After reading Renee Carlino's Swear on This Life earlier this summer, I could not wait to get my hands on her new novel. After reading the synopsis, I knew I would be in for something that would pull the heart stings- I was only 6 % in before I was crying.

This story is pretty predictable and cliche but I still really enjoyed it. I loved the characters- I thought they were interesting and brought life to his story. I adored the relationship between Micah and his twin Melissa. They are there for each other through everything but cant seem to get along- their constant banter was a great comic relief.

Grief was a main theme throughout the whole book and I believe it was handled well. Laya is trying to piece herself together after the death of her husband by posting on his Facebook wall. For her this is healing- for those around her, it is like salt in a wound. They want her to move on, but she is moving on the only way she knows how. Micah meets Laya when he is at an odd time in his life. He is ready to move on with his career and grow up but he cant seem to find a way to do that. His answer is to hide away and sulk.

The romantic relationship between Micah and Laya was so complicated. They both wanted more but were not sure how to really connect.Their relationship seemed believable to me- things didn't just fall into place easily. They were both going through things that others couldn't relate to but found comfort in each other.

Although I didn't enjoy this one as much as Swear on This Life, I really liked it and plan to read more Carlino.

Look for this one out Aug 20th.

Laya Bennett is understandably devastated when her husband dies doing a stunt--his profession. She attempts to keep him alive by continuing to have conversations with him on voice mail and posting updates o his Facebook page as though she expects him to come home.
Micah Evans is an architect who works at Laya's father's firm. He is drawn to her after meeting her in the office and grows fascinated by her Facebook posts. He tries to fulfill the wishes she expresses in her posts, which leaves him in the position of something of a stalker.
While I was eager to read this book to find out the resolution of their relationship, I felt the motivation behind Micah's character was somewhat weak. He was really down on himself for no apparent reason and very insecure about relationships.

When a grieving widow has a hard saying goodbye she turns to social media for closure. Laya is a lost after losing her husband. She is in search of answers as to how to progress forward without him while also trying to find herself. Micah has hit a roadblock in life needing some clarity as to where to find his happy place.

Overall:
The opening few scenes were exciting. I felt it was a strong beginning, but Renee lost me in the middle and end.
The FB posts weren’t quite what I envisioned. I thought the idea of posting on his page was an interesting concept it just wasn’t delivered in a way that drew me in. Micah’s character and his actions in regards to those posts wasn’t what I was expecting.
Micah’s character was difficult to connect with. The funk he was in was so out of left field. I know Renee designed this tactic as a means to reach Laya, but it came across as creepy.
I was drawn in by Cameron’s character immediately although I thought as a reader I would get to spend a little more time with him. I wanted to understand their dynamic better from the beginning.

The club scene threw me off. It was unexpected and careless. I knew where her mind was at, I just thought Micah was going to help Laya move forward in a healthy way not support her destructive careless behavior.
Laya’s character is a hit and miss for me. It’s difficult to find an emotional attachment to her.

The story felt idle with very little progress. The characters kept regressing over the same issues and concerns.

Once Laya had to ponder her relationship with Cameron I felt the emotional turmoil, but it was gone just as quickly as it was received, after that scene. The concept of this story was good but I struggled with the delivery. Micah’s character had well measured intentions, yet the creep factor never diminished. The limited time spent developing Cameron and Laya’s character was too brief to gauge a connection for the way she grieved.
I liked the dual point of view switching back and forth between Micah and Laya.
However, I wasn’t too crazy about the circumstances Renee chose to use to bring Micah and Laya together. It seemed too cliche.
For me I truly never felt the connection. Too many barriers and misunderstandings got in the way of the storyline.

I really thought that this book was and enjoyable read. The author tackles a somewhat difficult subject of grief and how one handles their grief. In this book you meet Laya who tragically becomes a widow when her dare devil husband, Cameron dies with a stunt that went wrong. Laya then moves back home to New York where her father owns an architecture firm. When visiting her dad she meets Micah, this quirky bird of a man that is instantly attracted to Laya and sort obsessively follows her on social media and wants to try to help her in her grief of losing Cameron. He definitely goes about it the wrong way in the beginning and gives off major stalker vibes in my opinion however, his heart is in the right place. Laya is struggling to find herself after Cameron's death and continues to leave messages and memories on his social media account as if he was alive. These messages bring these two together and a relationship starts to form between these two that is a bit unconventional in the start. I thought it was a great story and the author did a good job on how differently everyone handles grief. There really is no wrong or right way and I think that is the important message at the end.
3...2...1.... See ya.

'"I have been a fan of Renée Carlino since reading "Before We Were Strangers" in 2015. I was instantly intrigued after reading the blurb for The Last Post. I'm not one to shy away from books with heavy subject matter, grief, or controversial topics.

I found "The Last Post" to be a fairly fast and easy read. I couldn't put it down! I know a lot of people won't like Micah due to his actions, but I found him easy to relate to in terms of feeling lost and hopeless while finding your place in the world after college. I didn't relate as much to Laya, finding her a bit intimidating in terms of intelligence and ambition, but I loved that she fell in love with someone fearless and let her heart soar with Cameron.

One thing that didn't sit well with me was Laya's unsupportive friends and family members. Everybody grieves differently, so I thought it was wrong of them to be so hard on her for making the posts. I would have also liked to see more of the Epilogue, as the ending felt just a bit too rushed.

Micah's hilariously crass sister, Melissa, stole the show as my favorite character. I would love to see a spin-off featuring her story in the future!

*3 Stars*

ARC kindly received in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not really sure what to say about this book. The writing style was fine, and the story did make me want to know what would happen, and so I did want to see it through to the end. BUT, it was weird. Just plain old weird.

I understand that Laya is grieving in her own way. Micah though, he was just an odd duck. It felt stalkerish to start with, even though he did realise that. But also, it just felt over the top. Like, there was nothing to base anything on between he and Laya and their weird friendship/relationship/whatever it was.

I just didn't connect with these characters, so I didn't feel too invested in either them. That said though, I was still determined to see what would happen, and if these characters would find themselves and their places in life.

The Last Post grabbed me right from the very first page and I quickly finished it in 24 hours. It has been a little bit since I've read a book so feverishly but I just felt increasingly connected to the characters and the emotional upheaval they were experiencing. At times, it was a bit much, as I am sure was the intent considering the topic. There is quite a bot of back and forth and grieving. Although this is what grieving realistically looks like, I'm not sure thats what people want to read about when they pick up contemporary romances. I wasn't as drawn to Leya, but a big standout for me was Micah, who was truly my version of the perfect man. He was smart, emotionally present, and he was forthright in his love for Leya. This book was the kind of book you finish and you have a book hangover; where can I go after reading something that had me so invested? For that, I am appreciative. Its been a long time since a book made me feel #allthefeelings. I will be avidly looking for the next release from Carlino, who has proven to me to be a beautifully talented author even when her premise can be depressing.

Thank you to net galley and Simon and schuster for the galley.

Post will go in instagram today.

I've loved several books by this author, this one was not my favorite. I had a really hard time getting into Laya and Micah's relationship but I couldn't. This is just me thought I could totally see other enjoying this.

Im going to be honest, this book was incredibly hard to read. I had to keep putting it down and read something else as it didn’t hold my attention at all. I trudged through albeit begrudgingly as I just wanted to get it read. I didn’t connect with the characters at all.
This was a sad story and not enjoyable at all. I usually like books Renee writes but this one just wasn’t for me.

Hmm this is a tough one to review. This book is about a woman, Laya, that lost her husband right from the beginning of the story (not a spoiler—it’s in the description). Micah, the other main character, was determined to save her. I was pretty hooked by page 5 because the writing is so easy and the chapters are so short but for a book about grieving, it really lacked emotion for me. One of the main characters started out borderline stalkerish and I had a hard time believing the chemistry between them. If you are looking for a romantic love story, this is not it.

I'd like to think that this book was an epic romance or beautiful. And it was. The characters themselves had some magic to them...but I couldn't get past the way they met. Not only the ethics but the sheer creepiness of what is, essentially, a stalker who becomes obsessed. Whether the love story is genuine or not, the acceptance of this still made me uncomfortable.

Don't get me wrong. The writing is wonderful. The characters come alive--you can see the story play out in front of your very eyes. But is that enough to make up for the way it started? I'm not completely sure.

3.5 STARS

I ADORE Renee Carlino's books and will read anything she writes. ('Swear on This Life' is a must-read, by the way.) With that said, I found 'The Last Post' to be a little confusing in its tone and characterizations. Although I was drawn into the story of Laya and Micah and their modern romance, I did not feel that this book reached its potential. Laya is recently widowed and cannot move on from her beloved husband Cameron's tragic death. She leaves public posts on his Facebook page which are tender, sweet and very sad. Once a medical resident with a promising career, she is too grief-stricken to move on with her life.

Micah is an architect at Laya's father's firm. Both Micah and Laya are very vulnerable but Micah pursues Laya intensely. I often didn't feel much of a difference in their POV's but yet I did like the story enough to finish.

The writing is solid but the endless grief was somewhat exhausting. I did love the New York City setting and description of the perils of modern dating. If you are a fan of Renee Carlino's writing, then definitely give this book a try! Michah was a sweet and soulful hero that many will connect with. And the conclusion was a beautiful, hopeful end to this story.

Laya is a doctor in training to become an orthopedic surgeon. She met her future husband Cameron when he was in the hospital getting treated for broken arm. Cameron is a professional daredevil and an adrenaline junky. They had a whirlwind romance, married but a year later Cameron died in a tragic accident during one of his stunt for Red bull commercial. The awful part was that Laya witnessed the whole incident. Never in a million years Laya would expect to become a widow at the age of 24. Her life shattered. She fell into a dark place. The pain is too unbearable. She quit her job and went back to NYC to be near her dad. What is in the future for Laya? How will she moves on? That is when she met Micah – an architecture who work at her father’s firm.

At first, I was a bit confuse what the story was mainly focusing on. For the most part it is about Laya ‘s journey to overcome grief of losing her husband and learning to move on. At one point I thought there is something going on with Cameron too? He has some quirks and also some relationship issues. I like the concept of Laya leaving phone calls and FB messages to Cameron (everyone grief differently) but for some reason I was expecting more emotional posts and a crescendo final farewell that evoke a whole lot of feels … that is just me though… I also love the concept of Micah fulfilling Laya’ wishes on those FB messages it shows how much Micah try to put a smile on Laya’s face. He is truly a caring guy. I feel Micah fell in love quickly but it wasn’t reciprocated. I understand grieving can be extremely difficult and confusing though. Individually, I adore Micah. He is hardworking, loyal, persistent, and extremely patience. Laya had been through a lot and I totally feel for her. She deserves love and happiness in her life. Last but not least, I love Micah’s twin sister – super protective, funny, and sassy. She has a no nonsense and don’t mess with me attitude. I wouldn’t want to get on her bad side The banters and interactions between Micah and his twin is just hilarious.

Over all, this was a great read – an emotional story about love, lost, grief, healing and finding second chance. Fascinating plot and complex characters. I always love the author’s writing – emotional, captivating, flawless.

I was caught up in this book within the first 5 pages. The relationship between Laya and Cameron was adorable. Even though I knew it was doomed, I found myself wanting more of their story. As I continued through the book, that didn't change. I think that their story was much more interesting than that of her and MIcahs. I found Micah to be boring, and kind of whiny. Oh, and completely clueless when it comes to boundaries. The way he pursued Laya was creepy. I think that if they had coincidental meet ups, that would have made me like it better. It was too forced on his end, and Laya was in a very vulnerable state.


I really enjoyed the writers style. I think I am going to check out some other books. But probably wont be reading this one again.

“Three. Two. One... See you on the other side.”
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After loosing her husband in a tragic accident, Laya is drowning in grief and barely existing.
Micha works for her father architectural firm and the moment he meets her he wants to rescue her from the pain.
There is a lot of grief involved and I understand that no many people can relate to the way Laya was handling it, but I guess it’s a process and we all deal with it differently, if you are expecting insta-love this is not the book for you.
There are a lot of mixed reviews about this book but I really like it, it was a fast paced emotional and beautiful story about loss, grief, second chances and love.
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Thank you @netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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“I learned how quickly love could morph into excruciating pain.”
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“life is out of our control; we can’t always hold onto it. It whooshes by us like a subway train that isn’t stopping at our station.”
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“There are times in life when the pendulum swinging between hapiness and sadness begins to slow.”

3.5 Stars. I have read and loved all of Renee's books, so I was very excited for this one. Laya's story just absolutely crushed me, I can't even imagine the pain she was going through, but I think it was expressed really well throughout the book. I fell in love instantly with Micah and was rooting for him so much. I could not put the book down the first half, but the second half did feel a bit rushed to me. Overall, this was a very heartbreaking story, but one with a hopeful ending. Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

I won't be leaving a star rating or normal review for this story. I was unable to complete reading it. I just didn't connect with the characters. I felt the Hero was a little too whiny for my liking. I was rolling my eyes at his inner thoughts for the part I read.

This has nothing to do with the author and her books. I have loved many of her books in the past, I just don't think this one worked for me. I know I will continue to read other books by Renee Carlino. I would also put it out there for other readers to give this book a try, who knows you might really love it.

I'm a big fan of this author. This story hooked me with the first chapter but then not so much. The writing is great, it's a great story. I guess I didn't feel the connection.

3 1/2 "3...2..1...See Ya" Stars

I'm not exactly sure how to approach this review. I am a long-time fan of Renee Carlino's books. Truly, I have loved them all. That said, The Last Post was a more challenging read for me than the ones I've read previously. You're going to think I didn't like this book at all, but I did. I just didn't like it as much as I anticipated. I typically LOVE and want to shout from the rooftops about Ms. Carlino's books. This time, something was missing for me. I found that I had a harder time connecting with both Laya and Micah. I understand that Laya was grieving her husband and probably had some PTSD because she was present when he died. However, even taking that into consideration, I still found that I couldn't make myself relate to her the way I wanted to. Then there was Micah, who was a mess all on his own. I never understood what was behind his mid-life crisis - - the one where he'd grown the beard and retreated to the woods for a time period. Did he go through a depression of his own? What was his trigger? I feel like there was more to him that went unexplained. I did like him though and appreciated that he was trying to reach Laya and soothe her the only way he knew. It just so happened that it was a bit creepy, awkward and somewhat stalkerish. He was sincerely trying though and I can give brownie points for true effort. I was very hot and cold on Micah's relationship with his twin sister. She was much too abrasive for me at times and treated him a little too callously. However, I guess that she redeemed herself at the end but midway through I was definitely not a member of her fan club.

Now let's talk about Cameron, the dead husband. I know he didn't intend to be one but he was such a selfish man. It was evident he loved Laya, but apparently not enough to be around for her for the long haul. I think he already loved thrill-seeking too much by the time he met her. It was in his blood and he couldn't have ever given it up. With such a risky career, he should have had more frank discussions with her regarding what he'd want her to do in the event that he died. That is where he truly failed her because when it happened, she was left spinning with no direction and unclear of how to move forward without him. Given her family history, she needed that direction. I think all the accumulated loss is one reason she had so much difficulty moving forward.

I really felt like this book had so much potential. I liked the premise but sadly, it just fell short for me. However, when I say it fell short, I am rating it on a Renee Carlino scale. This is to say that it is still a good book. I think sometimes my expectations are set too high. There were still many things I enjoyed about the book.

"Scars are a testament to the love and the relationships I had for and with each person. And if the scar is deep, so was the love. So be it. Scars are a testament to life."
(Disclosure: The quote above is subject to change as it is from an ARC but I had to share it because I found it to be absolutely beautiful.)

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really disliked this one. Micah came off as creepy and stalkerish. He would leave her tickets to things that she mentions in her FB post to her dead husband. It was just super creepy to me. Micah’s twin sister is so annoying and childish. Laya is so deep in her grief and somehow believes she is responsible for everyone that is around her and involved with her and whether they will live, which doesn’t make any sense since her Dad is still alive and well. I wish I had DNF’d this book. All the characters were unlikeable and the storyline wasn’t great. I do not recommend this book.