I never thought my perp walk would lead to true love.Then again, I never thought I’d be arrested on RICO charges and hauled away in zip ties on camera for the world to see, minutes after closing the most amazing deal of my career.And all of it in front of my biggest rival, billionaire wunderkind Ian McCrory.I am broke.I am disgraced.I am alone.I am a sucker.But the worst part? I have to go back … am a sucker.
But the worst part? I have to go back to my hometown and live in my bedroom filled with relics from my childhood.
Lisa Frank never made me so mad before.
Just when I needed a rescue, I got one — in the form of help from my biggest rival.
He can’t bring back my money.
He certainly can’t bring back my reputation or my pride.
But there’s one thing he can bring back to me.
A sense of hope.
Maybe even love.
Ian sees something in me no one else does, and he’s relentless about making me see it, too. As we grow closer, I’m starting to see that while my entire life used to be a lie, the truth is staring me in the present — and it’s a truth I like very, very much, hot eyes and gorgeous smile and all.
But I have to be careful.
I can’t be too —
That’s right.
Hasty.
The final book in the USA Today bestselling Do-Over Series (Fluffy, Perky, Feisty), as Mallory’s sister, Hastings “Hasty” Monahan gets her turn at a happily ever after that starts off with an arrest.
Hers.
And ends with a surprisingly cheesy happily ever after.
more
3.5 stars
Totally unexpected! This is Hasty’s story and the conclusion to the Do-Over Series. I am keeping my review brief so it does not spoil the story. We get to see the usual crowd (Mallory, her parents, Will, Perky & Parker, Fiona & Fetch, Raul, along with a few new characters.
I was not expecting Hasty’s story. The turn it took was a complete surprise. I didn’t like Hasty in the previous books. She was elitist, snobby, and rude. I wondered how Julia could possibly redeem this character. Well, ladies, she does it and does it well! This was a very enjoyable read. The action begins right from the start and takes you on an emotional ride you don’t want to get off of. This book was heavier than the previous books (in my opinion) and has more angst but still has lots of laughs. One of the only things that would have made it better for me, is if it were told in dual POVs. I wanted to hear more from Ian so that I could understand where he was coming from. Also, there were parts of the story that were a little too similar to what happened in previous books. This was still a good read and has the feels I like in a book. There were many LOL moments. Hasty and Ian had great chemistry and I liked them together. I would say that Hasty was my favorite book in the series. I recommend reading it.
***ARC received in exchange for an honest review.***
A story of the fall from Grace and fighting to find your way back.
Hastings is on top of the world. She and her husband are big names and players in the financial world. After eight years of marriage, Hastings still works to keep ahead of the game and keep her name in the lime-light and works very hard to get her own deals and prove to her husband that she is just as good at her job. She’s a go getter and always working to stay on top of her career and make money. One incident in her life will bring everything she knows crashing down around her and she will have to rebuild her life and will find herself in the process.
Ian is a well-known billionaire and works in the financial world just like Hastings and her husband, Burke. He has been attracted to Hastings for years and they have been rivals for years. The fall of Hastings will give Ian the chance he has been waiting for, but at what cost. He is also keeping a big secret from Hastings that could end their future before it goes any further.
I really enjoyed this story. It was funny, sad, and entertaining. I love the characters in this series and have enjoyed each of them. The women are funny, sassy, strong, and have each found their own troubles in this series. The men are strong, powerful, rich, and protective of their women and will do whatever they can to protect and keep their women safe and happy. This has been a great series and I give it a 4-star review. If you’re looking for a Rom Com this book and series is a great one to pick up.
This is the 4th and final book in this absolutely entertaining series and its Hasty’s book and one I have been looking forward to.
Hastings is Mallory’s (Fluffy’s) older sister and she has always come across as the older, snarky, judgemental person we all love to hate. The person who comes across as though she thinks she is better then everyone else. She has the perfect marriage and life until it all comes crashing down around her when she finds out none of it was real.
I loved seeing Hasty grow as a person, as all the airs and graces faded away. She still had her snark and lack of filter but she had more emotion.
I loved Ian, this sexy businessman steps in and helps Hasty when she needs it but she doesn’t understand why as he has been her rival, the man that pushes her buttons. I absolutely loved his borderline stalking/pursuit of Hasty, she really needed it, to have someone show her she mattered.
As always Julia has thoroughly entertained us with the brilliant wit, banter and dynamics with all the characters so once you start you will be hooked from beginning to end.
A
As I read each story in Julia’s Do-Over Series, I never connected with Hasty and wasn’t really looking forward to her story as I didn’t know how her attitude towards others and the world could be redeemed. But as I read Hasty’s story I received a better understanding of her and the insecurities she’d dealt with her entire life and by the end of the book I learned to appreciate her. Lots of laughs watching Hasty learn to appreciate her life and those around her.
Hasty is Mallory’s sister and is first introduced in Fluffy, Mallory’s Do-Over story, and is the final book in Do-Over series.
Thanks to the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
Having read the prior book in this series, Feisty, I was not at all prepared to like Hasty. She was described primarily as “Mallory’s evil older sister,” and pretty much came across as such. This time around, we see things from Hasty’s perspective, and get a real glimpse into her feelings and thought process. She is, admittedly even, something of a witch; but, rather surprisingly, she does generally have good intentions.
As her world is turned upside down, and she is forced to face some hard truths about herself, Hasty actually begins to grow and mature. Of course, there are a lot of stops and starts to her emotional journey; same as in her relationship with Ian. But, eventually, the good begins to outweigh the bad in both what life has to offer her, as well as what she puts into and takes out of it.
As always with an extended series, it is fun to see characters from the prior book(s), and learn what they are up to. The players in this series are quite unique and noteworthy in their own way. But they are really just background to the primary story between Hasty and Ian.
Actually, Ian himself doesn’t play much of a role in the story until close to the end. We do see him in fits and starts; and he provides some legal assistance to Hasty, a job when she needs one, etc. But mostly he’s not even around. And although he is continually professing his attraction and devotion to Hasty, he keeps leaving the scene, from a few hours to a few months. Their relationship supposedly continues to develop even in his absence, but we aren’t really privy to any of that, so it is hard to follow and even harder to buy into. Most of what we do see of Ian is good, although he does have his own insecure and immature moments. I definitely wish we had seen more of him though.
The writing, however, makes up for a lot of the flaws in the characters and storyline. It was just extremely well done. The tone and feel of this book was as different as night-and-day from Feisty. The author did a remarkable job of expressing the voice of this character, and she was far less annoying than the last heroine. I definitely want to read the first couple of books in the series in order to learn the stories of Fluffy and Perky, as well as get more of a feel for their characters.
Title: Hasty by Julia Kent
Genre: Romance
About the Book: Hastings (Hasty) is on top of the world signing a deal one minute and then the next her husband hasn’t answered in days and her cards get declined. He finally responds and she arrested. Her worst enemy vows to help her. But why?
Review: This book was very well written. I have not read the previous books in the series but the story gave enough detail that it was not needed. Characters and places were detailed to give you a real sense of what they might look like. The romance aspect was also beautifully done but wasn’t too cheesy.
Overall Rating (Out of 5 stars): 4 out of 5 stars
I really enjoyed the first three books in this series and since Hastings was present throughout, I went into this book not liking her very much.
Unfortunately, Hastings is Hastings. I didn’t find her meanness funny in the first three books so I don’t really find it funny in hers either. The other thing that really made me struggle with this book was Ian’s absence. I never built an investment in their relationship since he wasn’t around for about 80% of this book.
This was definitely more chick lit than the romance I was expecting.
The last in the series, this book is just as great and humorous as the rest. I love reading it and now my collection is complete. I don’t think that anyone who read a previous book in this series was a fan of Hastings “Hasty” Monahan but Julia Kent made us like her and maybe even root for her. A fun collection of reads.
Hastings (Hasty) had it all with a successful career in finance and with her husband until she ended up arrested and humiliated with no job or life. She pushed all her loved ones away due to her ambition and workaholic ways. Ian is her billionaire enemy in the same field and he wants to hire Hasty but she’s not sure she should trust him. Hasty goes through many growing pains as she becomes a stronger and better person. An interesting look into life, family and the balancing act you need to manage things. A good read.
Hasty is part of the do-over series. While this can be read as a standalone, knowing the back story of Hastings/Hasty’s backstory will make it an overall better read. However the one thing I feel like needs to be stated is that this is very much Hasty’s personal story not so much her relationship story. And I am not a fan. The book is really a story of Hasty’s person growth. The male lead is secondary to that.
Hasty’s story is very much in line with the other books of this series. The books are very much about the woman and their struggles to find themselves and be better, the romance is secondary. The stories are well written multi faceted and completely unique on their own.
Hasty is the story of Hastings (aka Hasty), a woman who has been so focused on her career that she’s let it overtake her life. Her relationships with her family are strained and her marriage has become all about the money. A financial scandal ends her marriage and leaves her reeling, Hasty is forced to rethink her life. Ian has been Hasty’s biggest rival in business, but he’s proven to be her biggest ally in life.
I really needed more Ian. This story is a fascinating mix of humor. This was not a super steamy sexy book like the others in the series. Ian is a part of the story from start to finish, but always in a supporting role. Due to large time hops and Ian not really being a full focus there leaves some major holes in their relationships.
This was a 3.5/5 read for me. It was very well written. Just not enough of the romance as I wanted. I would say this more of a Chic-Lit, journey of self-discovery with a romance to help along the way.
I’m not really sure what I was expecting out of Hasty’s book. I just knew that I needed to read it because I had so deeply loved the books that came before it. I probably should have, but I certainly never expected the woman we all loved to hate so much in those previous books to be a complex, vulnerable character with hopes and fears I could relate to. I hated the necessity of seeing Hastings brought so low, but she needed something with enough impact to shake her free of her bad attitude and worse behavior. I think it’s both a blessing and a curse to see this story from only Hasting’s viewpoint. I think I got to know her really well, but even at the end of the book, Ian remains a bit of an enigma to me. The one thing I was expecting was the humor, and the author did not disappoint me in any way shape or form on that front. This is probably not a book to read in public unless you’re comfortable with strangers looking at you oddly when you giggle-snort and belly laugh for no reason they can see. I kind of hate that it’s all over now.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book from the author.
Hasty was never one of my favorite characters.
Every series has that one all-knowing self-important family/quasi “not really a friend” friend.
The one that everyone just barely tolerates.
In the do-over series, it is Hastings.
Not that Perky doesn’t give her a run for her money, but that is a different story.
I wasn’t sure if there was any way to redeem her character. Deflate her ego you could say.
Never should have doubted Kent’s gift for writing.
Hastings world of glitter, glam, and name dropping are quite literally dragged out from under her.
*I want to note here that she still holds her head up high completely oblivious of the reality of her situation.
With nothing but her tarnished name, a semi-decent disguise and 700 bucks (thank you Feds) Oh and a, few wheels of cheese (yes there is a story here) she finds herself back home and the true horror for her is just beginning – GASP –
She finds she needs to depend upon others
For the first few chapters, Hastings is still the reigning champion bi*tch.
Slowly as reality sinks in and 10 miles becomes 20 –
she has to admit that she was never truly happy, satisfied.
She never had it all she only thought she did.
And that man who competed with her every move?
Is quite possibly the answer – not the problem
Get ready for an afternoon of laughter, heartache and Hasty decisions
What a great ending to this amazing series, this book is funny as expected, but also well written and entertaining. It starts out great becomes slow and steady for most of the book, then picks up the intensity again.
This story is full 0f returning characters to add to the back story as she manoeuvres through her new life. I wasn’t really a Hastings (Hasty) fan but that’s changed. I love the honesty of her friends and the changes she’s made to be a nicer person while still keeping true to her character. I felt really bad for her. The embarrassment and hurt she felt from Burke’s betrayal were deep. She is so determined to make it on her own, which I would expect from her, so I love the support she gets from her family and friends when it comes to doing something she really enjoys.
Ian was a confusing character at the beginning; I was always suspicious of him and his agenda. He was so persistent; I didn’t really feel the connection in the beginning, so I kept wondering why. I did enjoy their banter and his sexy, sweet, and protective personality.
This is the last in the series, could be read as a standalone, although you’d be missing some background information about Hasty and her friends, which I feel is important to the overall enjoyment of the story. I did feel it could’ve been longer since it skipped over a three-month period that I would have enjoyed reading about and then felt it rushed at the finish.
This series has been phenomenal so far, but I was a little apprehensive about Hasty’s story. Hastings Monahan is decidedly unlikable. She’s a know it all, too good for her home town, and she clearly thinks she’s better than anyone, including her family. But I guess that’s typical for someone who measures success by the number of business deals she’s closed and the size of her bank account.
Silly me, I should have had more faith in this clever, witty, talented storyteller. She not only knocked Hasty off of her self-made pedestal, but pretty much ripped Hasty to shreds and rebuilt a new and improved Hasty 2.0. This wasn’t just a fall from grace, but a crash and burn of epic proportions with a stunning phoenix rising from the ashes.
I love these characters so much! It didn’t take long for me to be 100% Team Hasty. Coming to understanding her deeper, more complex parts and watching her softer, more humble side emerge while not losing any of her drive and determination is as wonderful as it is rewarding. And Ian, gah! He’s the perfect mix of confidence, tenacity and heart of gold, and he and Hasty are absolutely perfect together.
With snappy dialog, loads of humor, crackling chemistry, and tons of heart, this book will brighten a cloudy day and lift a weary heart. Funny, sweet, insightful and inspiring, this one needs to go to the top of your TBR, because you won’t want to miss it!
This final book in the Do-Over series is bittersweet to me! I loved all these books and this final story of Hastings (the gal you loved to hate) and Ian was fabulous.
Ms. Kent has the writing chops to take a character that seemed to have no redeeming qualities in the previous books and brought your thinking around. Not only did Ms. Kent make Hasty redeemable, but also admirable.
Ian is just a true knight in stellar armor! He is a financial wunderkind and likes to do things on the down-low. Like helping Hastings when she feels like there is no one left.
The sparks between Ian and Hasty are hotter than the hinges on hades gate! I loved the directness of both of them, it was refreshing to read.
I loved the twists and turns that this story took. This was a fast-paced read for me that I couldn’t put down until the end. And what a beautiful ending it was, to the story and to the series!
Hooked on Hasty.
Never has a book made me happy and sad at the same time. Happy to have read the story and laughed my pants off, but sad, because Hasty is the last of the ‘Do-Over’ series by Julia Kent. I’ve read the previous three books and each was clever, funny, and sexy in their own way.
Hasty took all that and ramped it up to full speed. I wasn’t sure if I’d like Hastings as she had come off as harsh and a stickler for rules whenever she appeared in Fluffy, Perky and Feisty but here we get to see exactly why she acts like that.
I laughed and cried with her as she tried to right all the wrongs that have suddenly beset her. Her arch-nemesis isn’t the man she believed him to be.
Ian McCrory is Hastings’ rival. They are both financial advisors and each chase the same clients. But when Hastings’s world of high living comes tumbling down, it’s Ian, not her absent husband who comes to her rescue.
Hastings certainly has a lot on her plate and needed help to find herself again. I enjoyed watching her become a better, more rounded person. I wish Ian could have played a bigger part in the overall story, but even so, this was a fun read that held my attention and let me forget my woes for a few short hours.
Ok I’m not sure why I liked this story but I did…I mean it started off really strong and I loved how much Hasty was putting up a tough front even though her world was collapsing. Ian was an enigma. Their relationship was a bit confusing at times but the slow burn worked for them and their love.
It was lovely seeing how Hasty gradually evolved into someone who she could love and respecte. And Ian did play a large role in that so maybe that’s my thing why I liked this story so much.
***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog***
This is the 4th and final book in this amazing series, and this is a fitting ending with the snarky elder sister we all loved to hate. Hasting has had an epic career failure which had tilted her work on its axes and ends up moving back home to her parents. Ian is a wealthy and successful rival businessman, who pushes Hastings with determination while he slowly pursues her. This is a beautifully written story which fun, humorous, and entertaining throughout. I was completely hooked and intrigued throughout this addictive page turner, and I cannot wait to read more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend for all.
I’m so sorry to see the end of the Do-Over series but what a wonderful ending it was. Hastings has always been referenced to in previous books because she flitted along the periphery of Mallory, Perky and Fiona’s lives since they were young. She was pretentious, wealthy, judgmental, snobby and well…a word that rhymes with witch. What happens when she is suddenly catapulted to the lowest of lows. She must now try to re-make her life with her hands tied behind her back. Little does she know, that friendship and help will come from some of the most unlikely places. Will our Hasty finally become more human? Julia Kent always brings us laughter and some of the weirdest things to look up lol…really? Rabbit milk? I’m still laughing.
Hasty is like learning that the evil stepsisters (or at least one of them) in Cinderella actually has a soul. It’s both surprising and a delight. As a connoisseur of happily ever afters, it is with a puffed up chest and pride gleaming in my eyes that I watch Hasty become a real person. I know I’ve mixed my fairytales. Prior to her becoming a real person, Hastings, or Hasty, was very much the evil shrew Cinderella’s stepsisters portray. Cold, callous, and very “w”itchy. However, as her heart grew 3 sizes in the course of this book (I know, now I’m throwing in Dr. Suess- so sue me!) Hasty went from wooden puppet to a real girl.
She became a friend and big sister instead of the one most likely to cut your heart out and eat it. [Wipes a proud tear from my tear] Hasty learned to live, live, and be happy. What more could you want!?!
Oh yeah, there’s that too! A smoking hot billionaire with an inability to let her wallow. This story starts with a perp walk and ends with a completely different kind.