Thank you so much for the advanced copy. Unfortunately, this book was just not for me. The romance wasn’t as forefront as expected and I thought more would be explored with her app, but it was a very tech heavy book. I’m sure someone else would love this, it just didn’t vibe with me.

Thank you to netgalley and avon for the arc unfortunately this was a terrible time for me to read this kind of story and it just wasn't for me. I had to DNF. Please take this with a grain of salt and take it upon yourself to read it for yourself.

I like reading about strong female characters in STEM fields! Sara Chae has developed her own app, it sends out pre written messages to family and friends after your death. Unfortunately, after too much alcohol, she and her sister compose messages to Sara’s parents and her first boyfriend Harry Shim, and somehow they accidentally get sent.

After her company passes on the app, Sara decides to go out on her own and try to get venture capital and some mentoring. Her idea wins a contest with a VC company, and they assign her a mentor. His name? Harry Shim, her first love.

This is definitely not the usual romance book, there’s a lot of detail about getting funding and the challenges of a woman making it on her own in a male dominated industry. 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed One Last Word by Suzanne Park. I was engaged the whole time and finished the book in under 3 days. The dialogue was quick and witty, the concept was clever, and the main character was endearing. I really loved Sarah’s character development through the story. The side characters were quirky and charming and lovable as well. The only thing I didn’t absolutely love about the book was the romance. It was closed door, so it wasn’t too spicy or anything like that. There were just a few things about that relationship that I, personally, wish went differently. But overall I really liked it and already recommended the book to a friend.
Solid 3.5 stars from me.

This is a cute book about two people working in tech who were friends and what ifs for each other in high school, and have grown up, and meet again. Sara has always had a thing for Harry, and after crushing on him all through high school, and not having the nerve to tell him how she felt, ended up idealizing him. Every man paled in comparison to Harry, and so she finds herself alone in her thirties, having just quit her tech job to work on her app by herself. I admire the way Sara stands up for herself, and combats and rampant sexism in her workplace. When she applies to get mentoring and funding, she ends up being partly mentored by her old high school crush Harry. Because this is a Romcom, there are A LOT of missed moments between the two of them. I do wish Sara had been as forthcoming with Harry as she was in her work life. And then there's a late in the book conflict with her sister that seems a little bit unnecessary, but I do appreciate the storyline of Sara trying to draw boundaries with her parents while still also trying to be in relationship with them. The HEA is to be expected, and is rewarding. If you are interested in the tech and VC world, LA, and romantic comedies, this book has a great mix of all those things.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review,

Fascinating concept; I love reading about women in tech and especially those who branch out on their own but the viability of an app to send your messages after your death, while an interesting concept, doesn’t really work as a business plan as you would never be able to have repeat users. The relationship wasn’t really fleshed out either so this story wasn’t really focused on one or the other, rather muddling in the middle of the two. I liked the time I spent with Sara but would have liked more about her budding relationship.

I really liked the premise of this book, and I loved that Sara was a strong woman who didn't take crap from anyone right at the start of the novel. However, the writing felt rushed and rambling and the plot had so many different points and tropes going on that it was hard to read.

Sara has finally had enough with plateauing in thankless mid-level management at tech companies run by misogynists that won’t support her ideas. She quits big tech and pursues launching her own company and app called One Last Word. Her parents see this as a professional and financial setback when she has to move in with her sister, but Sara believes in One Last Word. The app sends out messages upon your death so you can have the last word, whether is expressing love to friends and family or airing past grievances that you never had the courage to address in person.

But Sara’s world is rocked again when her test messages in the app send by accident, causing friction with her parents and awkwardness with her new VC mentor and longtime crush. How will Sara navigate these stressful personal and professional milestones all at once?

This was a cute book - half romcom and half professional, fintech girlbossing by the FMC. I thought Sara was a little stilted as a character with her longwinded inner monologues about personal and professional stress. All her thoughts were relatable, just delivered in an awkward dialogue that wasn’t super believable. And I felt like Harry was a kind of boring love interest.

But as someone in tech, formerly fintech, I found the app and professional milestones she faced super fun and interesting! Especially when she told off the racist and misogynistic assholes in her industry!

I think the side characters are the standouts of this book. I loved Jia and Casey, Sara’s sister and bestie. The twist with Jia having sent the messages on purpose was so good and not at all predictable. And Sara’s parents had me cracking up.

Overall, the book wasn’t the best thing I ever read BUT it was an easy read that I flew through and got me out of a major reading slump. Simple and fun!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my eARC!

First of all can I say how much I love the idea of One Last Word. The regrets, secrets, and thoughts we never got to say being sent. There's this sense of whimsical darkness with longing and catharsis. But for Sara what starts off as a drunken series of letters becomes real and forces her to question if she should wait till the last sentence for it to come out. Why do we let what we would have wanted to say, hold us back. Hold these relationships and true feelings behind?

A great Women's Lit with a main Female character in STEM!
This book was a hoot. I laughed out loud so many times. The FMC is a hot mess which is my favorite kind of leading lady.

She accidentally sends out a bunch of honest messages on one drunken night and has to very soon suffer the consequences of such honesty. We get amazing AAPI rep and an adorable second chance romance sub plot!

This was a quick and enjoyable read. Loved the parallels and the reveal at the end. Great for anyone looking for a book with a character deciding to live life on her own terms.

I enjoyed this book so much; it was the perfect recipe for rom-com, while still maintaining a heroine who made you NOT feel sorry for her. I found myself reading this book and really wondering how it would end; the characters were all likable people who you find yourself rooting for. I would recommend this quick read for anyone looking for a protagonist with a sense of humor and wit about her, all while grappling through her own turmoil. I am so thankful to have been able to have read an ARC of this book and will continue to sing its praises.

Sara Chae is the founder of One Last Word, an app that allows you to send a mes­sage to anyone you want after you pass. Safeguards are in place so the app will only send when you’re definitely, absolutely, 100% dead, but when another Sara Chae dies and her obituary is posted online, Sara discovers that drafted messages she had drunkenly uploaded on one night have been released —one each to her emotionally charged mother, to her former best friend who ghosted her, and to her unrequited high school crush, Harry Shim.

Still reeling from this disaster, Sara finds out she’s been accepted into a venture capital mentorship program— and that the mentor she’s been assigned to is none other than Harry, who’s now a major VC superstar. With her life going from uncertain to chaotic overnight, Sara has to deal with the havoc that ensues and reopen wounds from the past to find a true path forward.

I loved Sara!! Her intelligence, candor, relatability, and perseverance in the made dominated tech industry was admirable and made her a heroine to cheer along. I learned so much about app development, and loved the idea of a “shark tank” competition. Sara and Harry’s reconnection was endearing and I was so happy to see them both clearly communicate about their past relationships while seeking a healthy start to a new partnership. I also loved Park’s emphasis on sisterhood, friendship, and boundary setting with parents!

I’ve read quite a bit by this author. My favorite was The Do-Over last year. Surprise 5 star read!

This author always writes strong female protagonists. She’s especially great at writing women in stem. Sara I. This book is in the process of creating an app and getting her funding off the ground.

She sends messages to her parents, former best friend, and high school crush that were only supposed to be sent out if she died. So obviously chaos ensues.

I liked the women’s fiction/growth aspect but sort of wish we had more romance between Sara and Harry. I’m not the biggest fan of secret pining.

Overall, I enjoy this author’s writing and have one of her YA books on my tbr shelf.

Park’s newest book, One Last Word, was a pleasure to read. I was introduced to a little Korean culture, the tech field from a woman of color’s spot on perspective, introspection for personal growth, imperfect relationships and a HEA.

I found the story interesting enough to keep reading and enjoyed some witty moments. Recommend. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5 stars.

"One Last Word" by Suzanne Park is a book full of characters who need to learn how to attain a proper work/life balance, with a *slight* side of romance to go along with it. The book is pretty short, so you'll likely breeze through it. It does feel like it takes a while to get going in the beginning but it rushes too much in the end. I really enjoyed Sara, the main character of this story. She is ambitious and driven, calls out her racist and sexist compatriots any chance she gets, advocates for herself, and is clearly good at what she does (though she does experience setbacks like anyone in would). When she experiences negative feedback about the app she created (called One Last Word), she immerses herself fully in seeing it through so it can be as successful as she envisions it. Unfortunately, Sara doesn't have time for friends, family, or love after dedicating her entire life to her career. Her sacrifices for her job have left her virtually friendless, alone, and nursing generational trauma all by herself. Sara reconnects with Harry, her high school crush and now venture capital superstar, after a case of tech-gone-awry when her app emails everyone in her address book that she has died. She had written him a long letter about her unrequited love for him, and he received it! OH NO! I personally loved this idea. When Harry and Sara meet in person, it's obvious that there is a mutual attraction there, though he is nw going to be her mentor to help her with her app as she vies to go on a Shark Tank-esque type of online show that caters to Silicon Valley-types of businesses.

Sara as a character feels like a fully-realized, authentic, and believable person. Harry feels like more of an abstract idea than a fully-fleshed out character. I didn't love their chemistry as it often felt one-sided (like Sara was way more into him than he was into her). Their connection never really lit a spark within me, so I didn't particularly root for them to become a couple. It's a little bit clunky and lackluster in its execution. I think the best part of this book is its commentary about the sexist and racist nature of the industry, though it does feel a little overutilized in the romance genre as of late. Still, I am always glad to see such strong non-white female characters knowing their worth and standing up to rich old white men who cannot fathom people who don't look like them being good at something. All in all, I don't think this is a straight-up romance novel, but more of a general fiction piece with a sidebar of romance.

Thank you to NetGalley, Suzanne Park, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

I love the way Suzanne Park bridges cultural differences and varying norms with intelligent characters in high stress/high demand careers. This book was no different. The world of app development is mixed with a discussion of relationships, strength, forgiveness, change and the barriers that need teams to be crossed. It was a fun book but it covers a lot of ground, looking at how we live and when to let things die.

#arc
#netgalley
#onelastword

I always really enjoy Suzanne Park's books, and One Last Word is no exception. Sara has been working relentlessly for years in tech product management, and when the company overworking her doesn't have faith in her app - she walks away... As she makes the shift to an enterpreneur, she revisits past relationships and has to determine how to make each. moment matter.

I liked the slow burn, complex relationships, and empathy - Park's writing makes the characters seem human and it's just a joy to read.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

ARC - I loved this book. The plot was new to me and fun to read about. The main characters had great backstories and you could feel the connection they had. In general, I don't have any issues with the book - shocking for me! The side characters from the female main character were fun and not over-the-top in personality. Highly recommend!

Sara Chae has developed a new app called One Last Word - an app that lets people send messages to whomever they want after they die. But when another Sara Chae’s obituary triggers the prototype to send out all of Sara’s drafted messages that she wrote after a drunken night with her sister, she has so many people to deal with - her parents, her former best friend who ghosted her, her unrequited high school crush, just to name a few. When she and her app are chosen for a venture capital mentorship program, and her mentor ends up being that childhood crush, things get even more complicated.

I really enjoy how Suzanne Park writes about that awkward time in early adulthood where everything feels like it's a mess and life doesn’t seem to go as planned. It’s such a pivotal point in a person’s life and really where there is so much room for growth and self-discovery. I thought the app was a fun idea - who doesn’t have a message they wanted to send to someone but were too scared to do so in real life? Sara’s journey was amazing. A strong woman finding her way in the male dominated tech industry was so inspiring. I also appreciated that while the romance with Harry was so sweet, it wasn’t the whole plot - this was more a story about Sara and how she found her way and rebuilt her life. There was so much to love here - career success, family relationships, reconnecting and rebuilding friendships, and of course a second-chance romance. I flew through this book needing to know what was going to happen to Sara.

Thank you to Avon Books for the gifted copy.