This was a nice quick read that was a bit like eating popcorn - fun at the time, but not really filling. I liked the short chapters and the action in this book. I was drawn in immediately by the secrets you could tell each character was keeping. I expected the hurricane to play a bigger role, by the way the book was described. Although it did ultimately allow for the resolution that occurred, it just happened later than I thought it would.

The whole plot was pretty unbelievable, and the characters were not very well developed. Yes, most of the characters did change their tune by the end, but the reasons for that were not entirely supported by what took place in the book. I did appreciate how most characters got the resolution they deserved.

This was a good book, but not a great book. If you like fun, suspenseful stories that are not necessarily great literature, then this is for you.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

Everyone has a secret to hide at the last resort, a place where troubled couples go to heal their broken relationships. It is only when a tropical storm bears down on the island that truths are brought to light. Some of the book in the beginning is a little confusing (who are him and her?) but the storyline is enough to keep you reading. All is revealed in a satisfying suspenseful story.

I was very excited to get this book, because it sounded so intriguing, but I just couldn’t get into it. It had so much going on, it was confusing. I think the author is good at character development and even has great ideas for a book, but needs to try and minimize the additional plots throughout. I think it would be a much more enjoyable book that way,
Will be using in a challenge and letting the members of Chapter Chatter Pub know about it’s upcoming release.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin - Graydon House for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful resort in Riviera Maya offering a couples’ counseling retreat promises to be the answer for improving the relationships of several struggling marriages. The organizers, Miles and Grace Markell, harbor dark secrets of their own, and the eight days spent in this tropical paradise quickly evolve into hell, and are further worsened by the impending hurricane and dramatic climax.

Liked: the setting, the premise, the dark and twisty nature of the book

Disliked: geography of the area is incorrect, some of the Spanish language in the book is incorrect, the whole book feels like a thrown-together mess that is difficult to follow, the ending gets a little
wild, none of the characters feel very fleshed out

Final thoughts: It was an okay book that could have been much better.

Going to an intense 2 week island retreat to save your marriage may seem extreme, but the couples coming to see Drs. Miles and Grace Markell it seems worth it. Johanna and Ben haven't been together that many years, but after an incident at her work they decide to go resort. Then there is Colin and Shell. He's a workaholic and she has her own issues. They are at the resort, but neither seems all that into it. You quickly find that there are secrets everywhere. From the couples to the therapists. Everyone has something to hide and something to fight for.

The book had a great pace. I liked how the chapters began with a therapist talking to a patient. You don't know who the patient is until late in the book, but I spent a lot of time speculating. Then you have the different story lines that all ultimately converge. Though pieces of the book seemed a little unreal I found that I wanted to see how it ended. Overall it was a great read and I really enjoyed it.

Harmony Resort is where couples go to try and help mend their marriages and try to save them. It is run by the famous couple Drs. Miles and Grace Markell. There are strict rules that the couples are to follow if they want the program to work for them, but does everyone really follow those rules? What about the instructors? There just seems to be something off about them, like they are hiding something themselves. They even put on a front for the whole program and are not even what they want people to think they are.

Johanna and Ben want people to think they have a great marriage. What others really don't know is that they don't even know who the other is. They never have the time to get to know each other. Shell and Colin don't ever get along and end up fighting constantly. Colin is always too busy with his work to even give Shell any time at all. Will these couples be able to find Harmony while they are at the resort with the gorgeous Mayan Riviera as the backdrop?

When a huge tropical storm is headed their way, everyone ends up getting trapped in the resort and become closer than they ever thought possible. Will the relationships make it though when they have to be in such close quarters? There are tons of hard times that each couple has been through and revelations that are shared. If these couples make it through the storm, will they make it through the relationship revelations that have been shared? You will not want to put this down once you start reading. It will hook you and you will want to know what happens with each couple. There are mysteries that you will wonder about along the way as well.

I highly recommend this one for anyone who like a page turner. Marissa Stapley has done a great job with this one. I am looking forward to what she has in store for us as readers in the near future!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an advanced copy of this book!

A special thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Graydon House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Drs. Miles and Grace Markell run the Harmony Resort where they help couples with their failing marriages. It is an opportunity for the couples to reconnect with the gorgeous Mayan Riviera as the backdrop.

Johanna and Ben seem to have a picture-perfect marriage, but they actually don't know each other at all. Shell and Colin constantly argue because Colin is a workaholic and Shell feels like she takes a back seat when it comes to his job, but that's a front for what has really torn them apart, it's actually too devastating to speak of.

Both couples begin the intensive therapy program and it quickly becomes apparent that that Miles and Grace Markell do not live up to their personas. They also appear to be hiding something.

As a deadly tropical storm descends on the coast, trapping the hosts and the guests on the resort, secrets are revealed, loyalties are tested and no relationship or person will be unchanged.

I reviewed Things To Do When It's Raining, and found the story well-written, but a little rushed at the end . The Last Resort does not suffer this fate, it is appropriately paced with an interesting multiple point of view perspective. There is enough intrigue to keep the reader vested in the story and the premise and setting were also interesting. Stapley employs some interesting tactics to move the narrative along—TMZ news releases, a dialogue between "him" and "her", and alternating between past and present.

With themes of loss, love, and an exploration into relationships and what it takes to make them work, Stapley has really come into her own and I can't wait to read what she publishes next.

I was a little confused by this book a few times, as it jumped from character to character with little explanation or separation (such as starting a new chapter, or simply stating that a new character was the new focus). Aside from that, and aside from the fact that some of the story, and ending, was fairly improbable, I really enjoyed this book. I found myself anxious to return to it or thinking about it during times I was unable to read. I felt a deep .com action to the majority of the main characters, who were so developed beautifully.

Well, now...this one was interesting.
What I liked: Everyone at the resort has a secret. Everyone.
What I loved: We slowly learn many of the secrets. Each secret brings a new twist.
What I hated: Can't say I hated anything.

A great cast of characters, some you will love and some you will hate.

A great read.

It took me a bit to get into this one, but once I did, I really liked it. I was particularly fond of the way the author wrapped it up, with a handful of things I did not see coming.

Sadly this was a DNF for me. The premise sounded so good and I was really looking forward to it but could not get deep enough into any of the characters, of which there are many. The story feels all over the place and I lost my patience. I do not put down books often. I do not post reviews of books I did not finish.

The mystery part of The Last Resort is intriguing and the characters evoked very strong emotions. I so emphasized with Shell, Grace, and Johanna, and was absolutely disgusted by both Miles and Ruth. I enjoyed the way the plot unfolded in various ways - TMZ.com news releases, a dialogue between two unidentified people (him and her), and the action taking place in real time. At times I was a little confused, but that didn't persist long. The plot had enough twists and turns to keep my interest, and the ending was unexpected.

I really wanted to love this book, just from the description, since I go to the Riviera Maya each winter. What fun I thought to read a book set in an area I love, but there are major problems. The geography is just not possible. Akumal and Puerto Morelos are not close enough to walk from one to the other in a half hour. The beaches by Puerto Morelos are not up on cliffs, so the setting for the resort doesn't ring true. I doubt one could see Tulum from Akumal.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this title!

The Last Resort was unlike anything else I’ve ever read, and caught me completely off guard! The character development is crazy good and the intensity will leave you staying up far too late at night.
While a bit too intense for my liking, I see why this story will no doubt leave many raving! A very unique and well- written read for sure.