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supermomcrazytown's review against another edition
I didn't like this one as much as The Marriage Lie. Maybe because I was listening to it. I felt like I didn't much like the accents done by the narrator. I also felt like I just wanted to hear Ella Mae's side of the story and not really Gia's side.
*STOP READING SPOILERS AHEAD*
I also felt like it should have ended up being a different killer in the end. I didn't like how it made me believe he was innocent the whole book - only to find out at the end that he wasn't wrongfully accused. But I suppose that I Kimberly was trying to get us to feel Gia's feelings, then it worked! Because I was really hoping it was someone else.... like Kal! lol. Anyways, Dean was quite the fucking psycho... and I can't believe he said he loved Ella Mae right until the end of the book. Love is not rape!
All in all - it was a good book, I keep listening because it kept me listening but the ending was disappointing to me. I also don't think I could be in love with my own step brother.
*STOP READING SPOILERS AHEAD*
I also felt like it should have ended up being a different killer in the end. I didn't like how it made me believe he was innocent the whole book - only to find out at the end that he wasn't wrongfully accused. But I suppose that I Kimberly was trying to get us to feel Gia's feelings, then it worked! Because I was really hoping it was someone else.... like Kal! lol. Anyways, Dean was quite the fucking psycho... and I can't believe he said he loved Ella Mae right until the end of the book. Love is not rape!
All in all - it was a good book, I keep listening because it kept me listening but the ending was disappointing to me. I also don't think I could be in love with my own step brother.
swiftlyreviews's review against another edition
3.0
This is my third Kimberly Belle book and unfortunately, not my favourite. I read My Darling Husband and The Personal Assistant. Those were really good!
I enjoyed that it had short chapters and was easy to follow. It didn’t take me too long to read this.
The Last Breath is a slow burn mystery with tons of family drama. I found it boring unfortunately! It only picked up at the end but barely. The plot was predictable and I ended up guessing a couple things. I felt that the story dragged on, and even 100 pages in, nothing much happened.
I thought this would be an interesting thriller with plot twists but it didn’t live up to that. This was more revolved around if Ray did or did not kill his wife, Ella Mae.
I enjoyed that it had short chapters and was easy to follow. It didn’t take me too long to read this.
The Last Breath is a slow burn mystery with tons of family drama. I found it boring unfortunately! It only picked up at the end but barely. The plot was predictable and I ended up guessing a couple things. I felt that the story dragged on, and even 100 pages in, nothing much happened.
I thought this would be an interesting thriller with plot twists but it didn’t live up to that. This was more revolved around if Ray did or did not kill his wife, Ella Mae.
rmarcin's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book! The mystery, the deception, the relationships, and the people! Kimberly Belle did a great job hooking me from the very first pages of this novel.
Gia Andrews returns home from her job as an aid worker in Africa to be there when her father is released from prison to die at home. Sixteen years earlier, he was convicted for killing his wife, Ella Mae, Gia’s stepmother.
Gia and her siblings abandoned their father when he went to prison, but they were never sure of his innocence or guilt. Now, Gia makes it her mission to find out the truth. Did her father kill Ella Mae, or was it Dean Sullivan, the handsome neighbor who was having an affair with Ella Mae? Meanwhile, Gia itches to leave Rogersville, TN, a town full of heartache for her, but Jake Foster is holding her back.
I am glad I read this early book from Kimberly Belle- just the right mix of dark and sexy!
Gia Andrews returns home from her job as an aid worker in Africa to be there when her father is released from prison to die at home. Sixteen years earlier, he was convicted for killing his wife, Ella Mae, Gia’s stepmother.
Gia and her siblings abandoned their father when he went to prison, but they were never sure of his innocence or guilt. Now, Gia makes it her mission to find out the truth. Did her father kill Ella Mae, or was it Dean Sullivan, the handsome neighbor who was having an affair with Ella Mae? Meanwhile, Gia itches to leave Rogersville, TN, a town full of heartache for her, but Jake Foster is holding her back.
I am glad I read this early book from Kimberly Belle- just the right mix of dark and sexy!
ohheychie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
beastreader's review against another edition
4.0
This book is more than just a book. The Last Breath is a breath taking good read! Instantly I felt for Gia, her father, her brother, sister, and Uncle. What they all were going through as a family felt very real. From the anger, sadness, fear of facing reality, death, love, and the truth. So many emotions. The author did a wonderful job of weaving them all into the characters and the story.
Right from the beginning however I had a really good idea of who killed Gia's mother and why. However this did not keep me from still reading the book and wanting to see how it would all play out. Again it had to do with the author and her talent for telling a good story. The characters just leap off the pages and invited me to read their story. I look forward to reading more books by Kimberly Belle.
Right from the beginning however I had a really good idea of who killed Gia's mother and why. However this did not keep me from still reading the book and wanting to see how it would all play out. Again it had to do with the author and her talent for telling a good story. The characters just leap off the pages and invited me to read their story. I look forward to reading more books by Kimberly Belle.
judithdcollins's review against another edition
5.0
The Last Breath, the scandalous and edgy debut novel by southern writer, Kimberly Belle will blow your socks off, for a mix of tantalizing romance, an intriguing murder mystery, and an intensely suspenseful thriller. It will leave you pondering, Wow! A southern powerhouse - If this is a debut novel, cannot wait for what is to come!
Gia Andrews, a wanderlust, a global world traveler, and humanitarian in Kenya, is back in small town of southern Rogersville, Eastern Tennessee, in the middle of the hills of Appalachia, a place she never wanted to visit again—to a house filled with ghosts and memories, she cannot outrun. A life she has spent the past sixteen years trying to escape. A murderer’s daughter.
The family is called home by her uncle, Cal (her dad’s brother and lawyer). Gia's father was imprisoned, years ago after brutally killing her stepmother. Now he is dying of cancer and the three siblings (Gia, Lexi and Bo), are here to say their goodbyes. Her old home, once a place that instilled a sense of refuge and comfort, is now the opposite, full of grief, fear, and dread.
However, there is much stigma still attached to the murder in the small town, and Gia begins to dig deeper, as if possibly there was someone else involved the night of the murder—could her dad be innocent? Someone wrapped Ella Mae in plastic and watched her take her life breath—a crime of passion?
Was her dad capable of premeditated murder, to carry out a plan to suffocate his wife and Gia’s stepmother? She is unsure if she could ever forgive him or his behavior; however, she travels this long way, and she is not even certain she would be here, unless—what if he was innocent, as the evidence is unclear and the testimony conflicted. She feels there is a race against time, as if he is innocent, there could be a real killer still out there, and she needs to set the record straight before her dad dies.
Belle switches back and forth, seamlessly between past (1993) and present for a drama-filled, fast-paced saga of a time in a southern suburban neighborhood, a well-liked stepmother, Ella Mae, and father, Ray, a local pharmacist and a household full of secrets. When years ago, one empty nester, and beautiful housewife, gets involved in a romantic affair with the good-looking seductive, married principal, Dean, who lives next door soon after moving to the neighborhood.
Dean is addictive and they plan their rendezvous at hotels and sneak away between the houses for their naughty erotic behavior. She no longer loves her husband; however, when the affair heats up, the sexual exploits get kinky, dangerous, and out of hand, Ella Mae gets scared and wants out, or does she?
Now, Gina’s father, Ray has pancreatic cancer and has from three weeks to three months to live. This disaster is too close, and its aftermath still too painful. She cannot detach from its reality. Even though digging through old memories sounds like torture, she tries to put the pieces of the puzzle together as she begins to unravel the dark secrets she has kept buried.
Amid the crisis, Gina meets Jack, owner of a local pub who is there to offer his assistance (and a little more in other ways), and may be a key to the past. There is also an eager young journalist, Jeffrey, ready to help with the investigation and a witty home-care nurse Fannie to make things more interesting. To further complicate matters, evil Dean still lives next door with his only friend, Jack Daniels (not so smooth or hot, now) , and her uncle Cal seems to know more than he is saying.
An emotionally charged and searing drama, of one woman who risks her life to discover the devastating truth about her family. Belle did an outstanding job of keeping you guessing as to the identity of the real murderer, keeping you turning into the wee hours of the morning!
Nice character development and set up, well-written with descriptive scenes and raw emotions, dynamic plot planning, with compelling twists and turns, delicious secrets, lies, and deceit . . . for an emotional roller coaster ride of betrayal, lust, tragedy, and ultimately finding forgiveness, love, and home.
I enjoyed Dean and Ella Mae’s story, as always intrigued by parents and their secret lives and how the two stories connected for a powerful climatic ending.
The Last Breath reminded a little of Virtue Falls, by Christina Dodd, which readers may also enjoy, with a murder's daughter returning home to her dying father, with a totally different twist.
An ideal novel, for book clubs, groups, and discussions with a thought-provoking reader’s guide included, as well as Q & A with the author, and the inspiration behind the novel, and upcoming works.
Kimberly Belle has made it to my favorite author list, and is an author you will want to follow!
JDCMustReadBooks
The Ones We Trust (2015)
The Marriage Lie (2016)
A special thank you to Harlequin MIRA and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Top 30 Books of 2014!
Gia Andrews, a wanderlust, a global world traveler, and humanitarian in Kenya, is back in small town of southern Rogersville, Eastern Tennessee, in the middle of the hills of Appalachia, a place she never wanted to visit again—to a house filled with ghosts and memories, she cannot outrun. A life she has spent the past sixteen years trying to escape. A murderer’s daughter.
The family is called home by her uncle, Cal (her dad’s brother and lawyer). Gia's father was imprisoned, years ago after brutally killing her stepmother. Now he is dying of cancer and the three siblings (Gia, Lexi and Bo), are here to say their goodbyes. Her old home, once a place that instilled a sense of refuge and comfort, is now the opposite, full of grief, fear, and dread.
However, there is much stigma still attached to the murder in the small town, and Gia begins to dig deeper, as if possibly there was someone else involved the night of the murder—could her dad be innocent? Someone wrapped Ella Mae in plastic and watched her take her life breath—a crime of passion?
Was her dad capable of premeditated murder, to carry out a plan to suffocate his wife and Gia’s stepmother? She is unsure if she could ever forgive him or his behavior; however, she travels this long way, and she is not even certain she would be here, unless—what if he was innocent, as the evidence is unclear and the testimony conflicted. She feels there is a race against time, as if he is innocent, there could be a real killer still out there, and she needs to set the record straight before her dad dies.
Belle switches back and forth, seamlessly between past (1993) and present for a drama-filled, fast-paced saga of a time in a southern suburban neighborhood, a well-liked stepmother, Ella Mae, and father, Ray, a local pharmacist and a household full of secrets. When years ago, one empty nester, and beautiful housewife, gets involved in a romantic affair with the good-looking seductive, married principal, Dean, who lives next door soon after moving to the neighborhood.
Dean is addictive and they plan their rendezvous at hotels and sneak away between the houses for their naughty erotic behavior. She no longer loves her husband; however, when the affair heats up, the sexual exploits get kinky, dangerous, and out of hand, Ella Mae gets scared and wants out, or does she?
Now, Gina’s father, Ray has pancreatic cancer and has from three weeks to three months to live. This disaster is too close, and its aftermath still too painful. She cannot detach from its reality. Even though digging through old memories sounds like torture, she tries to put the pieces of the puzzle together as she begins to unravel the dark secrets she has kept buried.
Amid the crisis, Gina meets Jack, owner of a local pub who is there to offer his assistance (and a little more in other ways), and may be a key to the past. There is also an eager young journalist, Jeffrey, ready to help with the investigation and a witty home-care nurse Fannie to make things more interesting. To further complicate matters, evil Dean still lives next door with his only friend, Jack Daniels (not so smooth or hot, now) , and her uncle Cal seems to know more than he is saying.
An emotionally charged and searing drama, of one woman who risks her life to discover the devastating truth about her family. Belle did an outstanding job of keeping you guessing as to the identity of the real murderer, keeping you turning into the wee hours of the morning!
Nice character development and set up, well-written with descriptive scenes and raw emotions, dynamic plot planning, with compelling twists and turns, delicious secrets, lies, and deceit . . . for an emotional roller coaster ride of betrayal, lust, tragedy, and ultimately finding forgiveness, love, and home.
I enjoyed Dean and Ella Mae’s story, as always intrigued by parents and their secret lives and how the two stories connected for a powerful climatic ending.
The Last Breath reminded a little of Virtue Falls, by Christina Dodd, which readers may also enjoy, with a murder's daughter returning home to her dying father, with a totally different twist.
An ideal novel, for book clubs, groups, and discussions with a thought-provoking reader’s guide included, as well as Q & A with the author, and the inspiration behind the novel, and upcoming works.
Kimberly Belle has made it to my favorite author list, and is an author you will want to follow!
JDCMustReadBooks
The Ones We Trust (2015)
The Marriage Lie (2016)
A special thank you to Harlequin MIRA and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Top 30 Books of 2014!
kdurham2's review against another edition
5.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Gia is the youngest sibling, but the one that left home and now is returning home to take care of her ailing father who is being released from prison. She knows that her days at home are numbered, but she doesn't know that she will have to confront some demons while home.
First, I love the going home books where a character has to return home and face the things they "ran" away from. Usually those things they ran away from turn up and I love seeing characters confront a fear or situation head on.
I sometimes read into birth order and as a first born tend to enjoy books more from first born points of view. It was interesting read from the third child, the baby in the family, but the child that actually has most of their stuff together compared to her two older siblings. I had to remind myself often that she was the youngest in the family and I liked it.
Gia is the youngest sibling, but the one that left home and now is returning home to take care of her ailing father who is being released from prison. She knows that her days at home are numbered, but she doesn't know that she will have to confront some demons while home.
First, I love the going home books where a character has to return home and face the things they "ran" away from. Usually those things they ran away from turn up and I love seeing characters confront a fear or situation head on.
I sometimes read into birth order and as a first born tend to enjoy books more from first born points of view. It was interesting read from the third child, the baby in the family, but the child that actually has most of their stuff together compared to her two older siblings. I had to remind myself often that she was the youngest in the family and I liked it.
kdowli01's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
problemreader's review against another edition
4.0
Great read. The story kept me engaged all the way to the end.