She holds the cards, but he doesn’t want to play her games…

Clay Nichols can’t get Julia Bell out of his mind. He’s so drawn to her, and to the nights they shared, that he can’t focus on work or business, only her. And she’s pissing him off with her hot and cold act. She has her reasons though – she’s trying to stay one step ahead of the trouble that’s been chasing her for months now, thanks to the criminal world her ex dragged her into. If only she can get out of the mess she’s in then maybe she can invite the man who ignites her back in her life, so she can have him – heart, mind and body.

He won’t take less than all of her, and the full truth too. When he runs into her again at her sister’s wedding, they have a second chance but she’ll have to let him all the way in. And they’ll learn just how much more there is to the intense sexual chemistry they share, and whether love can carry them well past the danger of her past and into a new future, after this night…

But will further secrets break their fragile bond and ruin any progress they made?

It was told in both points of view giving us a window into their fears, secrets, and feelings. It was funny, intense, sweet, sexy, exciting, swoony, frustrating, and heart breaking at times. They had amazing chemistry and intense passion. There were many hurdles both internally and with the world around them. There was intrigue due to the  issues they were dealing with.  And location alone provided one big complication. But I loved this convoluted journey with Clay and Julia and all of its twists and turns, and trying to figure out how it was all going to end up.

After This Night was the perfect ending to Clay and Julia’s story. It was hot, with a great balance of emotional ups and downs. 

Clay, Clay, Clay. Once again, I loved everything about him. Pretty sure I’ve drooled over him enough so I’ll keep it simple here. Finally, we see him move past the hurt he faced in the past to cause him to be so hard-lined about Julia’s secret. But the direction he ran with that change (and Julia’s news) shocked me completely and brings up a whole new challenge.

The emails between Clay and Julia were great, honest windows into what each was thinking and feeling, and as the case in emails, often shared things they may not have opened up about if they were speaking in person. But when they were in the same room, there were times I wanted to shake them for their lack of communication. Especially because as adamant as Clay was about having no secrets between them, this time it was HIS secret that caused trouble. 

This was all about the tension and the “can we make this work.” There were lines crossed, lies confronted, and consequences considered by both. Both characters shocked me at several times throughout the story. What I thought would be a clearcut, straight shot to happiness storyline was anything but. 

I am impressed with the amount of interconnected characters in all of Lauren’s series: Julia (Seductive Nights Series) to McKenna (Trophy Husband), Michelle makes appearances in Playing With Her Heart and No Regrets, Cam in No Regrets and Seductive Nights. These characters appear in Clay and Julia’s story in such a way that each time an individual appears as a cameo or supporting role, it feels just as natural as it did when they were front and center, or in Cam and Michelle’s cases, their inclusion is so smooth it doesn’t jump out as a forced character reference. I hesitate to admit that I didn't connect the dots to Cam's identity until nearly the end of After This Night, and though I recognized who she was in relation to her brother so knew we had previously met Michelle, I didn't catch that she was also in No Regrets until I saw a casting that mentioned her role in that series. 

These three books were such fun to read, both for the steam factor and the storyline itself. Lauren Blakely has once again created fun, real-life characters that transport me to another world and leave me wondering what they’re up to even when I’m not buried in her books.