Member Reviews

Two women, both had encountered bad experiences with men to the point that each decided to do some vigilante justice. One a comedian the other a computer programmer. Neither would have thought this friendship would be. Taking them on a path of least resistance they end up where they never thought they would be. Would this be something they could get away with or will everything fall apart before it started? Definitely a great read full of crime and mystery,

5 out of 5 stars


Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Amy Gentry is a new to me author and I absolutely can't wait to read more of her work. Last Woman Standing had me disturbed for days after reading. The thriller part was intriguing but I really felt she described the difficulty of being a woman and especially one in a male-dominated profession. I think the revenge part of the book was well done too, especially as you see Dana get drawn into Amanda's toxic orbit. Dana wasn't my favorite character, but I appreciated the story from her POV. Ending was solid and wrapped everything up nicely.

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Dana is a stand-up comedian, when she meets Amanda, a computer programmer. When Amanda proposes that they help solves each other's problems, Dana is drawn into a world she never imagined. Can she get her vengeance, or will everything crumble.

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Brutal, brilliant, and uttelry timely. An excellent addition to collections where crime and thrillers are popular.

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This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

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I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting novel about an unlikely friendship.

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The plot of this book and it's commentary on current events is very interesting. It overlaps with pertinent things in a clear way that I was fine with. I enjoyed the plot, found it engaging, the writing quick and biting in a good way, and while I didn't always enjoy the main characters, I did understand where they were coming from.

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I loved her prior book so I was really excited for this one and that the subject would be #metoo. Dana is trying to make it as a stand up comedian and meets up with Amanda who they together discover they both have been attacked or harassed. They set out to write the wrongs. The plot was just too over the top for me and I feel like the story never really settled into a smooth groove.

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This is a Stranger on a train type of mystery where two women plagued by trouble in male dominated careers team up to fight each other's assailants. But, can you really trust anyone?

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Last Woman Standing is a thriller. The storyline is different than anything i’ve Read which kept me captivated until the very last page. I am looking forward to reading more books by Amy Gentry.

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Overall, I did enjoy this book. I liked the protagonist and became invested in her story. Dana Diaz is an aspiring stand-up comedian. During one of her shows she befriends Amanda Dorn, a computer programmer. They both have been harassed and assaulted by certain men and Amanda convinces Dana that they should go after each other's assailants.
The story was engaging and the overall story was interesting. My only issue was that I felt it was a little busy. A lot was happening and the story was a little all over the place. I feel some parts could have been left out, or at least written in a way for it to flow better.
I enjoyed the feminism component of the story and the fact that both MCs are women in male dominated fields. The ending was a little unexpected, but in a good way.
As I mentioned, I enjoyed this story overall and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrillers.

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Thanks to @hmhbooks and @netgalley for this free advance electronic review copy. All opinions are my own.

“Dana Diaz is an aspiring stand‑up comedian—a woman in a man’s world. When she meets a tough computer programmer named Amanda Dorn, the two bond over their struggles in boys’ club professions. Dana confides that she’s recently been harassed and assaulted while in L.A., and Amanda comes up with a plan: they should go after each other’s assailants, Strangers on a Train–style. But Dana finds that revenge, however sweet, draws her into a more complicated series of betrayals.”

3/5 - Parts of this book were suspenseful and kept my attention while others felt drawn out. I absolutely loved Amy Gentry’s debut Good As Gone, but this one fell a little short for me in terms of character development.

I felt apathetic about all of the characters. I don’t have to love the characters to enjoy a book, but I need to care. Have you ever read a book like that—where you really want to love it, but you just don’t?

I like that this book addresses some important issues, including sexual assault, but overall the book didn’t work for me. It felt like too much effort was put into telling the reader what it was like to be a comedian instead of showing it through the story. I found that part of the plot very hard to get into, relate to, or even believe.

When you read a book how important is it for you to relate, empathize, or care about the characters in it? For me it’s pretty important, but I can overlook it if the plot is unputdownable.

All that being said, even though this book didn’t work for me, it very well may work for you. Have you read this one? What did you think? Let me know! I still recommend her debut, Good As Gone, and I will definitely read Amy Gentry’s next book.

**** Thanks to netgalley and the publisher, I received an e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion. ****

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Dana Diaz is looking for her big break in the stand-up comedy world, along with her best friend, Jason. Figuring out that Los Angeles and working with Jason causes strife, she moves back to Texas, and meets Amanda. That friendship creates a whirlwind of activity...and danger.

As an avid thriller reader, I find that I am fairly good at figuring things out early on, but this one had several surprises that kept me curious until the end.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy!

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Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgally for review purposes.

Wow uh, I don't know how to feel about this. Not sure how to put it into words so this is awkward! Heh 🤷

This book was very relevant with today's times and everything currently going on in the metoo movement. One of the male characters seemed to be pretty identical to Louis C.K. and in a way it was refreshing that an author 'went there' so strongly with her writing.

That being said I'm just not sure how this all worked? I'd read her last book and wasn't crazy about it either. It just felt like it was lacking, and I didn't care about any of the characters.

Shrug

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Dana Diaz is an aspiring stand‑up comedian—a woman in a man’s world. When she meets a tough computer programmer named Amanda Dorn, the two bond over their struggles in boys’ club professions. Dana confides that she’s recently been harassed and assaulted while in L.A., and Amanda comes up with a plan: they should go after each other’s assailants, Strangers on a Train–style.

This book truly was a page turner, with twists and turns that kept me hooked until the very end!

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Dana Diaz is an aspiring stand‑up comedian. Even in 2018, the age of #MeToo, stand-up is still a man's world. One night after a performance, she meets Amanda Dorn, who claims to be a computer programmer. The two discuss the challenges they have faced in professions dominated by men. Dana confides her recent experience of being harassed and assaulted in L.A., an event so traumatizing that, in combination with her overall disillusionment with Los Angeles, she returned to Austin.

Amanda devises a plan for the two of them to get revenge on each other's assailants, Dana agrees, But pulled deeper and deeper into Dana's increasingly controlling scheme, Dana soon discovers that revenge is not so sweet, after all. Soon she is wrapped up in a complicated series of betrayals and outright paranoia. She trusts no one, even herself, and begins questioning things that she has for years accepted as true. Including one fateful night when she was staying overnight at the home of her best friend, Jason, and subjected to a sexual assault by his older brother who is now imprisoned for an entirely different crime.

In this unique and inventive novel, Dana discovers the high price of vengeance, as well as her own truth. Last Woman Standing is a thought-provoking and chilling psychological thriller exploring contemporary themes. Can a woman overcome an "old boys' network" to succeed in a highly competitive environment? More importantly, can she do so on merit alone without machinations, manipulations, or dirty tricks designed to eliminate competitors? And what if it turns out that the person we thought we knew best is someone we never really knew at all? Does that mean that we have to spend the rest of our lives unable to trust again? If not, how can we learn to be vulnerable and have close, intimate relationships again?

The character of Dana is endearing because of her relatable struggles, but also deeply flawed as evidenced by the choices she makes. She permits herself to be drawn into a web of violence and retribution without appreciating the danger she is in. Danger which originated from some evident, as well as some surprising sources. Her journey is one of examining her own moral compass and finding her inner strength not just to survive, but to thrive and succeed. Author Amy Gentry manages to make situations that are patently outrageous believable, in no small measure as a result of her nuanced characters including, in addition to Dana, Amanda and Jason. Gentry reveals Dana's discovery of the truth at expertly-timed intervals, keeping the action moving and readers invested in the outcome.

Who will be the last woman standing? The journey to that answer is a thoroughly enjoyable and moving story that continues resonating with readers long after its conclusion.

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Did not like this book. I couldn't find anything that made me care about the characters. The jokes were corny and there was no action.

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Wow! This book blew me away as a surprise psychological thriller with unexpected dark noir twist and turns. This is a fun dark read and one that all women victims can relate to.
Two women meet and discuss their mutual experiences of attacks by men and sexual harassment. One is a stand up comedian sick of men harassing her in her profession , the other a computer programmer that has recently suffered harassment by men on the streets and a assault as well as constant harassment at work ( we can all relate to that ladies). They decide to exact revenge on the men that harmed them going after each others attackers . The action never stops and I found myself rooting for them as they carry out their revenge. This is definitely dark but has a noir aspect that took it to a even darken psychological level for both women . I liked both of the women charcters and how they carried out their revenge. Lets face it we have all thought about revenge and this author does revenge well. The author has written such a well crafted account for both women that I found myself holding my breath until the end.
A very interesting read that was well crafted and interesting. Thank you for the ARC that does not influence my review. Well done to the author ! I look forward to further works by this author.

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I've been reading a lot of dark books lately, maybe because it's winter and typically pretty dark and gloomy outside. Or maybe just because I tend to love psychological thrillers and suspense and they tend to be pretty dark. And Last Woman Standing is definitely one of those dark reads.

Comparisons have been made to Strangers on a Train and I can definitely see why. When Dana Diaz, a comedian trying to find her place on stage, meets Amanda Dorn after a difficult show, the two start talking about the difficulties they've faced in their lives, especially when it comes to men. When Dana finds herself drawn into a pact, she realizes the consequences are far more than she could have anticipated.

This is a fascinating and disturbing look at what it means to be a woman in a man's world, the danger and violence women can and do face anywhere at any time. Gentry dives deep into this, through the world of stand up comedy (highly unique), as well as the tech industry (highly timely). Gentry also explores the bonds (or lack thereof) between women, and the power and harm of obsession.

I did guess a large percentage of the major revelation before it happened, but this actually upped the tension for me, because I could see what was coming and as a reader could do nothing about it.

Gentry has proven with this and her debut book that she is a talented writer who knows how to write dark, tense psychological thrillers and suspense. I'm excited to see what she comes up with next.

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This story was plucked from the current headlines.. only with a “what if” sort of twist at an ending. Immediately after starting the book, I felt connected with the main characters, and found myself looking for more time to read this book. In a sea of domestic thrillers, this one had something that makes it stand out of the crowd.

An interesting read that kept me turning pages!

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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