Domination

Night Call by Jessica Hawkins is the second book in her Night Fever series.

So, they took the deal. Johnny and Lola agreed to have Lola spend one night (Sunup to sundown) with Beau in exchange for $1,000,000. Can their relationship survive this night? The cost of purchasing the bar has gone up from $500,000 to nearly $800,000 already eating into their hefty deposit from Beau. If they want to renovate and make the changes they've planned they'll need more money.

Beau left an open invitation to have another night with Lola. Same deal. But she is still having a hard time coming down from the gamut of emotions that Beau made her feel about him, about herself, about her sexuality. She is beginning to resent Johnny and his overly laid-back attitude. He practically pushed her out the door towards Beau and is now wavering between aloof and angry.

What will happen if/when Lola takes the deal? Can she survive another night with Beau with her emotions so out of control where he is concerned. What secret is Beau hiding from her and how will she react when she finds out.

This book was explosive. Can't wait for more.

Great from start to end

I rarely rate books, unless they are truly really good. This series is...exceptional. The main plot is, of course, somewhat implausible (duh, fiction) but Jessica Hawkins makes it believable. The pacing is perfect, the writing it not overworked or overly dramatic, no big gaps or leaps, no high drama just for the sake of drama, but realistic and perfectly set angst as the characters, and the dynamics between them, develop. I rarely *love* characters to the point where I am genuinely cheering and hoping for the best for them, thinking about them when I’m not reading their story, even though I know they’re fictional; but these characters, I do. Jessica Hawkins has done an exceptional job creating and developing characters that, like the writing, are not overly worked or overly dramatic. There’s no lengthy, granular inner monologues to slog through, just enough and just the right way to move along with the character as they grow. I am sad I’ve only just discovered her work, but I am a sold-out, all-in fan. She has a gift. This is far from the darkest, or “hottest” story where every chapter has a cut-and-paste sex scene; what is there in the story is entirely engaging — the story is the story — and that is very, very hard to find in this genre. Truly love this series. I have a very short list of favorites and this is cemented at the top. Jessica, thank you for sharing your writing and your stories. I can barely wait to consume your other series.

Edit to add: I wrote this review before I finished the book and I should have waited, not because I would change my review but because ... oh. my. god.

Skipped the preview of the next book at the end because take my money I want the whole thing RIGHT. NOW.

I can’t tell where the series is going, which I usually can and if I enjoy it enough I’m just waiting for the author to get there. Not so with these books. And I don’t know which potential outcome I want more. I love Lola, love this series. Again, Jessica Hawkins, exceptional job.