Everything in my life has changed.This woman, my paid companion, has turned my world upside down … while making it right for the first time ever.We were brought together by need.Hers was money.Mine was companionship. And sex.Caitriona Louden gave me the girlfriend experience.All of it.And now she’s gone.I’m not supposed to miss her.I’m not supposed to love her.But I do. Both.Our contract expired, … supposed to love her.
But I do. Both.
Our contract expired, and she walked away.
Now my world is falling apart without her in it.
Because she is my everything.
A fairy-tale romance.
It’s ours to have.
And this woman I’ve come to love so dearly is my beautiful ever after.
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This was the second book in the Beautiful Illusions Duet which was filled with intrigue, suspense and passion that captivated from the beginning and never let up until the very end! Hutch and Lou were meant to be and neither would let anything stand in there way, especially a sister-in-law who THOUGHT she had a right to Hutch. Lou was sassy, fiesty and fearless, she was fighting for the love’s of her life, which made me love her even more. Hutch was fighting for what he wanted, a woman that brought him back to life and showed him what love truly meant. This conclusion was a beautiful fairytale kinda love that had me devouring this captivating unconventional love story!
This is Book 2 of the Beautiful Illusions Duet.
This is the continuing story of Maxwell (Hutch) & Caitriona (Cait, Lou). Something devastating happens to Lou and her best friend tells Hutch about it, bringing them back together. The love they share is very deep and I loved all the steamy scenes. Hutch’s ex sister-in-law is trying to break them up, but they are a formidable couple and won’t allow it. Lou becomes the power house with some help from her new friends, which are friends of Hutch’s. She takes care of the situation and all is well. I loved reading about their love story. I love anything that Georgia Cates writes. Looking forward to more of her books.
Thanks to my daughter she bought me this book so I could finish this story. It was a beautiful story and I really enjoyed it. I love how Lou and Hutch are such a perfect couple. I also really enjoyed when Lou let Blair have it and put her in her place.
I read the 1st book in the series, which left one dangling and unresolved, so I had to buy book #2. It is a winner!
Really enjoyed reading this book and looking to reading the rest in the series. I could’t put is down.
I enjoyed this book, I liked the characters and the story line.
I was SO excited for the conclusion to Hutch and Lou’s story. First off, that cliffy left us hanging on the edge of our seats. I’m super glad we really didn’t have to wait all that long for the conclusion. Holy moly, was it ever. Worth.The.Freaking.Wait. I loved Hutch and Lou before , but the author made them even more lovable in this book. What a transformation of Hutch from the man we first met at the Inamorata gala. It was a wonderful ride to watch this incredible 180 from the “anti-love and children” bachelor to what he ultimately becomes.. Now… We knew Lou, was sweet, but she has a sassy side of Cajun whoop yo a** in her too. I love this fierce ,protective side of her we see in this book. She helped to make Hutch into the man he becomes and in return she gets him and his family, a family that she has longed for ,for so long and is so deserving of. The story fusion part of this was so fabulous! I won’t give spoilers, I will just say that It was great to see some familiar faces we know and love. This story had some frustration to it with the whole “Blair Witch” situation. Love me some “what is happening moments?!” I hated that chick and couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen to ensure a HEA for our Hutch and Lou. You will have to read to find out how that whole thing went down. Last I will just say… This book is hot! Like hot like biscuits and gravy! I mean a hot Scott and home grown Cajun Cutie yep, totally hot.
This book needs all the stars
*I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest opinion.
*****Spoiler Alert – Do Not Read Unless You Have Read Eighty-One Nights *****
The conclusion of the Beautiful Illusions Duet is here! Here is my recap of Eighty-One Nights (book #1):
Caitriona Louden aka “Lou” and Maxwell Hutcheson aka “Hutch” have many things in common. Both have experienced heartbreak and loss. Both have had their trust broken. For these reasons they find themselves avoiding commitment. The only thing they don’t have in common is their financial status. While Hutch is wildly successful and wealthy, Lou is struggling. She is working incredibly hard to finish her degree at Uni. But her finances leave her desperate. So she makes a choice that will enable her to finish her schooling and move forward in life. She becomes an Inamorata….
“Having her is going to cost me. I know that. There’s never been any doubt in my mind about it. I’ll probably lose everything. And I don’t care. Having everything means nothing without her.”
“She is worth the fall.”
Georgia Cates does not disappoint! Beautiful Ever After is full of steamy moments, romantic gestures and a touch of angst! There is still some mystery and intrigue that carried over from Eighty-One Nights. The writing is beautiful and the sexy times are H.O.T.
“I was afraid to love her. Now, I’m more afraid to lose her.”
Lou is strong and loving. Hutch is an alpha who grew to become the man Lou needed him to be. His whole world and ideas changed after meeting and falling in love with Lou. Together they complete each other.
Georgia Cates writes amazing romantic stories. I wish she would write more because she is an absolute 1 click author for me! Also a special treat for those who have read the Sin Trilogy. We get a great dose of our favorite bad-ass ladies: Bleu, Shaw, Ellison, Westlyn and Lorna!
On a side note… Now, there are lots of kids in the picture…perhaps a spin off??? Love this Scottish world you have created and would love to read more of it!
4 steamy stars
#AuthorGeorgiaCates #Eighty-OneNights #BeautifulEverAfter #BeautifulIllusionsDuet #FusionStory #Sexy #Steamy #Romance #MustRead #LouAndHutch #Duet
Good
I have enjoyed several Georgia Cate’s book but this one was just so so.
I didn’t feel the strong emotional connection I’ve felt with some of her previous works.
Little angst, lots of sex, simple story line that was easy to figure out. Overall a nice simple read.
Oh my lord! I wish there were more than 5 stars! This is another amazing, fabulous, heartbreaking, sexy as hell book. Eighty-one nights (Beautiful Illusions #1) was incredible but Beautiful Every After just left me speechless! I felt each emotion of Lou’s pain, her heartbreak, her anger, loved her strength and mama bear devotion and toughness for her family to do what she had to do to ensure their well-being. Hutch’s alpha, overprotective, possessiveness of Lou completely makes up for his hesitation to admit his love for her in book 1. His thoughts about Lou, whether he’s thinking about her or while he’s making love to her are damn sexy and hot as hell as well! I love, love, love Georgia Cates writing and her books and this is just one more brilliantly written story to love!
Georgia Cates is a relatively new author to me. I was intrigued when I read the blurb for this duet.
Maxwell (Hutch) Hutcheson is reeling from the fact that Caitriona Louden walked away from him after their contract ended.
Neither of them had expected the connection between them and yet the flames burned bright between them. I was drawn to both these characters and Ms.Cates style of writing drew me in and kept me entertained throughout the story.
Despite her feelings for Hutch, Lou is determined to move on. However, she doesn’t count on Hutch’s determination and yet he cannot help wanting to find her.
This story is all about the strength of the love between Hutch and Lou and fighting against those who would keep them apart.
I admired Lou’s strength and determination and the love that Hutch has for her was heart warming.
Beautiful Ever After will tug at your heart strings and in my opinion is a fitting conclusion to the love story that is Hutch and Lou.
This duet is appropriately named since Hutch and Lou’s relationship started as an illusion which turned beautiful. This book picks up where Eighty-One Nights left off, i.e. the expiration of the original contract between the two. Though their parting was more abrupt than either of them planned due to some interference from the antagonist, both Hutch and Lou are miserable without the other. Because the story is told from a dual point of view, we know Lou is staying away to protect Hutch and his daughter. Hutch, on the other hand, needs to tap his memory and do some sleuthing to find Lou since that’s an alias she used while she was an escort for Inamorata.
He eventually finds her, convinces her they are strong together to try and fight the antagonist who seemingly has them boxed into a corner. Now that Lou has had a taste of the family she wants, the tiger mom in her reaches out to new friends for their help.
The first book in the series focused more on their budding relationship, where this story, provides more character depth to see if they can overcome the odds to reach their beautiful ever after. Loved the epilogue!
The conclusion to the Beautiful Illusions duet, this picks up straight after book 1 so make sure you have read this first.
Lou and Hutch’s agreement has come to an end with Lou being threatened and forced to leave Hutch, doing what she thought was best for him. But it becomes clear just how much Hutch has fallen for Lou and he just cannot imagine life without her and sets about trying to win her back. Problem is he has no idea who she really is and has no personal details to go on. Lou is just as broken hearted but has severed all communication in an attempt to move forward and get on with her life without Hutch, the man she fell in love with.
Hutch tries everything he can to find her, when they eventually reunite it is under bittersweet circumstances that has a shattering effect on their lives, but is also the catalyst that brings them back together again. Hutch’s family is thrilled that him and Lou are a couple again, but Hutch’s sister Blair will not stand idly by and watch Lou take everything she wants away from her, namely Hutch.
They have a bit of a roller coaster of a ride, enjoying time with Hutch’s family whilst battling against Blair in an attempt to keep their little family together. Hutch and Lou’s love for one another shines through in this book, with Hutch bending over backwards to do anything he can for Lou. But Lou herself steps up with the help of some new friends and decides Blair has gone far enough.
A good read which ties up all the loose ends from book 1 and rounds the duet off nicely. Recommended reading.
A broken heart isn’t always easy to mend. For Cait – the loss of walking out on Hutch is overwhelming. With the ability to achieve her dream of finishing college, Cait knows that her arrangement with Hutch was life altering. The reality of losing the person that warmed her heart seems to be harder to overcome that Cait can bear, but she knows that there is no risk too high to keep Hutch and his daughter free from harm.
Nothing could have prepared Hutch for the longing in his heart for Cait. Determined to find her at any cost, Hutch decides to incorporate all avenues in his quest. When Hutch finally discovers where Cait has been ‘hiding’ the secrets surrounding her departure devastate his soul. In spite of all the risks that Hutch will face by having Cait in his life, he can no longer ignore what his heart is screaming. Love is the only thing that will bring these two back full circle, but at what cost?
Beautiful Ever After is the second installment in a duet by Georgia Cates. The heartache that Hutch and Cait are feeling is the fuel that ignites the events in this novel. Love is often times full of heartache, and this couple will experience their fair share. What readers will discover on this journey is a bit of a predictable story plot, but one that is enjoyable. Cait and Hutch deserve their happily ever after. The only question is what sacrifices will be made to find that monumental love?
Maxwell is a wealthy Scottish businessman. Cait “Lou” is a college student needing money. The two had an arrangement for sex and companionship but things turned and ended. Cait is trying to move on after being threatened and leaving Max. Maxwell is no longer the man Cait first met. He is trying to find Cait and show her how in love he is with her. This is a wonderful conclusion to the Beautiful Illusions Duet.
As always, Georgia Cates delivers a steamy romance that also has a swoony couple, some intrigue, great characters and a lot of heart. This is the second in the duet, so don’t start it without reading Eighty-One Nights first!
I love Lou and Hutch. They are a couple to envy and aspire to. They feel very real, and their love and life are wonderful to watch unfold! It’s nice to visit with old friends from other series as well, and get that splash of drama and revenge that is particular to Ms. Cates.
I always recommend her stuff! It’s always entertaining and spicy and fun to read!
I loved the first book in this duet. I was utterly taken with the romance between Hutch and Lou, and I had really high hopes for the conclusion. It pains me to say that I was disappointed. I thought everything was set up so well in the first one and then it fell apart in the second. I still loved the romance between the two, but I wasn’t satisfied with the sister-in-law subplot, and there were a bunch of characters who showed up very close to the end. I think it would have been more exciting if they had made an appearance sooner and had more to do. As it was, the story just ended kind of…eh. That being said, Hutch is a book boyfriend to swoon for, and I’d like to see him even as a secondary character in future books. This review was written based on a complimentary digital ARC.
4.5 Stars
Beautiful Ever After picks up immediately after Eighty-One Nights ends, and we see just how heartbroken both Hutch and Lou are. Luckily we don’t have to wait too long for them to reunite, but the events from book 1 ensure their journey to a happily ever after is anything but smooth.
Unfortunately, Blair isn’t the only obstacle they need to overcome, and it’s actually a devastating event that brings them back together. Their love and commitment are truly put to the test throughout this book, but they come together and fight to prove that their relationship can withstand anything.
I loved watching not only Hutch & Lou’s relationship grow, but the relationships between Hutch & Ava Rose, Lou & his family, and Lou & her new friends. Family is an integral part of this story and the way they all come together when someone is in need plays out beautifully. Each character grows in their own ways as well, and I loved seeing Hutch become more “human” and heartfelt, while Lou grew a backbone and officially became the strong woman that she was all along.
This duet was highly emotional and filled with angst, and I absolutely loved it! Georgia Cates definitely didn’t disappoint with this conclusion, giving Hutch and Lou the perfect ending to their story.
The perfect conclusion to the duet.
Eighty-One Nights ends with a cliffhanger and this book immediately continues from there.
I loved this book because the character of Caitriona “Lou” just shines more in here. She is so strong and pretty badass in here as she fights what comes in between her and her loved ones.
Hutch also, you can see how he changed from the previous book to this one. It shows how Lou had impact in his life. He’s this sweet guy who just sweep you off of your feet.
And the ending was just so sweet. I’m in love!!
4 stars for – Beautiful Ever After – book two in the Beautiful Illusions Duet by Georgia Cates. You must read book one – Eighty-one Nights – prior to reading this in order to have an understanding of what exactly is happening. Fans of Ms. Cates will recognize a plethora of beautiful faces in this second book and cheer on all their familiar antics when it comes to protecting the ones they love.
When we last left Edinburgh things weren’t looking too good for Lou and Hutch with outsiders trying to reek havoc in their lives. Lou is heartbroken and poor Hutch is confused yet more determined than ever to get to the bottom of Lou’s sudden desertion. All the mysteries and questions are answered and retribution is delivered in the most exacting ways.
This book was not as heavy on the sexy times as book one having the relationship “issues” more front and center but I did not find it lacking at all. I laughed, cried and swooned finding Hutch just as endearing in this book as I did in the first. Do yourself a favor and read this duet today!