About Last Night

by Ruthie Knox

[Cocktails and Books]

Mary Catherine (Cath) Talarico is working on keeping her good girl lifestyle. She done with being bad and making the worst mistakes possible. She keeps to herself and works towards her sole goal to find a job as a museum curator. But when a blind date (used as blackmail to obtain a piece for a museum exhibit) results in too much alcohol, a Patsy Cline serenade that brings memories of her mother and a drunken decision to go home by herself lands her in a stranger's apartment, she figures bad girl Cath has dropped by for a visit.

Forced into the family business, Neville (Nev) Chamberlain has been attempting to live his own life within the confines of the family noose. He bought his own flat (building) where he can paint and live outside of the constant glare of his mother. When he runs across a drunk version of the beauty he sees every day in the park and the tube station, his attempt to help her ends up with her at his flat for the night. From that night on, Nev's life changes forever.

Cath is running from her past and hoping that by living a solitary life she'll make up for her past sins. The problem for Cath comes from the fact that with Nev, she can be both bad and good Cath. For her, she has to be one or the other and doesn't want to accept that it's ok that she's still a little bad when it's appropriate (and honestly, who wouldn't want to be bad Cath if you got to get down and dirty with Nev). Cath would never be able to be who she wanted until she could stand up for herself and reconcile her two parts: Mary Catherine and Cath, into the woman she wants to be.

Nev never wanted to be a banker or a businessman, but he was forced into that role by an overbearing mother who would dangle the purse strings in front of him to get him to do what she wanted. While being with Cath encouraged Nev to be the person he should be, he had a hard time figuring out what to do when his family life intersected with his love life. He made his mistakes, but he ultimately realized what was important to him...and that wasn't the family business.

I loved Cath and Nev together and I adored this story. Despite their own personal issues they had to deal with, they each accepted the other for who they were and that allowed them both to grow and learn to accept themselves and what they need to be happy.

Ruthie Knox was a "new to me" author when I picked this book up, but this one sold me on reading anything that she writes. She creates wonderfully complex characters who can make you laugh and rip at your heartstrings. I devoured this book and look forward to more from Ruthie Knox.