The Last Thing He Told Me follows the story of a wife who plays detective alongside her teenage step-daughter when her husband mysteriously disappears.

I thought I was going to love this book in the first third, then started feeling on the fence in the second third, and then finished the book kind of despising it. Hannah, the main character, annoyed me, parts felt rushed or not explained well, and it just all seemed so unrealistic. 2.5 out of 5 stars rounded down to 2.

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Wow! This book took me totally by surprise!
I was floored by how quickly I was turning the pages and just completely sucked into the story.
This thriller follows a woman named Hannah who is a wood turner. She is such an interesting character and I adored her from the moment I read what she spends her time wood working.

She falls in love with a man named Owen who has a teenage daughter, Bailey. The dynamic between Bailey and Hannah is what you would expect from a teenager towards her stepmom.
A lot of resentment and distrust. But then Owen mysteriously disappears one day and leave each of them a single note and a bag full of cash.
The two heroines are using their memories to piece together what could have happened to Owen. And their journey is an addicting page turner of a story.
The ending also broke mr heart a little as you realize the sacrifice you make for family.
This was a phenomenal story and I can’t wait to see it translated to the screen!

This book is a total page-turner! When Hannah's husband, Owen, abruptly goes missing, he leaves her one message, "Protect Her." The her is his daughter, Bailey. After a US marshall and the FBI show up at Hannah's door, she and Bailey decide to go on a hunt for what happened to Owen and where is he. As their search for him gets more and more dangerous, Hannah is forced to make a decision on what's most important to her and Bailey. This book is so fast paced and I couldn't put it down.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this thriller but I enjoyed the twist. I really didn’t see it coming. I loved how Hannah fought for her step-daughter even if Bailey didn’t want her around. I think Owen did love Hannah but he saw that if anything happened to him, Hannah would be someone that Bailey could count on.

I also loved the last line of the novel. It was perfect.

This book was really fast paced and kept me hooked the whole time. It has a really beautiful mix of mystery and also a beautiful family story that puts Hannah and her family in the most heart wrenching predicament. I think the development if the families bond and Hannah's decisions to protect her family were really beautiful.

I thought that this was an incredibly inventive thriller. It wasn't fast paced the entire time, but the story's premise made me continue to turn the pages. I had to know what happened to these characters. I thought that the author did a wonderful job connecting all of the different pieces, and tying all of the clues together to help the reader figure it out. I loved the twists, because they didn't feel like your typical thriller twists. Overall I found this to be very enjoyable and a fast read.

I loved this book and could not put it down. I devoured it in a few hours. I feel comfortable making a blanket pick it up recommendation on this one Free advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

This title is one that I saw a good amount of pre-publication press about, so it wasn't a surprise that it was also an option for the Book of the Month Club - and is a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick. And after reading it, I can certainly see why! I couldn't put it down!

The story hooks in the reader from the very beginning when Hannah, in the midst of preparing a special dinner for her husband and stepdaughter, receives an odd hand-delivered, handwritten note from her husband. Owen doesn't return home - and soon Hannah is thrust into learning more about the man she has shared her life with for the past two years. I always enjoy when "regular" people are thrust into the role of investigator and Hannah sets aside her craftsman hands well and dives right in.

Though exciting and well-plotted, the relationship between Hannah and her stepdaughter, Bailey, is what really shines here. Their complicated feelings and emotions ring with authenticity and I liked the flashbacks in time to show not only more of Hannah's relationship with Owen, but also how it has changed over time with Bailey as well. I've note read anything else from Dave in the past, but I will certainly be keeping my eyes open for more from her in the future! I really enjoyed this one - it was practically a one-sitting read for me!

A pyramid scheme gone upside down and is exposed, but that’s not all that becomes a dangerous mystery. Hannah Hall is stunned by the disappearance of her husband Owen and that she is now the guardian of her sixteen year old stepdaughter who is currently in the throes of teenage angst.
Now this added stress will cause even further damage to this relationship and then on top of that they discover secrets of a past Bailey never remembered she had until all this happened.

This is definitely a book with a lot of twists, but it does start out very slow, but it picks up and the author gets you thinking about what are you willing to sacrifice for a loved one.

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the early read of The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave. It’s the story of a woman, Hannah Hall, who is left to figure out the mystery that is her husband Owen. When the book opens, Hannah is given a note from Owen that simply says “protect her”. Then, on her way to pick up her stepdaughter Bailey, the “her” of the note, with whom she has a rocky relationship, she hears that the company Owen works for is being investigated for fraud. Bailey then comes to the car carrying a backpack full of money that Owen left her. Owen does not come home that day, or the next, or the one after that. Is Owen’s disappearance connected to what is happening at the company? It seems so at first and the law enforcement that stop by to talk to Hannah think so, but then it gets complicated. Together, Hannah and Bailey attempt to find Owen, and as they dig deeper, they learn more about his past than they ever expected. The book is well paced with action and discovery and asks some interesting questions of its characters - How do we ever truly know another person? Can you disguise who you really are inside from those that love you? And what choices would you make to protect those you love? If you have liked books by Celeste Ng, Lisa Gardner or Liane Moriarty, then you will enjoy The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

WOW!!! I started reading this book this morning and just finished it. I could not put this down.
Hannah's life is upended when she receives a note from her husband to "protect her". She knows immediately this means his daughter. Her husband is missing and she starts to piece together clues from her life with him and discovers he is not who she thought he was. But she loves Owen and she is determined to keep his daughter, Bailey safe. This story has many twists and turns that keep you hooked until the very end.

4 stars
Amazon Title: A Thrilling Journey to Discover Truth and Connection
I really enjoyed this thriller about a woman who has been married for only a year to a man who dropped in to her woodturning workshop in New York and swept her off her feet. They are now living in a floating home in Sausalito, California with his daughter, sixteen-year-old Bailey, who is unsurprisingly not so enthusiastic about Hannah, her new stepmother.

Right from the beginning, when a teenager from Bailey's school drops off a short note that says, 'Protect her', we are swept into the mystery of Owen's disappearance and the effort to find out what happened, where he is, and how he could have abandoned them.

This suspenseful novel kept me hooked throughout. I could not put it down. The development of Hannah and Baily's relationship is very heartfelt, as Hannah earns Bailey's trust amidst the chaos that ensues. Many revelations pile up, about the company where Owen worked and FBI concerns about the CEO, who denies any wrongdoing. Then, a mysterious U.S. Marshal shows up at their home. She doesn't tell him about the note or about the duffle bag Bailey brought home from her locker at school, stuffed with cash.

Interspersed with memories of the past year, as Hannah tries to figure out who this man she married really is, is a fast-paced journey to find out the truth while keeping Bailey safe.

It's a wild ride and I enjoyed every minute of the two days it took me to devour this novel. There were a few inconsistencies or questions about Hannah's character and the past she remembers as well as what emerges from the mystery of Who is Owen? But they didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story.

I highly recommend this read and want to thank NetGalley, the author and Simon and Schuster for providing me with an eARC of this great novel, in exchange for an honest review. I know that I will now look for more books by Laura Dave.

This was a quick and enjoyable read with an ending that I didn’t expect! It took me a while to really be sure which characters were reliable and which weren’t! Good suspense!

It was a terrific flight read and I enjoyed every twist and turn. Dave also has a total strength in writing convincing characters, particularly Bailey as an angst filled teen- pitch perfect and right on. And the end twist was really fantastic. The book is a home run for sure.

I really felt that the premise in this book was completely original and I loved the suspense and the overall feeling of intrigue in this book. I felt that Hannah was a strong character and was admirable in many ways. I thought the book was overall well written, however I very much struggled with the ending. I felt that it really derailed the overall momentum and feel to this book. There was such crafting in this book around the story, but the ending just fell flat and felt rushed. I would be interested in reading more from this author in the future to see if this is always the way the endings are. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

Owen Michaels didn’t let on the startup he worked for was under investigation, so his wife and daughter are stunned by his disappearance. He leaves Hannah, his wife, a short note, saying only “protect her.” He leaves his daughter, Bailey, a bag full of cash.

Hannah knows he wants her protect Bailey, his daughter from a previous marriage. But as the accusations and number of people looking for Owen mount, Hannah begins her ow investigation. She soon learns that not only did she really know nothing about him, everything he told her was a lie.

This book is full of twists and surprises. Although it’s primarily a suspense novel, it offers an important lesson on family and caring more about so,done you live than you care about yourself. #TheLastThingHeToldMe #NetGalley

The Last Thing He Told Me was a quick, twisty ride. I loved the plot, how the author took her time getting to the meat of the mystery. Hannah and Bailey's fragile relationship was endearing and authentic. The ending was ambiguous and bittersweet, just perfect for the story.

The Last Thing He Told Me is an excellent mystery.

Mind. Blown. I devoured this book in just over a day. I’ve read a few of Laura Dave’s earlier books and I enjoyed them, but this was special. Hannah and Bailey were likable and genuine. They were genuine, real and honest. I especially enjoyed watching their relationship revolve throughout the course of the book.

Solid 4.5 stars, rounded up.

Thanks to NetGalley, Laura Dave and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Owen Mitchell has disappeared and his wife, Hannah, has received a note from him that simply says: Protect her. It’s obvious that he is referring to his daughter, Bailey. The teen-age daughter that doesn’t want anything to do with her stepmother. When FBI agents appear at their door asking questions about Owen, Hannah and a reluctant Bailey decide to find out why he has disappeared.

The Last Thing He Told Me is a well-paced story with twists and unexpected revelations. The characters are well-developed and believable, and the writing is very well-done. All in all, this is a book that I thoroughly enjoyed and I will be looking for more by Laura Dave.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

You’ve probably seen this one around since it was a @reesesbookclub pick this month & maybe you’ve wondered if it’s worth the hype….in my opinion - YES it’s totally worth the
hype🙌 I’ll tell you why I loved this one
✅ I LOVE when someone disappears- in this case it was the husband & I needed to know what happened, if he was alive & how Or if Hannah can figure it out
✅ the narrator Rebecca Lowman was fantastic
✅ the pace, short chapters, and characters to root for were so well developed
✅this was a SMART, subtle psych thriller that kept me listening late into the night!
✅I love a good epilogue & this one was excellent