Gen, an accomplished romance author finds her marriage to accomplished lawyer, Thad to be growing cold. As she prepares to sign her divorce papers, she finds herself wishing should could just start over. When her very accomplished sister, Dr. Meg McCready asks her to company her to New York during a business conference, Gen agrees, after all, she could use a change of pace. Gen decides to take a little walk after they return to their hotel following a boozy dinner after a little boozy dinner, never to be seen again.

Told in multiple points of view and following then and now time lines, I found the story to choppy and at times confusing. As the story unfolds, the reader becomes aware of one secret after another but the tension doesn’t build, instead the telling seems rather flat as more characters are added while the existing ones never get fleshed out.

I found the characters to be not very believable, including the PI and the detective, who acted clueless and unprofessional throughout. This read more like a rough draft of an idea for a thriller. Plot elements came together in ways that are just not in any way feasible. (a small item thrown from a balcony of a NYC hotel is immediately found by the main character that threw it while walking down the sidewalk, for example.)

Not the right story for me. The story fell flat and the characters lacked depth and likeability.

The Last to See Her is the newest suspense thriller by author Courtney Evan Tate (Courtney Cole).

The main characters of this book are Genevieve/Gen and her sister Meghan/Meg.

The story starts with Genevieve and her sister in New York City. Genevieve is a famous romance author. And Meghan is an impressive doctor.

Something happens in NYC that becomes the focus for the rest of the book. A character disappears. I didn't read the book blurb before starting this book. But I found the title so chilling ... I knew something sinister was going happen.

The book has a bunch of 3rd person POVs (the main two are Gen and Meg). But we have both BEFORE and NOW timelines. This is sometimes not my favorite method of storytelling. However in this case I think that it worked very well for the story. I was super curious to find out what happened in the present. But I also found the past very interesting.

There were definitely things that I figured out before they happened. But there were also some completely unexpected developments.

I think that my favorite character was Detective Nate Hawkins. He was a NYC detective. And I enjoyed getting to see his point of view.

Thad was Gen's husband (they were getting divorced). And I was quite intrigued by everything about him, including his secrets.

The ending was interesting. I'm not sure that I was completely sold on what happened. But I really enjoyed the epilogue. And overall this was a very enjoyable thriller.

Dr. Meghan Harris has invited her sister, Genevieve Thibault and who considers each other's best friend, for a NY weekend away to lift Gen's spirits because she is going through a very tumultuous divorce from her husband Thad due to his infidelity after 10 years of marriage.

On the first night in NY, after the sisters go out to eat and end up having a few too many drinks, they return to the hotel. Meghan asks Gen why she is still wearing her very extravagant wedding band after all these months. Gen decides it's time to take it off and walks out onto the balcony and throws it off. At this point, she tells Meg that she just needs to be alone and get some air. That's the last time she is seen.

This is the first book that I have read by this author but it surely won't be the last.

The story alternates between Gen and Meg, with the then and now.

The writing and storyline were solid. The suspense was unremitting and substantial that it had me glued to every word.

There were so many OMGs!! I didn't see that coming throughout the book.

My explanation as to why I didn't give it a full 5 stars was for 2 reasons. Approximately a little over halfway through I did figure out who had kidnapped Gen. Even so, I kept on reading because I felt that there had to be more to this story and I had to know the whys. And it was then that many of the OMGs!!! started. The other reason, which probably wouldn't bother another reader, but for me, I found annoying was the use of the word mercurial too many times.

Even with that, I will be putting this "new to me" author on my "authors to read" list.

(Will be posted to blog on 12/19/20)

Genevieve is getting divorced. She and her sister, Meg, decide to go to NYC for a girls weekend. They get a little tipsy and Gen goes out for a little air and to clear her head. She never returns. Meg is the last to see her and the first to become a suspect.

Todd, Genevieve’s cheating husband, is a character everyone loves to hate. He is materialistic and a cheater. I just wanted to punch him a time or two! Then there is Meg! Meg is over the top. As a reader, you really start to like her…until you don’t. I just did not understand her thought process. I just wanted to shake some sense into her. And finally there is Genevieve…you will just have to read it to find out.

What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive! This book is deceiving in more ways than one. I thought I figured it out…then it twisted again and again. I love a book which keeps me guessing. This one does it!

Grab your copy today! You will not be sorry! This book has a little bit of everything!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest opinion.

The Last to See Her is a fantastic thriller. Gen and Meg – alternate POVS give the reader both sides of the story. It is written in past and present and the layers peel back in perfect timing. The writing is impeccable and the story while relevant is also so over the top at times that it provides the reader with the escape one comes to expect with reading fiction. This story grabbed me from page one and held me tight all the way through. I highly recommend.

The twists in this one. Oh my. I grew to love the characters. The ending was just perfect.i am definitely interested in reading another book from this author.

If I had written this review for just the first half of the book, I think it would have been a 4 or 5 star review. Gen and her sister Meg plan a quick trip to New York City while Gen is getting through her divorce from her cheating husband. The have dinner. They drink. A drunk Gen goes for a late night walk in the city and is not seen again. Meg fights to get the police to take it seriously as soon as possible and to find her sister. The narrative switches back and forth in time to give a glimpse of Gen's life in happier times. We get a hint that some of the different view points may be unreliable.

As the story goes on it starts to unravel. First, there is possibly the most unprofessional police officer I've read in a long time. He considers Meg a suspect. Yet, he goes out with her for coffee and gives her quite a few details. He brings her to conduct search warrants. Really? Meg becomes less and less likable with every page, as does Thad (the cheating ex) and pretty much everyone else. Still, the story was not beyond saving. It even had some nice turns that could have been fine without the ridiculous and the inane.

Suddenly, Gen is a genius who is crazy. Yeah. Over and over people talk about how it is expected that she should be crazy because she is such a creative genius that she writes romance novels! I'm sure they are really good ones. The treatment of mental illness and its portrayal here is pretty awful And completely unnecessary. The story would have been better without it.

Overall, the book felt rushed. There were constant inconsistencies in the not just the behavior of the characters, but in what they said and even what they looked like. It was disappointing. It could have been very strong.

If you want a read that keeps you interested, that has loads of twisty turns then I highly recommend this novel! It’ll be available in a couple of days on December 15!

Two sisters who look more like twins but have different personalities, infidelity in both of their marriages and someone gets abducted. Would you seek out revenge, what kind of revenge? Money or death? What would you settle for?

This book was easy to read, I didn’t want to put it down and my jaw dropped in surprise several times; it was good and was in fact a psychological thriller/suspense.

Thanks to the author, Mira and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy!

On it’s own, it’s offers a great read. From the very beginning you are intrigued, confused and definitely want to know more. The trail of hints sprinkled throughout the book catch you unaware, making you realize you need to pay more attention.
I enjoyed the read – until about the 3/4 mark. Until this point, I was invested, intrigued and incensed at what was happening in the story.
And then I started to feel a bit disquiet about some of the plot points, how the aspect of mental health was dealt with and especially when it came to ‘creative’ individuals – like writers. So, it’s very possible I’m taking this story too personal – and that’s an entirely plausible suggestion.
IF I took that aspect out – it’s a great story with a backstory that weaves a dance of suspicion.
Do I recommend you read it? Absolutely – I have no doubt you’ll enjoy this take on this thriller!

The Last to See Her: A Novel by Courtney Evan Tate releases on December 15, 2020. This mystery begins when a woman goes missing in New York City and her sister is the last person to see her. It was a well told mystery and thriller. I really enjoyed the way the book was set up with multiple perspectives and dual timelines. The ending fell a little short for me, but for the mystery factor it was an enjoyable read. Thanks to MIRA via Netgalley for this review copy.

The Last To See Her has a fantastic premise--woman out for revenge against her husband and sister for their affair--but loses its way in its attempts to be a romance for the sister, an exploration of undisclosed mental illness about 2/3 of the way through, and a mc, Gen, whose motives become increasingly unreliable and, sadly, unbelievable. By the end, I was annoyed with the sister, Meg, didn't believe in her happy ending for her past and future, and had no idea if Gen had done all that she did because she was clever or just out in the world, lost and at a dangerous mental state.

I felt really uncomfortable with the message The Last to See Her ended up conveying--that creative women are unstable, that doctors are stable--and if they are female, they'll do stupid things but it will work out okay-- and the rank misogyny that creative and/or mental issue having women can never be happy.

Overall, muddled and with a message that made me uncomfortable with its misogyny.

You might THINK you know what happened to Gen and how this will end but oh no- this one has some mega twists along the way. No spoilers from me! Basic outline- Gen, a novelist, knows her husband Thad, an attorney is cheating on her and demands a divorce. Her sister Meg, a physician, persuades her to go to New York with her and, after a night of drinking, Gen throws her wedding ring off the hotel balcony, goes for a walk, and disappears. Meg, frantic, finally convinces NYPD detective Hawlins to investigate and what they find....This moves back and forth in time and perspective, which works well here. You'll root for Gen and Meg both- even knowing what you will find out. There are little fault lines (Meg technically wasn't the last to see Gen, the doorman of the hotel was and so on) and it's kinda cheesy but you know what- I kept turning the pages AND I was surprised, which is hard to do. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. I really enjoyed this.

I have high standards for a good thriller and this one satisfied all of them. Interesting characters, deceit, twists, suspense. Just when you think you know the guilty party, more information comes forward and you start to doubt yourself.

Thank you to the publisher, Mira, for providing me with an ARC of The Last to See Her in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Gist
I have to confess I don’t know how to write this review. How do I start and what should I write? What little anecdote should I include before getting to the details?

I never had the pleasure of reading any of the author’s other works, so I didn’t know what to expect.

The synopsis sounded intriguing and I sure could have used another distraction from the fact that once again the city was in a lockdown.

I was neither preparing for a let down nor had ridiculously high hopes. I could envision myself snuggles up on the couch with a cup of tea, really sinking my teeth into this suspense/thriller/mystery.

The Last to See Her began to make me rather annoyed and a little angry. Let me explain why.

The Details
What jumped out at me right from the start was this undercurrent of arrogance that came across from the two main characters. They exuded a degree of high mightiness. It was clear that they thought themselves above the rest, because they were “successful”. Although, in today’s world what can be classified as success clearly needs to be redefined.

Anyway, I wasn’t too excited reading about two snooty female characters, who really did not know the meaning of true hardship. And I didn’t appreciate that the reader was supposed sympathize with them.

What really gave me that nervous eye twitch and had that big blue vein inside my head dangerously close to popping was the inconsistency of the characters.

Don’t try to sell a reader on a character, who describes herself as “scientific”, “fact-based” and “no-nonsense” and then have her screech at everyone and faint. Uh? Did I miss something?

As a part-police procedural, this story really fell short. Not to spoil too much, but why is the lead detective taking a person of interest out on a coffee date?

Furthermore, usually I enjoy mystery stories that flip back and forth between the present and past, but I felt the formatting for The Last to See Her was a little confusing.

The Verdict
Overall, I thought The Last to See Her was a little unpolished. It could have benefited from a few more editorial touches.

None of the characters were the least bit likeable. It had potential, but it never had a chance to materialize.

This wasn’t for me.

The Last to See Her by Courtney Evan Tate is a highly recommended psychological thriller.

Gen is a romance writer who is getting a divorce from her cheating husband. Meg, her sister who is a doctor has a convention in NYC and invites Gen along so the two can have a girls weekend and celebrate Gen's freedom. After a dinner together when they both drank way-too-much, they return to the hotel and Gen decides to throw her wedding ring off the balcony and then takes a walk to get some fresh air. This is the last time Meg sees Gen. She falls asleep and when Meg wakes up, she realizes that Gen never returned. Meg finally gets the police to listen to her about Gen's disappearance, although naturally she is the main suspect.

After the opening, chapters alternate between the past as told through Gen's point-of-view, and the present day investigation via Meg's point-of-view. Meg is frantically searching for Gen and trying to discover what happened to her as she has been told to stay in the city, while Gen's chapters begin to show some secrets and behavior that no one knew about. Some of Gen's chapters give a brief glimpse into her current situation. The investigation uncovers secrets and both sisters have hid things from each other and others. There is a whole lot more going on than is immediately apparent and some twists change the plot.

Ultimately the sisters are well developed characters, but it does take the whole novel to reach that point. This makes them not quite as relatable or, eventually likeable. The twists, some of which are predictable, come fast and furious toward the end, which does make it a very compelling psychological thriller. You are going to want to get to the end to get the final picture of what happened as well as read what happened to all the characters. Your opinions about several of the characters will change drastically with additional information. The ending is a surprise. This is one of those novels that might now be totally believable, but the journey to get there is compelling and will hold your rapt attention.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of MIRA Books
After publication the review will be posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

The Last To See Her
By Courtney Evan Tate
⭐

DNF. I tried my best to keep reading it but there's a lot of issues and so much drama. I couldn't like any of the characters and nothing really caught my attention and unfortunately it was my fist DNF of 2020. I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

This is a twisty ride of a story that is easy to fly through. There are short chapters and enough shifts in character and timeline to keep it engaging. The strongest aspect of this book is the premise. Gen has gone missing after a drunken night with her sister and everyone she is connected to is shady. Including herself. None of the characters are very likable but like most mysteries that doesn't really take away from the plot. My biggest problem was how nonsensical the choices the characters make are. I really struggled with why characters would do what they were doing. Tate also seemed like she wrote this book just to shock the readers which to me doesn't work since it almost forces the plot to break down and not flow together. However, with that said, I think that this book is entertaining and would make a great weekend read if you wanted something fun and riveting.

This story kept me wondering who was the bad person through the entire thing. I kept wondering if Thad had harmed his wife or Meg had done it. Then things just kept changing. I had a hard time putting this book down. I loved the suspense and mystery. These characters were all interesting. I received a copy of this book from HarperCollins fir a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Gen is on the verge of a divorce from her cheating husband. When her sister, Meg, has a convention to attend in the Big Apple, she invites Gen along to celebrate her newly found freedom.
The 2 sisters have a night out and get drunk . Gen is asked why is she still wearing her wedding ring. So Gen takes it off and throws it off the balcony.
Then Gen decides to take a walk and disappears. The next morning Meg calls the police to report her missing. But of course she has to wait 24 hours.
As Meg is looking for her sister we find out about secrets and cheating. Twists and turns that kept me wanting more.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC to review.

Gen is ready to start fresh after uncovering her husband’s infidelity. The divorce papers have been drawn up, but before she signs and begins her life anew, she joins her sister in New York. After a fun but drunken night, Gen tosses her expensive wedding ring over the balcony of the hotel and shortly after goes for a walk, and isn’t seen again.

Gen’s sister Meg is certain something bad has happened to her sister, but it isn’t long before secrets from both sisters come to light. With alternating chapters between both Meg and Gen in the present and past, truths are revealed and it becomes clear not everything was as it seemed.

This story of betrayal and revenge had some twists I didn’t see coming! There was definitely a lot of layers and drama, and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to MIRA Books for my copy and letting me take part in this blog tour