Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5 stars

This book definitely exceeded my expectations. I was not expecting to get so invested in the characters and their relationships with one another.

The Last Thing He Told Me is about Hannah Hall, who is married to Owen and is the stepmother to his daughter, Bailey. When Owen disappears one day, he leaves behind a duffel bag full of cash for his daughter and a note saying “Protect her.” for Hannah. Hannah and Bailey put aside their differences and set out to find the truth about Owen, hoping it will lead them to wherever he is.

The heart of this book is the relationship between Hannah and Bailey. Laura Dave did an excellent job of developing each character and making the reader care about this relationship. She also makes Owen a very complex character and, using differing timelines, allows you to get to know and understand a character that’s disappearance occurs on page one.

With short chapters and multiple timelines, this is a very fast-paced read. It starts quickly and never slows down. The characters are what makes the novel as good as it is, but I really enjoyed the mystery and all of the twists and turns. Julia Roberts and Reese Witherspoon are developing this book into a miniseries and I could not be more excited. This should definitely be at the top of everyone’s 2021 TBR. I can’t wait to discuss it with others when it releases on 5/4/21.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent read. Fast-paced, suspenseful story. Likeable main character. Quick read. Keeps you guessing throughout the story. Would recommend.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3979105878

This was a totally engrossing domestic suspense story of a stepmother named Hannah and her stepdaughter Bailey. Hannah has married Owen Michaels, Bailey’s father, and is seemingly living an idyllic life on a boat docked in Sausalito when one day Owen disappears. Like, poof! Owen’s boss at his tech company is arrested and Hannah is totally perplexed when her numerous calls to Owen’s phone go unanswered. She and Bailey set out to discover what happened to Owen and in their trip down the rabbit hole of secrets and lies, they slowly discover a relationship with each other. With lots of twists and turns, this was a book that was hard to put down and completely absorbing. The characters are well-developed and realistic, with Bailey’s character being one of a spoiled “daddy’s girl” who has to wake up to a new reality. Hannah is inventive in her quest to find out what happened to Owen and why he would leave his beloved daughter behind. Bailey seems to hold a lot of secrets that she doesn’t know she holds and it is up to Hannah to tease them out. This entire book was like being drawn further and further into a spider’s web and not knowing where I would end up. The plot was intricately and delicately woven around the non-relationship between Hannah and Bailey and the lies that Owen told each of them. I really enjoyed how the author depicted the growing dependency and relationship between the two and how Bailey’s view of her stepmother increasingly became one of trust instead of total resentment. The characters made this story, and the plot wasn’t far behind. Loved it! Fans of domestic suspense will not want to miss this one that will have you on the edge of your seat waiting for the next secret to be revealed.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

I think this book fell short partially due to misguided expectations. There was definitely never a moment I felt there was neck breaking pacing at all. And I suppose maybe the plot twists were dizzying...if by that, you mean I had to read the grand reveal to be quite a bit confusing that I had to reread it multiple times to really feel like I was grasping what was being revealed.

On its own without those expectations sprouted from the description, this was a very slow paced book that just felt like layers unfolding. I suppose the mystery was surrounding who Owen actually was but there wasn’t much given that you could ever really know until the author decided to reveal it.

Finally, the questions Hannah asked herself in the end were odd and not relatable. She only seemed to wonder about herself and which way her moral compass would’ve pointed had she known things in advance. I eventually maybe would’ve wondered that but wouldn’t have given it too much thought honestly. What I couldn’t get was how much Hannah completely trusted Owen to be who she thought he was when he clearly didn’t trust her enough to reveal who he actually was. I know this was glazed over briefly with Grady implying that his suggestions were enough for Owen to keep his secrets from someone he loved. I don’t buy that for a minute and I would’ve been pissed the trust didn’t go as strongly both ways.

I neve use this line...but honestly, you won't be able to put this one down. I tore through it on a Saturday abandoning all chores. Why? Finely drawn believable characters and a heart-thumping plot that moves deftly through twist and turns until it settles at a place you don't really want it to...but where it needs to. Really incredible. Loved it and highly recommended! I'll be looking for more from this author. Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing a digital ARC for review.

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave is a mystery/domestic suspense novel. Hannah receives a note from her husband, Owen, that says "Protect her." Owen has gone missing after his company is under federal investigation. Bailey, Owen's teen daughter from a previous marriage, receives a bag with a substantial amount of money. This makes Owen's involvement in his company seem guilty. What is Owen hiding and why is he hiding?

This novel took several turns I didn't expect. Hannah is a woodworker and there are several elements of woodworking and symbolism tied into the narrative in a way that uncovers various aspects of Owen's past.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exhange for an honest review.
I enjoyed reading "The Last Thing He Told Me" by Laura Dave.
I found it to be a well written, nicely paced suspenseful mystery that kept me interested the entire time.
After I finished reading this book,
I discovered it's in the works to become a limited series on Apple TV+ starring and coproduced by Julia Roberts as well as Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine company.
This was the 1st book that I have read by Ms. Dave and I would definitely read other books by her.

“Maybe we are all fools, one way or another, when it comes to seeing the totality of the people who love us—the people we try to love.”

THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME was such a great domestic thriller! the book begins with the disappearance of Hannah’s husband and the cryptic note he’s left her. the pacing and plot kept me turning the pages as Hannah slowly uncovers the truth of her husband and his past. I also enjoyed the family dynamics at play and the chapters that provided some context to the background of Hannah and Owen’s relationship. I’ve read several other books by @lauradaveauthor and this one is my favorite! if you haven’t selected your BOTM for May yet, I’d recommend choosing this one! 4.5/5⭐️—I really liked it!

Wow. I was hooked from page one and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.
Hannah and her step daughter have a strained relationship, so when Owen disappears they have to band together.
This book had so many twists and I absolutely enjoyed not only the disappearance but the relationship between these two ladies! My first book by this author and definitely not my last!

Title: The Last Thing He Told Me
Author: Laura Dave
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
@simonandschuster
Genre: Domestic Fiction
(Suspense/Thriller/Mystery???)

What if your husband wasn’t who you thought he was? What if he disappears, but manages to leave a note that says: PROTECT HER and a bag of cash.

I read The Last Thing He Told Me in a day. Talk about a binge-able. Entertaining. Popcorn thriller!!!

Despite her confusion, Hannah Hall knows exactly who the note refers to: Owen’s sixteen year old daughter, Bailey. Bailey hasn’t had the easiest life losing her mother at a young age; So naturally she wants nothing to do with her step-mother. Oh teenagers!

As Hannah’s phone calls to Owen go unanswered, his boss gets arrested, and US Marshall and the FBI show up to there Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he says was. She doesn’t know who to trust.

So, Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth themselves, but as they start putting the pieces together, they may end up with a new future that neither one of them could have anticipated.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved this one! It has short chapters and flows really well. You will fly through wanting answers; Wanting to figure things out.

Thank you @netgalley and to the publisher @s for honoring my request to read and review this eARC. This one is out this Tuesday, May 4th! #netgalley #thelastthinghetoldme

Thoroughly enjoyed enjoyed this book. Have read other books by this author that I enjoyed but this was a new genre of hers that really enjoyed. How well do you know your spouse? Hannah marries Owen in somewhat of a whirlwind romance. She comes to the marriage with her own past issues of abandonment growing up without a mother figure. Owen has a teenage daughter who very much resents her new stepmother. Fairly typical situation. The book starts out with Owen’s disappearance and a possible huge high stakes embezzlement scheme ghat he may or may not have been a part of. Hannah and Bailey go on a quest to find the truth about Owen. I was hooked from the first page. Thrillers have been my go to comfort food reading during this never ending pandemic.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

This was engaging and a quick read. I was hooked from the first chapter and enjoyed the story format.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

I have read most of Laura Dave’s books and am a big fan. This was the first thriller ive read of hers (and possibly the first shes written) and I loved it just as much as her others! I read it very quickly because it instantly had me hooked. I low when a books has incorporated some chapters from “the past” so you can get a better idea of who someone really is. I would highly recommend this one!

I enjoyed this! Laura Dave is an author I have enjoyed in the past and I thought her foray into thrillers was an entertaining and quick read. Have already recommended it to others.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel. I didn’t love this book but I didn’t hate it. This book tells the story of Hannah and Owen, a newly married couple living in what sounds like a very amazing floating house. Hannah is also a new stepmom to Owen’s 16 year old daughter Bailey, who isn’t the world’s biggest Hannah fan.

One day Hannah is handed a note that simply says “protect her” and we are off on a fast paced journey where Owen has suddenly disappeared into thin air. I definitely enjoyed Dave’s writing and the pace of the novel. There are parts of the book that strain credulity. Hannah is a woodturner (she designs wood furniture) but for most of the book you’d think she had a secret life as a detective. The coincidences that occur are highly unlikely (especially in the way of Bailey’s memories.) But all in all, the book was enjoyable, and would make for a fun beach read.









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spoilers below
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My biggest nitpick with this book was that if Nicholas had this huge vendetta against Owen, it seems like he would’ve been able to track him down. Also, I do think the author should have explored Hannah’s choice a bit further. Nicholas would gladly murder her dad, but knowing him is in Bailey’s best interest?

This book was really good. It kept me wanting to find out more. I really enjoyed reading about the relationships, between Hannah and Bailey, between Hannah and Owen. I also liked how the book had some chapters from the past that showed hints of the real Owen.

Hannah receives a knock on her door from a stranger and is handed a mysterious note from her husband, Owen. The note simply reads: Protect her. Hannah knows that Owen's note is referring to his daughter, Bailey. The arrival of the note brings more questions than answers: Why does Bailey need protection? Who does Bailey need protection from? And the biggest question of all: Where the hell is Owen?? On the surface, it looks like Owen bailed and skipped out on his family because his employer got into some really hot water. But this isn't the Owen that Hannah and Bailey know. Owen is a devoted husband and wonderful father, so he couldn't possibly be involved in his employer's dirty deeds. When the feds show up and start questioning Hannah, she becomes obsessed with finding out what is going on. Hannah brings Bailey along for the ride to try and draw from her earliest memories of her father. What they uncover the truth, they begin to realize that Owen isn't the only one who is now in danger.

Prior to The Last Thing He Told Me, the only other book I had read by Laura Dave was Hello, Sunshine (which I enjoyed). I was dying to find out what the deal was with Owen and if Hannah and Bailey could figure it out. I was a little nervous about where the ending was going, but ultimately I felt it was believable. This was an enjoyable read!

"Protect her"

Hannah Hall lives in California with her new(ish) husband Owen and his teenage daughter Bailey. Bailey has never had a woman figure in her life since her mother passed when she was very young. This makes it hard for Hannah and Bailey to bond. That is until Owen leaves Hannah a note, "Protect her," and Hannah knows right away the "her" is Bailey but protect her from who or what? And why is Owen not answering her calls and nowhere to be found? Why did Owen leave Bailey a duffle of cash? This mystery will leave you wanting to finish this book quickly to learn all the answers.

I'd definitely call this more of a mystery than a thriller but I read it in a day because the author does a great job of leaving subtle clues and also leaving the reader to want to know what will happen to Hannah, Bailey, and Owen.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest opinion!

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave is a fast paced story about a wife, Hannah Hall, and a daughter, Bailey, searching for their missing person, Owen Michaels. After his company get raided by the government, Owen disappears with a note to each and a large bag of money left in Bailey’s locker. Here begins the journey of trying to find out what happened, why it happened and how Owen could let something like this happen where he would leave his beloved daughter behind.

But who is the real person they are looking for.? When all signs lead them away from the person they thought they knew, how will this stepmom/daughter finally bond to find the one man that brings them together?

The twists and turns that make up The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave leaves you engrossed in the story. I was able to devour this page turner in two sittings. Thank you for NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.
Usually I don’t go for this type of book genre, I’m more of a fantasy fan BUT The Last Thing He Told Me had me hooked from the beginning. I loved the flashbacks every now again for how Owen and Hannah met, it was nice to get to know their characters like that and to see the littles hints here and there that caused his disappearance. Bailey and Hannah’s relationship was complicated like any step parent and child’s is but I loved to see how they evolved and began to rely on each other rather than fight most of the time.
All in all the mystery aspect of this book was amazing as well as the characters and their development. A solid 4/5!