Book review: THE LAST GOODBYE, by Laura Pavlov

Blue Sky Bay #2

Bass & Briar

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I tried very hard to connect with this book, but it just kept dragging for me. The writing was excellent, as always, and the characters were lovely, but the story never fully pulled me in or kept me riveted. I love the small-town trope and this group of friends, but perhaps the plot felt a little too low-key and lacked the momentum I was hoping for.

I also noticed several elements that felt very familiar from the author's previous series. Once again, we have a tight-knit group of friends who are more like siblings, a hilarious group chat full of banter and ridiculous nicknames, and a single father with an adorable child who is doted on by a whole crew of honorary uncles willing to step in for babysitting duty. It reminded me a lot of the earlier series when Cutter was the beloved little boy proudly calling himself "Beefcake." Even some of the children's dialogue and mannerisms felt similar. What I sorely missed, however, was the unforgettable Japanese toilet banter! I loved their nicknames for each other: “McGrumpy” and “Magpie”.

There was also the favorite diner, but this time the owners are a lovely couple, and the coffee shop, both centers of the gossip train, as is obligatory in small towns.

For me, the story didn't really come alive until around the 70% mark. That's when the conflict finally picked up and the emotional depth I had been waiting for started to emerge. From that point on, I was glued to my Kindle and flew through the rest of the book.

I usually love this author's books and rarely have trouble getting immersed in her stories, but this one just missed the mark for me. While there were plenty of things to enjoy, it never quite captured the magic of some of her previous releases.

Purchase links

Ebook: https://geni.us/tlgeb

Audiobook: https://geni.us/TLGAUDIO

Paperback: https://geni.us/TheLastGoodbyePB

FREE with #kindleunlimited

About the author

Laura Pavlov writes sweet and sexy contemporary romance that will make you both laugh and cry. She is happily married to her college sweetheart, mom to two awesome almost-grown kids, and dog-whisperer to one temperamental yorkie and one wild bernedoodle. Laura resides in Las Vegas where she is living her own happily ever after. Be sure to sign up for updates on new releases. Laura loves to hear from readers!

 

Connect with Laura

Website: https://www.laurapavlov.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6569734.Laura_Pavlov

Amazon: http://amzn.to/3c1xKZX

Facebook: http://bit.ly/3eSvEdp

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X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurapavlov2

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Bookbub: http://bit.ly/3ii8Vdp

PINE RIVER, by Tijan

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nobody does young adult angst like TIJAN! We go back to a high school, back to the bullies, the mean girls, the popular crowd, interaction between the wallflowers and the elites. I was in book heaven!

TIJAN has this talent to draw you in from the first sentence. She presents us with Ramsay, this lovely young woman, starting her senior year in a new school. She and her mother are fleeing a horrible and tragic situation in their former town in Texas, moved to Pine River, Oregon, to be near family. There’s a funny situation in that Ramsay has three cousins who are triplets (Alex, Clint, and Trenton) and are royalty in the school. She’s trying to fly low but the triplets make this impossible. She has a special connection to Clint, and they are called the trouble twins.  We see ample proof of this mischievous connection in the book!

And now for our book boyfriend, Scout Raiden: 

He was tall and lean, with a strong jawline. His shirt was kinda tight, but not embarrassingly so. More like tight in all the right places. His biceps were delicious. He had a tribal tattoo running around his arm, and when he raked his hand through his hair, I could see the same line on the underside as well. There was a peak of it under his sleeve. His chin had a dimple in the middle, and his cheekbones were high, shaping his face so his lips were f-ing mesmerizing. Golden. That was the best word to describe him. A golden god.

Of course, Ramsay got a little light-headed, and of course, she scowled at him.  He’s too gorgeous but she doesn’t want to get involved. And then he scowls back!  A match made in heaven!

Scout was also fleeing from a disagreeable family situation and we don’t get details until further along in the story. He’s a lover and he’s a fighter, training with his uncle Miles, preparing to join the UFC.

The story takes us on a merry and sometimes heartbreaking ride, very emotional, some funny moments, and some that made me cry.  Ramsay is truly going through a heartbreaking mourning and her mother has to work double shifts at a nursing home in order to make rent, so they can’t be together often.  Therefore, she feels lonely and forlorn sometimes, since she has a great relationship with her mom.  

I loved the triplets and the love they have for Ramsay.  They sometimes felt like the three stooges, with Ramsay in the middle and Scout rolling his eyes.  There’s a family situation, there’s a young woman going through a social media situation, there’s student hijinks, wild parties, enemies from the past that cast a shadow in the present, family dramatics with both characters.  It’s a wonder I had any sleep while reading this book.  It was quintessential TIJAN, riveting, mesmerizing and completely satisfying to my romantic, YA-loving soul.

Purchase link

Amazon US: https://bit.ly/3Fp6nam

Amazon UK: https://bit.ly/3Md4bGR

Amazon CA: https://bit.ly/3Q44t3P

Amazon AU: https://bit.ly/3tGd6ds

Audible: https://bit.ly/46PI1lK

Narrated by: Savannah Peachwood & Teddy Hamilton

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3QXjMNT

About the author

Tijan is a New York Times Bestselling author that writes suspenseful and unpredictable novels. Her characters are strong, intense, and gut-wrenchingly real with a little bit of sass on the side. Tijan began writing after college and once she started, she was hooked. She's written multi-bestsellers including the Fallen Crest series, Ryan's Bed, Enemies and others.
She is currently writing many new books and series with an English Cocker she adores.

 

Connect with Tijan

Website: http://www.tijansbooks.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4851199.Tijan

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tijan/e/B00DJG52QE

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tijansbooks/

Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/tijansreadergroup

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tijansbooks/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/tijansbooks

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@tijan_author

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tijan