Kate is a young widow raising her young son on her own and barely holding the pieces of her life together through her grief. When she becomes unexpectedly stranded during a work trip with her boss, Kate finds herself in a place to let go of some of her grief and really grieve for herself as well as giving her the space to look forward. As the book unfolds, we fall in love with Kate and Cam (her husband), we grieve with Kate for Cam and the life they envisioned and we cheer Kate on as she finds her way to her second chapter.

I was not expecting this book to hit me as hard as it did. As a wife and a mother this book struck a cord with me and brought up emotions that had me putting down this book and crying in my husband’s arms. I don’t know how to put into words how much this book made me thankful for the life I currently have but also the reality check that it can change in an instant. There’s just something about books that break your heart and then put it back together again.



Thank you @zibbybooks and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

“That’s the problem with grief. It’s not packed tidily in a box that you can bring out in appropriate, private moments and sort through. It’s threaded inconveniently through everything.”

“He kisses me on the forehead, which is always somehow so much more beautiful than kissing me anywhere else.” MY FAV‼️

Kate and Cameron have it all until life cruelly hands them a terminal diagnosis for Cam.

Wow this was one powerful and emotional ride. The writing was so raw and real I felt like I was grieving right alongside Kate. And after reading the authors note I now understand why. 🥺

If you have ever lost someone and it is a loss so profound that you feel it viscerally, you may want to read this book. It is beautiful in its emotion and its truth and the message of perseverance shines through, despite the darkness. Just…wow. Highly highly recommend.

“I’ve learned that love outlives death. It holds steady through despair. It won’t fade, even as time elapses and distance increases and your world shifts.”

Thank you to Netgalley, Zibby Books, and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Love Note by Emma Grey is one of the best books that I read this year. I cannot really describe it as a romance; it's more of a love story. Multiple love stories. Love stories that are deep and pull at your heart strings. But, more than that even, this book is about grief. All-consuming grief. It's written by someone who knows, who has been there, who has gone through it, and, as readers, we are taken to the depths of grief with the narrator, feeling her feelings in ways that other books seemingly on grief just don't bring one to feeling. But lest you think this book is too sad, it is also so very hopeful, too. Hopeful that there is a life beyond grief, a life beyond one's worst possible moments. And there are some very funny parts of this book, too, especially the opening scene at the narrator's home with her young son and best friend. The supporting characters are very well-developed, especially the narrator's mom and her boss/friend, and no words seemed wasted in the writing of this exquisite novel. I absolutely adored it!

This book made me feel so many feelings. When I first started it, I wasn't quite sure what was going to happen. The story unfolded in such a beautifully moving way, and the characters were so dynamic and fun to read about. There were twists along the way that I didn't see coming, and I was glad for it. At times I thought that I could easily predict what was going to happen, and it wasn't really that I was totally wrong, it's just that there was more to it than I had imagined. I also enjoyed reading about Australia, and about the traveling that happens in the book. I would highly recommend this book to people. I think it's a beautiful book about love and grief, and about how people can grow and change and how we keep people with us even after they're gone. Thank you to NetGalley and Zibby Books for this ARC!

The Last Love Note was a full five star read for me - it was an intense- sad and hopeful and bright, beautiful book that truly made me feel, I actually had to stop reading in between and get back a couple of hours later because the book was overwhelming in the emotions evoked at least for me.
It is a story of grief, hope and rebuilding after intense loss but at first there is a story of intense loss, not glossed over, not just a background to build on.
Kate Whittaker looses her husband Cam quickly over the course of just two years first in increments to early onset dementia then to his inevitable death. Through the beauty of Emma Grey's masterful writing the reader gets to experience this devastating blow alongside Kate, the joy and work of young parenthood leading into the devastation of being a caregiver not just for a young child but also for a partner who was supposed to be there and later a grieving widow with a young child - do many hopes and dreams shattered. Kate has a wonderful cast of supporting characters - her best friends Grace, her mother and her boss Hugh, even work colleagues and they want to make sure she will be ok at some point and she will be but the first order order of business is just survival. Beautiful, raw and honest and last but not least romantic and hopeful!
Beautifully written - this book broke my heart and put it back together, it really did make me feel all the feels, it's special !

I'm generally not a Rom-Com reader, but I enjoyed this book. It did have a lot of Hallmark movie moments, but there were some deeper parts that I imagine came from the author's personal experience with loss. The part of the book the describes the main character's husband dying, literally had me tears. I had to put the book down and walk away for a moment. If I had to read a Rom-Com, I'm glad it was this one. Thank you for the ARC.

An incredible debut and a heartbreaking story of having to watch your spouse waste away from a terminal condition (Early onset Alzheimers). This was both a story of great love, grief, single motherhood and learning how to move on. I loved how the reader kind of knows how things are going to end but still want to cheer on the second chance love story. Great on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Karma Brown or Kristan Higgins. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!!

Here’s a book folks have raved about that I liked but didn’t love. There were some really heart wrenching moments but it didn’t quite get me in the feels as it did for others.
After losing her husband Cameron years prior, single mom Kate hasn’t really processed her grief. Now, she may be ready with the assist of boss and friend Hugh, and notes her beloved Cam has left behind.
Given my proclivity for dark subject matter it’s no surprise flashback moments to Cam’s failing health were more interesting to me. The current day wacky best friend/second chance romance obliviousness felt a little done before to me. However, I think this book will be a big winner for folks who love a deeply feeling rom com with meat.
3.5 stars.

Wow! What a beautiful story about love and loss topped with witty humor. Such a deeply personal and beautifully introspective take on grief and heartache and rebuilding a life in the wake of devastation….. only to love again. Thoughtfully written, it will make you feel all the feels. Highly recommend.

This book proves you can love again after loss or death of a loved one. Kate is a mess after losing her husband to early Alzheimer’s. She is not really looking for love but finds it with an old boss and acquaintance. This book will leave you feeling good . It is a very fast and easy read. The book will be great for book discussion.

From the very first paragraph of the book, I knew that The Last Love Note by Emma Grey would really resonate with me. Expertly balancing both humor and sorrow, it was easy for me to lose myself in its pages, unwilling to put the book down for long periods of time. Still fully ensconced in her grief two years after her husband's death after a tragic illness, single mum Kate is struggling to navigate her career, for which she is overqualified, raising her very young son, and trying to figure out who she is and where she's headed. .
The laugh-out-loud moments seem perfectly timed to balance out the pages that cause the tears to fall in full force. Told with an authentic voice, readers can empathize with Grey's own genuine experiences, as she wrote this as part of her own healing process. The Last Love Note does a beautiful job of showing all of the heartbreak, confusion, and complications of experiencing both grief and life, as well as the frightening, eye-opening, and exciting path of self-discovery. Grey's writing is soothing to the soul .

This book was everything I hoped for an more. Fantastic writing. Great Characters. Humor and More. Loved it from beginning until the end!

I love emotional reads and The Last Love Note, a heartfelt story about rediscovery following an
unimaginable loss, will undoubtedly pull at your heartstrings. Two years after the loss of her husband,
Kate is struggling with the demands of being a single, working parent while still grieving the loss of Cam.
One of the people by Kate’s side throughout it all – from Cam’s diagnosis to the aftermath of his death –
has been Hugh, Kate’s boss turned best friend and confidante. When a flight mishap during a work trip
leaves Kate and Hugh stranded together, she begins to allow herself to process her grief and consider a
second chance for herself.

Told in past and present timelines, The Last Love Note, is a bittersweet, second-chance love story that I
enjoyed immensely and while it was pretty clear to me from the beginning how it would end, there were
still a few surprises along the way.

I couldn’t get into this/m- the beginning felt was too slapstick and silly- like, really? The grenade schtick went on for way too long and I was rolling my eyes. I’ve heard good things so I think I’m just an outlier.

This amazing book has burst onto the book scene and into our hearts! A powerful and heartfelt story about a recently-widowed, single mom Kate and her journey to live and love again. It will make you laugh, cry, and cringe in embarrassing sympathy. What a great time for this book to come out, when we need a story about hope, love, and resiliency!

Short synopsis: Following the death of her young husband, Kate is trying to survive as a single mom moving through her grief.

My thoughts: I’m trying to keep this somewhat vague because i feel it best to go in somewhat blind to this. Above all, make sure you bring tissues with you as you read this heartbreaking and uplifting story.

There is tragedy, grief, loss, infertility, death, and loneliness. But among those sad moments there is hope, the power of family and true somewhat unlikely friendships, and love.

My heart is still trying to recover, especially after reading the authors note and how this book was based on her own experiences as a widow.

Read if you love:
- Emotional books
- Past/present timelines
- Sunshine through the darkness

There is no time table for grief. Kate suffered two massive blows in a short amount of time and has stifled the grief.
The one constant in her life who gives her unfailing support is her boss Hugh. I already knew a major part of the story because it’s so obvious.
Readers,will need to keep Kleenex handy as the book is littered with tear jerker moments.
I loved the motorcycle scene and Also the beach shower scene, very tender and touching.
What the book shows is that life can begin anew in ways we never imagined. There is life behind grief.

“‘I’ve had a more amazing love story with you than some people get in a lifetime,’ I tell him. ‘And that’s enough.’”

I thought I was prepared for this book after reading the author’s note that came with the ARC. I thought I was prepared for this book after reading reviews from trusted sources. I thought I was prepared for this book when I saved it for the long holiday weekend. Turns out I had no idea how much I would love this book, how many passages I would want to mark, and how many feelings I would have while reading. This is easily the greatest love story I’ve ever read. It’s in my top books of the year and now among my favorites of all time.

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
Books that will make you laugh and cry Authentic, raw emotions
Explorations of grief but not in a depressing way
Anne of Green Gables references

Thank you Zibby Books for the gifted package.

I have been seeing so much love for this book and for good reason. I will have to say I do usually get emotional while reading books but this one had me all up in my feelings❤️

𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣

This debut by Emma Grey is the ultimate love story. We are able to walk along with Kate as she deals with the loss of her husband also learning that it’s ok to move forward and love again.

The story flowed seamlessly between the past and the present and while the grief Kate faces is visceral, it’s the determination that she has to not live in that grief that makes this such a beautiful story.

Kate is clever and witty and her relationships feel authentic and I love the support that she has. There were so many funny moments in this book and I could totally relate to Kate as a mom just trying to do the best for her child.

If you love romance but want more than a fluffy rom-com I would absolutely recommend this book!

Thank you to @zibbybooks for this #gifted copy

"The Last Love Note" was the first book I've read of Emma Grey's, but it won't be the last! After the death of Grey's husband, she channeled her grief into this fantastic novel. This novel centers around Kate, who lost her husband from early onset Alzheimers two years earlier, and is still just going through the motions while just trying to raise her young son and survive. Her boss, Hugh, has become her best friend and confidant throughout it all. But when they have to travel together to a work conference and everything starts to go wrong, she begins to look at Hugh differently. What will happen when she realizes that he's been loving her from a distance for a long time?

I really enjoyed this sweet, quiet love story and read through it quickly. Kate and Hugh are so relatable and they make you want to root for them and their happiness. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.