it was a cute story, but I just feel like it wasn't for me. It was ultimately hard to get through and predictable in the end.

This book was a difficult read for me. While the premise of the book was intriguing, I found myself struggling to connect with the writing style. The characters were not that appealing to me and I struggled to remain interested in their story and there was just too many of them in the first place. A good story should centre on the main characters with a scattering on supporting characters that add to the overall plot. I don't know if because its a series the author wanted to include all her characters but it was just too much.
I received an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review

"The Last One" by A.S. Kelly is a contemporary romance novel that offers readers a journey through the complexities of love, loss, and second chances. While the book has its merits, including moments of heartfelt emotion and compelling character development, it may only be for some due to its length and narrative style.

Clocking in at a substantial page count, "The Last One" may have tested my patience, particularly because I prefer a faster-paced read. The book's fan fiction vibes, which focus on romantic tropes and a leisurely pace, didn't appeal to me, who seeks a more original or tightly plotted story.

However, "The Last One" has its charms and some enjoy immersive, character-driven narratives. The novel delves into the lives of its protagonists with depth and sensitivity, exploring their past traumas and present struggles with authenticity. As the story unfolds, readers are treated to a gradual unfolding of the characters' emotional journeys, complete with highs, lows, and unexpected twists.

Loved the concept and idea behind the book and it was a cute story but I just feel like it wasn't for me. It was ultimately hard to get through and predictable in the end. I'm only reviewing now so it's out of my netgalley system.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

I was very excited to dive into this book, but I ended up having a very tough time with picking it back up once I started reading it: I could not connect with the main character s and I was unfortunately quite bored all throughout.
What I appreciated the least (apart from the too large cast of characters) was the complete lack of tangible character growth which made the story fall completely flat for me.

DNF’ed at 30%. Incredibly boring. I tried giving it a shot, but it just wasn’t for me. I hope to find another book of the author and try to read it, because I feel like this book in special was trash

Not for me, I had a hard time connecting with the characters mostly which made it hard for me to go ahead and finish. Picked up in the middle a bit though, I’ll admit.

The book happened to draw me in at the beginning but as the plot progressed further, I found myself unable to relate to the female protagonist.
Yes it has its fair share of humour and I love how much Owen evolves throughout the story. I don’t understand why the same isn’t the case with Anya. Her character growth is minimal to say the least.
I was tempted to leave the book midway but I stuck through. I would’ve enjoyed it more had we seen more of Anya’s character growth in the story.

Thanks NetGalley for this book’s eARC

Unfortunately this was not a book for me- I just couldn't get into it. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read.

2/5 Stars! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately this was just not for me. There were SO many characters (I lost count at 8?) and I couldn't keep track of who was who, who was connected to whom, and why we were supposed to be interested in them. It distracted me and I mostly felt lost.

Anya has no plans to ever settle down, to ever trust a man to stick around. Owen is new to town and shows up at her school one day after they had a one night stand (that lasted a whole weekend). He's smitten, she's shut off. She wants to leave it in the past but it turns out their one time thing will change their lives forever. Owen wants to prove to Anya that he's not going anywhere but she refuses to let him in, to let him stay.

This is the forth book in a series, and while I haven't read the other books, you get the background of the other couples from the other books. Anya is a straight shooter, a bit of a hard ass and comes across as really brash. I can't say I warmed to her at all and her constant trash talking of her friends partners grew tiring. Owen was sweet but like a love sick puppy and a bit of a push over. The side characters were interesting but strange and I found the dialogue a bit unrealistic and drawn out at times. I felt like it was a constant back and forth where Anya would give a little before reverting to her "everyone leaves" lamenting which grated on me after awhile.

There was some good tension built up between Owen and Anya and it was set in Donegal, Ireland which made a nice change, although there wasn't anything quintessentially Irish about it. Overall an easy read with small town vibes. 2.5☆ rounded to 3.

Thank you to NetGalley for this #ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book review :
This book is a cute romcom read with a huge cast of characters.

In this book we have Anya who works with her best friend in the local school and Owen who is a fire fighter staying and working here temporarily.

I didn’t really connect with Anya to be honest, I found her just so grumpy Owen really was a ray of sunshine, and definitely a very patient person, extremely patient in fact. The whole storyline is about how Anya keeps pushing Owen away and Owen keeps coming back for more.

I enjoyed the friendship between Anya and her friends, I love how much they loved her and had her back no matter what. They were also willing to push her limits when she was being stubborn.

The only strange thing i found is that almost all of the characters in the book have had some kind of messed up childhood or situation where they had a child they didn't know about. No one had a "normal" relationship. Once again, not sure how realistic that is.

I am thankful to @netgalley and the publisher for providing me this book in return of an honest review.
Overall a good read!

After reading I found out it was not a standalone...the mc and the side characters felt disconnected....and the countless Irish references went right over my head.

Kelly writes the perfect characters in my opinion. I love every single one of them and I can't get enough of her story lines. these are the best feel good novels and I will always read her books.

I drew the reading of this book out so long. I kept telling myself I just need to read the other ones in the series and then this one will make more sense. Then I told myself, no! This is supposed to be a standalone- I should just be able to read this one and press on.

Yet, it was so hard to do that. Too many characters with histories alluded to... honestly I have no clue what I read half the time. Then the MC was so painfully annoying that I just couldn't handle it.

So, glad to be done with this one. Thank you, for the chance to read this one. Netgalley! I do appreciate it.

I think this may be the worst book I have ever read.

Some unfortunate highlights:
- It's listed as a standalone, but is absolutely not. Jumps right in with a whole barrage of characters and relationships and backstories. Not cool.
- The writing is narrated like a teenager's diary. Very immature representation of a woman in her 30s.
- The plot is repeated over and over and over. Anya doesn't want to get involved and generally treats Owen like crap. Owen keeps trying regardless. No growth, just the same thing for hundreds of pages.
- Unclear dialog. There were multiple blocks where I had no clue who the speaker was and had to start over and count lines.
- Anya is incredibly unlikable and has no meaningful background. Owen has no depth presented at all.
- And finally. Nothing is resolved! All the concerns just evaporate and it's happily ever after!!

NetGalley provided an eARC for review. (I have a hard time saying "thank you" for this one.)

The premise of this book seemed promising but unfortunately the book itself just fell short of my expectations. It wasn't terrible but it wasn't great either. The plot was too predictable and and it was hard to get interested in the characters. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

This is a new to me author and I have to say I am looking forward to reading more by this author! I loved this book

The first half of this book was great. I loved the characters and the story was really cute. The book is full of emotions, tension and excitement. Also the topics treated in the book are very important and well packeged. I really wanted to know how it is going to end. At some point, however, the storyline became repetitive and a little too dramatic for my taste. I will still give the book 3 ⭐ out of 5