I adored this book and read it in under 24 hours. It starts off as a financial thriller and ends with a drug ring-induced disappearing act. Very well written and the plot shined through. 5/5 stars!

The Last Thing He Told Me is a suspense/mystery novel and I really liked it. I was hooked from the begging and couldn’t put it down. The writing kept you wanting to know what happens next. The author did a great job of writing without unnecessary fluff and filler. It was very much to the point and I appreciate that. I can’t get into too many thoughts because I don’t want to give away any of the mystery. The story definitely took a few turns I wasn’t expecting. Some turns I liked and some I didn’t. This was a very fast read and one I think you should try. This is a solid 4.5 ⭐️ for me.

Thank you Simon and Schuster for the ARC!

Bailey is a teenager and adjusting to her stepmother, Hannah. Bailey and her father, Owen, are extremely close. He would do anything for her. One day, the doorbell rings and a young girl is standing at the door and hands Hannah a note. The note is from Owen and simply says "Protect Her". He does not come home or notify her in any other way. Hannah and Bailey begin a search for Owen and discover that he doesn't exist under this name. They eventually learn the truth about him and realize he cannot return to them. This is a love story filled with secrets, mystery and sacrifice.

I loved the first 80 percent of this book and couldn’t put it down—Hannah, Owen and Bailey were characters I felt invested in and really cared about—but the ending ruined the book for me. I hated it.

I just finished my first book written by Laura Dave, and will be rushing to read all her other books. The Last Thing He Told Me is mesmerizing with deep connections and secrets. So many secrets. Hannah meets and marries Owen, becoming step mother to his teenage daughter Bailey. Huge changes are ahead for Hannah and Bailey that neither would ever have predicted. With tension from Bailey building in her new relationship with Hannah, both their worlds are rocked when Owen very suddenly goes missing. Can he be found? Should he be found? Owen will do anything for his daughter. You will race to find out far he will go.

Gripping and SO good! I couldn't put this book down, and finished it in a matter of hours.
Not only is this book a thriller, it's also a heart wrenching love story that often left you in tears! I loved this book!

When her husband disappears and a note shows up with a cryptic message this story takes off on a thrill ride I didn’t want to put down. Throw in a bit of teen angst for a bonus and you have a winner.

This domestic suspense will have you on a mission to discover what the real story is behind Owen Michaels. When he disappears, leaving behind his 16 year old daughter, Bailey and his wife, Hannah, it is a race for time to find out what is going on. The only revelation he was alive when he dropped $60,000 off with his daughter and a note "protect her". Bailey lost her mother when she was a toddler, so this is too much to cope with losing her dad also.
When the U.S. Marshall and FBI agents interrogate Hannah, she realizes her husband is in a conspiracy of fraud with his company.
Hannah and Bailey set out to investigate who he really is when they realize he doesn't exist under that name. The information they locate and the way they travel in and out for new leads is well written and will keep you wondering what is his story and why.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Loved this one but I don't want to give anything away
A man with a past disappears. but slips a note to his wife. A simple note "Protect Her" the her is his daughter Bailey and she wants nothing to do with her step-mother Hannah.

Due to events that take place, Hannah and Bailey need to work together to find out exactly who her father Owen Michaels was and exactly why did he disappear?

The story moves rapidly as the reader gets to know these two females and secrets come to light. Excellent example of what it means to be family.

I enjoyed the pace of the story as well as the depth of the characters. This one will leave the reader satisfied but not before taking them through many emotions along the way.
I am an avid reader and I was surprised I had never ran across this author.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! This book had me guessing from the start. A definite page-turning, do not put down until finished book. Laura Dave grabs the reader from the beginning and doesn’t let go until the end. If you like mystery/thrillers do yourself a favor and get this book as soon as you can because you won’t regret it!

3.5 - 4 "Protect Her" Stars!

This was my first read by this author. As soon as I'd read the blurb, I was intrigued and knew I had to read it. I'm such a sucker for domestic suspense stories and this one really delivered!

On a random afternoon, Hannah finds a cryptic note from her husband who has disappeared into thin air. From there, it is up to her and her rebellious step daughter to put the pieces together. I was hooked from the start. One thing I really loved was that the author did a fantastic job of fully developing these characters. I love a good, meaty, character-driven story, but find that often times, suspense/mystery reads tend to be heavier on the plot-driven side, to the point that sometimes the characters don't feel well fleshed out. That was definitely not the case here.

The blurb doesn't really fully tell you what this story is about. You think it does, but then once I started reading, I realized that nothing was at all what it seemed here. There were layers and layers to unfold.

I love the growing bond between Hannah and Bailey - again, not something I would've expected to find in a domestic suspense read.

The story left me feeling really sad overall, particularly for Hannah because she truly loved her husband, only to find out that she never knew who he really was.

I thought the epilogue could have been stronger. It felt like everything tied itself up a little too easily. Other than that, I really enjoyed this story. I will definitely be reading more from this author soon. I've already added her book. "Eight Hundred Grapes" to my ever expanding TBR.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my advanced review copy which I received in exchange for an honest review.

After only a year of marriage, Hannah’s new husband suddenly disappears. The only contact is a short note delivered to her with only two words: Protect her. She intuitively knows the ‘her’ he is referring to is his 16-year-old daughter. The same 16-year-old who hates having her as a new stepmother and wants absolutely nothing to do with her. She has been alone with her dad since her mother’s death when she was extremely young.

Both the FBI and US Marshalls are also looking for her husband, apparently his boss has been arrested for suspicion of illegal activities and they need to know if he was involved or aware of everything.
In between fielding questions from law enforcement as well as trying to find her husband, Hannah is digging into Owen’s past to figure out if she ever really knew the man she married.

The book pulls you in and makes you want to find out what happened. It is one of those things that make you second guess whirlwind romances and quick marriages. Can you ever really know someone in a short time? True she loved her husband, but as it turns out, there was a lot she did not know. On top of that, she is left to deal with all the bombshells while trying to care for a resentful teenager who wants nothing to do with her and lashes out as any normal teenager might do.

While I did enjoy the book, I admit I was not crazy about the ending. Some things are resolved, just not necessarily the way you may hope. If you are looking for a good page turner that will keep you pulled in until the end, it does the job.

Laura Dave pens an amazing novel with The Last Thing He Told Me. The twists and turns continue as the mystery unfolds with so many surprises along the way for Hannah and Bailey about Owen's disappearance. The backstory is revealed in an interesting way, too. This is a must read.

When I read the blurb for this book, I literally said ooooo out loud & promptly clicked that request button. The mystery & suspense of it all really pulled me in. But when I got into the book, the mystery was kind of lacking. I feel like I needed more from Hannah & Bailey. They just sort of stumbled upon things too easily for my liking. I'm the end, it was a fast easy read, but I wish it would have pulled me in more then it did.

A great mystery that grabs you from the start and takes you on a wild ride where Hannah Hall finds out that she knew nothing about her husband of many years.

I was so thrilled to realize this was Laura Dave, and that she finally got a cover/blurb that didn't scream "chick flick". I have loved all of her work in the past, and always felt a little sad that she gets put in the beach read category more often than not. I have always found her work to be extremely well written and moving, and this was no exception.

I loved this book! Once I started it, it was very difficult to put down. I HAD to know what happened. The thing I loved the most was that it was not a scary thriller-but I was still on the edge of my seat. I read it late into the night, but was still able to sleep soundly. Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC copy of this book!

3.75 stars rounded up. Fun, fast read. Domestic suspense - I wouldn't really call it a thriller, because it does not have the whirlwind pacing of a good thriller, nor is it a "who done it" type book. But the characters are well-defined and likeable, and the story itself is interesting and entertaining.

Hannah has been married to Owen for a little over a year. Bailey is Owen's 16 year old daughter. One day Owen disappears, leaving a note for Hannah that simply reads "protect her." Bailey receives another cryptic note and a bag full of cash. Hannah and Bailey set out to try to find Owen, and in the process learn about themselves and what constitutes family and who you can trust. The ending is heartwarming.

"We all have stories we never tell.
Before Owen Michaels disappears, he manages to smuggle a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her.

Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers: Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother.

As Hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered; as the FBI arrests Owen’s boss; as a US Marshal and FBI agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen’s true identity—and why he really disappeared.

Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth, together. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen’s past, they soon realize they are also building a new future. One neither Hannah nor Bailey could have anticipated."

Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was surprised by this little mysterious read! I throughly enjoyed it, it kept me guessing the whole time, stringing me along for the ride. I felt that I could relate to the characters even thought I’ve never been put in these predicaments and that to me is responsible for great writing. I highly recommend this read! Keep eye out for its release in May

Without giving away any spoilers, I can truly say this was one of the best books I've read so far this year. I didn't want to put it down any time that I needed to. I managed to read it in three days flat while balancing full-time work, full-time schooling, and being a parent to a toddler. THAT'S how wrapped up in it I was!

Before disappearing, Owen Michaels left his wife, Hannah, a note via a messenger simply saying, "PROTECT HER."
This would throw Hannah and her step daughter, Bailey, into a whirlwind of confusion as their world turns upside down. The search for answers forces an angsty teen and her step mother to work together for a common cause - finding the one person they love.

There are many great twists and turns throughout this novel and through it all, Hannah certainly does what is necessary to protect Bailey. Hannah's character is difficult NOT to love. Her fierce determination, strong maternity instincts, and intelligence overall make her a truly outstanding female lead. A stepmother that any young teen would be lucky to have.

Laura Dave tied this story together beautifully and left no loose ends in the process. I'm not left wondering about any of the characters or if I'm missing a piece. What a talent she has for making her reader feel the deep emotions of love, sadness, anger, confusion and determination through written word.



A shorter review is posted via GoodReads account and a review will be posted shortly via Instagram blog - @theCTbookworm.