The Last Exchange

This novel starts at a slow burn then really just blasts off. It is a current and past timeline that leads to one time line bundled together with explanations along the was for someone reading and paying attention. The question overall is how far would you go to save someone you love? Keep that front and center while reading and see if you can figure out the direction of the book. Finding beauty in the messes of life, knowing brokenness and need are not weaknesses. Martin has written a story that draws the reader in from the beginning and doesn't let go until the end. It is a story that addresses real-life situations of addictive behavior and childlessness. It is an amazing story of how far one would go for the love of their lives.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity.

I have read a few Charles Martin books and I think this has been my favorite.
Great depth of characters in a plot line with some nice twists.

When MacThomas Pockets finished his last tour as part of the Scottish Special Forces, he was hired to consult for a film director to finesse some scenes that weren’t working. In a twist he never saw coming, he ended up moving to L.A. to work as the bodyguard for movie star Maybe Joe Sue.

It didn’t take long for Pockets to realize there were two Joe Sues: The Joe Sue the public saw with her perfect life and her Hollywood husband. And the private Joe Sue: the one with the traumatic youth that no amount of pills could cover up, who desperately wanted a child of her own.

Even after their paths diverged, he continued to track Joe Sue’s life. Only a few would notice when the bottom fell out. But he did. And that’s when he stepped in.

“Brokenness isn’t weakness”

Loved this book! Charles Martin is a talented author who has once again created a beautiful and moving story. The characters are real with all the complexity and complications of humanity. The story line is intriguing and emotional as it addresses how far you would go for the ones you love.

Really enjoyed the narrator and the interview with author! (Yes we need another Pockets book!!!)

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins Christian for giving me early access to the audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Book Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narration: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was my 4th Charles Martin novel and I can't get enough of them! Martin is such a talented author. I love his writing style and story telling. His works are always deep, with relatable plot lines. In all of his books I can see the character of Christ and the references of our need for Him, making Martin one of my favorite authors. The narration of this book was also great! I loved the Scottish accent ♥️ Both Manning and Andrews did a phenomenal job at bringing these characters to life.
I also enjoyed the podcast interview at the end of the audiobook. It gave me hope for the possibility of more Murphy and Pockets! Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to listen and review this wonderful audiobook.

Wow! What a fabulous novel by Charles Martin. I have read Charles Martin in the past, but this story was incredible. There were surprises that were unexpected, and the author gave little clues to keep you guessing and rooting for the larger-than-life characters.

MacThomas Pockets, who was trained with the Scottish Special Forces, is hired by an Academy Award Winning actress, Maybe Joe Sue, to be her bodyguard. Joe is married to a popular Hollywood actor and the two of them are struggling to have a baby and balance their busy celebrity lives. The evening of an award show, Joe is kidnapped, and the entire world is searching for her. The story jumps from her humble beginnings to her present glamorous life to explain how Joe ends up in a cabin in the mountains with an unidentified abductor.

I read this book on audio and loved the character’s voices, especially the Scottish voice of Pockets. The narrator did such a great job that jumping from past to present was easy to follow.

There are some triggers about fertility issues that some readers may need to be aware of.

Charles Martin is such a wonderful storyteller, after finishing this book, I will now go back and read all his backlist novels.

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Audio for this advanced reader copy. Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Audio, please send me any future books by Charles Martin. I absolutely love this author. #NetGalley #TheLastExchange

Wow. Charles Martin writes stories that break your heart and heals it at the same time. This might be my favorite of his ever! I don’t think men like this actually exist, but it is a beautiful reflection of God’s love for us! Highly recommend!! Huge thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read/listen and review this amazing book!

Absolutely excellent narration, Voices were easy to understand, calming and wouldn’t change a thing.

A tale of love, the unloved, brokenness, healing, and the spirit of overcoming life‘s challenges. Pockets is a bodyguard hired to protect three time academy award winning actress Maybe Joe Sue. She is married to another actor Syd, who later turns out to be not such a nice person. I don’t really want to spoil this book for you! Please trust me and just read it! I will be thinking about this book for a long time! I did include some of my favorite quotes below—-

How far would you go for someone you loved?

“This love is wrapped around my soul. It can’t be doused. Or appeased. Or talked off the ledge.” I tapped my chest. “And it doesn’t die because you lock it up. Or grow old.” I held out my hand and uncurled my fingers, noticing the scar where the bullet entered. “This kind empties itself. Holds nothing back. Gives you all of me. When your hope hurts, this love stands on a rooftop, or shackled in a courtroom, and screams at the top of its lungs. This love stands up and stands between. It says to those who would hurt you or steal from you, ‘Not today. Not as long as I have breath.’ So that’s what I did. I stood up. I gave you me.”

How far would you go to protect those you love?

“That said, there was one thing I had not protected her from because it’s the one thing on planet Earth that sets us free from the stuff that enslaves us and holds our heads under the water. The stuff trying to kill us. We can lie to one another to soften the blow, but lies only strengthen the chains. There’s only one thing in this universe or any other that cuts through prison bars and sets us free from the prisons in which we live. And that thing is the truth. Without it, there is no freedom.”


“So Pockets did for me what I could not do for myself.”
“Which was?”
“The last exchange.”
“The what?”
She spoke slowly. Enunciating. “Last exchange.”
He looked confused. “I don’t under—”
She cut him off. “It’s when you cross paths with someone who’s broken, just a mess of pieces, unable to fix anything about anything, and yet for some inexplicable reason, you stoop down, reach out and say . . .” She paused. Collecting herself. “Me for you.”
He protested. “But he took you—”
Joe cut him off again. Her voice stronger. “He took from me my pain and gave me what I do not deserve.”
“Which is?”
“My next breath.” She tapped her chest. “And the reason to take another.”

“Brokenness is not weakness.” She waved her hand across the crowd. “Look around. We’re all broken. Welcome to the human race. Weakness is being broken but too proud to ask for help. Sitting there thinking you got this.” She shook her head once. “You don’t got this. You don’t got this at all. Real strength is knowing that and when you’re broken. Only then do you got anything.”

Huge thank you to Netgalley, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Audio for my advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Let me start by saying that I love Charles Martin’s books! That being said, thanks so much to #NetGalley, #HarperCollinsChristianPublishing and #ThomasNelsonFiction for the opportunity to review an ARC of this audiobook which releases tomorrow, October 3rd!

We start with the sad story of Maybe Joe Sue who had a rough time growing up in multiple foster homes…BUT…seems to be making a name for herself now. We watch as she grows in notoriety…and then as the threads begin to unravel.

Next up we have “Pockets” who comes on as a consultant/script reviewer…and then grows into something altogether different.

As the two grow, something magical is happening in the background…and that is the whole nucleus of the story.

Beautifully written! Beautiful character growth! Gripping scenes of marital problems as well as drug abuse and rehab…

And so many touching, beautiful scenes and moments…too many to name.
I will tell you, do NOT do as I did and read the last few chapters ALONE…so that you too will not be a sniveling mess…and then have to face other people.

Loved this story. Hoping the characters will return in another edition too!

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

Oh, and I have to say…this was a bit different from some others I’ve read from him. And during the epilogue, the author speaks and says he’s doing things a little different now…. So there’s that.

#TheLastExchange by #CharlesMartin

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WOW!!! Wow, wow, wow! I literally loved everything about this story - everything! I never thought Charles Martin could outdo the Murphy Shepherd series, ever, but that was before I met MacThomas Pockets and Maybe Joe Sue- yes, I typed that correctly.

I really don’t want to give away any spoilers, even a hint of one, so I’ll just say this- I LOVED Pockets. I loved Joe Sue and I loved their story! Pockets is definitely on my list of all time favorite male characters. He’s beyond loyal and will do what needs to be done. Joe Sue is down to earth and so likable even with all of her struggles. When these two were on the page together, I could’ve kept reading forever. These characters and their story will stay with me for a long, long time and I will recommend it to everyone!

At the end of the story blurb, there’s this question - How far would you go - really - to save someone you love? This story gives a very thought provoking, deep, multi layered answer.

I both read and listened to this story. Once I started the audio, I could not stop listening! When I wasn’t reading or listening, that’s what I was thinking about. That Scottish accent was everything! Charles Martin is an incredible storyteller! He’s definitely one of my very few auto buy authors. The Last Exchange will surely be a top read of 2023- if not the top read!

I received a complimentary copy of this book and audiobook. I also purchased a copy. All. The. Stars.

I read this book and loved it. I have now listened, and loved it. In fact, I think I enjoyed it even more listening to the story. The narration is fantastic, and spot on. Just like I had pictured in my head. Great job to the narrators, and to the powers that be who selected them.

Now the story review...
WOW!! This was another "WOW" book from Charles Martin. It's one of those books that I was completely obsessed with, and when I had to put it down, I couldn't help but think about the main characters. The hero, Pockets, was absolutely the best protector and loyal to his core. The heroine, Maybe Joe Sue, was giving and down to earth even with her addictions. The plot, mystery, suspense, and love were a masterpiece to me. I tend to scratch my head at all of Mr. Martin's endings because they are mind-blowing! This book was no exception. *I was given a copy of this book by Thomas Nelson Publishers, and this is my honest opinion.

This book absolutely stole my heart! I adored it. It's not necessarily an easy read. There is nothing warm and fuzzy about it. But the love story that unfolds is simply amazing and truly selfless. I'm also a complete sucker for a bodyguard story and this one has such a unique twist - - and I loved it!

Maybe Joe Sue is an actress that came from nothing. She was in the foster system and had no money but was discovered one day and people loved her even more because she was so down to earth. But she's always looking to feel like she belongs. Also, along the way, she discovers that money and fame don't always bring happiness. As a matter of fact, sometimes they are their own kind of prison.

Maybe Joe Sue has a husband that can't be there the way she needs to make her feel safe since he's an actor traveling a lot himself for work, so they decide she needs a bodyguard. This is when MacThomas Pockets is brought into her life. He will remain her faithful guardian who will protect her from everyone - - including herself if needed. As a previous military man, he takes his responsibilities seriously and is committed to this job and his boss, Maybe Joe Sue's safety.

There's so much to this book and Charles Martin weaves this story in a beautiful and flawless way. I've been reading a great deal lately and this book still stood out to me - - even with all the others I've been reading as well. It was just that beautifully written. This very well may be one of my favorite books this year so far - - and that's saying a lot.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The audiobook narration was absolute perfection. It felt as if the story was written to be read that way. It was just an effortless performance of the book and I loved it. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for copies of both the ebook and the audiobook. I voluntarily chose to read/listen to and review this book and the opinions contained within are my own.

The Last Exchange is well written and full of action and mystery. We get to see Jo’s raw emotions in every chapter. Aside from the overall theme of the book, I don’t see how this is classified as a Christian fiction book beyond the author and publisher. It is a clean mystery, and I appreciated that there were no actual swear words. Charles does a great job of communicating what would’ve been a swear word without having swearing on the page. The Last Exchange is written how I wish all mystery and action books were written.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions in this review are my own.

The Last Exchange
Charles Martin
Maybe Joe Sue is a star. Her fans only see the Maybe Joe Sue she allows them to see, the woman with it all, a handsome actor husband and the perfect life. Only one person knows the real Maybe Joe Sue, MacThomas Pockets. He first met her on the movie set where he was acting as a consultant on some scenes that needed tweaking. He was a former Special Forces for Scotland. Maybe Joe Sue hired MacThomas as her bodyguard. Maybe Joe Sue led a tragic life; her youth was painful. Maybe Joe Sue turned to pills to solve her problems. She has been in and out of rehab. There weren’t enough pills in the world to stop her pain. Even after he left her employ, he continued to keep up with Maybe Joe Sue’s life. He saw what she kept hidden; he saw her world collapse. He knew it was time to rescue her even if it meant rescuing her from herself.
There was one thing Maybe Joe Sue desired, a baby. A surrogate agreed to carry her baby. But the surrogate is missing.
The Characters: How could anyone not love Maybe Joe Sue; she gave and gave of herself. She wanted to be a mother, to hold her child in her arms. MacThomas was an incredible character. He was in love with Maybe Joe Sue. He loved her so much he was willing to make sacrifices for her. “It’s when you cross paths with someone who’s broke, just a mess of pieces, unable to fix anything about anything, and yet for some inexplicable reason, you stoop down, reach out and say, Me for you.”
I thoroughly enjoyed The Last Exchange. This book depicts true love. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13.” This book brought tears, it brought smiles and it brought great emotion.
Thank you to NetGalley for a review copy of The Last Exchange. My review is my personal opinion.

SMITTEN!! GoodReads classifies a 5-start as "It was amazing!" and that isn't often how I feel about books I've read ... HOWEVER Charles Martin's books never let me down. I've been reading his books for about a decade, and THIS is why--his heroes are next-level awesome. THE LAST EXCHANGE is a powerful combination of raw, real, and awesome. Where few authors tend to delve these days, he portrays messy lives in respectful ways and draws a map for healing and redemption that leaves me breathless. Pockets is the best of Martin's heroes, and my only regret is having finished this, I'm not forced to way umpteen years (okay, not really, but it feels that way) for Martin's next book.

Lots of action in this newest Charles Martin novel. The story centers around the bond between a young actress named Maybe Joe Sue and her Scottish bodyguard, Pockets. Charles Martin how DO you come up with these cool names?
Joe experienced early fame after being discovered while serving as a waitress. She quickly amassed awards, millions of dollars, and plenty of unwanted attention. Like many others Joe endured a troubled childhood that left her with an emptiness that she tries to relieve with pills and bad relationships.

Kelly MacThomas Pockets, an experienced military man, has now been hired as Joe’s bodyguard while her husband films on location. Her husband unfortunately is a philanderer with other women.

Pockets on the other hand is a firm believer that the boundary of emotion and physicality never cross with an employer, especially one that is married.
Still there is fierce devotion, among this platonic team.

Once again, Martin has gifted readers with a novel full of suspense, action, and a plot that grabs hold of you until the very end. Lots of surprises in this one.

If you get the audio, Charles Martin is interviewed at the end and it’s great!

This is a voluntary review for a complimentary ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and the author/publisher.

The Last Exchange is about how far one will go for love, how love is defined, and how much one will sacrifice for love. Charles Martin's books always manage to pull me into a world that's sad to leave after the final line. The storyline and writing are great so I looked forward to getting back to it at every opportunity, and the narrator is well-suited for the characters. This one easily makes it onto my 2023 Favorites list.

This is a beautiful story about a delicate topic in a cruel world. Although the female main character is a celebrity with an addiction problem, we learn how that came to be and what a sympathetic character she is. The man she hires as her bodyguard quickly becomes her confidante as well as her protector since he is privy to all the goings-on in her life. His backstory is endearing, not that he needed anything else to win us over! As she struggles with infertility in the public eye, she is also dealing with a self-centered husband. Still, there are light-hearted moments, a little mystery, a little romance, and the ending is heartwarming. The narrators did a wonderful job and I appreciated the Scottish accent. Great interview with the author at the end.

The Last Exchange by Charles Martin, Pub Date 10/3/23

I will be the first to admit, I had prematurely thought this was going to be a rip-off of the movie, The Bodyguard with Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston. Boy, was I wrong. Scottish MacThomas Pockets — a man who knows his job and takes it very seriously, will win many hearts. And it’s probably a good thing as I suspect this will be a series.

I have read a few from this author and have had mixed results with my reviews. I loved the original premise of this one and could see it as a movie (although mostly based on its “Hollywood-ized” ending in the novel. Joe Sue is the Hollywood Scarlett that he’s been charged to watch over. She has 2 personas. — one behind the camera and Instagram and one that’s of a traumatized, pill-popping addict trying to hide her pain. Motherhood is at the heart of this book which is what hooked me to the story. It felt like a mix of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and The Friendship Zone. So much heart - but also a fun chase and outcome that I did not expect in this tale. She made him promise something to her - and he stuck to that promise no matter how sticky things got. He was dedicated to her until the end. I really fell in love with this one!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #ThomasNelson Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Such a good book. Loved the story. Have read lots of his books , they are all very good
Great story line and characters.. loved it ….he does such a great job of pulling you into the story.

How far would you to save someone you love? That's not as easy a question to answer as you might think, and Charles Martin takes us on a wild ride just to find out...

For instance, would you do something illegal to save someone you love? Would you do something they wouldn't want you to if would save them? Would you risk your own life, livelihood or reputation?

MacThomas Pockets was a simple farmboy, a preacher's kid, who was in the right place at the wrong time. And that led him to a life he'd never planned on; one in the Queen's service.

Another chance meeting years later led to him working as a bodyguard temporarily for Maybe Joe Sue, and up-and-coming movie star who seemed bound and determined to flame out just as spectacularly as her meteoric rise to fame had been. But as far as Pockets is concerned, it's not going to happen on his watch.

The story is presented in past and present timelines that then merge together to reveal answers to the secrets that have been hidden for so long. It was truly a well-crafted story with characters I cared about.

Well done, Charlies Martin! And thank you HarperCollins and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

Charles Martin became a favorite of mine when I read his Murphy Shepherd series. I had a bit of a hard time getting into The Last Exchange because I just really wanted Murphy back. But when I sat down to read and listen to this I fell in love with Joe and Pockets...for the depth of love Pockets had for Joe and how far he would go to protect the woman he loved.

Great story! And I'm looking forward to more books by Charles Martin!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and listen to this audio book.
Publication date: 3 October 2023

I highly recommend the audio version of The Last Exchange by Charles Martin. The Narrator is perfect for this book and he sucked me in from the start. I couldn't put it down because I kept wanting to know what was going to happen next.

MacThomas Pockets has finished his last tour with the Scottish Special Forces. His life ends up quite differently than he expected when he moves to LA to work as a bodyguard for movie star Maybe Joe Sue.

Maybe Joe Sue is a three time academy award winning actress married to Syd another actor. She came from a rough upbringing but has not let the fame change who she is at heart. She is kind, generous and loving and her greatest desire is to be a mother.

The characters are so well developed, and I am not quite sure how Charles Martin was able to weave so many different elements into one story. It is a story of broken souls finding healing. A story of addiction and infertility, A story that tackles so many of life's challenges. One minute it feels like a psychological thriller and the next a love story. You can read it at face value or read it and catch the underlying messages.

"We are all a mess. And no amount of money, and no amount of drugs, changes that. When you're broken, life is finding beauty in the mess. And then holding in for dear life."

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of the the Last Exchange

Each Charles Martin novel seems to be my favorite. I am not fond of sappy romances and his never are sappy. In fact I would not classify The Last Exchange as a romance, but it is a character driven love story. It included a mystery, with such a clear picture of good vs evil, and those trapped in an evil drama. The characters became so clear in how far they would go to really demonstarte their love, or their evil intentions. I appreciate Charles Martin keeping unnecessary bad language in check, he also keeps it a clean story , even while it deals with the ugly reality of actions of evil hearts.It will be available Oct. 3
Thank you Charles Martin for writing such wonderful stories. If it could be a ten, I would give it 10 stars
The story does deal with the trauma of multiple miscarriages. The audio book was just as terrific as the eBook.
Thanks to #NetGalley, #ThomasNelson, #CharlesMartin

Wow! I highly recommend this 5 star story! Well developed characters and an adventure with twists and turns. Charles Martin is an excellent storyteller.

On the surface this is a love story between two people that were not supposed to fall in love with each other. But this book is so much more - mystery, thriller, adventure, drama, crimes, courtroom drama and the rich and famous, But the love described in the story is a very special kind. What would you be willing to do for the love of your life?? This book is also about faith, love, sacrifice, and freedom.

The Last Exchange is a story about a woman, Maybe Joe Sue, that is a famous actress, has a huge heart and really wants to have a baby. Then there is her body guard, Pockets, a stoic man charged to protect her. He was also her confidant, safe keeper and moral compass. He even protected Joe from herself. Because isn't that what all of us need?

I listened to the audiobook and it was outstanding. The book was narrated by Joshua Manning, Charles Martin and MacLeod Andrews. They did an outstanding job and made the character come to life.

This is my first book by Charles Martin, but will not be my last. I have added all of his books to my TBR list.

I'm a fan of Charles Martin's novels, and this one did not disappoint. There are unexpected twists and turns, and plenty of suspense to keep the reader turning the pages, or in my case, not pausing the audiobook. Plus, there's a lot happening under the surface for these three dimensional characters. The audiobook does a great job portraying the characters and immersing the reader in the story.

Thank you to the publisher for providing a complimentary advance reader copy of the audiobook via NetGalley for review purposes.

“Scars are just the body's response to things that shouldn't be there. A reminder of the pain.” This line from *The Last Exchange* perfectly captures the heart of Charles Martin’s latest novel, where suspense and deep emotion blend into a story that lingers long after the last page.

In *The Last Exchange*, Martin introduces us to MacThomas "Pockets" Pockets, a former Scottish Special Forces soldier. Pockets lands a role as a bodyguard to Hollywood star Maybe Joe Sue, a woman with a picture-perfect public life but a private world marred by trauma and a desperate longing for a child. Martin’s portrayal of Maybe’s two lives—the glitz and glamour versus her private struggle—is powerful and authentic, drawing readers into the depths of her pain and resilience.

When Maybe’s life spirals, Pockets doesn’t walk away. Instead, he steps in, willing to risk everything to save her, even if he gains nothing in return. The story journeys from the flashy streets of L.A. to the quiet beauty of rural Montana, challenging readers to reflect on what it truly means to love someone unconditionally.

The audiobook adds an extra layer to the experience, with the narrator capturing the tension and tenderness in Martin’s prose. It’s a beautiful, intense, and heartbreaking journey to the end.

Charles Martin has a rare gift for writing stories that touch the soul, and this novel is no exception. *The Last Exchange* left me feeling closer to God and more appreciative of the sacrifices we make for those we love. It’s a 5-star read, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a story that combines gripping suspense with a profound emotional journey.

** I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions are my own.