I tried to read this book for an entire month and I couldn't get through it. I couldn't relate to the FMC at all so it made the book feel so flat compared to being swept away into the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to be able to read and review this book!

Amazing read!
5/5

Love a story with a woman in STEM, and One Last Word features a woman named Sara who creates an app called One Last Word to connect you to people when you die.

I loved the narration by Catherine Ho, and really enjoyed the immersive style of reading with the print and audiobook.

*many thanks to Avon, Harper audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

I loved "Loathe at First Sight," and so, I was pretty sure I was in for an equally adorable-but-thoughtful treat from Suzanne Park; I was so glad to know I wasn't wrong to trust her. "One Last Word" is a terrific exploration of just what it means to be "adulting" out there in the world, and the fact that just because it might not look like what you imagined as a kid doesn't mean you're not doing it right. You could very well be doing it EXACTLY right for yourself, even if it doesn't necessarily look like others' experiences. Sara is a compelling, relatable 34-year-old woman who's right in the trenches of the very white-male-dominated tech industry, and the folks who surround her are just as well-drawn, from Umma and Appa, her well-meaning but overbearing parents, to Jia, her vibrant little sister, to Casey, her work-husband/BFF, to - of course - Harry, her high-school crush. I fell deeply in love very quickly with every single one of these characters, and so enjoyed my time in their world.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this more than I did.

The premise of this is simply too good, an app that sends a final message to people you have selected after you have passed. Except a bug releases Sara's messages while she is still alive. And now she has to have some much needed conversations with several people in her life.

While I enjoyed the premise, the characters fell flat to me and ultimately left me wanting more.

I genuinely enjoyed everything about this book except for the MMC. Sara, the FMC, was a powerhouse on the other hand. I loved the way Suzanne wrote her journey + she created Sara to be so relatable!

Overall, this was super lighthearted and sweet - excited to read more from Suzanne in the future! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

very fun and very similar to some other works i've seen where people write things, hoping they won't be sent, and then they get sent.

I love reading books about women in STEM! And of course, I always like books by Suzanne Park. They are comfy and cute.

Suzanne Park books are hit or miss for me, and I just couldn’t get into this one. I will look forward to more from her though.

I don’t love it but I didn’t hate it. I felt the cover and description didn’t quite match the actual novel. I liked the overall message. I did learn a lot about venture capital and the tech world. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

DNF at 40%. I was into the beginning of this and learning about Sara’s career ambitions. But as soon as it started getting to the romance it felt like a really childish YA plot setup with characters in their 30s which really didn’t work for me. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ebook to review.

Title: One Last Word
Author: Suzanne Park
Publisher: Avon
Pub Date: 04/16/2024

I had high hopes for this book. My expectation was that it would be filled with lots of funny drama. Unfortunately, I felt it was more about a woman in the tech industry and the venture capital process than it was about drama. It took a while to get to the “meat” of what happens when the final words are sent. Since I was in it for the drama, I felt a little let down.

If you are interested in the tech world and venture capital, there is a lot of information in here for you. I do appreciate learning about something when I read. So, from that standpoint, this delivered.

Overall, it was a clean story with a good message.

Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC.

I had high hopes going into this one. While I hadn’t read any of her work, I knew Suzanne Park was a seasoned author. One Last Word wasn’t entirely a let down, but certainly left me wanting at the end.

This story follows Sara, a Korean American woman working in tech who decides to create her own app. Through this app, she reconnects with her high school crush Harry, who as far as Sara knows has been with his high school sweetheart Claudia since freshman year. Sparks fly as they reconnect, but Sara was also forced to reconnect with others and face hard truths, all while navigating the cut throat world of Silicon Valley.

The story itself sounds really interesting and unique and shed some light on important topics. I had no issues with that. However the execution of it felt a bit awkward in my opinion. Particularly in the character interactions. Almost every time Sara is speaking with anyone it seems robotic to me. For example:

Someone calls out her weird behavior and she’s like (not a direct quote just paraphrasing) ‘I do tend to avoid conflict. Thank you for correcting me. I have now learned the consequences of my actions. I will no longer avoid conflict in the future’

And in other instance when she is reconnecting with an old friend, they barely just sat down before the friend is like (again not an actual quote) ‘here are all of the things you did wrong in our friendship and this is how it made me feel’ cut and dry, and Sara immediately understands and says sorry and she will do better.

So many times I questioned how people solved their interpersonal problems perfectly with the most mature and pragmatic language. It didn’t feel real to me! Let’s have some back and forth, let’s have some hurt feelings, maybe someone god forbid says something they don’t mean! Everything just…. works out.

I thought there could be more nuance on some of the issues Sara corrects during this novel. For example how she idolized Harry and made him out to be this perfect man. There were a few instances where Sara had to reconcile who he is now with who he was then, but again - she acknowledges the problem, changes her way of thinking, and boom no longer an issue. I was expecting there to be more friction and conflict.

I wouldn’t even say this is very romance heavy and wonder if it should be marketed as such. I don’t think those who regularly read romance will be satisfied if that is the part they are most looking forward to.

However, if you are looking for more of a self improvement journey, almost coming of age situation (but with characters in their 30s), and something hopeful, wholesome and inspiring, this would be a good book for you. I liked the story, appreciated the message, didn’t dislike the writing. Just the dialogue and conflicts were off to me. But I am certainly willing to give Park another try. I know she does some YA and maybe that is more her wheel house giving how this book felt a bit young to me. 3 stars.

If you could send loved ones one last message before you die, what would you say?

Sara Chae has invented an app, One Last Word, which allows you to send messages to anyone you want to when you die. It stores the messages you have written and sends them off after news of your death. After a drunken night of fun, Sara’s messages are accidentally sent out including to her long-time crush, Harry. Will Sara be able to get her app launched successfully into the world? Will she and Harry finally have a chance?

My thoughts on this novel:
• I have read and enjoyed Suzanne Park’s novels in the past. I enjoy her characters and stories and this one did not disappoint.

• I enjoyed that Sara was a strong woman in the Tech world. As a female engineer, I love and enjoy STEM novels.

• The book was overall on Sara’s journey as an Asian female in a primarily white male dominated tech world. How can she work to carve out her own place in this world?

• Sara’s parents also have ideas of what Sara should be, especially compared to her sister Jia. The family interactions and expectations were interesting. Sara was a workaholic trying to meet her family’s expectations, but she felt like she was never meeting them.

• I loved the sweet romance between Sara and Harry. It is a second chance romance if they never acted on their mutual crush in high school?

• There are a few steamy scenes in this one.

• Sara and Harry seemed like real people that I would be friends with. Sara especially was very relatable. This was a great character driven novel.

• I loved the humor in this book and laughed out loud many times.

One Last Word is a charming character driven romance set in the tech world. I enjoyed it!

Book Source: Review copy from NetGalley. Thank-you!

In One Last Word, Sara Chae is an app developer who quits her job, is picked up for a mentorship by her high school crush, and ends up appearing on a show similar to Shark Tank to sell her product. There's romance and it's nice that Sara embraces and showcases her Korean heritage and traditions throughout the book. The main character felt fairly similar to a real person.

Ultimately, I thought this book was a totally fine read. While I was reading each night, I was interested enough in how Sara was going to fix her app and how the romance would resolve. Unfortunately, when I closed the book each night, I totally forgot about it. It was fine, but it wasn't overly exciting or compelling for me, personally. I am fairly late adding this review to my Goodreads rating because I just kept forgetting that I was supposed to provide feedback on this book. So, it was fine. It was light. I don't totally remember how it ended.

Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy.

Book 21 of 2024 - ✅! (Finally!) Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon and Suzanne Park for the ARC of One Last Word
by Suzanne Park.

This is my second Suzanne Park book - the first was The Christmas Clash, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Having met Suzanne a few times at book events made this reading experience even sweeter.

The protagonist, Sara Chae, is the creator/founder of an app called One Last Word, which allows people to write out one’s final words to their loved-ones (or not-so-loved ones), that will be sent upon the sender’s death. When another Sara Chae passes away, this triggers our lead’s messages to be sent to her parents, ex-best friend and her high school crush. This forces her to deal with her past, while simultaneously dealing with her present and future by re-evaluating her work situation, leaving her current job and getting a mentorship, where she’s surprised to find that her assigned mentor is no one other than her high school crush.

As a reader loves a good open-door book, I was OK with this not having much romance, especially because Park writes her characters so well. I was rooting for Sara the entire time, and while it took me a minute to get through this book (solely because I’m - VERY THANKFULLY - working), I thought it was very well-done and really tapped into a female protagonist who’s the daughter of immigrants trying to balance it all. Loved that this was an own-voices book by a Korean-American writer, and I know I’m be reading more of Park’s work.

4/5 ⭐️ and 🌶️ rating would be .5 🌶️ here, as it really wasn’t relevant! 💻📺📧

Received this ARC via NetGalley.

I usually devour books by this author, but had a hard time keeping invested in the storyline. I will continue to look for her in the bookstore, but this one was just okay to me.

Received this ARC via NetGalley.

I have to say that some scenes around how women in tech or women in industries that are predominantly men were triggering.

Overall, I appreciated the various themes addressed in this book like overcoming imposter syndrome, perfectionism and parental expectations.

"One Last Word" by Suzanne Park is a refreshing and humorous take on the complexities of life, love, and the tech world. The premise is intriguing and unique, immediately hooking readers with its potential for both emotional depth and comedic mishaps. Park's portrayal of Sara is both empowering and relatable. As a woman navigating the male-dominated tech industry, Sara's struggles and triumphs resonate deeply. Her journey from uncertainty to empowerment is inspiring, and her ability to maintain her sense of humor through the chaos is truly admirable. Suzanne Park's writing shines with wit and warmth, making "One Last Word" a laugh-out-loud funny and heartfelt read. Park deftly navigates the intricacies of family dynamics, friendship, and unrequited love, all while maintaining a light-hearted tone that keeps the reader entertained. There are moments when the plot feels a bit predictable, particularly in the romantic developments between Sara and Harry. Despite this, the novel's charm and the strength of its characters make it an enjoyable read. In conclusion, Suzanne Park delivers a compelling narrative filled with humor, heart, and a dash of chaos, making this novel a must-read for anyone looking for an empowering and laugh-out-loud funny story.

This was the best title! I loved seeing a strong female never give up on herself. Knowing your worth, despite optional showers...lol, is priceless. A great read!