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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is so heartwarming and lovely! The best romance book I have read in a long while!
I was hooked from the first pages and it was a slow but steady pace up on til the last pages where I cried like a baby.
I love the writing and the storytelling, Fiona Lucas really takes her time to explore the characters and you can see how much love she poured in to the book.
I loved Anna, hated the mother-in-law, was annoyed at Gabby and fell more and more in love with Brody as the book went on.
I was hooked from the first pages and it was a slow but steady pace up on til the last pages where I cried like a baby.
I love the writing and the storytelling, Fiona Lucas really takes her time to explore the characters and you can see how much love she poured in to the book.
I loved Anna, hated the mother-in-law, was annoyed at Gabby and fell more and more in love with Brody as the book went on.
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Netgalley, William Morrow, and HarperAudio for an advance audio edition of this book for review. All opinions are my own.
This book is quiet. It is warm, slow, and peaceful. It is a book with such a clear picture of grief, family, and healing. The Last Goodbye speaks so truthfully about the power and importance of human connection.
Fiona Lucas creates the loveliest characters. Anna and Brody are both healing from loss of loved ones, and trying to recraft their lives after loss. Lucas's writing so beautifully captures grief in this novel. She speaks to the non-linear path that people take to healing. She speaks to how crucial other people are to the healing process.
The other aspect of this book that has stuck with me is the careful and considerate way that mental heath is presented in this book. Anxiety, depression, agoraphobia are all discussed in a careful and dignified way.
Antonia Beamish is a phenomenal narrator for this book. Her voice is warm and soothing in a way that matches the novel perfectly.
I cannot recommend this book enough. Its beautiful- It will make you cry and stick in your heart. If you are like me, you won't be able to stop thinking about this book.
This book is quiet. It is warm, slow, and peaceful. It is a book with such a clear picture of grief, family, and healing. The Last Goodbye speaks so truthfully about the power and importance of human connection.
Fiona Lucas creates the loveliest characters. Anna and Brody are both healing from loss of loved ones, and trying to recraft their lives after loss. Lucas's writing so beautifully captures grief in this novel. She speaks to the non-linear path that people take to healing. She speaks to how crucial other people are to the healing process.
The other aspect of this book that has stuck with me is the careful and considerate way that mental heath is presented in this book. Anxiety, depression, agoraphobia are all discussed in a careful and dignified way.
Antonia Beamish is a phenomenal narrator for this book. Her voice is warm and soothing in a way that matches the novel perfectly.
I cannot recommend this book enough. Its beautiful- It will make you cry and stick in your heart. If you are like me, you won't be able to stop thinking about this book.
A heart warming story of grief, love, friendship, and time, The Last Goodbye sucked me in and held me tight. Fiona Lucas captivated the main characters with so much depth and realism I felt as though I truly knew these people. The story over all was a beautifully written, though it was more character driven than plot driven as not much ever “happens”, but the beauty of the writing is it doesn’t need a thick plot to hold it up.
Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for an ARC in return for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for an ARC in return for my honest review.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If Sophia Kinsella and Cecelia Ahern had a baby, it would be this book! It felt like (the more serious moments of) Sophia Kinsella in the writing with a Cecelia Ahern whimsical plot. At first I thought it would be a lot like Rainbow Rowell’s Landline, which is one of my favorites, but then it took a completely different turn...which I loved!
I didn’t think I would like the characters at first. Not Anna. I did like her. But Brody. I just didn’t know. Because I really loved her memories of Spencer. I loved how she loved him. I loved hating his mother. I loved his father. But of course, I also knew this wasn’t sci-fi fantasy, so it likely wasn’t bringing Spencer back to life.
And Brody, I just didn’t know about him at first. But then I just loved him.
At first I thought that hearing from Brody’s point of view was pointless. I didn’t feel like I was adding to the story by having his side. But as the plot developed, I knew there would come a time when we would need his point of view specifically, and it did. And it was worth it.
(I could have done without her friend Gabby, though. She annoyed me for reasons I can’t even put my finger on.)
I also really loved the narration of the audiobook. Maybe I should only listen to audiobooks by British authors....they are just a touch more whimsical and it sweeps me away!
I didn’t think I would like the characters at first. Not Anna. I did like her. But Brody. I just didn’t know. Because I really loved her memories of Spencer. I loved how she loved him. I loved hating his mother. I loved his father. But of course, I also knew this wasn’t sci-fi fantasy, so it likely wasn’t bringing Spencer back to life.
And Brody, I just didn’t know about him at first. But then I just loved him.
At first I thought that hearing from Brody’s point of view was pointless. I didn’t feel like I was adding to the story by having his side. But as the plot developed, I knew there would come a time when we would need his point of view specifically, and it did. And it was worth it.
(I could have done without her friend Gabby, though. She annoyed me for reasons I can’t even put my finger on.)
I also really loved the narration of the audiobook. Maybe I should only listen to audiobooks by British authors....they are just a touch more whimsical and it sweeps me away!
*Disclaimer, I was permitted to read a ARC of this book through the NetGalley service!*
The Last Goodbye is a story of loss, grief, depression and the power of human connection. It's been three years since Anna lost the love her life, her husband Spencer. He was killed by a drunk driver while running an errand for Anna. The story centers around Anna's depression and her inability, or unwillingness, to move on with her life. Anna's best friend, Gabi, tries hard to maneuver her friend out of the depression stage of grief but for every triumph her mother-in-law succeeds in sucking her back into the shadows of sadness. She knows she needs to move on, but she can't let go of her guilt long enough to give herself a chance to move past on.
On New Year's Eve, in sheer desperation and loneliness, she dials Spencer's number to listen to his voicemail message and is shocked when she hears a male stranger's voice pick up. At first, she thinks it's Spencer's ghost come back to haunt her, but she soon realizes that, in her grief, she forgot to pay Spencer's phone bill and the phone company had closed the account and had given the number to someone else. Unbeknownst to her, the man on the other end of the line is just as lonely and sad as she is and together, they form a precarious and curious bond. Anna continues to call the number and the man continues to pick up, to listen and offer her advice and they build an unusual friendship.
Gabi, in an attempt to help her friend to start living life again, signs them up for a salsa class and Anna meets Jeremy. She's surprised that she finds him attractive and she tentatively tries to build a relationship with him but she can't get past the notion that "he's not her Spencer." The relationship dies before it's given life but the experience teaches Anna that she's capable of living a normal life, however that may look for her.
Anna continues to maintain a relationship with Spencer's family though in a lot of ways, her desperate attempt to keep them in her life prevents her from moving forward and she continues to struggle to keep Spencer alive in her memory but desperately searching for normalcy.
Though the story moves slow at times, I feel it's necessary to show the reader the importance of coming to terms and dealing with various degrees of grief and depression. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that has had trouble navigating their own difficult journey with the death of a loved one. Lucas does a really good job of exploring and processing the stages of grief, specifically depression, guilt and the complexity of living one's life and moving on from a personal tragedy.
The characters are well rounded and the story is beautifully written. I appreciated Lucas' attention to Brody's story and dealing with the aftermath of his personal tragedy. In a lot of ways, this story begins as Anna's story and ends completing Brody's story. It's a lovely twist and I would highly recommend this book if you're looking for a story that deals with love, loss and new beginnings.
The Last Goodbye is a story of loss, grief, depression and the power of human connection. It's been three years since Anna lost the love her life, her husband Spencer. He was killed by a drunk driver while running an errand for Anna. The story centers around Anna's depression and her inability, or unwillingness, to move on with her life. Anna's best friend, Gabi, tries hard to maneuver her friend out of the depression stage of grief but for every triumph her mother-in-law succeeds in sucking her back into the shadows of sadness. She knows she needs to move on, but she can't let go of her guilt long enough to give herself a chance to move past on.
On New Year's Eve, in sheer desperation and loneliness, she dials Spencer's number to listen to his voicemail message and is shocked when she hears a male stranger's voice pick up. At first, she thinks it's Spencer's ghost come back to haunt her, but she soon realizes that, in her grief, she forgot to pay Spencer's phone bill and the phone company had closed the account and had given the number to someone else. Unbeknownst to her, the man on the other end of the line is just as lonely and sad as she is and together, they form a precarious and curious bond. Anna continues to call the number and the man continues to pick up, to listen and offer her advice and they build an unusual friendship.
Gabi, in an attempt to help her friend to start living life again, signs them up for a salsa class and Anna meets Jeremy. She's surprised that she finds him attractive and she tentatively tries to build a relationship with him but she can't get past the notion that "he's not her Spencer." The relationship dies before it's given life but the experience teaches Anna that she's capable of living a normal life, however that may look for her.
Anna continues to maintain a relationship with Spencer's family though in a lot of ways, her desperate attempt to keep them in her life prevents her from moving forward and she continues to struggle to keep Spencer alive in her memory but desperately searching for normalcy.
Though the story moves slow at times, I feel it's necessary to show the reader the importance of coming to terms and dealing with various degrees of grief and depression. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that has had trouble navigating their own difficult journey with the death of a loved one. Lucas does a really good job of exploring and processing the stages of grief, specifically depression, guilt and the complexity of living one's life and moving on from a personal tragedy.
The characters are well rounded and the story is beautifully written. I appreciated Lucas' attention to Brody's story and dealing with the aftermath of his personal tragedy. In a lot of ways, this story begins as Anna's story and ends completing Brody's story. It's a lovely twist and I would highly recommend this book if you're looking for a story that deals with love, loss and new beginnings.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Anna is still grieving the death of her husband Spencer. Though it's been just over three years and her closest friends and family are encouraging Anna to put herself out there again, she simply can't. That's why on New Year's Eve, desperate for that connection she misses so much, Anna finds herself dialing Spencer's mobile phone just to listen to his voicemail message. Except, this time, someone picks up. Thinking she was under some kind of cloud of grief, Anna hangs up. But when it happens again a couple of months later in another overwhelming moment of sadness, Anna decides to call the number again convinced that she hallucinated the person on the other end. But no, Anna wasn't hallucinating, someone else has been assigned Spencer's old phone number. Curious, Anna begins to confide in the stranger and eventually begins to come out of the shell she's formed around herself since Spencer's death.
On the other end of the phone, Brody is just as shocked by the woman randomly calling his number in the middle of the night. But Brody, like Anna, is dealing with his own grief, something that has caused him to retreat almost entirely from society.
As Brody and Anna embark on this tentative friendship, they both discover again what it truly means to be alive. Both the joys and the sorrows and what's really worth fighting for.
Listening to the audiobook of The Last Goodbye I thought that Antonia Beamish did a wonderful job with the narration. Really giving each character - though especially Anna and Brody - their own distinct voice. Really giving nuance to the vulnerabilities of each character, but keeping things from drifting too far into the maudlin.
On that note, I feel like The Last Goodbye is one of the best examples of the varying forms of grief that I've read in quite awhile. I think that Fiona Lucas does a fantastic job of giving taking us on this journey with Anna and Brody and seeing how their grief differs yet also the points where it is the same. Not only grief itself but the actual act of grieving.
When the story starts Anna is still cocooned in her own loss and we're seeing her very early stages of emerging. While Brody has been living with his loss for quite sometime more, but he's let it kind of overshadow his day-to-day life to the point where simple interactions with people are nonexistent.
I kind of liked how we see Anna's grief clearly. We understand immediately what has happened. Whereas with Brody we're not given the full picture right away. We, like Brody, have to work up to the point where we hear his whole story. It's like we experience the growth with the character and I think this makes it all the more rewarding when he's finally at that stage where he can talk about his past with Anna. It shows a depth to their forged relationship.
I know that books that deal with these kind of topics can feel heavy at times. I myself often hesitate to pick up something that I feel is going to delve too much into the desolation of loss. The Last Goodbye certainly has those moments, along with plenty of heartbreak, but it was also full of so much hope that outweighed much of that sense of helplessness that accompanies those moments in life in which we have no control. I think seeing both Anna and Brody take back some of that control, to make the conscious effort to continue to move forward and forming that connection with one another are the shining moments of the book. That they are both fully supported in their grief, but also supported in moving out of that grief.
Overall, I was so happily surprised by this book, this story. It's the first book I've read by Fiona Lucas, but I'll definitely be on the lookout to see what comes next.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
On the other end of the phone, Brody is just as shocked by the woman randomly calling his number in the middle of the night. But Brody, like Anna, is dealing with his own grief, something that has caused him to retreat almost entirely from society.
As Brody and Anna embark on this tentative friendship, they both discover again what it truly means to be alive. Both the joys and the sorrows and what's really worth fighting for.
Listening to the audiobook of The Last Goodbye I thought that Antonia Beamish did a wonderful job with the narration. Really giving each character - though especially Anna and Brody - their own distinct voice. Really giving nuance to the vulnerabilities of each character, but keeping things from drifting too far into the maudlin.
On that note, I feel like The Last Goodbye is one of the best examples of the varying forms of grief that I've read in quite awhile. I think that Fiona Lucas does a fantastic job of giving taking us on this journey with Anna and Brody and seeing how their grief differs yet also the points where it is the same. Not only grief itself but the actual act of grieving.
When the story starts Anna is still cocooned in her own loss and we're seeing her very early stages of emerging. While Brody has been living with his loss for quite sometime more, but he's let it kind of overshadow his day-to-day life to the point where simple interactions with people are nonexistent.
I kind of liked how we see Anna's grief clearly. We understand immediately what has happened. Whereas with Brody we're not given the full picture right away. We, like Brody, have to work up to the point where we hear his whole story. It's like we experience the growth with the character and I think this makes it all the more rewarding when he's finally at that stage where he can talk about his past with Anna. It shows a depth to their forged relationship.
I know that books that deal with these kind of topics can feel heavy at times. I myself often hesitate to pick up something that I feel is going to delve too much into the desolation of loss. The Last Goodbye certainly has those moments, along with plenty of heartbreak, but it was also full of so much hope that outweighed much of that sense of helplessness that accompanies those moments in life in which we have no control. I think seeing both Anna and Brody take back some of that control, to make the conscious effort to continue to move forward and forming that connection with one another are the shining moments of the book. That they are both fully supported in their grief, but also supported in moving out of that grief.
Overall, I was so happily surprised by this book, this story. It's the first book I've read by Fiona Lucas, but I'll definitely be on the lookout to see what comes next.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders
*I would like to thank the author for the ARC copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Anna is grieving the loss of her husband. On New Years Eve she calls his phone number, only to have someone else answer. On the other end of the line is Brody, a man who is also grieving a loss, as well as struggling with his mental health. Both Anna and Brody are lost. Neither of them feel as though anyone they've talked to before this New Years Eve phone call has been able to truly understand the pain and grief they feel. As their phone calls become more frequent, the pair find themselves helping each other overcome hurdles that they truly felt they would never be able to overcome. Along the way, will they also find love?
I was wonderfully surprised by this book. I went into it expecting a typical fast paced romance between strangers. What I found in this book was SO MUCH more. Fiona Lucas portrays just how important it is to talk about your grief, and how vital it is to have someone who understands what you might be going through. Sometimes this person is your best friend or family, but maybe, just maybe, it could be a stranger on the other end of a phone call. In this novel, grief brings two people together to overcome the biggest challenges they've had to face, and through their relationship, they overcome fear and mental illness as well. This book had me tearing up multiple times, as the characters were just so real and authentic. I cannot wait for other people to have the opportunity to read The Last Goodbye!
Anna is grieving the loss of her husband. On New Years Eve she calls his phone number, only to have someone else answer. On the other end of the line is Brody, a man who is also grieving a loss, as well as struggling with his mental health. Both Anna and Brody are lost. Neither of them feel as though anyone they've talked to before this New Years Eve phone call has been able to truly understand the pain and grief they feel. As their phone calls become more frequent, the pair find themselves helping each other overcome hurdles that they truly felt they would never be able to overcome. Along the way, will they also find love?
I was wonderfully surprised by this book. I went into it expecting a typical fast paced romance between strangers. What I found in this book was SO MUCH more. Fiona Lucas portrays just how important it is to talk about your grief, and how vital it is to have someone who understands what you might be going through. Sometimes this person is your best friend or family, but maybe, just maybe, it could be a stranger on the other end of a phone call. In this novel, grief brings two people together to overcome the biggest challenges they've had to face, and through their relationship, they overcome fear and mental illness as well. This book had me tearing up multiple times, as the characters were just so real and authentic. I cannot wait for other people to have the opportunity to read The Last Goodbye!
I loved this book by Fiona Lucas. An wonderfully beautiful story about loss, friendship and family whilst reminding you to enjoy every day. I liked that the story was written in both Anna and Brody's points of view and I loved how the two characters' relationship developed. I would definitely recommend this book.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Book 24 towards my goal of 240! 4/5 stars for this adult romance read! Great for fans of PS, I Love You. I did feel like it was a bit long, but still enjoyable. Loved the cover, and characters. Narration was great.
*I received this book in exchange for honest review from Netgalley*