This was a quick and enjoyable read. I love books with strong female characters, and Hannah fit the bill in this one. I appreciated the author’s writing style, and the story was interesting and well-timed. I’ll definitely read more books by Laura Dave..

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Hannah's husband, Owen, has disappeared, leaving only a note that says protect her . She and her stepdaughter, Bailey, become determined to uncover the truth surrounding Owen's disappearance. Their journey takes them from California to Texas, where they discover that Owen is not who he claims to be.

I enjoyed this book very much. It hooked me from the very beginning and I found it to be a definite page-turner. The Last Thing He Told Me is a mystery with surprises along the way, but it's also a novel that explores motherhood, complex family relationships, and what you're willing to sacrifice to protect those you love. I'll definitely be recommending this one!

This book was the perfect escape. It was lovely and fun. It was my first book by this author and I will definitely be on the look out for more!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC of The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave. I've read a couple of Laura Dave's other novels and enjoyed them, so I was excited when I saw that I could request the ARC of this one. Because I work and am married with pets, I don't have as much time to read as I would like. I could not put this book down! It was absolutely compulsive - I managed to read it in three days. Hannah marries Owen, a single father to teenaged Bailey. Bailey isn't very receptive to the idea of a step-mother and makes it known. Owen works for a tech company with questionable management and practices. When Owen disappears without a trace, Hannah pulls herself together enough to continue raising Bailey, while trying to find out what happened to Owen and why. The story moves at such a fast-pace that I really could not wait to find out what happened to Owen. This is Laura Dave's best book so far and I can't wait to read more from her.

Thank you #netgalley and #SimonandSchuster for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I went into the story relatively blind, knowing only that the main protagonist, Hannah, receives a mysterious note from her Husband Owen. When Owen fails to appear after work and all calls go straight to voicemail, Hannah and her step daughter, Bailey search out to find the reason her Owen's disappearance.

The story was intriguing and the characters were likeable. Hannah was a strong female lead thrust into the role of Mother and protector to a sullen teenager who hasn't exactly rolled out the welcome matt. I thought the story flowed well and was enjoyable.

I did find the writing a bit repetitive. The same sentiment was repeated over the course of two to three sentences, vice one. It was a bit slow to start, taking time to get invested in the story.

All in all an intriguing and well-done mystery.

Wow! I love Laura Dave’s books - Eight Hundred Grapes is one of my favorite books. The Last Thing He Told Me was better. The characters made you get lost in the story, made you pay attention to the hidden meaning behind each word. Reading this suspenseful story is one thing but becoming invested in Hannah and Baileys relationship is another. I couldn’t read fast enough to get to the next twist and turn. I loved the background in California and moving to Texas - the murky background of Owen - and how as Baileys father - he does what every parent must do. What a parent should ask of anyone who loves a child - to protect them.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC - best gift of 2020! Put this one on your TBR list and look for it May 2021. It’s not to be missed.

Thank you for the advanced copy! I was so excited to get it and this book did not disappoint! I have loved Laura’s books in the past. This one was more of a mystery, but I loved it. I was so drawn in right from the star5 and was anxious for the characters. I highly recommend!

This is the first book by Laura Dave I have read and It won’t be the last. She really kept me on edge and wanting more to come. I could really feel the confusion and need for answers from both Bailey and Hannah’s characters.
I definitely recommend this book to others who enjoy a suspenseful read.

Wow! This book took me for a ride, while enjoying every second. Thank you so much Net Galley for an ARC. I will now be checking out Laura Dave's books in the future. This is one of my favorite books read in 2020.

What a page turner! I literally could not put this book down as Hannah and Bailey sought out the true identity of Owen Michaels and whom.he actually was versus perceived to be. It absolutely belies the question of do we really know the people we are closest to? The further they went down the hole in Austin coupled with their interactions with Cook, Charlie, Nathaniel and Grady, the more elaborate the ruse that Owen had created. Just like The Shop, Owen's life had closed.

Throughly enjoyed this upcoming thriller. Hannah was such a likeable and brave woman. She had strength and resolve and the author didn’t have to hit you over the head to make you believe it. Her protectiveness of Bailey was admirable. I’ve been in a reading slump lately, including a few lukewarm ARCs so this was such a treat!

Laura Dave has written another winner! The Last Thing He Told Me is suspenseful as details are shared in a dual-timeline format. What we know and what we need to know come just as you believe you have everything figured out. The story of Owen, Hannah and Bailey is one of love, loss, family, parenting, secrets and forgiveness. When life hands you a challenge you and sit and fester or you can find a way to make lemons into lemonade. This is the story of The Last Thing He Told Me. We can't know every detail of those we love. That's their story. How we tell ours is up to us.

This book was unbelievable. I absolutely loved how Hannah was so willing to sacrifice for the step daughter who hasn’t exactly been nice to her. Would have liked to see more conflicted emotions from her, honestly that’s the only thing. But this book draws you in, there are plenty of twists, and it’s a fast read. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to fans of family drama/ family secrets style suspense. I couldn’t put it down. Thank you to netgalley, the author, and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars rounded to 5

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Last Thing He told Me.

I was intrigued by the premise and pleased when my request was approved.

When Hannah's husband, Owen, flees from the authorities when his company is charged with fraud, leaving his daughter behind, Hannah knows it is for a good reason. Owen adored Bailey and would do anything for her. Anything.

But, when she discover her husband is not who he is, reflecting back on the past when he misspoke or misstated something about his life, Hannah, with Bailey reluctantly in tow, decide to do a little investigating of their own.

Is Hannah ready to face the truth behind her husband and what this may mean for her flailing relationship with a stepdaughter who refuses to accept her?

The premise is not new; a woman marries a man after a short courtship but later finds out he is not who he is supposed to be.

The narrative starts dramatically, suspenseful, as Hannah discovers Owen's lies and begins to piece his past together with the little she knows about him.

I enjoyed following Hannah and Bailey's journey in Texas, digging for clues, interviewing people who may or may not be able to help them.

Personally, the narrative turned a bit soapy for me; who Owen really is, why he did what he did to protect Bailey, and how Hannah bargained for the life of her stepdaughter.

The selling point of the story is Hannah and Bailey's relationship; their growing bond as stepdaughter and stepmom, Bailey slowly beginning to understand and accept Hannah's help and her desire to protect and love her as a daughter.

The writing was good, and I liked Hannah and Bailey; they were sympathetic and likable characters.

The story was just okay for me, but some readers will really love this.

I received an arc from netgalley for an honest review. I loved this story about Hannah and Bailey. The story is based around the disappearance of Hannah's husband Owen, which is Bailey's father. This book takes you on so many twist and turns you never see anything coming. It flows well with quick chapters and not too many descriptive details. I absolutely couldn't put this book down.

Thank you to NetGalley, Laura Dave and Simon & Schuster for this ARC! Wow, I tore through this book. I have read other Laura Dave books that I really enjoyed and the description of this one felt like it was going to be a bit of a detour for her. I was slightly wary. There was no reason to be worried. This book was fast paced, twisty, and did not feel like the other run of the mill thrillers that are so prevalent today. There were many surprises in this book and it went in directions that were completely unexpected. I won't say anything about the plot because this is one I went into blind and I really enjoyed the experience of letting the story unfold. Highly recommend!!!

This book kept my interest until 3/4 in. I expected so much more. I wanted to know why the husband disappeared, and when we get the truth, I was a little disappointed.

I also felt the book ended too quickly - the slow burn 2/3 in was so good. I was invested in figuring out all the secrets but was left wanting more or at least real closure.

I would read another book by this author - I enjoyed her writing style - to be honest, my issue with the plot lines were personal. While I was expecting more - someone else probably was perfectly happy with the ending.

What a nail-biter! Being a step-mom myself, I found myself rooting for Hannah and the impossible situation she finds herself in. My patrons love a good suspense and will love this one!

Thank you for reminding me that I can find a book riveting and engrossing. Sometimes I feel that my brain is so involved in all the things swirling around me that I have lost the ability to concentrate so totally in a book that I forget about the outside world. This book really held my interest. It had me in the first few pages when Hannah receives a strange note and then realizes that her husband has disappeared.

Rather than filling the pages with multiple characters and plots, the author keeps her focus on Hannah and her stepdaughter, Bailey. There are no extraneous subplots and the reader travels with Hannah and Bailey as they search for the missing Owen. There are lots of twists as they move toward detente and solving the perplexing mystery.

The author doesn’t resort to easy closure, but allows the reader to follow these 2 characters to a satisfying path forward.

Thank you Netgalley for this very interesting ARC.

When I first started reading this book, it felt very similar to one I had read years ago. The story quickly distanced itself, however, and ended up being a great read. Hannah Hall has not been married to her husband, Owen Michaels, for very long when he suddenly disappears in the wake of a scandal at his job. He leaves behind a note saying Protect Her which Hannah knows refers to his daughter Bailey...who is not a fan of her stepmother. Soon they are approached by the FBI and US Marshalls and questioning everything they know about their husband and father. The story is told in multiple time lines, jumping backwards through Hannah and Owen's relationship, and moving forwards as she searches for clues to his whereabouts. There were definitely twists that leave you guessing until the end. Overall a well written book full of suspense.