This book was received as an ARC from Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was the best Christian Fiction book.i have read in a long time. Just when I thought this story was going in one direction of an unexpected love story, Last to Know took a whole new turn out of left field finding out dark secrets, political scandals, the true story of running the town of Blissford and what was know as a dreadful year turns into an exciting treasure that can save the historical society. All that aside, there is still the spark going on with Nadine and Chase since that was the only thing besides the historical society that brought joy in Nadine's life, and with the town cutting the funds for the historical society, Nadine will be heartbroken if she lost Chase. This is about finding your passion and fighting for it no matter the cost.

A story for the ages that teaches the valuable lesson of the power of passion and love. This book deserves 5 stars.

Last to Know by Brandy Heineman is a sweet Christmas novella. I particularly love stories like this in which the main couple are friends first. And this book is particularly fun because it involves a mystery that people in the town may not want solved. Even though it is a novella, this story has a great mystery that will keep the reader engaged throughout. I received a digital copy of this novella from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Last to Know is a contemporary novel written by Brandy Heineman.

Summary: Nadine Notaro has a lot going on, and not much of it is good. Her beloved historical society, where she works part-time with her best friend Chase Garren, is being closed. Her roommate is moving out, and her parents’ divorce is ruining her holidays. If only this year would end already.

My Thoughts: This book was just OK for me. It had a very slow start, and I almost didn’t keep going. But, the pace does pick up and things get more interesting towards the end.

Overall though, there were some connections that weren’t quite made, and the story line and characters just didn’t have enough to them to really grab my interest, so not a favorite for me.

I would like to thank the IBPA for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for my review. Thank you.

I really liked this book. I thought the character interaction was well done. There are several elements to this story that are bound to please most anyone: Romance, Suspense, History, Christmas, etc. It is a very quick read and I agree with many reviewers, seems 'meatier' than most novellas.

A quick read to relax and enjoy in an afternoon.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy for an honest review

Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to have access to the eARC.

This is a beautiful Christmas love story with romantic comedy and a cute couple. I was rooting for them all the way through and I think I like the writing style so I will read more from this author in the future. The progression was great and the characters seemed genuine and realistic.

Romance, mystery, drama, self discovery... this book has a little of everything. It took me a long time to get invested in this story. The pacing felt off in general; the first part of this book seemed to drag and then the ending seemed rushed. It was a good story, and I didn’t manage to totally solve the mystery before the book did.

(I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.)

A nice little love story mixed with an old crime case and some powerful people trying to cover up what they or their ancestors did.

This is the first read by author, Brandy Heineman. I really enjoyed the story full of drama, love, suspense, and maybe a time capsule.

Last to Know
A Christmas Novella
by Brandy Heineman
Pub Date 11 Nov 2021
Independently published, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles
Christian | Mystery & Thrillers | Romance



The only thing she wants for Christmas is the end to a terrible year!




Despite the fact silver bells are ringing, but family drama as well as flaky finances have Nadine Notaro wrung out. The only bright spots this holiday season are her job at the Blissford Historical Society and her cheery, dependable co-worker, Chase Garren until the City Council cuts their funding. The lost income will be bad enough, but what about Chase? Though quick to remind everyone they're just friends, she can’t stomach losing him, too.


Chase and Nadine discover a journalist’s cache of negatives pointing to a decades-old scandal and cover-up while packing up the Society's record collections. Entanglements with the biggest powers players from the city pull their strings, despite that every clue brings them closer to the truth, until Nadine uncovers evidence of a betrayal she would have never believed was possible!


Casting light on the lies may ruin Christmas and their friendship, but it stands to cost them much more.




Because in Blissford, it's beginning to look a lot like murder.



I give Last to Know five out of five stars!



Happy Reading!

LAST TO KNOW is a wonderful way to spend the afternoon. Brandy Heineman nailed my happy place with this clean and mysterious story and I enjoyed it very much. I’ve never read this author before but I saw the book on Netgalley and the cover caught my eye and screamed at me to read it! I’m so happy I took a chance because now I’m going to go on the hunt for all of her previous books and read them as well.

LAST TO KNOW starts as everything begins to go wrong in Nadine Notaro’s life. She is on the path to losing her part time job at the Blissford Historical Society and danger grows as she begins to uncover, with the help of her coworker and best friend Chase Garren, that some of the city council members might be hiding something. Chase is the office geek, but he is a true friend to Sophie and all he wants is to see her happy. LAST TO KNOW is going to teach Nadine a huge lesson about seeing what is right in front of her face and I truly loved the things she learned.

As I said, I’ve never read Brandy Heineman before but I really enjoyed her writing and the story she told. I’m excited to read more by Ms Heineman. She pulled me right into Nadine’s trials and tribulations and never let me go until the very last page. Nadine and Chase find some photos while packing stuff up and they just might help shed some light on the city’s oldest cold case. They both agree to follow the clues and see where they might lead. LAST TO KNOW is a quick read for anyone looking for a shot of faith with some mystery and romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Last to know was a great novella. It was a quick read. Very interesting, full of love and mystery and a very surprising ending. I highly recommend this book.

A Christmas read with a mystery that was a nice change of pace from all the cheesy Christmas romances out there.

Sweet story and a way to start the Christmas week with this book! I am very sorry for the late review but I absolutely loved this one! The length was great and a short story is perfect for this time of the year! Thank you for this ARC and hope everyone gets to read this wonderful book :)

I struggled with this book because there were just so many details about the issues that needed to be resolved in the storyline that it took away from the my ability to relate to the characters.

I love a short story so I don't think the length bothered me but I would have loved more back ground information from both of the main characters, as well as hearing more about what they ghought of each other before these events took place.

I felt this short story could have been expanded, with more detail adding to the readers enjoyment. I couldn’t really engage with the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Brandy Heineman. This is was my first Christmas read and a great way to start of the Christmas season. The book was well written especially for how short it was. It really kept my interest. I chose to request/read it after the publish date as I thought it looked really good and it was still available to read and I am glad I did.

Blissford’s Historical Society is being closed and the building sold. Nadine is tired of the struggle to keep the town’s heritage intact. The harder she tries the further she slides back. Why don’t the city fathers understand the necessity of keeping the area’s historical records available?

Chase Garren is a faithful volunteer helping her to pack up the museum. He is dependable and always quick with an encouraging quip. Nadine keeps her heart and emotions bottled up, however, because the last thing she wants is to have her heart broken again!

This story contrasts the difference between a man’s approach to relationships and a woman’s approach. Throughout the book the author delineates the necessity for caution and restraint to avoid a heartbreak.

I also enjoyed the battle between the haves and have-nots. The wealthy city fathers used the city and its’ resources as a personal chess game with the rest of the city merely pawns. The ending was a little rushed and might have benefitted by expanding the storyline for additional explanation-clarification. 4 stars - CE Williams

A delightful and different Christmas story. It's lighthearted and flows easily with a page turning intensity. Thoroughly enjoyable.

So I know this book is a short story. But it felt a little disjointed and made it so we couldn't get to know any of the characters very well. This causes a problem when you consider you are supposed to feel worried or scared for certain ones, yet you don't know what is going on for the vast majority of the book because of how it is written.

I think this book could be great if it was just a little bit more put together and was a little longer. If not making it longer potentially cut out some of the other nonsense that is irrelevant that is happening with the main character's family. That has nothing to do with what is happening in the mystery and just takes up precious time needed for the mystery in the book.

I did enjoy the little bit of the mystery we did get. It was very rushed though especially towards the end because of how fast everything went and how it all got a little confusing.

Overall some people will enjoy this book. I just wanted more from it personally.

For some reason, I could not get into this story. I enjoyed discovering new bits and pieces related to the main twist of the story, but found that there were too many characters from the past and relatives that made the situation more complex. It could be that my pregnancy brain is too slow right now but cannot say that I loved the story. The love interest got me intrigued and I enjoyed discovering his character.