AHHHH this book is so good. Great character development, twists and turns you never saw coming. My favorite thing about it was that a lot of the characters I did not like at the beginning turned my opinion around by the end of the book. The last page had me SHOOK!!!!!

It’s been a great summer for thrillers, but I’ll tell you what: I think this book takes the cake in terms of actually stressing me out beyond belief and actually scaring me. Not only that, but it’s such a psychological mind screw I found myself having to really focus so I could make sure I didn’t miss a single detail. In a closed loop mystery thriller loop-de-loop book like this you can’t take a single, solitary detail for granted. You may think that a throwaway line or neglected object means nothing on page 56, but when page 227 comes and it comes back around, you’ll regret not paying attention! (Those page numbers and objects were totally random and plucked from the air–they ARE NOT spoilers.)

For the first half of the first act of this book I was sincerely so stressed out I was livid I was reading an eARC and not a physical copy, keeping me from easily flipping to the end to relieve my stress (yes, I do this when books make me super anxious. Don’t come for me. I have an extremely bad anxiety disorder and 99% of the time I’m fine when it comes to books). I felt absolutely panicked about our protagonist’s (Caroline, or Caz for short) predicament. Not only am I vehemently anti-cruise ship (though, they’re on an ocean liner and not a cruise ship, but the principle applies) because of what they do to the environment and how much shady stuff happens on such ships all the time, but I am one of those people that’s not meant to be left alone. Me and the idea of being left completely alone simply scares the crap out of me. I also have major trust issues, so when Caz eventually comes into contact with three other people who seemed to have escaped whatever has happened overnight to the other thousand-plus souls on board the ship, I felt paranoid and distrustful alongside her (even though she eventually trauma-bonded with them, and I just kept being distrustful because I read a lot of thrillers and I know better).

There’s a lot I can’t tell you about this book because it would just end up being spoilers galore, but I can tell you that this book keeps you on your toes, it will keep you glued to the page, it demands you pay attention, it will keep surprising you, it will shock you, it will make you mad, it might make you stretch your ability to suspend disbelief just a touch (but I don’t think that much), it will horrify you, and in the end you may end up asking yourself, “What in the heck just happened?”

I know I did. I’m writing this review while dumbstruck.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All opinions, thoughts, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Conspiracy Thriller/Murder Thriller/Mystery/Psychological Thriller/Speculative Fiction/Suspense Thriller/Thriller

Pete and Caroline (Caz) have just embarked on a romantic vacation aboard the RMS Atlantica. They have a lovely dinner and then settle in for their first night aboard the ship. The next day Caz wakes up to find that Pete is nowhere to be found, nor can she find anyone else aboard the massive ship. This book had me on the edge of my seat in breathless suspense.

Once you find out what’s really going on it turns into more of an action/suspense than thriller. Prepare yourself for some super stressful situations and that’s about all I can say without spoiling the twist. This is the kind of book that you just go in blind and start reading. I saw some tantalizing reviews with sparse details and that drew me in. So here’s my own tantalizing review. Read if you dare.

Content warning: definitely some disturbing scenes toward the end that weren’t my cup of tea. The ending was another twist and I feel like I need to process with someone who’s read it. What a wild ride!
Thank you to Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This locked room thriller is guaranteed to knock your socks off, so it’s essential to go into it knowing as little as possible. To avoid giving out spoilers I therefore won’t be able to say much about the plot, but I can however, whet your appetite by telling you a little about the premise and the main character.

Caroline Ripley, Caz to her friends, is a middle-aged woman who’s agreed to go on a transatlantic cruise from Southampton to New York with her boyfriend Pete Davenport. She has some trepidation about the cruise as it’s her first time overseas and she normally likes to stay close to home and her family. However, she loves Pete and even though it’s still early days in their relationship she thinks he might just be the one for her, finally someone she feels she can fully trust who makes her happy.

The ship they’re boarding is a state of the art cruise liner, the RMS Atlantica, with every luxury you can imagine. Caz and Pete wine and dine and enjoy their first night together in their luxurious suite. However, when Caz wakes the next morning Pete has gone. Expecting to catch up with him at breakfast she heads out to the dining room. But something isn’t right, it’s eerily quiet and all the cabin doors are open and the rooms are empty. Frantically searching the ship, she finds the same on each deck. The ship is still sailing with no land in sight, so where is everyone? How could they all have disappeared during the night and left her alone? The truth will turn out to be even more horrifying than anything she could possibly imagine.

If the covid pandemic made you think twice about going on an ocean cruise, then this may turn you off the idea forever. What follows is nightmarish, as Caz is thrown from one ordeal into the next and stretched to the limit in her desperation to survive. I wonder if Will Dean is able to think up dark and fiendish plots because he lives in a wooden house the middle of a Swedish Forest. Those long dark winters must give him plenty of time for melancholic thoughts and conjuring up devilish images.

The dark, creepy plot is certainly cleverly imagined and will keep you on the edge of your seat as the tension mounts. Yes, it feels totally beyond belief, but in a very entertaining way and maybe not totally implausible given the dark underbelly of today’s world. The novel will quickly hook you in and keep you invested in finding out how it ends. It’s both terrifying and gripping with jaw-dropping twists you won’t see coming. And that final ending you will either love or hate!

This is one of my favorite genres - give me an isolated, locked door mystery thriller any day. I flew through this book, it kept me on the edge of my seat with twist after twist. The only thing keeping it from being a 5 star was the ending. It was just not satisfying at all after 400 pages of buildup. Overall, 4/5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This published August 8, 2023.

I got half way and had to throw in the towel. I hate to do that with a Netgalley book but I just couldn't go on. I got to 50%. the first 35 % is basically drilling into you that they are alone on this boat. Then when the twist is revealed kindof, just way too ridiculous for me.

I am glad that I am in the minority with this review and wish the author great success with this but it was just not for me.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I am still in shock!
This book was so so good. So tense and so twisty that was impossible to put it down. I didn’t expect that at all, and that ending!. You keep thinking about this story all the time, and that shows how a great book is.
I really loved it and highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Out now and do yourself a favor, go read this book!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. This was one of my favorites of the year. It was so unique kept me guessing. I thought I had the ending figured out and I was so surprised. First they wake up to only find 4 people on the ship but then it turns into so much more! One sitting read!

Minor possible spoilers ahead, read at your own risk. Nothing’s in detail or explicit, but some people are sensitive…..

3.5 stars. Goodreads really needs to get a half-star system.

I really struggled with what to rate this book.

I don’t want to say too much more about the book’s plot other than what’s in the official description, because this is a book that’s going into blind. But it starts out with Chaz waking up on an empty luxury ocean liner - and because this part comes early on, I feel comfortable telling you - she meets a couple of other “left behinds” who all quickly struggle to figure out what the heck is going on.

I absolutely LOVED the storyline, the action, everything. There were twists throughout, some I guessed; some I didn’t; some I thought were coming and didn’t; some parts I was holding my breath reading to see what was coming next! Like I said, by the time it wrapped up, I was satisfied.

And then, the ending.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: AUTHORS, DO NOT THROW A RANDOM LAST LINE/PARAGRAPH CLIFFHANGER IN THERE FOR THE SAKE OF IT. IT’S NOT CUTE.

So yeah, I was upset at that point. Why ruin what was a great 5-star book at that point? It didn’t alert sense to me.

So overall, loved the book, expect for the very last pages. I’d recommend reading everything but those, you’ll still get a full story, but without the ruined ending.

I would encourage anyone who is interested in reading this book to NOT read anything about this book before picking it up, especially not the back cover synopsis. I think the back cover ruins this entire book because it sets the reader up for disappointment, but I also think without reading the back cover, the book is interesting, slightly terrifying, and one I would have picked up just because of the cover.

Are you a fan of cruise ships? Do you like spending a week on a boat with hundreds of others? In The Last One, Will Dean takes a character - Caz - and makes her wake up alone on a ship. The ship is sailing itself and she can't find any other passengers. What has happened?

This story took me a while to get into. I thought Caz was pretty annoying and whiny along with Smith. Dean does a pivot and the story gets a little more interesting. Then it feels forced. After the final reveal there's an a-ha moment. And then you know what's coming. I was a little disappointed that it ended like that. Almost a cliche ending .
If you're able to suspend belief and reality, thriller fans may enjoy this one.

Caz wakes up to find herself alone on a cruise ship in a state of confusion. After wandering around, she realizes there are three other passengers who also have no idea what is going on. They are cut off from all communication and quickly realize they need to work together to figure out a way off the ship. They are forced to scavenge for food and water and conquer challenges. Can they trust each other and make it out alive?

I wasn't expecting the competition/social experiment/reality tv storyline, but it sucked me in! It was fun and mysterious and unlike anything else I've read. Throughout the pages, I was feeling like it would be a 4 star read, but the ending annoyed me so I'm rounding down to 3 stars.

Thank you to Will Dean, Atria Books, and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I saw a YouTube review about this book and was lucky enough to get an ARC. The review gave nothing away and it’s better going into this blind…. I’ve never been on a cruise and stuff like this just cements crazy made up reasons why. Ughhh this book drive me crazy but had to keep reading.

Reading Between the Wines book review #100/115 for 2023:
Rating: 4 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book: The Last One
Author: Will Dean
Available now!!! Released Aug 8, 2023!

Sipping thoughts: I want to first say I love Will Dean. I found him when I first read The Last Thing to Burn (4 stars) and then I followed that up, just a year later, with First Born (5 stars). I went in with high hopes and expectations. Dean met my expectations with suspense and the way he writes. The short chapters, each ending on a cliffhanger, had me not wanting to put the book down. I enjoyed every minute of the thrills and suspense right up to the end. I thought it was going to be another 5-star book but I just did not like how the mystery turned out. I was a little disappointed in the ending, but it did not deter me from enjoying the rest of the book.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @AtriaBooks for an advanced copy of @TheLastOne.

#TheLastOne #WillDean #AtriaBooks #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

Will Dean is a very popular author....or at least in my circle of reading friends.....they all consider him a must read. THE LAST ONE is definitely a unique story line, or it is to me. I personally would be freaked out to find myself in Caz's situation, no one on board except me and no idea how or why. Will Dean rolls out the story a little slowly for my taste but picks up "steam" as the plot progresses. The ending is definitely a game changer. Read on and join the Dean fan club.

I went into this thinking locked room on a cruise ship yes please sign me up, coming out of it I think I'm staying home for the rest of my life.

The premise of this book is bloody brilliant, a luxury cruise filled with shiny happy people, until it isn't until there are only six people on that ship and they're about to have a hell of a time figuring it all out.

With breathtaking intricacies that have you questioning everyone and everything onboard the Atlantica this book will have you in a state of shock, awe, and even terror at specific moments.

And speaking of terror, can we just talk about all of those little clauses in travel documents? After reading this book I will, and then I'll read them again just to be sure.

Thinking about the vastness of the ocean, how small one cruise ship, one group, one person can feel, it's the perfect setting for a thriller of this type, the thought of if no one sees it did it happen, it takes your mind in so many directions, what would I do, who would I sacrifice, what if I found out everything I thought I knew was a lie... I'm still reeling from that ending.

Can we just talk about that last line for a moment, to say my jaw dropped would be an understatement, to say I was internally screaming no would be an understatement, to say I immediately stated googling if there was going to be a series would be accurate because as many ups and downs as this book had I want more, I'm hooked, and while Will Dean is now an auto-read author for me I have so many questions.

If anyone wants to sit and chat about this one let me know because my brain is still swimming... pun fully intended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing an advance copy of this E-Book, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This new release from Will Dean was quite entertaining!

The plot was pretty farfetched, and that did impact my enjoyment a bit. However, it's still a quick, compelling read, perfect to binge in an afternoon (as long as you don't mind suspending disbelief).

I AM SHOOKETH. I swear on every drop of water in the Atlantic Ocean, this was the most entertaining book I’ve read in a very long time. The action, the pacing, the twists, TOP NOTCH ENTERTAINMENT. 🚢🌊
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Caz boards a luxury ocean liner with her boyfriend and the next morning when she wakes up, everyone is gone. *poof*
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She starts exploring and things just go sideways and never really get right again. 🫣 It was such a wild ride. It took one turn that I NEVER SAW, and then ANOTHER, and then one I kind of expected, and then ANOTHER, and then the END 🤯🤯🤯
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It also has short chapters that end with little mini cliffhangers and if that’s not the perfect formula for a thriller I don’t know what is. 💯
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Go get this book right now! It’s FIVE ENTHUSIASTIC STARS from me! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced e-copy!

The Last One, is a super fast-paced read, containing very short chapters with cliffhangers at the end of each one. I couldn’t stop flipping the pages to see how this book would end! You will want to pick a day to do nothing but read this book!!! I can't wait to read more of Will Dean's books. I highly recommend this book. You will be guessing all the way to the end!


Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

This book is my first by this authors and it sucked me in immediately. I went into this one completely blind, and I am glad I did. Each time I had to put it down to handle my adult responsibilities, all I could think about is picking this back up to continue reading. The short chapters allowed me to read a couple here and there whenever I had a few minutes. I enjoyed how different each of the main characters were. There were so many twists and there were a few times I outwardly gasped. I had to know what was going to happen next and what the next survival tactic was going to be. I didn’t guess the ending nor the secondary ending so it will be interesting to see if there is a second book. I definitely will be reading more by this author.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, this is a voluntary honest review.