Genre: Publication.Date: August 8th 2017 Published By: Wild Lime Books My review copy:
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To Paige Miller, Two Last First Dates sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
Paige is having a rough time. She's unhappy in her career and her One Last First Date ended in total disaster. Now, she has to figure out what to do professionally and personally. Life as a spinster with fifteen cats doesn't sound too bad, though.
Deciding to give up on love, Paige begrudgingly befriends Josh Bentley, the friendly coffee delivery guy, while helping out at the Cozy Cottage Café. His T-shirts make her eyes roll, but their runs have become an important part of her day and a blessing to her waistline, because Bailey's cakes are too good to pass up.
Meanwhile, her best friends offer to find Mr. Right for her, and all Paige has to do is let them. Then, the man of her dreams walks through the door. Marcus Hahn is as good-looking as he is charming, and any thoughts Paige had of being alone with those fifteen cats, fly out the window. Now, she just has to hope her friends choose him as her Last First Date.
But in the end, are Two Last First Dates enough to find The One?
“Look, Helena. I’ve got to do something. I’ll talk to you later, okay? I promise.”
She gave me a meaningful look. “Sure. You go, girl. I’ll back you up, no matter what.”
She hit her fist against her chest, like she was a centurion, pledging her allegiance to me.
I turned and walked through the line of cubicles to Portia’s office, nodding as people
said hello. This wasn’t the time to be social. I was on a mission, and I wasn’t going to allow
anything to get in my way.
I arrived at Portia’s office and stood, collecting my thoughts. I could see her sitting at
her desk, immaculate as always in a pale pink suit with black trim, tap-tapping on her
keyboard. I lifted my hand and knocked firmly on her door. Her head popped up, a look of
surprise on her face.
“Paige. What are you doing here?” she asked, pushing her chair back and standing up.
Did she look nervous?
I stepped into her office and closed the door behind myself, leaning up against it as my
heart raced. “I need to talk to you.”
“Okay,” she replied uncertainly. She gestured for me to take a seat. I shook my head in
refusal. I needed to be standing for this.
“I thought we’d said all we were going to say last night?”
“No, Portia. You said all you were going to say. I didn’t.”
She tilted her head. “Oh?”
I clenched my hands at my side, preparing to launch into the speech I’d practiced on the
way here this morning. My mind was made up; I had something to say.
I took a deep breath and looked directly at her. “Portia, I quit.”
Okay, so it wasn’t much of a speech, and practicing it hadn’t exactly taken very long
this morning, but I wanted to ensure I hit the right tone. And hadn’t I learned in my years in
marketing that a clear, simple message was the most effective?
To my unutterable surprise, Portia laughed. “I think you misunderstand, Paige. I fired
you.”
“No, you didn’t. Your exact words were, ‘I’m moving you on.’ I remember. You never
said I was fired.”
She shot me a condescending look, as though I was a three-year- old who needed to
have the difference between a hug and a punch explained to them. “Paige. We talked about
this. Your work has not been up to scratch for some time now. That’s why I am moving you
on.”
I jutted out my chin, defiant. “But you can’t. Because I quit.”
She put her manicured hands up in surrender. “Sure. If that’s the way you want to play
it, fine. Take your petty revenge over whatever it is you think I have or haven’t done.”
“I will. Thank you.” My voice dripped with sarcasm.
As I turned and put my hand on the doorknob, ready to leave, she added, “So, do I take
it you don’t want that job in Dwight’s division, then?”
I pursed me lips. It was true, Portia had fired me—or “moved me on,” as she’d insisted
on calling it—but she’d also offered me a role in her colleague Dwight Barlow’s team,
working in product development. She thought I’d be a better “fit” there as she didn’t think
email marketing campaigns were “quite my passion,” as she’d put it. I’d almost scoffed. Of
course, email marketing campaigns weren’t my passion! Was she insane?
My interest had been piqued by the chance to work for a different boss, someone
perhaps whose team wasn’t plotting to torture and kill him. That never makes for a
harmonious working environment, in my experience. So last night, I’d agreed. Getting away
from Portia and my yawn-inducing job had been the most important things to me.
And today? Things felt . . . different.
I narrowed my eyes at Portia, with the supercilious look she so often had on her face.
Although I’d never shared Helena’s Tarantino-inspired depth of hatred for her, this was the
last time I ever wanted to lay eyes on her again.
“You know what, Portia? I don’t want that job, or any job at AGD. Let’s agree I quit
and I’ll leave right now. I even brought my own box to clear my stuff.”
She pursed her lips and stared at me through her designer glasses.
I locked my jaw and squeezed my hands into fists at my sides once more. What was her
next move going to be?
Still staring at me, she let out a puff of air and nodded.
I’d won.
I smiled at her. “Good. We’re done here.”
I could almost hear that old nineties band, singing I’ve got the power! as I flung
Portia’s office door open and strode toward my desk, people popping their heads over the
tops of their cubicles to see what was going on as I passed by. My heart was racing,
adrenaline was pumping around my body at a rate of knots, and it felt good, oh so good!
Daa-da, da-da- daa-da . . . I’ve got the power!
I reached my desk and began to collect my things. Before I could say “wannabe
gangster,” Helena was at the entrance to my cubicle. “Oh, my god! What happened?” She
glanced at the box in my hands, half full of my personal paraphernalia. “Oh, hell. She fired
you, didn’t she? That nasty, conniving bitch!”
At Helena’s loud exclamation, several more of my colleagues arrived at my cubicle.
“Did you say Paige was fired?” one asked. “Oh, my god!” exclaimed another.
It's getting, it's getting, it's getting kinda hectic. Daa-da, da-da- daa-da.
“You cannot take this, Paige! This is wrong, so wrong. You must have your revenge!”
Helena exclaimed vehemently, her fist in the air, her face turning purple with rage.
I half expected her to launch into the Samuel L. Jackson Ezekiel vengeance speech I’d
enjoyed while watching Pulp Fiction. I admit, I’d rewound and watched that speech a few
times. But instead, I held my box against my body and smiled at them all. “Actually, I quit.”
There was a collective gasp.
“You did? Why?” someone asked as another said, “Good for you!” Helena gawped at
me.
“Yup. And . . . I have to go.” I collected my jacket and dropped it into the box and
slung my purse over my shoulder.
“But . . . don’t you have to work your month’s notice out?” Helena asked.
“I figured since The Princess doesn’t exactly want me around, we’d forget about that
whole notice thing.”
My—now ex—colleagues stepped aside like the parting of the Red Sea, and I walked
through them all. “Bye, everyone! It was great to work with you all. Good luck!”
“Hey,” Helena said, grabbing my arm. “Good for you.”
I grinned at her. “Thanks. It was nice working with you. And thanks for the tip on
Tarantino. I’m not sure I would have done this if it hadn’t been for him.”
She gave me a knowing nod. “Quentin changes lives.”
Usually, I would have thought she’d possibly taken her admiration for the guy a little
too far, but in this, I decided she was right.
Stay off my back, or I will attack and you don't want that. Daa-da da-da- daa-da.
As I left, I glanced up between the row of cubicles toward Portia’s office. She was
standing, watching me, her skinny arms crossed across her chest. I waved and smiled at her,
enjoying every moment of my minor triumph.
I was no longer an Email Marketing Assistant. I was out of here. And I was free.
I am definitely swooning right now and can barely catch my breath.
I went into this story expecting a sweet love novel and I came out with so much more.
Paige thought she met the love of her life when she met Will but soon got her heart broken when she came to realize, he wasn't hers to love. Bamn shot through the heart. Paige swore she was done with men and love was not something that was going to happen for her. She certainly wasn't going to play the game her two girlfriends wanted to. The Last First Date was a competition of sorts that her and her girlfriends thought up where the friends pick the guy you will have your last first date with. This will be the one you will marry. After her heartache over Will, Paige can't even imagine this happening for her.
In walks Marcus, who could be Channing Tatum's double. He's gorgeous and definitely swoon material. Paige is convinced he is her last first date.
The author does an amazing job at making this book stand on its own, even though this is the second book in the series. She also makes you fall in love with Paige easily and you find yourself routing for her to find herself and have her happily ever after.
I definitely think this author is one to watch and I will definitely be tearing into her books moving forward. Can't wait to read the first book in this series next.
This book is more than just an amazing romance. It's also about following your dreams and not letting others pigeon hole you into thinking you can't find a new career, a new life and a new guy all at the same time.
I went into this story expecting a sweet love novel and I came out with so much more.
Paige thought she met the love of her life when she met Will but soon got her heart broken when she came to realize, he wasn't hers to love. Bamn shot through the heart. Paige swore she was done with men and love was not something that was going to happen for her. She certainly wasn't going to play the game her two girlfriends wanted to. The Last First Date was a competition of sorts that her and her girlfriends thought up where the friends pick the guy you will have your last first date with. This will be the one you will marry. After her heartache over Will, Paige can't even imagine this happening for her.
In walks Marcus, who could be Channing Tatum's double. He's gorgeous and definitely swoon material. Paige is convinced he is her last first date.
The author does an amazing job at making this book stand on its own, even though this is the second book in the series. She also makes you fall in love with Paige easily and you find yourself routing for her to find herself and have her happily ever after.
I definitely think this author is one to watch and I will definitely be tearing into her books moving forward. Can't wait to read the first book in this series next.
This book is more than just an amazing romance. It's also about following your dreams and not letting others pigeon hole you into thinking you can't find a new career, a new life and a new guy all at the same time.
Kate O'Keeffe is an award-nominated author of fun, feel-good romantic comedies. She lives and loves in beautiful New Zealand with her family, two scruffy dogs, and a cat who thinks he's a scruffy dog too. He's not: he's a cat.
To date, Kate's written the chick lit series, the Wellywood Romantic Comedy Series, and the new Cozy Cottage Café Series.
Where to Find AUTHOR
Website: https://www.kateokeeffe.com
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/kateokeeffe4
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kateokeeffeauthor/
Amazon Author: https://www.amazon.com/Kate-OKeeffe/e/B00KIZGG1O/
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