Cowboy Cal Hayden has loved Rachel Gray practically since the first time he set eyes on her. But Cal’s a careful, responsible man who knows better than to start a relationship before he can give it his all. He bided his time while caring for his family through his father’s terminal illness. Now his father is gone and his mother is settled, but has Cal waited too long to make his move?Find out … move?
Find out more about these friends of the Bradens in LOVE AT LAST, and catch up with many of your favorite Love in Bloom characters, including much-anticipated news about babies for the Bradens in Trusty, Colorado!
If this is your first introduction to the Bradens, please note that this is a flirt not a full-length novel. Like all Love in Bloom books, flirts are written to stand alone, so jump right in and enjoy the fun, sexy, and emotional ride.
What is a Flirt?
The Love in Bloom big-family romance world has become so widely enjoyed, I have been asked by thousands of readers to write the stories of our beloved side characters. While I couldn’t possibly fit in writing full-length novels for each of them while maintaining my normal publication schedule, I’ve created flirts. Flirts cover twenty-four to forty-eight hours of two side characters’ lives on their path to their happily ever after, while also updating readers about their favorite main characters. Flirts vary in length and heat levels. I hope you love these quick, fun, sexy stories as much as I enjoy writing them.
If this is your first Love in Bloom story, then you have a whole series of loyal, sexy, and wickedly naughty heroes and smart, sassy heroines to catch up with. The characters from each family series within the Love in Bloom world cross into other family series and make appearances in future books so you never miss an engagement, wedding, or birth. Visit Melissa’s website for free Love in Bloom reader goodies such as series checklists, publication schedules, and family trees.
Read the Rest of the Love In Bloom Series:
Snow Sisters
The Bradens at Weston
The Bradens at Trusty
The Bradens at Peaceful Harbor
The Bradens at Pleasant Hill
The Remingtons
The Ryders
Seaside Summers
Bayside Summers
Wild Billionaires After Dark
Bad Billionaires After Dark
Harborside Nights
The Montgomerys
The Whiskeys & Tru Blue
more
Rachel Gray is getting frustrated. Cal Hayden may be too late. This may be a sweet romance but that doesn’t mean you won’t need to keep your fan handy. I felt like a Southern woman back in the day that would fan herself and say “Lordy!” – possible film reference here. I also felt like I needed to buy or make a pie – that’s all I’m going to say on that subject. You’ll just have to read the book for yourself.
I knew this was going to be short going in but I was still left with my mouth hanging open – now what! Then I turn the page and go “aw!” I have yet to read all the Bradens of Peaceful Harbor so I will have to see which book or books coincide with the secondary characters here so I know which one(s) to read next. Our author is always finding new ways to entertain us and I can’t wait to see where she’s going to take us next.
I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Nice read. Cal and Rachel was a long time waiting. Love the quick sweet read. Wanted it to be longer but still a great read. Love the series.
just finished.. it was food. but I like more story like in the other series. Didn’t talk about other characters as much
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Avid Reader –
3.5 stars
M/F Romance
This is a sweet, short story about two people who are dancing around their attraction and finally are able to see that they belong together. It is a cute story where you get to see the culmination of their flirting and attraction.
Cal and Rachel’s interactions have been flirtatious for months. Rachel believes that they could be happy, but because Cal has never made his move, Rachel has decided that she needs to move on.
When Cal sees a new resolve in Rachel, he knows that he needs to make his move or lose her forever.
Seeing these two come together and how much their friends love them is sweet. It’s a quick read for anyone wanting to see a happily ever after.
Ruthie –
This is a very sweet and sexy read – and gives fans of the main series a wonderful catchup of how everyone Braden is getting along in Trusty, Colorado.
Cal and Rachel were fated to be together, but Cal has been too busy with work and family to give her the attention he wanted to, so she has been thinking maybe he didn’t really care at all. Surrounded by mutual friends who are just waiting for it to happen, we soon understand that Cal is about to make a move.
Once they do finally talk to each other seriously, it is from 0 to 60 in no time at all, but one could hardly see it as being too fast, given the foundation built over many years. I love that they can be so open and direct with each other at last – it is refreshing and utterly enchanting, as well as hot as sin!
I love Ms. Foster’s writing style, so getting a short treat in between longer novels is a great way of getting a Foster fix!
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Love at Last (The Bradens at Peaceful Harbor #6.5) by Melissa Foster to read and review.
Love at Last features Cal Hayden and Rachel Gray. It’s a fast -paced friends to lovers novella set in Trusty, Colorado.
The sexual tension between Cal and Rachel sizzles from the first page of the novella. Cal flirts out outrageously with Rachel and it’s apparent that he is very interested in her. Rachel flirts back but wonders why Cal hasn’t asked her out. Loved the smart, sexy dialogue between Cal and Rachel when they were selecting the scents for their candles. Cal was determined to make his move and it was so much fun reading how he captured Rachel’s attention and her heart!
“Everything about you matters, darlin’, and your big heart is only one of the reasons you’ve captured mine.”
Melissa Foster delivers a fabulous character driven romance in Love at Last. Enjoyed the couple’s connection, passion and the romance. Loved the scene where the couple danced to Brett Young’s “In Case You Didn’t Know”: it was perfect, sexy and oh so romantic! The novella is a standalone read. I have not read any of the full length novels in the Trusty series and connected to this couple immediately. The shorter length format worked for me because I could read the novella in one afternoon and meet some of the characters in the Trusty, Colorado series.
Looking for a beach read—pick up Love at Last! Rachel and Cal’s passionate story will touch your heart!
I love this flirt, and what a great thing to call it! I love that it was a quick read that caught up with past characters but also gave you the romance you came to expect from Ms. Foster. Cal and Rachel are so much fun and have an amazing connection. This makes me want to go back and read all the other books by Ms. Foster.
OMG this was the sweetest story. I just absolutely adore Cal & Rachel! I love the timing of his declaration of love to Rachel and just feel that it was so amazing and swoon worthy. It was also very nice to catch up a bit with some of the Bradens. I can’t give anything away but something so incredibly precious and sweet comes at the end of this story it will make your heart swell and your smile grow so wide.
I do believe I’m going to like getting these Flirts from Melissa Foster!! All that good stuff packed into a quickie lol !!!
What a fun quick read. There has been an attraction for a while between Cal and Rachel, and now it’s time for them to get their HEA. I’m going to start off by saying if you haven’t read any of Love in Bloom: The Bradens at Peaceful Harbor you can still read this book. Melissa Foster writes all of her books so that they can be read as part of the series or a standalone. This is a Flirt, which means that the couple involved was not scheduled to have a book for themselves but because of us, the readers, wanting to know more about secondary couples and seeing them get their HEAs we are treated to a novella sized story that covers just a day or two in their lives that will give us what we crave.
Cal and Rachel have been lusting after one another for a while but Cal has taken his time in pursuing things with Rachel, he wanted to wait until he could devote his full attention to her because he knew that she was the one that he wanted to be with for the rest of his life and he had a feeling she felt the same way. Cal had been caring for his terminally ill father and then after his passing he needed to make sure things with his mother would be okay. Once his family obligations were tended to he was ready to take the gloves off and go after what he wanted.
I really enjoyed the chemistry between Rachel and Cal and while it may seam that it was instalove it really wasn’t because these two did have time to become friends first and had been around one another for years. If you are looking for a great quick read I would recommend you giving this flirt a try, I can bet once you finish it you’ll be wanting to get to know all the Bradens. Happy Reading!
**I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book**
Rachel Gray has been yearning for the hot sexy cowboy Cal Hayden since the first time she laid eyes on him. Cal has been hot for Rachel for a long time but he needed to have his life in order before he felt ready to go beyond the flirting stage to claiming the beautiful Rachel as his own.
When the two finally come together it’s like they were always meant to be together and they feel like they have already been a couple for years; it’s simple and they are like to piece of a puzzle finally fitting in together.
This is the first “Branden Flirt” short story and I loved it! It’s a light, quick read but still filled with Melissa Foster’s passion for her characters and tons of emotions. I was thrilled to get a peek into the Braden’s world and see how their lives are evolving!
Novels, Novellas and now Flirt’s (short stories); Melissa nailed it!!!
Cal and Rachel are characters in previous stories from Melissa who have been eyeing each other for some time and needed to have their HEA. But Cal needed to get his head on straight and his life in order before he’d make a move. Super lucky he didn’t wait a minute longer because Rach was just about done with the waiting. I loved catching up with everyone and finally seeing them FINALLY get together. Yeah, the “I Love Yous” feel like it happens fast, BUT, if you remember from past books, they’ve been tip toeing around each other for a while, so it’s really not as fast as it seems. And when you know you know, right?
Just because it’s a short story doesn’t mean it’s lacking in the flirty, sexy hotness. I’ll be honest, I’m not a huge fan of novellas and short stories because either the story ends in a massive cliffhanger, there isn’t any character depth, or it’s just missing key elements. Rest assured, this story is a perfect Melissa-style story, only on a smaller scale. A Flirt. (Cute description, btw!)
Love at Last is a quick read and is meant to be read in addition to Melissa’s Trusty, Weston, and Peaceful Harbor Bradens. If you’re caught up with the Bradens you’ll be a happy fan when you meet back up with them, their families, and their friends.
P.S. Marge needs a Flirt!!