This book gave me all the feels. I love Stone's writing but she rips your heart out (in a good way!) I'll be reading more of her in the future for sure.

This second holiday-themed book by the author falls into the 3.5-star range for me. While not lacking entirely, there's an elusive quality missing that prevents a more enthusiastic rating. Although I found moments of enjoyment while reading, it doesn't leave a lasting impression. Focused on Cassie and Tom, siblings dealing with grief and family dynamics, the story introduces a disrupted friendship with their childhood companion, Sam. The initial setup lacks emotional depth, making it challenging to fully invest in their eventual reunion. The plot gains momentum around the 50% mark, immersing readers in Cassie's journey, but the emotional impact is hindered by surface-level exploration. Despite these shortcomings, the book offers a light and engaging read, suitable for romance and holiday enthusiasts. The 3.5-star rating reflects a generally positive impression, with appreciation extended to Dell for the ARC through NetGalley. In summary, "One Last Gift" provides a heartfelt tale of romance, grief, and growth, recommended for those seeking a touching story, especially during the holiday season.

I'm confused as to the intent of the book. Was it meant to be women's fiction or holiday romance? Because it didn't "pick a lane" it fell short in both categories for me which left it feeling flat overall. I wanted MORE of either of those aspects for it to stick.

This book was breathtaking. It takes you on an incredible journey through grief, heartbreak, love and bravery. This was my first Emily Stone book and it certainly won't be my last!

God, Emily Stone knows how to rip my heart out with holiday romances. These aren't your straightforward, frothy holiday romances -- Stone's books deal with heady topics and certainly make you feel *all* the things.

3.5⭐, 1🌶️

This wasn't the book for me, but I still found it uniquely interested! The main plot of Cassie losing her brother, and Sam losing his best friend and Cassie as well kept me intrigued over how the plot would expand, but I just wish there was more romance in the storyline. I love both characters learning their lives without Tom through how Tom choose to celebrate Christmas with his sister, but over all the commitment to the storyline was minimal for me. I wasn't addicted to continuing the story as every chapter, and just listened quickly to finish one last book/ audiobook of the year.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an eARC of One Last Gift, by Emily Stone. This is my free and honest review

Sweet story nothing to complain about it just didn't captivate me. I really liked Cassie but I just wanted something more from her.

Thank you everyone for this gifted copy of One Last Gift by Emma Stone.

Basically I’ve decided that Emma is the queen of Christmas stories. Her stories are charming and fun, and their guaranteed to make you cry every time. I. Love. It.

This story hooked me right from the get-go. I loved the relationships between family and friends, and found that I was rooting for all of them. I laughed, I cried, it was honestly the best book to end my 2023 reading with.

While Emily Stone knows how to work grief into a holiday story, this one might be my favorite of hers yet. I really appreciated the plot of the scavenger hunt taking place over the course of the year. It definitely makes it less a true holiday read and more one loosely related to the holidays. It was a really lovely story about found family and learning to rely on others. Although absolutely filled with grief, this one tackles grief, especially around the holidays, very tactfully. I really liked the main character, the best friend love interest, and the case of friends. Their love and support for the female main character was clear. Absolutely would love to read more by Ms. Stone going forward! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED this book! It was the perfect holiday romance. It made me cry, laugh, and even though it included some loss in the story, the ending was still happy.

In this book, we follow Cas, who has lost everyone in her life, most recently her brother. Before he dies, he leaves her a scavenger hunt that takes her on a trip through his life and hers, showing her things that help her reconnect to the world around her and find her place in it. It's a heartwarming read, and it's certainly a pull at your heartstrings. That being said, it could have easily been a novella or a beautiful short story. The pacing was killing me...it really wallowed in the sadness. I think there is a market for this, as a lot of readers really like the warm fuzzies and will take as many as they can get, but I'm not one of those readers, so it was just okay for me.

This was a sweet story of loss and love. Cassie has experienced more loss than most and when asked to open her heart once more, she struggles. Through a treasure hunt left by her brother she slowly overcomes her fears and finds a way to start living again. The story was a bit sad and slow for a Christmas romance. Closed door. I found the story a bit hard to believe at times- quick pivots in life choices that a chapter earlier would have seemed wholly out of character. Felt like certain plot devices where over used which made the end predictable but also drawn out. Overall a cute, if tame, holiday romance.

A perfect book to remind us the value of love, family, and friendship and also taking care of those we have in our lives. This book will warm your heart and make you cry, but all in good ways. I loved the pacing of this book and how lovely reading it was.

Looking for a holiday romance that’s less Hallmark, more genuine and raw? Here you go! While this one isn’t 100% feel good (lots of loss and big feelings), I felt sooo good to be reading it.

It’s cozy and nostalgic. The romance is more on the back burner as our main character navigates grief and loss.

I loved the characters - flaws and all. They felt very real to me and it felt like I was on their journeys with them.

Add it to your list! Have tissues prepared!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick. Our library purchased and our patrons have been checking out and and enjoying the book. I see it is a popular book club choice as well we hope to have more oppurtinies to support authors like them

The most perfect holiday read. Put me right in the mood for the holiday season and I love Emily Stone's writing so much. It flows so beautifully together and doesn't feel like effort to get into the story.

My review is very much delayed on this one because I knew it would break my heart, and sure enough it did. This book was so beautiful and I loved the mystery feel that came along with the scavenger hunt. I also put it off because I thought it was going to be a very Christmas focused book, and I wanted to be in the right mindset, but it ended up not being the case.

The unique grief process that the two characters went through felt realistic and like they each had to learn to cope on their own before they could come back together, which I really loved. It was a nice twist on the second chance romance trope, when the two had never really gotten off the ground to start.

Overall, I really loved reading this one (even if it made me cry).

Thank you to Random House Publishing-Ballantine and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

There was a lot to like about this book. I loved the idea of the scavenger hunt, how Cassie and Sam evolved, the descriptions of the various places Cassie was sent to, to experience. The themes of love and forgiveness, the holidays and friendship, all hit the right notes and I was happy with the ending. It's a perfectly wonderful book that will cause some sniffles and some laughs and will hit you in all the right feels. I just feel like it could have delivered a little bit more. It also drove me nuts that Sam's last name was Malone. It won't mean anything to international readers, but Sam Malone was the name of a character on a show called Cheers and this distracted me to no end. This turned it from a 4* book to a 3.5.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are mine, and freely given.

Heartbreaking, romantic and full of warmth . . . waterproof mascara recommended. Loved this from Emily Stone

I loved Emily Stone’s debut, Always in December, and I was thrilled to read One Last Gift. The premise is so unique. Cassie’s brother Tom dies at the beginning of the book and his last gift to her is a letter with an adventure every month. I loved getting to know Cassie, watching her grieve, and experiencing her growth over the course of a year. Though it’s marketed as a Christmas book, the majority of the book takes place throughout the year. I highly recommend this book for fans of emotional romance novels.