After a whirlwind first year of marriage, Laya is suddenly and tragically a widow. Retreating from work, family and friends, Laya is mired in grief and finds solace in leaving messages for Cameron, her deceased husband, on his phone and his Facebook page. Despite pleas from his family to stop the posts, which they consider hurtful, Laya can’t seem to stop.

Micah works for Laya’s father’s architectural firm and seems to be at a crossroads himself. He feels a disconnect with his friends and a sense of pointlessness to his work and his everyday life. When he meets Laya he’s immediately drawn to her. He knows she is a widow and, when he comes across her posts to her deceased husband, he feels compelled to somehow help her. Taking cues from her posts, he begins to slowly get to know Laya and a relationship (of sorts) forms.

I was excited to dive into The Last Post because I have loved several of Carlino’s books in the past. She has such a gift for emotional storytelling. Unfortunately, it was the emotion that was missing from this one for me. I didn’t feel a connection with either Laya or Micah, and at times I wasn’t even sure I felt a real connection between the two of them. In the beginning I wasn’t sure what to make of Micah or what his motivations were. It wasn’t clear to me whether he was altruistic or was trying to fulfill some need in himself.

Both Laya and Micah were living very small, insular lives – disconnected from the world and the people around them. I liked how together they both started to rejoin the world. Laya was finally able to start moving past her grief and Micah was coming out of… whatever it was he was going through. Honestly, I never did really understand what his issues were or what was troubling him. Laya struggled to come to terms with Cameron’s failings and recognize that neither he, nor their marriage, had been perfect. It was satisfying to see her come out of her shell and be willing to move forward.

While I didn’t feel emotionally invested in Laya and Micah’s story, and I missed that emotional punch that I’ve come to count on from Carlino, there’s no denying that she is a gifted storyteller. I love her writing style and I love her ability to tell a story about real people facing real challenges. Her stories always feel authentic and never gimmicky. If you enjoy stories that focus on overcoming loss, second chances and moving on, give The Last Post a chance.

I am sad to say that The Last Post did not work for me.

The grief representation was done really well but unfortunately made this a pretty sad book and it eclipsed any romance that was present.

Both Laya and Micha's characters were SUPER messy and I didn't really care for either of them. I felt sad and sorry for both of them many different times throughout the book.

The writing was what I expect from a R.C. novel. Readability was easy but some of the internal dialogue/exposition from Laya felt out of place, as though it was added in response to an editorial note.

I loved most in this book was Melissa and Micha's back and forth. Melissa's character brought a much needed levity to the story. I'd actually like to read a book about her.

I've read all of Renée Carlino's books, and I've never doubted this author's ability to weave the sort of romances that capture your attention and stay with you even after you're done reading them. Her writing has been consistently at par with my high expectations, and the same can be said for her latest standalone. Where The Last Post falters, however, is the story line itself as well as any sort of connection I felt for either of the main characters, save for one character and he just happens to be the one that passes away tragically soon after the first few pages.

The blurb for this novel took hold of me, and I was prepared for a great deal of angst and an extraordinary story of finding love a second time around. I can check the angst part off of my check list; the extraordinary love story, not so much. In all of Laya's grief over losing Cameron, the connection between her Micah was lost, making it difficult for me as a reader to form the sort of connection with either one of them to make me emotionally invested in their happily-ever-after. There was so much stepping forward and then leaping back, that it did become rather tiresome.

There is a certain point very late in the book where things do seem to fall into place, with the pacing quickening and the development of the relationship between Laya and Micah making actual progress instead of this back and forth of progression and regression. From there, everything becomes a smoother read, one where I did feel a spark between the characters as well as a spark of interest on my part. Renée Carlino's writing is impressive as always, and that, as well as the last quarter of this standalone romance novel, I've decided to award The Last Post 3.5 stars. ♥

How do you move on after your husband dies? Not only dies, but dies violently with you as a witness… Well, you fall apart and wallow in despair.
Laya is a bright and ambitious doctor. She has a plan, and it doesn’t include marriage to a daredevil. Cameron is charismatic, and his zest for life pulled this reader and Laya into his vortex. Unfortunately, he didn’t defy death on the stunt in the opening act of this book. Even more gruesome is the fact that Laya is there; she is a witness to her lovely husband’s horrifying, untimely death. I melted when Cameron and Laya said “three, two, one, see ya’ on the other side”. Such a cute little thing between a couple that turned into something dark.
Between losing her husband and witnessing his demise, her grief consumes Laya to the point of neurotic posts on her late husband’s Facebook page and to his cell phone.

Micah is an architect who works in Laya’s father’s firm. He’s in a funk. He is not being giving credit for his work, and he is frustrated to the point of giving up. He is in the middle of a personal and professional existential crisis. When he starts obsessing over Laya on social media, he gets out of his own head in order to try to get Laya out of hers.

Ms. Carlino is truly respectful of loss as she flays open Laya’s emotions. She also lays Micah open for perusal as he reinvents himself. I love that Micah’s family brings a much-needed lightness to a story that is essentially about loss, grief and moving on. While I didn’t fully embrace either main characters or their relationship, I did appreciate the life preserver they provided one another.

I really wanted to like this book. But I just could not connect with the characters, and the story dragged as a result.

Six months after her husband’s death, Laya is still communicating with him through his Facebook page. Micah, who works with Laya’s dad, feels a strong connection to her and begins to respond in person to the things that Laya’s writing about. Bringing her flowers, taking her to her favorite noodle place....

The whole time, I kept hearing the Police song “I’ll Be Watching You” in my mind and thought Micah was more stalker than romantic. And Laya attacking him for random sex in a bar bathroom five minutes after meeting? No thanks. I just could not get behind caring for them as a couple.

The only other R.C. book I’ve read is Blind Kiss, which I thought was phenomenal. And I have friends who devour every R.C. book they get their hands on. I’m hoping that this was just an off read for me. I received an advanced copy via NetGalley and the publisher and voluntarily left a review.

The main character, Laya, unexpectedly loses her husband in a accident when he was performing a stunt. She later meets Micah an architect at her fathers firm. He become completely smitten with her and starts stalking her posts she puts on her husbands Facebook page. While he tries to help her he inadvertently pushes her away.
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Laya has a hard time letting him in and Micah is very patient with her when it comes to giving her space so she can drive. There is a push and pull between them. I really wanted to love this book especially because it had so much potential but I felt like something was missing. I went in thinking that it would be a book that would make incredibly sad but I didn’t feel much. I didn’t hate it but I just wish I would have been able to enjoy it more.
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Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for my review copy!

Not my favorite Carlino book. I didn't love the story or the characters and had a tough time sticking with this in the middle.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

“You make me feel alive because there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than right here, talking to you, missing one train after another.”

Novels about grief, overcoming grief and falling in love again are pretty tricky. You never know what route the author will take and if the new beginning will be satisfactory. The Last Post was my first novel by Renée Carlino and I loved it! It was refreshing to have two broken characters find themselves and find love at the same time.

“I just want to know when I’ll stop feeling like a broken tooth walking around with exposed nerves constantly hitting the freezing air.”

Laya Bennet is broken after the loss of her husband. She’s grieving in the way she seems most fit for her and struggling with putting herself back together. Posting on her late husband’s Facebook page is the only way she can feel closer to him. My heart went out to her every single time she posted on Facebook and every time she called his cellphone just to hear his voice on his recorded message. It felt very real, the way the author had us in her head, grieving and trying to get through another day.

“You know those moments where you think, ‘I know I’ve never met you, but we know each other?’ This was one of them.”

Micah Evans is an introvert. He’s awkward and adorable. He’s never had a real romantic relationship in his life, so when he meets Laya and is absolutely taken by her, he has no clue how to react or what to make of his feelings. Watching Micah trying to get closer to Laya was at times cringe-worthy, but in a cute way. He was just so unbelievably clueless and awkward that at times all I could think was “poor baby” and I would literally feel embarrassed for him. Even with that, he was so sweet, transparent, and patient with his feelings that I couldn’t help loving him.

“Scars are a testament to the love and the relationships I had for and with each person. And if the scar is deep, so was the love. So be it. Scars are a testament to life.”

This story shows us how there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel, there’s always another chance at love, and that healing is a process which some people may go through quicker than others. Laya and Micah’s healing processes were for different reasons, but by finding each other they began to slowly heal and find love.

*A huge thanks to Atria Books and Wildfire Marketing Solutions for providing me with a copy of this book for review through NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.*

Heartfelt, emotional story with a touch of head scratching!
This book was a unique and emotional story with some unique twists, that had me scratching my head as I was reading it.
He did that and she did what?
The blurb of this book pulled me in and overall I enjoyed this book. The writing was strong and compelling.
The story begins with a fairytale marriage that endures a tragic moment that changes the course of Laya’s life. As she struggles with her grief she does what many people do now a days...she turned to social media!
What develops as a result, had me creeped out, but I couldn’t not read to discover what happened next. Honestly, this is where a startling new development, made me not find the characters too believable or relatable.
However, I’m glad I kept reading because they redeemed themselves. I was drawn in by these characters and how their story evolved!
I couldn’t put this book down.
Micah has some struggles of his own and how they manifest themselves had me wanting to shut down all my social media accounts.(but I didn’t)
This book truly pulled at my emotions and made me think about what would I do point with a devastating loss.
This is a story of grief overcoming loss and new beginnings.
What happens?
What’s the end result?
Read it and find out!!

I am a huge fan of Renee Carlino - she writes brilliantly and beautifully. This story no different, however, I just did not connect with these characters this time around.

The story starts off with Laya & Cameron - they are young and in their first year of marriage. I adored Cameron - his personality, his adventurous lifestyle and especially the way he loved Laya. I swooned hard over this man. When tragedy strikes - it was tough to swallow, and although I did like Micah - who Laya meets through her dad's business, I was still hung up on her & Cameron.

I did not connect with Laya's character on a level with her being with Micah. I actually loved his relationship with his sister more - it provided comic relief and an upbeat feeling that this book desperately needed to keep going.

Although this was not one of my favorites by Renee Carlino - I am still a loyal fan and will continue to read her books!

Unfortunately, I didn’t finish this book. It had an interesting plot, It had a lot of promise, but it didn’t work well for me. I’m sure other readers will enjoy the ups and downs. I wasn’t connecting with the characters at all. I’m a mood reader, so I’d say give the book a chance see what you think.

I've been a huge fan of Carlino these last few years, so I was really excited when I saw she had a new novel coming out. She always has a way of bringing out all of the emotions in me with her novels, and The Last Post was no exception. It was definitely a lot more emotional than some of her other reads, but in a really good way. I really enjoyed the characters and their relationships and they all seemed complex in their own way. There were a few times where the novel seemed a bit cliche, but it always kept me coming back for more in the end. All in all, it was an entertaining read and I would highly recommend it to readers of romance and women's fiction. Thank you to NetGalley for sending this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Laya thought that she was never going to experience something as soul shattering as losing her mother at the age of three. She built her life around all the things that she could truly count on like her dad and finally finishing her residency. All of that changes the very day that Cameron Bennett lands in her ER.

Cameron is a beautiful star that blazed across her sky and burned out far too quickly. Laya is once again left with only questions and infinite sorrow. Pouring her heart out on his Facebook page is her way of screaming into the void. If only someone could give her the answers…

“Marriage was the last thing on my mind. But then I met Cameron. I thought he would prove me wrong despite all the risks he took. He convinced me he’d always be there. I was dumbstruck in love for just a little while. And then he, too, was gone, and I found myself alone once again, doubting that love could ever possibly be worth the pain.”

Micah Evans is one of the only nice guys left in NYC. At twenty-nine, he’s still drowning in debt from an ivy league education and completely over one-night stands.

It’s just his luck that the girl of his dreams turns out to be his boss’s only daughter and she’s lost in grieving for her dead husband.

He tries everything he knows to pull her out of her never-ending anguish because he can in her see a love worth fighting for. But sometimes even all of the love in the universe just isn’t enough.

“She started to walk away without saying good-bye. I was frozen in place, trying to find the right words that would make her stay. When she made it to the elevator and pressed the button, it occurred to me that I might not get another opportunity to talk to her… to convince her to give me a chance. I walked quickly toward the elevator. As she stepped in and turned around. Our eyes locked. I prevented the door from closing with my arm.
Laya spoke first. “I’m scared.”
“Of what?”
Of everything. I’m scared to let him go. And… I’m scared to fall in love.”
“I’m scared, too.”
She closed her eyes. A tear ran down her cheek. I reached out and wiped it away with my thumb, but she stepped back.
“Go be with your family,” she said.
Stay with me. We can be scared together.
I kept my eyes on her as stared at the floor. Just as the doors closed, she lifted her head, meeting my gaze with a gut-wrenching sadness in her eyes.”

Renée Carlino is one of those authors that I can always count on to deliver an emotional punch with a velvet touch. The Last Post begins in fabulous Carlino fashion, but somehow, its true heart gets lost in a sea of despair.

Laya is mired under so much grief that it was difficult for me, as a reader, to see anything beyond it. But it is Micah that is a light at the end of the tunnel. He is by far my favourite part of the story with his patience, vulnerability and his unforgettable snarky relationship with his twin sister. He deserved a great ending.

And Renée delivers it just in time with poignant style…

Renee Carlino has been a go to author for me since her first book. She has a way telling a story and captivating you with her characters.

Layah is a widow after losing her husband. Cameron was a daredevil and she was the complete opposite. She has no family around to lean on while she’s grieving. Her mother died when she was a young girl and her dad lives on the other side of the Untied States. After hitting rock bottom is now living in the same town as her father and not doing much with her life.

Micah is an architect who works in the Layah’s father’s company. He is a player and does one-night stands. He is trying to change and after meeting Layah he wants to be there for her. He is trying to work his way into her life but she is reluctant because she is still trying to heal.

I enjoyed this book and way Renee Carlino tells the story.

Upon reading the premise of “The Last Post’” I found myself immediately intrigued and quite eager to delve between the pages of Renee Carlino's newest novel. But as much as I wanted to love this story, it ultimately fell short of my high expectations.

While I still liked the overall concept, it was the execution that I had trouble with. Boasting characters that I found un-relatable and annoying, I couldn’t see past their faults to form any true connection or to fully immerse myself in Laya and Micha’s quirky & highly bizarre love story.

Still, “The Last Post is not without its merits. There just aren’t enough of them to boost this story from mediocre to great.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early review copy for my honest review.

I'm a huge fan of Renee Carlino but The Last Post fell a little short for me. I had a hard time connecting with some of the characters especially Laya and the overall story. With that being said I will always read Renee's work. She is a beautiful story teller... this one just wasn't my cup of tea.

I thought this was a beautifully written story and the premise was really different. I enjoyed the storyline and the idea. However, that being said, I would give this more of a 3.5 stars due to I really struggled with the characters at that time. I didn't quite get that connection. I do adore Renee Carlino's writing though and I am still so excited to see what she has in store next.

3.5 Stars

Laya is struggling with the biggest loss of her life and spiraling out of control. Nothing seems to be bringing her back from the darkness. Wondering if maybe she is some how to blame for all the bad in her life. When someone tries to silently reach out to her to help her move forward.

Micah is a successful architect who seems to have life all together on the outside but is secretly fighting on the inside. When he decides to try and reach out to his bosses daughter to help her with grieving. He never expected to fall in love with her. But he is willing to wait as long as she needs.

Will Laya and Micah find there way to each other? Will she let go of her grief and move forward?

** Advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review. **

This was my first read by Renee Carlino and have to say I was a. tad bit disappointed :(.

The Last Post was a strange and sad romance to say the least. It definitely had me emotional in this tale but felt the romance was just all over the place and did things backwards. The majority of the story was about the grief and loss which was the ENTIRE book. This was a tad bit too heavy for my liking and just felt a bit more depressing then I wanted it too.

The characterization was weak which I struggled with completely. One of the main characters was borderline stalkerish and lacked boundaries in the entire story. I had a hard time believing the romance between the two and just was disappointing to me.

I can't say that I would read something again by this author.

Thank you to Atria for the arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date: 8/20/19
Published to GR: 8/19/19

2.5 stars for me on this one.

3.5 stars

Laya becomes a young widow when her husband’s daredevil career leads to a tragic accident. She becomes mired in her grief, unable to move through the stages of grief at a pace those around her deem acceptable. Micah works for Laya’s father and finds himself floating through the motions. He has entered a sort of crisis of self as he loses sight of what he wants out of his life and career. A brief meeting with Laya has Micah intrigued and he begins to come back into himself as he pursues her. But she isn’t ready for a relationship, she hasn’t moved on from her last. Micah agrees to a friendship, but can’t help wish he could help her process her grief faster.

Laya’s love for Cameron was all consuming. She doesn’t know how to move on when he’s gone and finds herself using present tense still to describe him. She is fragile and the people around her aren’t sure how to help her grieve.

I struggled with parts of this story. I loved the premise, but there were aspects of Micah’s actions that felt overbearing and as if he was taking advantage of the situation (though he means well in everything he does). I kept reading despite my misgivings, and am glad I did as enjoyed the conclusion.

This was a story full of grief and the consequences of staying in one place for too long. I was prepared for an emotional drain, but I guess I was hoping to feel more of a connection building between the two main characters. They finally hit a point where their chemistry was believable, but I felt like I had to hang on to the story longer than usual to get there.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.