Last Call, by Alice Clayton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The final book in Alice Clayton's COCKTAIL series. This novella ties up loose ends and brings in all of the characters from previous COCKTAIL books into one final round of laughter and friendship and sexy.

It's the answer to "but, but, what happens happens to them next"? Although it is written in a way that a newbie to the series could probably not get too lost (some basic backstory to every character is included), I would recommend starting the Cocktail series with WALLBANGER (it truly is an amazing read!).

Oh Simon, you WALLBANGER you! Make me all hot and bothered one last time! He is perfect! In my top 10 book boyfriends.

Still funny, still witty, still sexy. You can tell that Alice Clayton had fun writing this novella. I sure had a lot fun reading it.

Other books in the COCKTAIL series are:

WALLBANGER

RUSTY NAILED

SCREWDRIVERED

MAI TAI'D UP

LAST CALL

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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.

Hopeless, by Colleen Hoover

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a heartfelt and heartbreaking story! I LIVED IT!!! :-)

This is a beautiful story about young love, discovering who they were, who they are, trust, love and life. Starts out like a teenage romance novel but by the 50% mark, the reader embarks on a deeper story of drama and past events that have profound effects on both main characters. I can't say too much without giving anything away but it really was a beautiful story to read.

I really got into this story towards the 50% mark and had trouble putting it down from that point on.

NO SPOILERS: The first chapter is actually a chapter that happens about 50% to 60% into the book. You get a glimpse of the two main characters. At first it irked me that the book started out that way but when I go to that part in chronological order, I was screaming BRILLIANT!

A really good read!

Young Adult (i.e. sexual content but not explicit). Recommended for mature teens and older.

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Synopsis

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

Screwdrivered, by Alice Clayton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm torn between giving this book a 3 or a 4... so I'll go with a strong 3.75, rounded out to 4! :-)

Clark is freakin' ADORABLE! He made this book come to life for me. The phone calls.... OH, THE PHONE CALLS! I want a Clark of my own!!!

Another funny, sexy romance by Alice Clayton in her Cocktail series. The first 2 books were about Caroline and Simon. This book is about Viv, Simon's long-time friend that we meet in Rusty Nailed (Cocktail #2), and Clark, a sexy, nerdy librarian (I love sexy nerds). Viv is a hoot and I love her spunk. Caroline and Simon make an appearance in the story. The last 25% of the book had me up late at night swooning and breathing hard.

That being said, I did have some small issues while reading this book:

- Viv is an avid romance reader and often lives in her vivid imagination. This translates into her "talking" in her head in cheesy romance language... A LOT! At first it was funny, but after a while, I wanted to get back to the story at hand instead of in her daydreams. A little less harlequin romance daydream sequences would have been better.

- There are a tad too many unnecessary descriptions that don't really add to the story (food descriptions, neighborhood descriptions, etc.). It makes the story come to a stop.

- It took me a good 75% into the book before I REALLY fell in love with it. Until the 75% mark, it was a good book. After the 75% it became a GREAT book.

Do I recommend "Screwdrivered"? Yes! You need to experience Clark!!! Balustrades will never be the same again!

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Synopsis:

Readers back for a third round of the bestselling Cocktail series will enjoy a madcap romantic comedy about bodice ripping and chest heaving, fiery passion and love everlasting. Plus a dash of paperwork filing and horseshi—wait, what?

By day, Viv Franklin designs software programs. By night, Vivian’s a secret romance-novel junkie who longs for a knight in shining armor, or a cowboy on a wild stallion, or a strapping firefighter to sweep her off her feet. And she gets to wear the bodice—don’t forget the bodice.

When a phone call brings news that she’s inherited a beautiful old home in Mendocino, California from a long-forgotten aunt, she moves her entire life across the country to embark on what she sees as a great, romance-novel-worthy adventure. But romance novels always have a twist, don’t they?

There’s a cowboy, one that ignites her loins. Because Cowboy Hank is totally loin-ignition worthy. But there’s also a librarian, Clark Barrow. And he calls her Vivian. Can tweed jackets and elbow patches compete with chaps and spurs? You bet your sweet cow pie.

In Screwdrivered, Alice Clayton pits Superman against Clark in a hilarious and hot battle that delights a swooning Viv/Vivian. 

Also within this book, an answer to the question of the ages: Why ride a cowboy when you can ride a librarian?