A review by lifeofchrstnlvly
Final Offer by Lauren Asher

emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

A man's legacy shouldn't be determined by how much money he made or how successful he was, but rather by the memory he left behind and the way he made people feel.

This was Cal's book, not Cal and Lana's. Only Cal's. The character development that Cal underwent was lacking in Lana.

Cal needs a partner who can support him with his addiction. Lana failed to recognize this and did not fully support him. This highlights the issue of people not equating mental illness with physical illness. If someone has cancer, they receive support and assistance, but in the case of mental illness, specifically addiction in this book, why can't Lana do the same?

I don't support addiction. I empathize with Lana's past and Cal's past behavior, but Cal needs a supportive partner now. Lana isn't doing enough to support him, and addicts need a strong support system. If Lana truly loves Cal, she should be there for him inspite and despite of.

I appreciate the accurate portrayal of addiction and sympathize with Cal's struggles. However, Lana's character lacks depth and seems limited to taking care of Cami. The constant back-and-forth in Lana's thoughts about trusting Cal became tedious to read, making the book too long. Although she wants to be a baker, her character development is lacking, and there is little chemistry between her and Cal.

Additionally, I would appreciate translations for any Spanish words, phrases, or sentences. Not everyone understands Spanish, and while some Spanish words can be deduced from the context of the conversation, it would be helpful to provide accurate translations. The book is quite lengthy, likely due to the inclusion of Lana's thoughts, so adding translations should not be an issue.

To put it simply, I found this book disappointing. As the final installment in the Dreamland Billionaire series, I had hoped for an epic conclusion to an otherwise great romance series. While Cal was fine and I did like him (although Declan remains my favorite Kane brother), Lana's constant back-and-forth thoughts about her trust issues with Cal were unbearable. Without Cal, I would have DNFed this because of Lana. Lana's handling of Cal's addiction was irritating and intolerable. The book was too long and could have been told more effectively with 150 fewer pages.

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