Cassie and Tom lost their parents at an early age. Tom, as the older brother, took care of Cassie and always made her Christmas magical with a yearly treasure hunt. Cassie has always had a crush on her brother’s best friend Sam, but over the years they drifted apart. After Tom dies in a tragic accident, Cassie is shocked to find he already had her treasure hunt planned out. She’s afraid to go through with it, afraid of losing her last connection to her brother. But the journey the clues take her on show her that she is still surrounded by love.

I read this author’s Christmas story “Every December” last year and ugly cried at the end. With this story, it was a good mix of sad and happy tears, with some humor thrown in as well. I loved how Cassie’s friends were ultimately her family, how these people chose to take care of one another. It wasn’t just typical holiday rom-com, but also touched on finding yourself and dealing with grief. Emily Stone is incredible at evoking emotion through her writing and I hope she keeps it up for many Christmases to come!

Thank you to Netgalley, Dell and Emily Stone for the ARC! This review will be shared to my Instagram blog (books_by_the_bottle) shortly 😊

From the start of this novel, I knew this wasn't going to be a "jolly" Christmas novel, although the word "gift" did make me think so at first. Overall, I enjoyed this one. It was a quick read, easily binge worthy. However, I wasn’t able to connect to the characters and I think the time jumping had something to do with that. I love the story, the lesson, the HEA but struggled really liking anyone. In regards the romantic storyline, it felt like we were told they had feelings, not shown. One thing I did love was the scavenger hunts Tom was able to put together each holiday.

Always, in December is one of my favorite holiday reads so I was so excited to read One Last Gift by Emma Stone. This is not your typical Christmas romance and reads more like women’s fiction to me. The main character Cassie is struggling with loss and learning how to forgive and also find herself. Many times I laughed and cried! I loved her relationship with her brother, Tom, and found myself thinking a lot about my own siblings and how much they mean to me. If you love scavenger hunts and character driven stories, I think you’ll like this one too.

4 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for the early copy

Out now!

Tom and Cassie lost their parents at young ages. Tom and Cassie went to live with their aunt Claire after the death of their parents. She was their guardian but it was Tom that protected Cassie and took care of her. They had each other and that was all they needed. When Tom went to Argentina all that changed. Cassie got a phone call from a man Tom had met while exploring Argentina. Tom had an accident while climbing and fell to his death.

Cassie and hazel went home to have toms funeral because she thought that it would be best if he were buried near their parents. Right after the funeral she saw Sam at the pub with his fiancee drinking, Sam went up to Cassie to try and say sorry for her loss but she was so angry at him for not being there with Tom.

She blamed him for toms death because he was so irresponsible and missed his flight. I felt so bad for Cassie. She deserved so much better. She needed her brother.

I really enjoyed this book. Parts of it was really sad. I’ll admit I cried a little. Because I felt so bad for Cassie. It was an amazing story from beginning to end. I couldn’t put it down. I read it all in one day. That’s how much I loved it!!! I highly recommend this book!!!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC of One Last Gift" written by Emily Stone.

Overall, I rated this novel 5/5 stars!

It told the story of Cassie, who is sent on a scavenger hunt by her brother Tom. The two of them have lost their parents earlier in life. Before Tom passed on, he created this activity so that she would be better able to cope with loss, grief, and forgiveness.

This was so much heavier than I was expecting. When I read holiday books I expect them to be a little more feel-good. But that’s just me so if you want a heavy book this time of you, maybe this will be for you!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy

Cassie and Sam survived so much loss throughout their lives. With each loss they became stronger and continued to grow into the adults they where always meant to be. The love they shared for each other and how the devastation they shared made them into the the people they become. This story is full of bittersweet moments and hope!

One Last Gift is the perfect mixture of tear-jerker and heart-warming Hallmark Christmas movie vibes. Out of the entire book I think I only predicted one thing, so this book will definitely take you for a ride with all of its twists and turns.

Overall, the story was beautiful and I adored every.single.relationship between Cassie and her loved ones. These are some of my favorite contemporary characters that I've read.

I would say the only things that I didn't like were sometimes the transitions between years felt abrupt/out of place and I also do wish we had gotten Sam's perspective a bit earlier on in the story.

However, this is definitely a beautiful story about grief/loss, second chances, and always going on the hunt for one last gift.

Cassie loses her parents at a young age and relies on her older brother, Tom. Twenty years later, she loses Tom. Tom had always done a Christmas scavenger hunt for Cassie and she was left with this last one from him. It shows how Cassie moved forward during difficult times and her growth as she does. It also had her dealing with her feelings for Tom’s best friend, Sam. Although this book dealt with death and grief, I did not find it overall a sad novel but liked seeing how Cassie dealt with everything. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

For fans of One Day in December and Pack Up the Moon...

Cassie and her brother Tom are incredibly close -- they're all they have left after losing their parents at a young age. Tom has made it a Christmas tradition to send Cassie on elaborate (and sometimes for her, frustrating) scavenger hunts, in which rhyming is not optional. But after losing Tom, too, all Cassie has left is her memories and her friends to help her through. When she finds an envelope leading her on one last Christmas hunt, Cassie will need her friends -- and Tom's best friend, Sam, whom Cassie once lost her heart to -- in order to find the special gift Tom had planned for her. But is she ready to let go of her pain and truly live again?

Thoughts: The premise makes for a wonderful Hallmark-movie-esque Christmas story, complete with funny best friends, holiday shenanigans, and small-town traditions. Heck, Cassie is even an event planner -- if that doesn't scream "Hallmark", then I don't know what does. Emily Stone knows how to pull the heart strings with Cassie's and Sam's grief over losing Tom, and spends a significant portion of the story exploring their grief as they process their loss on their own terms. Sam also has a lot of baggage thanks to an absentee father, which Stone allows him to work through, as well. Overall, I think readers will appreciate the time and care Stone takes in allowing Cassie and Sam to figure out their lives and what they want for their futures. My only issue was the last quarter of the book where Cassie and Sam flip-flop between who has their act together, with several months going by as they go back-and-forth; this felt a little drawn out to me even though I'm sure the point was to give both characters the time and space needed to feel comfortable with their own life choices before the HEA. There was a very satisfying resolution for all characters involved, including one nagging issue with Tom. Overall, this was a sweet yet sad read that I would recommend to romance readers who are looking for a heartfelt non-rom-com holiday read.

**Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.**

I started with One Last Gift which probably wasn’t the best to read on a plane because it is a sobber. It is the story of Cassie and Tom, siblings who lost their parents at a young age. Each year at Christmas, Tom creates a scavenger hunt for Cassie to get find her gift and the book tells the story of their lives and these scavenger hunts. I do not want to give any spoilers, lest you lose your chance for a good cathartic cry. All the emotions are here - grief, loss, love, resilience, friendship, finding one self. It hits you and it hits you hard but there are humorous bits peppered throughout to add some much needed levity. It was heartbreaking and charming and I loved it.

Last year, Always in December ripped my heart out and stomped it into tiny pieces - I half expected the same from One Last Gift, but this one didn't hit (me) quite so hard. That said, it was still a beautiful book, full of loss, heartache, learning and discovery. Cassie's journey is lovely, but Sam's holds a special place in my heart on this one. So many sweet feels, I loved it!

This is my second book by this author and I think it’ll likely be my last. We just aren’t compatible, and that’s okay!

In this book Cassie and her brother Tom lose their parents at a young age and are raised by a rather gruff aunt. They form their own family with friends, Hazel and Sam, and some locals in their town. Tom has given Cassie scavenger hunts for years around Christmas that can last well past new years, but one year he tragically dies and Cassie is left with a broken heart and a scavenger hunt she can’t bring herself to start.

This book takes place over a year as Cassie’s learns to be brave in the face of grief and move on.

For me this book was very surface level. The emotions never dug as deep as I wanted them to, it didn’t feel light or hopeful enough, and the romance was very much something that was being told to me but I just couldn’t believe it. Cassie’s character felt very immature and in the end I just really wanted to wrap up the story and move on.

3⭐️ because I did finish it and I enjoyed the premise, but I think I’ll be parting ways with this author from here!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC!

SYNOPSIS: 
Cassie and Tom are siblings who lost their parents at a young age. Living with their aunt, they found family in the friends they grew up with. Tom would always send his little sister on a scavenger hunt to find her yearly Christmas gift and this year is no exception. One Last Gift is Cassie’s journey to find the gift Tom left. On this journey we watch Cassie grieve and navigate life. What will this gift be? And will Cassie be able to find it?

Thought:
-Family oriented which I loved
-Frustrating characters that you want to just scream at, but it is their journey not yours so leave them alone!
-Christmasy vibes but the story takes place over a few months and not all during Christmas
-I definitely felt more for this book. While for it was not tissue worthy for me, it did pull on my stone heart strings.

Four solid stars for One Last Gift by Emily Stone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, if you are looking for a warm and fuzzy holiday romance read, I don't recommend this one for you.

While there was a romance between Cassie and Sam, I think this story was meant to focus on Cassie and Tom. And Emily did a fantastic job with helping the readers feel Tom all throughout the story.

It was a beautiful and healing story.

3.5⭐ rounded to 4.

The most beautiful story about the unbreakable bond between a brother and sister and a journey to find love and happiness along the way. Although a bit heartbreaking, this story has so many moments of joy. Highly recommended!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.
Cassie and Tom lost their parents at a young age and Tom the older brother ensured every Christmas would be a great Christmas. Cassie follows clues to find her Christmas present. As adults Tom goes on a climbing holiday and does not return, but he already set the clues for what would be the last Christmas hunt. Cassie follows the clues and it’s as if her brother is still here, she finds herself and grows and mourns along the way.
I enjoyed seeing Cassie grow and develop and find herself in the time since Toms death. I loved “Always in December” and enjoyed this book as well.

I haven’t read a book like this in a long time. It’s more than a romance, I’d say at the core it’s a book dissecting various types of grief. I’ve avoided books like this for awhile as I’ve trudged through my own grief journey but I’m so grateful I decided to give this book a try. The pacing and story progression felt so real and authentic. I’ve never read a book where I saw grief so beautifully depicted - there’s sorrow, but it isn’t sad. I should add, you don’t need to be grieving to enjoy the story, it just hit differently because of where I am in life. I’m curious to read other reviews to see if others had similar experiences. All in all, I loved it and am already looking forward to rereading it!

What a beautiful, emotional book about a sister and best friend grieving their loss. Holidays are hard to get through when you are missing a loved one and this book expands beyond that to include moving on and forgiveness.

Beware this is not a light, Christmas romance comedy. You will not be laughing throughout this book. It leans more towards women's fiction with heavier topics, so you may want tissues close by instead.

I absolutely loved the idea of an annual Christmas scavenger hunt, even if it did take much longer to solve. The time and thought put into her gift was priceless and one of the best gifts a person can give to another. The measures he took for Cassie definitely wins him the best brother award in my mind. (Note, I do not have a brother, so I realistically do not know what brothers do and do not do.)

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Randomhouse Publishing Group Ballantine for my copy of One Last Gift by Emily Stone in exchange for an honest review. It published October 11, 2022.
Can I just say, I love Emily Stone's Christmas books? I loved Always In December, and now I love One Last Gift! I love how this novel breaks out of the very common Hallmark-style, no real issue formula, and deals with truly hard topics. It makes this book so much more real.
I also love that it's Christmas adjacent, and takes place throughout the years as well, so you don't have to read at Christmastime, although it definitely is a perk!
The only downside to this book, in my opinion, is a lot of R-rated language that is personally offensive to me, but I know for others it isn't a problem. That does not affect my overall rating.