1 New York Times bestselling author Abbi Glines returns to Rosemary Beach one last time in this highly anticipated finale. Spoiled. Selfish. Rich girl. Villain. Slut. As the Prada-clad bad girl of Rosemary Beach, Nan Dillon has been called every vile name under the hot summer sun. Some of her reputation is deserved–she’s never had to worry about anything but maintaining her perfect figure and … her perfect figure and splitting Daddy’s private jet with her brother, Rush.
But Nan is far from happy. Rush has another kid on the way and doesn’t have time to catch up with his sister. Grant, the last guy she truly cared about, chose to be with her half-sister, Harlow, instead of her. And Harlow, who has never gotten over the way Nan treated her when she first moved to town, remains distant.
So when Major asks her out, she jumps at the chance to date the gorgeous charmer. Though she doesn’t know much about the sweet-talking Texan, and though it’s clear he doesn’t want to be exclusive, dating him beats hanging out with vapid socialites or watching Netflix alone at home.
For a while, Nan deals with Major’s playboy ways, but after he burns her one too many times, she takes off for an impromptu wild weekend in Vegas. There, she meets Gannon, a darkly seductive and oh-so-dangerous businessman who knows exactly how to handle her.
With Major asking for a second chance and Gannon haunting her dreams, Nan has to decide who to give her heart to. But what she doesn’t realize is that these players are involved in a much bigger game–and they’re already two moves ahead of her.
more
Spoiled, promiscuous and superficial. This is the image everyone does of Nannete Dillon. In short, she’s just a selfish bitch. Nan has made the lives of her half brothers and his spouses a living hell. She only cares about the luxury, the money, the status and her perfect little body. Her life comes down to fun with cute faces, great comfort, travel, clothes and expensive meals. Would all this be enough to give her happiness?
Despite of wanting to kill Nan in a few moments in the previous books of the series, in the stories of Rush, Harlow and Mase, I knew her before she was born. As I began reading Rosemary Beach through the book of Kiro and Emily, I already knew some of the problems Nannete would face before she was even born. And being Georgianna Dillon’s daughter, we could not expect anything else from her other than what she has become: the selfish, futile bitch. However, I always knew there was something else.
While all the readers of the saga wanted to kill Nan, I understood her. And at sometimes I admired her. Yes, I’m a little fan of our villain. I do not agree with the many decisions and attitudes she has taken in previous stories. However, no one can deny that she is brave. It does not hide its failures, its discontents nor its displeasures. If on the one hand the spoiled bitch does not want to be contradicted, she also has the courage to make clear almost everything she thinks and feels. And that is something to be admired.
That way, reading your book for me was easy and interesting. Even more interesting when she learned that she would be involved with Major, the handsome young Texan scoundrel, with a model face and beautiful blue eyes. What no one expected was a third link in this plot. A link that makes the whole plot much more interesting. And literally on fire. It is Gannon’s presence that makes Nan question his choices in life and his real needs. And makes Major rock on the bases. Was Rosemary Beach’s mad, hot, unbalanced bitch able to snatch her heart and make him want a new life? Would Major Man enough to complete Nan?
I admit that Vegas is one of the parts of the book that I like the most. For Nan, this journey begins as an escape from her feelings for Major and her disappointments and ends up becoming an experience of reflection and self knowledge. Add to this trip a new character, a very well built tension and some spicy scenes at the Abbi Glines´s style.
It was fun, scary and engaging to read Nannete Dillon so bewildered about a man’s behavior. And also about herself. Your reactions and your thoughts. We see that her self-esteem is low or almost non-existent; after all, she thinks she is not capable of inspiring anything good in a man because she is not a pure and chaste virgin like her sister-in-law or her half-sister. She thinks that by the traumas she has gone through and by all the self-destruction she has spread around her, she is not enough.
Through the eyes of the man who will prove to be his soul mate, even those who do not like Nan, have the opportunity to see her and unravel her from another perspective, from other angles. See all that’s hidden underneath her Bad Girl attitude. All the self-defense and defense mechanisms she has surrounded herself with fear of being abandoned and wounded again.
The engrossing narrative of Abbi Glines, with some secrets, suspensions and hot scenes, as always is present and leads to a good end. With a transformation and loss perhaps not very believable. An unexpected family approach with slight changes in Nan’s behavior. A hasty decision that will lead our beloved villain to a beautiful end. And with a beautiful learning for us: there is always room for evolution in the human being and no matter how bruised or broken you are, just being yourself is enough. Facing life boldly. No fears and no masks.
Positive Points: Being able to see other sides of Nan and not just the bitchy, cow, venomous snake, futile and heartless side. To have access to their fragilities and the feelings that many believed she did not have. If the author’s intention was to humanize the character, at least with me, it worked.
In the end, the broken pieces fit together and our unlikely couple can realize that love makes everything enough, however pious the statement may seem. That people do not have to be perfect. Perfect couples are those who strive to understand and forgive the mistakes of the partner throughout the course of a life.
Negative points: The Major’s trajectory, this doubt I do or do not love Nan, I can or can not deal with her emotional problems, I want or do not want, I may or may not be the man she needs at some point in the book left me a little tired, I admit.
Some hot scenes in Vegas made me a bit uncomfortable at first. I am the kind of person who escapes from danger itself. I’d run out if someone told me they’d been arrested several times, even though the guy was cute. Contravention and crime are not aphrodisiacs for me.
There is a transformation in the end that I undestood, but I did not find it very believable. It was something like “I found out in my own death who I am and now I will live a whole diferent and full life.” I spent the book being an unscrupulous asshole and now I have discovered that this is a life I want for myself. I understand, I just do not know if I can buy this idea.
I really enjoyed “Up in Flames” by Abbi Glines. I’ve enjoyed the Rosemary Beach series from the beginning. Each book is so well written and the characters very engaging. I waited a long time for Nan’s story and it didn’t disappoint. The storyline for Nan was exactly what I’ve imagined. If you are a fan of this series, you need to add this to your collection. If you haven’t read this series, you need to do yourself a favor and start at the beginning. You won’t regret it.
Happy Reading…Enjoy!
I am sad that this was the last book in the Rosemary Beach series, but I think that Glines ended it perfectly and saved Nan for last. Nan has been through so much in this series, it was great to finally see her point of view and feel what she feels. This book gave me a soft spot for Nan, when I didn’t really like her the rest of the series. Cope was never a really big character in the series, so learning more about him and why he is the way he is also made this finale great. Even though this was my second time through the series, it was like the first time again. I really love how Glines makes you fall for specific characters with each book, yet they all tie together some how. This series is a must read for anyone that loves some heat mixed with Romance and danger at times.
Little Miss Abbi Glines saved the biggest bitch for last and BOY did she know what she was doing! All throughout this series we saw Nan in action and I did not ever want her to get her own book. But after only a few pages I was already softening to her. I consider that a miracle and a testament to the author’s ability to make you feel even when you don’t want to. The line that got me was when she said she wanted to be someone’s Harlow or Blaire. I went in expecting to be immersed in Nan’s past and learn more about why she is the way she is but instead was surprised with the love interest triangle and the mystery and action
the storyline brought. I’m sad to see the series end even though I think it’s possible a certain character could get his or her own book 😉 I think Cope summed it up best when he said that villains were created not born.
Nan has always seen as being nasty, but with what she’s been through she puts on a protective shell.
Thinking that she may have found what she was looking for with Major, until she realises that all he’s doing is using her and doesn’t want a commitment she heads to Vegas.
When in Vegas she meets Gannon, he makes her feels and take control away from her, which with everything that’s happened in her life if what Nan needs. Until Nan realises that he’s leaving and casting her aside like everyone else.
Nan start to dream of Gannon, yet they feel so real and decides to head back to Vegas to see if she can find him again and at least get some closure.
Between Major and Gannon, Nan starts to realise what she wants in her life and won’t settle after the realisation. Your given a lot of twists and turns waiting to see if Nan can finally get her happily ever after she deserves.
Ooooookayyyy. Hmmmmm. Yeah, I’m just going to go with this book was not from me. *sigh* Was this even the same Nan? You were a bitch because you’re misunderstood? Oh, okay than. Carry on.
I was excited to see her side, but I just lost interest about half way through. All the games with her between Major and Cope drove me crazy. I skimmed the rest just to finish it. I am glad she’s in a better place and she got her own HEA. I’ll just leave it with that.