Last Call

by Michelle Naomi Mosley

Hillary Hemingway is navigating the challenges of new motherhood, feeling as if the vibrant woman she once was has been overshadowed by the demands of parenting. When her best friend’s birthday celebration in Red Mountain calls for her first weekend away from her baby, she’s torn between the ache of separation and the prospect of much-needed time alone with her husband. As the weekend unfolds, the romantic getaway reignites the spark they shared before parenthood, stirring memories of how they first fell in love.

Archie Hemingway misses his wife, and when the chance to whisk her away for a weekend arises, he seizes it, hoping to remind her of their powerful connection—a love that bridged cultures and crossed oceans. Rediscovering each other, they dive into old memories, rekindling the fire that first brought them together.

A weekend away. A love rekindled. Sometimes, finding each other again is just the beginning.

Genres: Novella, Romance

124 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 29, 2024

About the author

Technical writer turned romance author Michelle Naomi Mosley writes all town romances with relatable characters and heartfelt narratives, incorporating humor and open-door spice in all her stories. Michelle lives in Washington State's wine country with her husband. When she's not writing, she's reading, cooking the latest viral recipe, or redecorating her home for the millionth time. Since deciding to take the plunge and make her writing dreams a reality, it's been a whirlwind of late nights crafting stories and trying to keep up with the countless book ideas that strike her at any given moment.

Reviews

[naomi ☾ (abooktoberead) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 🌟

loved this little novella. hot, adorable, and swoony ❤️

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5✨

This was absolutely adorable. I truly wish we got a full novel for Archie and Hillary because the little snippet we got, I fell in love with them.

A lot of the time flashbacks can either ruin a book or enhance the story. I can honestly say I loved the flashbacks in this! I loved knowing how it ends for them but getting a little sneak peak into how they met. They really melted my heart.

Hillary was such a sweet character. I really liked her storyline. She is so deserving of love and I hated seeing how her ex treated her. She's just so adorable and I loved her personality.

Archie is AN ENGLISH HOTTIE AND I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. I never knew I needed a red head so badly. I just love how caring and protective he is. He is a dreamboat and I want him. I loved his storyline as well and I thought he was such a sweet and fun character.

Overall, this novella was adorable and such a perfect addition to the Red Mountain series. I loved that we get some time at the winery with Ethan and Marisa. I loved the overall message of the story as well. I'm really loving Michelle's writing and her stories! I can't wait to read more from her!

[Paloma Rodello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a perfectly sweet novella to start off my new year! I loved the first book in the Red Mountain series and this novella was a much needed dive back into their world. This story follows Hillary and Archie in a dual
POV and dual timeline fashion which I love. Seeing how their love story began and how it’s progressed was so fun. Also loved getting a taste of Ethan and Marisa again! Overall definitely recommend reading after Rare Blend but such a fun addition to supplement the series while we wait for book 2!

[Kimberly Del Cid · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a sweet novella!!! As a mom, so much of this touched topics close to my heart. I loved the dual timeline and unique take on insta love (which I don’t typically like!). This is a beautiful addition to the red mountain series.

[Annalise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute novella! I’m glad we got some background and time with Hillary and Archie!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So in love with this little novella. We meet Archie and Hillary, Hillary is Marissa's best friend, who we meet in Rare Blend (Book One)
The story takes us back in time to when Hillarie meets Archie in a pub in England. She's in an unfortunate situation with her then boyfriend and Archie really is her Knight in shining armor.

Hillary and Archie are now married, navigating parenthood and they take a weekend trip with their friends, I love the way I was able to relate to their relationship and struggles of finding yourself as a couple once their are babies in the picture. It was such a sweet story and Archie was such a green flag, I completely fell in love with him.

TROPES
✨ Dual POV
✨ Dual Timeline
✨ Strangers to Lovers
✨ Damsel in Distress
✨ British MMC
✨ Daddy Kink

You can find Rare Blend on KU I highly recommend it, I have a review on my page and then read this lovely novella 🥹😍

Thank you so much to the author for writing these incredible characters, your stories really pull you in and make you fall in love.

[Ale 🦋 · Rating 5 out of 5]

ɪꜰ ɪ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ꜱᴇᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ ɪᴛ’ʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʙɪɢɢᴇꜱᴛ ʀᴇɢʀᴇᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴍʏ ʟɪꜰᴇ.


I fell in love with Hillary’s character in Rare Blend, the best bestie and support system Marisa could ask for. So when I saw that Michelle was going to show us her and Archie’s story I got SO EXCITED and let me tell you, IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT!! ✨

I love dual POV’s and couple that with a Then/Now while we see how they’re relationship evolved?! Perfection. Archie is Hillary’s knight in shining armor (or should I say Queen’s guard, lol) all while reminding her that she can fend for herself but won’t have to so long as he’s beside her and that just makes my heart burst. And the way that Michelle touched the subject matters of her past abusive relationship AND her current life as a wife and mother was done with so much care 🤍

This was the perfect novella to tide me over while I await Book 2 in the Red Mountain series but oh do I hope we get to see more Hillary and Archie as well later on!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Hillary and Archie’s story. The dual timelines were perfect, the protectiveness from him was top notch.

-he falls first
-strangers to lovers
-instaLove
-dual time lines

The spice being from his pov was interesting, but it was perfect. Overall a perfect little spicy novella.

[Diana Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost cried reading this. I love Archie and Hillary they’re so cute. I loved this novella and I’m glad that I decided to read this.

[Laura Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded to 5!

Without going into too much detail, Last Call hit too close to home so all I have to say is if you've ever lost yourself a little along the path of parenthood or you've been in a relationship where DV occurred and you overcame that tough time in your life, this book is perfect for you. Let me clarify that the majority of the book is not centered around this but it does play an important part in the development of the story and does not occur between MCs! It is overall a beautiful love story about two fated mates reminiscing on the circumstances in which they met and how they reignited their love for one another with a little getaway after becoming first time parents.

Read if you love:
🥃 Strangers to lovers
🥃 Daddy k!nk
🥃 British MMC
🥃 Damsel in distress
🥃 Open door spice
🥃 Dual timeline
🥃 Dual POV

Although it can be read as a standalone, Last Call features characters from the first book, Rare Blend, in the Red Mountain series. To avoid any spoilers, I'd recommend reading Rare Blend first.

[LILIAN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Archie and Hillary. Since I read Rare Blend and got a glimpse of the couple I wanted to know more. How they met was just such an odd/horrible circumstance for Hillary mostly but I knew I needed more. This novella, while a short read, gives you all the feels. We get flashbacks to the day they met along with present day life. Archie and Hillary had a baby a couple of months ago and are going to visit Marisa and Ethan at the Vineyard for the weekend. They have a solid relationship which was just so good to read about and they just want to spend time together and reconnect. The beginning of their relationship starts off with Hillary walking into a bar after just having had a fight with her boyfriend Kevin. She was spending the summer with him in Europe and had just gotten to England. Kevin was a toxic manipulative boyfriend. Admiration is one word that I have for Hillary. Being in a country and having to deal with the aftermath of trying to get home she was just a rockstar. One can say that walking into that bar was the best decision she ever made. Archie, her knight in shining armor to the rescue, offers her a place to stay and offers to take her to the U.S embassy to figure out how to get back home to Seattle. From sightseeing to how serendipitous life is, Last Call gives you all the warm and fuzzy feelings that even though you are having a bad day all it takes is a special someone to come along and turn everything around. It also allows you to see that sometimes you do need to take that time to focus and enjoy your significant other outside of the walls of your house.

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

⚠️TW - domestic abuse, strong language, sexually explicit content, alcohol consumption, postpartum anxiety and body insecurities, mentions of derogatory American stereotypes, mentions of pregnancy, mentions of trying to get pregnant⚠️


🔥Spice Ahead (varying degrees)🔥
Chapter 5
Chapter 9
Chapter 16

Last Call was a cute, quick read. I loved everything about it. I loved how relatable the characters were and current situation with them being new parents. I loved being able to visit old friends from Rare Blend, even if for brief moments.

The relatability of anxiety and worry that Hillary felt leaving Josephine is REAL. I have an almost 3 year old and have never left her overnight before because my anxiety can't even. Archie is such a sweet and caring man. It's evident in the way he cares about Hillary as his wife and mother of his child, but the way he was with her from the moment they met. Definite green flag. 5/5⭐

[Brittany Tostado · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely beautiful novella.
The topics touched on in this book I think every mother can relate to. I am not a mother but it was so heartwarming and comforting to watch our FMC, Hillary, gain back a part of herself she felt she lost after having a baby. The way the MMC, Archie was so supportive and just in awe of his wife was so beautiful. Not to mention he is a red head with a British accent! This short novella follows this couple going away for the weekend to have some alone time. It also goes back in time to the time they met at a pub in London. Everything flowed well and the spice was spicing!

I highly recommend reading this novella that is based out of Michelle’s first novel Rare Blend which I also HIGHlLY Recommend reading!

Michelle you are doing amazing! Your wiring is impeccable and beautiful and Spring can’t come fast enough!

[Sofia Torres · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect novella to the red mountain series! Archie and Hillary had me hooked from the small snippet we got of them from rare blend so when I seen that this free novella dropped I was over the moon about it! I knew they would deliver! The chemistry between these two is so evident and their love is so heartwarming! Through the dual then and now timeline we get to see these two originally fall in love through sightseeing London while simultaneously seeing them rekindle their spark after childbirth and parenthood in a weekend getaway for Marissa’s bday!

[A Plot to Be Desired · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️.5

I didn’t expect to get a Hillary/Archie story, which is what made it all the sweeter getting to read this novella.

There were mentions of Hillary’s back story in Rare Blend but I never expected to be given the story.

The dual timeline is perfect, everything slotted in beautifully and desperately wanted them to be the Archie and Hillary we know end up together asap.

The spice SPICES. I fully need a whole book of Archie being in control and an insight into this Daddy Kink they’ve got going 👀

Also. Kyle’s a dick.

[Melissa M · Rating 5 out of 5]

GIVE. ME. MORE! I loved book 1, Rare Blend, and I also adored this book! The current post kid, not feeling yourselves but also disconnected new parent vibe mixed with the original story of their love was so cute and also so satisfying! I loved both so much and their basically insta love/connection/chemistry and their ability to just be there and support and be their true selves with each other! Such a perfect little novella—just enough but keeps you wanting more!

[emilee 🍃🎨 · Rating 5 out of 5]

ahhhh archie and hillary?! i absolutely love them! they’re such a cute couple and their little baby josephine!! i adored them in rare blend so much, that i wanted to see if they had their own book and i was glad that their love story is a novella to the series. i enjoyed their messy but beautiful love story. archie is that man, i love how passionate and patient he is with hill. like i was just so amazed by them.

[Mandy Prather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided after reading Rare blened. I needed to read Hillary and Archie's story.
Im so glad I read this book.

This was such a good blend of the past and now.
Hillary and Archie are leaving their daughter home while they traveling to visit Marisa for her birthday. But also to reconnect with each other. While gone thing trigger memory's of the past.

I loved this book so much it was such a good mix of sweet and spice.
They had a instant connection.

[nancys_reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I finally had time to read this short novella after falling in love with Rare Blend! Hillary was introduced in Rare Blend as Marisa’s best friend and I loved her in that one! After, I was always so curious about Hillary and Archie’s story! I’m happy to have read this but felt like it was too short! I need more of them!

[kbn1031 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute novella to go along with the Red Mountain Series. I ❤️ that we get to see how another couple from book one met and fell in insta-love. It's a dual timeline, so we get to see them a bit older, after marriage and a child too. Loved the cameo from Shane, I swear his book will end up being my favorite. Please let him have his own book! 😆

[Zyria 🩷 · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️
* PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR NOTE IN THE BEGINNING AND CHECK YOUT TRIGGER WARNINGS *

I was thinking about the red mountain series then I remembered this novella. This was the perfect short story to get back into the world and I loved reading about Hillary and Archie story.

- SPOILER -
One of my favorite parts was the bar scene where everyone stood up to help Hillary.

[K. King · Rating 3 out of 5]

One last book to finish off 2024.

This was a cute novella about a couple finding that spark after recently having a baby. There were also some flashback chapters to when they first met. I enjoyed the writing and plan on checking out the author’s full length novel.

[Kloe Bye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this short and sweet book . From the moment we met Hillary and Archie in Rare Blend I have been keen to know their love story and boy their love story is one for ages. Perfectly written with characters to Swoon over , couldn't put this down 💓

[Ashley Jackson Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Archie and Hillary in Rare Blend so I was very happy to be able to see how they met. This was a very cute and sweet read, even though there is some DV in the story (just mentions and one small scene). I could relate to Hillary with some aspects of how she felt as a mother.

[Dulce Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devoured this in one sitting I could not put this down!!! It’s sooo perfect seeing glimpses of Marisa and Ethan was amazing!!! The way it flowed was perfect I love love love watching people fall in love and being loved 🥰

[Anahi Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read Rare Blend I was intrigued by Hilary and Archie’s story. I’m so happy we got that in this little novella. Definitely felt somewhat relatable to Hilary going through the motions of postpartum.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this short story! It was nice to see how they had met and how their life was going now. Archie and Hillary are the cutest couple ever. From finding each other in the bar to getting to know each other to falling in love and forming a life together. Loved it!

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a cute little novella

the back and forth with the timeline and seeing how the relationship started and where they are now was perfect! it definitely was what i was hopping to see from hillary and archie when i was reading rare blend.

[Rose DeVault · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beta, RTC 🩵

[Ingrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and entertaining. I think that the dual timeline helped fill up a lot of the relationship. I loved getting Archie and Hillary’s story.