Ugh I loved this so much I almost want to read it again now. I really enjoyed experiencing all the different side characters—I thought they were really funny, especially Harrison’s brother. I really connected with the characters and what they were going through. I could empathize with Agnes’ experience with her evil ex boyfriend and his mother, and was so angry at them the entire time. I hated how Agnes felt so much guilt over something that wasn’t her fault. Harrison was so sweet to her, even though he “hated” her. I really appreciated that. I love when the man is always kind and has a soft spot for his girl, and enjoyed that book a lot because of that. This was great, highly recommend!

Can we all get a broody Harrison in our lives? Holy heck - years of working in a restaurant and I never had the fortune of finding one of those men!
Loved this fun story of Agnes and her father's restaurant The Shark Biscuit. It's the last night before it closes for good, and a huge storm has hit and has them all locked down. Throw in a hot chef. Oh, and an ex and his mom also stuck there - and it makes for a very entertaining - and wet - night!

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for this ARC in return for my honest review.

Pub Date: 30 January 2025

He's her work nemesis. They're fake dating. What's the worst that could happen?
That's the sentence what got me interested in this book. I love fake dating trope.
The book takes place all in one day in The Shark Biscuit on the last day before it closes forever. And everything you can imagine goes wrong.
At first I was annoyed with Agnes. Her actions and how she delt with her ex Devin made me mad. I am not a people pleaser, so it was hard to imagine someone acting like that.
But here comes Harrison. Maybe not by choice at first, but he steps in to help Agnes. He is silent, grumpy type and Agnes and he has some old misunderstanding going on between them. Because of that they always fight and bicker. I loved the banter and I loved chemistry between them. I loved how they slowly opened up to each other and how their relationship changed.
I also loved side characters and their close family-like interactions. They all made the story fun.

Agnes’s family restaurant is closing, and she can’t wait to flip the “Closed” sign for the final time. After her mother’s passing, her father became completely consumed by the restaurant, leaving Agnes to essentially raise herself. When her father hires Harrison as their new chef, he overhears a snide remark she makes—and just like that, the two are locked in a years-long battle of mutual dislike.

But when a massive storm hits, trapping them inside with a colorful mix of people—including a sassy bartender, a quirky young chef, her bitter ex-boyfriend, his disapproving mother, and an elderly couple who have been regulars for years—things take a chaotic turn. To throw off her ex’s persistent advances, Agnes claims she’s seeing someone new… and names Harrison as her fake boyfriend.

As the storm rages on, Agnes finds herself juggling her ex’s attention, clapping back at his overbearing mother, and trying to keep the restaurant from quite literally washing away. With Harrison by her side, they manage to keep the restaurant intact—and maybe, just maybe, discover a spark between them neither is willing to admit.

I enjoyed this book; while it’s not a favorite, it was a quick read with some fun moments and a few good laughs.

Thank you to NetGalley for this free advanced copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

An enemies-to-lovers rom-com? Sign me up! I was curious to see how it’ll work out since this whole story happens in one night, but it works so well. It was a cute and funny book, and I enjoyed reading it a lot!

Lauren Ford has done it again! I loved loved loved Harrison and Agnes and the whole cast of characters in this book!

Harrison and Agnes work at her family restaurant The shark biscuit and for the past few years Agnes has had to step up and run the restaurant because of her fathers ailing health. Shes now full of guilt because it's her fault the place is closing.

On the last night of the restaurant being open her ex and his whole family have come in for dinner and Agnes begs Harrison to pretend to be her boyfriend while they're in, only she doesn't expect the storm Harrison has been warning her about to be so bad that they all end up trapped at the restaurant!

Whatever could happen!?

Such a fun and amazing story Highly recommend!

Agnes must get through this last night of running her family business, The Shark Biscuit, and she is home free. She can have a life of predictability- of crunching numbers, no more interacting with customers or her nemesis head chef, Harrison all day long. Unfortunately, the weather has something different in store.
Agnes and a small group of individuals, including her ex-boyfriend and his mother, are stuck in the restaurant while a storm rages. Will the building survive? Will Harrison and Agnes survive or will their simmering anger bubble over into- what? Steamy love? This fun book has a terrific cast of characters that will have you wanting the night to go on forever! Many thanks to NetGalley and Canelo Publishing for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for providing the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book! It has a lot of heart in its simplicity and the characters are a delight. I loved seeing Aggie come into her own as she spent the night averting crisis after crisis while dealing with the emotional blackmail coming from her ex and his unbearable family. Harrison being just the steadfast support she needed while also quietly and not so quietly fighting for her in all the ways that matter. This book was so fantastic at showing these two that they really do belong together.

I loved that this book also wasn't a case of instant love or unrequited pining on either of their parts. I loved that it was a realistic coming together for their relationship and that they just made sense. Too often readers are asked to suspend disbelief when it comes to love stories, in that many characters fall in love in a matter of hours. But this had just the right amount of connection and zing to make it believable but it didn't force someone being in love after a single night.

Excellent book and highly recommended.

Thank you to the author, Canelo Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, the archive date was moved up drastically at short notice and I was not able to download in time. Despite repeated efforts to reach out to the publisher, I never received a response and thus am not able to review.

Please note that I am giving 1 star because I cannot submit without a star rating. Should I be able to get the book from the library at a later date, I will of course edit this review.

An enemies-to-lovers romance set within a single night...perfect for those who love a quick-paced "will-they-or-won't-they" type of love!

Harrison and Agnes together are like a live wire; when they connect, the result could either be fireworks or they both get burned. Faced with the last day of her family's restaurant, Agnes is set to let everything go- the building, the bug rolls, and Harrison. They both hate each other...or so she thought.

My favorite part of this fake-dating-my-enemy scenario is that, without even realizing it, Agnes always had someone in her corner. Harrison would stick up for her and always knew what she was going to say/do even before she did it. Once she realized this, it was like the inevitable happened. And the angst?? Harrison's declaration at the end?? Fighting for what he wants?? Agnes finally seeing what was always in front of her?? Finally giving in?? #goals

Together in a book that spans only a matter of hours, forcing all characters to stay within close proximity to each other, sprinkle in an annoying/jealous ex (and his obnoxious mother), add in a lot of alcohol & crazy decisions = you have one great romance book!

Everything goes wrong on the last night the family business is open. Agnes does not want to take over her family restaurant and it’s set to close. On the final night, a freak storm traps some of their customers, including a couple of favourites, Agnes’s ex-boyfriend and his mom and a few members of the staff at the restaurant. A fake relationship with the head chef, Harrison, is thrown into the mix and soon Agnes realizes that maybe all the fighting the two of them do is simply passion, not hatred. A quick romance ensues and a lot of emotions are processed in a short period of time. It was a super fast read, with lots of funny bits and community of support around the main characters.
I really enjoyed this one. Even though it could read as insta-love, it’s clear that the 6 years the two main characters have spent together is the real reason their love story is believable.
4 stars for taking some big feelings and processing them in a different way in a unique setting.

4★ ‘For my fellow people pleasers. Take the day off.’
What don’t look at me funny, this was the dedication. Anyways i’m sure i have pulled y’ll attention now so let’s begin.

‘You love riling me up. I think it’s your secret guilty pleasure.’
‘Not secret and not guilty. Just my pleasure.’

This is one of those books where you found yourself skeptical to start in the beginning but by the end of it, the romance would ultimately win you over and make you rooting for them. It was hard to trust how in just on night the author would manage to unfold everything be it relationship development, dialogues or storyline and make it believable at the same time, but the way Lauren Ford portrayed everything so beautifully and vivid i am delighted. I have read a similar kind of book which took place in just 24 hours and i adored that book with my whole heart. Open endings make them more realistic that their story has still a long way to go even after the epilogue, there is a different kind of beauty to it.

‘You were always in the front of my mind when you weren’t even mine. I can’t imagine anything easier than making you a priority, our life together a priority. I can’t imagine you not being the first thing I think of every day. That’s the easiest part of this.’

Main Characters? relatable, likable and cozy
Chemistry and Romance? natural and wholesome
Pacing? perfect and to the mark
Character development? the transition from bickering buddies to understanding co-workers to intimate fake-couple to heart-deep connected lovers in just on night, which was to my surprise was genuine and smooth
Side-character? major highlight, i can’t imagine this book without them. Their dynamics with each other as well as the main character was uplifting into the middle of all the chaos. Found family element was perfectly done.

‘I don’t think fighting with someone is something you should miss.’
‘It is when fighting with someone is more fun than a conversation with anyone else. It makes you feel alive. We work, Agnes. Even when we’re arguing, we work.’

Overall, this book was everything i could expect from a cute-hilarious rom-com. Didn’t expected it to like this much. It was complex but in a gentle way, Harrison has every trait you could ask in a book boyfriend.
funny? check
protective? check
make sure to keep you feed? check
encourages you to speak your mind? check
pushes your buttons when needed? check
mature and with good communication skills? check
self aware and knows what he wants? check check check

‘Date me, Agnes Keegan. Fall in love with me. If fighting is this much fun, imagine how good it will be loving each other.’

This is my first book of the author and definitely isn’t going to be the last, looking forward to read more of her work in future. Can we get Thomas and Scout’s book please?

If you like well-written heartfelt romance with limited locations and tight time-frames and love to see how a single night can change everything, you should give a book a try.

Tropes:
☞ Forced Proximity
☞ Nemesis at workplace
☞ Boss’s Daughter
☞ One the spot Fake-boyfriend to get rid of ex *ahem*
☞ Found family
☞ 24hr timeline

Thank You Lauren Ford, Canelo publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.
#Netgalley #OneLastNight

Headlines:
True enemies to lovers
Hyperfocus on one night
Exes and messes

This story was a hyperfocus on one night in Aggie's life, a really poignant night for her...the closure of her family's restaurant. This last hurrah for a close-knit team and family turned into a comedy of errors starting with the impending storm and becoming wild with the addition of her ex and his awful mother.

This was half comedy with brilliant dialogue and half serious realisation for both Aggie and her nemesis, the chef, Harrison. Sometimes enemies to more seems watered down to me but these two really brought the enemies vibe so well even though Harrison was masking a lot.

The found family in the restaurant in the form of Noah, Scout, Thomas and Willy were both unsavoury in a funny way and the best of champions. Devin (the ex) was a slimy, manipulating piece of garbage as was his mother. I loved how Harrison empowered Aggie.

These characters were so well layered, their past, present and hope for the future had my attention. Harrison felt a subtly complex person with good guy vibes and Aggie just never told anyone how she really felt. They were quite the combo and their chemistry was undeniable.

"This man isn't emotionally unavailable or closed off. He's private. He's intense but he knows how to communicate and listen."

One Last Night was the kind of read you binge through, reading with ease and chuckles. I had a ball.

Thank you Canelo for the eARC.

3.5 ⭐️

This story takes place, as the title suggests, over one night during The Shark Biscuit's last hurrah. Agnes' father owns the restaurant but Agnes took over the running of the place due to his declining health. On one hand she is excited to be free of the place and arrogant head chef Harrison but she also feels guilty that she turned down her father and will not be taking over permanently.

The author has done well with the pacing of this story, the development of a relationship in such a short space of time works due the backstory we get, the fact that these two have been bickering/bantering for years there is enough chemistry there for this to be believable.

I liked the fake dating aspect as what wouldn't be a bigger nightmare than dealing with all of your regular customers through a storm than your ex turning up unexpectedly with their whole family. The relationship between her ex and his mother... well, lets just say no thank you. I was glad that Agnes managed to stand up for herself.

I liked how Harrison stepped up in that situation and it turns out he wants to make sure Agnes is cared for and looked after, there were some great tender moments as well as their banter.

This was a quick and cosy romance with minimal spice. I would describe this is a fake dating, forced proximity with dislike (wouldn't really call them enemies) to lovers.

One Last Night follows Agnes as she closes her family’s restaurant, The Shark Biscuit, after years of struggle. Tensions rise between Agnes and her grumpy head chef, Harrison, who has always been a source of irritation. When her ex-boyfriend appears uninvited, Agnes enlists Harrison to act as her fake boyfriend. A sudden storm traps everyone in the restaurant, forcing unresolved emotions and hidden truths to surface. Over one transformative night, Agnes and Harrison move from bickering to understanding, realizing there’s more to their relationship than they thought. Filled with heartfelt moments, relatable struggles, and a strong found-family dynamic, this romance showcases how a single evening can change lives.

A fun read, set over mainly one night, the last night the Shark Bait is open as a restaurant. Will Agnes and Harrison put aside their differences once the storm hits. A great read, I loved both characters and wanted everything to work our for them. Looking forward to the next book from this author.

This was an incredible read. I loved that it spanned over one single night (the last one, if you will) and just really loved the characters. Those who have been here a while know that 5 stars are rare for me to hand out, but I absolutely loved One Last Night.

nice premise, I usually don't go for romance books that take place in only a day or a few hours, but this was nicely done, I especially loved the epilogue! overall, it was a nice read but nothing too remarkable.

I made the mistake of picking this open shortly before needing to go to sleep; struggled to put it down.

We follow Agnes and Harrison as they spend an evening locked in their restaurant on its closing night as a storm hits.

Right off the bat, I thought the dynamic was super cute. They are constantly arguing, but it is obvious that it is not as two-sided as Agnes believes. I love that there was limited miscommunication between the couple, with the central conflict not being trivial. They were a lot more open and honest than most other pairings in rom-coms, and I appreciated that as a reader.

I enjoyed the supporting characters and felt that the timing of the novel was well planned, despite playing out over about 12 hours. Highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

“One Last Night” by Lauren Ford is an excellent easy read for romance lovers.
This story is about a night in the life of Agnes & Harrison, our protagonists who together run Agnes' family restaurant - where she is the manager, and he is the head chef.
It is a true enemies to lovers where although I had my doubts at the beginning (as the story takes place in a single night) at the end all the events and conflicts that took place were correctly displayed and without plot problems.
One thing to note was the side-characters, which gave more intrigue and laughter to the plot than expected, I cannot express the number of times I found myself laughing at something one of the side-characters said or did. Some of them were loveable and friendly, and others made me want to stop reading at that moment - but overall, this book was a super enjoyable and fun read, ideal for a relaxing evening.
‘Date me, Agnes Keegan. Fall in love with me. If fighting is this much fun, imagine how good it will be loving each other.’ <3
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC
#OneLastNight #NetGalley.