I cannot believe I let this book sit here for months! Its 4.5 stars of what-the-heck-is-happening. It was tough to connect with Owen, and therefore a little tough to appreciate his personal relationships, but I could easily get past that. Kept me on my toes!

THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave (Eight Hundred Grapes) is a great summer read. It combines a suspenseful mystery with the exploration of step family angst. Hannah Hall and Owen Michaels have been married about a year when he disappears, leaving behind a note which simply says "protect her." Hannah assumes that refers to Bailey, Owen's sixteen-year-old daughter and the step child who has not yet built a comfortable relationship with Hannah. Unnerved by visits from law enforcement, the two women leave the San Francisco area and a beloved houseboat behind to set off for Austin, trying to piece together clues from Bailey's childhood memories. Numerous flashbacks, some coincidences, and multiple connections later, they discover that Owen may have had another identity and that there is grave danger for all involved. Along the way, Hannah and Bailey's relationship matures as they learn to rely on and to trust each other, fueled in part by the tension and edginess of their search. 4.5 stars

Hannah and her step-daughter, Bailey, are left reeling after their husband and father Owen, vanishes after news breaks of financial scandal at his company. Desperate to find him, Hannah and Bailey travel from their California home to Austin, TX to chase a vague memory of Bailey's that may hold the secret to his disappearance. Owen's disappearing act throughs together a mother and a step-daughter with a tenuous relationship into a begrudging team to try to find him.

Dave's story calls into question how well we really know anyone in our lives. Trust is called into question for the reader about every relationship they have-what do we really know about our partner/best friend/relative? The answer in most cases is whatever they want us to know. Dave explores that implicit trust that most of us have, an then shatters the notion that we know everything about our loved ones.

This is a fast and enjoyable read. The action begins on page one, and continues through the last paragraph. I did feel that the plot was a bit unrealistic, that what was discovered could be discovered that quickly based on the foggy early childhood memories of a now 16 year old. I also don't quite how Hannah was able to make the final decision that she made with any degree of confidence. I did enjoy the fast pace, and Dave did a good job developing the relationship between Hannah and Bailey. If you are looking for a nice summer read that will stick with you for a bit afterward, this is the one for you.

This is the kind of book I love. Character-driven, while at the same time suspenseful and fast-paced. I read it in one sitting. One rainy day made better by a great book. Where is Owen? Who is Owen? Will Hannah find out in time to save herself and Bailey? What would YOU sacrifice in the name of love? Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy. Bravo!

I started hearing about this book months before publication but I tried to tune it out- I read the synopsis and knew that Laura Dave always delivers a fabulous read so I dove it. I could NOT put it down. It captured me from the first page and I found myself racing through the story, dying to know how it would turn out. There were plenty of twists and turns and the ending is not at all what I thought would happen - all the good markings of a great book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. Do NOT miss this one- its an incredibly suspenseful read!

I was so excited to get this book..but I wasn’t sure if it would live up to the hype. It did so and more! It is the first book that I have read by Laura Dave, but it won’t be the last. This book is a page turner that you will not be able to put down. It had me gasping out loud at parts. I finished it on a road trip with my husband and made him keep driving past our destination so I could finish the be book! Loved it!

I very much enjoyed this book - lots of twists and well developed characters! I was surprised with the ending, and although sad, understand why. I hope to read others by this author. Thanks for the advance copy!

How well do we really know the people we know the most? This is a question I always love exploring in books and Laura Dave does it here in The Last Thing He Told Me.

The story starts with Hannah getting a note from her husband Owen that just says “protect her.” She learns from the news that Owen’s work - The Shop - has been raided by law enforcement with top execs getting arrested and accusations of fraud. But Owen is gone. His 16 year old daughter Bailey is clearly who he meant in the note - but what’s happening? Why did Owen run? How is he involved in what happened at The Shop?

I had a tough time getting into this story - not sure if it was me or the book as I had a lot going on at the time. I was interested to see how it would all come together and where it would end. I’m glad I stuck with it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free advance reading copy.

This was an amazing thriller. It kept you guessing all the way through. I have heard some people didn’t like the ending, but I thought it was the perfect way to end it. It was fast paced and gave just the right amount of back story to give you ideas yet still keep you in the dark.

Wow, this book was so so good! I read it in less than 24 hours which says a lot for a mom of three. I didn't want it to end but I could not stop myself from devouring it. It was so well written and the pace was just perfect. Best book I've read so far this year!

I could not put this book down. I've really enjoyed Laura Dave's last few novels, but this may be my new favorite. The twists and turns through the first 2/3 of the book were compelling and unpredictable - I had no idea what was going to happen next. Then all the pieces started falling into place, and I still couldn't stop reading. Overall I thought this entire story was just so good - well-plotted, well-written and very well-executed. I suspect the ending may not have been what some readers would have wanted, but I think it was the only acceptable ending. This was Hannah and Bailey's story - it was about them bonding and growing together and learning about themselves. The story was never truly about Owen; it was all Hannah and Bailey. And I feel like the ending stayed true to that and anything else would have been disappointing.

Hannah Hall thinks she knows everything about her new husband until one day he disappears and all she is left with is his biological daughter and a note the reads "protect her." Owen lost his first wife tragically and is so happy to have found another, especially to help raise his 16-year-old daughter Bailey. Through Owen's disappearance, Hannah and Bailey must work together to figure out what is going on and why. After a visit from an investigator who appears to be on Owen's side, Hannah starts to connect the dots. She believes what Owen has told her about his and Bailey's past isn't at all the truth. Now Hannah must rely on the memory of a young girl to get to the bottom of it. I enjoyed how Hannah and Bailey's relationship evolved over the course of the story. This was a fast-paced, engaging read. It only took me a few days to read because I was hooked. I love how everything became interconnected and all loose ends were tied up.

The Last Thing He Told me was absolutely fantastic. Suspenseful, yet heartfelt. I really enjoyed this one - 5 stars!

This book is getting huge buzz, and for good reason: It starts with a bang of a premise where a woman's husband disappears, leaving only a note asking her to protect his teenage daughter—who has not exactly been thrilled to have a new stepmother in the first place—and her world comes crashing down. His company is under investigation, his past history is not what it seemed... We HAVE to know what happens next, and what unravels is a fast-paced race to find out where he has gone, and why, and what he's been hiding, and how it all, just maybe, didn't have to end like this.

What would we sacrifice for the people we love most? Who can we really rely on when things get unbelievably tough? This isn't just a thriller, but an emotional journey., and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. (With thanks to Netgalley for an early review copy!)

This was my first Laura Dave book, and she immediately drew me in. It was a fun read. However, when the mystery was solved, I believe it was nothing major. Not that it's not expected, since it wasn't, but it wasn't startling either.

The narrative and pace of this novel are what really drew me in. It's not too quick or too slow. The story was also extremely outstanding, keeping me on the edge of my seat throughout the book.

This novel also focuses on Hannah and Bailey's bond, which is a step mother/daughter bond, rather than just Owen's background or the mystery itself. Hannah is constantly gentle and tries to become more understanding with Bailey, which ultimately leads to Bailey accepting Hannah.

With a quick pace and engaging storyline, <i>The Last Thing He Told Me</i>, is both a low key but compelling mystery and a heart-wrenching story of family. I particularly liked Laura Dave’s style in this book – genuine and uncontrived. With the exception of a lapse toward the middle, the storytelling was straight forward without a lot of fluff or explanation. In that regard, it felt and read differently than other offerings in the mystery/suspense genre I’ve read recently.

While the overall plot was strong and intriguing, the evolving relationship between the two main characters, Hannah and her step-daughter, Bailey, was very real and believable. It gave added dimension, that of family and trust, to the mystery and emotions of their husband/father’s disappearance.

I look forward to reading more like <i>The Last Thing…</i> from Laura Dave. Did she perhaps leave the door open for a sequel?


FYI - I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, this book really drew me in from the get-go. The beginning chapters contained just enough background information along with important plot points and propelled the story forward with tremendous momentum. I really enjoyed the short chapters and how they were uniquely named.

The book takes us on a journey from Hannah's perspective, slowly figuring out what Owen was hiding from her, while simultaneously flashing back to the history of their relationship. At first glance, this seems to be a story about Owen and his secrets, but it's really about Hannah and Bailey - their tenuous relationship and how this experience binds them inextricably. There is no big twist but a slow unfurling of Owen's past and the explanation for his actions. This book was extremely well-written, riveting, and emotionally rendering, in the best way.

What is someone supposed to do when their husband disappears with a cryptic note leaving them to take care of their teenage daughter, that doesn’t even really like you? Get to the bottom of what happened. And that’s exactly what Hannah does.

This book was so good. The flashbacks were so well written and woven in just perfectly. Seeing the character growth and Hannah and Bailey’s relationship unfold, both in real time and in flash backs was so good. And it goes to show that parents aren’t made by creating a child, but by loving them. Seeing Hannah grow into a mother figure and seeing how things progressed for the two of them through the stress of it all is so beautiful.

The mystery here also unfolded so beautifully and honestly that’s really all I can say. The author really knew what she was doing and she KILLED it.

I made the mistake of starting this book at midnight because I couldn’t sleep— and only put it down when I literally fell asleep while reading it (like 80% through) only to pick it up again as soon as I woke up. This is a MUST read for anyone who likes mysteries even the tiniest bit— just be ready to do nothing until you’re done.


Thank you for the opportunity to review.

3.5 stars rounded up! This was a good classic mystery novel. This was not a super suspenseful thriller, keep you on the edge of your seat book. The storyline unfolds more slowly taking some time to get to the plot. It has a lot of family drama added in. I enjoyed it with the exception of a couple parts that were too slow for me. The ending was very bittersweet and I found myself wishing for a different ending. It was an anti-climatic ending and I guess I was just hoping for a bit better of an ending. Overall, a good read and I would recommend.

The Last Thing He Told Me is an unputdownable, twisty domestic drama with a bit of suspense thrown in. The story follows Hannah who receives a note from her husband Owen saying “protect her” before disappearing. The note refers to his sixteen year old daughter who wants nothing to do with her stepmother. Come to find out, Owen isn’t who Hannah thought he was. Hannah and her stepdaughter set out to find the truth. The novel is completely unpredictable and engaging. The characters feel real and are fully developed. Dave really did a great job at bringing them to life. If you’re looking for a twisty domestic drama with strong characters, The Last Thing He Told Me is the one to check out!