Dealing with grief is difficult at best and everyone does it differently but this story takes takes you on a journey that I think everyone can relate to. I really enjoyed the fun parts that were added to lighten things up.

Wow! This book was not what I was expecting in every good way possible. Emily Stone told a fresh story that left me excited to turn each page.

Cassie lost her parents at a young age. She and her brother, Tom, were raised by Aunt Claire who was more emotionally distant than loving. Cassie and Tom were each other’s lifelines and Tom’s best friend Sam was a constant tag along. Looking for and following their passions, One Last Gift follows the siblings and friends through life’s ups and downs and reminds us all that we are stronger than we know.

Posted to Goodreads 9/15/2022

Ahhhh this book is beautiful and heartbreaking. So make sure you have a box of tissues close by. Emily’s first novel was a hit for me and I’m looking forward to reading more books from her. I’m definitely getting a hard copy of this book to read again.

One Last Gift
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 10/11/22
Author: Emily Stobne
Publisher: Random House Publishing
Pages: 400
GR: 4.28

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Random House Publishing and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Cassie and Tom lost their parents at a young age and relied on each other. 20 years later, Cassie has lost Tom as well. She's never felt more alone. Then she finds an envelope with her name on it, it's the first clue in the Christmas scavenger hunt Tom made for her every year. Tom's clues set Cassie on a heart-wrenching and beautiful journey that will change her life--if she lets them. And as she travels from London to the Welsh mountains to the French countryside, she reconnects with old friends, rekindles a lost love, and most importantly, rediscovers herself. But once she's solved the final clue, will she be brave enough to accept the gift her brother has given her--and the love it's led her to?

My Thoughts: With the author’s first name the same as mine, I knew I would love this book! The tropes follow a second chance romance and friends to lovers, which is right up my ally. The story reminds me of a classic Hallmark Christmas movie, one of the reasons I requested the title. Even with the loss of Tom, it is still a lighthearted read as the character’s emotions were not deeply dived into. The characters were well developed, flawed, emotional, chemistry, and creatively written. Cassie’s character was written very immature in the beginning of the book, however, she and Sam grew tremendously through the book, even if I did not care for Sam at first, he does redeem himself. The author’s writing style is heartwarming, romantic, sweet, and just written so well. If you love Hallmark Christmas movies like me, you will like this book. It is just heartwarming and puts a cozy blanket over you. I will be adding her first book to my TBR. It hits the shelves next month on the 11th!

This book was so good. It made me so sad to see how Cassie and Tom lost their parents at a young age and then Cassie lost Tom. I don't think that Sam realized that he contributed to that loss for Cassie, but I was glad that he realized his mistake and tried to get her back. Him keeping the treasure hunt gift thing going was cute even if it really only was one clue that pointed to him.

I just finished One Last Gift. Tears are streaming down my face, but I am smiling. One Last Gift is all about emotion - hope, longing, despair, grief, confusion, and love all play huge roles in this story. Cassie, Sam, and Tom are memorable characters, fully developed and so real. I feel like I would know them if I met them on the street. I thoroughly enjoyed One Last Gift. Well done, Emily Stone!

This book was heartbreaking and beautiful!!!

I read an arc of Emily Stone’s first debut novel last year and was completely enamored by her writing and storytelling. Not gonna lie... her last book sorta traumatized me lol so I was so excited but equally scared of the emotional damage that Stone could do to me.

This story definitely lived up to my expectations for Stone. She is so incredible with her writing regarding grief. The entire scavenger hunt plot was amazing!!! The sibling bond written in this book was incredibly beautiful. The realistic ups and downs of a romance spanning years was filled with so much angst and tension that had me reeling! All of the build up was so worth it though.

This book was beautiful and even though I shed many tears, I was fully content by the end of the story and loved how everything wrapped up. This was such a touching story that dealt with heavy topics in a tender way and I would absolutely recommend this book to readers.

*Thank you Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.*

This book was heartbreaking and beautiful!!!

I read an arc of Emily Stone’s first debut novel last year and was completely enamored by her writing and storytelling. Not gonna lie... her last book sorta traumatized me lol so I was so excited but equally scared of the emotional damage that Stone could do to me.

This story definitely lived up to my expectations for Stone. She is so incredible with her writing regarding grief. The entire scavenger hunt plot was amazing!!! The sibling bond written in this book was incredibly beautiful. The realistic ups and downs of a romance spanning years was filled with so much angst and tension that had me reeling! All of the build up was so worth it though.

This book was beautiful and even though I shed many tears, I was fully content by the end of the story and loved how everything wrapped up. This was such a touching story that dealt with heavy topics in a tender way and I would absolutely recommend this book to readers.

*Thank you Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.*

this book gave me the feels and heart warming. Love it very much. still with me now. really liked it.

Be prepared to stay up and read this one!

Cassie and her brother, Tom, lost their parents young and grew up very close. Now Cassie has lost Tom in an accident, and feels very alone. Cassie receives an envelope in the mail from Tom—a clue in the Christmas scavenger hunt her brother made for her each year. This marks the beginning of Cassie’s journey toward her future.

I absolutely loved this book. The story was so good and I couldn’t put it down. I was rooting for Cassie and Sam to figure out their paths to happiness. I did get a little frustrated with both Cassie and Sam a few times, but I can also understand their reactions at the time. I loved the friendship between the characters too. Their relationships were a lot of fun. The supporting characters were interesting and made the story better—they felt like real people I know.

I also loved Always in December, even though it wrecked me. This book has some sadness and I did shed a few tears, but I wasn’t devastated like in December. I believe Emily Stone is going to be an automatic read author for me now!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House/Dell for providing me with an ARC of this story to read and review.

What an emotional roller coaster! Tom and Cassie lost their parents at a young age. Their Aunt Claire took them in and raised them. They had everything they needed except an emotional connection to her or their late parents. Tom created a special Christmas tradition for Cassie leaving clues she must figure out to find her gift. She lives the tradition and insists the clues must rhyme. Linda who owns the local pub became sort of a second mother to them. Tom’s best friend Sam spent a lot of time with them also. As they grew up they often spent holidays together so Sam was almost part of the family. Cassie's best friend, Hazel, completes their foursome and the friendship continues into adulthood. When Tom is killed in an accident both Sam and Cassie pull away from each other. Will they ever find their way back? Cassie assumes the treasure hunt for her gift is over but then a clue is found. Is it possible Tom created the hunt before the trip he was on when died? It takes quite some time but she finally embarks on the final treasure hunt.
The ups and downs of life can be overwhelming and the emotions definitely play out in this story. You can feel the pain the characters are feeling at the loss of Tom. They all grieve in their own way and find ways to heal but will they ever find healing together and be able to truly celebrate Tom’s life?
Very well written and brings out so much truth about life, loving and healing after loss. I give it 5 of 5 stars.
I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

One Last Gift is the newest release by Emily Stone, author of Always in November - which I loved! So I had big hopes for One Last Gift and I was not disappointed!! Cassi and Tom lost their parents when they were young and were taken in by a well-meaning but disinterested aunt. So they relied on each other, with Tom, a few years older, taking care of his younger sister. They grew up with a circle of close friends and as they grew into adulthood, Cassi fell harder and harder for Tom's best friend Sam. Of course Sam didn't see her that way at all, and as he matured, grew less dependable and dated a string of gorgeous young women, drinking excessively, becoming pre-occupied with money and appearing wealthy. Tom dies in a freak climbing accident leaving Cassie alone, except for a few close friends. Finding it impossible to climb out of her grief and living a shell of her former life, Cassi is surprised to find an envelope with her name scrawled on it in Tom's messy handwriting. Tom had always constructed fabulous scavenger hunts for Cassi for Christmas, beginning the year after they lost their parents. This year when she needs it most, Tom somehow came through for her. The clues take Cassi way outside her comfort zone sending her to London, the mountains of Wales and the French countryside. Aided by friends along the way, Cassi learns more about herself and how to live her life again. As she becomes reacquainted with Sam who was struggling with his own grief, she just mind find the greatest treasure of all. Emily Stone has given us another funny, emotional, romantic story that I enjoyed from start to finish. I hope she continues to write these Christmas novels - they are a great way to enjoy the season. Many thanks to Net Galley for the chance to read an ARC.

This book centers around Cassie and Tom, who are siblings, and Sam, who is Tom’s best friend. Cassie and Tom’s parents lost their parents at a young age so Tom makes Christmas extra special for his sister. Every year he leaves her envelopes with clues in them that lead to a final gift. This book centers on Cassie’s relationship with her brother and with Sam, who she has had feelings for over the years. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others. I did feel like it dragged on in parts but overall it was a good read. Thanks NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book. I give this one 3.5 stars.

Another book where the summary of the story promises a book that didn't deliver.

Book opens with brother/sister Cassie and Tom who are very close because they lost their parents at a young age. They were then placed with an aunt who was a less than stellar guardian. Cassie is/had been crushing on Tom's best friend Sam for years.

During a holiday, Dam and Cassie kiss twice and she ready to tell everyone about their undying love for one another (um, not realistic or wise). Ultimately, Sam claims it meant nothing, Cassie hates him.....

Then Tom suddenly dies in an accident. His tradition of a holiday scavenger hunt continues even after his death.

I found the characters terrible to relate too. Cassie was whiny and immature. Sam was such a jerk and womanizer. How could you root for this two to get together?

I have seen other reviews compare to Hallmark or rom-com, but I don't think this fits either. The time jumps also seemed the "easy or lazy" way out of telling a complete story with full character development.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Dell for the ARC! I'll start by saying that I enjoyed this book more than Stone's previous book, Always in December. Once again many big events happen around the Christmas holiday season, but I would not consider this a holiday book, nor one that can only be enjoyed during the holidays - it definitely has year-round appeal. This book shows the beauty of love (friendship, family and romantic). Our main character, Cassie has to ungergo a lot of hardships, but love surrounds her, even when she has trouble recognizing it. The romance of this story is both frustrating and sweet.

This is my first read with Emily Stone and I’ll be back for more. What a touching story about love, family and friendship… And a Christmas time book! I am (almost) excited for cooler cozy weather after this one.

Thanks so much for the ARC. Off to check out Emily Stone!

I have read and loved a prior Emily Stone book and was excited to read this one too. One Last Gift is about 3 friends, -Cassie, Sam and Tom- who change each other and are very important in each other's lives even as one character died early in the book. The main character, Cassie, is with Tom who always creates elaborate scavenger hunts for her to find her Christmas gift. They can take her weeks to figure out even! The One Last Gift is a last scavenger hunt already set up by Tom for Cassie when he passes away. In the midst of this story line, Cassie's earlier crush, Sam, enters back in her life after a long estrangement and I think it's at the last part of the book that we see the maturity that Cassie and Sam have gown into. I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next Emily Stone book!

It was a heartwarming, cozy read that will be perfect for some fall/winter reading. I liked the characters and their development. There are multiple time jumps; however, they are clearly labeled so there’s no confusion on where you are in the timeline. If you liked Emily Stone’s previous book you will enjoy this one as well!
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

ONE LAST GIFT by Emily Stone is well written with inspiring characters. The themes are family, friends, taking chances and finding love – the things you love to do and the person who is your true love. Life is often difficult, but can still be filled with happiness. Put this book at the top of your “To Be Read” list, especially during the Christmas holiday season.

this was a very emotional read! it was my first from this author, but won't be my last! I thought it described/handled grief very well.