I liked the premise of this book and enjoyed the story okay, but it won't make my favorite books of 2023 round-up. It had HGTV renovation vibes while bringing in the whole ex-bfs bff as the love interest (lots of f s there).

It felt like it's trying too hard sometimes. There were some clever and funny moments, but other times it felt like the author was pushing for those moments instead of letting the organic-ness of the situation lead there.

I couldn't quite get a grip on the characters. Sometimes, it felt like they were acting out of character/turn which was confusing. Other times, I knew exactly how they were going to act. I would normally chalk it up to character development, but considering these moments happened throughout the whole book, I don't think that was the case.

Last, Lars, our MMC, was not really swoony book-boyfriend material to me. He had some fun, cute moments, but I wasn't enthralled by his character. Sometimes, I even found myself wishing my name had been on that divorce certificate so I could be done with him. Alas, I finished the book with a mediocre MMC and an equally luke-warm romance.

Overall, I didn't hate this book. I probably liked the idea and plot the best and the characters the least, which averaged into an average book.

I loved this and I’m sad it’s over. I loved the witty banter, the spice, and the easy vibe. And no third act misunderstanding!!! Wonderful. Susie and Lars are adorable and we all need an Aunt like Aunt Susan. I knew I was going to love this after the first chapter. Thank you to NetGally for an ARC!

There’s definitely something going on here. And it’s not Susie and Lars. At least, not yet. They maybe had a somewhat friendship once, but that disappeared when Susie’s ex and she broke up. And honestly, Susie doesn’t really want to see Lars now, but luck isn’t in her favor. So when they find a document that just has to be a prank, they’re heading down a road of mystery and maybe live in the end.

Lars frustrates me a bit sometimes, but Susie definitely calls him on his nonsense. And when Susie frustrates me, Lars isn’t afraid to call her on hers, either. So these two already have a good foundation. Their friendship sputters back to life, the attraction sparks, and maybe they’ve got a chance at defying fate. That is, if Susie’s ex stays out of things. And if he doesn’t, can he at least be taken down in some magnificent fashion? Mayyyyybe. Maybe, these two are meant to be and her ex was just the vehicle by which they met the first time. Maybe, they’re breaking all the rules. And maybe, they’re falling in love along the way.

While this story has a bit of the mystical to it, it’s also an excellent tale of how Susie and Lars find their way. They find their way past toxic nonsense, around the awkward situations, and through horrid family or friend encounters, all on their way to what could be a forever love. Take a chance here. You won’t regret it.

End of Story
Kylie Scott

Kylie Scott’s End of Story is a hoot, engaging from start to finish with laugh out loud humor, unforgettable quotable phrases and characters that are Boho quirky and totally genuine. A storyline that is heartfelt and funny and a narrative that is both contemporarily direct and beautifully fluid.
Susie and Lars are the obvious stars, Susie is a bit of an underdog, a sensitive soul who although is strong enough to stand up for herself always felt a bit inadequate and through Kylie’s exceptional storytelling readers see her blossom and grow. Lars on the other hand is an open book, honest, kind and straightforward the perfect yin to Susie’s yang and it doesn’t hurt that he’s Viking gorgeous and built like a brick, well you know. The costarring characters are also memorable especially Susie’s BFF Cleo and Lar’s brother Tore. If you’re looking for a rom-com to deliver the warm fuzzies and a tale that’s sweet with a fair amount of heat, Kylie Scott’s latest End of Story is your next must read. Fans of Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Kristan Higgans you will LOVE End of Story.
Here are some of the most notable quotes
“ I was butt struck”
“Watching him work was like competence porn.”
”Maybe I could annoy him into loving me.”
“I thought by commune with nature you meant like a gentle walk on the beach or hanging out in a beer garden..”


While renovating a house she inherited from her aunt, Susie Bowen and her contractor who also just happens to be her ex’s bestie discover an official looking document inside one of the walls. Upon inspection it turns out to be a divorce certificate dated 10 years in the future, a divorce between Susie and Lars. Susie thinks Lars is messing with her and Lars thinks the same about Susie but when neither finds evidence of pranking for Susie it becomes a mystery needing to be solved and Lars thinks maybe the universe is the one doing the pranking. Whether the divorce certificate is a joke or a magical document from the future it has managed to turn Susie and Lars from frienemies to friends. Which should make Susie and Lars happy not hot and bothered. Huh.

I LOVE romances with magical twists, so I had very high hopes for this one—especially after enjoying the prequel novella!

It wasn’t quite what I expected.

After recently inheriting a house, Susie is ready to tackle renovations. But she isn’t expecting the contractor to be Lars, her ex-boyfriend’s best friend. Things get even crazier when they discover a divorce certificate within the walls … dated in the future with their names!

What a premise, right? I loved the idea of this divorce certificate forcing an unlikely pairing together. The chemistry was definitely there as they attempt to remain friends, unable to fathom how they’d ever end up married.

But the story lost momentum for me. There wasn’t much against this couple other than the conflict of the certificate itself. I found a lot of the same conversations and situations were being rehashed over and over.

The mystery behind the divorce certificate was good; I was definitely desperate for answers. But the explanation left me feeling really unfulfilled. I wanted more from it.

I am a big fin of Kylie Scott, so I assumed I would like End of Story, but I LOVE LOVE LOVED this book! Everything about this book hooked me immediately and I devoured it in one go. I adored Lars and Susie as well as all of the secondary characters and thought their story was just so lovely. The premise of the divorce certificate from the future was unique and fun for a contemporary romance. All in all a massive winner and I will be mentioning this book to everyone I know. Can't wait to read whatever Scott puts out next!

PLOT HOLE.

I wish I could tell y’all what happens with that divorce certificate that was found hidden in a wall, because that felt like the biggest waste of time to me. An entirely huge plot hole in my mind that was never fulfilled.

The premise of this sounded cool. It’s what drew me in. You’re kind of thrown straight into the book without even the smallest build-up. I found my footing pretty quickly though and was initially charmed. House flipping is always fun, there’s a little of bit of mystery and intrigue, some grump x sunshine tropes. Things I’m into.

And then things I was not. The entire plot is boring. Nothing actually happens. It’s like reading about a very basic dating life. Throw in a bunch of random scenes of trying to figure out where the paper comes from and that’s it. That’s all I’ve got. There were a few dramatic points tossed in as well that also really didn’t service the plot either.

I was hopeful, and then those hopes were dashed.

Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary Romance
- Language: strong
- Romance: 3 open (med-high explicit)
- Violence: low
- Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a family member, being hit by a car (minor injuries), being kissed without consent, physical altercations

Read if you like:
❤️ Romances
❤️ Grumpy x Sunshine Trope
❤️ Cheating Ex
❤️ Found Family
❤️ Toxic Families
❤️ Forbidden Romances
❤️ Fate/Destiny

This one was so fun and light and I truly loved the experience of reading this romance by a new to me author. This one definitely has me wanting to go back and read more by this author!

I loved the inclusion of the fate, destiny, and magical type of vibes with Suzie and her hot contractor working on the home she inherited while processing the loss of a family member and her family coming for their cut of what they feel entitled to.

This story really touches on found family and not having to put up with family that does not support and love you in a healthy way, and I loved that as so many of us have difficult family dynamics so it is always nice to feel seen with this type of plot in a book.

Thank you to the publisher for my ARC copy of this own!

This book was fun! I love the tv show premise and the opposites attract trope. Loved it. Excited to see what Kylie does next.

Another winner from Kylie! Loved the set up. Her witty banter, and characters. This is the perfect read for a Valentine’s Day release.

I have found that there are some Kyle Scott novels that just grab me from the start and keep me until the very last page; they flow well and I immediately connect. In the case of End of Story, it's taking me a little longer to connect. Part of it has to do with the flow--I'm not sure if it's the dialogue or the inner monologues but something is just a smidge off, enough for me to notice, which means I was distracted by it. Part of it was the suspending of reality, more so than usual, but it's not a bad thing, just a thing I had to adjust to. And so maybe it was making these tiny adjustments along the way that pulled me out of the narrative enough that I wasn't as engaged as I wanted to be, especially because I really enjoy most of what Kylie Scott puts out there.
All of that being noted, End of Story turned out to be a fine little romcom--a little something different that makes it stand out from what is expected.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Graydon House for the eARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This was a fun book to read. I liked most of the characters. I really liked Tore (Lar's brother) and Cleo (Susie's best friend). Aaron is the ex and a bit of a creep. Lars is the new love interest and sadly the best friend of Aaron (since childhood). The thing that was odd was the bit of paper that was found in the wall. I guess the paranormal aspect felt out of place. But the overall message it sort of worked. I did really enjoy the book. 4.5 stars

Have you ever watched the movie The Lake House with Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves? End of Story has a little of that destiny/fate magic mixed with a woowoo/voodoo-loving social media manager’s desire to avoid crappy guys. So cute and definitely worth a quick read! As one of Kylie Scott’s lighter novels, I enjoyed this little bit of brain candy!

A SHORT PREVIEW:
Susie has successfully started her own social media management company and thinks life is going well when suddenly her crummy boyfriend announces he’d like to see other people (in front of other people!!?), and her aunt dies. When all of her aunt's house and money is passed down to Susie, not only does she have to deal with toxic family members wanting their cut - she gets to deal with the grumpy but hot contractor she hired to transform her aunts house. Things start to get a little crazy, though when her contractors oh-so-sexy self finds a divorce certificate dated into the future between himself and Susie? While trying to unravel the mystery of the document, and navigating her grief.. with Susie finally finding the family she deserves?

MUSINGS:
- End of Story is a great reminder not to give up on yourself and what you know you deserve in love! Susie realizes that the men she’s been dating are repeating some of the same toxic patterns she grew up with and decides to really turn that around.
- There is SUCH a big difference between a momma’s boy and a man who respects his mother, and I think ‘End of Story’ explains that so well!
- Without giving anything away - I love how the main character, Susie, makes a point to have the adult talk in the relationship that things won’t always be perfect and she won’t always look perfect. People need to see our ugly bits too!
- A lot of this story is really funny, and that’s worth its weight in gold!


THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:
I’m not a huge fan of psychics and the ‘otherworldly’ unless it’s in a novel specifically designed to be fantasy.

FAVORITE QUOTE(S):
“That’s my girl. Such a giver.” - When someone is not being even a little bit generous.
“As one dose.” - Said with all seriousness about something someone should never do lol

NOTES:
- HEA ending (obviously)
- Grumpy sunshine
- Cheating ex
- found family
- Toxic families
- forbidden romance - ex's best friend

*I received this book for free as an ARC, but all thoughts are my own. - SLR

A rom-com with a supernatural twist. Like all of Kylie Scott's books, the dialogue was witty and fun with characters easy to fall in love with. I enjoyed the ex's best friend to lovers storyline and it all would have been lovely and believable, but the supernatural element didn't fully work for me. That either of these characters would ever believe in the magical divorce papers validity didn't seem true to their more pragmatic personalities. The way they were able to get passed it for their relationship while, at the same time, bringing it up constantly (like the readers would somehow forget) was the weakest part of the story. I don't think it was necessary for the storyline. Lars and Susie meeting through her ex and becoming reacquainted through Lars' work in construction was enough and the slow burn of their romance was really well-done. Overall, if you love Kylie Scott or steamy romances and aren't too deterred by the supernatural part of the story, you will enjoy this book.

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and HarperCollins for the ARC in exchange for the honest review.

It's been a while since I've read anything by Kylie Scott and this book was a great reintroduction. I was a little unsure about the book at first, but I quickly fell in love with Susie and Lars. They have a great friends-to-lovers romance - one of my favourite tropes. I loved their banter, and they way the communicated with one another. I loved that Lars put Susie first even with his family and best friend. And best of all there was no contrived conflict between them. I don't think the supernatural piece was necessary to the story, but overall this was a fun swoony read.

I will be withholding my review of this book until Harper Collins Union has reached a fair contract. Thank you for the arc & I look forward to publishing my review at that time.

Probably just shy of 4 Stars if I’m honest. I absolutely loved these characters. They’re flawed but ultimately perfect for each other in the best, and resistant, ways. It’s the love story and how they get together that is unique here as well as the tone. This, sort of, supernatural twist of a future divorce paper magically appearing didn’t fully work for me, but in the context of this story it proposed some fantastic hypotheses. How would you approach a potential romantic partner, and how would you navigate your relationship, if you knew there was a specific end date? Do you try harder or not at all? The result was a beautiful examination of communication that you don’t normally see in romance books.

The push and pull of attraction played out without any ridiculous drawn-out posturing. The portrayal of commitment issues coming from two distinct sides was also interesting to see and made the characters that much stronger. The chemistry was on point. There is a lot to love.

The story also felt a little anticlimactic though and I was craving a third-act shake up. This is also where the divorce decree didn’t fully work for me. It was just sort of there and I missed a little more… something. I craved more solidity in the minuscule supernatural element. Past instances found in a journal perhaps. Is it the house? The cat? The deceased? It had a nice epilogue but I think it came in short overall. Still, I love the characters so much and I’ll happily revisit them.

* I received a free early e-copy from the publisher

Susie, a young professional, inherits her aunt’s house. Susie hires a construction crew to fix a few areas of the house, this re-introduces Lars into her life. Susie was dating Lars’s best friend, but moved to London to continue his career. When cutting a whole under a window to check for water damage, Susie found a divorce certificate dated 10 years in the future where her ex-husband was listed as Lars. After trying to determine if the certificate was real, Lars and Susie decide to try a relationship. End of Story outlines their relationship, struggles to redefine who they are as a couple, and what it takes to break away from toxic relationships. The book ends explaining how Aunt Susan left a little magic in Susie’s life and the importance of choosing your partner everyday.

What you do if you found a divorce certificate dated ten years in future in the wall of a house you were fixing up? What if the names on it yours and your ex's best friend? this is exactly what happens in End of Story. Susie is fixing up her aunts house with her ex's best friend Lars as the contractor. They open up a wall and find a divorce certificate with their names on it dated ten years in the future. They decide to investigate where this mysterious piece of paper came from and as they do they grow closer. End of Story pulled me in form the first chapter and I was dying to know what happened in the rest of the story. I really enjoyed watching Lars and Susie's friendship grow throughout this story.

4 Stars End of Story by Kyle Scott was a fun twist on the "dating my ex's best friend" trope. Six months ago, Susie Bowen was humiliated when her boyfriend Aaron publicly broke up with her at the going away party she through for him before he left for a temporary job in London. Susie was left further brokenhearted when her beloved Aunt Susan, who helped raise Susie after her parents' messy divorce, passed away the next day, leaving Susie her house and a small inheritance. Now, Susie in living in the house and using the money to renovate. The contractor? None other than her ex's best friend, Lars, who was present for her breakup. Things are awkward between the two but that all changes when Lars finds a divorce certificate hidden in the wall that has both Susie's and Lars' names on it and is dated 10 years in the future. Lars thinks it's not real and is a practical joke, while Susie can't believe she'd get married and divorced, to Lars no less. As they spend more time together during the renovations, a relationship between the two doesn't seem all that strange any more; it might even be inevitable. But is their relationship doomed to fail before it even begins?

This was a really easy and enjoyable story. I wasn't quite sure where the plot was going to go and if we were ever going to find out the mystery behind the certificate. The novel brought up questions of fate, destiny, and free will. Is the future predetermined or can we change our paths if we know what is to come? I recommend this one if you are looking for something a little different; perfect for getting out of a reading slump!