I think this is the first book I’ve read from this prolific author. This is a friends to lovers romance with a hint of magic. Usually I struggle with any magic in a book but this one worked for me. Susie and Lars are both engaging and well written characters. I especially enjoyed their banter and the dialogue throughout the book. Overall this was an enjoyable story.

𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲
𝐁𝐲 𝐊𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐭𝐭
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝟐.𝟏𝟒.𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑
𝐻𝒶𝓅𝓅𝓎 𝒫𝓊𝒷 𝒟𝒶𝓎!


Thank you @htpbooks and @harpercollins for a spot on tour and a gifted e-book.

I had so much fun with this one, a romance with a twist of fantasy - it’s perfect for Valentine’s Day. 💕

Susie has just broken up with her jerk of a boyfriend when her beloved Aunt Susan passes away. Aunt Susan leaves Susie her home which is in dire need of some repairs and upgrades.

The contractor sent over is none other than Susie’s ex’s best friend, Lars. Although Susie and Lars always got along fine, it's just awkward him being the ex’s friend - especially because the break up was so brutal. To make things more complicated, as Lars begins working on the house, he finds a divorce decree dated 10 years in the future hidden within the walls. The divorce is granted to Lars and Susie!

As much as Lars and Susie want to ignore this piece of paper, and what it might mean, they can’t. As Lars continues to work on her home, and they investigate the certificate, they find themselves growing closer to one another. But what is the point of starting a relationship if you know it will end?

I enjoyed how Susie and Lars interacted, blunt and witty, yet the attraction was definitely there. The bit of magical realism or fantasy was a perfect added element - it made you think about fate and your part in it. The writing felt very natural. It had sweet and sexy moments, and some fun secondary characters, as well. Grab this one today!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
Genre/Tropes: fiction, magical realism, romance, ex’s best friend
CW/TW: cheating ex, toxic families

Susie inherits her aunt’s house and hires contractors to give it an uplift. The guy who comes out to work on the house is none other than Lars, her awful ex’s best friend. Awkward! They agree to work around that. They take apart a wall and discover a hidden piece of paper that looks to be a divorce certificate. Two peculiar things about it: one, it’s dated 10 years in the future. Two, it lists Susie and Lars as the divorced couple! Lars thinks it’s a cruel joke played by Susie, and she in turn is baffled. Both deny having anything to do with it, and it creates animosity in an already weird situation. They still have to work together and there’s a friendship forming and also some attraction, but that divorce certificate’s always the cloud hanging over them.

I’ll admit, I had no idea where this was going or how it’d be resolved. I also kind of didn’t understand it? The existence of the divorce certificate is this big roadblock between them. It stalled them getting closer, but it also have to. I’m conflicted.

As usual, Scott has a strong, self-assured FMC which is one of the reasons I love her. The story’s a bit angstsy as Susie has every right to be (cheating ex and toxic family BS to deal with). It’s a little bit of a grumpy/sunshine scenario, though either one of them could take turns being being the grump or the sunshine.

I liked it because it was something a little different from Scott who delivers on the HEA. The great big mystery remains that, and I’m torn between wanting a more definitive answer or embracing it. That’s just me, though.

Thanks to @netgalley @htpbooks & @graydonhousebooks

I really enjoyed this opposites attract romance between Susie, who's just inherited a fixer upper from her dead Aunt, and Lars, the contractor and her ex's best friend. The unique plot wherein the two find divorce papers in the wall of the house dated ten years in the future had me flipping the pages so fast to figure out what would happen.

If you're looking for something a little different with a bit of magical realism I highly recommend this one, especially for fans of authors like Roselle Lim, Holly James or Hannah Orenstein. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

I totally enjoyed this book. Susie had a unique way of looking at things and it made me small when she would banter back and forth with Lars. The way the book started off was different and it was a reason for Susie and Lars to start to get to know each other without the outside influence.

This story kept me entertained through COVID, what a week it's been and this cheered me no end. I laughed my way through this book from beginning to end.
Susie inherits her aunt's home and sets about modernising it...or rather taking away the ugly after 3 generations. I loved the little spooky mystery with the finding in the wall and I have my doubts about that cat...or Kat. Lars is her ex's friend, her friend too. The huge Viking is also her handyman slowly bringing her house to life... and her ladybits. Their chemistry sizzled but their banter even better.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the brilliance of the author's storytelling skills.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book (given by author)...

3.75 stars

Susie and Lars have an interesting history and apparently an even more interesting future since Lars find their divorce certificate dated 10 years in the future. Since they have such a tumultuous past, the relationship between them progresses like a slow and steady burn between them that they try to deny.

Susie has been hurt quite few times in her past, both in a romantic sense and a familial way so she is more than reluctant. Lars has plan all mapped out and falling for anyone is not included especially Susie, his best friend’s ex.

(3.5⭐️’s)

Let me start off by saying Kylie Scott is a One-Click author for me, so it’s no surprise I jumped at the chance to read this book.

The MCs were awesome, as well as some of the side characters, but the connection the H and h shared was off the charts. It took them a bit to really get to know each other before anything happened but IMO it made their relationship that much stronger and much more believable. My only complaint was the conclusion to the mystery behind the magical Divorce Paper. The way that part of the story ended was a little…meh. Other then that I really enjoyed this book

Overall the writing was well done, the story flowed well and if there were any errors/typos I didn’t notice.

Happy Reading🖤


P.S. I LOVE Christian Siriano. He was one of my favorite winners on Project Runway (along with Seth Aaron) so reading a little snippet about him made me smile.

Oh and I received an ARC from NetGalley but this review is 100% all me.

End of Story is a fun, heartwarming and sexy friends to lovers story. Susie is curvy and confident and in my head Lars is a viking lumberjack who is beyond sweet. Definite golden retriever/cinnamon roll energy. I had so much fun reading this story! I don't always love paranormal elements in stories when they are not full PNR, but it totally worked in this case. Their friendship had delicious tension and banter. The push and pull between them put a big smile on my face. There was also a fated element to this book and I love a good fated partner story.

Lars reminded me a bit of Joe from Twist, and I loved him just as much. I highly recommend reading the prequel novella prior to this book for added context, it is located at the end of the ebook.

I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily give my honest review.

I liked Susie and her realization that her dating choices need to change and to be herself. Lars just didn't work for me. The two coming together took too many repetitious scenes for me and it became boring.. The final explanation of the small supernatural element was a let down.

Just an O.K. slow burn romcom to romance for me.

I wanted to like this one, but it wasn't for me. I guess I couldn't click with the characters or the story - I didn't like either of them and thought the plot was not to my liking.

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Tropes: Friends to lovers; Forced Proximity; Ex’s best friend; soulmates

Kylie Scott’s End of Story is a romance between loosely-defined friends who fight their attraction because the MMC is the best friend of the FMC’s ex. This romance, for me, feels like a departure from Scott’s usual fare. Readers who come to her looking for her famous Stage Dive, Larsen Brothers, or West Hollywood flavor might be shocked by End of Story. This is some paranormal meets rom-com banter between two people who are fighting their chemistry. And even after ending this story, I’m still unsure of my feelings about it overall.

Let’s begin with the cons first:
It’s a slow burn that feels slow for the first third of it. Other reviewers noted how easily they moved through the story. It took me a bit to get through it.
The impetus for their eventual connection seems a bit silly. I don’t think the prequel story, Beginning of the End, sets up enough chemistry for Susie and Lars. Therefore, the reason for their chemistry in End of Story isn’t initially believable to me.
I think a dual POV might have helped the credibility of their attraction.
It took me most of the book to engage with Lars and Susie.

Now, for the pros:
Once Susie and Lars found their groove, they are adorable and sweet, very rom-commy.
The ending is poignant, and while the book was slow for me at the beginning, the ending left me with a smile.
Lars’s brother, Tone, and Susie’s best friend, Cleo, add some layers to Susie and Lars’s connection.
Kylie Scott writes a d-bag villain well with Susie’s -ex Austin. You love to hate him in End of Story.
A little over halfway through the book, the story picks up, and the attraction you hope to feel finds its pacing, specifically after Lars lands himself in the hospital. I enjoyed the book more as Lars and Susie fall more deeply in love.
The turning point of the story at Lars and Tone’s parents’ anniversary party is the highlight of the book besides the final chapter and epilogue.

If you’re a Kylie Scott fan, you should definitely read this story. If you’ve never read her before, I’d begin with her Stage Dive series. Once you recognize her capacity to shift between stories, then grab End of Story and appreciate her rom-com sense.

4 stars — I was a little worried about the woo woo aspect of the story, but for me it was just a plot device, and remained a solid contemporary romance. And while this story was light in some aspects, I really appreciated how it brought about these conversations about what makes a relationship long lasting…there were some great gems in here.

I wasn’t sure what I was going to get with Susie, and honestly she kind of surprised me. She was this sort of awkward, forthright, sassy heroine, with a healthy dose of neuroses…likely earned from a childhood spent in a broken family. She made me snort laugh on occasion, and the dry wit was strong with her. I appreciated that she had a lot of flaws, but we got to see her steadily grow throughout the book, in a believable way.

While we didn’t get Lars’ POV, I still felt like I had a pretty good handle on who he was. He was definitely the grumpy in this story, but mostly he was just reserved. He was hard-working and loyal (to a fault). He had his own share of flaws to work through, and as with Susie, he grew in a believable way himself. Normally his obliviousness to certain things would have driven me nuts, but you really did get to see him trying to better himself before our eyes, and that was really satisfying.

Their relationship was such a strange one. They start out not quite as enemies, but definitely not as friends. And each stage in their relationship had its ups and down as they worked through things both together and separately. And those moments where they *chose* each other, chose to continue on the path…just, so sweetly satisfying.

I was also strangely okay with the whole weird plot device. My hubby (from me telling him about it) was less tolerant, but I think I could see from the beginning that it wasn’t meant to be the point of the story, just a unique way to push our characters forward.

So yeah. The perfect balance of lightness and depth, and a different way to give me the romance that my heart always yearns for in books.

I smiled so much throughout this book. Lars and Susie were so cute. They kept me coming back for more. I didn’t want to put this book down. Which is saying a lot since I was a bit hesitant from the beginning of the book. It was a tad slow for me, at first. Once I got through the first couple chapters, and it picked up, I was obsessed.

The whole concept is unique. I liked how it was a different way to get these two characters to interact. It wasn’t like your normal ex-boyfriend’s best friend trope. Their witty banter and dialogue kept me glued to my screen craving more.

Lars is a tad grumpy, so Kylie slid that trope inside the storyline as well. I found him endearing, and a wonderful book boyfriend. The things he would say to Susie were so swoon worthy. Lars being a contractor or in construction world of remodeling homes and being handy was something I really enjoyed. Yummmmmy. Who doesn’t like a man that isn’t handy with pretty much everything ;)

Weird random note: I hate the name Susie. I do wish she was named something else, however, it didn’t make me from not liking her character. Just her name LOL Susie was confident, sassy, and not afraid of speaking her mind. We all could learn a thing or two from her.

Kylie did NOT skimp out on the detailed sexual encounters they eventually had. It was completely worth it after the slow burn and sexual tension that we went through. I know a lot of the books I read have slow burn and sexual tension BUT it’s one of my favorites. I can’t help it – I love the angst.

End of Story by Kylie Scott was completely worth the read. It was funny, made me smile and laugh, sigh out loud, and want to punch Aaron (her ex) in the face.

#avidreaderbookblog #readingislife #bookblogger #bookbloggersofinstagram #bookbloggersofinsta #bookblogging #bookreview #bookrecommendations #booklover #bookworm #bookaddiction #bookaddict #romance #romancebookstagram #romancebookstagrammer #romancebooks #angst #sexualtension #slowburn #exboyfriendsbestfriend #witty #wittybanter #kyliescott #kyliescottauthor #kyliescottbooks

End of Story has a fascinating premise but horrible execution.

When Susie Bowen inherits a charming fixer-upper from her aunt, she finds that her contractor is none other than her ex’s best friend, Lars. After her humiliating breakup six months ago, she has distanced herself from anything that had to do with her ex and has doubts about Lars working on her house. But something awkward and amazing happens: Lars discovers a divorce certificate hidden in a wall dated ten years in the future with Susie and Lars's names on it. How did it get there? Was this a prank? What does this mean for their acquaintanceship?

I wasn't pleased with the execution of the certificate. There is never any answer and the story magically poofs a conclusion. Both characters obsess with the piece of paper always wanting to see it and touch it. There is a fake feeling about the relationship as Susie and Lars begin to let it dictate their lives. But what happens in ten years? The author does tell you and, thank goodness, as that's the best bit of writing in the story.

The story is poorly written. The same three things happen over and over and over. The plot elements became stale, and there is very little, if any, character development. The sex is spicy though; Kylie Scott doesn't hold back. While that is enjoyable (if you like spicy), the worst part is the ending. Or should I say the “beginning” that was the “ending”. We didn't need it as the material was covered satisfactorily in the book. Also, I hope that the final book gets the ex-boyfriend's name right in that section.

This was one of the worst romances I have read. I can't, with good conscience, tell anyone else to read it.

Publication Date: February 14

I received an ARC from the publisher; all opinions are my own.

I loved this seriously entertaining rom-com so much. It was a departure from the other books that this author has written that I have enjoyed, but by no means was it less.

Susie just couldn't seem to catch a break. When she shows up to the home that her aunt leaves her in the will and finds her ex-boyfriend's best friend as the hired contractor, I died a little inside for her. The ex-boyfriend that very publicly broke up with her.

I loved how organically the relationship between Lars and Susie flowed. It wasn't by any means insta-love. As they work closely together, their relationship changes fluidly. Wary friends to true friends to "is there something here?" to lovers.

Definitely a recommended read for a palate cleanser if you're a dark romance reader like I am. It's a fun, memorable story.

💥Always check the TW/CW💥

Anywho! Time to wrap this up with the goodies:
Read: 4🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice: 2 🌶🌶
HEA

Kylie Scott’s End of Story follows Susie Bowen, who inherits a fixer-upper from her aunt and hires Lars, her ex-boyfriend's best friend, to do the repairs. Despite their rocky history, they work together to uncover a mysterious divorce certificate that has both of their names on it, dated ten years into the future. As they try to unravel the origins of the document, Susie and Lars find themselves drawn to each other once again.

The novel explores the themes of fate, second chances, and whether love can overcome past mistakes. It also delves into the idea of opposites attracting, as Susie and Lars have very different personalities and worldviews. Through their interactions, they challenge each other's assumptions and learn to appreciate their differences.

Overall, the story is a fun blend of an enemies to lovers romance, humor, and mystery, with well-developed characters and a satisfying conclusion. It was a fun unconventional love story as well as a bit of "woo woo" and the power of destiny.

This is a great start to a new series from Kylie Scott and it was a sweet story filled with humour, steam, love and witty banter.

Susie has inherited a place from her Aunt and it needs a lot of work doing to it. She is shocked when her ex-best friend Lars turns up as her contractor. When they discover a divorce agreement with both their names on it them embark on a mission to find out the mystery and story behind it.

Once i started my attention was held throughout as i was fully invested in finding out what was going to happen between Lars and Susie as their chemistry was electric even if they couldn't see that to start with.

I've read a few of Kylie Scott's books in the past, but it's been a long time in between books. When I saw this new release pop up that was giving me The Lake House vibes (one of my favorite Sandra Bullock movies) I was excited to check it out. Obviously I was not off-base with that feeling because the author actually makes a reference to the movie in the book. There is the same mystical, mysterious, magical realism slant to this story. I'm not sure how I managed to sign up for three arcs scheduled one after another that have this element as well as a house that contains some sort of magic but once again I'm writing a review about that topic. One thing I enjoyed more about this book over the others was that the romance is definitely front and center and it's a very light, fast read.

This story is about Susie Bowen, our main protagonist. It is told from her point of view (1st person) as she has an awkward encounter with her ex-boyfriend's best friend, Lars. Her break up was fairly recent, public, and extremely uncomfortable. Lars happened to witness the public humiliation that she suffered from her bonehead ex so he is the last person she wants to have to see. Although they had an amicable relationship while she was dating his friend, of course things are incredibly awkward now. Unfortunately, he works for the company she hired to help her do repairs on the home she inherited from her aunt. Susie is not one to wallow though, or tiptoe around people, so she decides to make the best of a bad situation and deal. Until Lars breaks open one of the walls to start a water damage repair and encounters something that shocks and disturbs both of them. A divorce certificate. Dated ten years in the future.

Let's just say all hell breaks loose. Both are suspicious that the other planted it there. Both are angry, distrustful, and utterly confused. Why would anyone play such a prank? How was it even placed within the walls and aged so convincingly? Obviously anyone would automatically not believe it because it's just not realistically possible. However, they decide to just try to ignore what it could represent and carry on with work as usual. It's just that once you see something like that, you can't really get the mystery of it out of your head. They both fear that if it somehow really is real, are they doomed to fall in love and fail? The big question is: is fate something you ultimately have control over or not? Can your destiny be changed if you work hard to avoid it?

Lars and Susie go through stages in trying to deal with their possible future divorce. Denial, pushing each other away, problem solving, and friends with benefits. The latter is something that personally annoyed me a bit as that is not one of my favorite tropes. The idea was pushed by Susie because she was scared to commit to a real relationship with him if it would only end in pain in the future. I did get why she was scared to explore a romance with him, but she did force him into this FWB situation when it was clear that he wanted to give a committed, full relationship a chance. That always makes me sad for that character and feel as if they are accepting less that what they deserve. This was an odd and unusual situation though, so it didn't bother me as much as it usually does. You can see that Susie has growing feelings for Lars all along, she is just very scared to acknowledge this because of her failed romances in the past and her perceived failure in the future.

Susie tries to tackle the mystery of the divorce papers using several methods. She tries to authenticate it, she tries consulting a psychic, and she seeks out the firm who handled the divorce to see if it exists. All of these things are logical ways to try to make sense of an inexplicable situation. In the end, there isn't really a solid explanation (Honestly, how could there be?) so you just sort of have to make what you will of it. There is a vague explanation about echoing pain reaching through time and her aunt treating the house like it was a "living breathing thing." Other than that, you just have to believe that the unbelievable can happen and chalk it up to fantasy. Would I have liked a little more development there in order to make it more believable? Yes. If you're going to add an element of fantasy, build a solid foundation so that I'm all in.

One thing I enjoyed about this novel was the endearing characters and the humor. Both Susie and Lars were good people trying to make sense of a very odd situation. They felt relatable in their past relationship challenges and fears. Kylie Scott does an excellent job making you root for the two of them to work through their fears and learn from their past mistakes. I loved the little details of their growing romance-the way they shared each other's food, and worked hard to find a common interest that they could enjoy together. They were totally sweet and supportive of each other once they made their mind up to be a part of each other's lives.

Overall, this was a cute story with a sweet HEA. I did feel that the last couple sections of the epilogue entitled "beginning of the end" were totally unnecessary and didn't tell us anything we didn't already know. I'm not sure why it was added, but the "Ten Years Later" section was the perfect ending giving the story closure and a proper goodbye to these characters. If you are intrigued by the synopsis like I was, definitely give this one a shot if you like stories with elements of magical realism paired with a solid romance.

First of all, this cover, how cute! This story starts off with Susie and how the last 6 months of her life have been super rough. She got dumped and she lost her Aunt Susan (who she was named after). She has been fighting with her family after inheriting her aunt's home. She's ready to move on and start her best HGTV life. She calls a contractor and who shows up at her door? Of course, her ex's best friend, Lars. They're doing work in the home and things get a little crazy...

Susie finds a divorce certificate that is for her and Lars dated for ten years in the future & this book continues on for them trying to figure out this certificate and this makes them have to spend time together.

There were aspects of this book that I really loved!!
This wasn't any story I've really read before. The trope was good! It did slow down at certain parts where I was almost trying to push through to get the next exciting part.

Overall, I did really like this story and would be happy to give Kylie Scott another try!! As for rating, 3.5 stars rounded up!