Omg I didn't expect this! I'm not going to say anything about the plot because I don't want to lessen the shock you'll feel. But I will tell you that it's heartbreaking, raw, powerful and tense. I was invested in the characters right away and couldn't turn the pages fast enough. When you finally reach the action-packed end it will leave you asking yourself just how far you would go for you and your family to survive.

Wow this was much different than I anticipated but an amazing account of something nobody wants to encounter.. Alex and her family had no choice but to settle in her parents' tumbledown cabin in rural Ontario for six weeks. Everything in her life has been thrown into disarray after her husband lost his job, which meant losing their home. Plunged into a sudden downturn - to somehow survive in an old cabin without a Wi-Fi connection, saving on electricity that runs on a generator, and the next neighbor miles away - life couldn't get much bleaker than it is. Just as Alex and her family barely settle into their new routine, they face a new challenge again. This time, the challenge looms larger - one altered by a nation's collapse where chances of survival appear grim. Trying to pull your family together with the hopes of surviving but what will that survival look like and what about the children what is the future hold for them. The idea to hold on to hope, positive thoughts of things righting themselves and the lengths you go to pulling the family together and what happens with humanity and morals. In the face of utter chaos how will you act, will you lose hope, lose morals, lose humanity - one will never know unless you are plunged into the situation without planning. This book will have you thinking about the lengths you will go to in the face of devastation. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley.

I went into this book thinking it was just a family drama, but early on, something happens that makes it much more. Well written and enjoyable read full of suspense and realistic characters that you'll want to root for. I'm not sure, but this book may be the start of a series since the story leaves you wondering what will happen next...

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This book did not disappoint! Great plot, good characters and keep me picking it back up again to read more. It really drew me in. I especially liked the way the characters were interwoven with each other. I cannot recommend this book enough!

4.5 STARS!
This was not what I expected at all!

I had the privilege of reading an advanced copy of "The Last Stars in the Sky" through NetGalley.

Kate Hewitt's The Last Stars in the Sky is an emotionally charged page-turner that I could not put down! From the beginning, the author's rich vocabulary and vivid descriptions create an immersive experience, setting the stage for a narrative that takes unexpected and heart-wrenching turns.

The story unfolds as a powerful exploration of family and individual strength, amidst shocking events. The characters beautifully showcase the importance of leaning on others in times of need, facing your fears, and navigating the unexpected.

While the last few chapters felt a bit rushed, skipping through the timeline and flashing back to what was missed, the overall impact of the book is undeniable. I highly recommend The Last Stars in the Sky to anyone seeking a gripping tale that resonates long after the final page. The book urges readers to find beauty in the mundanity and to not take a second of life for granted.

A very different book from Kate but really enjoyable and interesting. Daniel and Alex move to their family cottage as Daniel has lost his job therefore their home. Bizarrely a nuclear attack occurs and is followed by vigilantes taking over and the world as they know it disintegrates. The book has most chapters told from Alex point of view with a few told by Daniel as he leaves the cottage to bring their son back from university. I guess the book leaves you trying to imagine what would you do in this situation. Thanks to Kate and her publisher. Thanks also to NetGalley.

Alex and her husband Daniel have taken their two daughters away from their home in Connecticut and travelled to her family's lakeside cabin in a remote part of Ontario. Besides Daniel having recently lost his job, they have lost their home, and there are marital issues. They hope six weeks away from everything will go some way to help sort out their problems. Alex’s childhood memories of the lake and surrounding forest make for a peaceful setting, getting back to nature and away from the hassle of modern life. Settling down to a life with none of their usual creature comforts, they eventually get into a routine. And then the unthinkable happens. The US suffers a nuclear strike on nine cities. Life as they know it is totally destroyed. What follows is their story of their search for their son Sam, who was due to join them from college in New York, and survival in a post-apocalyptic world.
I have to admit, I didn't expect the story to take this turn, but when it did, it was both gripping and thought provoking. The characters were brilliantly drawn, with the narrative shared between Alex and Daniel. Danger is everywhere as life as the family knew it is swept away and they find themselves in a new world of uncertainty as very quickly society begins to fragment.

An unusual and well written read. My first outing with Kate Hewitt, but definitely not my last.

My thanks to Storm Publishing, the author and Netgalley for an ARC of The Last Stars in the Sky in exchange for an honest review.

What appears at first as a story about a family suffering financial and trust difficulties turns into a dystopian drama of survival and pioneering.
This novel raises many questions about morality, trust,, friendship and family, both blood and extended. Decisions made and acts committed have to be accounted for and ultimately lived with, and the big question is what would you do in similar circumstances?
I found the pace of the novel confusing. At times I skipped a couple of pages, other times I could not read fast enough! Also, at times the tension had been racked up and then it just dropped off .
As with most dystopian novels a bleak future is portrayed- but there is always hope for new beginnings.
I actually enjoyed this novel and if this is you4 genre it is certainl6 worth reading.

This book really took me by surprise….both in the plot line but also in how much I enjoyed it. It wouldn’t be my usual style of book at all and when the huge disaster took place at the very beginning, I immediately thought it wasn’t for me. However, by then I was already becoming invested in the characters of Alex and Daniel and was curious to know what happens to them. I’m so glad I did as it was a real page turner and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Will it make me seek out more science fiction books? Probably not…..but I will be seeking more books by this author!

If I am being honest, as soon as the nuclear disaster happened in this book I thought about putting it down. It just isn't my thing. But I kept reading and I am so glad I did. I really enjoyed this gripping tale of survival It had me turning pages late into the night.

My first Kate Hewitt read has me looking into her other titles. Thank you @netgalley and @stormpublishing for the e-ARC.

I’d like to thank Storm Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Last Stars in the Sky’ written by Kate Hewitt in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Alex, Daniel and their children Mattie and Ruby leave their home in Connecticut when Daniel is made redundant from his job, and make their way to a ramshackle cabin in Ontario that’s been in Alex’s family for generations. They know things will be tough as there’s no internet and they’re miles from their nearest neighbours, but they couldn’t have envisaged the shocking news that awaits them when days later the world as they know it suffers drastically when hit by nuclear missile attacks.

This is the twentieth novel I’ve read by Kate Hewitt and I’ve loved every one so when I was given the opportunity to read ‘The Last Stars In the Sky’ I jumped at the chance. But I wasn’t expecting such an emotionally-charged novel of such a high standard that I couldn’t stop reading, and when I reluctantly had to tear myself away from my Kindle to do household chores I was continually thinking of the story with its strong and resourceful characters. Some parts such as the looting and insurrection are so heart-wrenching that it’s not easy to read of man’s inhumanity to man but it made me thankful for what I have and the world I live in. Thank you, Kate, for writing this unbelievably gripping novel that I can’t stop thinking about but I’d love to know what happened to the characters next. This really is one of those novels that you don’t want to miss, I’d give it double the number of stars if I could.

A beautiful story, it drew me straight away. Unpardonable and addictive. I loved this one, full of emotion. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Daniel and Alex are heading to Canada to live at Alex's family cabin. Daniel lost his job, then their house. From American big city living to Canadian backwoods country living. Just when they think their lives couldn't be any different, something happens that would change their lives forever.

This my first book by Kate Hewitt. This book was completely different than I thought it would be. I thought it would be about a woman who rediscovers herself and becomes a better version of herself through reflection. Boy, wasn't I in for a surprise.

The first 17% of the book was slow and I thought I had the plot figured out, then BANG!! everything I thought was going to happen changed. I couldn't put this book down. I still feel that Alex, and every character in the book, rediscover themselves and become a better version, but not in the way I initially thought.

If I had to criticize anything, it would be that I wish we read more about Daniel and Sam's journey. The ending left me wanting more, and not because it wasn't good, but because I was so wrapped up in the story and I didn't want it to end.

Thank you to Netgalley, Kare Hewitt, and the publishers for this free ebook. This review is 100% my own and honest review.

A big thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Kate Hewitt's latest work of fiction. I had forgotten the brief synopsis I had read previously so I was in for a shock when, shortly into the novel, a nuclear holocaust occurred.

This is the saga of Alex's families remote cottage in Ontario, Canada. I was caught up in their personalities and lives as each dealt with how to both survive and pull together as a family to do so. In the beginning the family is fractured and the children are not happy to give up their posh lifestyle to move to the "boonies" due to the loss of Daniel's job.

This was a real page turner and I savored reading each new twist and turn faced by the family to survive. I recommend this as a book club read - so much to ponder!

These days, Alex can hardly bring herself to face her husband Daniel. After a blindsiding betrayal and the fallout that followed, she's packing up the pieces of her life--her family's life--and moving to the cottage at Lost Lake where her parents once lived. And here in the idyllic stillness of rural Canada, maybe, just maybe, Alex and Daniel can start over.

But what happens when the chance to start over never comes?

In such a good way, "The Last Stars in the Sky" could not have been further from what I expected. To give too much of the plot away is to, in my mind, rob this story of it's gut-punching twist that gives it so much of its binge-worthy momentum. I found myself pleasantly immersed in Kate Hewitt's work; I'm new to her writing, and settled into this very-clearly-middle-aged-women's-fiction perfectly fine.

Know this: "The Last Stars in the Sky" is very much worth a read, and will ring familiar to many readers because of some popular series (and movies) in recent years. Go in blind, and when you're in the mood to be open-minded about a story; this isn't a perfect book, but it's a compelling, well-paced, and thought-provoking one.

Not what I expected but very thought provoking. Just about everyone's worst nightmare, and who knows how we will deal with it. A difficult read at times, but interesting.

THE LAST STARS IN THE SKY was one of those books that took me by surprise in a great way! Alex and her husband Daniel leave their home and life in Connecticut behind after Daniel loses his job. They uproot their teenage daughter Mattie, who is bitter over leaving a troubled boyfriend behind, and bring a younger daughter as well. The first 20% of the book starts in an introspective way without a lot of plot development, mostly reflecting on the family’s troubles. Then the big twist/reveal comes, and we discover what the novel is really about(!!). It’s impossible to review the book properly without spoiling that there is a worldwide nuclear attack and this quickly becomes a post-apocalyptic survival novel where it's every person for themselves. I was so excited when I found out Kate Hewitt, one of my favorite authors, was writing a novel in this genre!!

As Daniel leaves Alex and his daughters behind in order to go back to Connecticut and get their son Sam, they are forced to fend for themselves with society quickly crumbling. This book was unlike any Kate Hewitt book I’ve read before, but I was rivetted. Very well written. I love post-apocalyptic novels and the struggle to find food and supplies and figure out how to get through winter and make it one more month was written in a very exciting way. My one criticism is that the ending is a bit abrupt. I would have liked more resolution and answers. However, overall this is an excellent read that I really enjoyed. 5/5 stars.

Trigger Warnings: sexual assault

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC copy of this book from NetGalley and Storm Publishing for review purposes.

This book was not what I thought! It admittedly started a little slow for me but I am so glad I kept going. It is a book about perseverance and a parent‘s love and will to survive for their children. It is full of despair and fear of the unknown and how we as a society deal with the unknown and change. Reading about how Alex and Kerry's relationship grows and adapts was so beautiful and my favourite part! Everyone needs a Kerry in their life. I will be recommending this book to people if maybe this is outside their norm or they want a heartfelt end-of-times read.

Wow, this book gripped me. So many unexpected twists and turns. My heart will never be the same.

After their lives have imploded, Alex & her family decide to go up to Canada and live in her parents’ old rustic cabin for 6 weeks. Her husband has recently lost his job, her daughter is suspended from school, and she needs them to reconnect as a family. After being out in the cabin for just a short time, they receive news that nuclear attacks have taken place on multiple large cities in the US & around the world. This quaint family get away is now a true fight for survival.

I was slightly annoyed with the twist of fate, but found myself not being able to turn the pages fast enough. The author wrote in such vivid detail that some readers would find it hard to "unsee" the level of authenticity conveyed by the plot. The dual narrative structure also allowed for more emotional connection, and I appreciate how the alternating perspectives also built suspense and tension.

Get ready for a roller coaster of emotion!

This was my first book by this author and I loved ! I had a hard time putting this down! I love the whole are where this book took place! Such suspense at times I couldn’t stand it! Highly highly recommend