Last Call

Bad Habits #3

by Staci Hart

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.

Genres: Romance, New Adult, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit

293 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 15, 2016

About the author

I was the kid who stayed inside to read.

As a four-eyed nerd with a bad perm, I was no one’s dodgeball pick, but I had a lot of friends. Frodo and Bilbo, for instance. Kristy, Stacey, Claudia and the gang (iykyk). Once, in the third grade, I wrote a teen murder mystery inspired by Christopher Pike. On solving my mystery in twelve pages, I decided I was a terrible writer and should never, ever do that again.

Fortunately, I didn’t take my own advice.

I write romance for that feeling you get at the end, like you’re standing on top of a mountain with a backpack full of hundred dollar bills. I write romcoms because is there anything better than banter and grand gestures? I write because I love to create and I love words. I love books, and I love stretching my imagination. I love love, and if you do too, bring your coffee and have a seat. I think we’re gonna be friends.

Stay connected!
Instagram: http://instagram.com/quirkybird
Facebook: http://facebook.com/stacihartnovels
Reader Group: http://facebook.com/groups/stacihart

Reviews

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars!!!



Rose and Tricky's book is the one I've been waiting for. After reading the other books in this series, along with 'Tonic' and 'Wasted Words', I was long overdue to read this book. 

Tricky is a bit broken from his past and it's made it hard for him to trust that others will stand by him, and hard for him to love. He is loyal to a fault to his friends, and he loves Rose, even if he thinks it's best they're not together. Rose and Tricky have been friends for a long time, but they also have a spark. They dated for a while and it was everything, then Tricky abruptly ended it. It was hard on Rose, but they are on the path back to friends. The problem- Tricky knows he messed up by breaking things off with Rose and he's going to take one last shot to get her back. 

“I suspect if there is a chance for you here, it’s the last one. Last call.”“Last call,” I echoed, knowing it was the truth. I had to step up and order or walk out. And I wasn’t ready to leave.”

I really rooted for Rose and Tricky to get it together. They did not have an easy path, and there was a good bit of back and forth (both of them are stubborn af), but it's so obvious that they are meant to be together. Even when they were apart, there was no one else for either one of them. Love can be hard, but if you're willing to put in the work and forgive, sometimes, it all works out. 

“It was real. No more walking away. No more fighting him, fighting us. I saw the path behind us, saw the path that lay before us, and I knew we would survive, as long as we never gave up.”

I love Staci Hart's books. Her writing is great, all of her characters are so lovable and I love how her groups of friends are more like family. It's also very cool how so many of her books interconnect even though they can be read as stand-alones. I feel like after reading this, I've filled in that missing piece. Rose and Tricky's story was one of heartbreak, but it was also fun, sexy, and gave me all the happy feels by the end! 

[• Lisa • · Rating 5 out of 5]

FIVE EVEN WHEN IT HURTS STARS.

"She doesn’t want to forgive me. She tolerates me at best."



I have all the feelings from reading a book that I have fallen in love with, And not enough words to be able to tell you how I feel. Not only have I found a series that has got me wrapped up in reading hours but I've also discovered an author that I quite honestly adore. A romance addict like myself can't put a price on finding an author that writes stories that fit you perfectly. Staci Hart has got me so wrapped up in the characters of this series that I'm finding it equal parts deliriously exciting and sad to read this book. Exciting because this is one of my favourite series and sad because I desperately don't want to say goodbye to characters that have burrowed their way into my heart.

What's it all about?
Rose Fisher has made it her life mission to move on from the one man who has seemingly ruined her for all others. Determined to not look back Rose is finally putting the lid on all those feelings that her moody, broody tattooed friend once made her feel. Patrick 'Tricky' Evans doesn't 'do' real feelings, running away from his rough past is hard enough without having to deal with falling for the dark haired beauty who has won his heart. But when he is faced with the possibility of loosing his only true love this hero has to make his final moves before its becomes to late. But will this couple be able to move on from heartbreak of the past or is it really to late for tricky and his rose? Follow the story of this love lost duo in the final book of the bad habits series.



What did I love?
Quite honestly I can readily admit that I was already sold by these characters. I knew from the very beginning of this series that this couple would be the twosome that sealed the romance deal for me. From the very start we've had a sneak peek of what is to come for this couple and to say my expectations of this novel were high would be a gross understatement. Book one (With A Twist), and book two (Chaser) have given the readers the perfect build up and foresight in this couples history to really get the reader pumped and ready at the starting line for this book and for that alone I applaud the author. Nothing gets me more in a tizzy than waiting it out for a favourite couple to arrive in a series and I can say with my hand firmly on my heart that Patrick Evans and Rose Fisher surpassed all that I could have imagined. This book provided the perfect backdrop for a wild, tumultuous and heart clenching romance that had me gripped to my kindle pages till the very end. Funny, sexy, quirky and emotional 'Last Call' wrapped up this series in a spectacular fashion and I really could not have asked for more. I'll end my enthusiastic gushing with a note to the author; Staci Hart, you own a piece of my reading heart with your golden talent, don't ever stop gifting your words to the romance world, I adore everything about you.



Final thoughts ...
If you are a reader who lives for the perfect romance and is always desperate to fall in love with characters that are simply irresistible then you can end your search right here. Staci Hart has pulled out all the stops with this series and I couldn't possibly recommend this author enough. My challenge to you is to go and try this authors work, you won't take a look back. As for the characters in 'Last call' I don't think I'm capable of being able to tell you how much I fell into book love. I attempted to savour my time with these pages but in the end nothing was able to keep me away from devouring this book like a romance addict who has been on a year long hiatus. Full of sentiment and packed with heart achingly gorgeous dialogue I was able to jump into this plot with full enthusiasm and breathe a sigh of relief that a couple who had captured my attention from the start were more than able to blow my expectations sky high. Readers this really is a book and series you don't want to be missing out on. Enjoy ... Kisses.

**ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.**

[Angie - Angie's Dreamy Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I freaking LOVE this series. And I love these characters. And I LOVE this authors writing. And I love everything about the Habits crew. I HIGHLY recommend meeting these characters. Each book is so fantastic. From West and Lily in With a Twist, to Maggie and Cooper in Chaser, to Rose and Tricky in Last Call. Each book is unique and perfect and filled with amazingness. Seriously... I LOVE the feeelssss and I just LOVED this. Sigh... FULL REVIEW TO COME!

[Staci Hart]

Brand new covers, same great books.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1QRH0NX

[~♡AB♡~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★★ 3 Stars ★★★

Patrick 'Tricky' Evans and Rose Fisher were friends before they were lovers, but the intense and unfamiliar feelings that Tricky felt for Rose scared him enough that he ended their short lived relationship. 7 months after he dumped her and they are finally finding a way to be friends again, but Tricky wants it all, he just needs to find a way to convince Rose to trust him again.

My expectations for this book were very high, Patrick and Rose have had a lot of build up throughout the last two books in this series and I think I was anticipating a more angsty and emotional read than what it turned out to be. The romance element was a bit thin on the ground for my liking, and Last Call read more as women's fiction with Rose navigating the dating scene and coming to the realisation that there is only one man she wants to spend the rest of her life with, if she could just let go of all her trust issues and let him in.

So ultimately I was slightly disappointed but still happy to report that I really enjoyed this series overall and would recommend it to anyone who loves a well written contemporary romance with an interesting mix of characters and a well developed plot.

Last Call is part of a series with each book focusing on different characters, but can be read as a standalone. Told in dual POV.

ARC gratefully received from the author in exchange for an honest review

[Olga therebelreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last Call is a book that will reel you in. It’s sexy, funny, witty and the characters are so compelling and an absolute joy to read, even in their most frustrating moments.

Patrick is a young man with a dark past. He is a former drug addict who works now as a tattoo artist. One year ago he decided to abruptly end his relationship with Rose because of his insecurities. Despite his strong feelings for her, he was afraid that he wasn’t good enough for her. This hurt Rose a lot. She believed in him and his wonderful personality. But, when she saw him with a new date one day after their break up, she felt utterly betrayed. Patrick has never forgotten Rose. Now, he still feels guilty for his dreadful mistake and he lives in regrets. But, he feels more determined than ever to fight for her and win her back.

Last Call is a humorous, romantic, steamy love story that shows us the lives of two people who are given the greatest gift of all not once, but twice. The book is intense, seductive, and filled with an enormous amount of love that you feel through each and every page. Second chances should always be given in life. Forgive and forget and you will be happy! I will look into reading more from this author!

ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review



Before I begin my review, let me just say that I LOVED THE COVER. The cover alone was so gorgeous that I instantly had to read the blurb. And once I read the blurb, I was sold and had to discover why my fellow co-blogger is a fan of Staci Hart.

“Every day, always. She lived in my thoughts, in my heart, present in nearly every moment of my life. She was my ghost , haunting me, and I couldn’t escape. I didn’t know if I even wanted to. It was my penance.”

Well it didn't take long to discover why my co-blogger is a fan. I was instantly drawn to the flawed characters. I love reading and getting lost in a story that is layered with vulnerability, grit, raw emotions and second chances. When a story can evoke such emotions from it's readers, I consider that a winning book!! And Last Call clearly had that and so much more. With her raw prose, Staci Hart allowed readers to understand that no is perfect. Each one of us has our own fears and flaws. And that makes us human. Real. Relatable.



And Last Call was as real as it can get. The story of Rose and Patrick can be summed up in one word. Complicated. Complicated is just the tip of the ice berg to describe this couple. Patrick and Rose had a past. And their past relationship was constantly in the backdrop of the status quo of their current situation. It was at a standstill. It held them back emotionally and at the same time helped shaped them. The past is something that they both wish they could change. As much as they wished they could do things differently, the present is staring right at them. It's a neon light flashing before them. To move forward and try again.. one last call to get it right or the final last call for Rose and Patrick.

“I suspect if there is a chance for you here, it’s the last one. Last call.”“Last call,” I echoed, knowing it was the truth. I had to step up and order or walk out. And I wasn’t ready to leave.”

Last Call was more of a slow burn kind of second chance romance. It is about experiencing the hurt, the loss, the hope, the love, the sadness, and the passion. With any kind of relationship, it is about experiencing and letting things take it course. It is about building that trust to let your guards down. Learning to communicate. To forgive. And most importantly, learning to let love take over.

“It was real. No more walking away. No more fighting him, fighting us. I saw the path behind us, saw the path that lay before us, and I knew we would survive, as long as we never gave up.”

Staci Hart has definitely inked her way onto my list of authors to watch out for. She has weaved a story that will attract any romance book junkie. Ms. Hart will capture her readers attention as she etches a romance story that can leave you yearning and begging for more. Being this is the first book that I have read from this author, I can definitely say that it won't be my last. So if you are looking for a story where your flaws are perfect for the heart that is meant to love you then get ready to fall in love with this imperfect love story that is perfect.



Review can also be found on Four Chicks Flipping Pages: http://fourchicksflippingpages.weebly...Staci Hart

[Kandi Steiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG DUDES. You do NOT want to miss this! Seriously! Full review to come.



--------------------------------
FULL (spoiler-free) REVIEW:

There's something to be said about an author who can make you laugh out loud with one sentence and sob with the next. Staci Hart knows how to write broken, beautiful characters better than anyone I know, and Last Call wasn't just an example of that talent - it was a full on display. This highly-anticipated conclusion to the Bad Habits series nearly made my highlighting-finger bleed and in the end, I didn't want to let it go. It was absolutely EPIC and let me be the first to say - Tricky and Rose were well worth the wait!

If you've read With A Twist and Chaser, then you have probably been all *grabby hands* for Patrick and Rose since the very beginning. There's something about those forlonging glances shared across the bar between them that just makes your mind explode with angsty goodness. I mean, do I even have to bring up Tricky's smolder gaze? *fans self* I've been waiting to get inside his head FOREVER - and it was so worth it once I finally got there. Patrick is just as torn up as I expected, having lived a pretty rough life with just a few silver linings. He's so sexy, yet broken, which makes me love him even more.

As for Rose, I only have one word to describe her: firecracker. You do NOT cross Rose Fisher. You get once chance, maybe two if she's having a good day, to make her believe you're worth her friendship or love. If you screw up, joke's on you because that's all you get, home slice. Rose is the kind of best friend we all love to have. She's honest, loyal, and full of love - in the pitbull kind of way. Rose is one of my favorite heroines ever, and I really just wish I could kick back on the couch and eat lemon bars with her while watching our favorite 90s movies.

Now, we all know the relationship between Rose and Patrick is a toxic one. In Last Call, you find out exactly what happened, the scars left behind in the battle, and you get thrown straight into the war still raging on. When I say the angst is real? Y'all.... the little touches, the eyes, the breaths - GAH! It's so much torture and I LOVE it.

But, what will happen when Patrick decides he's not going to just sit back anymore? When he decides it's time to inch his way back onto Rose's radar? As if he ever left it in the first place...

Let's just say, you need to buckle up, betches - this book is about to take you on the emotional ride of your life.

Last Call is packed with humor, tinged with heartbreak, and sealed with the angst readers crave. If you've been searching for a book to give you #ALLTHEFEELS, look no further. You found it.

I just hope you're ready.

[Crazy for Books (Stephanie) · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC provided for an honest review.

2.5 - 3 Regret Stars

Patrick 'Tricky' Evans, tattoo artist at one of the trendiest shops in New York, regrets breaking up with Rose...

Rose, bartender and skating enthusiast, regrets destroying their friendship and ever letting Tricky close enough to hurt her...

But living in the same place and ultimately spending more time together due to their respective best friends' budding relationship is causing both of them to rethink what they are to each other.

Will they get out of their own way to find their way back to each other? Will either of them ever realize they deserve to be happy and fight for what they want? Will they ever get on the same page as to what they could have and mean to each other?

I think I'm going to be the voice that goes against the grain a bit. Don't get me wrong, there were some hilariously laugh out loud moments in this book. But for the most part, I found it a round and round of these characters not being on the same page at the same time.

One moment Tricky, regrets what he's done. But then he pushes her away the moment she gives him what he's been wanting from her. I found myself wanting to shake these two and then lock them in a room with no windows so they had not choice but to talk to each other.

I swear if I was one of their friends, I would have told them to stop talking about it or each other until they could make a decision because I didn't want to hear it anymore.

Now everyone else seems to love this book and I may have just not been in the right space at the right time for it... who knows. I didn't dislike it, I just thought it was a little slow for me.

As I've always said, there's a lid for every pot. This just wasn't my lid.

[Natasha at Book Baristas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review on blog: http://www.bookbaristas.org/2016/02/r...

PSA: Stop what you’re doing and read this series. Not kidding. I’m feeling all kinds of emotions over this story and here’s one of the reasons why:

“Sometimes, you have the whole world in your hands, and you don’t realize it until it’s shattered, left crumbled and sparkling in your palms. That you don’t know that you’ve lived your best days, not until they’re gone. Not until you look back. That day –the day I walked away—was one of my greatest mistakes, and I’ve made more than my share. It’s the only one I counted as a regret.”

Tricky and Rose started off on the wrong page at the wrong time and everything kind of fell apart after that. Together, they just work, but their communication skills are incredibly sub par. Both of these flawed souls are prideful and stubborn – they were almost fated to self-destruct.

“Lost. Rose and I were lost to each other.”

Second chances aren’t for everyone and Rose is known for not handing them out so willingly. When Tricky screws up and leaves Rose (for reasons, I promise), Rose builds a wall to protect herself from ever being hurt that way again. I felt so much for Rose because she was obviously scared of being in the position of fire, but she was also not really opening her eyes to what Tricky might be feeling, too.

“Once you have something, you can lose it. It almost makes you wonder if it’s easier to be alone.”

Tricky has every single piece of my heart, except for that one scene when he didn’t (Staci, you kill me, a LOT). I can’t explain how much I loved being inside of this guy’s head; he’s vulnerable, yet stoic. He’s open, yet extremely closed off. He’s talented and successful, yet slightly insecure of his worth. He feels like he owes everyone the world, yet doesn’t deserve goodness and light in his own life.

“I suspect if there is a chance for you here, it’s the last one. Last call.”

I cried, laughed, revisited my old pals from WITH A TWIST & CHASER (the first books in this series of standalones) and fell in love all over again with Staci Hart's words. You could even say I was wasted on her words (all of the winks here). Cheers to another incredible story and another well-deserved book hangover.

[1-Click Addict Support Group · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a little part of me that wants to yell from the rooftops about this book. About how it made me hurt but laugh. Ache but smile. Cringe but swoon. About how I loved Tricky and Rose. And about how I couldn't help but be drawn into their story, rooting for them to finally, finally get it right.

Wait. No. I lied.

Not a little part, at all. A BIG part.

I've loved each book in this exceptional series. In different ways, and to different degrees, but it's a BIG love. The kind that makes it okay to read and re-read. To think about the characters to distraction. To wish that you could be a part of this crew of friends that are just so...flawless.

Not literally, of course. Patrick and Rose are plenty flawed. Between his regrets and her pride, they got in their own way more often than not, but the result was this intense, slow burn that flamed BIG and bright and true. I loved these two together; their rightness this living, breathing thing that meant, even as I frowned and bemoaned their choices, I never once doubted they were just meant to be.

Of course, their path was anything but smooth. Staci Hart did an exceptional job of making that bumpy ride worthwhile though, by giving us sassy, snarky and strong Rose. Ballsy Rosie, who I loved for her take-no-prisoners attitude, as much as her fiery passion and conviction. And for the way she loved Tricky.

Oh, it's Tricky, all right. Tricky to avoid falling in love with this battered, complicated man. A man who maybe learned the wrong lesson from his past mistakes, and who needed the comfort of his friendships to help him find his way and his worth.

And what magnificent friendships they are. They exist in this book—in this whole series—like a secondary love story. A tale of this perfectly compatible, funny, caring group of people that together, or in smaller groups (like the sublime Rose and Lily combination), simply make sense. So much sense. The most beautiful and quietly poignant moments of Last Call stem from this platonic love story, and if I could, I would live in this world that Ms. Hart has created.

Now, all of that is a mouthful, and far too much to yell from the rooftops. So, instead I'll just boil it down to one simple but BIG thing...

Read this magnificent book. Please. ~ Beth, 5 BIG stars

~~~

Tricky, what the HELL is WRONG WITH YOU!?! This story here had me screaming, cussing, crying, yelling, laughing and swooning in love!

Tricky made a stupid mistake that caused him to lose the woman he loves, and now has to pay the price...that is, unless he finds a way to get her back. Rose—sassy, loyal, strong fighter that she is—is getting by every day since Tricky tore her heart apart, yet she keeps moving on!

I loved the gang; Lily, West, Cooper, Maggie, and Rose’s hilarious cousin, Ellie, were there for her, as well as for Tricky.

I have to give it to Rose and her strength in not killing Tricky for treating her heart the way he did. I'm not sure I could have been that strong. I loved her determination to move on, but also how skeptical she was about falling for someone else, because that meant trusting someone else with her heart!!

Oh, Tricky and Rose… I yelled at both of them for being so stubborn, yet I could not blame them for being so scared. When it really hit them that this was do-or-die, they realized that they had to go all in! And for the record, I loved Tricky's side-note comments every time Rose went on a date.

These were two of the most stubborn people I've ever met, and I honestly felt they were going to be the death of me. Now, the chemistry between these two was panty-melting HOT! I will say that they are, by far, my favorite couple of this series, and I want to be greedy and say that I NEED MORE, please!

Fave Quotes:
"Because I hate you, and I love you, and I hate that I love you."

“Last call,” I echoed, knowing it was the truth. I had to step up and order or walk out. And I wasn’t ready to leave.

"My eyes combed every glistening, glorious square inch of him, every tattoo, the curve of his gorgeous ass, thighs, and then, the motherfucking Promised Land." ~ Kara, 5 Brilliant stars

~~~

AHHHH, you guys! I have been jonesing for Tricky and Rose’s story for what seems like forever! We’ve gotten little glimpses of their tortured relationship over the course of this series and now…the wait is over. It’s Tricky time!

Patrick “Tricky” Evans has a…colorful history. He is a product of a difficult childhood followed by a darker, even more difficult early adulthood—and he has pulled himself together by sheer will and the love of his closest friends to become the person Rose Fisher fell in love with. Unfortunately for Rose, Tricky has no idea what to do with that love and so, he pushes her away. A move he recognizes as a mistake almost immediately, but he doesn’t know how to fix it and, more importantly, he still doesn’t really know how to love her.

Rose is a firecracker—all thorny vines and sharp edges masking the tender, bruised heart underneath. When Tricky wounds her to the core, her walls go up with some kind of military strength enforcement. The distance she puts between herself and Tricky has nothing to do with her love for him. That love is still there, burning brightly, in a dark, closed-off place she refuses to acknowledge. That is, until Tricky sneaks his way back in.

Against all odds, he finds a way through her defenses and it feels amazing. They are amazing. The burn so hot and so bright that they know there may be no chance of a happily ever after without destroying each other in the process…

Oh, Tricky. *Sigh* I loved him. I wanted to hug him. I wanted to lick every inch of his tattooed body. I wanted to shake some sense into him because, Jesus God, man, stop making the same mistakes! But mostly—I just adored him. Sexy and sweet and unexpectedly vulnerable—sometimes he set my heart aflutter with those delicious, swoony feels. And sometimes he took that very same heart and broke it to pieces. He’s a work in progress, but he’s strong and resilient, and once figures his shit out, he’s completely irresistible.

Now, let’s talk about the girl crush I have on Rose. I identified so strongly with her. I was outraged by the way she was treated. I understood her steel enforced walls. I knew how terribly vulnerable she felt when she opened herself up to Tricky—and how devastated it had to have felt when things fell apart. Rose is my girl. I adored her. I loved her pluck, and her wit, and her well-hidden vulnerability.

Oh, my heart. These two are so wounded and scared and it hurt to read about it. I ached for them. I wanted to shake some sense into them. How are two people who fit so perfectly together so hell bent on getting in their own way? I loved their story. I loved their journey. I mean, sometimes I was completely frustrated by them, but they were worth it. When they stop getting in their own way, they’re so easy together. It’s sweet without even trying to be sweet. Sexy and adorable with sparks of fiery temper keeping things interesting.

But the best, the very best thing about this story for me was the Habits crew. The friendships. The updates on relationships and the continued interactions. Rose and Lily’s friendship (Flower Power!) was so authentic and refreshing—seriously, girl crush x 2. I loved it. I loved them! And I loved the crap out of this entire ride.

The road was bumpy and emotional, but the ending left me with happy tears and a happier heart. If you haven’t met the Bad Habits crew yet, just GO! Go read these books! They’re sweet and funny; emotional and sexy! They’re everything and it’s not a journey to be missed! ~ Shelly, 4.5 stars

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yesterday I began what can only be described as true magic. After having a rubbish day, an offer came from Staci that I just couldn't refuse, read Last Call early. Of course I jumped at the chance and my day was made.
Twenty four hours later and I'm done. I'm emotionally strung out, in desperate need of a hug, some alcohol and some Ben & Jerry's ice cream. My mind is racing, my heart is pounding, my tears are STILL FALLING and I'm in a turbulent whirlwind of bookworm bliss.
Staci is a magician, a poetic genius and master of indescribable stunning feels.

Last Call is devastatingly deep, as real and as raw as it gets all bundled up into an exquisitely beautiful package. I've known this book was going to be the one that wrecked me. With a Twist and Chaser both broke my heart and fixed them gloriously but Last Call has obliterated my heart and soul epically.
Rose & Patrick's story hooked me from page one. Straight away I was thrown on the feels rollercoaster and buckled in tight. A deep burning sensation builds throughout this whole book. It starts as a little buzz within your stomach and slowly, builds into a breathtaking inferno. I felt pain, upset, joy, pure devastation and immense pleasure from every single word.
Since starting the Bad Habits series Tricky and Rose have been the ones to intrigue me most. I knew there would be angst and there would be tension but nothing could have prepared me for what we get with Last Call. Rose and Patrick are MORE. They are flawed, they are passionate, they are desperate to be loved, accepted and most of all find their place in life. Damaged by their pasts and history with each other Last Call perfectly shows how that constant hurt and denial leaves a burn so deep that you push away the things that you need most.

I love Patrick, I mean it's hard not too. Tattooed muscled hottie with a passion for more and constantly striving to be better, he's beautifully broken. But Rose, well Rose, I adore. I 100% connected to her. Never once did I find myself getting frustrated with her over her inner turmoil because she's understandable and relatable. These two have the easiest path to each other and it's obvious but it's really hard for them and the way Staci plays this through the book is impeccable. At times all I wanted to do was hold them and squeeze them tight.
Obviously while on that crazy feels rollercoaster you hit some amazing heights along the way too. Last Call features laugh out loud humour and Cheshire Cat smile inducing parts that made my heart hum. And their are also some major panty melting scenes that were just….yeah. Wow!
But the true beauty of this book is the sucker punches certain sentences - yes just a sentence - delivers when reading, and that breathtaking inferno finally explodes and lays everything, heart-mind and soul, out in beautiful damaged pieces before it’s gloriously pieced back together again.

And, so here I am now,
Knees: weak,
Cheeks: flushed,
Stomach: flipped,
Eyes: glistening
Heart: full
And in this moment I know I've read what is possibly one of the best stories I'll ever read and one that will stay embedded in me for a long time. No amount of stars can rate Last Call, it sits in a league of its own.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk about an anticipated release! Last Call has to be one of the books I was looking forward to the most this year. We finally get to know the ins and outs of Rose & Patrick’s story.

I savored this read. It wasn’t until I was about halfway through that I realized that with each chapter end, I would set it down for a minute and then start up again. I wanted it to last as long as possible. Knowing I’d have to say goodbye to the Bad Habits crew once I was finished.

Rose is a stubborn, stubborn woman. After making the choice to turn her friendship with Patrick into something more intimate, with no strings and having it all torn away from her without any warning, Rose isn’t ready to forgive Patrick or let him fully back into her life as a friend.

Patrick made a choice months ago, one he regrets more than any other choice he’s made before. Being friends turned lovers with Rose was thrilling but it also came with risks and those risks cause all of his fears to rise to the surface. Now that he’s lived his life knowing exactly what he could have had, he’s willing to finally claim it. He just needs his opening.

I have to admit, I was sort of expecting the ‘issues’ of these two to have been much larger than what we got. But I think if you take that in with the way the story comes to a conclusion, it sort of worked well. The drama was spread out just enough throughout the story that it wasn’t overly done or rushed once we get to that bit of the story as things get exposed.

Rose and Tricky’s story wasn’t my favorite in the group, but I still really loved this story and this series. I think this was the perfect pairing to leave for last. It sort of glued these all of these characters together in such a permanent way.

I adored Patrick from the start. I don’t think there was a single thing about him through all three books in this series that I did not love. Rose was, at times trying, but deep down I really just love her too.
Staci Hart did a brilliant job keeping this book (and series) filled with humor while not losing any emotional impact of the story and the characters. I loved the ‘date’ moments and loved that just as it felt like my heart was getting bitch-slapped, I’d find myself laughing at something someone did or said. The levity was perfect. These two were perfect for each other. And I am really, really sad that I have to say farewell to them.

[Athena Que Será, Será · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found it too boring with quite a lot of inner monologues.
Worst of all... the "second chance seeking" weak H believes his drug-addict (so-called) friend over the h whom he believes to be in love. I thought love and trust went together. I skipped through the whole book.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Last Call was the perfect example of what happens when the buildup of a seemingly awesome couple over the course of a series ends up being a huge disappointment. All the chemistry Rose and Patrick seemed to have in With a Twist and Chaser was GONE. Or maybe it was because we were finally able to peel back the layers of the very troublesome history of their past and current relationship and let me just say, it was not pretty or romantic. It was downright toxic, in fact, IN MY OPINION.

Patrick himself actually summed it all up perfectly in one of his very few non-dickbag moments:

“Rose...we’re no good together. We’ll only keep hurting each other, over and over again. It’s vicious and destructive. Look what we’ve done to each other. We don’t know another way, but I don’t want to hurt you anymore. I don’t want to hurt.”

Following this quote, I was super sad for Rose because I have to say despite the crappy story she was given, she was an amazing heroine; flawed, closed off, sassy as fuck, lover of romance novels and whiskey, totally my type. But at the same time I was screeching HALLE-FUCKING-LUJAH!!! It was one of those very rare situations where I didn’t want the main couple to get together in the end but of course, that didn’t happen. A little more than a chapter later, they’re brought back together and have ONE, single conversation, a pledge really, to communicate more from now on; like that’s going to make everything magically okay again. I mean it's a good first step but I just didn't buy it because before you know it, bam! Insta-HEA. Oh, and fair warning because TRIGGERS, this alleged happiness came right after Rose was threatened with sexual assault by a ‘friend’ of Patrick’s, too. UGH.

I’m starting to wonder if I had blinders on when I read With a Twist because I don’t remember having as many negative feelings towards it despite its obvious flaws, not like I did with this book, and Chaser to a lesser extent. Well, all I can hope for now is that one of my book club friends *cough*ANNIE*cough* reads it and tells me one way or the other. Regardless, THIS BOOK, was not a fav.

P.S. I really wish Rose’s cousin Ellie had been given a book of her own because she was a petite redhead who gave no fucks and had a cat named Valentino. Heroine catnip, anyone?

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*

4.5 “body assessment” “Wasted Words” “I will. I do.” Kisses

Oh-my-Gahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! First of all I feel like I just need to flail around for how excited I was to get my hands on Tricky and Rose….this is TRICKY & ROSE people!!!! I have been d-y-i-n-g to get my hands on them since…oh, about half way thru With a Twist …so to say that I was excited about reading Last Call is like saying Kayne is ‘kind of’ a douche – UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR!!!!! I was on another planet that was created just to house my excitement…and Tricky and Rose completely and totally lived up to any and every expectation I could have imagined. Last Call is the third book in the Bad Habits series – each book is about a different couple, West and Lily in With a Twist, Cooper and Maggie in Chaser …and now Tricky and Rose in Last Call…while there is a bit of overlap and you get a bit of history on Tricky, Rose and the other characters, it’s not the end of the world if you read them out of order – but trust me this series has gotten better and better with each book and I absolutely recommend them.

Rose Fisher…I have adored this chick from the very second I met her. She’s sassy and snarky and hilarious…I cannot even count how many times she had me bursting out laughing. She has no filter (unless she makes an effort lol)…she’s blunt…and I just flat out love her attitude and personality. I think that’s what helped me connect so strongly with her is because she is totally someone I can see myself hanging out with. She’s not over the top, she’s very chill and kinda introverted – I mean she’s a bartender, so she turns it on when she needs to but for the most part she���s totally low key and I loved that about her. I also loved her addiction to romance novels and her admission of watching Tumblr Porn…I’m tellin’ you, Rose was meant to be my bestie – she just gets me. I also loved that she’s the polar opposite to Lily…they’re flower power but basically like ying and yang…and she is the tom boy to Lily’s über girliness, which totally works. There are some things I loved to hate about Rose…her stubbornness (which I can sadly relate to…) – especially concerning a certain super-hot tattoo’d ex. I gave her more of a benefit of the doubt then I would most characters…maybe it’s because I already loved her to bits, maybe it’s because of how much I connected with her…but just when it got to the point that I was almost ready to strangle her…she got her shit together and made me very happy.

‘There was really only one con, but it was too real.
I don’t trust myself around him.
As much as I liked to pretend that I was completely over Patrick, the truth was that I missed him. I missed my friend. I missed the man who’d woken me with a kiss and left me with a smile. I missed his touch. His words. His presence.’

Patrick “Tricky” Evans…oh sweet baby Jesus where do I begin with my love and obsession with Tricky. First of all…the name…I’ll be honest, at first I was like huh? And that lasted for like 2.5 seconds and then it was like a light flicked on in my head and I became obsessed with it…I don’t even know why I love it so much but I do. Everything about Tricky from his dark shaggy hair to his beautiful blue eyes to every single gorgeous inch of tattoo’d skin, this man is just delicious. He was always very dark and mysterious to me, someone I wanted desperately to know and understand…plus anyone with resting smolder face can’t be all that bad, right? Yeah…no…I had absolutely no idea how deep his amazing went. I wondered if Staci was going to do it again but Tricky sealed the deal - I'm officially disgustingly addicted and in love with all three guys in the Bad Habits Series #TripleThreat With Tricky’s background…his family, coming to NYC, growing up, his addiction and then the process of getting to where he was...it sent his amazing levels to new stratosphere’s for me. I love Tricky…like bordering on obsession type of love. Understanding his heart and the way he feels about the important people in his life…it just takes me breath away.

‘I looked into her eyes, trying to decipher whatever was behind them, though it was just beyond me. I wanted to tell her I wanted to stay forever. I wanted to tell her needed her. I wanted to touch her lips and tell her that she was mine, and I was hers. But I smiled, not saying what I wanted to. Just like old times.
Slow and steady.’

I’ve know from the very beginning that Tricky and Rose were not going to be easy…in fact, I was looking forward to it. Like I said, the set up for this book has been building since With a Twist…I could feel the sexual tension and angst rolling off these two and I wasn’t even in their brains yet! How could I not be excited about this!?!?!? But trust me…experiencing it firsthand…so much better than I could have predicted. It also helped that I genuinely loved the characters and latched onto them pretty quickly…my heart was totally invested in everything that was happening and the angst torture was a real and glorious thing. I was completely in love with everything that Tricky did…his approach, the way he was handling everything, especially Rose…it was magical. Rose on the other hand wasn’t getting on board the same train Tricky and I were taking…and at first, I got it…I was okay with it – but it irk’d me when she kept using the same ole’ tired excuse time and time again because good gravy, how strong could this woman’s resolve be!?!?! Shoot, she withstood the resting smolder for 7 months, her will power must be made of steel. What got me the most was they were like West and Lily…they were best friends before they started a relationship and it killed me that a part of that had been lost. It also didn’t hurt that their sexual chemistry was out of control amazing…I mean don’t get me wrong, I loved every aspect of their relationship but hot damn. Gah…I could go on for days with all the little things I loved about them – they’re like two little magnets when they sleep (*sigh* I just love that shit!)…the fact that they are just perfectly comfortable doing even the most basic stuff…the way he takes care of her and protects her…they’re just too insanely adorable!

‘I threw my hands up. “Ugh, stop looking at me like that, Patrick.”
He took another step, his eyes smoldering deeper still. “Like what?”
“Like you want to eat me.”
Another step. “I’ll stop when you do.” The words were a quiet promise. One more step. He was just inches from me, stealing my breath.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I whispered, my eyes still locked on his.
He slipped a hand into my hair. “I think you do.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Then tell me to leave. Look me in the eye and tell me to go.”
I searched his eyes and opened my mouth to speak as thoughts screamed through my brain like sleet. But instead of saying the word I should have said, I closed my eyes and pressed my lips to his.’

Staci Hart can continue to write these characters for me forever and ever amen! I mean each book has continued to get better and better for me and right now, I’m not ready to let go. With a series like this it’s really hard to not group them all together because at this point, we know all the characters, all of their back stories and everything and it just makes the series mean so much more – it makes me love it that much more. I’m 1000000% invested and just in my dream world with the Bad Habits crew and in complete and total denial that I have to let them go. If it wasn’t already obvious, I am obsessively in love with her characters…the way that she has blended this group and made them so cohesive is fantastic. Each individual has such a unique voice and story but she brought them together so fluidly and it just works for me in all the most amazing ways. I don’t think I could enjoy her writing more if I tried…she’s totally got the balance down for me. I’ve talked about this before but that perfect little magical balance of angst to humor to emotion to sexiness….each author does it differently but Staci’s combo totally got me this time. And OMFG the emotions….I didn’t even realize how invested I was until I was crying – there wasn’t anything sad going on, I was just angst’d to tears and it was the best thing ever!!!!

“I’m sorry,” she said after a while.
“No. You don’t have to be sorry for anything, Rose. Nothing. Everything we’ve been through, these months … it’s my fault. It’s my fault, and I’m sorry, but you’ve already forgiven me for that. So I don’t want to think about it anymore. I don’t want to think about life without you. I just want to love you, and I want you to love me. I trust you, and I want you to trust me. And if you do, if you really do, then I believe we’ll always survive. We’ll always find a way through. Because there’s no one, Rose —not one person in the world who I could ever love like I love you.”

Of course…I loved the ending. How could I not love the ending…and I loved that it wasn’t rushed…the way everything came together totally worked for me and it felt natural and complete. The epilogue was unexpected but awesome…more than awesome…it was a perfect way to end Tricky and Rose. And clearly I’m a crazy pants mess over Last Call but that’s okay, it’s all Staci’s fault! And I’m so unbelievably excited that there is a spin off book coming from the Bad Habits series…it was set up perfectly and everything I’ve seen and heard about Wasted Words has me dying to get my hands on it!

[Fanny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last Call no fue una lectura tan sorprendente como espere al leer la sinopsis, y admito que me defraudo ligeramente, aun asi, es que mejor que With A Twist, ademas, Rose y Patrick como pareja me resultaron creibles y coherentes, entendi sus miedos y forma de actuar, cosa que no siempre puedo decir de las parejas literarias sobre las que leo.

En su mayoria, la novela fue entretenida de leer, no me aburrio, y como ya digo la forma en la que la autora desenvolvio la trama fue real y madura, sin embargo, me falto algo, puede que mas romance entre ellos.

Tambien me hubiese gustado que los personajes secundarios hubiesen estado mas presentes, no solo Lily ( mi protagonista menos favorita de la serie ), y que todo sobre el nuevo trabajo de Rose se desarrollara mas, creo que ese tema quedo un poco en el aire y hubiese sido interesante de leer.

En fin, Last Call fue una linda lectura, no considero que sea transcendental pero si que es indudable que presenta una faceta diferente a los romances que solemos encontrar. Me gusto aunque no alcanzo a encantarme.

P.D. : Viendo que mi experiencia con esta saga no fue tan mala como suele pasarme con Staci Hart, puede que repita con mas de sus libros en un tiempo. Por ahora, voy a leer la siguiente novella que forma parte de esta serie.

2.75 Estrellas!

[Hannah ◇ReaderintheRough◇ · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Forget all of the moments before or after. In that moment, we were perfect and whole."

*This series is free to read on kindle unlimited*

[Lacey (laceybooklovers) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally posted at Booklovers For Life

3.5 STARS

Rose and Patrick’s story has been a highly anticipated read of mine ever since they first appeared in With a Twist. Second chance romances are one of my top favorite tropes to read, so Last Call seemed like it would be PERFECT for me. While I enjoyed this book, I can’t say that I loved it like the previous two books in the series. Maybe I had too high expectations, maybe I hyped myself too much about Rose and Tricky, but Last Call didn’t go the way I expected it to. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but throughout the book, I kept having the feeling of wanting and expecting more. Still, I adored the ending of this book, seeing how everyone ended up, and the second chance romance was more sweet than anything.

Sometimes, you have the whole world in your hands, and you don’t realize it until it’s shattered, left crumbled and sparkling in your palms. That you don’t know you’ve lived your best days, not until they’re gone. Not until you look back. That day – the day I walked away – was one of my greatest mistakes, and I’ve made more than my share. It’s the only one I counted as a regret.

The main thing I was expecting in Last Call was ANGST. Angst is why I love second chance romances. But sadly, for my angst-loving heart, there was very little of it in this book. You’ll probably love Last Call much more if you’re not a fan of angst, but I was just really hoping for some of that pain in my heart while reading about Rose and Tricky’s fallout and how Tricky tried – and still continues to try – to win Rose back (usually with his sexy-as-hell smolder). The flashbacks of their first relationship aren’t that detailed, focusing the story more on their present relationship… which is pretty non-existent. At the very most, Rose and Tricky are cautious friends – she’s determined never to hand over her heart and trust to him again after he broke them, and he’s giving her space so she doesn’t completely kick him out of her life. And yet these two are still as head-over-heels in love with each other as they were seven months ago. Can they ever move past their hurts and mistakes and actually work on having a relationship again?

“Being with her was like …” I looked away at nothing in particular. “It was like seeing in color for the first time after a lifetime of black and white.”

When Rose finds out Patrick has been secretly sleeping over in her roommate Lily’s room, now that Lily has been sleeping over with her boyfriend West (who is also Patrick’s roommate), Rose gets pissed. Mainly because she’ll be in close proximity to his gorgeous self and her body is weak when it comes to him. But her mind is made up and won’t fall for Tricky again, no matter how much he looks at her with want and longing.

For the majority of the book, there’s not much going on between these two besides lust-filled looks and the occasional glare. Oh, and Rose is trying to date (and hilariously failing). She and Tricky have called a truce for the time being while they’re roommates, but really, nothing develops in their relationship. I could feel their regrets, their heartbreak, how much they still love each other, how much they want to try again, but they don’t DO anything about it until the second half of the book. Then they try building a relationship again, but the thing that caused them to break up the first time gets in the way of their second try: the fact that they don’t communicate.

“I just can’t fuck it up this time.”
“No, you can’t. I suspect if there is a chance for you here, it’s the last one. Last call.”
“Last call,” I echoed, knowing it was the truth. I had to step up and order or walk out. And I wasn’t ready to leave.

It sucks to say that while I did like most of the book, especially all the sweet, tender parts between Tricky and Rose, the parts I didn’t like were the slow ones that bored me. I wanted a little more angst, a little more drama, and definitely some more communication so that the pace would pick up. Still, I was honestly rooting for these two the whole time because really, Rose and Patrick are perfect together and for each other. Tricky is sexy as all get out with his gorgeous tattooed bod, and Rose is a badass bartender who takes her life day by day. I loved their characters but I really wish the pace of their romance moved quicker.

I adored the ending in Last Call – it was the perfect way to end the series. Even though I didn’t love this book, I was still left with a bittersweet feeling at the end because I loved this series as a whole. I loved getting to know Rose and Tricky, Maggie and Cooper, and Lily and West. This group of six almost feels like old friends to me, so it’s sad to say goodbye to them. I’m excited to see what else Staci Hart will be writing, because I’m definitely looking forward to it!

Thanks to the author for generously providing me an ARC to review.

Quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change in the final version.

Amazon Ebook: http://amzn.to/1PhJTan

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[Siiri (Little Pieces of Imagination) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boy was I scared to start this; mostly because I gave the first book 3 stars (didn't really care about anything tbh and I've realized later that With a Twist was more like 2/2.5 stars for me actually) and the second book was so. so. so. boring that I skimmed the second half just to get through it and dnf (hence the 2 stars). HOWEVERRRRR THIS BOOK I HAD BEEN WAITING FOR SO LONG. IT FEATURES MY OTP AND [naturally] I WAS SCARED THAT IT WOULD SHARE THE FATE OF THE PREVIOUS INSTALLMENTS BUT NOPE NOPE NOPE! I LOVED IT ALRIGHT.

I think most of it has to do with the fact that Tricky and Rose are just my kind of OTP and the tone of this book is right up my alley: there is quite a lot of angst and feels. I love Rose a lot and especially that she stood on her ground; I love Patrick a lot and especially that he's a loyal, good guy; I love them together so much like for realz my feelz ok! They're electric together and their friendship makes it even better. This second chance romance is totally worth exploring!

The second reason why this book was so great: no more characters from Boredomville. Maggie and Cooper mostly stayed away and, honestly, West, Lily, Rose and Patrick have so much more (and better) chemistry together. Maggie and Cooper were a nice addition to some scenes, but they just don't shine at all among the other characters, so I'm really freakin' glad that they basically didn't show up in Last Call except a few scenes here and there.

The third reason: less slutshaming. There were still some parts where something was described as slutty, but thank goodness it was only once or twice. ALSO IMAGINE THAT: ROSE DIDN'T CALL VERONICA A SLUT OR A BITCH! I feel like Lily should take notes from her bff.

The fourth reason: the friendships. I love the interactions between the gang and I totes goats cried my eyes out in the latter parts of the story when Lily and Ellie were consoling Rose.

The fifth reason: THIS BOOK IS FREAKIN HOT HOT HOT.

The sixth reason: Ellie. She's a firecracker wrapped in cotton candy. I love her so much! Her and Rose's interactions made me laugh quite a lot, which I'm surprised about, because I didn't think Staci Hart and I shared the same kind of humor seeing as I didn't find the previous books in this romantic comedy series remotely funny, but in this one the dialogue was so much better, the jokes fresher and more relatable. I loved it.

The seventh reason: the plot was mostly enjoyable and was paced nicely.

Now, this book would have been a solid 4 stars, but I was so let down by the last 20%. I WAS SUPER FUCKING UPSET WHEN PATRICK JUST WALKED THE FUCK OUT????? HOW IS THAT FIGHTING, YOU DOUCE??? OK I KNOW THAT ROSE NEEDED TO CONFIRM TO HIM ETC BUT HE WAS THE ONE WHO DIDN'T WANT TO PUT A LABEL ON IT AND KEPT PUSHING THE CONVO FORWARD AGAIN AND AGAIN AS WELL. AND FML HE CALLED THEIR RELATIONSHIP DESTRUCTIVE AND TOXIC LIKE 10% BEFORE THE END LIKE HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE IN FACT RIGHT FOR EACH OTHER? (I mean I know they are; I ship it so much it hurts but that's not a great thing to say/write when you have 10% of the book left to convince the reader that this actually isn't destructive or toxic wtf.)

At the end of the day, I'm so glad I still gave this a chance even though I had convinced myself already that this would probably be a failure as well, but NOPE NOPE NOPE I LOVED IT HELLA :') (Most of it, that is.)

Overall rating: 3.8 out of 5.0
_________________________

Original thoughts:

With a Twist was okay for me and Chaser was a nice trip to Boredomville (though I can see why a lot of people (would) like that story) but DUDE I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS BOOK EVER SINCE PATRICK SAT BEHIND THE BAR FOR THE FIRST TIME IN WAT AND STARED AT ROSE LIKE HIS LIFE DEPENDED ON IT. THIS COUPLE MAKES ME SO THIRSTY FOR SOME OTP SWOON & I GOT A MINOR CHILL WHEN I READ THE BLURB BECAUSE I WANT TRICKY AND ROSE'S STORY SO BAD; PLS MAKE IT HURT kthxbye

[Laurie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ever since I started reading this serie, I wanted to read Rose's part as she looked more like my kind of girl. I also wanted to see how Patrick would win her back cause duh everyone ends up together in that serie. I ended up wishing they would not!! First, 7 months after he broke her heart with no apparent reason, Rose find out that Patrick has been secretly sleeping in her apartment for a month because her best friend Lily told him he could. WHAT KIND OF FRIEND DOES THAT?!!!! If one of my friends had done that to me, I would have kicked everyone out of my apartment, Lily and Patrick! But then, Rose accepted!! The badass I thought she was died at that moment. ITS NOT MY PROBLEM YOU CANT SLEEP, YOU BROKE MY HEART, THAT'S KARMA!!! If she had to be nice to him, I wanted her to at least teach him a real lesson about how much what he did to her was a mistake and something to never do again because next time would involve his balls and a knife, but no, she let him come back and do the same thing a second time!!! REALLY?!!!! I saw that one coming and I waited for the slap of the century that of course never came!!
What this book did to me was killing 2 characters that I kind of liked and from the moment they got back together I basically just turned the pages till the end..

[Donna ~ The Romance Cover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last Call (Bad habits #3) by Staci Hart
4.5 stars!!

“Cheers to the end, because every story that ends begins another. Cheers to beginnings, that they may be full of hope and love. And cheers to you, my friends, for being a part of ours.”

Tricky and Rose…Rose and Tricky…we know so much about them but we also know so little. Two people that were so well suited, yet couldn’t see it. Two people that had tried once and failed and now hated each other…or do they? We all know that there is a fine line between love and hate. So with Last Call Staci Hart delivers a second chance romance with an element of love/hate…two great devices that always deliver heart stopping romance with a fair old dose of angst and that is definitely what we get. I cried a river, I could have battered them both but by the end all I felt was everything happens for a reason. The first time wasn’t their time, but how would second chances go?

“It was like seeing in color for the first time after a lifetime of black and white.”

Rose for all her extrovert nature was actually the complete opposite with her feelings. She kept them deep and buried within her heart and covered them up with a good dose of hate, after all to hate was easier than to love. Tricky had destroyed her for all other men. She thought that they were doing well, she thought that they were well suited and had amazing chemistry, so when he ends it with no reason as to why, she was devastated, heart broken and felt totally rejected. However, when Rose and Tricky went into their relationship, this was the ending that they decided, the one that had come to the end of the line, just tells the other, no questions asked. But it is that state of limbo that leads Rose to block Tricky out. If only these two had TALKED all those months ago!!

“Rose and I were bad for each other. There was no repairing what we’d shredded – we’d done enough damage for a lifetime.”

Tricky a.k.a. Patrick was a complex character, he spends his time quashing his feelings and running away from his troubled past. Mentally and physically he has turned a huge corner, but emotionally he is still extremely scarred. He is extremely insecure; feels he is unworthy of everything…especially Rose.

“You go all in and fight for her when shit goes down. Don’t let her walk away. Don’t walk away from her. Love her, man. Love her like you do.”

It takes losing something or someone to make you wake up and smell the coffee and this eureka moment happens to Tricky when Rose finally decides to take on the dating scene once again. Months and months of moping had finally caught up with her and now with Tricky encroaching on her personal space more and more she feels the need to get in the game again…after all, she would not fall for Tricky again…but did she ever fall out?

“Working your way in like a goddamn emotional ninja.”

Tricky and Rose’s story has been alluded to throughout this series and I always knew that this book was going to be emotional. When two people fight so hard to stay apart you always know that the impending reunification will be all kinds of dramatic, pasts to be discussed, feelings to be uncovered and forgiveness to be made. Staci Hart really delivered with that element. As I said above, I ran the gamut of emotions with this one, but none more so than the wish to throttle the both of them at times, but that is testament to Staci Hart’s knack of embedding her characters into your heart and soul. That desperation of wanting them to get together only for the author to eek it out and batter your emotions in the process.

All the characters from this series have been great, their friendship, their banter and their antics have made this series all the more enjoyable and relatable. Staci Hart brings together normal people that you can relate to, laugh with and love hard. This has been a fantastic series that really shows that romance is not dead.

“Aren’t we just a bunch of conspirators?”

www.theromancecover.com

[☆ Aimetz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitavamente 5 HOT DAMN Stars!
Cuando Staci Hart dijo que publicaria la serie Bad Habits me emocione siendo With a Twist el primer libro que leí de ella. Allí desde el primer momento me enamoré de la historia entretejida que tenía Rose y Patrick.

Siento que este es el MEJOR libro de la serie. Es divertido, sexy, angustioso y sobre todo adictivo. No pude parar de leer, me dormí a las 3:00 a.m. y me levante a las 8:00 a.m. solo para poder terminarlo y saber como se desenvolvería la historia.

Patrick es un chico con un pasado no muy bueno pero lo de él se ve más profundo y de una manera que lo marcó podría decirse y por ello tiene problemas de confianza, siendo un tipo inseguro en cuanto al tema del amor.
Y... Rose es una tipa con una "cubierta dura" y que muchas veces me dieron ganas de patearle el trasero, pero sabes? la entiendo. No es fácil volver a confiar en una persona que te lastimo y no es fácil cuando aun con la "traición" sigas queriéndola.

Lo que más me ha gustado de Staci Hart es que crea historias convincentes, refrescantes y reales, historias que te hacen pensar "Hey esto me ha pasado". Historias con las que pueden identificarte.

Historias que te hacen reir, llorar y gritar " WHAT THE F*CK".

Una historia que trata más que nada de segundas oportunidades. De esas oportunidades que tienes que darte en la vida para poder ser feliz. Por que no importa cuantas veces caigas, lo importante es cuantas logras levantarte y continuar.

Definitivamente por esta serie Staci ha logrado convertirse en una de mis autoras favoritas y sin duda leeré cada libro que ponga en mi Kindle.

[Devika · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 i will, i do stars....what a way to end this series absolutely loved Patrick..aka Tricky...let the book hangover begin!!!!

[Brie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last Call had me in it's clutches, claws sunk deeply into my very being as Staci Hart put me through the wringer.

With a Twist was my breath of fresh air, Chaser was my knock-my pure freaking magic and let's not be mistaken it still is-but Last Call, GAH Last Call is the long awaited finale to a series that has completely and unashamedly engulfed me!

Weston Williams was the sexy man bun, beard wearing intellectual being who made me fall for not only him, but every single one of his thoughts. Cooper Moore was the contradiction. Mine from page one and long after. Full of sentimental gestures, sincere moments, and genuine feelings. The complete opposite of what was expected of him. Then there was Patrick Evans.

He was so raw, the only word I can use to describe him. Hard eyes that burn a hole straight to your soul. Tattoos covering almost every inch of his skin, used as his own personal cautionary sign. Serving as the beautiful ugly truth of a life once lived. Though completely opposite from my forever love, Tricky still shares one trait in particular with Coop. Their emotions are naked. Unconcealed. Laid bare and they are the truth. They are the light in Patrick's dark tunnel of a past-honest, authentic, heartfelt, and undeniable.

Lily Thomas was very comedic, driven, and strong, yet very humble. Maggie Williams was the quirky, curly head wounded bird. Trapped in the broken pieces of her heart using control as a barrier against love. But Rose Fisher is the bar tending,skater chick who is watching everyone fall in that dreaded four letter word.

Though entirely different than Maggie Williams in characteristics there is still one likeliness between the two characters that could not be ignored. Both have been heartbroken, in a comparable way. Both feared love and the ability it has to crush your heart into a million tiny pieces, leaving your marrow to absorb the heartache. And Rosie is just as bullheaded as she is strong with the will to endure loneliness if it means protecting oneself from the repercussions of falling for someone.

Rosie and Tricky were like a tropical storm on the verge of becoming a hurricane. For awhile ignoring one another was easy. At least that's what everyone on the outside looking in thought. In reality it was one of the hardest battles these two found themselves fighting.

But when the reinforced walls finally find themselves being broken down and falling away Rose and Patrick's relationship intensifies. Showing us how powerful the chemistry between the broken duo is.

It's like a sexually charged game of tug a war that weakens both opponents until someone gives in.

When you're falling even deeper than you already were you risk being shattered. Uneasiness and apprehension plague both individuals until they are forced and left with no other choice than to fight for what they want.

And for Rose it will be in love and in life.

The journey these stories take you on, the emotions they pull out of you is an experience all on its own. As each one of these love stories came to an end I felt fully submerged in everything they gave to me.

Hope. Passion. Strength.

Now knowing this is the end, or shall I say the beginning of something truly beautiful I feel lost, empty, and abandoned. But knowing every word of each book will stay with me as one of my favorite series-I am found. Whole and basking in contentment.

Staci Hart continues to show us that her writing style is seasoned, her storylines developed, and her plots all out capturing. She immerses herself so deeply into her characters and into each one of their stories. I've seen what she can do when given a pen and paper. Now I'm anxious to see where she will go and not so patiently waiting to see where I will end up next time in the world of Staci Hart and her novels.

With a Twist left me a giddy mess twisted in the aftermath. Chaser left me chasing those heart stopping moments over and over again. And Last Call left me in an everlasting state of survival.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last Call is the third book in the Bad Habits series. This is Rose and Tricky’s story and one that I’ve been waiting for since reading With a Twist. I knew that there was some serious drama that went down and you could just tell that these two were perfect for each other…they just needed that nudge.

Tricky broke Rose’s heart seven months ago because of his own issues. He actually has a lot of baggage per se, he’s a recovering drug addict with some abandonment issues. Unfortunately, Rose’s heart fell victim to Tricky’s issues and hasn’t been the same ever since. Especially when he walked into her bar soon after with another girl (yikes-talk about wanting to kill the guy). But yet, she’s taken it in stride and they are still somewhat cordial to one another.

When she discovers that he has been sleeping in her apartment unbeknownst to her, they end up calling a truce and start to somewhat cohabitate on friendlier terms. When Rose decides to give dating a try...it gives Tricky the kick in the butt to go “get his girl”. But does she want him back?

There was a lot that I liked about this book. I liked the addition of her crazy-fun cousin, Ellie. I loved the banter between Rose and her gal pals, especially Lily. I liked the sexual tension that she had going on with Tricky.

But then there were things that I didn’t like…a certain plot twist that I think could’ve been either not used at all or possibly more closure was needed? I also wish we had more insight to the couple that Rose and Tricky were before they broke up the first time. I just feel like there was something missing and perhaps that might be it.

I really enjoyed the story but I think my expectations for Tricky and Rose were just sky-high. I do hope that Staci does continue this series for at least one more book because I would love to read all about Ellie.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars....what a great ending to a sweet and sexy series...we meet both Rose and Patrick in the previous two books in the series, and we are introduced to their backstory....this book simply built on and elaborated their struggles, heartache, and hopes...we got to finally ride out their journey to the beautiful end and see them get their HEA...there were many moments throughout this story that had me laughing out loud...I love when an author creates remarkable relationships amongst all the characters, and this book was no exception...the friendships between Rose, Lily, Maggie, and now Ellie were marked by memorable moments (Karaoke) and the demonstration of love in a friendship (holding your hand while your heart breaks)...these girls had me laughing and crying which is what every good group of girls can do...I look forward to reading the spin-offs to this series "Wasted Words" and "Tonic" and learning more about these new characters that were introduced...thanks to Staci Hart for a sweet and sexy series:)

[Kristine GPI Bookblog · Rating 5 out of 5]

GOLD LIPSTICK

When I picked up With A Twist last year I was smitten with Staci Hart's words, by Chaser I was utterly hooked, the way every emotion bleeds into her stories, the way West and Lilly connected - a connection that comes from years spent together while hiding behind the guise of friendship, to the raw and unyielding chemistry between Maggie and Cooper - the kind you can try to run from but never escape, but what truly intrigued me was tenuous relationship between Rose and Tricky, this relationship that had once been so sweet that had soured and left a poisonous void between them, when friends become lovers and everything falls apart, what you're left with is a connection that won't let you breath, try as you might to move on, it holds you captive, the friendships you've built around it leave you held hostage inside your own grief, inside the torment of what was and what it could have been, while you wear a mask, one that shows the outside world you're okay, while you're still crumbling inside.


"So I stared in his direction, wondering how I'd gotten to where I was, lying across from the boy who I couldn't escape but couldn't have."


The second I opened Last Call I was mesmerised, Rose had always seemed like such a strong, infallible woman, and she was, but reading her thoughts, slipping into the story, and her words and thoughts invaded my mind like ink sinking into my skin, I saw all of her, her joy, her sadness, her grief, her strength, her tenacity and her strong will, it was impossible not to love her from the very first page, Rose had loved and lost, and it had hurt her, it tore her heart from her chest, but she refused to wallow in that soul crushing pain, she stood strong even when she felt weak, Rose embodied everything I look for in a heroine, she made me think, made me feel and had me in her corner, cheering her on, not just for Tricky but for Rose, from that very first page, I wanted Rose to find her happy regardless of what that might be, so often I find leading ladies happily ever afters tied up in the hero, but what I found here was that what I wanted most of all was for Rose to be okay, and not a shadow of her former self.


"I didn't know which was worse. The truth, or the lie we'd been telling ourselves."


Tricky the inked up man of few words, everything about Tricky intrigued me from the very first mention of him in With A Twist, to say that I was desperate for more of him would be a gross understatement, from the smouldering glances he levelled at Rose, to the easy camaraderie he had with West and Cooper, everything about his outward appearance may have screamed back off, but those secret smiles...gosh those secret smiles made me want to crawl inside his mind and know everything about him, Tricky seemed like that kind of man that was forever trying to do the right thing, even when it was to the detriment of himself, and I wanted to know why, what made him tick, what made him guard his heart so closely especially when it was clear that the Bad Habits crew loved him, that even Rose despite the pain of their past still cared for him deeply, but most of all I was desperate to know what happened that a man whose eyes tracked Rose's every movement, eyes that told the story of hurt and regret, of pain without a chance of absolution would willingly walk away from her.


"Rose doesn't love you for any reason other than she does. You didn't have to do anything. Don't you get it?"


Last Call was a strange concept for romance novels, so often we start at the beginning hoping that the hero and heroine will find each other, will find their happily every after, instead Hart invites the reader to what could possibly be the end, Rose and Tricky have already had the passionate love affair, they tried and failed, where any romance reader salivates for the elusive HEA, the author begs you to leave your preconceived notions at the door and take a journey that is just as much moving forward as it is looking back, as two broken characters try to navigate what they were and who they are, as well as what they could be, whether together or alone. When Rose and Tricky battled to just keep moving through the pain of their past, the fear of the unknown threatening to drown them, the waves of trepidation crashing angrily against them, the unfettered joy of second chances, of making up for lost time, I felt that, I felt it wash over me, I felt it chip away at my heart, knowing with certainly that like Rose and Tricky, whatever happened I would never be the same.


There are books that make you laugh when you desperately need it, books that leave you reading through blurry teary eyes, books that make you want to slam down your kindle, cursing the characters and the world, and there are books that make you forget time and space, that draw you in, make you feel something bigger than yourself, they hold you captive and demand your attention, they remind you why you love to read, they remind you what it feels like to truly become invested in someone else's words, they take your heart, and hold it, knowing it's precious while being unafraid to take you on the journey they need you to go on. Staci Hart reminded me that sometimes we need to get through the pain and hurt to find what we truly need on the other side, that sometimes time and perspective is what we need despite how much we just want to forget and move on, but most of she reminded me that sometimes endings are really just the beginning of something new.


"Cheers to the end, because every story that ends begins another. Cheers to beginnings that they may be full of hope and love..."

To read more GPI reviews head to: http://glasspaperinkbookblog.blogspot...

[samantha ఌ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Second chance romances can be a hit or miss for me, and this was an unfortunate miss. Their reason for their breakup was ridiculous. They spent most of the book with their push and pull, a few sex scenes, and then some more denying, and bam they got together and I got the happily ever after.

I really didn't care for the side characters, especially Ellie. Like what was she supposed to do in the book? She literally got introduced and bailed at the last part. And the romance, damn. I really wanted to like this, but the pacing of their romance was off to me. One second Patrick was determined to win Rose back, and then the next he was giving up on her. Bro I thought you were supposed to fight for her.

Anyway, this book had potential to be something, (as I believe second chance romances can be really fucking good when it's done right) but it was an unfortunate miss for me.

[Cyndi Becker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cheers to Staci Hart! Last Call is the first book by Staci that I’ve read and my first thought, outside of how much I loved the Patrick and Rose, is that I absolutely love her writing. Everything from the style, the dialogue and the intensity of the story completely bowled me over. Last Call is the 3rd book in the Bad Habits series. So, I have a bad habit of reading the latest in a series without having read the earlier book(s). In some cases it takes away from the reading experience. In the case of Last Call it does not detract from the story at all. In fact, I was so endeared to the characters and the supporting cast (for the most part...) that I’m anxious to read books one and two. I want more, if even just a little, of Patrick “Trick” and Rose.

To get right to it, the story opens with Patrick and Rose trying to navigate around, mostly away from each other, at the seven month mark of their breakup. I loved being brought into a story where the angst is immediate and the characters are reflecting on how the ended up in the situation they are in. It’s easy to love both of them so I spent the entirety of the read feeling equally sad, happy and hopeful for Patrick and Rose. For me there was never a her side or his side - they simply belonged on the same side. I ended up reading this in one sitting and late into the night/early morning. It’s a friend to lovers, second chance plus love story all wrapped into one emotional read.

These two have such strong personalities and when the story opens the heartbreak in and between them, more than half a year post breakup, is palpable. It’s a great example of how the fear of giving one’s heart to another often leads to leaving oneself in misery. Sadly it’s also a story about how doing that not once but twice and then some eats away at one’s self worth and it takes twice the effort to move forward.

It’s the surrounding friends, Lily & West, and Ellie, who are the catalyst for change. Lily and West impact the living situation while Ellie supports Rose in her efforts to move past her and Patrick’s relationship. Rose is really trying to move forward, but Patrick has really gotten under her skin ( and mine). Patrick clearly regrets letting go of Rose - make that pushing Rose out and he just seems lost with no plan - no thoughts of his future. He just knows he wants Rose. I’m not sure I’ve ever wanted a second plus chance granted more. Patrick’s wistful artistic temperament and solitary upbringing made my heart ache. His only path forward is Rose

Last Call is easily a 5 star read and Staci Hart has gained a new fan. I look forward to going back in time to read more about this little group of friends and their bad habits.