Cecily is a wonderful mother to her three daughters. It’s a perfect family to all that know them.. A solid family unit until Cecily decides to jump on a plane and go to Greece to resolve a secret that has been locked away for 50 years. She goes alone leaving her faithful husband at home. The daughters and families discover another life that their very safe loving mum lived until she was 16. I love this book. It is beautifully written, fabulous characters and settings. It’s an easy pleasant read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. These are my thoughts.

It's hard to write this without giving away a major plot point. Cecily takes off for Greece alone. Her daughters, Felicity and twins, Julia and Lily, find this totally out of character and terribly inconvenient for them. Their Dad, Norman, knows what is up and is leaving it up to Cecily to explain. The characters were quite lovely. Lily is a bit of a free spirit, raising five boys with her loving husband, Marco. Julia is a GP, single and finding that something is missing in her life. Felicity is the eldest, married, with one son and seems to have everything under control until she doesn't. I would have loved to have them as sisters. Their strengths and weaknesses complement each other perfectly. I was on the fence about Cecily. In her interactions with Marnie she is very careful, not wanting to rock the boat but Marnie is not an easy person to get along with. Sometimes it made me a little crazy and I wanted to push Cecily to do more. The book had a perfect ending, not necessarily a happy ending but sometimes we don't get one.

This story is about women, and how they cope with crises and keep the family together. The story is emotional. The characters and their motivations are believable, and the plot although simple showcases this character-driven story well. The pacing and writing style, are classical, with the emphasis on narrative and dialogue. This doesn't detract from the story, just gives it a distinctive voice that will appeal to many readers of family drama and relationships.

As quickly as we feel the pain, our hopes rise and we see the potential for healing. Ms. Clark paints the characters with just enough detail to give you all you need to take the picture and run with it yourself. This was a very emotional read especially when truths were discovered and the emotional process of coming to terms with the different types of motherhood, but a rebirth of sorts for a life and love that is always present… but not always acknowledged.

The Last Piece is the story of Cecily who, after receiving a surprise letter in the mail, sets off to Greece for a week. Cecily is not spontaneous. The last time she did anything that could be considered spontaneous was over 50 years ago. What transpires in Greece sets Cecily on a journey of nostalgia and self-reflection of that time 50 years ago.

Cecily’s invitation to Greece was sent by Marnie, who was involved in Cecily’s last spontaneous moment. She has also lurked in the corners of Cecily’s mind every day for the last 50 years. Their meeting is intense. It is filled with uncomfortable conversations that are healing to one of them but leads to more questions for the other. When they part ways it seems as though the past can be worked through and the future can have some type of relationship between them.
Cecily’s family knows nothing of Marnie, nor why her letter would send Cecily jetting off to another country for a week. So when, after months go by, Marnie says that she is coming to visit Cecily and meet the rest of her family, Cecily is both nervous and excited. However, things do not go well at all.

After spending months in emotional and mental turmoil Cecily decides to go see Marnie on her own territory, as a surprise. This time things seem to be able to get worked through a bit more. Each woman walks away feeling confident in the closure of their unique relationship. They have discovered who they are to one another, and who they are as individuals.

While written before the global pandemic shut down this is the perfect time for right now as many of us are spending a lot more time alone with our thoughts, trying to figure out who we are and where we fit into the lives of our family and friends. And even though this is a work of fiction, it is comforting in these times to read of someone else struggling through the muck of family relationships during difficult times.

The Last Piece is a story of how we never fully know the entire story of someone’s life and that appearance can be deceiving. Cecily, Marnie, and their families all have their secrets, and in the end, they realize that sharing the secrets, airing them out, is better than holding them in.

Cecily hops on a plane to some Greek Island and her family is left to wonder why and what is going on. The Last Piece by Imogen Clark is a well written novel about the secret that Cecily has been keeping and how life has a way of bringing things to light that have been hidden.

I absolutely love the narrative style: alternating viewpoints between Cecily, her three daughters (Felicity, Julia and Lily) as well as Cecily's perplexed husband, Norman. Imogene Clark certainly has won me over with her writing, plot twists, and deep look at what it means to be a family. Some things are crystal clear and resolved and other things are not as specific (you know, like real life?)

Definitely a book to treasure!! Have you read it? If so, what did you think?

Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing Company, UK and Imogene Clark for this temporary digital advance review copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my opinions are my own and my review is voluntary.

This was a great character driven story. Cecily spontaneously up and leaves for a trip, which is out of character for her. This concerns her daughters and they attempt to get answers from her husband, but he is not divulging anything. This journey to reunite with the child she gave away years earlier made Cecily a conflicted and flawed character that you couldn't help but root for. I really enjoyed this one!

A heart warming story of a close know family and how they cope with various family problems. It's a delightful and engaging read full of insight into relationships. So enjoyed this read!

This is a book with a lot of heart and characters you will believe in. It’s both sad and uplifting and Imogen Clarke’s writing of this family is perfectly pitched and empathic. I really enjoyed reading this book and would definitely recommend it. I haven’t read Imogen before, but I will catch up with her books now.

A very interesting read on what transpires when giving a child up for adoption and the subsequent feelings of all involved. The mum, Cecily, is contacted by her first daughter 50 years after giving her up for adoption. It's all very surreal since none of Cecily's other daughters are aware of the first one. This book gives us glimpses into each child's life as well as the mum's teenage years. A quite different outcome than what one expects from the situation but very well done. Lovely characters and great locations.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher and voluntarily chose to review it.

I wish I could do 3.5 stars. I disliked all of the characters but the premise is really interesting. The part in the middle was my favorite and read very well. The last third seemed to just be lamenting what a bitch Marnie was - and they were not wrong.

Thank you Imogen Clark, NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This story brings up many issues that most of us can't comprehend nor understand how this would happen in today's society. This book focuses on Cecily's former life from her teen years up to current day.

Cecily gets a letter to go to Greece, and she leaves her home, husband and kids to go as quick as she can, and they don't have any idea of what would possess her to leave like that.

I love the emotional twists that the author brings to the book, and how you can relate to not only Cecily, but to her husband. I truly appreciated how the author ended this book, and I can't wait to read more by Imogen Clark.

When their predictable routines are disrupted by their mother flying to Greece without notice or explanation, three sisters are led on a path of discovery that will bring them closer together while learning some hard truths. A traditional family, Dad, Mom, three daughters and lots of grandchildren suddenly become not so traditional in an emotional story of acceptance. Imogen Clark built a community and a family of characters that are true, they care for each other while still hiding a few blemishes that surprise the heck out of the family dynamic. An excellent story that left me a warm fuzzy when the happily ever after showed up.

I had read an earlier novel by this author and recognize her wonderful writing and interesting characters. She recognizes that happy families can still have their differences, problems and secrets, and weaves it into a warm wonderful story.
Cecily Nightingale has a loving husband and three adult daughters, but there is a missing link there, that is apparent from the beginning. When she unexpectedly up and leaves for a short trip to Greece, her family is curious and taken unawares of the sudden absence. She has heard from her first born that she had at sixteen and gave up for adoption, after 50 years of wondering about where she is and if she would ever meet her.
This is a heart rendering story of an unfulfilled Mother, a daughter that never found herself and a family, other than her husband, that was completely unaware of her existence. We experience the desire of a mother to complete her family and a daughter that has no expectations of suddenly finding the family she hoped would be there. The puzzle was completed but the last piece was still gone.
My thanks to the author, Lake Union Publishing, Amazon Books for my ARC. All opinions are my own. This is a strong 4 stars!

This was a very charming and moving book. A story that dealt with a mother's secret and the ability to forgive herself for that long-ago decision. The story was very realistic as were the wonderful characters. I especially loved the father, Norman. He had a great way of looking at things in life and I could feel the love he had for Cecily. This is the first book by Imogen Clark that I've read but I'll soon be reading more of her books. This one was very delightful and enjoyable. And that cover is absolutely beautiful!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

The Last Piece left me thinking about the ways a change in family structure affects the relationships of the siblings to one another. A close knit family of two parents and their three adult daughters struggles when the mother reveals a secret she has kept. from her daughters for over fifty years. I loved that the novel depicted a marriage of forty plus years where the couple still cherished each other. This was a very enjoyable quick read. Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the opportunity to read this early advance in exchange for an honest review.
#TheLastPiece #NetGalley

Cecily has a nice family and home in Harrogate England. But she has been carrying a secret for 50 years that only her husband and parents knew.
Cecily gets a letter sending her off to Greece. She isn't sure what to expect but goes hoping for the best but things don't turn out like she had hoped. With 3 older daughters all going through different seasons of their lives it becomes very complicated.
A great story of love, hurt, betrayal and healing.
#thelastpiece

I have to admit that I hadn’t come across Imogen Clark before, but the summary of this book appealed to me and I really enjoyed it.

Cecily and Norman have three adult daughters, plus grandchildren. One day, her children are shocked to find that she’s gone off to Kefalonia, one of the Greek islands, with no explanation, and she doesn’t use her mobile phone so they can’t contact her with all their questions.

She returns at the end of the week and tells her daughters the whole story (her husband already knew), and then it continues back in the UK.

I don’t want to reveal any spoilers other than to say this very same thing happened to me, but the opposite way around. There were a few small inaccuracies, but they would only be known to anyone who’d been in this situation themselves, and didn't detract from the storyline. Apart from these, the book was well-researched and dealt with the subject in a considerate and sympathetic way.

I’ll definitely be reading more books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

The Last Piece by Imogene Clark was a heartbreaking story on so many levels. It is about Cecily’s life from her early teen years to her later life. She gets a mystery letter to come to Greece. She abruptly heads there leaving her husband Norman and their three daughters not knowing what is going on. The daughters were Felicity, and twins Lily and Julia. They had six children between Lily and Felicity and Julia was not married but she wanted a child. I loved how she was brave enough to go ahead and do what she had to do to have a child. But what Cecily goes to Greece for is what she be a happy occasion but it is so hard on the whole family. I did love the sneaking around that Norman, Cecily’s husband talked her in to doing! The author wrote this book to where you feel all the emotions so clearly what each one was going through. It was a huge surprise to read how this ended.
I received this as an ARC for an honest review from Netgalley.

Mum Cecily takes off unexpectedly for Greece when she receives a letter related to her past. Her 3 adult daughters are taken aback by this unusual behaviour and make their feelings known to their father, who is calmly waiting at home for his wife to return. When she does return, sun-burnt and hopeful, the contents of the letter are revealed. The impact is far-reaching. How the family reacts to this is the main part of the novel, as well as some moving and well-researched detail about Cecily’s early life.
The relationships between the daughters, all very different and dealing with a range of issues, are very well-written and you can't help but be involved and react to their behaviour. If you want a family tale with a difference, a tale that is split between the present and the 1960s I recommend this book. It left me wanting to read more by Imogen Clark.

A light-hearted book with the more serious subject of adoption at its core. I enjoyed reading it, but felt that the characters were all rather cliched. A good holiday read I think.