The Last Goodbye by Laura Pavlov

An enemies to lovers romance with small-town charm and found family warmth.

Goodreads | The Last Goodbye

Release date: October 6, 2026

Publisher: Entangled

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

She is enemy number one. The sexy small-town romance for fans of Lucy Score and Elsie Silver. 

Briar Sinclair came to Blue Sky Bay with a multimillion-dollar plan and one goal: to buy my restaurant. Too bad it’s not for sale. She’s pulled every stunt in the book to get my attention, though I refuse to engage with a woman who came here to ruin my life. 

Unfortunately, my restaurant is the last thing standing in the way of her powerful father’s approval, and she refuses to take no for an answer. She’s determined to convince me that this is a good idea. We can agree to disagree. But that doesn’t mean I’m not enjoying the effort that she’s putting in. 
One minute she’s arguing with me about real estate; the next she’s tripping outside my houseboat or falling asleep behind my restaurant after working herself to exhaustion. Did I mention the fact that she’s insanely beautiful?

I should hate her for what she’s trying to do. Instead, I can’t stop noticing her pretty pink mouth or her sharp tongue. The more we clash, the harder it becomes to remember that she’s the enemy. 
Because somewhere between the arguments, late nights, and undeniable attraction―Briar Sinclair stopped feeling like the woman trying to destroy my future…and she started feeling like she belonged in it.

Review:

Laura Pavlov’s books just always work for me. She creates small towns that feel like actual communities, filled with men, women, and kids who make me wish I could pack up and move there. Blue Sky Bay is absolutely one of those places, and The Last Goodbye gave me another reason to want an address there. It’s charming, captivating, and full of the warmth that keeps me coming back to her books.

Bass and Briar get off to a rough start, which makes sense when she arrives determined to buy the restaurant he has no intention of selling. Her need to prove herself to her father puts them firmly on opposite sides, and their attraction certainly complicates things. I loved watching that initial friction give way to something deeper as they began to see each other beyond the disagreement that brought them together.

What really worked for me was how they eventually let their walls down and let each other in. Once they started communicating and realizing how much they had in common, their connection became even more compelling. The chemistry was there, but watching them develop an understanding of each other was what made me so invested in their relationship.

The surrounding community and found family feeling made the whole experience even better. Pavlov has such a knack for making me care about the couple while also getting attached to everyone around them. Two books into this series, I’m completely hooked on Blue Sky Bay and already so ready for book three!

Perfect for readers who love:

  • Small towns they wish they could move to
  • Enemies to lovers tension
  • Guarded characters learning to let each other in
  • Chemistry paired with meaningful communication
  • Found families and a lovable supporting cast

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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