Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada and NetGalley for my digital ARC.

My Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️

The storyline here starts off as very interesting and exciting. The whole mystery with Hannah’s husband Owen Michaels and how he suddenly disappears, has you on your toes. To make it even more exciting, Owen leaves Hannah a note that says “Protect her.” This is referring to Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter Bailey. This would be a little easier for Hannah if Bailey even liked her. Does it bother anyone else how hard Hannah tries to win Bailey’s approval? Hannah constantly tries to win over a teenager that wants nothing to do with her. At times she almost seemed desperate.

On a side note, It seems unrealistic to travel to a city on a hunch and find people that will lead you on a right path. It also seems unrealistic that they go off leads based on Bailey’s memory as a young girl.

I like that the chapters are short, as this kept making me want to keep reading. I just would have liked more suspense and excitement towards the end. There was no shock or twist for me but I still think many would enjoy this read.

Review posted on IG: @mae.rox.wanders

What an interesting read! I had heard only great buzz about this book and I was not disappointed. This was a bit less "thrilling" than books I'm used to but I don't count that as a negative. It was well written and unique. A suspense story that didn't have to rely on gore or shock-value. I thought it was expertly plotted and the ending was not what I expected. Definitely recommend!

I was super excited to read this book however it unfortunately fell flat for me. I found the story to be rather underwhelming. I didn't feel as though I was part of the story - it felt like I was just being told the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read and review.

Wow! This book was so well written. It sucked me in right from the start and progressed so quickly. I read it in one sitting because I had to know how the story ends. I loved the characters, especially Bailey. The ending was not what I expected, but it wasn't really a twist either. It was just so good; I'll be thinking about this one for a while.

After finishing The Last Thing He Told Me I didn't feel that rush of excitement from the suspense of the novel, or the thrill of a mysterious puzzle being solved. The first thought that came to me was simply, "meh." For me, there was nothing thrilling or chilling about the story. It started out interesting enough, but the buildup and pacing was very slow. Unfortunately, it didn't lead up to any spectacular surprise reveal or intense conclusion either. It was all very anticlimactic.
So, while I did finish the book, it wasn't one that would be hard to forget and it won't be one I'm likely to recommend. I'd also say it should be categorized as a mystery and domestic fiction novel only and not a thriller.

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*Complimentary copy for review provided by Simon and Schuster Canada. All opinions expressed here are honest and entirely my own.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in return for an honest review.
This story had me right from the beginning. I meant to read only the prologue and a tiny bit to get a flavor for the author’s writing before returning to the book that I had not yet finished. To be fair, I was reading a nonfiction, science-based, historical book; but it was close to being finished, and it was interesting.
This is a story about a recently married woman (Hannah) whose husband’s company has been caught in the news and he has disappeared. She finds out that he isn’t exactly who she thinks he was. Since he has no family that she’s aware of; she has only herself and his daughter (Bailey), a sixteen year old who really hasn’t accepted her stepmom, to try to figure out what is going on.
To make things even more interesting, the husband sent her a note asking her to protect his daughter and left a LOT of money in his daughter’s locker at school along with a cryptic note. Hannah is first visited by a USMarshall, who tells her to get a lawyer and not trust the FBI, and then two FBI agents. Everyone is looking for her husband.
Her husband had a friend who is a lawyer; but he has issues of his own which make his wife hostile and his help unavailable. Hannah is desperate and seeks the help of an ex who is a lawyer across the country and to complicate things, is still interested in a relationship with her. As the story progresses, Hannah and the daughter do make progress on their relationship and in figuring out who she and her father used to be before Bailey was a toddler.
I was worried throughout the book that all the fast paced intrigue was going to end up with some flat and trite explanation and that things would all be wrapped up in a neat, but dissatisfying bow. Things do get wrapped up, not everyone gets to be happy in the end; but the book is definitely a satisfying read. Definitely looking forward to reading other things by this author!
I give this book a 4.5. The character development was great, the pace was heart poundingly fast, and the writing was very clear. I didn’t love the epilogue, but it filled out the story. It was sad, but also hopeful for Hannah and Bailey.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

The premise behind this book is what intrigued me - I love a good mystery. The characters were really well developed, and you could completely understand Bailey's angst towards a step-mother. I felt that Hannah really did her best to include Bailey, and that showed throughout the entire book.

I loved the the twists and turns. It felt like a treasure hunt with pieces being uncovered throughout the entirety. It kept me intrigued, and overall I really enjoyed it.

THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME: a woman’s husband disappears with one request: to protect his daughter at all costs.

Loved the suspense and mystery, the pacing, how the story unfolded and how Hannah and Bailey’s relationship developed. How step mom and step daughter formed a bond they didn’t think was possible. The last page totally made me tear up.

(Still catching up on reviews!)

4 stars

The Last Thing He Told Me started off as a pretty typical suspense story/thriller/mystery, but then the plot action and drama escalated very quickly. It got a bit cheesy and melodramatic at some points, but I also didn’t mind too much because the characters and their interactions still felt authentic and meaningful most of the time. I wanted to keep experiencing the story, and I was actually pretty content with the ending. This was a good one!

I've loved some of Laura Dave's previous books and almost feel as though I shouldn't review this one because I'm honestly not sure if it was the book itself or the headspace I was in when I read it, but it felt like a bit of a slog to read and I never really felt compelled to find out what was going to happen next. There should be a special category of reviews that shouldn't really even count because of the pandemic, because of covid, because of the fires, because of the heat wave, because sometimes even reading just doesn't work the way its meant to. This was not a badly written book, it wasn't missing anything obvious, but for me it didn't click and grab and carry me away from all THIS in the way that I need books to do, just right now. Unhelpful? Probably. But I'm a fan of Laura Dave and will definitely buy whatever she writes next. Go Laura!

I really enjoyed the writing style in this book. The twists and turns kept my attention throughout. I will definitely be checking out other books by this author and I would recommend this book to friends and family.

I enjoyed this thriller. This was a good mystery and I liked this the author wrapped up the story in the end. I would recommend it for an easy summer read. It’s suspenseful but more of a slow, stop and think to figure it out than a fast paced read.

We all have stories we never tell.

Rating : ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫

Now this was one true suspense novel. I was hooked right from the start. Just before Owen Michaels disappears, he manages to get a note to his wife, Hannah saying “Protect her” - referring to her step-daughter Bailey.

The day Hannah receives this note, she thinks it’s just one big joke played by her husband. However, once her numerous phones calls and texts go unanswered and agents start to show up at their home, she becomes increasingly worried and starts to find out her husband isn’t who he says he is and that Bailey may be the key in unearthing all these secrets.

They set out to find answers, together, regardless of their rocky relationship. What will they find out about this man and how will this effect the relationship between Hannah and Bailey.

In all, i really enjoyed everything about this book, the plot, the characters, her writing style; so easy going that the story was fluid and felt authentic. Loved the suspense, had me constantly wanting to know more. Highly recommend this one.

Also, special thanks to @netgalley for an advance copy of this one in exchange for an honest review. Ps. I bought the book because I needed a physical copy 😉

I absolutely loved this book. I couldn’t put it down!! I heard they are making this into a movie. I can’t wait!

Reese has done it again with another amazing pick! The Last Thing He Told Me was a total winner for me. Sorry to everyone I ignored as I put everything aside to devour this book in a single day.

Hannah's husband Owen disappears, leaving her with nothing but a note that says "protect her." The "her" in question is his daughter and Hannah's stepdaughter Bailey. And what ensues is a captivating journey to find out what happened to Owen in the present, while uncovering secrets of his past.

This is a fantastic character-driven book, full of family drama, secrets and mystery. The writing style grabs you from page one and the short chapters keep you turning the page. I loved the alternating timelines, as the reader joins Hannah and Bailey as they uncover what's going on in the present and how events of the past have brought them to this point. Watching their relationship develop throughout the book was a favourite for me. It felt real and the ending gave me all the feels.

Highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a character-driven family drama with mystery woven throughout.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley for the gifted copy to read and review. All thoughts my own.

4.5 rounded up

I really loved how TLTHTM started off and the big mystery around Owen the missing man and the daughter and wife he has seemed to vanish out into thin air. I liked the plot and the loving way Owen is remembered through time jumps back to when he is with his family and the assortment of characters and character development that the author weaved through out the story but I didn’t find this book to be as riveting as I expected. I guess my expectations were definitely influenced by the hype surrounding the book. About half way through it slowed down a bit for me, and I made it to the end but not without skimming some parts. It had a pretty unconventional ending and left me cringing and with questions. Please don’t let me ruin this book for you, I still recommend that you read this book if it interests you because it’s not entirely bad, it just wasn’t the book for me and you might feel differently!

I have a book club in August and will review this one last August - early September 2021.
I loved that this one did not stick to one genre and was well written.

THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by LAURA DAVE

Page-turning goodness with a slow burn.

*Special thanks to #NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for a free, electronic ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.*

I might have to disagree with categorizing this as a thriller as I didn’t feel any of the apprehension that normally pulses through a true novel under that banner, but this was no less suspenseful. Maybe a Domestic Mystery/Suspense?

We open with a prologue that teases of events to come and then in the first chapter we jump right into the act – a letter delivered to our main character, Hannah Hall, written on a folded piece of yellow legal paper. The contents of which are just as confusing as the manner of delivery.

As each chapter gives us more information we find out that Hannah is a woman who loves her husband and is finding her way precariously as it may be as a step-mother, when her world is turned upside down when her husband goes missing.

Or has he willingly disappeared?

Before Hannah has time to process the contents of the letter, she finds out Owen, her husband is not who she thought he was, that in fact, the company he works for is being investigated for fraud - among other things, and the head of the company has already been arrested. But where is her husband? Is he involved in these crimes?

We follow Hannah as she uncovers clues with the aid of her friend Jules, that both shock and distress her as she learns the man she has shared her life with has a past (and apparently a present) that she knew nothing about. Enter a US Marshall offering all manner of helpful proposals and suggestions that Hannah disregards. Being a resourceful female, she sets out to find out the truth with her stepdaughter, Bailey in tow.

Told in a two-timeline fashion, with flashbacks filling in the gaps, giving context and even clues behind Owen’s disappearance, we become immersed in the mystery and in the methods used by Hannah and Bailey, to figure out where Owen is and what happened to make him disappear.

I enjoyed the interplay between Hannah and Bailey and how their relationship grew and evolved as they tried to unfold the mystery of Owen’s disappearance. The plot was fresh and unpredictable, the characters were well developed and relatable (even Owen, whom we never really ‘meet’). Although I question some of the decisions made, they suited the vein of this read well and kept me guessing until the very end.

Well-paced with just the right amount of suspense to keep me turning pages into the very early morning hours, I adored the short chapters with their witty chapter headings. It kept me guessing until the end where an epilogue tied everything up.

NOTE: I am thrilled to find out it was not only selected as May’s title of the month for Reese Witherspoon’s book club (yeah, I’m a little slow on the uptake, I’ve been reading novels not headlines!) BUT the actor is co-producing it through her Hello Sunshine banner! I do adore Julia Roberts, who is co-producing and possibly acting as the main character but feel another possibly younger actress might be better suited to portray Hannah.

Either way I eagerly await this collaborative effort.
4.5/5

#thelastthinghetoldme

. . . ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⋆ ⭒
Unpopular opinion alert: Meh.

This book was a very fast read for me, but I think more so because I was eagerly anticipating when I would get to the juicy, exciting, thrilling stuff, but it just never came.

The plot premise was interesting, but I found the character development was lacking just enough for me to not connect with the characters. Maybe it was how it was told, maybe it’s that it was so hyped up that my hopes were too high, I’m not sure. But for whatever reason, for me, this just wasn’t enough.

Something that stood out to me about this book was that the chapters were uniquely introduced with a tagline foreshadowing what would occur. It felt like this story would be excellently suited for an adaptation to screen in the form of a mini-series, where the chapters encapsulate the name of an episode. The tension wasn’t there for me in written form, but perhaps it would have been more palpable if I was watching - the plot certainly would be captivating in translation.

While this book didn’t necessarily “do it” for me personally, it’s still definitely worth a read!

Utmost thanks to Simon & Schuster for this gifted copy via Net Galley - we are so appreciative.

~👩🏻‍🦰

Protect her. That’s all the cryptic note says that’s handed to Hannah Hall when her husband of one year, Owen Michaels, disappears. Hannah knows who Owen means her to protect--her stepdaughter, sixteen-year-old Bailey. And that may be harder than it might seem. Bailey lost her mother as a young child and hasn’t really accepted Hannah into the life she shared with her father.

But protect Bailey, she will…at whatever cost. Hannah is determined to do her best for the teenager, even as she can’t contact her husband and the FBI and US Marshal Service come knocking at her door looking for answers. The company Owen worked for has some serious legal problems and Owen seems implicated. Has he left Hannah and Bailey holding the bag?

Hannah soon figures out Owen isn’t who he told her was, but Bailey may be the only way to figure out the truth…if she can gain her trust and cooperation. The two set out on a dangerous journey to the truth.

The Last Thing He Told Me is an addictive read. Don’t pick it up if you only have a few minutes to read because that laundry will remain unfolded, the lawn uncut! You just won’t want to put it down as you follow Hannah and Bailey on this twisting journey through the past. If they can survive it, perhaps they can build a future as a family.