END OF STORY ( End of Story 1) by Kylie Scott

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 14, 2023

When Susie Bowen inherits a charming fixer-upper from her aunt, she’s excited to start living her best HGTV life. But when she opens the door to find that her contractor is none other than her ex’s best friend, Lars—the same man who witnessed their humiliating public breakup six months ago—she isn’t exactly eager to have anyone around whose alliance is with the enemy. But beggars can’t be choosers, and the sooner the repairs are done, the sooner she can get back to embracing singledom.

Things go from awkward to unbelievable when Lars discovers a divorce certificate hidden in a wall and dated ten years in the future—with both their names on it. It couldn’t possibly be real…could it? As Susie and Lars work to unravel the document’s origins, the impossibility of a spark between them suddenly doesn’t seem so far-fetched. But would a relationship between them be doomed before it’s even begun?

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REVIEW: END OF STORY by Kylie Scott is a contemporary adult, erotic, slightly paranormal romance story focusing on thirty-five year old contractor/handyman Lars, and thirty year old, social media manager Susie Bowen.

NOTE: There is a prequel novella/short story THE BEGINNING OF THE END which gives some of the background to the End of the Story.

Told from first person perspective (Susie) END OF STORY follows in the wake of Susie’s beloved aunt and namesake Susan’s death. Susie inherited her aunt’s dated home, and hired her ex’s best friend and contractor Lars to help with the renovations but Lars and Susie are not friends having been pushed together by their mutual association with Susie’s ex and Lars’ best friend Aaron. From the outset Susie and Lars butt heads but things go from bad to worse when our couple discover a certificate of divorce, dated ten years in the future, a divorce between our leading couple. Believing he has been set up, Lars goes on the offensive as Susie struggles to make sense of it all. Agreeing to work together on the renovations, Susie takes time out to uncover the truth about the divorce papers, only to come to a dead end at every turn. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Lars and Susie, and the potential fall-out as fractured family dynamics, and jealous friendships threaten to tear our couple apart.

The relationship between Lars and Susie is a frenemies to lovers affair with an apparent ten year deadline.With no explanation as to the who, how or why, our couple battle the odds in an effort to take their friendship from temporary to something more permanent but family, friends, and fate seem to have something else in mind.The $ex scenes are intimate, passionate and seductive without the use of over the top sexually graphic language and text..

We are introduced to Susie’s aunt Susan, as well as her brother Andrew and their parents ; Lars brother Tore, their sister Ella, and parents Deborah and Henning, and Lars’ ex Jane, Susie’s ex Aaron, and handymen Mateo and Connor.

END OF STORY is an engaging, entertaining and captivating story of mystery; a puzzle about the origins of divorce papers from the future but a puzzle that is never solved. The epilogue is, in fact, the prequel, which may have been better served at the beginning but the short story is available as a separate instalment. The premise is charming and interesting; the romance is flirtatious and steamy; the characters are energetic and charismatic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Kylie is a long time fan of erotic love stories and B-grade horror films. She demands a happy ending and if blood and carnage occur along the way then all the better. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and one delightful husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet

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