It was an okay story. The ending seemed a bit rushed and abrupt. Though an epilogue was provided, I still felt like the story was lacking something.

There was not a lot of spicy scenes, but it does happen a few times and the scenes had decent descriptions. Pepper scale ( )

Going 3.5 on this. I loved both of the lead characters, Susie and Lars and the 2 major side characters Cleo and Tor. I loved the book's rejection of the idea of fate. The leads find a mysterious document that indicates their future would be bad, and though the mystery of the document guides them in many directions it becomes clear that it does not matter. The characters had free will and so the ghostly harbinger of doom is a trifle and they realize that success as a couple is not a matter of fate, it is a decision one makes every day. I was invested in this couple and had fun reading about them. There were a few not insignificant issues though. The first was the extremely thorough description of every outfit Susie donned. It was just irritating. I get that she loves clothes, and that is an important part of who she is, but that does not mean I need or want to hear about every fit and flare dress and chunky sandal. Relatedly, it annoyed me when she wore platform sandals on a hike -- that just made her seem stupid. An adjunct to this, I am not sure how much time Scott spends in the Seattle metro, but one thing she seems to be unaware of is that no one wears the type of clothing she describes. In Seattle "formal" means "no fleece." People often talk about how it rains all the time in Seattle, but that is not my experience, rain does not often fall in drops, rather it is almost always misty and damp so clothing that is not water resistant and/or developed for wicking sticks uncomfortably to the body. Fleece, flannel, nylon, these are your best choices. The second major issue was how underwritten Susie's ex/Lars' BFF was, His actions are central to the story, and they do not make any sense. Also his mother, who is only briefly in the story, is absurd and behaves like no one, ever. Finally for now, there is a lot of repetition in the relationship hurdles storyline and it could/should have been edited out. With the found pages Scott could have given a little more backstory about Aunt Susan and the hinted at woowoo and also fleshed out the toxic relationships with the ex/bff a bit more and the whole story would have worked better. Still, overall I really enjoyed the read even if I was sort of over it before the end. ( )

I’ve enjoyed Kylie Scott’s novels previously, and End of Story takes a new direction, being more light hearted with an unexplainable element. While it was fun, I felt there was some depth lacking in the subplots and the mystical element didn’t really work for me.

The story centres around Susie, who has recently inherited her aunt’s house. She’s still smarting from a very public breakup and it just adds to the hurt when the best friend of her ex, Lars, turns up to do some renovation work. If that wasn’t awkward enough, they find in the wall of the house a divorce certificate. Specifically, the divorce of Susie and Lars, a decade into the future. There’s distrust, blame and then a grudging truce as they try to work it out. Susie doesn’t do marriage, and while she and Lars were friends before the breakup there couldn’t be any romance. But as she and Lars spend time together, they become friends and later lovers. But what’s the point if they are going to break up?

Of course, the story is mainly about Susie and Lars but we also get to meet Susie’s best friend Cleo, who falls for Lars’ brother Tore. There are also some subplots about the messiness of families, culminating in a great finale. But overall, the focus is on the relationship and not that much else. I also found Susie’s descriptions of what she was wearing a little tiring after a while. The story is much lighter in tone than the Stage Dive and Dive Bar series with more of a romantic comedy feel but it just didn’t quite work for me. The initial distrust over the divorce certificate and the methods to authenticate it were interesting, but it took a back seat as Susie and Lars developed their relationship. There are hiccups along the way, but they don’t have long lasting effects. I would have liked a firm conclusion to the reason why the certificate appeared, but that’s more about me than the magic realism subgenre. Susie and Lars are great characters, but a lot of the plot seemed to be the same back and forth.

I appreciate Scott writing in a different subgenre, but this isn’t my favourite novel of hers. I liked the angst and drama of her previous series and I’ll still have a go at whatever she creates, but this one just wasn’t for me.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com ( )

Susie Bowen has inherited her namesake aunt's house following her death and intends to fix it up and either sell it or live there. When her ex's best friend, Lars, shows up at her door after being given the assignment to help her find and fix a leak, Susie thinks she must be cursed. As they begin work, Lars finds a divorce decree in her wall stating the date in the future when he and Susie get married and divorced. Susie tries to figure out where the document came from, but at the same time, she and Lars start trusting each other, while finding common ground and enjoying each other's company far more than either thought possible.

There are many positive aspects to End of Story. Susie is an extremely likable and fun protagonist, while being down to earth and open minded. Lars is a bit of a lovable grump who appreciates Susie for who she is. Their romance is a joy to experience. However, there are aspects of this book that remain frustrating. The setup of the story is never paid off other than in a vague reference. Also, the former boyfriend seems like too much of a jerk to have ever been someone to snag Susie's interest. Overall, though, End of Story is an amusing rom-com filled with heart and lots of entertaining moments. ( )

With so many books out there, it can be difficult to find one with a unique concept. Kylie Scott manages to come up with a fun and new storyline in her romantic novel End of Story.

When Susie inherits her Aunt Susan's Seattle home, she realizes that it needs a lot of work, beginning with repairing some water damage. The contractor who arrives to take a look ends up being Lars, her ex-boyfriend's best friend. Susie and her ex had a bad breakup, and she hasn't seen Lars since then.

Lars is "your basic urban Viking marauder, as his name suggested, with longish blond hair, white skin, blue eyes, short beard, tall and built". He had a succession of girlfriends as Susie recalled; apparently commitment wasn't something Lars and his friends were into.

Digging into the drywall, Lars finds a piece of paper hidden in the wall. He pulls it out only to find that it is a divorce decree dated ten years in the future, and the names on the paper are Lars and Susie. Both Susie and Lars are incensed, each believing the other person placed the paper inside the wall, as what, a joke? And why would either one of them do that?

Susie decides that she needs the work done and Lars is the best contractor for the job. (And he isn't bad to look at.) They put aside the "divorce decree" and begin spending time together. Susie attempts to find out how the paper got there, consulting with a psychic, a tarot card reader, and a forensic document examiner. No one could come up with any answers as to how authentic the decree was, what it means, or how it got there.

Lars and Susie are a reluctant cute couple. Lars has always liked Susie, but he hid it well. I loved that they had a habit of ordering food at a restaurant and switching entrees halfway the meal; it's a sweet touch. But if they get together, will they divorce in ten years?

Susie also has to deal with her brother who insists that he is owed half of the house and wants Susie to sell it. Add in the return of Susie's odious ex, and complications ensue.

The premise of End of Story is intriguing and Kylie Scott keeps the reader invested in Lars and Susie's story, wondering what will happen in ten years. To find out, you'll have to read the book, which I recommend. It's a sweet, fun, sexy read. And if you are a HGTV fan, you'll enjoy the renovation storyline.

Thanks to Harlequin Books for putting me on their 2023 Winter Rom-Com Blog Tour. ( )