I didn’t vibe with this book at all. Felt like the characters didn’t have chemistry really and the timeline was a bit odd and everything just happened so quickly.

Liked some of the story around Koa and his nationality but besides that I didn’t really enjoy it. Quick and easy read though, so it gets points for that.

Koa Koa Koa

I love a marriage of conscience trope and this one didn’t disappoint. The banter was on point and elements of their relationship really made my heart squeeze. I only wish I had read the books before this first so I could have gotten the full build up of the quiet bartender.

This book was advertised as standalone however I was thoroughly confused throughout since I did not read the others. I DNFed because I couldn’t follow.

I read this book in a relatively short amount of time because it reads fast, but it simultaneously feels way too long?? the main girl was also infuriating at points.

I didn't love this one but I also didn't hate this one. However I'm not sure how I feel about this one.

3.5 stars — this is a very quick read, and unfortunately I think the author sacrificed some critical scenes for the sake of length!

Esther & Koa have a marriage of convenience — he gets to solve his immigration issues and she gets the capital she needs to start her dream bar. We get just the quickest glimpse of their meeting and wedding until we are transported to present day, five years later. The two have only communicated through emails and have lived completely separate lives, but they need to convince ICE their marriage is legitimate so Koa can apply for his green card.

This book was sweet & spicy, but I felt like I missed some key elements not having read the other books (didn’t realize it was the fourth in a series) and based on the relationship development the author chose not to include. Good but could have been great!

Who doesn't love a marriage of convinence with a hot rugby player? I sure do. This book was a delight. This was a quick read and I just loved it. It is part of series but can easily be read as a stand alone. It is a slow burn, marriage of convenience, bar owner/ prof rugby player romance and I am here for all of it. I have loved some of the other books in the series, but I think this one is my favorite.

i adored this marriage of convenience book!
it had tension and insta-lust, the characters were well developed and you could feel the chemistry between them.
i haven’t read the previous book in the series and i didn’t think i’ve missed anything, it works really good as a standalone.

i voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, thanks to netgalley for the opportunity. all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book and the two leads a lot, and want to check out the other books in the series as well now.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

3 stars.

I enjoyed Lainey Davis's "Last Call" at first, but the longer it goes on, it feels a bit too repetitive to justify its very short page count. I read this book in a relatively short amount of time because it reads fast, but it simultaneously feels way too long?? How is that possible??? I have no idea???? While I typically love the "marriage of convenience" trope in contemporary romances, I found the storyline in this book to be overly predictable with no real drama/twists/turns to keep me invested in the story. I felt a cavernous disconnect between Koa and Esther from the very beginning of the story. I assume it's because there's no real lead-up to Koa and Esther's marriage, the ceremony is not shown in any way, and most of the minutiae is handled off-page, so readers cannot get invested in their romance until the time-jump five years later. There's no pining, no chemistry, no adoration apart from some emails written back and forth on the page. To be honest, I got tired of the characters and the situations here pretty quickly. This is a shock to me because I thought Esther was going to be one of my favorite female characters this year being that she's a strong, self-sufficient woman. Instead, I found her irritating because she refuses to ask for help from anyone. I get that; it's what I have done myself for decades of my life, but even I know when it's time to throw in the towel and ask for assistance! On top of this, she treats Koa like absolute DIRT despite that he has enmeshed himself in her life on every front. I also got so annoyed with Koa when he was obsessed with her phone going off. WTF? Controlling much? I liked Koa's Aotearoa representation, and some of Esther and Koa's banter is good, but it wasn't enough to detract from the glaring missteps.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lainey Davis, and Xpresso Book Tours for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

I loved the storyline and how the characters grew throughout the book. This was the first book I read from this author, but I will be keeping up with the future publications from this author.

please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
HEA: yes
spice: a few open-door spicy scenes
TWs: open relationship, fire (no casualties), ICE/deportation
standalone: book 4 in Bridges and Bitters series - can be read as a standalone
final thoughts: everything you could want in a marriage of convenience novel! Tons of tension and not wanting to fall for your now-spouse, plenty of chemistry with an instalust feel, perfect opposites-attract match


read this book if you love

💓 slowburn
👮 blue collar FMC (bar owner)
😬 angst
💖 marriage of convenience
💞 strangers-to-married-to-lovers
🏡 small town
👮 blue collar MMC (rugby coach)
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 great side characters
🏉 sports romance (rugby)

Honestly I wasn’t too crazy about this book, the storyline was very cute but I just found myself spacing out and not having much interest to pick the book back up. Some moments felt cringy and I think for how short of a story this was I personally was looking for more which could’ve been the main issue.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really fun book. I have not read the previous book in this series, but I was still able to enjoy this.

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.