This was a captivating domestic suspense and mystery read! I was drawn into the story immediately and I found it to be so compulsive as it felt incredibly realistic.

I enjoyed the alternating timelines and found it to be well paced and really well written. It had a lot of good and fun twists along the way and i throughly enjoyed how everything played out.

I’m also super excited to see the TV adaption that will be starring Julia Robert’s!

I would like to say thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my complimentary copy of "The Last Thing He Told Me". I loved this book!! Once I started reading I couldn't stop. This book kept me engaged from start to finish.

The story focuses on Hannah, her husband Owen and his daughter Bailey. The interesting part about the book is that we don't actually get to meet Owen the same way we meet Hannah and Bailey. We learn Owen's story through flashbacks described by Hannah and also as she tries to piece together his past.

Hannah's life is turned upside down when Owen disappears and leaves her a note that reads "protect her". Hannah must now do whatever it takes to protect Bailey when Owen's company comes under fire and the CEO is suspected of fraud. Hannah must then determine if Owen is guilty in the fraud or if he is running from something else.

As Hannah navigates Owen's past she finds herself and Bailey going deeper and deeper into his past and now they may both be in danger. One thing for sure is that Hannah has no idea who she married.

"The Last Thing He Told Me" was a suspenseful book that kept me guessing the entire time. I was enamored from start to finish and the conclusion of the story completely surprised me. I was absolutely shocked with how everything turned out for Hannah and Bailey.

If you love books that keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat this is the perfect book for you.

This book had me completely hooked from the first chapter. I couldn’t stop reading because I NEEDED to know what was going on and solve the mystery. Full of suspense and family drama, the writing style was so engaging that I flew through the book. The character and relationship development was central to the story, as Hannah and her step daughter Bailey learn to work together to figure out what has happened to Owen, and explore just how much they are willing to give up. This was the first book I have read by Laura Dave, and I am already looking for copies of her other books.

I’m on a really good roll with thrillers lately. I absolutely loved this one. I really liked Hannah as a character. She’s a strong, smart women’s with a big heart who put what’s best for her step daughter (with whom she has a rocky relationship) before everything.

This one starts fast and doesn’t slow down. I couldn’t stop reading for a second. Who is Owen really? Why did he just up and leave? I loved how Hannah and Bailey took matters into their own hands and sought the truth.

What I loved most about this was the plausibility of it. The ending wasn’t the outcome I was hoping for, but it’s okay, because any other ending wouldn’t have been believable.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued from the opening chapter - what - or who - does Hannah need to protect Bailey from?

Relationships play a big part in this book with a focus on Hannah and Bailey's non-connection. Hannah keeps reaching out, while Bailey keeps swatting her away. Until they have a common goal - to find Owen. Dave does a good job of portraying this. And I think she nailed the sixteen year old mindset!

The reader learns more about Hannah and Owen's relationship as she recalls the last two years, searching for clues to where he might be now. And Hannah and Bailey follow tenuous connections from Bailey's memories. I thought the clues and the chasing down of confirmation was well written, albeit a little hard to believe at times. I did question Hannah's skill set in approaching and reading certain people (sorry - deliberately obtuse) She is a wood turner by trade and it was a bit of a stretch for me to buy into her 'powers of persuasion'.

The why and the who are found, but it felt like I'd already read this story. Dave does put her own stamp on things, especially the ending, but at a certain point I pretty much knew how things were going to play out.

The Last Thing He Told Me is more light domestic suspense than a thriller. It was a good read, but I like my suspense a little grittier and a bit quicker paced. I found it more character driven than action driven. If you like Joy Fielding or Iris Johansen, you'll enjoy this one.

“Protect her” is the last message Hannah receives from her husband of one year, Owen before he disappears. Hannah knows right away the message is referring to her step daughter, Owen’s daughter Bailey. The reason for the message and Owen’s subsequent disappearance is a mystery to her though, but she suspects something dangerous is at play. Hannah quickly realizes her husband is not who he said he was - and Bailey might be their best bet to find out more.

This one was truly un-put-down-able for me! It wasn’t a thriller necessarily but the rooted mystery was an interesting premise and was compelling to want to find out what would happen next.

I found that the story moved along well and took the time to nicely develop the storyline and the relationships between the characters. I really liked the focus on the tentative but growing relationship between Hannah and her step daughter Bailey. They’re bond began only tied to their mutual love and determination to find Owen and grew progressively from there.

This was an excellent and quick read. The ending was bittersweet but worked out well for the story. It surprised me how much I enjoyed this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for a copy of this book.

Amazing!
Absolutely loved this domestic mystery/suspense novel from @lauradaveauthor. I hadnt made the connection that she had written another amazing book I read a few years ago called Hello, Sunshine. This book is by far one of my favourite novels of 2021, and it’s evident by the fact that I managed to finish it in less than 48 hours with a toddler and a 3 week old. I’ve literally carried this book to every room of the house in hopes that I could just squeeze in...”one” more chapter. It is utterly engrossing, with a heartbreaking ending. I cant recommend this one enough, and I just found out it’s going to be a series starring @juliaroberts 😍👏🏼. Out in May... add this to your TBR.

I could not put this down! This story is beautifully heartbreaking.
You have the suspense/mystery, which I was expecting- but family drama and the love story between Hannah and Owen was a nice surprise. We don't see them together during the 'present' day, but we peak into Hannah's life as she knew it in between chapters of the unbelievable situation she finds herself in.
The ending turned me into a ball of emotions. So good!
I would highly recommend this book to anyone thinking of checking it out!

This book was a great thriller. Super short, perfect cottage/backyard summer read. Owen goes missing after the company he works for is caught in a crime involving fraud. He's completely off the grid and Hannah, his (new) wife, is left with his daughter Bailey who, at 16, is not the fondest of her new mother-in-law.

Hannah becomes an amateur sleuth, determined to find out the truth about where her husband has gone before anyone else does, tipped off that it may be more than just he's gone into hiding to avoid going to jail by a mysterious note and a duffel bag full of cash. But as she gets closer to the truth, she also puts herself and Bailey closer to harm, the exact opposite of Owen's last communicated wishes.

You'll be hooked, I promise!

Hannah has been married to Owen for two years. Owen had a daughter previously, Bailey, who is now 16-years old. One day, Owen just doesn’t come home again. He sends a note to Hannah that just says “Protect her”. As Hannah hears on the news, the owner of the company Owen has been working for has been arrested and charged with fraud.

This was really good. Another one that pulled me in right away and kept me wondering. I definitely didn’t expect the ending. Told from Hannah’s point of view, some chapters backed up in time to see the relationship (and some earlier events) between Hannah and Owen.

The Last Thing He Told Me is a domestic suspense novel that is done very well. The author effectively blended an interesting mystery of a missing husband and father, Owen, with the unfolding of the relationship between his daughter, Bailey, and her stepmother, Hannah, as they search to discover what happened to him. The story started off with a bang and the pace kept up until the end. The plot was interesting and kept me guessing as to what would happen next. The author also did a good job of developing the characters. I will note that the story was told only from the point of view of Hannah, and it would have been interesting to also see Owen’s and Bailey’s perspectives. A 4 star read for me that kept me engaged throughout the story.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Thing He Told Me starts out with a bang as a husband suddenly disappears from his wife and teenage daughter's lives. Owen's new wife, Hannah soon receives a note from him with two words - 'protect her'. That note begins Hannah's quest to find her missing husband and protect her stepdaughter, leading her down a road of secrets and lies.

I think this book is a domestic mystery that is just shy of a suspense read. But it also veers into the domestic drama realm with its focus on the growing relationship between stepmom Hannah and her teenage stepdaughter, Bailey as they band together to find out what happened to Owen. Hannah proves her resourcefulness in figuring out what happened to her husband, but I couldn't help feeling that some situations seemed too far-fetched and easily found for someone with no investigative experience.

Hannah and Bailey's characters are well-developed, but this is more of a slower paced read. Flashbacks are provided to give readers more insight into Hannah and Owen's relationship, but I was hoping to gain a better understanding of Owen's motivations. I would have loved to have his POV. It was an interesting premise about Owen's whereabouts/past but while the ending was sweet, it was much too pat for my liking.

This story has tense situations, but this isn't an edge-of-your-seat thriller. Instead, Dave focuses on building her characters and their rocky relationships while telling an intriguing tale of secrets, lies and manipulations. This was a quick, enjoyable read that surprised me with its focus on relationships more than suspense. Look for this book in stores May 4, 2021!

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher for my complimentary digital copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

I really liked this book! The story begins immediately with Owen's disappearance. I love when the author doesn't mess around and gets right into it. It grabbed me from the first page. The whole book felt intentional and like the story was always moving forward! It was paced really well, I didn't notice any lulls or parts of the story that felt "useless."

I genuinely liked all the characters, especially the protagonist, Hannah. Although the story is about Owen's sudden disappearance, the characters were its strength. Hannah was smart, strong, honest, and you were really rooting for her to get to the bottom of everything. I also really liked reading the development of her and Bailey's relationship.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from Laura Dave.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t sure what to except when I started this book and I really enjoyed it. The suspense in the book made it very fast paced and kept my attention the entire time. Sometimes domestic thrillers aren’t my cup of tea but this definitely was. I loved the ending. This was a really great book and I would definitely recommend it!

This is a new release from an American author, who has written several previous novels. It is a psychological suspense that features Hannah and her husbands' teenage daughter, Bailey, who is not Hannah's biggest fan. Hannah's husband has disappeared after his boss was arrested for fraud, but he managed to get her a note that only says 'protect her'. After visits from both the FBI and a US Marshall, a desperate Hannah reaches out to friends and starts her own investigation with Bailey's help. As they learn to trust each other they uncover a past they knew nothing about and are forced to make very difficult choices in order to protect Bailey. This is a wonderful recommendation for fans of the genre and even for those who enjoy a good family drama.

What do you know if the person closest to you isn’t really who they tell you? Hannah’s husband Owen Michaels disappears with nothing but a note to tell her to protect his daughter - Hannah’s stepdaughter, Bailey. This is especially hard when Bailey only manages to speak to Hannah in monosyllabic sentences on a GOOD day. I really enjoyed the journey of Hannah and Bailey in this - in both the physical but also the way in which they build their relationship. The story is written in a captivating manner, much like a CSI case being unveiled in front of you. I especially liked the way in which Hannah navigates law enforcement to find her own answers. There is a big emphasis on family relationships, mother - daughter, daughter - father etc. The one thing that I found a little bit hard to digest was the extent to which Hannah goes for Owen and Bailey without getting much in return. It’s a sacrifice that is commendable but I wanted some more emphasis on the relationship of Owen and Hannah as well and to know he cared for her just the same as Bailey.


Thank you @simonandschusterca @simonandschuster @lauradave and @netgalley for my advanced reader’s e-copy in exchange for an honest review!

When Hannah’s husband disappears and the company he works for is exposed, she is left to pick up the pieces. The only communication she receives from him is a note: “protect her”. As she tries to figure out what that means, and who she can trust, Hannah and Bailey end up in Austin on a wild hunt for answers. Hannah’s husband / Bailey’s father is not who they thought he was.
Overall the storyline was interesting, because you will want to find out who Owen was and what happened in his past that would put his daughter in danger. However, it was the pacing that seemed to lag a little. I also found some details implausible, which impacted my overall rating... such as Bailey’s ability to remember locations she went to with her father at age four. Very strong beginning- setting up the mystery, and hooking the audience. The flashbacks were well done and added important details regarding Owen’s disappearance. As the plot progressed to the fact finding mission in Austin, the story became more unrealistic, but still enjoyable.
Thank you NetGalley for an opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a domestic suspense and a quick read. It captivated me from early on and held my interest. It is a character driven story. Hannah proved to be a genuine & caring step mom and I appreciated reading about her relationship with Bailey.

This was my first time reading a Laura Drake book, what can I say other than that I will definitely be on the lookout for more.

The Last Thing He Told Me was a quick read (about a day & a half), quick in the fact I struggled to put it down. The story picked up right away and with nice sized chapters it was easy for just one more chapter (pun intended).

The writing flowed nicely, the characters were real and I loved the dialogue - how it defined the relationships and the characters. There was more to this story then meets the eye, there were layers and mystery, I was reading clues and wondering if it's a clue or not. I liked the ending for lots of reasons (sorry spoiler if I said more).

Definitely a book I highly recommend. Look for it on bookshelves May 4th.

My thanks to Simon & Schuster Ca (via Netgalley) for a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 I'm writing this review after receiving an ARC from Simon & Schuster Canada.

When I tell you I never had any idea where this book was going, and I could not turn it down! Hannah is a successful artist and newlywed when she finds herself searching through her husband's past with his teenage daughter after he disappears without a trace leaving only a note: "Protect her."

Laura Dave does an incredible job keeping you on your toes, and never giving up who you can trust. Not only is it an engaging suspense novel, but the relationships feel so true and fully explored. This is a wonderful quick read that will keep you guessing!