Book Reviews/ June 19, 2023June 29, 2023

Final Offer by Lauren Asher Book Review

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Blurb

From TikTok sensation Lauren Asher comes the final book in the Dreamland Billionaires series.

Callahan

I’m the Kane brother everyone gossips about behind closed doors.

Trust fund brat. Washed-up athlete. High-functioning alcoholic.

No one knows the real me but her.

Lana Castillo―my childhood best friend and the only woman I ever loved.

When I broke her heart six years ago, I promised to never return to Lake Wisteria.

I kept my word until my grandfather’s will changed everything.

To receive my inheritance, I was tasked with spending a summer at the family lake house before selling it.

The request was simple in theory until my entire plan blew up on the very first day.

Turns out Lana doesn’t just live at the house, but she claims to own it, too.

Alana

Falling in love with Callahan Kane was a mistake.

He told me so before destroying my heart and our friendship six summers ago.

When he promised never to come back, I foolishly believed him.

But then Cal showed up again, intending to sell his grandfather’s lake house.

The biggest flaw in his plan?

My name is on the deed.

Sensitive Content

Here is the potentially sensitive content I observed while reading this book:

Alcoholism
Cancer
Childhood Trauma
Death of a Parent (off-page)
Drug Addiction
Emotional Abuse
Profanity
Sexually explicit scenes

Ratings

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There are possible **SPOILERS** beyond this point!

Overall Rating

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Final Offer was perfect to read for this time of year! Definitely a summer book! This story is about Cal completing the task left to him by his grandfather to receive his inheritance. He must sell his grandfather’s house by a deadline with just one problem—his ex and the greatest love of his life—lives in that house and she’s convinced it’s hers! After Cal left years prior, Lana is not happy to find Cal is back in town and that he wants to sell her house. Cal’s addiction or various drugs made him hard to love and trust with her heart. But she has a daughter now and a responsibility to do what’s best for them. Can Cal really be back for her, for good? Or is the boy she loved no longer the man she’s falling for?

I really liked this couple and the fun family moments but also the spice was hot, hot, hot too! Cal is our Goldie, fun time MMC and Lana was our fiery and fierce FMC! They were so cute together and you can really tell that they had been really good friends. There’s a comfort they had with each other that you can see pick back up right where it left off. They had their banter and back and forth which I loved for but when they were heartfelt words… real tears were shed. I was so emotionally invested in this couple that I had to take a lap, for real. Cami was my favorite! I just wanted a nice HEA for the 3 of them.

It was hard to read some of the parts in this book as it does deal heavily with addiction. My heart broke for Cal over and over. This book is dual pov and his perspective while being on his binges was tough. Cal struggles with his addiction to alcohol for about 80% of this book. It is not just a minor side plot but a major one. I actually appreciated Lauren’s choice to include this content. Addictions like his that last for years and years aren’t a simple fix. Showing how it truly impacted his life and everyone else around Cal made me feel so deeply for them. We see this couple really talk about this big elephant in the room. Even in their good times, this was always looming in the background. And that real life, I liked that it wasn’t glossed over.

I was ready to fight Lana when it came to Cal though! I was on her side until that 3rd act breakup!!!! There’s one conversation at the beginning of the book that played incessantly when Lana would be upset about selling the house:

“Exactly what part of ‘I’m not selling my house’ are you not understanding?” “The fact that you’re referring to the house as yours to begin with.”

Like really. Lana. Do you understand how people would actually kill for the opportunity to get what Cal is offering?! Girl. Bye. But I love you. So get it together. The town though 🤢 They were just as petty to Cal as Lana was and I really did not care for it. I love small towns supporting their broken heroines… But as I’ve mentioned, Team Cal, so I did not enjoy how they treated him. It just seemed really inappropriate and mean because Cal wasn’t a bad guy. He left to spare Lana from his demons. And he did spare her if this is how she would’ve treated him. I really dislike pettiness and all this stuff was petty as hell!

We also learn Seth, Cal’s dad, got a letter from Grampa Kane. I was disappointed in him. How did so many amazing men come from this dirtbag? I’ll never know. I feel like it has something to do with Declan lol Just a bit biased.

I liked this story and I’m happy with their HEA! I knew Cal’s story would be emotional, and it absolutely was!! I would recommend this book if you like second chance romance and opposites attract couples! Have you read this one?

Spice Rating

3/5🌶️🌶️🌶️

This book is a lil spicier than the others but not by much! There are more open door scenes and innuendo than in The Fine Print and Terms & Conditions.

Main Characters

Female Main Character

Lana Castillo

Lana is blunt and honest and I loved her ferocity. She has been burned by people close to her time and time again! I wanted to protect her and her daughter from all that hurt! But Lana can definitely take care of herself! She was quick with the comebacks and her threats to cause bodily harm made me love her more! She never took anyone for face value.

Male Main Character

Callahan Kane

I am Team Cal all the way! This man was sick, he needed help overcoming his faults but he never stopped caring for Lana along the way. Once he came back to Lake Wisteria on Grampa Kane’s orders it was a done deal for me. I was ready to give him whatever he wanted lol And then when he met Cami, it was really, really over for me! His relationship with Cami, Lana’s daughter was absolutely adorable. I melted and was putty for him. He tried to put Lana and Cami’s needs first and withstood all the hateful, spiteful things Lana threw at him and rolled with it. And that mouth! Damn, Cal… You a lil freak huh?

Setting / World / Universe

Lake Wisteria is a small lake town in Michigan. The town was cute in the descriptions in the book. The people are petty though. I am interested to go back to the town and see it from a different perspective though.