Once Rose Fisher makes a decision, that’s it. End of story.
Like when her ex, Patrick, dumped her out of the blue, then showed up with a super hot, tatted up sex kitten on his arm. Then it was over for good. The end. Poof. Dead to her. Except he was everywhere — down the hall, at the bar with their friends, worming his way into her dreams.
But with their friends paired off, they’re left alone more and more. Rose is determined to keep him friendzoned — doesn’t matter that he stares at her with a smolder that drops all panties in a ten foot radius. She’s over him, and she’ll prove it by getting back into the dating game, Patrick be damned.
Patrick Evans is no stranger to consequences. When your mother walks out, your dad drifts away. When you leave home, you’re on your own. And when you run away from the girl you love, you lose her. He finally has an opportunity to rebuild the bridge he burned, and it’s not one he’ll take for granted. But he’ll have to fight for her, even if it hurts. Even if it means he’ll walk away brokenhearted. Because deep down, he knows that she’s it for him.
The trick will be to get her to admit she feels it too.
Review
It’s so true that some couples just don’t know how to get out of their own way and make things work by openly communicating and fighting for what they want…not running scared when things get tough or overwhelming. It’s never just one person to cause a relationship to breakdown when there are not extenuating circumstances. It takes two people to make it work and it takes them both to tear it down as well, which is exactly where Patrick and Rose are when Last Call begins.
It’s been 7 months since Patrick broke Rose’s heart and since that day, she’s built a wall to protect herself from any further heartbreak, but in the process, she also prevented herself from ever fully moving on and making amends with the one person who owns her heart regardless of how much she wished he didn’t.
Patrick realized almost immediately that he made a huge mistake by walking away from Rose because he was too afraid that she would break his heart and walk away from him, but he doesn’t know what to do with that information because Rose refuses to give him another chance, refuses to hear him out and allow him to explain why he did what he did.
But since Lily and West got together, Patrick and West’s apartment doesn’t really feel like his anymore and so he finds solace down the hall sleeping next door to Rose and hoping against hope there’s a way they can find their way back to each other and figure out how to be honest and tell each other how they feel, hopefully giving them the happily ever after just like their friends.
It was clear from the very beginning of their story that Patrick and Rose still wanted each other…even months after their break up and even after Rose’s heart was shredded when Patrick broke up with her. But things have never been easy between them so why would they think that getting over each other would be. All of their friends knew Patrick and Rose were better together but no one could mend what was broken between them if they weren’t willing to put their hearts on the line even if it meant heartache in the end.
Patrick and Rose’s story is perfectly titled. They have one more chance to make it work…to feel like the risk is worth it…to stay put instead of walking away when things get tough and to realize that the only thing standing between them is themselves.
Staci Hart does a great job of exploring what happens when friends become lovers and then hurt each other; Hart proves that even when a bond is still there, it’s hard to see past the hurt and pain that was caused in order to move forward, but she also illustrates how not letting go of the resentment and not fighting for what people want will only leave them lonely and unsure of where they fit in while everyone else around them revels in their own happiness.
Hart created a fantastic group of characters in her Bad Habits series, and I’m glad Lily and West as well as Cooper and Maggie are a big part of Last Call by being shoulders to lean on and the voice of reason for Patrick and Rose when they can’t seem to get their heads on straight. This group of friends has each other’s back and that is definitely shown throughout this entire series.
A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 Poison Apples
AMAZON * AMAZON UK
AMAZON CA * AMAZON AU
Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life — a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can’t forget that. She’s also been a mom; she has three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She’s been a wife; even though she’s certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She’s also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she’s been drinking whiskey. Her favorite word starts with f and ends with k.
From roots in Houston, to a seven year stint in Southern California, Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north, in Denver. They are new enough that snow is still magical. When she’s not writing, she’s sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics.
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