2.5 stars This book started off strong. A young woman with amnesia shows up at a young couple's house out of the blue. She reports having memories of this house and has come because she can't recall anything else including her name. As the couple befriends her and tries to help her, things start to get strange and creepy.

This story is about memories and how the loss of them is a frightening experience. How vulnerable one becomes when they can't remember. If the story had continued in the direction it started and maintained its momentum, I would've been captivated. However, the plot seemed muddled, jumping from one direction to another. The reveals felt implausible and predictable. The storyline was a little too disjointed and repetitive for my tastes.

Thank you to Park Row Books for an ARC on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A young woman takes a train home to an English village and finds her house inhabited by the current owners. She cannot remember who she is, relying on their kindness to help her determine what happened, her only memory of the mysterious Fleur. A murderer lived in the house over a decade ago; timing of the murderer’s release and the young woman’s resemblance cast suspicion on her, dividing the owners. The wife leaves town and the husband obsesses over the unknown woman, possibly a murderer. Deception and revenge collide with coincidence and subterfuge, moving toward tragedy, and taking the story to Berlin and a horrific crime. Monroe builds an intriguing world of characters with hidden agendas and convincing personas. Dear reader may not know with whom to empathize as the secrets spill. Layers of the story build with new insights through flashbacks and revelations. This is an excellent look into the psychology of one criminal act and the resulting vigilante justice. I received this provocative novel from Park Row Books through NetGalley.

Thank you so much to Park Row Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

I was very excited to read this book after reading the synopsis but it definitely missed its mark for me. A mystery woman shows up at the door of a couples house, Tom and Laura, and she has no idea who she is or where she came from. AND THE COUPLE TAKES HER IN, WHAT?! I understand that this woman Jemma apparently thinks she used to live there and knows the whole layout of the house but I think that’s where I really lost my interest in this book. Everything was pretty unbelievable to me and I was honestly rolling my eyes with some of Jemma’s decisions that she made.

I also found myself super confused more than I care to admit while reading this book. There was so much going on in this book at once and I kept getting confused about where I was in it.

Amnesia style plots seem to be the “in thing” right now and I honestly feel like they’re just being overused. It’s getting to the point where a new book about someone suffering from amnesia comes out and I immediately feel like I’ve read it before, it’s so repetitive.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing a copy of this with me - all opinions are my own.

This book is a ROLLERCOASTER of surprise and mystery - I can honestly say that I am rarely this surprised by where a plot goes, and this book had me (pleasantly) guessing from start to finish. I LOVE that this plot was so wildly unpredictable, without veering into unbelievable territory.

There is something fascinating about a character with amnesia, and how that lends itself to the uncertainty of the story itself. I love (LOVE) unreliable narrators, and what is more unreliable than someone who cannot even recall who they are? I don't want to say much about this one, because you truly don't want to have ideas about the plot going in, but I will say that I fully appreciate how the author exploited the mental instability in the lead character to make this an absolutely riveting read.

A must for your summer TBR - this will have you fully invested from the first chapters until you set this down with a "wow"

Imagine you are at a train station and have lost your bag with your passport, wallet, money, etc. You aren't even sure why you are where you are, except you think you used to live in a house in the village. This is what happens to the narrator of The Last Thing She Remembers by JS Monroe. She goes to the house she is sure she grew up in only to find a young couple, Tony and Laura, living there. They don't know her and are a little disturbed by her showing up. They try to help her by taking her to the village doctor. From here the plot takes off like a rocket! Who is she? Who has secrets? Who is good and who is bad? This was an enjoyable mystery with plenty of red herrings thrown in for fun. Fans of unreliable narrators will be happy. Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. (3.5 stars)

After reading The Last Thing She Remembers, I am unfortunately still on the hunt for a really good thriller. The premise of this book had a lot of potential. It just didn't deliver in the end. The book opens with a woman trying to get into a house that she thinks is hers. She seems to have amnesia and had lost her identification and phone. All she had on her was a train ticket in her pocket.

What I didn't like about the book was the pacing. It was really slow, not like a slow burn. But like I kept looking to see how much time I had left in the audio book. I found a lot of the book confusing. There were multiple perspectives with no smooth transitions between them. Except when the main character was speaking. Hers was the only one in first person. There was one surprise in the end that I didn't see coming. However, it wasn't enough to save the book for me. I'm not sure I would recommend this one.

I normally like psychological thrillers about amnesiacs but this one did not quite hit the mark. It rambled a bit with unnecessary details of every day and had a lot of characters woven in. The premise was interesting and the details about memory were good to a point. It had a surprising twist and everything was tied up in the end. It just wasn't suspenseful enough for me. The main character is the epitome of the unreliable narrator. She shows up at a house that she claims to have lived in and indeed she knows its complete layout, but she has no idea what her name is or any other detail from her past. Tony, the owner of the house, is obsessed with memory, having lost his father to early Alzheimer's. He tells her she looks like a Jemma, with a J. How does he arrive at that name? Does he recognize her? From here we examine her every move for the next several days though it felt like much more time was passing. The detail here and the different characters' story lines cause the book to bog down a little here. With the twist in the book it becomes a book about revenge and moves a little faster. I did enjoy this book. I just didn't quite love it. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for review.

The Last Thing She Remembers is an exciting suspense thriller that rockets from character to character, taking the unreliable narrator trope up a notch or two. A woman takes a train to Wiltshire, an English village, and goes to a house, knocking on the door, claiming she lives there and that she does not remember her name. She does not remember anything about her life. Worse, each new day is a clean slate requiring her to keep notes from day to day so she can remind herself what happened. The homeowners are Tony and Laura and have owned the house a while. At first, Laura is welcoming, but when Tony suggests the stranger looks like a Jemma and the local doctor wonders if she could be Jemma Huish who used to live in that house, Jemma killed her best friend and lived in a hospital and half way house. She is famous for calling the police before committing the crime. What I loved about this book was that the unstable narrative made you unsure of where the story was going. You were hoping that it was Jemma on one page and confused at what is going on in the next. The local’s anxiety makes Jemma doubting herself and her memory.
Irresponsible police and dire public warnings put the newly minted Jemma on the run, seeking help from Tony whose own fears of hereditary Alzheimer’s makes him fascinated by memory and memory loss, thus fascinated by Jemma. Half the book is where Jemma spends time with the town and the other half is Jemma running away with Tony and the police and a local reporter chase the two of them. There is plenty of misdirection in The Last Thing She Remembers and all of it is perfectly fair. Because it is so fair, we perhaps begin to discern the outlines of a scheme at play. Or more accurately, more than one scheme. The plot never stops adding to the tension, propelling the reader forward and compelling us to keep reading without stop. No sleep for you! I finished it in one day. There is plenty of misdirection in The Last Thing She Remembers and all of it is perfectly fair. Because it is so fair, we perhaps begin to discern the outlines of a scheme at play. Or more accurately, more than one scheme. The plot never stops adding to the tension, propelling the reader forward and compelling us to keep reading without stop. I think the only place that it falls short is the epilogue after epilogue. One longer chapter tying everything together would have been perfect. Thank you to Netgalley and all parties involved for my arc of this thriller. I will be reading more of this author for sure.

A woman suffering from amnesia winds up at the front door of a couple in a sleepy English village. Speculation from the villagers soon abounds as she is accused of being a killer. As the story progresses, we learn that more than one character is not who they appear to be and the consequences are dire.

I felt that this was good but had a few too many different things going on all at once so that it was hard to discern what the main focus was at times. I thought that the author successfully built up the suspense and the outcome was satisfying, although certain details were a little far-fetched.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Park Row and J. S. Monro for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The book blurb may make you think that this is your usual story about a woman who wakes up and doesn't know who she is, but the author plays with this trope, taking the reader down an unpredictable path. The creepiness grabs onto you slowly. A very good read.

The Last Thing She Remembers – J.S. Monroe

I was fortunate to receive this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an objective review.

It’s an idyllic evening in a small English village when a young woman knocks upon the door of a home she believes is hers. A gentleman answers, his wife in the background, as she announces that she’s been away on a business trip, and that this is her house, before she faints. The couple, Tony & Laura, assist her indoors, and offer her some tea. And that’s when she explains that she has lost her handbag, and that she cannot remember her name. All she had to lead her ‘home’ was a bus ticket in her pocket. As the couple consoles her, she stuns them by describing the home in significant detail. Tony tells her she looks like a ‘Jemma’ and offers her their spare bedroom for a few days until things can sort themselves out. A quick visit with a local physician determines that she likely has amnesia, triggered by some catastrophic event she is unable to recall. And a local reporter, Luke, seemingly recognizes her, or thinks he does, but he can’t remember where As Jemma herself continually searches her memory for clues, she reflects on a friend, Fleur, who is deceased, but is unable to picture her face.

That is the start of a story that takes off like a runaway train and will keep you spellbound with all of its twists and turns and the speed at which they happen. A search of old home records and memories have the townspeople convinced that she may be Jemma Huish, a known murderer. And Luke is diving deep, trying to learn her identity…. But all is not as it seems, and what seems like a book that jumps from place to place and from random character to character, is actually a very well crafted, and horrifying suspenseful read, all coming together seamlessly at the end….and you’ll never look at a seahorse again quite the same…

This was a bit of a depart from my typical genre, but it caught me up in the first few pages, and Jemma’s struggles to remember the events of the past, and the steps she took to do so, had me racing to the thrilling, yet macabre finish. A great read! I look forward to more from J.S, Monroe!!

I was curious about this book the minute I read the description! It starts out with a mystery women who doesn't know her name, shows up at a house claiming she lives there... what!?!?!? Quickly it unfolds into multiple story lines & becomes a twisty thriller that draws you in. I couldn't even figure out how it was going to end... you'll just have to read it to find out!!! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was quite an interesting read that kept my attention until the end. Could you imagine waking up every day and not remembering what you did the previous day? On a normal day that would be frustrating, but for the the woman with no name, it is even harder as she returns to the town she thinks she grew up in, and the locals think she looks a lot like someone that committed a horrible crime. She enlists the help of a couple that lives in her childhood home (or was it?) but something is off with them too, she just can't put her finger on it.

As the woman starts to piece together her life and why she came to the small town, other secrets unravel with her. This was a mess that I could not figure out until the end, and it was really good. It got a little off track for me with the details on the brain / how memory works, I didn't care too much about that but understand why it was relevant to include. It also got a little complicated with the story line towards the end, but I liked that it didn't end clean or with a bow on it the way most stories do. Overall this was well done, different, and kept me guessing.

A young woman has flown in from attending a conference and she has forgotten her name. In addition, her handbag and computer have been lost. She only remembers where she lives. Walking to her home, she finds it occupied by a couple named Laura and Tony, and the furnishings are different. When she explains her dilemma, they kindly invite her inside. They take her to see a doctor who thinks she may have some type of amnesia. Laura and Tony invite her to stay the night at their home. However, Laura learns that the woman might be Jenna Huish who used to live in the house and supposedly murdered someone. Frightened, Laura and Tony tell her she must leave so she finds some place else to stay.

After the first part of this book, I became more and more confused. Way too many characters and boring events. I kept on through the book and with each chapter, I asked myself why I was reading it. Oh, dear. I do hate to give a book a DNF which is why I carried on. All I can say is, don’t waste your time. There’s nothing to see here, Folks, so just carry on.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is an engrossing read that once you start you have to keep reading until you are finished! Except for taking care of the necessities of life, I didn’t put this book down and devoured it in record time. This book is full of suspense and mystery...it keeps you guessing until the end (literally!). The storyline is very unique and with the addition of all the many unexpected twists and turns, this book excels as a top-notch novel of suspense. I can't recommend this more highly as a really great read. Even though I was given a copy for my honest review, I would have gladly purchased this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this early copy!

I recommend checking out this thriller if you enjoy the genre, it was well-written and thrilling all the way through.

Reading the premise for this book, I knew I had to read it! I’m fascinated with the concept of characters having no memory of who they are. Anything involving amnesia captures my interest right away. (Is that strange?)

A woman shows up in a small village knocking on a door she’s positive is her home. Just a small issue… there is another couple Tony and Laura living there. Because this unfortunate mystery guest can’t recall her name, Tony takes to calling her Jemma.
But could she be the notorious Jemma Huish that was locked away for years? Of course, the gossip mill is pumping at full capacity and everyone has their own theory on who this woman could be.

As much as I wanted to love this one I just couldn’t get there. The story-line just didn’t flow for me and I felt like I was constantly shaking my head at all the characters....and I mean each and every one of them,

A very fast and light read that just lacked the execution I’ve come to expect in my thrillers.

A buddy read with Susanne 🌸

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Park Row and J.S. Monroe for an ARC to read and review.

2.5 Stars* (rounded up).

A woman who has no memory of who she is and has no identification, remembers one thing: The house she used to live in, in Wiltshire– and that is where she goes. Upon arrival, Tony and Laura, the couple that live there, let her in, even though they do not recognize her. The woman knows everything about the house, including the layout. After a few hours, Laura becomes suspicious and takes her to the town psychologist who diagnoses her with stress-induced amnesia and thinks she make have lived in the town years prior and is a danger to the community. Could that be possible?

The woman is scared and fearful. Every night before she goes to bed she writes down notes of her day. Every morning she reads them, trying to see if she remembers whether or not they happened. She had no idea what happened to her or who she once was.

“The Last Thing She Remembers” is a amnesia plot that intrigued me. I had never read anything quite like it. Unfortunately what started off as an original storyline, got somewhat muddled and didn’t end up working for me once the mystery unfolded.

This was a buddy read with Ms. Kaceey.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin – Trade Publishing and J.S. Monroe for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 6.4.19.

The Last Thing She Remembers written by J.S. Monroe and Jon Stock is a psychological thriller about a woman, Jemma, who can't remember her name. Jemma shows up at Tony and Laura's house saying that she doesn't know who she is, but she recognized their house, and they let her stay the night. The story continues with Jemma trying to figure out who she is and what she is doing in this Wiltshire town.

I wanted to like this book and was so excited when I received the ARC; unfortunately, that was not the case, and this book just fell flat for me. Yes, there were some twists and turns, but for me, the believability was just not there. I felt like the authors took a roundabout way to tell the story, and it was a bit too long, and if I am honest did not keep my interest. I can't believe I am saying this, but I think there were too many characters and too many conspiracy theories being thrown out there. I also had a hard time connecting with the main character, Jemma, not sure if I didn't like her or if her character wasn't well developed.

Psychological thrillers are supposed to be somewhat believable, but when they are so convoluted that they are difficult and a bit boring to read, I find that they lose all their appeal. I am being generous by giving this book three stars if only for its potential to be original.

***I kindly received this galley by way of NetGalley/publisher/author. I was not contacted, asked, or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion .***

Having amnesia would be one of the scariest things to suffer. This is a twisted tale of several people whose paths cross in a dark way. A quite unique premise with interesting characters and unusual circumstances.