Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc.
This started out very slow for me and didn't pick up until about halfway through. I'm glad I kept going, as the second half was much better. Even though I hated how Sam treated Cassie for most of the book, he did redeem himself in the end, and it was clear how much he also loved and missed Tom.
The relationship between Cassie and Tom was so beautiful, and that is the reason I give this 4 stars instead of 3. So wonderfully written, you can feel the emotion jump off the page. Having lost a big brother myself, I"m sure that's what made me relate to these characters all the more. The strength Cassie showed that last year....amazing, and brilliantly written.
I also loved the relationship between Cassie and her best friend, Hazel, who was there for Cassie through good and bad, but didn't hold back when Cassie needed to hear the truth.

I wasn't sure what I expected with this book, but I got so much out of it. It was heartbreaking but wholesome and I enjoyed it.

Cozy and comfortable. The characters seem likable and real. Stopped at 10%, but if it continues as it has, it should go over well with our patrons.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. I couldn't get into Emily's first book, but thought I would give this one a chance. However, this one also fell short. The descriptions are good, but they are long, not super interesting, and I just skim to get them done. Don't think I will try any more. Just not for me.

This was such a lovely story and I didn't expect anything less from Emily Stone. She has such a way with words and knows how to perfectly explain the hard things we experience in life. There's so much love, pain, and grief in this book and it's all tied into such a beautiful story. Cassie needs to find motivation to continue without her brother Tom. Then Sam has to try and move on without his best friend. Through their own grieving processes, Cassie and Sam find their way back to each other you can't help but fall in love along the way. I loved how we got to see their relationship change and become more complex throughout the story.

A huge fan of Emily stone already she didn’t disappoint with this book either. I adore the fact that Tom have her her one last gift that ultimately changed her life. I thoroughly enjoyed going on that journey with her.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This was an enjoyable book.

Thank you NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I feel like I am having a tough time with contemporary romances lately. There's certain features to them, I think, that are necessary in order to pull me in (tension, banter, slow burn). It was an okay romance, but I wasn't dying to finish it.

Cassie and Tom are close - they lost their parents at a young age and were left to be raised by their Aunt Claire. Every year, since she was little girl - Tom has sent her on a scavenger hunt to find her Christmas present. When Tom unexpectedly passes away, Cassie is shocked to realize that he planned one last hunt for her.

Sam is Tom's best friend. They were essentially inseparable. When Tom passes, Sam is left to deal with the guilt and pain in the only way that he knows how - to run from it.

Will Cassie finish the hunt to find her last gift? Will Sam ever forgive himself? Will they both heal?

This is a book of love, loss, betrayal, heartache - but also of healing, forgiveness, and friendship. It's a beautiful story that will have you both laughing and crying. The writing is impeccable and will leave you wanting more.

I wanted to love this story especially after loving this authors first book but it took me almost a month to get through because every time I picked it up the story did not pull me in enough.

The overall plot of the story (I won’t go into detail so I do not spoil it) was a great plot the story just felt like it dragged and wasn’t exciting enough for me.

I’m going to be honest, I was a little skeptical about how I would feel reading a holiday book during the summer. HOWEVER, One Last Gift made me feel like it was winter outside as I sat inside in the AC. My favorite thing about a book is when it can transport you to somewhere completely different, and Emily Stone’s latest novel did just that. The story follows Cassie, as she embarks on a scavenger hunt that her brothers designs for her for a Christmas gift each year. This year, it’s different and not only is she navigating the hunt to find her gift, but she’s also navigating a newfound journey of love and loss in her life. This book made me feel alllllll the feels and I already can’t wait to give it a re-read during the holiday season!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and Netgalley for an ARC of this book! I’ve willingly read and reviewed it. All opinions are my own.

After loving Emily Stone’s debut novel, I was so excited when I saw she had a new book coming out. ONE LAST GIFT didn’t disappoint.

Cassie, her brother, Tom, and his best friend, Sam, have been practically inseparable since Cassie and Tom’s parents died when they were kids. The guys have always pushed Cassie to be brave and to step outside her comfort zone during everyday life and the annual Christmas vacations they go on. Years later, after an incident during one such vacation, Cassie and Sam are no longer close and now they have to deal with the death of Tom. Wrestling with guilt, blame, anger, and anguish, Cassie and Sam drift apart, only brought back together when Cassie learns she has one more Christmas treasure hunt, an annual tradition since they were kids, that ultimately leads to Tom’s one last gift.

I loved ONE LAST GIFT just as much (if not more!) than ALWAYS, IN DECEMBER. Stone has a gift for taking emotional, heartbreaking incidents, like the death of a loved one, that so many end up experiencing, and uses those incidents to illustrate how time keep passing, losses getting easier as it does, but life has also been made richer for having known those who passed. Stone’s writing is absolutely beautiful and her stories have a way of using those painful moments and turning them into something meaningful.

Getting to tag along on this meaningful final treasure hunt, while also seeing how Cassie and Sam find their way back to each other was incredible. It pointed out just how much people—in this case, Tom—can affect individual lives and bring strangers together.

ONE LAST GIFT (a truly multifaceted title) is already a book I haven’t able to stop thinking about and I don’t see that changing any time soon.

This book took me on an emotional roller-coaster! It is a story of loss, grief, love and finding your own path. It reminded me of P.S I Love You and I adored it! I also loved the yearly scavenger hunts from her brother and their relationship.

My only complaint would be how frustrating Cassie and Sam were. They had me throwing my hands up in the air! Lol
Great romance read with all of the feels!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and it has got to be one of my favorite Christmas book ever.

It is about Cassie and her brother, Tom, who have lost their parents when they were young. They get through the tough times together and with friends like Sam (Tom’s best friend) and Hazel (Cassie’s best friend). Every Christmas, Tom creates a fun scavenger hunt for Cassie to solve.

Right before Christmas, Tom dies and Cassie’s world turns upside down, until she receives the first clue to the last scavenger hunt Tom had a chance to create for Cassie.

This a wonderful, creative story that follows a woman trying to rebuild her life after great losses! I craved reading this book each day! I absolutely loved it!

Wow! Absolutely wow! This is my first ARC feedback and I couldn't be more impressed with One Last Gift. Emily did an amazing job talking about grief and how people handle it. This book was much heavier than I was expecting, because I went in basically blind, but I throughly enjoyed it. It is definitely giving me "P.S I Love You" vibes. I cried on certian parts as well and I love a book that reminds me that I do indeed have emotions! This book was a heart-warming, heart-wrenching, beautiful story of grief and love! 10000% reccomend everyone to pick this up when it releases on October 11, 2022!

This book had a great deal of sadness with Cassie loosing her parents and then her Brother tom. Sam ( Toms best friend ) and Cassie you see their story evolve and its like things almost happen but end up not . I loved this book so so much and it is one I will read again before Christmas ! I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being a movie it is beautiful !

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of One Last Gift. Enjoyed the sweet story and liked the characters in the book.

This book represents everything I love about Emily Stone as an author. If you read Always, In December - - I 100% recommend picking this book up, too! It's a fantastic second book by her with a very different story but everything I enjoyed about Always, In December. If you haven't read Always, In December, I'd like to acknowledge that this book is not the fluffy, happy Christmas story it may appear to be based on the cover. Emily Stone is an incredibly talented writer who explores challenging topics and this isn't the light read you may think it is. If you set your expectation accordingly, you will NOT be disappointed!

Here are some of the things I loved most about this book:

1. It tells the truth about the holidays. We watch Christmas episodes of our favorite sitcoms where the most significant stressor is related to a gift and we binge Hallmark movies where every single person gets a happy ending. That isn't real life. Real-life for so many at the holidays is a sad and painful reminder of those who are no longer with you. This book captures that unshakeable feeling of loss during a joyous time SO perfectly.

2. There is a bit of mystery. This book is fairly straightforward, but there are different things throughout that keep you wondering. This kept me engaged as a reader and truly hooked on the story. I had to know what was coming and whether my theories were right. It turned this book from a lovely story to a true page-turner!

3. Consequences are significant. Choices are made in this book that create really challenging outcomes for the characters. There isn't fluff. There are consequences. It added a unique tension to this book that was relatable. So often in books, the characters get an easy out, but Emily Stone took her characters on truly difficult and emotional journeys that made you fall in love with them and root for them in the end.

Reading an eARC of this book was an absolute treat. Thank you SO much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.

This book we follow a journey of Cassie who has experienced tremendous loss. First her parents and another tragic accident she looses her brother Tom. Cassie and Sam Tom's best friend try to heal from this terrible tragedy. Tom also like every year prior does a Christmas scavenger hunt and Cassie goes through a beautiful heart wrenching journey that will change her life. I surprisingly really liked this book even with all sadness. Will Cassie be able to find happiness through this journey?