SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't read this book yet, this is your only warning not to forge ahead.
Author: Lauren Asher
Series: Dreamland Billionaires Series book #3
Category: Contemporary Romance
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
There is very little lead into this book, something I usually appreciate but thought the execution was too forced. We finally are introduced to the infamous Lana (whom Cal spent the last two books not so secretly pining over) with her pointing a shotgun at our MC. Pretty great impression right?
Unfortunately, after this encounter, my LEAST favorite trope appears and drags on for far longer than needed - Is Cal the father of little Cami? I’m glad this wasn't the case and after a couple of chapters of the man having a meltdown about impending fatherhood, we finally moved on.
But, am I the only one who thought we were going to be traumatized in finding out that Cami was actually Cal’s from a blacked-out encounter with Lana’s addict sister in a one-night stand of ultimate betrayal? We heard Cal mention over and over how she looked just like him, it got in my head. I was sick with worry that we were going to find out that truth bomb when the sister showed up randomly asking for cash.
Maybe I’ve been watching too much daytime TV prior to this book review.
The story was chock-full of plot points that muddled up an already long book. Let's play Trope bingo:
The small town (hates Cal for breaking Lana’s heart after dating her for a couple of months one summer 6 years ago)
Bakery dreams but no dough
Girl down on her luck
Single mom
Second chance romance
Car breakdown at worst possible moment
Billionaire love interest
Fairy Godmother (AKA Rowan)*
*Lana is SUCH a good baker that billionaire basically brother-in-law Rowan just so happens to LOVE her cake recipe and gives her millions of dollars to become a consultant at Dreamland, only when she can fit flying to work into Cami’s school schedule of course. Money problems solved!
There were a lot of elements in this story that were there to solely drive the love story along in the direction the author wanted it to go. There are literally no other lodging options for Cal other than the convenient guest house on the property, really? The guy is a billionaire, he could helicopter in daily if he wanted to.
Actually, Cal grew on me as a character in some regard. He was really thoughtful when he was sober and for all the hell that all the other characters put him through he never lashed out. He was so sweet with Cami and grew into his role as a parent quickly and wholeheartedly.
Cal's addiction took over the whole book and made it feel as though the romance was a secondary plot. That would have worked in a darker subgenre but it wasn’t what I signed up for. Obviously from prior books, I knew of his problems going into this last one, but since he does not go to rehab until the last 80% of the book, his addiction reads as the sole villain of the story.
There was a big disconnect between Cal the drunk who has daddy issues and can't seem to get out of his own way and the super sexy MC Lana gets hot and heavy with. I spent so much time feeling sorry for him that I wasn’t able to see him as an attractive love interest.
Like Cal, Lana expresses a lot of self-pity throughout the book, and both their depressing inner monologues made it difficult to remember whose point of view each chapter was. Her life seems to revolve around her daughter, not in a healthy way. Though she is portrayed as this strong woman when we first meet her, she is codependent and does not have much of a personality outside of being a martyr.
Compared to the beginning where everything drags on, the ending was rushed! It was laughingly predictable when Lana heard bits and pieces of the will’s stipulations at the birthday dinner, as was the drama that followed. For the huge breakdown she had about Cal using her and this was the last time she let him break her heart, Lana sure did forgive him quickly once he was back from a 30-day rehab. None of the reasons for her hesitations in getting back with him had disappeared, but apparently, it was time to wrap it up.
Final Deal is the third and final book in the Dreamland Billionaires series. The plot line of three brothers jumping through hoops to inherit their grandfather's fortune and controlling the majority of the company board threads throughout all of the books. We finally got to the conclusion of the inheritance, and I was not disappointed. The final run-in with Rowan, Declan, Cal, and their asshole father was a mic-drop moment. A tiny, minuscule part of me did wish there was some redemption arc for their father, I could have sworn it had been hinted at the end of Declan's book, but the man was such a terrible person I’m not all that sad about how everything turned out.
There were a lot of pop culture references in the book that made me smile.
Granted, the whole book is based on a place called “Dreamland” with a theme park streaming service, princesses, etc. Cal’s “anything for you” catchphrase - just call him Wesley! And those sly references to Encanto, I see what you were doing there Ms. Asher.
Overall, I liked the Dreamland Billionaires series and recommend it to anyone who loves quirky women, billionaires who need to be taken down a notch or two, and family drama that keeps you coming back for more. The characters are interesting, the books are well thought out and the author has a writing style that is easy to dive into. Rowan’s book "The Fine Print" was my favorite, followed by Declan's book "Terms and Conditions" and then this one with Cal, "Final Deal".
Tropes and Themes: Second Chance, Single Mom, Addiction, Contemporary Romance, Billionaire, Forced Proximity.
Blurb
Callahan
I’m the Kane brother everyone gossips about behind closed doors.
Trust fund brat. Washed-up athlete. High-functioning alcoholic.
No one knows the real me but her.
Lana Castillo—my childhood best friend and the only woman I ever loved.
When I broke her heart six years ago, I promised to never return to Lake Wisteria.
I kept my word until my grandfather’s will changed everything.
To receive my inheritance, I was tasked with spending a summer at the family lake house before selling it.
The request was simple in theory until my entire plan blew up on the very first day.
Turns out Lana doesn’t just live at the house, but she claims to own it, too.
Alana
Falling in love with Callahan Kane was a mistake.
He told me so before destroying my heart and our friendship six summers ago.
When he promised never to come back, I foolishly believed him.
But then Cal showed up again, intending to sell his grandfather’s lake house.
The biggest flaw in his plan?
My name is on the deed.