Last Call by Lainey Davis is the forth book in the Bridges and Bitters series. I had not read the previous books, and while it was obvious that there were related books by the cast of characters and their apparent history, I was able to enjoy this book on its own.

It was just supposed to be a marriage on paper. Koa needed a path to citizenship and I needed the money to open Bridges and Bitters. All I've ever wanted is to take care of my sisters and run my own bar, my way. What did I care if I had a technical husband? A husband with too many dimples and more charm than he should have. So when he rolled into town after five years to deal with some paperwork, he's turned everything upside-down. Sure, Koa is charismatic and fun, but he's also a nomad. I don't have time for vacations and I don't know how to play games. I'm not sure how I ended up hitched to a smoking hot rugby coach without a plan, but I need to sort this all out. Fast. If I can't figure out a way to slice through all this red tape, it could mean last call for Bridges and Bitters.

Last Call is a fast and entertaining read. I liked the characters, and thought their inner dialogue was very well done. I was glad to get both points of view, as it really helped me see both characters a little deeper and understand their fears and motivations. Parts of the book moved very quickly, but I liked that the pair get to know each other over time and do not go full on insta love. I thought it read fairly realistically and I lover that the author put in the time to make sure the cultures touched on in the book are done with accuracy and respect rather than just slapping a title on a character and calling the book diverse. I loved the secondary characters and the friend group that Esther had. It makes me want to go back and read the previous books so I can get to know them all better. This was a fast read- a one day read for me- and I enjoyed it very much.

Thank you so much NetGalley for this ARC.

What a fun, fast paced, easy read. I was able to read this in one evening.

This book has all my favorite tropes: Marriage dof convenience, pen pals, forced proximity, Single guardian. I wish it was a bit longer and we got a bit more of the side character but this was a great palette cleanser.

Esther and Koa met back before she owned Bridges and Bitters and just worked in another bar and Koa was just finishing college. Koa is from New Zealand and wasn't a citizen. When his parents unexpectedly die, his paperwork remains unfinished, so once he finishes school, he would have to go back. Esther's dream was to open up her own bar, so the two ended up striking a deal. Koa would provide her money to start her dream, and she would agree to a marriage of convenience with him so he could stay in the country and he would work towards his citizenship. Then they both lived their separate lives. Until now, five years later, Koa is back in town, and they have to participate in in-person interviews to prove their marriage is real. The two always had the chemistry from the start of their relationship, but Esther is the responsible one, and Koa is more of a nomad, no way they could work. But with him back in town, it gets harder and harder for Esther to resist his charms. With the help of her friends and loved ones, Esther, always being the grounded and responsible one, realizes she has found the person she can open up to and depend on.
A fun and cute story! The characters were lovely and I was immediately endeared to them. The story was well-written and I enjoyed following Esther and Koa and their journey to HEA. Glad I had the opportunity to read this!
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Marriage of convenience romances or forced marriage is very hit or miss for me, but this one did an average job of it! Some nuances didn’t assign such as the MFC continuing on in a career she doesn’t fully love, but I guess that’s true to life.

Last Call by Lainey Davis is described as “a sizzling marriage of convenience romance” and dang, was that tagline CORRECT! This is the fourth standalone installment in the Bridges and Bitters series. It was my first read in the series and I’m looking forward to going back and reading the previous titles. This book is for your TBR if you love romcoms with witty banter, found-family, and SPICE that will make you blush and curl your toes.

Meet Esther Storm. She owns the bar Bridges and Bitters and is always the care taker, having raised her four sisters almost entirely alone. She’s also a member of a girl-gang called FOOF (yes, you have to read the book to find out what it stands for). Meet Koa. Maori from New Zealand, he’s lived in the United States for the last 10 years.

While he is finishing college, his parents unexpectedly die, and leave behind a surprise: they never finished the paperwork to allow Koa to stay in the United States upon graduating. The two agree to a marriage-of-convenience; she gets the money to open Bridges and Bitters, and he gets to stay in the country. Nothing could go wrong with a fool-proof plan like that… right?

I didn’t just read this book, I devoured it. I’m here for any story that involves women raising other women up, that’s my kind of sisterhood. I love how Davis wrote relatable characters in many aspects, the main one being I’m sure we have all been in Esthers shoes and understand how hard it can be to accept help from others. That’s not even mentioning how hard it would be if you were “in survivor mode”, as they say.

At less than 250 pages, Davis delivers a short-yet-sweet story with real and relatable characters. Don’t sleep on this story and if you end up reading the entire Bridges and Bitters series, let me know what your thoughts on it are! I look forward to getting my hands on a physical copy of the series (it’s my favourite way to read).

Thank you to NetGalley, Xpresso Book Tours, and Lainey Davis for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

DNF at 20%

Sadly, this book (by a new-to-me-author) just didn't work for me. It's a marriage of convenience trope and yet the author totally skips over hallmark scenes of that trope.

The reader gets no scene of the proposal of this arrangement AND no actual courthouse marriage scene. Did they kiss in front of the judge? Shake hands? Was there chemistry?

We don't know why the hero is traveling directly after their quicky wedding. Or why the heroine wants to open a bar when she hates her job at the one she works at.

This entire story felt skipped over. I stopped reading around 20% because I knew almost nothing about the main characters and they had no chemistry since the had had almost no scenes together.

I loved this book so much. I really liked the way koa managed to get esther to rely on him, instead of having everyone rely on her.

I can't believe I missed the rest of the bridges and bitters series and I will definitely be adding those to my tbr right now.

I really loved Esther as well. She is such a real person with real emotions and thoughts. And then Koa, who is amazing and caring and also probably very hot but I guess he's fictional so that is kinda sad. (How dare he not be real)

Recommend to anyone who loves love.

Thanks to netgalley and the author for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review

I’m a sucker for a marriage of convenience and I love how the author did it in this book. This book can be read as a stand alone but it is part of a series of that makes sense LOL. The series it’s part of is the bridges and bitters.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and in this series. I didn't feel lost when I read it which is always nice. Her characters are well rounded, real, and relatable I also really appreciate Lainey Davis keeping things short and sweet. . If you like RomComs, found family, humor, drama, feels and spice then this book is for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Lainey Davis for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

Last Call was a lot of fun and I love that it's based on a strong woman and found it to be pretty enjoyable!

3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Lainey Davis for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable read by Lainey. I found the characters to be interesting and enjoyed the friendship amongst the group.

I did tend to agree with Koa that a lot of Esther’s family and friends just bombarded her with messages while they were on their getaway while knowing she was meant to be having a bit of a detox from her phone and experiencing new things.

There just wasn’t anything overly special that stood out to me about the book and it’s not one of my favourites hence the rating

It was a delightful short novel.
I LOVED it ❤️ . The author did her best and she writes the most amazing characters. I think it can be read as standalone but I belive it's better if you read the rest of the series like I did.
All this time Esther has been married to Koa!!! First I couldn't belive it but then I was so engrossed in the story that I forgot it. The story was filled with humour, family squabbles and almost everything you can think it can contain.
I will miss this them so much 😭
However I'm looking forward for the authors new books!!
Rating ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Spice 🌶 🌶

Marriage of convenience. This is a great book with amazing characters that you will root for. This book had me laughing at some points. I loved it!
I just reviewed Last Call by Lainey Davis. #LastCall #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

I love how all the books in this series are based on successful women. Esther's immediate success opening her bar may not be very realistic but it does make a fun location for special events. Ester is a control freak, the exact opposite of her on-paper only husband Koa. This story of them really connecting as they prepare for his immigration interview is full of laughs and sexy scenes. Koa is one of my favorite male main characters in recent memory. Strong but sensitive, thoughtful but with his own issues.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this! I'm excited for more stories from this cast of characters.

The story of Esther and Koa, a fake marriage and now they finally work things out. I liked how it was told from.Both points of view.

This was a very cute story. I loved that it was a bit different as far as the marriage of convenience that I’m used to.

I didn’t like the time jump I felt a little cheated I think in knowing some of the details.
Once the female MC gave in and let herself be taken care of I enjoyed it a lot more.

Def a cute read ❤️

This had to be my favorite of the series so far, and I was a little nervous that it was Esther. I loved Esther and Koa, because I've been an Esther at times, and I understand how hard it is to accept help from others, especially when you've been in survivor mode for such a long time. The way that Piper had always said that "Esther is always moving when shes at work, and I wanna emulate that" is very telling as to how Esther is as a person. Loyal to a fault, and has been at the helm for so long.
Koa, man, what a dream boat. I also enjoyed how it was kind of a second chance romance as well as a marriage of convenience. Because usually the books are about how they stay married a few months later. But I appreciated that they already had a history and despite it supposedly being a farce from the get go, that they still cared for each other even if they didn't really realize they did.
One of the things that I love about this series is the FOOF group, and I'm sure I share the sentiment that I want one of my own where I live. Just the women raising women up. And just having great friends and resources for when shit gets sticky and life lifes. I also really appreciate Lainey Davis keeping things short and sweet. Reading this series to get to this book has been an absolute delight, and I love that she keeps it to ~200 pages, and doesn't use a lot of word fluff to get the point across. Her characters are well rounded, real, and relateable. Even if they're the CEO of a company that is bananas. 100% recommend the series and this book!

The book's upbeat cover and quirky description made it sound like a light, funny romcom. But it really wasn't. It started with a pretty depressing chapter (childhood neglect, dire poverty, abuse) which is not the best way to open a story for people expecting mirth & cheer.

The plot wasn't exactly implausible - marriages of convenience are a reality in a country with such hostility towards immigrants (especially people of colour). I really hoped for more nuance about their individual experiences and the kind of angst and blind hope that drives such people. But it was all neatly tucked away with zero familial bonds, and unspecified amounts of wealth.

Everything just seemed to magically work out for the protagonists. That is of course a feature of light-hearted romantic comedies but this one wasn't that. I got to about 40% of the book and still, things hadn't smoothed out so I gave it up. I don't see the book on Goodreads yet so I'm assuming this is an early galley edition. I do hope the author will consider these aspects because it seems like she does have a story to tell and can write.

REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
🏉🍺
I'm always up for any romance with a Marriage of Convenience trope, and this didn't disappoint. One of the things I liked best about this book is the presence of a Maori character, my first experience.
🍺🏉
I really liked the MCs, they were brave, and I understood their struggles in trying to let go of the trauma their parents left them. Especially Esther, I admire how she made life better for her sisters. This was also the first time I'll read about a character named Esther, the name is quite popular here in Nigeria.
🏉🍺
I liked the supporting characters, too, the Storm Sisters and the FOOFs. They were amazing!
🍺🏉
All in all, the romance was cute, simple, and easy for me to finish.

*4.75

I liked the time jump after they get married, it really shows how their relationship grew even if they weren't together. When he came back and immediately got involved with her family and friends it made my heart warm. They really learned to trust each other. It could be five stars but I feel like I wanted a bit more from them at the end.

I received an arc through netgalley.