I don’t know what to rate this one. I thought it would have a little suspense, but it’s zero suspense. In like an odd coming of age love story wrapped in a mystery. There is a little twist at the end that I was unable to figure out. I loved Laura Dave’s writing style in it, and was more interested in the storyline than I was when reading The Last Thing He Told Me.

Content considerations: affair, same sex couple side character. death

3.75⭐️

thank you to netgalley, simon element and laura dave for the chance to read this arc.

this is my second laura dave book and definitely not my last. her writing and story telling is so easy to get into and the stories seem to pull you in as soon as you start reading. while this is marketed as thriller i think it’s more mystery but also some romance and even deals with grief. the pacing with this one didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat like the last thing he told me did and the reveals in this one didn’t shock me as much. while i enjoyed reading it i don’t know that i’ll remember much 6 months from now. i could see this making for a great movie or tv series.

recommend? yes.

I absolutely loved The Last Thing He Told Me, so I was so excited to receive this! Here, Laura Dave weaves us through a story years in the making full of family drama, romance and mystery and once again, I was hooked. Just as I thought I had caught the twists, new secrets were uncovered and while the pacing wasn’t incredibly fast, I stayed locked in. This was more than just a mystery - covering grief, vulnerability, and the complexity of family and I ate it up on a travel day.


***thank you to NetGalley & Simon Schuster for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Not at all what I was expecting after reading “The Last Thing He Told Me” and reading that this was a thriller but it was still really good! Lots of twists in the plot and I felt emotionally attached to the characters fairly early on!

I really liked The Last Thing He Told Me, but this one just didn't hit for me for some reason. I don't know why it's hitting this way for me but in general I do like Laura Dave's writing style this plot just didn't hit for some reason.

Another really fantastic story by Laura Dave! This book had a lot of great elements:

Wealthy, successful family saga and the damage that often comes along with wealth
Adult step children learning to communicate and have relationships in spite of being mostly kept apart as kids
Multiple love stories and how timing and self awareness are so important in relationships
A mystery to be unravelled

Engaging from the very first page - I finished in a day! Thank you Laura Dave for another fantastic novel!

My first read by this author! It was okay, I thought it was a little slow at times but overall worth the read!

The last thing he told me was one of the first books I read when I started my reading journey and I loved it so so much. This book was no different. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this arc.

This was a very face read because a) it engrossed me and b) it was well paced. I felt like I was flying page by page through the mystery of the father's death while simultaneously pulling on several other strings to see what unraveled.

The story highlights the complications of families-and relationships, in general. The characters are likeable and relatively self-aware, which is refreshing. The generational divides make sense in terms of keeping secrets. The "twist" at the end was subtle, but believable.

Definitely worth the read!

Overall: 4.5 stars (It really liked it)

**Thank you to NetGalley & Simon Element | S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

I enjoyed Lara Dave's last book and this one felt like a similar slow burn suspense novel too. It kept me intrigued and was a good, quick read.
Thank you to netgally for an ARC. My opinions are my own.

Nora and her brother Sam look into the death of their father after Sam convinces Nora that the circumstances were suspicious. While the initial “evidence” Sam gave was flimsy, they did build a case and found that the people closest to their dad were keeping secrets, but they didn’t know if they were to protect their dad, or themselves.

On the surface, this was a murder mystery but it was actually a love story and a story of loss and grief.
4.5⭐️

Laura Dave is one of my favorite authors so I was excited for a chance to read and review “The Night We Lost Him.” Like “The Last Thing He Ever Told Me,” this novel also centers around a mystery—Nora and her estranged brother, Sam, try to determine what happened to their father, Liam, after his mysterious death.

Readers from all types of genres will enjoy this story as it is one-third family saga, one-third mystery and one-third love story. Laura Dave takes time to develop her characters and their relationships—the dynamics of the siblings and how they react to their father’s demise is especially intriguing.

Four stars

Thanks go to Laura Dave, the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to give “The Night We Lost Him” an early read.

This was not the mystery/thriller I expected. It is more of a family drama with mystery on the side. It is well written and hard to put fine. I found it to be a strong mixture of several genres and many emotions.

Overall Grade: B+
Plot: B
Characters: B+
Pacing: B+
Setting: A-
Writing: A-
Best Aspect: Enjoyable to read and makes you want to keep reading to see what will happen.
Worst Aspect: The drama wasn’t as exciting as I expected after loving this author’s other book, The Last Thing He Told Me.
Recommend: Yes.

After finishing this book, I found myself thinking, "Can we make another show out of this?" It was so raw and beautiful, capturing an incredible love story amidst tragedy. From the outside looking in, the romance was breathtaking, though I can understand how the wife’s perspective might paint a different picture.

Even with the darker aspects of the story, and not just the tragedy, Liam’s presence loomed large, influencing the narrative profoundly even in his absence. Interestingly, Sam and Nora felt more like supporting characters rather than leads, adding depth and nuance to the plot. The layers of this story are so intricate and compelling that I just can't get enough of it. This book is a rich tapestry of emotions and relationships, and I’m left craving more.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to Simon Element | S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books and NetGalley for their generosity in allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to netgalley for the early copy. This is a quick read that I enjoyed and although the characters weren’t really fleshed out, we learn about them enough along the way. I liked the renewed relationship with extended family, a mystery and a love story all in one but truly this is more of a story centered around loss and grief and the loved ones left behind trying to figure it all out.!

Thank you for this advance copy. I really enjoyed this book. It kept me up all night reading, I just could not stop!

This was my first read for this author and will not be my last. Very well written book.
The death of their father brings Nora and Sam together to investigate the true cause of their father’s death. They do not believe that it was an accident that he fell from the bluff to his death. Many secrets are revealed along the way. Wounds are healed, wrongs are righted, relationships are strengthened. Highly recommend this well written book. I was given an advanced reader copy of this book by NetGalley and I am freely sharing my review.

Such a good book about family secrets and love! I couldn't put it down!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I found this book to be a bit slow. The middle really slowed down. I liked the family characters because they were so snarky to each other. The story is not very engaging in my opinion. I didn't really care what happened to them or their father. This book is not one I would recommend to my friends or our reading group.