Kudos to the author for creating a suspenseful book that has concise with short chapters. This made for a fast paced thriller that was hard to put down. The storyline was not predictable and I was thrilled that it had an ending that was not happy for all. (more along the lines of a true story rather than a Hollywood ending).

Can I get 👏🏽 a part 👏🏽 two 👏🏽 !!! I’ve had more duds than not lately and this was amaaazing! It was a complete page turner and I couldn’t put it down. I had to know what was going on and find out how it would end. There was absolutely no dragging in this book for me. It pulled me in on page 1 and I stayed sucked in for the whole book. The characters were great and the writing was awesome as well. I highly recommend this book! Thank you in advance to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Protect her.  That's all it said.  The note dropped off by a 12 year old girl.  Right before Hannah realized that her husband wasn't coming home.  Thus begins this twisty thriller of a story.

Owen never comes home.  His wife Hannah and daughter Bailey don't know what to do - stay put and act normal?  Run for it?  Get out of town to try to figure it out on their own?  Hannah and Bailey make their decision and this story takes off from the gates.  Each chapter feeds you more and more information, in exactly the right size bites.  The pacing is perfect and the tension will keep you flipping paces late into the night.  Can Hannah and Bailey find answers and, in the process, find Owen?

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

This was a fun thriller! I don’t read many of them, but I’m glad I picked this one up. It reminded me of a good, solid 90s film starring someone like Julia Roberts. THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME starts with a fantastic hook, a note from a husband to a new wife saying “protect her at all costs” — her being the 16 year old daughter the husband Owen had left behind after disappearing on Hannah, our protagonist. The book follows what Hannah does next to find her husband, and the truth of who he really is.

It’s a pretty breezy read, but with some solid twists and full of heart. I totally could see this as a real movie and wouldn’t be surprised if it’s picked up for one. Definitely can recommend this as a good thriller if you’re looking for one!

This book and I got off to a shaky start. Like a not-so-great first date but you’re willing to give it another chance and see them again. For me, it was a slow start up (which may sound strange since the book almost immediately jumps into action) and it took me a while to build a connection to the characters. But when I did (around the 50% mark), it morphed into a heart-pounding, cancel-my-appointments, speed reading story of cat and mouse that I couldn’t be more pleased with. If you are hesitating with the first few chapters like I did, just be patient. The characters are about to turn to you in a most knowing way and say, “Buckle up. We’re about to take off.” Much thanks to NetGalley, Laura Dave, and Simon & Schuster for an early copy of this book for review.

A truly special thank you to the author, Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the review copy! This book was so good and I couldn’t put it down!

Before Hannah’s husband disappears he manages to get a note to her, a note with 2 words “Protect Her”; referring to his teenage daughter. That’s the last time she hears from him. Shocked, stunned and bewildered she searches their house and her stepdaughters mind for any ideas as to what and why he has disappeared. Which leads them on a wild goose chase to to Austin, Texas where they discover more than they thought they would.

The mystery, the characters and the storyline make this a really terrific read. The reviews are stunning for a reason, it’s a really great story. It’s super easy to read and keep up with. The characters don’t disappear into one another but, instead are kept simple, which I love. The end meaning is simple, you don’t have to physically have a child to love and protect them fiercely. Definitely worth picking up!

Owen Michaels and his wife Hannah Hall have been married for two years. It is the second marriage for Owen and he is father to Bailey, 16, who lost her mother when she was quite young. Hannah does not have any children and her relationship with Bailey is tenuous at best. However, Hannah does everything she can to care for and reach out to the girl. They live on a type of houseboat in Sausalito, California. Hannah loves to sculpt wood which is a talent she learned from her grandfather. Her wood pieces have sold for high prices. Owen works for a software technology company.

This morning Hannah answers a knock on the door and receives a note from a young girl who said Owen paid her to deliver it to Hannah. All is says is: “Protect her.” Hannah then tries to call Owen only to have her calls go straight to voicemail. That’s when she hears on the news the software company Owen works for has been busted by the SEC and the FBI for fraud and embezzlement. The head of the company has been arrested. Bailey comes home from school with a duffle bag that had been placed in her school locker. It is stuffed with cash totaling $600,000. He left a note to Bailey reminding her that he loves her and to do what Hannah tells her to do. Bailey and Hannah hide the bag,

Hannah is a strong woman and with the help of a couple friends, begins her own investigation of Owen and Bailey’s past. The meetings she has with people suggesting she take one path or another are met with her strength and much thought as she chooses the only path that she knows is the right one.

There are a lot of surprises in this book and a big decision that Hannah must make. Her love for Owen is proven by the path she chooses for their future. Seeing her relationship with Bailey grow into love and respect is heartwarming even if there is also heartbreak for both of them.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thrillers have been mostly misses for me recently, but something about The Last Thing He Told Me worked for me. This is the story of Hannah, who has finally found her happily ever after with Owen. She just needs to figure out how to win over his teenage daughter. When Owen's business is raided by the FBI, Owen disappears and communicates only one thing to Hannah: "protect her". Hannah quickly figures out that Owen isn't who he said he was and our story goes from there. This book has short chapters, a propulsive plot, and a surprising amount of heart for a thriller. This was fairly different from Eight Hundred Grapes, which I also enjoyed, and I'm so glad I gave it a shot.

Owen and Hannah have the kind of marriage everyone aspires to. Sure, they haven’t been together long, but their bond is strong. It’s also one that makes Hannah persevere to have a relationship with Owen’s daughter, Bailey, despite Bailey’s ongoing resistance.

Then the unspeakable happens. Owen’s company gets in trouble with the law and Owen disappears.

Before he vanishes, he manages to leave behind an ominous note that simply says,
“protect her”.

In an instant, Hannah’s life changes. Not only is she forced to question how well she knows the past of the man she married, she’s also forced to make decisions that benefit both her and Bailey in the future.

The Last Thing He Told Me is a little slow out of the gate. There’s a mystery to solve, but in the first half of the book, there aren’t many leads. This leaves readers spinning their wheels, waiting for the action to start. Once things start to heat up, the mystery becomes more intriguing. I’m not sure the payoff is totally worth the investment, but I did like the unexpected layers in this book. At first glance this is a thriller about a missing man, and while on some level it still is that, it’s also a story of the lengths one would go to in order to protect those they love.

Thank you to @netgalley and @simonandschuster for the advance copy of this book which is now available for readers everywhere!
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The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave is a page turner that you don’t want to miss. The main character in this book is Hannah and is a new stepmom to sixteen year old Bailey, who hasn’t warmed to Hannah’s presence in their family. Hannah’s husband Owen is working as a tech guru when all of a sudden he has gone missing. The one thing remaining when his office is raided by the FBI is a very cryptic note that says “protect her”. Hannah quickly learns her husband isn’t who he says he is. Together, Hannah and Bailey work to uncover his past while they simultaneously build a new future. I really loved this book and found myself racing to the end. Make sure you put this one at the top of your summer reading list!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The book started out cute enough. I liked that the main character was a wood turner and she lived on a boat with her (missing) husband and grumpy step daughter. I enjoyed them heading to Austin to try and figure out who her husband really was.

Then about 3/4 of the way through the book shifts and it a completely off the wall plot about the MAFIA comes in. What? Why? It was so cringe inducing. Why did they let the author take it in that direction? It made no sense and was so hokey. I felt embarrassed reading it for all involved.

This started right out with the mystery and I was hooked. The flashbacks in time filled in the history of the characters - but a lot was still missing only to be doled out a little at a time. The characters are good, the writing is smooth-flowing, and the story is intriguing. And the ending - - is heartbreaking.

"This is the thing about good and evil. They aren't so far apart -- and they often start from the same valiant place of wanting something to be different...at the end of the day, one thing defines them."

Hannah Hall has been married to Owen Michaels for little over a year when he suddenly disappears leaving Hannah with his 16-year-old daughter, Bailey. There are rumors of malfeasance at Owen's place of work and his boss has been arrested by the FBI. A US Marshall comes calling at her floating home in Sausalito but Hannah doesn't tell him about the note that Owen left for her -- it said only, "Protect her." When Bailey finds a duffel bag stuffed with cash in her school locker, they understand that something terrible has happened. It seems that both of them know very little about Owen and soon realize that they need to solve the puzzle so they can rebuild their lives. NO SPOILERS.

This was fast and fun and I read it over a couple of hours. The narrative pulls the reader in and it was hard to put it down. The mystery and drama were compelling and I did a lot of guessing while flipping the pages! I can't say that I would have reacted as Hannah did, but I did like her as a character. The relationship between Hannah and Bailey was an integral part of the story and their desire to get at the truth bonded them together. The pair is resourceful and determined and soon discovers what it means to be involved in a life that is one huge lie.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. It screams out for movie adaptation so don't be surprised when it's optioned since some famous names have been touting it.

What if your loved one isn't who you thought they were? I devoured this book. Fast-paced and twisty. I'm ready for the sequel (fingers crossed).

Thanks netgalley for the ARC

Wow! What a great read. Once I started I couldn’t stop. I wanted to know what was going to happen and help unravel the mystery along with Hannah and Bailey. This kept me guess who was to be trusted and who wasn’t and even after it was over I still wanted to know how the characters are doing and where their lives are going which I think is a mark of a good read.

Unfortunately this one missed the mark for me a bit. Having read and enjoyed a previous novel by this author, I’ll admit my expectations were rather high. Regretfully, I didn’t particularly like any of the characters, nor could I really get into the storyline. Decent read, but I was hoping for more.

Very fast paced book. Flips between timelines but is easy to follow. Each past timeline reveals a bit more to the story in present time. Well written and very catchy from the start! A definite recommend for thriller lovers!

What would you do if your husband was not who you thought he was? Hannah, a custom woodworker, marries a man named Owen. Owen has a sixteen year old daughter, Bailey. Owen's employer gets in trouble with the FBI causing Owen to disappear leaving Hannah to pick up the pieces with Bailey. What follows is a story about love, truth and it doesn't matter if your blood or not, you will do anything to protect the ones you love.

This book had me hooked from the start, as it opens pretty abruptly with the disappearance of a husband...
After that, the pace was a little slower than I expected/wanted it to be, however it still kept me entertained and guessing enough to keep reading. There were definitely some twists and turns I did not see coming, but mostly the story is about the characters and their development! And I really enjoyed how the relationship between a step mother and her step daughter came together!

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave is a story that proves things are not always what they seem. Hannah is only married for a short time to Owen when suddenly he disappears. He leaves behind a note that says "protect her". He has a daughter named Bailey but Hannah doesn't understand what she is supposed to protect Bailey from. A real page turner that will keep you guessing until the very end!