Its 1977, Elvis Presley has just died and Twyla Higgins is bereft. Living in Fort Worth in her born-again mother's strict household, she's about to burst at the seams wanting to spread her wings and do SOMETHING. On impulse, Twyla heads to Memphis for Elvis's funeral. She doesn't ask her mother or step father, or even tell them she's going - she's going to come back, after all. Right? From Memphis, Twyla, who also happens to be an aspiring country music songwriter, gets sucked into Nashville and the sometimes seedy underbelly of the music industry. When she meets and falls for a handsome stranger, her life gets set on a path she never would have predicted.

This novel threw me, and I'm not positive it threw me in a good way. The beginning was wonderful, and very Daisy-Jones-and-the-Six-ish focusing on a young up and comer and how she gets sucked into the music world. Then the shit hits the proverbial fan. I knew from the blurb, obviously, that a crime was committed - but I was slightly taken aback by just how dark things got. I love a thriller, it's my genre of choice, but this seemingly went from sunny skies to BLEAK really quickly. I do think it was handled well, especially when viewed from the lens of the 1970s and the technology and investigation techniques that were available at the time. I did find myself shaking my head a lot though, knowing that the whole mess could have been avoided if Twyla had just used her brain a little bit more.

The addition of the second POV character was a bit jarring, though that might be due to the formatting of the ARC, so I won't hold that against the overall review. I did like that we got a new voice, and a new perspective on everything that was happening. I almost wish we had gotten to meet Struthers earlier so we were able to connect to her a little bit more - her plot line and background seemed a bit rushed.

Overall, a nice read!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC

The Last Verse starts off slow and then goes off the rails just shy of the half way point. I actually Ended up DNFing it at 58% because it was both outlandish and the female detective was described so grotesquely that I found myself skimming over all the parts that talked about her.

I was so excited to read The Last Verse and I did enjoy it to a point. It seemed like it took forever for something to actually happen. I don’t really think it should be considered historical fiction but that’s just me. Even with the twists the story was pretty predictable and way too long. If it wasn’t for the fact it was an arc I wouldn’t have made it to the actual tragedy before giving up.

This kind of felt like two books in one. The first half or so felt more historical fiction describing how Twyla came to Nashville while the second half focused more on the mystery. The author tells you who did it but we follow a private investigator as she tries to solve the crime. Overall I did enjoy the book and will be trying more by this author.

The Last Verse is out of my normal wheelhouse. I definitely thought I knew how the story would progress, but then was very wrong on multiple occasions! The ending was a little confusing for me, but I liked it overall and it never left me bored.

This was a miss for me. For the first 35% I had no idea where the story was even going. If you are someone who does not read the blurb/book jacket, you'll be completely lost. For me, it was the word choice that turned me off. There were several phrases that made me cringe, question, and wonder. But it was when the characters were in the throes of a romantic scene and the MFC refers to the male character's rear end as being "doughy" that I lost it completely.

Yes! Another hit from Caroline Frost! I absolutely loved her first book, so I jumped at the chance to read this one. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint! Frost remains on my (very) selective list of favorite authors whose books I will read no matter what.

The story follows nineteen year old Twyla Finch who travels to Nashville by way of Texas and then Memphis in 1977. She’s an aspiring country music singer but is overwhelmed by the world that awaits her in Nashville. Shortly after her arrival she meets Chet Wilton, a charming smooth talker who is an up and coming musician himself. She quickly falls for him but her life takes a horrific turn for the worst and she finds herself tangled up in a crime. ⁣
⁣
I really enjoyed the setting of this novel - from a small Texas town to a pilgrimage to Graceland to see the fallen “King” and finally to the grit and lights of Nashville in the late 70s…I was intrigued. I appreciated that Twyla wasn’t your “typical” beauty and had to fight for the chance to be heard in this town that demands a petite perfect woman. ⁣
⁣
As per usual I don’t read synopsis so was quite shocked with the dark turn this book took but I was absolutely invested. I enjoyed the writing and it kept my attention so much that I kept thinking about it and wanting to go back asap when I wasn’t able to read. ⁣
⁣
I can’t say I loved the ending but I’m still very curious to hear others thoughts on the turn it took. So if you read it please let me know so we can discuss!⁣
⁣
I got Crawdads vibes but in the best way so don’t let that deter you if you didn’t love it. And who doesn’t want to read about a female musician in 70s Nashville?! I definitely think this is worth the read and can’t wait to keep talking about it! Please visit @the.storygraph for content warnings!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Last Verse by Caroline Frost.

Twyla (love the name) is a sheltered girl from Fort Worth who is dying to get out on her own and experience the world. So when she gets to Nashville, she becomes smitten with all of it, including a handsome musician names Chet, who seems to also have his eye on her. But a night with Chet goes horribly wrong, and completely changes the trajectory of Twyla's life, forever.

Well, this did not go how I expected, but I'm not mad about it. I'll admit to have really struggled initially to get into this book, but it got better the more I read. It was a bit of a messy read, it felt loose in it's plot, but I really did like how unexpected it was.

I am a sucker for a book about the music scene. This one gave me “Daisy Jones and the Six” and “Almost Famous” vibes!
Twyla Finch is a wide-eyed innocent when she arrives arrives in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1977. She has talent but she doesn’t have a plan. She falls for Chet Wilton and finds herself smack dab in the middle of a murder investigation. So what does she do? She turns to music and writes a song. Then the trouble really starts! This is a great one!

Thank you William Morrow for allowing me to read and review The Last Verse on NetGalley.

Published: 03/05/24

Stars: 4

I'm not holding back, Why? How does it happen? There is no denying since owning a Kindle the percentage is real. I am reading, enjoying the words, have the vision, and am settled in for the duration when 70% appears. I audibly sigh, appeal to no one -- let's be real, but ask that the author doesn't ruin a good book with a lousy ending. This scenario happens frequently. Again I ask why? But more importantly how does it happen? Moving along happily and impressed with the imagination of the author to being sucker punched, one of this reader's life mysteries.

The pitch: A naive girl from a broken family dreams of being a song writer and gets to Nashville. I'm grateful that I don't have friends that would ask me what I think about that scenario. Yet, I read The Last Verse and enjoyed more than 90% of it.

Frost balanced the good and bad personalities: not everyone we meet will take advantage of us. In the environment of Nashville given this synopsis, I think she wrote perfectly. The characters were believable. Once law enforcement came into the story, I questioned the female private investigator legitimacy. I'm not expert -- I read and occasionally watch television.

I would recommend The Last Verse if you enjoy storytelling. I appreciated the journey, the ending was just not disappointing for me it was lame. To go on further would lead to spoiling and that I won't do.

I really wanted to love this book, but I just couldn't get into it. Despite how much I enjoy country music, I found it slow, but perhaps it was just the wrong era...

The Lady Verse was a pleasant and unexpected read. I was vested in Twyla getting from underneath her mother’s weird religiously fanatical thumb. The poor girl was 19 and wearing drab clothes and ponytails.

I was scared for Twyla when put her foot down and traveled to Graceland to see Elvis at his public wake. She was so naive and unprepared for the world.

Twyla ended up in Nashville and her life changed forever. She was a talented singer/songwriter hoping for her big break. I could almost picture Twyla singing her songs. Then a series of horrible events occurred. The book was a decent read but it was missing something for me. I’m not sure what that something was but it held my attention.

Unfortunately, this was a miss for me! 2.5 stars.

I was so excited about the vibes: 1970s, Nashville, country music, a stolen song! And while those elements were there, the vibes fell flat. For a book that was so focused on music, there seemed to be very little focus on music for the majority of the book.

I found the new POV that pops up in part 3 of the novel very unlikable and am really struggling to understand some major choices made by the FMC.

I think bigger fans of crime fiction may enjoy this more than I did!

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for an eARC!

This was an interesting historical fiction meets mystery/thriller that was enjoyable and entertaining. It begins at the time of Elvis’s death where we are introduced to Twyla, a sheltered teenager from Texas with a love of music and an overprotective, religious mother. She leaves home, only to find herself in a bit of trouble.

Overall. I really enjoyed the storyline, but I found parts of it a little drawn out and wordy. I never found myself connecting with the characters, though I was always rooting for Twyla’s character. I also felt like the Struthers character was maybe a little too prominent.

3.5 rounded up to 4 ⭐️.

The Last Verse by Caroline Frost caught my attention because it was set in the Nashville music scene in the 1970's. I enjoyed learning a bit about the country music business along with young Twyla, who showed up to find her way and hopefully make it big. She makes a few connections but gets in over her head with Chet, who is also making his way in the music scene. After a night gone bad, to say the least, Twyla tries to find a way forward.

The pacing and writing of this book were strong. I though Twyla's character development was genuine, and the supporting characters added to the book's appeal. The ending took me by surprise a little but was satisfying. I will read more of this author's work.

I will recommend this to readers who like light mysteries set in the 1970's.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up

Unexpected twist on talented girl goes to Nashville and either makes it or doesn't. Twyla's father was a bluegrass musician who died. Mother remarried to a decent man. Twyla's urge to play music doesn't set well with her mother's fundamentalist beliefs. So she packs up her father's guitar and her meager savings and runs away to attend Elvis Presley's funeral. After the funeral, she makes her way to Nashville. One horrific night ends up being the pivot point of her life. The last half deals with the aftermath.

The story has pathos, depth and redemption. Yet, I was never able to connect with any of the characters. I was watching them from a ways back, not seeing or feeling through their eyes. This could have been a me problem, and not the author's.

Well this one threw me. I expected the story to be one thing and it went completely in the opposite direction. Normally I would say this was a good thing. However, in this instance I was hoping for the story to have stayed the course that I wanted. The beginning was great. Twyla is a young woman who was raised in a very religious household in Texas. She has hopes for something more...something along the lines of following in her father's footsteps and becoming a musician/songwriter. In order to do that she must escape her crazy mother, and she does this, taking a bus to travel to Nashville.

Here is where her life begins right? She meets a guy that seems amazing and finds a job that can help her get to the songwriting nights at clubs. But she must do the hard work, from the bottom, something she has no trouble realizing. And no, I wasn't so blind that I didn't see the blurb saying there was going to be a crime. I was so invested at this point, I was ravenously reading, needing to know how she was going to get past this and make her way in the world. But that doesn't happen. This takes such a drastic turn that I couldn't stop shaking my head at the horrible situation Twyla gets herself into. And then it goes even darker and deeper.

This is very well written, and doesn't really slow to the point of boredom, however I was frustrated by the path of this story. And the ending was even more frustrating. How could Twyla choose the direction she does? She seems to think that she owed something and that she needed to pay for the sins she committed. But in a sense she was paying for her sins since the day she was born. The crime wasn't something she chose to do. Yes there is a type of redemption in the end but this doesn't carry any weight for her when she comes to her finale. She doesn't ever feel worthy of anything and this, to me, was the saddest part. So grateful to the publisher for the chance to read this!

I loved the 1970's Nashville setting. A nineteen year old coming to Nashville with high hopes and dreams of fame. The story is about the choices she must make because of things that happen on her way to possible fame. Interesting story and keeps your attention until the last page.

What an enjoyable read! I was interested in this novel because of its setting-Nashville in the 1970s. It was well written with excellent character development, and an intriguing plot. Highly recommended!