Overall, this was a pretty quick, fun read, a bit reminiscent of To All the Boys I've Loved Before. However, I did have to suspend my disbelief a bit about the whole concept of "One Last Word" as a business. Some of the drama concerning the "bug" also seemed a bit overblown because during development and testing, it's expected that there will be bugs, even serious ones, and anyone involved in the process, from investors to developers, should understand this.

The third-act conflict concerning Sara's relationship with Harry soured me a bit on their relationship because that was just something that was unacceptable in my opinion and resolved way too quickly. But similar to the Do-Over, I enjoyed the other aspects of the story much more than the romance.

But overall, I enjoyed this, and I think fans of Shark Tank will especially enjoy this.

The idea was good, but I think the execution fell short. A second-chance romance can be done well when there was a past romance to begin with. This is more of a "I liked him and he is by fate back in my life" kind of love story. There were many times that the thoughts of Sara, our FMC, made me laugh and had me nodding at how relatable they wer, but I ended up really disliking her attitude. Yes, she was standing up for herself, but there were instances where she was completely disrespectful to get her point across. I also come from an Asian family and my heart hurt at how she viewed her parents. Asian families can be rough and the one displayed is very common, but I also believe it was unfair to try and hold American standards on immigrant parents. If there was the guidance and compromising way to build a healthy, trying relationship then I would completely understand, but in all honesty, I was hurt for them.

I also had some issues with pacing. Most of Sara and Harry's relationship feels built on memories and two major events. When I was thinking when their relationship could have grown, I had nothing. Sometimes it felt rushed and others it felt slow. In the end, I was left with a ton of confusion,e specially on Harry's end. We see many times where Sara is told that she was too good for him and had only one perception of who he was, but in all honesty, that is Harry. He only has ever seen her one way and kind of just rolls with it. To me, this doesn't show much of a healthy base for a relationship.

Then I get to 90% of the book. So much is happening all at once and I think I had whiplash. We have a VC discussion, insecurity of gender within the start-up world, her relationship with her former friend, her sister, her parents, and Harry. I'm glad there was no third-act breakup but it felt like the book was trying to tie all strings by killing multiple birds with one stone. It felt kind of forced and left me feeling multiple layers of cringe for the characters.

In the end, the book had some funny points and showcased starting in tech at a good perspective. It even brings about a hard case of the Asian tiger-parenting. I just wish it had better pacing and organziation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyage for the early copy of this book.
The premise of the book is an Asian woman, Sara, who develops an app called One Last Word. Essentially, people have the opportunity to write final letters to the people around them when they pass. The letters will be emailed out when the participant has perished.
In the testing stages, letters that Sara had written on a drunken night were accidentally sent. Jokes on her, because she is 1. still alive. 2. She is mortified that her parents, her previous boss, and her high school crush all have received letters telling them exactly how Sara feels.

I thought this book had such a unique concept and made me question what happens when we tell the people around us how we feel? Why wait until we are dead to get everything off of our chest? With more people planning their own funerals in advance, I can see the purpose of tying up all loose ends and feeling the weight of past vendettas, grudges, and distress fall off our shoulders with the simple sending of a letter.

Sara learns that she has to confront things head on and that having tough conversations can lead to breakthroughs personally and professionally.

I really enjoyed the shy and timid chemistry between Sara and Harry. The characters have to navigate a past crush with a current professional relationship and the burdening feelings that develop. There is even a bit of fake dating which I loved.

I appreciated the authors take on women in the world of tech and just how women in any professional setting are often at a disadvantage in comparison to their male counterparts. I laughed out loud several times when Sara was dealing with her parents.

I would 100% recommend this read for a fast and light read.

What a quirky and fun premise!!

But I felt like there was a lot of tech-realted stuff, which made me lose interest.


Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a really uneven reading experience for me. I liked the premise - a woman striking out on her own in the tech world, developing an app and striving to get venture capital, while at the same time working through unresolved issues in her personal life that are brought to a head by a little unintentional honesty (due to a bug in the aforementioned app). I thought the app idea itself was pretty silly, but I figured I could overlook it - until the opener of the book rested on the main character, Sara, pitching the silly idea to her bosses and, when they declined to fund further development, throwing a pretty major tantrum and quitting her job on the spot. Sara then moved into her younger sister's apartment and, with the help of a colleague, began developing the app and applying for venture capital funding. I had a lot of technical questions about how these two people, a product manager and a user experience professional, were writing an app valued at several million dollars, but I was willing to suspend my disbelief. Unfortunately, there was also the larger frustration of Sarah's personality. All the components were there - a professional life where she struggled to find meaning and recognition, parents who expected too much, neglect of her social life - and I really wanted to care about Sara's journey. But on the page I found her very immature and demanding. She's furious that, at 34, she's "only" a "mid-level manager", she assumes anytime someone doesn't like her ideas it's due to sexism or racism (which, admittedly, the book has some egregious examples of - but that only made me more annoyed at the story because in the real world unfair prejudice is usually confusingly mixed with valid criticism). She views her parents with the unconsidered rage of a teenager. Her high school crush and high school best friend are still, half a lifetime later, the center of her social universe, and even when she reunites them again she only barely reconsiders these relationships and what they mean for her.

So... yeah. This book was not a win for me. I did like the premise and the writing was good, but the things that actually happened were so frustrating.

I loved the concept of this book, well the app behind it at least! An app that sends out messages you’ve written after you die? I would have so much fun with that. I loved the main character and had fun reading it, but I think I just need to take a break from the friends to lovers romance it just doesn’t make me feel the feels lately. 3.5 rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of One Last Word.

I really liked Sara Chae’s character. I enjoyed that she was multifaceted and her workaholic tendencies weren’t flaunted as being this amazing quality.

I thought Harry was a good secondary character. My favorite background character though was her sister Jai.

I liked the family dynamics that were brought in as well. Definitely recommend!

"One Last Word" by Suzanne Park is a delightful and compelling read that skillfully navigates themes of self-discovery, love, and entrepreneurship. Sara Chae's journey as the founder of the app One Last Word is both relatable and inspiring, as she grapples with the unintended consequences of her creation while navigating her personal and professional life. Park's writing is witty and engaging, with moments that will make readers both laugh and reflect. The dynamics between Sara and her former crush and VC superstar Harry Shim add depth to the story, making it a thoroughly enjoyable and heartwarming read. While some plot points may feel predictable, Park's execution keeps the narrative fresh and engaging until the very end. "One Last Word" is a must-read for anyone looking for a charming and empowering story about finding your voice and fighting for what you want.

I took a few days to read and truly enjoy this book. When I would put it down I would find myself thinking about it while doing other tasks. Leading me to be excited to finish up so I could read more. This book has a lot to it plot wise and that lead to an interesting read. Every part of the book had closure!!! There weren’t any plot holes during the book and I didn’t stop reading with that pitted feeling of needing more. I felt the story ended in a great place that left little to the imagination.

This book wasn't what I thought it would be. I was expecting there to be a lot of drama from Sara's emails being sent out accidentally. And there was some mess from the fallout but it wasn't really the focus of the story.

The story is more about app development and rebuilding relationships. It was relatable and pleasant enough to read. It just wasn't as interesting as I was expecting. I did like the main character and thought the romance was cute, if a bit bland. The family parts were pretty good too.

I enjoyed reading the book overall. It's always good to see books about women making it in the tech field.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Overall this was a really cute story - loved the setup of the woman in a male dominated tech world. The romance elements were cute and fun and made you want to root for them. I wish they had gotten a little deeper into the characters stories, but otherwise enjoyed the book!

"One Last Word" by Suzanne Parks is like the juiciest office gossip you'll ever hear, but with a heartwarming twist!

Parks’ characters are like the coworkers you love to hate, with their quirks and flaws making them oh-so-relatable. Admist the office shenanigans and power struggles, there's a genuine message about friendship, forgiveness, and finding your voice.

Now, let me spill the tea on my favorite scene: Picture this – Sarah, finally confronts her conniving coworker in the break room showdown of the century. The tension is palpable, the snark is on point, and you can't help but cheer Sarah on as she stands up for herself in the most epic way possible. It's the kind of moment that makes you want to pump your fist in the air and shout, "You go, girl!"

So, if you're in the mood for a feel-good read that will leave you grinning from ear-to-ear, do yourself a favor and pick up "One Last Word."

Note: ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:
Sara Chae has a one-of-a-kind idea: an app that allows users to send final messages to people in their lives upon their deaths. However, when another Sara Chae passes away, the obituary triggers the prototype to automatically send messages that Sara crafted one drunken night. Now, messages sent to Sara’s estranged parents, former best friend, and unrequited high school crush force her to confront truths she wasn’t ready to face.

TW: racism, misogyny

My thoughts:
𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄. 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝘄𝗻.
When I saw this book on NetGalley and read the summary, I requested the ARC pretty much immediately. The idea was creative and interesting.
Overall, I could see what the author was going for, and it was cute. Sara is a great protagonist; she’s honest and dedicated to a fault, and along the way she learns to be honest with herself as well. In a way, the app gave her another chance to mend her relationships and try again.
My issue was with the execution of the conflicts. In most cases, when a conflict arose, it was resolved rather quickly, especially when it came to Harry. For example, at the tail end of the novel, he reveals something that upsets Sara, but the next time they encounter each other, there’s no mention of what went down until it gets a brief resolution later. Scene-to-scene inconsistencies such as this one interrupted the flow of the plot.
However, if I had to give a general consensus, I’d say I did enjoy reading Sara’s journey to success. The author makes it clear that women in the technological industry, especially women of color, often go unheard, so I appreciated Sara’s efforts and couldn’t help but root for her all the way through.

I enjoyed this book. The main character, Sara, is interesting and effervescent. She is a minority woman in the tech field which is dominated by white males. When the company she is working with tells her that her idea isn't worth pursuing and that she should just stay at her mid-level job, she decides to quit and go out on her own. She moves into her sister's closet and starts figuring out the next steps in her life. During a night of drinking with her sister, she composes letters to people that would be sent when she dies (her app is based on this premise). These end up being sent to her parents, her former best friend, former bosses, and her parents. This leads to some interesting opportunities and adventures. Highly recommend reading this to see what she ends up doing.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

This was a really fun book! I felt so badly for the main character at the start - hard worker, overlooked by her company.
Then she takes a risk and also ends up accidentally sending all of her thoughts to her network/family/friends...that's the idea of her app, but once someone has passed away...not when they still have to interact.
This was a good beach read and will entertain you!
Thank you, NetGalley, and the publisher for access to this e-ARC.

A beautiful romance! I loved the characters. I laughed out loud, and rooted for the romance. A must for all rom com lovers!

This is the 4th book I've read by this author and it was another enjoyable one! This story follows a woman who is in tech, trying to develop her app while dealing with the pressure of her family. She reunites with "the one that got away" who just so happens to be her mentor in a program she's accepted into.

Overall this book was enjoyable. The love interest, Harry, was a little flat. He also talked like this! The whole book! He reminded me of a puppy! So, both good and bad aspects there.

Parts of the narrative also felt a little on the nose about the struggles of being a woman in tech (this is coming from a woman in a very similar industry). So, while I absolutley agreed with all the points the author was making, it made parts of the book a little cringe. The main character had me cheering for her a few times she told some assholes off, it was much deserved.

I loved to see the depiction of a healthy sibling dynamic in the story as well,

Overall, i waffled between 3 and 4 stars for this book but decided upon 4 because I did genuinely enjoy reading it despite some of my critiques. I would recommend this to a friend, for sure.

I did not know how I was going to feel about this book, it is an original story about women in tech but the rest of the story fell flat.Im giving it 2.5 stars it fell flat for me in a lot of areas and felt repetitive .

Suzanne Park's latest story is about an aspiring tech entrepreneur who goes on a rollercoaster journey of self-discovery after her app, which sends messages to loved ones after you pass, accidentally sends her final words to all the important people in her life. The "women in tech" angle was interesting to me, but everything else fell short.

I loved the characters and the story had so much promise, but the storylines didn't go deep enough for me. I needed more from Harry to make the story more believable, him and Sara went from saying hello to saying I love you too quickly, it just didn't feel realistic.

Very original story, Sara works in the world of technology, she dedicated herself to creating an unusual and creative app.
One last world is an app that, once you die, sends messages to whoever you want on your behalf. Strange way to say goodbye. Unfortunately for Sara, due to a series of unfortunate events, she finds herself using the app before her time, before her passing. The app sends all her messages.
Parents, friends and boys receive farewell messages from Sara, but unfortunately for her, she is still alive. She will therefore have to face what he wrote and "suffer" the consequences.
The writing is fluent and entertaining. Well written, it is the first book I have read by the author, and not the last.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishing house for this opportunity.