I have mixed feelings about this book. I thought the writing was good and the story was well told, but I did not like Marnie and I think this seriously interfered with my enjoyment of the book. I was sympathetic to the situation, I felt compassion for her, but I could not get myself to like her, and the bit at the end was the nail in the coffin so to speak. I guess I want my books to have a happy ending and this one didn't deliver. That being said, it was well written and I would recommend it to the right reader. The end was a bit blah, but the meat of the story was good. (3.5)

The chaotic but happy equilibrium of the Nightingale family is thrown into disarray when Cecily—whose children can’t remember her ever being remotely spontaneous—runs away to a Greek island with no warning or explanation. Her three daughters, high-powered executive Felicity, unfulfilled GP Julia and organised mother-of-five Lily have no idea that their mother's trip has been in the making for five decades and could turn their worlds upside down. Will Cecily be able to hold her family together once she reveals her big secret? And might she discover that she’s not the only one with a story to tell?
I like the premise of the story, especially after reading the book's acknowledgments. The writing is also engaging, and the story is realistic. I appreciate how each character has flaws and acts normal, too.
Overall, the book is just okay. I wouldn't buy it for myself or share it with anyone, but it is an entertaining read.

A beautifully written tale of family relationships and secrets. I recommend this book. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

This is my first book by Imogen Clark and it will not be my last. She has such a comfortable writing style (if that's a thing)? There is no struggle to get into this book and I found I could relate her characters to people I know and a bit to myself. I enjoyed reading about the perspective of a young Cecily and what she was going through. I look forward to reading all of the author's books. Thank you so much to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

When Cecily, mother of three grown up daughters goes off to Kefalonia on her own her daughters are bound to wonder why.
Her husband Norman is tight lipped and tells them it’s up to their mother if she wants to explain.

Cecily has never been abroad or on her own in a plane before, Norman has always been with her. After receiving a surprise letter Cecily feels this is a trip she has to do on her own and she hopes to explain everything her girls when she returns.

The trip is not how Cecily would have wished and so many things seem to happen the wrong way that Cecily is glad to return home.
But what of the writer of the letter? Who is she, and will Cecily ever see her again?

Cecily is such a lovely character no one could dislike her and I felt for her plight during the book. Her three daughters were all so different but I liked Lily the peacemaker best. I didn’t at any time like Marnie and the expression ,” Cutting off your nose to spite your face” suits her fine.

A really enjoyable read. It didn’t all go as I might have expected but the ending suited the storyline well.

Receiving this free book was a joy. Keeping a secret is a dangerous thing. I couldn't put it down to see if the secret was found out & was her family still together!

This is an interesting story about Cecily, who suddenly drops everything and goes to Greece for a week. Her three daughters are incredulous that she would do something so unlike her and without telling them first. Their father is not ruffled about it, nor will he share any information with his daughters. Cecily is looking for someone from her past in Greece and she’s not ready to share any information with her daughters. This is a look at the dynamics of a family, the individual angst of its members. I’m not sure I agree with the conclusion but this is, after all, the author’s story to tell.

I think anyone would find this story interesting.

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Cecily Nightingale has always been the stable, organized member of the family so her sudden unplanned, unannounced trip to Greece is a shock to all. Cecily has a secret, one that began when she was 15 years old and only her supportive husband Norman understands. Her three daughters have no idea what will awaits them when their mother returns home.

A heart wrenching story of lost love and the rediscovery of the meaning of family, The Last Piece left me in tears several times, but also left me smiling at the strength and resiliency of families. I have never read anything by Imogen Clark, but she is on my TBR list.

I received a copy of the book from NetGalley. The opinion is my own.

I feel like this book had potential to be good, but there were too many plot holes for me and the ending was too abrupt. Thank you to netgalley for the ARC.

Cecily, mother of 3 and husband of Norman goes on holiday to Greece, seemingly on a whim. This throws her children into a tizz. Who will child mind? Is she OK? Why did she go? But Cecily has a secret daughter who she gave away for adoption who has made contact. Will it be like Long Lost Families or not as perfect a reunion as she is hoping?
I really liked this book, especially that it was not as perfect a reunion as get depicted on Long Lost Families. How the story unfolds was interesting and each character gave a different slant on the situation. Really recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the advanced reader copy for my honest review and thoughts.

The Nightingale family revolves around three sisters in varying stages of their lives and Cecily, their kind and gentle mother. Seemingly out of nowhere, the ever reliable Cecily goes on a spontaneous trip to Greece leaving her daughters behind with nothing but questions.

This book had a lot of heart but it also fell a little flat for me. I struggled with the second half of the book and felt that it could have been wrapped up in 75 pages less. Imogen Clark does have a masterful way of lapsing time within the storyline without it feeling weighted down. I appreciated Cecily’s personality and depth of character but felt the daughters could have had more personality outside of their job descriptions and motherhood roles.

*Spoilers below*

When the reason Cecily goes to Greece is untold, I found myself to be a little disappointed. I have a sister who was adopted at birth and only found out about it when she was in high school, having only overheard the fact over a eavesdropped phone call. It was later told that her biological mother was a family friend who had gotten pregnant in college and gave my sister to my newly married parents. I remember the drama and heart ache that unfolded around that broken relationship. Perhaps that is why I could not fully engage with the relationship of Cecily and Marnie. It was unnecessarily cold and the ending felt too unsettled for me. Marnie is rude, disrespectful when it didn’t call for it and I couldn’t warm up enough to her or Cecily to care about the relationship which unfortunately was the backbone of the book.

I appreciated Clark’s writing but overall, this wasn’t the book for me.

An intriguing family drama. Cecily, mom of three daughters, flies to Greece without telling her daughters. This trip is for Cecily to confront a secret from many years ago. We also get an insight into the life of each daughter.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Such an interesting story of a child given up for adoption by a teen mom in 1960's UK. The mother has kept the adoption a secret from her three grown daughters until she is contacted by the adopted child. There are quirky characters all around and personalities collide when the long lost daughter shows up for a visit.

4 stars / This review will be posted at BookwormishMe.com on 9 August 2020 .


Cecily has disappeared on an unplanned vacation to Kefalonia, Greece. Her three grown daughters are looking for answers, and their father won’t give them. Cecily, meanwhile, isn’t quite sure what she’s doing in Kefalonia either. It all started with an envelope and a picture. Next thing she knew she was packing for Greece.

Lily, the mother of five, Julia, the GP, and Felicity, the ad exec, are all dealing with their mother’s sudden departure in different ways. Each of them also has their own secrets that they are keeping from each other. Meanwhile, husband Norman has kept a secret from the girls for years as well. So many secrets that each has, but most importantly for the girls right now, where is their mother?

This is a story about family, marriage, love and the secrets we keep to protect one another. But do those secrets really help or hurt our relationships? Cecily has kept a big one for many years that is now, possibly, coming to light. Cecily and Norman have kept one from their daughters. Sister relationships can always be fraught with secrets. In this family, all these secrets are going to cause a blow up at some point.

I truly enjoyed this book. Learning about Cecily’s experience in the 1960s (no spoilers!), her subsequent marriage, and birth of her daughters was an enjoyable trip through time. The trip to Kefalonia and the surprises that unfolded were not difficult to figure out, but it was interesting to see Cecily’s reactions to them. And then the sharing of the secrets amongst the family members brought a bit of drama to it all.

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest reviewl.

This is not my usual genre, I’m more into crime books and psychological ones too however I wanted to take the opportunity to read something from outside my norm. And I am glad I did!! Thank you for  opening up my mind to something totally different.

When Cecily receives a mysterious letter she flies off to Greece with no notice to her daughters. She has never done anything spontaneous in her life. As her daughters study the reasons she may have done this Cecily is dealing with the fall out of the letter. She has to face her past. She has to deal with traveling alone for the first time in 40 years.

As the story unfolds we travel into the past as Cecily shares her tale with the letters author. We learn how society has changed and not all choices are cut and dry. The story then returns to the present and we see how Cecily's past an the letter effect her family. Then we travel into the future to view the fall out from the decisions that have been made.

The story deals with many issues. They fit naturally into the story. These issues are dealt with in a non judgmental manner. The novel also deals with the path less taken perceptive. How one does not have to fit any preconceived notion of how one should feel and behave to have a happy life. Family relations are studied thru out the story as well.

It was a well constructed story with many twists and turns. I highly recommend this novel to everyone.

We have all kinds of cracks in our life, but what lies beneath the surface of them can have a ripple effect on our family, friends and community one we never expected. The Last place is a story of what seems to be a family living perfect lives, but is anything ever perfect? The Last Piece is about the secrets we keep from our loved ones, and the pain resulting from them.

This review is short because it is very challenging to write without spoilers. An outstanding and intriguing read

A thought provoking novel of a mother being contacted and meeting a child she had given up 50 years before. Flashbacks of being a teen pregnant and unmarried in the 1960s give a context for placing up for adoption the child. The reunion of the mother and child fifty years later is unsettling to the mother and child but for the subsequent family. This is not a cozy, everything turns out rosy in the end; however, it is a thought provoking and honest portrayal.

A charming family story, exploring past traumas and future happiness.
The characters were a delight to get to know, such a lovely, heartwarming book.

The Last Piece
By Imogen Clark
Amazon Publishing UK

The Last Piece is a sort of a complicated family. On the surface, the story’s two parents and three adult daughters seem to be picture perfect. As things progress, it becomes clear that very little is as it appears on the surface. Family secrets are revealed, and have ripple effects for each of them.

I found this book to be highly engaging and well-paced. I was invested in the characters. Although I often found the story predictable, the ending was not and I appreciated it very much for its honest presentation.

I suspect this book will be a big mass market hit after it is released. Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the opportunity to review the ARC ahead of its pub date in exchange for this honest review.
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