Like other reviewers, I had a hard time getting into this book. I found the premise to be really intriguing, but the style and execution of the prose was a bit disjointed for me to really dive into

The last post by Renée Carlino⁣
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This book was provided to me by Atria Books through #netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ⁣
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Wow, just wow! I am so glad I stuck with it and read this book entirely. I’m going to begin by saying that about 4 chapters in I was ready to give up. The writing felt rushed and the characters felts one dimensional. However, I see why the author did so. This book isn’t to highlight the characters. There is a character that isn’t human in this book and it’s grief. The main character is grief. Leah was married to a daredevil who lost his life in a tragic stunt. Upon him passing Leah found it hard to love again and even felt guilty if she so as much stopped thinking about Cameron.  Her grief was so difficult that she would still call him and leave him voicemails and facebook posts constantly. Micah an architect that works with her father comes along. Micah is not so smooth talker and tries to help her with her grief in the most cringe worthy ways possible. Though their relationships they found it hard to be on the same page. Their love story isn’t typical or romantic in the least. It’s a love story of loving a widow in the midst of her grief. It’s about finding the beauty in all the ugly and learning how to cope with grief. As we read the story Leah is filled with rage most of the time but if you put yourself in her shoes you can understand why. The trajectory of their relationship was perfect in the sense that what should had happened, HAPPENED. It was so flawed and painful and at times hurtful to read their interactions, but it all made sense when you realize that she was always dealing with grief that comes and goes. Micah was inexperienced and a bit naïve and accepted her flaws regardless of her pain, but he to was flawed and lost patience many times, as any human would. He was awkward and at time cringy and that’s what made him so perfect. My 4 stars was given because the writing could have been a bit more intricate since in the beginning things felt rushed. Great story!⁣

I wanted to really like this book because of the premise of the story. However, I found this book to be disjointed and full of gaps. While I would not expect these two characters to fall into a passionate love affair because of their grief and fears, their chemistry was amiss and in some parts wholly lacking. At the beginning of the story, Micah, the male lead, had this "issue" that I thought was an interesting trait and would have made for some great story. After meeting Laya, the female lead, it all but disappeared and he just didn't do it anymore. That wasn't believable and it let the story fall. Laya, suffered from unimaginable grief and while that was understandable, the way the author had her flit in and out of it didn't really work for the story. It's as if her grief was a side note for the character when it should have been the thing that drove her to do or not do the things she did- and it did just in a half-baked kind of way. Micah's issue and Laya's grief should have propelled the story into a roller coaster of angst and made their connection undeniable but it did not. AT ALL.
I feel as if this story was maybe rushed or big epic parts of the story were taken out. It was disappointing because the story had the makings to be amazing.
And while there was some romance and again, I didn't expect it to be all fiery passion, there should have been a spark between the characters and I felt it was if they were like roommates or buddies. I kept waiting for something to happen in this story-- even at the climax of the story it was if the characters-- Laya especially was going through the motions.
Unfortunately, this story wasn't it for me.
D 2.5/5

I thought the story behind this book was good, but I’m not sure if the execution of it was my way. I was also going through a busy time at work so now it didn’t work for me, but I will give it a 2nd chance when I have more time to spare for it.
I’m gonna put off a rating for now just to keep it safe.

At this time I will not be able to provide an accurate review on this book. I no longer feel like I can provide a honest review since the book is not working for me. I cannot seem to get invested in the narrative.

Unfortunately this is a DNF for me. I tried to read it but for some reason I did not connect with the characters.

I love Renee Carlino but I just couldnt get into this book. Her previous books are amazing. I read the first chapter and the characters just seemed too unrealistic. I couldnt keep myself invested in it. I'm still trying to finish it but not sure if I would be able to.

The writing seems just juvenile.

Unable to read and review by publication date due to other commitments, Will update immediately upon completion. Thank you NetGalley and Publisher,

I’m sad to say this was a DNF for me. I’ve loved all of Carlino’s other books, but the plot of this one did not work for me at all. I found Micah’s behavior disturbing and somewhat stalkerish. Ill still continue to highly recommend her other books, but not this one.

I had such high hopes for this book because Renee Carlino is one of my favorite authors, and an auto-read for me. I was so excited when I saw The Last Post available on Netgalley, and thrilled I had a chance to read it. However, I found parts of it were a bit slow, and I kept waiting for it to speed up. I can't even begin to imagine what Layla went through, and I felt like MIcah went above and beyond for her. Overall, it was a good read, but not my favorite.

DNF at 15%. This book was a miss for me. I couldn’t handle Micah - I was trying to stick with it to see if he would grow on me but the conversation with his sister at 15% was so whiny I couldn’t take it anymore. I need to pass on this one.

I really wanted to like this one as I love Renee Carlino’s previous books. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get into this book and I didn’t find the leading male very likeable. That being said, I will continue to give Renee Carlino books a chance in the future because I’m a big fan of her previous books.

Have you ever read a book you absolutely wanted to love, but didn't? Like wanted it to be 4 or 5 star worthy, but it just.......fell flat? Yea. That's me. With this book right here. I've never read a Carlino novel before and wanted so bad to love this one. I've heard great things about her work, but this book.....just didn't grip me like I wanted it.

Layla's character fell flat for me. Her character lacked depth and felt forced. When I read a novel, I love a character to be so well developed that I become them while reading, and I just didn't feel that with her. However, Micah's character was better and I felt a connection with him. I enjoyed watching him show Layla that life didn't have to be so tragic for her.

Despite the fact that this is a 3 star novel for me, I do still recommend it to others. It could be that I came into Carlino's writing style with the wrong novel, or it could be that I just wasn't open to all she has to offer, and you all may find that you love this story instantly and connect with it. I will be checking out Carlino's other novels in hopes that I love them more.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*

Renee Carlino never disappoints! Finally got to reading her newest novel The Last Post and of course it was a great read. I love all her books and this one I can now check off my list. It was a quick read which I enjoyed. The only thing about this book was that Laya irritated me in some ways just because I wanted her relationship to move along faster with Micah and she kept blowing him off or making him go away. I just wanted to be like WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GET OVER CAMERON HES GONE!
I know it would be hard to lose your husband but that time has passed and its time to move on. Micah was doing whatever it takes for them to be together so I give him all the credit for doing what he could even though Laya kept pushing him away.

Anyways great story. Cant wait for the next book from her!

I received a copy of this in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

I found the book slow at times. I had high hopes, as the summary seemed SO interesting.

This was such an amazing read that I couldn’t put it down. It went everywhere with me. To the doctors office, the dentist, the eye doctor. IT WENT ABSOLUTELY EVERYWHERE. I was so sad when it ended that I immediately went and bought more books from this author!

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly couldn't get into this book. It just fell flat all the way around with the characters and the plot. I was not able to engage, it was a slow disappointing go for me.

I love everything Renée Carlino. So I instantly knew I wanted this one to add to the collection. But I’d have to say it’s probably been my least favorite of hers. I really enjoyed the beginning of the book. But it just slowly started to fade away. It seemed a little rushed in the end as well. I was a little sad since I was expecting so much more from her.

Everyone deals with death differently. Everyone grieves the loss of a loved one differently. Who are we to judge? Laya lost her husband tragically and fell into a deep depression. Laya knew her husband was dead, but she continued to call his cell phone to hear his voice, to leave his daily messages on what was going on in her life. She would post frequently on his Facebook page, reminiscing on things they experienced together. It was a way for Laya to feel close to her husband. It was a way for her to communicate, it was her outlet. Yet, people judged her for it.

Micah Evans works for Laya's father. From the moment his eyes landed on her in the office, he felt a shock to his core. He was drawn to her. He begins to do things to help Laya along the way. Help her remember that life goes on and that is okay to live again. To move on. I don't think he ever stopped and thought about the ramifications of his actions. What if Laya finds out Micah is behind the kind gestures. Would she find is creepy? Would she appreciate him more?

Laya needs to decide if she wants to continue to live in the past, or embrace what is right in front of her. Embrace the present and look forward to the future.

Can Laya open her heart again? Will she continue to allow her past control her future? Is she open to the possibility of allowing Micah in?

The Last Post was a sweet endearing book.

I have read and loved many books by this author. I'm not really sure what happened here. It was way too slow and I had to force myself to continue. I hoped it would get better but it just never did. I just felt very apathetic to the characters.

I liked the blurb but the story fell flat. 3 stars is rather generous but I think it's closer to 3 than 2 so I can live with it.