asia brings Caroline the most terrifying phone call she could ever imagine, she has to ask whether “till death do us part” is a more realistic prospect than faces most couples.

It’s been a grand adventure, and Caroline and Simon wouldn’t go out without the best surprise ending ever. One part sexy, one part laughter, a dash of exotic locales, and one pink nightie, mixed with passion, and you’ve got Last Call. Served with a side of Clive.


In case you're wondering - Clive (in that last sentence) is their cat.

I found this to be a cute and easy read. In Wallbanger, Caroline meets Simon, her next-door neighbor with whom she shares a wall, and whom always seems to have a harem of women showing up at his door. Their meet-cute ends with them (SPOILER) falling in love, and I assume their relationship is explored more in Rusty Nailed.

In Last Call, all of their close friends are either pregnant or getting married, and it leads Caroline to ponder if she and Simon should take that step too. It makes her nervous even thinking about it, but she soon realizes she loves him and doesn't want to lose him.

Even though this series is classified as "erotica," compared to other erotica books I've read it's rather tame in that regard - I'd classify it as maybe PG-13 rated, if it was a movie. So if you're looking to get into the genre but don't want to dive in, so to speak, the Cocktail series would be a good fit.

Last Call will be in stores on January 6, 2015 - click here to preorder. 4 stars out of 5.

The Cocktail Series

*Disclosure: I received a copy of this novella to review. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own.

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