The Last To Leave by Erica Lee is an enemies-to-lovers romance that shows how competitiveness can be sexy.
Nicole Dawson loves sports. In high school she was a stellar tri-athlete and was driven to beat her long-time rival, Courtney Fields. When high school ended, Nicole’s love of sports translated into her career and her memories of Courtney Fields faded with time. That is until her best friend’s engagement throws them back together.
Courtney hasn’t given Nicole a second thought since graduating. When her best friend, Fulton, tells her his plans to ask his girlfriend, Roberta, to marry him in paradise, Courtney is all for it and is happy to witness the special event, until she realizes Roberta’s best friend is Nicole Dawson and will be attending as well. Now Courtney hopes they don’t kill each other on the plane to their destination.
Eight years apart and they’re still able to get under each other’s skin. As their banter increases, so does their attraction. One night together on an island paradise isn’t so terrible, especially since they won’t see each other again until the wedding. But fate is funny, and soon Courtney and Nicole find out their rivalry springs a desire that won’t be extinguished so easily when they return to the mainland.
Will Nicole and Courtney channel their competitive energy into something more meaningful and lasting? Or are they destined to be lifelong rivals?
Pros And My Favourite Parts
What really impressed me was how Lee was able to allow the competitiveness between Nicole and Courtney evolve.
When these two women reunite, their memories of each other are colored by their mutual rivalry. They competed for different high schools, so they saw each other a handful of times during the year. So of course they only remember the snark, the banter, the aggressiveness towards each other when they played. They didn’t truly know each other then, and they didn’t want to know each other outside the competition.
Years later, they’ve obviously grown up, but their spirited exchanges are thriving. However, they’re more evolved, more mature. They’re in their twenties, successful and full of life. Their also thrown together for a few days during their best friends’ engagement, so they have no choice but to get to know each other in a way that they weren’t allowed back in high school. And the best way for them to do that is through competition, but healthier and without assault or bloodshed. This compulsion to outdo the other also ramps up their desire for one another that has nothing to do with getting the upper hand but all about winning the ultimate prize: each other’s hearts.
Cons And Heads Up
I really wanted to delete douche bag brother. Can we do that? Can you just delete a character that is obnoxious and you know is going to cause trouble?
The Conclusion
This was a really fun read. Lee does a great job of evolving the competition between Nicole and Courtney in a way that you can’t see their relationship succeeding without it. It’s healthy, it’s funny, and it brings out the best qualities in both women. If you’re looking for some romance, some laughs, and some downright fun moments with Nicole and Courtney competing, then you’ll definitely enjoy this book.
Excerpt from The Last To Leave by Erica Lee
Nicole lifted her eyes from her phone to sneak a peek at the girl to see if she was as cute as her voice. The first thing to catch her eye were long, muscular legs, perfectly tan and covered only by a very short pair of jean shorts. The girl’s arms were just as muscular, leading Nicole to believe that she must be an athlete, or at the very least, work out on a regular basis. Perfect wavy blonde hair rested just below her shoulders, and when she turned toward her, the most stunning green eyes met hers. She hadn’t seen green eyes like that since…shit.
She choked on her beer when she realized she was looking right into the eyes of none other than Courtney Fields. Courtney lifted an eyebrow and smirked as if fully aware of the fact that Nicole had just checked her out. “Nicole Dawson. It’s been a long time. You like what you see?”
Oh yeah. She had totally been caught. She held her beer up toward Courtney. “Ask me sometime when I haven’t been drinking.” She took another sip of her beer, then stared at it as she set it down, not willing to make eye contact again. “Pulling it kind of close, aren’t you? I’ve been here for over an hour already.”
“I’ve been here for over two hours. I had lunch at that restaurant over there.”
Nicole scoffed and shook her head. There was no way she was going to let Courtney somehow believe she was better because she got to the airport sooner. “That seems like overkill. The rule of thumb is to arrive two hours before your flight.”
“Technically, it’s three for international flights.”
“Whatever. At least I didn’t have to find ways to entertain myself for an extra hour.”
“I think you would have been just fine. You seem to be enjoying the view.”
Two could play this game. “You don’t seem to mind the view much either.”
Courtney scrunched up her nose, but continued to smile. “The view is fine. It’s the noise that’s too much for me.”
Those green eyes continued to stare into hers while Courtney finished the rest of her drink, then she turned around without another word. Nicole watched her walk away, the smile on her face growing even wider. Just like high school that girl could still get under her skin, but that little banter between them had almost been fun. Not fun enough to make her look forward to spending the next two weeks together, but enough to keep her from dreading it quite as much as she was before.
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Bits and Bobs
Publisher: Indie Author
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