Reviews

The Last Lavender Sister by Melissa Brayden

evereadssapphic's review against another edition

4.0

This is my first book by this author, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The writing style and the beautiful small-town setting were great. Aster stood out to me as an intriguing person with a lively and positive perspective on life. Her passion for cooking was really beautiful. However, at times, she did come across as quite naive. On the other hand, my feelings towards Brynn were not as positive. While I empathized with her background, triggers, hurt, and fears, I found her treatment of Aster hard to like. Despite this, Brynn took responsibility for her actions without making excuses and looked really guilty for what she did, that improved her impression for me. However, the 2-year gap during which they were apart didn't sit well with me, it seemed really unnecessary. Despite that, the overall story was enjoyable, and it was a nice read.

dadd0reo's review

4.0

no voy a mentir, no quería que acabaran juntas pero bueno jdhdjd dios bendiga a aster lavender<3 mi chikita

pandon's review

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Very enjoyable read. Loved all the characters, loved the setting, even enjoyed the stubbornness of Aster, Brynn, Sage, and Tyler. There is angst, a bit of heartbreak and, of course a happy ever after. But the journey getting there could be considered (in a good way) torture.

station12reads's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

"The Last Lavender Sister" by Melissa Brayden captivated me with its heartfelt storytelling and endearing characters. MCs Aster and Brynn have this incredible slow-burn romance that unfolds throughout the book; so beautifully written, filled with both tender and heartbreaking moments and electric chemistry. I absolutely loved the character growth that occurs and how integral the timeline jumps were to that process.  

Having read "Marigold" first, I particularly enjoyed the character background & further development of the various members of the Lavender family. I'm not sure I would have given "Marigold" a chance, if I read this book first, because of how disconnected she & Violet felt from Aster for most of the book. However, I loved the sisters' Part Four connection & seeing Aster with Tyler & Sage throughout. 

"The Last Lavender Sister" is a must-read for fans of small town, age gap, slow-burn, sapphic romance. I found myself smiling, laughing, and even shedding some serious tears at times. This story is truly a remarkable read that deserves every bit of my five-star rating.

emmascc's review

2.0

This had a lot of potential and started really strong. Unfortunately it really fell apart in the middle section. I think the many time jumps detracted from the book. I felt like the side characters could have used more development as at times it seemed they only existed to further the plot or examine the relationship between the mcs. I loved Aster but some of the issues in the relationship in the latter part of the book felt a little forced and ridiculous.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

grace_astudentreading's review

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

This book can be alternately titled "five times Brynn and Aster messed it up and the one time they finally got it right." But despite what that might make you think, there is no miscommunication trope. Brynn and Aster communicate so well, especially Aster. I especially loved their letter writing. It was so wholesome and so them, doubly so when side by side with the way they would read together. Brynn and Aster are truly soulmates and their chemistry and compatibility is off the charts! Yet even with that so obvious from the first page, there is so much angst. Both characters had to grow and change before they could come together and have their happily ever after. I really enjoyed the character development for both Brynn and Aster, and the fairly long timeline of their relationship. I felt like I truly knew both of them deeply, from their passions to their insecurities and every bit of their hearts. I was rooting not only for them as a couple but for Brynn and Aster as individuals. I was also rooting for Sage and Tyler, who were the most adorable side couple and really emphasized the theme of soulmates and true love being messy but worth it. I would love for them to get their own book! Lastly, on top of everything Brynn and Aster, this book also had everything I loved from Marigold. There were amazing descriptions of food, especially donuts. There were adorable dogs. And there were the incredibly wholesome Lavender family. I loved getting to know Marilyn in this book, and her relationship with Aster was so important. Overall, I absolutely adored this book, the emotional rollercoaster that it was, and I highly recommend it. And I can't wait to read more from Melissa Brayden.

kburns2004's review

4.0

I love Melissa and all of her books, and this was no exception. The one thing I didn't enjoy was all the jumps ahead in time. But that's a me thing not a book thing.

lilcaracol17's review against another edition

3.0

I mean it got me out of a reading slump and I liked the chemistry between the two leads but objectively this was not very good.

angieinbooks's review

4.0

I haven't loved Melissa Brayden's most recent books, so I came into The Last Lavender Sister with low expectations, but I have to give Brayden some credit here because not only did I enjoy The Last Lavender Sister more than those recent books, but I think this is a new kind of Brayden on display here, and I was excited to read something a little bit different from her.

Aster Lavender has lived in Homer's Bluff, Kansas, her whole life, and as the youngest and most introverted child of the Lavender clan, she's easy to overlook. In fact, very few people call her by her name, even though Homer's Bluff is a really small town. She longs for something more, already eschewing the family business and forging her own path--an artisanal donut shop; but she doesn't have the confidence to go to culinary school in Boston. And so she observes and escapes from Homer's Bluff though the books she reads on public benches.

Brynn Garrett's personal life is in shambles, so when her vet school friend, Tyler, asks Brynn to run her vet clinic while Tyler takes a specialized vet course in Chicago, Brynn uses the opportunity to get away from her ex-girlfriend and hit reset on life. Getting used to living in small town is its own adventure for Brynn, but she's intrigued by Aster, both because of her endearing awkwardness and because Tyler adores her.

In The Last Lavender Sister, Brayden is really exploring the idea of finding the right person at the right time of your life. Aster and Brynn become friends--but friends who are attracted to each other. But before anything can happen, life circumstances get in the way. Brynn is healing and Aster dreams of life beyond her small town. And so just when things might progress between them, other forces are pulling them apart. Can their friendship withstand all those life curveballs? Will they ever be on the same page at the same time? Brayden takes us on a journey that spans many years to find out. And, boy, do I love a good slow burn!

I really liked some much about this book and I considered 5 stars for this. It's been a long time I've thought that way about a Brayden book, and I was so relieved. I'm not giving it the full 5 stars because, while I admire the ways this book is different, the dialogue was just a *little* too cute for me. And I don't mean in terms of Brynn and Aster's conversations, but literally every other character had that very MelissaBraydenness™ to it that had me rolling my eyes a little bit. I know that's really nitpicky, but it meant that the secondary characters all sounded alike, and it was a distraction.

I'm really hoping Brayden revisits Homer's Bluff in a future book--and she leaves the door open to that. I would like to spend some more time with these characters.

worthleyv's review

tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

I loved the first third of this book. I hated every single decision Brynn made after that. I honestly hate Brynn.

She and Aster weren't even together but she demanded fidelity and every detail of every single hookup? Then she had the nerve to go no-contact for two entire years over it rather than having a simple conversation?? She couldn't even let Aster enjoy opening night for her restaurant???

Three strikes and you're out, Brynn. Get over yourself.

I loved Aster but wow. Brynn was not worth her time at all. Aster could have done so much better.

I will actively avoid Melissa Brayden's novels in the future. I hate the miscommunication trope and it happened every other page in this horrible book. No thanks!