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therainbowshelf's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
I only read this for a Storygraph reading challenge, and almost didn't finish. It starts out alright, and the female protagonist is strong, but by 80% I hated it. I didn't like the unnecessary misdirect of there only being 2 (bad) reasons to change your name, found Hannah's conclusions made less and less sense, dislike obligatory one-dimensional angry teen characters, and don't understand how you don't notice the piggy bank isn't full of coins.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Murder, Violence, Abandonment, and Grief
Minor: Gun violence
kelly_e's review against another edition
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.0
Title: The Last Thing He Told Me
Author: Laura Dave
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4.0
Pub Date: May 4, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Captivating • Mysterious • Original
📖 S Y N O P S I S
When the CEO of the company he works for comes under fire, Owen disappears but he has one final message for his wife, Hannah "protect her". Hannah knows the note refers to his daughter, Bailey, who is his pride and joy. With very few clues to work with, Hannah and Bailey are determined to find him by and know they must take matters into their own hands.
When a U.S. Marshall appears at their home, suggesting Owen isn't who he says he is, they find themselves attempting to piece together a puzzle. A story of unconditional parental love and found family, of ultimate trust and the sacrifices of marriage.
💭 T H O U G H T S
As soon as I read the first few pages of The Last Thing He Told Me, I knew I was going to enjoy it. Although not overly suspenseful, I was instantly engaged by the quiet mystery, and somehow still managed to take me for a roller coaster ride.
Laura Dave combines great characters and great writing in this perfectly paced novel that keeps you guessing. She did a fabulous job weaving together the two timelines and the characters had depth. I really grew to care about them, and the relationship that developed between Hannah and Bailey was heartwarming.
The Last Thing He Told Me is definitely more of a domestic mystery than a thriller, yet it was one of those books I just couldn't put down. It didn't have the ending I was expecting, which I appreciated as it felt truer to life. Just a solid, quick and refreshing read worth my time.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• family drama enthusiasts
• fans of Sally Hepworth
• readers looking for a beach or cottage read
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"This is the terrible thing about a tragedy. It isn't with you every minute. You forget it, and then you remember it again. And you see it with a stark quality: This is what is required of you now, just to get along."
"It was a little bit of all of that and something far bigger than all of that. How do you explain it when you find in someone what you've been waiting for your whole life? Do you call it fate? It feels lazy to call it fate. It's more like finding your way home - where home is a place you secretly hoped for, a place you imagined, but where you'd never before been."
Author: Laura Dave
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4.0
Pub Date: May 4, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Captivating • Mysterious • Original
📖 S Y N O P S I S
When the CEO of the company he works for comes under fire, Owen disappears but he has one final message for his wife, Hannah "protect her". Hannah knows the note refers to his daughter, Bailey, who is his pride and joy. With very few clues to work with, Hannah and Bailey are determined to find him by and know they must take matters into their own hands.
When a U.S. Marshall appears at their home, suggesting Owen isn't who he says he is, they find themselves attempting to piece together a puzzle. A story of unconditional parental love and found family, of ultimate trust and the sacrifices of marriage.
💭 T H O U G H T S
As soon as I read the first few pages of The Last Thing He Told Me, I knew I was going to enjoy it. Although not overly suspenseful, I was instantly engaged by the quiet mystery, and somehow still managed to take me for a roller coaster ride.
Laura Dave combines great characters and great writing in this perfectly paced novel that keeps you guessing. She did a fabulous job weaving together the two timelines and the characters had depth. I really grew to care about them, and the relationship that developed between Hannah and Bailey was heartwarming.
The Last Thing He Told Me is definitely more of a domestic mystery than a thriller, yet it was one of those books I just couldn't put down. It didn't have the ending I was expecting, which I appreciated as it felt truer to life. Just a solid, quick and refreshing read worth my time.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• family drama enthusiasts
• fans of Sally Hepworth
• readers looking for a beach or cottage read
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"This is the terrible thing about a tragedy. It isn't with you every minute. You forget it, and then you remember it again. And you see it with a stark quality: This is what is required of you now, just to get along."
"It was a little bit of all of that and something far bigger than all of that. How do you explain it when you find in someone what you've been waiting for your whole life? Do you call it fate? It feels lazy to call it fate. It's more like finding your way home - where home is a place you secretly hoped for, a place you imagined, but where you'd never before been."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Gun violence, Grief, Murder, Death of parent, Violence, and Death
Minor: Car accident and Alcohol
bedtimesandbooks's review against another edition
mysterious
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Violence, Car accident, Alcohol, Murder, and Grief
monnibo's review against another edition
mysterious
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? No
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Car accident, Death of parent, Drug use, Murder, and Violence
justcallmerach's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Car accident and Murder
jennneely82's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Car accident, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, and Violence
eve_reads's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Overall Thoughts:
- The "mystery" element of this novel felt half-baked and a little unbelievable. If there was a greater build-up to the big reveal, I might have found it more convincing.
- I was initially attracted to this book because the summary made it seem like the relationship between the main character and her step-daughter would be a main focus (ya'll know I'm a sucker for cross-generational female friendships). That was definitely present, but not as heavily as I wanted it to be.
- I enjoyed the narration of the audiobook! Rebecca Lowman's voice is very soothing and I could listen to this before bed or early in the morning without feeling irritated XD
To read my full review, visit: https://evereads.online
For regular book-related content, follow my Instagram account: @eve_reads
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Violence, and Toxic relationship
sfbookgirl's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
3.0
Page-turner alert! I couldn’t put this one down. But did I like it? Eh, sure. Set in Sausalito, California, Hannah Hall receives a note one day from her husband Owen with the words “protect her.” Hannah assumes that this is in reference to Owen’s daughter Bailey, but Hannah is panicked that something happened to Owen. After a bit of digging, Hannah realizes that Owen wasn’t who he said he is…and Bailey may be the key to understanding why Owen disappeared.
I enjoyed The Last Thing He Told Me for it’s incredible-pacing. I read this book cover-to-cover so quickly and this is one aspect of reading that I really enjoy. Despite this, the book fell short in a number of other areas including Bay Area inaccuracies and a let-down of an ending. The story in some ways felt unfinished and I was left wanting more. Marketed as a thriller, I desired a more shocking twist or an unexpected ending. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed reading the book for its quick pacing and homage to the Bay Area.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Death of parent, and Violence
boliverio's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Toxic relationship
Minor: Violence
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