Emma Grey's The Last Love Note is a wonderfully welcome romance story that's more than a romance story, which is why I liked it so much. Hopeful grief, the main character is processing the loss of her husband and yet finding that life, and joy, must move on. How they move on and how she gets there is a lovely character driven story with self growth, some humor and charm, and indeed hope for what's next.
Definitely a great read for someone looking for that blend of romance with strong character growth, a good book for holiday travel, a book that will help you manage time sitting in an airport or on a plane or a book to escape to when you need a break from all the holiday togetherness.

Ok so I’m not a huge romance reader. Esp with the feeling that so many of them these days are contemporary romance with a side of smut. Listen, nothing wrong with that but for me, I need a depth of character and emotional connections for me to love it.

And this had both.

This was the Quiet love story that felt relatable and gentle. The romance that feels like ‘home’.

The best friends turn lovers is my favourite trope and this one has the added bonus of a second chance at love that finds you hopeful.

Ps. The book centres around grief and healing over a loss but that’s not the core of the novel. The novel is about second chances and a gentle love.
4.5 stars

This was my first book to read by this author but it won't be my last! This was a beautifully written novel that evokes so many emotions. Don't miss out on this one!

Kate is a mess. A full blown, falling apart mess. After the loss of her husband to early onset Alzheimers, Kate isn’t sure how to go on. Luckily her boss Hugh has been a fantastic support during every step of her grief. He won’t ever tell her about his love life, but he is there for all the important moments in her life. When flight issues leave them stranded, the two spend the weekend getting even closer.



Whew, this book is technically considered a romance, but damn if it isn’t really about grief. I will say my first thoughts were that it was kind of strange how quickly her boss jumped into being her savior. From the minute he hired her, he was allowing her time off and super accommodating to her life situations. While that was lovely, and you would hope that anyone would react that way to what Kate had going on, I have never known a single boss that would be that understanding to a brand new hire. Besides that though, I really loved this book. I enjoyed the back and forth between before Cam passed and after, even if it did break my heart while reading. This book will hit you in all the feels.

I honestly don’t think there are words to do this book justice. It was an emotional nightmare - the story of a young widow, young mother, and the horrific end of her husband’s life. But it is also about love. Unconditional love. Love of friends. Love for family. Love of coworkers. Love of a marriage that ended too soon. It’s about growth, especially after experiencing very dark and difficult days. It’s about finding yourself as a parent and a spouse. Chasing dreams, as scary as that can be. The characters were incredible. The dynamics and interactions were realistic and incredibly well done. I cried through this entire book, yet couldn’t stop reading it. Just a beautifully written, heartbreaking story about love, support and grief.

Thank you NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.

I absolutely loved this story. I could feel the emotions leaping off the page. There were a range of emotions in this book and I think that takes skill to do that well!

I REALLY wanted to love this, but just meh for me. The topic was a touching but the narrative jumped around too much and the characters were so idealized they were outright laughable.

Get the tissues ready - The Last Love Note is a beautiful story about grief but also hope. When Kate lost her husband at age 38 she was adrift, buried in grief and barely getting by. But then flight troubles strand her with her handsome boss in a seaside town and she starts to wonder: is this my Part 2? The book made me cry (a lot) but also laugh while rooting for Kate all along. A really great read and wonderful debut from Emma Grey.

The story revolves around a 40ish woman who lost her husband several years ago and is raising a young son. She's a mess. Can't find a way to move forward from her tragic loss. But she has an amazing group of friends and family to support her and help her find her way forward. Every time my husband walked in the room and I was reading, I was also crying. When he asked why, I told him this book was breaking my heart. And it did. But it also made me laugh and feel great joy. Highly recommend this one if you crave all the feels. Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing a digital ARC for review.

A very moving story about a woman who becomes a widow at a young age, how she handles (and doesn't handle) losing the love of her life and raising her son on her own. I totally admit to tears. The older I get and the more loved ones I lose, the more I worry about losing my husband. This story both broke my heart and lifted my spirits, a difficult task. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 was because of some repetition that got a bit annoying. Absolutely worth your time.

This was a story of overcoming heartbreak and loss. It was definitely an emotional read and I truly felt for Kate. Losing her husband in such a devastatingly slow way was hard. She learned how to be stand on her own two feet though. Hugh is an amazing man and friend throughout even though he starts off as Kate’s boss. The ending was as I expected with a little less drama than I was hoping for.

The way the story jumped timelines was a bit all over the place for me. It felt slightly disjointed at times but did come together in the end. There were a few times I thought about possibly not finishing this book but I am glad I did. Australia is definitely on my travel bucket list and this book made me want to go there that much more.

I made a reading goal this year and I am so glad this title met that goal. Between its pages hosted everything this reader enjoys. True love, kindness, humor and strength to be open to what life has in store even when it is not what was ever imagined. The heart break these characters experienced as well as their joys are still resonating with me after turning the last page.

Thanks to NetGalley, Emma Grey and Zibby books for this ARC. This is a beautiful, intimate portrait of grief. Before I read the author’s note at the end, I knew they had suffered a great loss. Kate and Cam’s great love story is interrupted in the worst possible way. Kate’s boss and Cam’s friend Hugh is there as a support person throughout the story. The descriptions of Kate’s suffering and her memories tell a beautiful tale of her relationships before and after her great loss.

Wow, this book packs a punch -- I wasn't quite sure what to expect but once I started I couldn't stop and ended up reading it in less than two days. This story of grief and love is so poignant and yet, filled with gentle humor and hope. I was definitely rooting for Kate (and Charlie) -- and by the end, for Kate and Hugh. There were other themes, including infertility, single parenting, family dynamics, Alzheimers, non-profit fundraising -- that I appreciated and which gave the story much more depth than the romcom cover might imply. The author's note is a must-read. This will be a new favorite for fans of Katherine Center and Emily Henry. Thanks to @zibbyowens @zibbybooks @emmagreyauthor @netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to share my thoughts.

Emma Grey’s novel, The Last Love Note, has been receiving so much buzz lately, and for good reason. This book will make you feel ALL the emotions – one minute you’ll be laughing at the predicaments of the characters and the next you’ll be wiping tears from your face as you follow along this treasure of a book’s journey full of hope and second chances.

Two years after the loss of her husband to early Alzheimer’s, Kate is struggling amidst her grief to find her footing as a single mom, widow and sole provider to her five-year-old son Charlie. When unexpected weather strands Kate and her boss, Hugh, for the weekend in a tropical location, Kate may be given a second chance at love. But will she let herself take that risk again?

This book broke me … in a good way. I’ve been grappling with the recent losses of my stepfather and my sister, so this book really tapped into my emotions in such a cathartic way. I appreciate the author’s ability to share her personal story of the loss of her husband, and while the topic of grief can be so deeply sad, this book did not feel overwhelmingly so. I enjoyed each of the characters in this book, but Hugh takes the cake. He was such an intuitive, calm and steady force for Kate’s chaotic, frenzied life. I devoured this book over the weekend and am still reeling from all the feelings this one stirred up.

Thank you Emma Grey, Zibby Books and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this book for an honest review.

A book that will break your heart and make you laugh is rare. Author Emma Grey tackled a tough topic while allowing the reader moments to smile. The notes Kate’s young husband leaves to remind himself of everyday objects, even the name of their son. These notes don’t make sense once his disease progresses. They are just words, letters, marks. Kate has life left to live, a career, a child to raise, but how? And what secret could her husband have possibly wanted kept from her even after he’s gone? An emotional read! You won’t want to put it down!

Author Emma Grey weaved a heartfelt story of love, loss and hope in The Last Love Note. I appreciated how the author addressed sensitive topics in her book with empathy and authenticity. This book will make you cry, laugh and cry more. I was cheering on Kate for her happy ending!

Loved this one! Sweet and heartfelt- you will laugh and you will cry! The characters truly felt like my friends by the end and I couldn’t stop rooting for them.

I wished I like this one more. The idea is a good one - a young widow experiencing grief and possibly opening herself up to love again. As someone who was widowed in her 40s I thought I'd really relate to this one - and that's why I requested it from NetGalley. But both heroes of the story -- the dead husband and the potential new love interest -- are so idealized and seemingly flawless, they didn't feel real. Neither did the single best friend who was always ready to care for the widow's son at the drop of a hat for days on end. The jumping back and forth in time also added to the confusion -- I think that is a device that needs to be used carefully to be effective and in this case I am not sure it was needed. I feel like I am being too harsh and I don't mean to be. I truly think there's a good book somewhere in here but it needs a good editor and probably another draft or two to get to it. Kate and Hugh is the story we want to follow - anything that took us away from what was happening with them felt unneeded and distracting. Maybe if it started when Kate and her boss go on the business trip and go forward from there since the first half of the book didn't really play into the plot...

NOTE: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

TW: Loss of spouse, infertility, miscarriage

“Maybe you need an adult gap year. Sell up, travel, write…see what the world offers you.“

An adult gap year!?! Ummm yes, sign me up.

So this book was much heavier than I thought it would be. The cover gives lighthearted, romcom, happy vibes. This is a much deeper book, deeper than I was ready for. It really gives serious insight to someone trying to navigate the grief process. Grief that the author unfortunately knows about firsthand.

The book is about Kate, a widow and single working mom who is struggling and feeling likes she’s treading water after losing the love of her life Cam. Luckily she has a good support system in her friends and family.

The ending in this one wasn’t really a surprise but for this genre, I really don’t trying surprise is necessary especially because the details about how Kate gets from point A to point B Imwere unique for this genre / trope.

I really wish there was more focus on the “note” aspect of the book though. Kate and Cam had a very bond so I wanted to read more of that.