The Final Fling

by J.H. Simon, Simon Harrak

Jasmin Johnson is turning thirty, and her decade-long dysfunctional relationship is on life support. She looks back on her twenties, and is horrified at how much she has missed out on — how little she has truly lived.

Spurred on by her dark urges and crazy yet loveable best friend, she rolls the dice and proposes an idea to her suffocating boyfriend, Thomas: They open their relationship by attending a sex party in Berlin.

With that, Jasmin sets on a course with only two potential outcomes: Crash and burn for good, or discover the freedom which she has forever longed for.

'The Final Fling' is an erotic coming-of-age story combined with dark romance. It is for a mature audience only.

Genres: Romance

Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2023

About the author

Writer from the Levant on a hero’s journey toward truth. Exploring power dynamics in life and love, through fiction and philosophy.

Reviews

[Farrah | Hello, Darkness Darling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a wild ride to say the least. The Final Fling is a dark romance, but it is so much more than that. I finished it in two days flat, which is a personal record. I highly recommend this book, but it won't be for everyone as it's a far cry from a happy go lucky romance novel. The dark themes that it explores are captivating but could be triggering for some - more on that later.

I think it's important to note that JH Simon's previous works are non-fiction books that help readers overcome narcissistic abuse. While a work of fiction, The Final Fling delves into this topic and explores toxic relationship dynamics. I really related to the theme of losing your sense of self in a relationship and the internal struggle to figure out who you are outside of the confines of something you thought was love.

The flawed, raw, and real characters are one of my favorite things about The Final Fling. Their lives were a car crash I couldn't look away from. I'm still not sure how Simon managed to make so much dysfunction so sexy. The Berlin underground k!nk scene shown in the book was entrancing while still being thought-provoking. I wasn't expecting this level of emotional complexity from a dark romance, especially one with so much spice (and written by a man 😉). More often than not, books in this genre romanticize abuse, so I really appreciate the awareness and care that went into The Final Fling.

This book does have a happy ending, but not the "ride off into the sunset" type of happy ending. That said, I was completely engrossed in this book and the journeys of the characters. The FMC, Jasmin, especially will stick with me for a long time. If you're looking for a spicy read that makes you think, look no further.

I think it's worth mentioning a few trigger warnings here: emotional abuse, self harm/attempted suic!de, BDSM, multiple partners/polyamory, and infidelity (happens off page but is discussed in a decent amount of detail by the main characters). Please use discretion when reading this book.

𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸. 𝘈𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

[Michael Lark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enemies to Lovers. Check. Dark Romance. Check.

A highly fresh and unique spin on the classic genre, and one that lands on two feet.

Spice Level 5/5
Humor 5/5
Story 5/5
Characters 5/5 (loved them all, in all their contradictions and fallacies)
Written exceptionally well.

A slow burn, but a hot burn, and once it turned up the heat, not only was it a sexy roller coaster ride, but a complex character study in a world I hadn't considered before. I was drawn in by its respect for the genre, but it delivered far from expectations. And what an ending! Did not see that coming.

As the plots go, this author weaves in and out of the personalities, sexualities, and spectacles that the polyamorous and kink scene hides from the common daylight. It offers a new format for love, sex, and relationships, and remedies for the old. It showed a mirror to the reader but put a laugh in my belly.

[Gabriele Emilija · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me check my biases… against romance novels written by men. TFF follows Jasmin, FMC who was dumped by her “soulmate” of 9 years. Her first feeling is relief. After years of conforming herself to her partners needs and losing herself, Jasmin begins her journey of self-discovery in Berlin — navigating the underground k!nk scene and finding not only someone with the power to satisfy her every need, but also herself.

this book doesn’t fetishize darker topics but, rather, explores them in a true and respectful way (of note: the author has written several non-fics about power dynamics and narcissism in relationships). as someone who spent many years with a narcissistic partner, where I completely lost myself and my identity, following Jasmin and her journey was so cathartic. The story is dark and sensual, and the multidimensional characters + spice hook you right in. It was hard to put this book down 🖤

[Athena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶

For you if you like:
Multiple POV
Kink scenes
Darker themes

After breaking up with her long-time boyfriend, Jasmin is convinced to a retreat in Germany to explore…some kinkier sides to herself.

This book really draws you in from the start and keeps you captivated with the fascinating underground world of kink in Berlin. The characters are flawed, complex, and I loved watching them grow as people through their relationships and their experiences. I liked that the author depicts the various issues and aspects that come from being in the BDSM scene and how different people approach the lifestyle.

This is a fantastic spicy book that is engaging, exciting, and really is a story about people coming into their own.

Thank you so much for a copy provided for my honest review.

[Siera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I loved this book, it was different from what you’d think when you think spicy books but it’s definitely something I enjoyed reading. I love that there were multiple POVs throughout the book. The only reason I’m giving it 4/5 stars rather than 5/5 is I would’ve loved for Jordan and Jasmine to be end game but I understand why they weren’t. I would 100% recommend this book to a friend.

Definitely a wild ride, first off the sex parties is a whole new thing to me. Not a bad thing, just new. I didn’t care much for the Thomas cheating part due to the fact that basically the whole book he was to be seen as incompetent. I loved the sexual awakening of Jasmine and how she kept referring to it as a completely different “her”.

Tropes included
💛BDSM
💛Jealousy/ Possessive Partner
💛 Multiple Partners
💛Mentions of Cheating
💛Drug use
💛Past Suicide Attempt & Depression

[Kiki · Rating 5 out of 5]

The description of the characters are exceptional. I felt incredibly involved in the story and really understood each characters thoughts and choices. I especially appreciated the structure of each chapter being the perspective of the next character. The story is extremely well written and well described which creates an easy visualization of the world. The author has accurately and successfully portrayed common and taboo issues in relationships and the struggle of self knowledge and self identity in your thirties that is relatable to many readers.
The story was unpredictable and made it difficult to put the book down due to needing to know what happens next.
Really well done, congrats and thank you for the read!

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Final Fling had me hooked from the first chapter. This was such a beautiful story of a woman finding herself. Jasmin needed out of her boring 9 year relationship & heads off to a sex party retreat where she explores her sexual fantasies. But theres a twist!! She invites her ex with her.. something I was totally not expecting. 👀 The growth in her character by the end of the novel was amazing. This erotic novel had me hot and bothered and needing more! 🌶🌶🌶

If you enjoy:
Erotic novels✅️
Spicy/kink scenes✅️
Sexy AF males✅️
Multiple POVS✅️

Than you will enjoy this book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

*I received an eARC for an honest review*

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is definitely a different type of genre of book I usually read. I often read dark romances once in a while but this novel contains some triggers I would look into before picking up the book! Overall I did enjoy the plot and pacing. The characters were very well written, they had their flaws and weren't the perfect characters you often see in other books of this genre. They accepted they had flaws but also went onto a wild ride to be able to see and understand who they were. On top of that, the book was very steamy which we love and Simon... that man knows how to captivate you!

I was given an epub version of The Final Fling from the authors for an honest review.

[author_books_friends · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Final Fling
JH Simon

Thomas breaks up with Jasmin right before her thirtieth birthday, being together for over nine-years.

Jasmin decides she wants to try something different and explore the possibilities.

Her friend tells her about a kink party in Berlin that is where she meets Jordan the main attraction he's popular with the women they'll want to be with him.

I truly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone that is into
orgy type experiences and bondage and spankings this book is for you.

[Reuben Witsenhuysen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic read! Im not usually into Erotic Novels, but A Final Fling: an erotic novel had me hooked in.

The story and character’s journeys were gripping, and the writing smooth; sexy, sexy, sexy.

I read this with my girlfriends and we ate it up - yum.

Highly recommend.

[Annie O'Moon-Browning · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rollicking raunchy tale of delight with some surprisingly simmering truths about love sex and everything in between. Highly recommended.

[Courtney Hurd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing erotic novel, loved the character development. Loved Jasmin and going on this journey with her to find out who she is. Highly recommend ♥️♥️

[Kimerys Bookmarks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have had “The Final Fling” downloaded for sometime. I met the author in a mutual FB Book group. He was looking for more people to read “The Final Fling”. I looked to see if it was on my TBR list and discovered I had downloaded it. So I jumped right in and started reading it.

I found that the writing was beautiful. The characters, at first, I was struggling with where their common thread was but BAM!! I just needed to have patience. Simon is a wonderful storyteller. It was wonderful to read a male author’s POV on hedonism.

The prologue was sad because of the length of the relationship but beautiful because of the possibilities that were going to open up for Jasmin.

Jasmin and Thomas have been a couple for 9 years. Thomas breaks up with Jasmin. At first she is relieved. “It had no arguments over the phone until three in the morning. No second- guessing my choices in fear of what he might think or say. No more aches of sadness or burning frustration. This path before me had no eggshells covering it. For a brief space in time, the fog of drama dissipated.” - Jasmin

Jasmin’s best friend, Michaela, is there to help Jasmin pick up the pieces. “Our bond as sisters was forged in the fires of young, reckless passion. A fire that continued for Michaela, and stopped for me when Thomas came into my life.” - Jasmin

“I want you to remember who you were before Thomas.”“A silly teenager?” Michaela made a disappointed face. “A wild woman ready for anything,” she said. Michaela’s words had stirred up the spirit of the past, but that was all it was — the past. The weight of the breakup collapsed suddenly onto me, and left me with a swelling sorrow, showing me all the time I had lost, all the experiences I had missed out on.”

“A rush shot through me, bringing with it the returning whisper of the woman I had left behind all those years ago. The memory of Barcelona had awakened her from her slumber. I had a week before I turned thirty, and nine years to catch up on. No matter what, I was going to make it the time of my life. Then I would worry about finding the ‘right’ guy.” - Jasmin

I loved how Jasmin could remember the woman she was before she met Thomas. I was a little upset, at first, that she invited Thomas to go to Berlin but if she didn’t the whole dynamic of the story would have been different. Again, patience Kim - the author knows what he is doing.

Jasmin and Thomas attend a J&A Event (Jordan and Ana) and all gloves are off. There were definitely eye opening experiences for both Jasmin and Thomas.

No spoilers here. I just want to say when you pick up this book, please have an open mind. Yes, this is a dark romance but it is beautifully written with a happy ending. Simon developed wonderful characters and definitely explored their strengths and vulnerabilities.

Besides the quotes listed above, here are some of my favorite quotes:

“I had to stop reacting to Thomas, and start acting in my best interest.” - Jasmin

“At the time, I wasn’t sure. There was just something. People who come into the scene are always careful to make a good impression. But behind that, they’re searching for something. But you didn’t have that. You were just… you. That’s why everyone was so curious. I saw it clearly for the first time on our walk.” - Kaspar

“Being in the scene makes you selfish. It’s all about your desires and what you want. The problem is that it makes you see people as objects. But you changed that. You were too real for the scene. What’s crazy is that you didn’t see it. But I did, and I wanted to help you find it. I wanted you to see what I saw.” - Kaspar

“J&A gave me unlimited choice,” said Kaspar. “What I know now is that there’s nothing more beautiful than two people who choose each other. I want that.” - Kaspar

“Treat me like a lady first,” I said firmly. “Then I might make a man out of you.” - Jasmin

“Do you want a meaningless . . ., or do you want a queen?” I said.” - Jasmin

[Mitra Mustafa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Final Fling is a story of a couple, Jasmin and Thomas, Thomas breaks up their nine years old relationship few days before Jasmin turns thirty. Jasmin is encouraged by her friends to try something new and explore new possibilities that are now open up to her. Jasmin unexpectedly meets another couple and gets an invitation for a kinky private party in Berlin hosted by Jordan who is popular among women for his attraction. Jasmin attends the party and is ready to get wild and explore her sexual fantasies. She gets to experience life with a new perspective and it leads her to make some choices that help her move forward.
The book is short and precise, it is written in easy flowing prose with steady pace. It has multiple POVs, which makes it easy to get involved with the characters and understand their thoughts and desires, their struggles and decisions. The characters are multi layered, complex, and well developed.
The plot is unpredictable and therefore more engaging. The theme of the book is intense and deep, it addresses the common problems and struggles of a relationship regarding physical intimacy that people usually face in their thirties.
It is a story of self discovery, growth, and life changing experiences. The book deals with complex issues but it is written exceptionally well.
Read if you like:
- Dark and intense themes
- Multiple POVs
- Erotica
- BDSM and kink

[Tayler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t really know what I was getting in to when I was asked to review this book.

You should buckle up because it’s a wild ride. 😂


Jasmin has been stuck in a never ending rotation of on again off again with Thomas and he’s finally broken up with her. She’s finally free! Well… kind of.

Jasmins friend Michaela tells her about this ‘party’ in Berlin the weekend of her 30th birthday. Okay okay it’s a sex party. The newly single jasmin takes a little convincing but she eventually decides to go.

However, for whatever unknown reason, she invites Thomas and they get back together.

*Spoilers to come*















Jasmin asks Thomas to be in an open relationship, which like, respect but also he absolutely doesn’t seem like the type and it’s proven as the story goes on.

They do decide to go to this sex party and just everything comes down from there. Thomas suggests that Jasmin sleep with the ‘hottest guy in Berlin’ to get it out of her system. 🤔 that never works out the way you think and it didn’t in the book either.

The story takes a lot of twists and turns and eventually Jasmin ends up with someone you’d never guess… until about 80% of the book is done. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this one out.

All in all? It was a good read. Kind of a mix of 50 shades of grey but like… Bridget Jones style?

[Bookinwithashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book honestly surprised and surpassed my expectations and was a 4 🌟 read for me! 🤍

This story takes place in the sex scene so it does have a lot of sexually related content in it. However, the deeper meaning I got from this book was unexpected and had me reflecting on my own life. I related to the FMC way more than I expected to and seeing her growth and exploration to develop her sense of self struck me.

Being a woman who is 29 and turning 30, just out of a long term relationship like the FMC, this book gave me a message I desperately needed. It highlights exploring different areas of life, do the things YOU want to do, explore and develop your sense of self and who you are and want to be. This book went beyond the smut for me and I highly recommend if you enjoy books with smut that have deeper messages and emotions intertwined into it.

There are multiple POV which I loved!

Also I teared up at the end which I was not expecting but I am so happy it ended the way it did!

I received this copy in exchange for an honest review 🤍

[Mei · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, this was a beautiful eye opening story - the multiple POVs helped. Jasmin is turning 30 in a week and her desires and sexual wants in her 9 year on again off again relationship are not being met by her boyfriend, Thomas. The constant bickering back and forth between these two was almost annoying to read which makes for a slow start into the story. The journey of self discovery she goes through in her one week trip to Berlin allows her to be open to the possibilities and have her fantasies fulfilled. I was surprised by the sudden connection Jasmin seemed to evoke in not just Jordan but all the men that see her, notice that she is different to the other women found at the numerous sex parties hosted by the likes of J&A. Her experiences aren’t all bliss and there were moments where I was worried for her safety after a certain scene. I’m glad that she ultimately comes to a resolution with Thomas, Jordan and even Kaspar and her life in general.

The Final Fling was definitely that. Jasmin (and Thomas to an extent) had the final fling and left in a more sure, certain and confident version of themselves. I wanted to know more after the fact about each of these peoples lives.

The book was not without typos but they weren’t enough to detract from the story. What I found more confusing were some of the scenes where characters are inside a building/room and they walk back inside/outside. It was also hard to tell who was talking due to the formatting (although that could be due to the PDF conversion to kindle format).

I received an ARC of this and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Whitney Greenwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Final Fling
NO SPOILERS

4.5/5⭐️
5/5🌶️


This book deserves all the love in the world. I was actually really hesitant about reading a book written by a male author. Don’t ask why, I just was. I didn’t think the spicy scenes would be worth it.

BUT I WAS WRONG ABOUT THIS.
All the spicy scenes were spicing!
Now the reason why I gave this a 4.5 and not a full 5 was only for ONE reason. I just started being okay reading from Dual POVs, but this book is multiple POVs, and I mean multiple.
Besides this it was everything.

The entire time I was just giggling and blushing. I absolutely loved this book, just loved loved.

[lissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once gain I am shocked by a novel. Romance novel written by a man no less. To say I was wary would be insincere, I was terrified actually. I had no idea what to expect.

I did know that there would be some level of cheating, what I was not prepared for was to get the cheaters pov. I’m still uncertain about that choice, and sometimes deliberately stopped reading once I saw it was his pov. But, because this book is highly addictive I powered through.

Thank goodness for that ending, I don’t think the journey would have been worth it without that surprising outcome. The emotions this story caused!! I was fuming for the majority of the book lol.

I did like and enjoy the take on polyamory and bdsm. It was fun and dark. I great combo. I will warn that this is not a very happy romance, it’s very dark. As I said you get the cheaters and the villains point of view so yeah, good luck.

[Elena Benavent Alahe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Special read for anyone who’s willing be open and to shift the focus towards relationships. It is an invitation to let your be explore through the reading.

[tanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Spice: 3.75/ 5 🌶

I will start off by saying I am very grateful for receiving this book, which was my first ever ARC copy!

As you can see by my rating, that, I didn’t love this… This book is described as a enemies-to-lovers, coming-of-age, erotica/dark romance. However, I did not find these elements in this story at all.

SPOILERS AHEAD:
1. Enemies-to-lovers: The enemies do not become lovers at all. I wouldn’t even call them enemies. They’re two people that were forced to have sex with each other. So, you can understand why they are not getting along. They end up having sex and realise they like each other, but they don’t stay together?
2. Erotica/dark romance: Now, I would call this erotica, sort of. The characters talk of seeing kinky things at the parties they go to, but they never do anything kinky themselves… There’s one scene where it’s actually kinky and its at the end…
3. Coming-of-age: Again, I wouldn’t call this coming-of-age. The ‘main’ character is basically trying to figure out what she likes in bed before she turns 30. She also has a sex demon(???) inside of her. She is continuously referring to a ‘her’ when she’s having a sexual experience?

I’m giving this two stars because of how ridiculous I found it to be and because of the sex scenes 😅 I am very surprised I finished this book. I think what kept me going was how wild it was, I’m not even sure??

I tried my best to write this a constructive criticism review, but I have not done this before. So I apologise if I sound unprofessional, I am not meaning to be, I am just expressing how this book made me feel and my thoughts. If you read this very long review, I hope you enjoyed 🫶🏼 Thank you for reading!