I was caught up in this book within the first 5 pages. The relationship between Laya and Cameron was adorable. Even though I knew it was doomed, I found myself wanting more of their story. As I continued through the book, that didn't change. I think that their story was much more interesting than that of her and MIcahs. I found Micah to be boring, and kind of whiny. Oh, and completely clueless when it comes to boundaries. The way he pursued Laya was creepy. I think that if they had coincidental meet ups, that would have made me like it better. It was too forced on his end, and Laya was in a very vulnerable state.


I really enjoyed the writers style. I think I am going to check out some other books. But probably wont be reading this one again.

“Three. Two. One... See you on the other side.”
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After loosing her husband in a tragic accident, Laya is drowning in grief and barely existing.
Micha works for her father architectural firm and the moment he meets her he wants to rescue her from the pain.
There is a lot of grief involved and I understand that no many people can relate to the way Laya was handling it, but I guess it’s a process and we all deal with it differently, if you are expecting insta-love this is not the book for you.
There are a lot of mixed reviews about this book but I really like it, it was a fast paced emotional and beautiful story about loss, grief, second chances and love.
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Thank you @netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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“I learned how quickly love could morph into excruciating pain.”
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“life is out of our control; we can’t always hold onto it. It whooshes by us like a subway train that isn’t stopping at our station.”
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“There are times in life when the pendulum swinging between hapiness and sadness begins to slow.”

3.5 Stars. I have read and loved all of Renee's books, so I was very excited for this one. Laya's story just absolutely crushed me, I can't even imagine the pain she was going through, but I think it was expressed really well throughout the book. I fell in love instantly with Micah and was rooting for him so much. I could not put the book down the first half, but the second half did feel a bit rushed to me. Overall, this was a very heartbreaking story, but one with a hopeful ending. Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

I won't be leaving a star rating or normal review for this story. I was unable to complete reading it. I just didn't connect with the characters. I felt the Hero was a little too whiny for my liking. I was rolling my eyes at his inner thoughts for the part I read.

This has nothing to do with the author and her books. I have loved many of her books in the past, I just don't think this one worked for me. I know I will continue to read other books by Renee Carlino. I would also put it out there for other readers to give this book a try, who knows you might really love it.

I'm a big fan of this author. This story hooked me with the first chapter but then not so much. The writing is great, it's a great story. I guess I didn't feel the connection.

3 1/2 "3...2..1...See Ya" Stars

I'm not exactly sure how to approach this review. I am a long-time fan of Renee Carlino's books. Truly, I have loved them all. That said, The Last Post was a more challenging read for me than the ones I've read previously. You're going to think I didn't like this book at all, but I did. I just didn't like it as much as I anticipated. I typically LOVE and want to shout from the rooftops about Ms. Carlino's books. This time, something was missing for me. I found that I had a harder time connecting with both Laya and Micah. I understand that Laya was grieving her husband and probably had some PTSD because she was present when he died. However, even taking that into consideration, I still found that I couldn't make myself relate to her the way I wanted to. Then there was Micah, who was a mess all on his own. I never understood what was behind his mid-life crisis - - the one where he'd grown the beard and retreated to the woods for a time period. Did he go through a depression of his own? What was his trigger? I feel like there was more to him that went unexplained. I did like him though and appreciated that he was trying to reach Laya and soothe her the only way he knew. It just so happened that it was a bit creepy, awkward and somewhat stalkerish. He was sincerely trying though and I can give brownie points for true effort. I was very hot and cold on Micah's relationship with his twin sister. She was much too abrasive for me at times and treated him a little too callously. However, I guess that she redeemed herself at the end but midway through I was definitely not a member of her fan club.

Now let's talk about Cameron, the dead husband. I know he didn't intend to be one but he was such a selfish man. It was evident he loved Laya, but apparently not enough to be around for her for the long haul. I think he already loved thrill-seeking too much by the time he met her. It was in his blood and he couldn't have ever given it up. With such a risky career, he should have had more frank discussions with her regarding what he'd want her to do in the event that he died. That is where he truly failed her because when it happened, she was left spinning with no direction and unclear of how to move forward without him. Given her family history, she needed that direction. I think all the accumulated loss is one reason she had so much difficulty moving forward.

I really felt like this book had so much potential. I liked the premise but sadly, it just fell short for me. However, when I say it fell short, I am rating it on a Renee Carlino scale. This is to say that it is still a good book. I think sometimes my expectations are set too high. There were still many things I enjoyed about the book.

"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."
(Disclosure: The quote above is subject to change as it is from an ARC but I had to share it because I found it to be absolutely beautiful.)

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really disliked this one. Micah came off as creepy and stalkerish. He would leave her tickets to things that she mentions in her FB post to her dead husband. It was just super creepy to me. Micah’s twin sister is so annoying and childish. Laya is so deep in her grief and somehow believes she is responsible for everyone that is around her and involved with her and whether they will live, which doesn’t make any sense since her Dad is still alive and well. I wish I had DNF’d this book. All the characters were unlikeable and the storyline wasn’t great. I do not recommend this book.

I have thoroughly loved and enjoyed every Renee Carlino novels I have read and The last Post rates highly in my book. It is a very touching story that you will certainly enjoy and love. It is captivating and engaging.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the first book by Renee Carlino I have read. I had no idea what to expect from her writing going into this book.
When this book came up for review I jumped at the chance to read it. I love the cover and the blurb had me hooked.
A lot of my rating had to do with the characters. I didn’t like them. Micah was a stalker and not in a nice way. I found him creepy and didn’t like him. I was expecting to do something terrible at any moment.
Layla was no different, I couldn’t relate to her and I found her annoying.
The side characters were no better.
The authors writing was fantastic and I would be interested to read her other books.
Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me.

***ARC received in exchange of an honest opinion***

I came to the conclusion that Renee Carlino's books aren't for me. The other ones I read didn't really impressed me, but reading the blurb for this one (which I hardly ever do and this proves why I should keep that up) I thought this one would be my kind of book, filled with angst and emotions.

And unfortunately I was disappointed. For me, this book lacked the emotion this kind of story should, or could, reach. It wasn't angsty either and that made it really hard for me to connect with the story and the characters.

Speaking of those, the heroine was very frustrating, which is understandable considering what she's gone through, but I felt she frustrated me for other reasons. The same with the hero, he was borderline stalkerish and I just didn't feel anything for him.

The idea of this story is a good one (one I liked in other books with similar tropes), but the overal execution didn't impress me and that is a shame, because it had everything to be my next favorite angst-filled read.

Laya had a whirlwind courtship and marriage to her husband Cameron after meeting at the emergency room she worked at with an injury from his job as a stuntman. It was one of those moments in time where they both knew there was something there between them that they couldn't ignore. Life has been crazy ever since.

‘Are you trying to wink at me?’ I asked. ‘No. I just want to make sure what I’m seeing is real.’ ‘What are you seeing?’ ‘The love of my life.’

Cameron travels all over the world chasing the next thrill and when she can, Laya goes along too. There is huge risk involved in this career choice and although Laya supports him, she has no appetite for the thrill seeing things Cameron does. Her biggest fear becomes a reality when Cameron is tragically killed on the job leaving her a young widow. Devastated at losing him, Laya leaves her job at the hospital and returns back to New York to be closer to her father and figure out how she can live without her beloved Cameron.

‘I just want to know when I’ll stop feeling like a broken tooth walking around with exposed nerves constantly hitting the freezing air. I feel like my skin has been peeled off.’

One thing that helps Laya deal with her loss is to post messages on Cam’s Facebook page. Messages from Laya to Cameron about memories that pop into her head of things they experienced together. Some of them are about things she wished they did and some are just random thoughts. Laya’s father and Cam’s family are not happy about these posts but how can anyone tell someone how to grieve. If this is what Laya needs to do to get through this awful part of her life then so be it.

When Micah first meets Laya he pretty much forgets how to breath, let alone talk. She is the most stunning woman he has ever seen but her evident grief overshadows her beauty. He wants to know everything there is to know about her and he soon finds her posts online to Cameron. He decides to use these as his guide to occasionally be in the same place as Laya and in some instances to make some of her wishes come true. The last thing he wants to do is hurt her or scare her off. He just wants to make her smile and bring some light to her darkness.

‘It was in that moment I understood what falling for someone meant. It had nothing to do with sex, or wanting to feel good. I had already been there. Falling for someone is when you can’t look away. When you know you would never forget what a person looks like. You would never mistake her for someone else.’

Laya genuinely likes Micah’s presence in her life but she struggles with the guilt that comes along with that, like she is betraying Cameron by even having a friendship with him. She knows that she is not ready for anything more right now and she may not be for a long time. However, Micah makes her feel less alone and just knowing that he is there when she needs him gives her comfort.

I love that Micah was a mostly, quiet, keep to himself sort of guy. He didn’t look at Laya as a conquest or someone he could seduce. He saw the pain and anguish in her eyes and just wanted to help make it go away. His intentions were very sweet and although he may not have expressed himself in quite the way he wanted to, I found his honest ramblings so endearing. He definitely felt out of his depth and potentially felt like Laya was out of his league at times but his patient persistence was exactly what she needed.

‘Why are you staring at me?’ I said. ‘It’s hard to look away,’ he replied.

I’ve always believed that you can have more than one great love in a lifetime and Renee does a wonderful job showing this in this heartfelt story. I have loved every book I have read from this talented author and this story was yet another fabulous 5 star read.

Renee Carlino has always been one of my favorite authors. Her books have always made me feel so many emotions and been must reads. When I read the blurb for the Last Post, I was instantly intrigued. The first chapter captured my attention immediately. As I continued to read, I really wanted to love it, but the story fell a little flat for me. I didn’t connect with Micah and Laya was a bit wishy washy for me.

It wasn’t a bad story, the writing is great. I did able to read it quickly. I just wish I left more and connected a little bit more with the characters. This was a 3.5 star read for me.

Laya is a young doctor who navigates her way through loss and heartache with the help of social media and a sexy bearded acquaintance. She learns to heal but will she find peace and be brave enough to love again. This book has everything, loss, love, banter, laughs, a bearded man, and a dog!!
I really enjoyed reading this book by Renee but it was not my most favorite. Swear on this Life is still my all time favorite. I thought this book was still a very worthy read. I just love her writing and her stories. Her books are always so deep and written with so many emotions. I loved the chemistry between Micah and Laya, even though they did not have tons of love scenes together. I liked that this book was not over the top with unnecessary sex scenes but I needed a few more especially with the off the charts chemistry. What was really amazing is the book had a lot of hilariousness with many smart ass lines mixed in with all the heaviness.
The subject matter is heavy but not so heavy that I did not finish reading the book. I love books that have a deep subject matter, I feel those are the books that I get the most out of and remember years later. The best part of reading is being forever changed by a beautiful story. I feel like this was one book I will think about after and has left me changed. There was not very much I did not like about this book, what was my most favorite is that it had a dog. All books are better with a dog in them!
The Last Post had the right amount of sad, happy, funny, and sexy. It was a worthy read with great characters and a cute dog!

Thanks to author for providing this copy through Netgalley

Well, I'm in minority here, I LOVED this story!!!
Poignant, beautifully written, not a cliché, heartwarming book!!
How many people are depressed, feeling all alone while living between millions of people... How many of us felt this way? "Depressed, critical life period, existential crisis..."??? Too many people around Micah didn't get him, were thinking he was nuts.

Heroine was asking SOS!! Sending this SOS to all people around her. But fate has her ways and Micah saw her asking for help. He was her knight in shining armour. Ok, well, he has stalker-ish way to show it, but I get him, I get how he couldn't think about another way to help her. Loved Micah so much!! Tender, caring, faithful, thoughtful... patient
I liked Laya, i understand why she was where she was after tragedy. I liked she decided to be some time alone, away from Micah.
It's not a fluffy champagne sort of story, Kleenex needed. But it was beautiful

I related so much to Laya, and in putting myself in her shoes it broke my heart over and over. But as always, Renee Carlino guides you through a beautiful story of someone who is able to rise up and accept love, despite what's happened in the past. I love Renee's work, and can't wait for what comes next.

This was another good book by Renee it made me laugh it made my cry. I loved the characters that were in the book. I liked how he was helping her get through this but he was also helping himself also.

DNF... This book did not work for me. It was REALLY hard to connect with the characters. The first part of the book seemed to be all over the place. And I'm not a fan of where one of the characters has a dead spouse. Which made it hard to connect with the characters. There was no spark and the hero's personality was just odd. Not someone that I found attractive at all. I love Renee Carlino but it seems that I've been unable to connect with the last three books she's put out.

May be I am a sadist and want to make myself cry. May be thats the reason I chose to read this book inspite of knowing that Renee Carlino always makes me emotional mess with her writings. But I couldn't resist to be honest. Firstly,I have to give to huge shoutout of thanks to Netgalley and the publisher and also the author for the chance to read this heartbreaking book about first love,heartbreak and second chances with the person you least expect to be with.
This book starts with a happy couple, Laya and Cameron. Where it is shown that Cameron is trying very hard to convince Laya to come with him to paris and then be with him when he performs a skii stunt for Red Bull. Cameron and Laya are happily married for a year and are blissfully enjoying their married life. This would be thier third honemoon break. Though Laya hesitates to take off time from her surgery residency,she eventually agrees on the condition that Cameron takes her to see the Louve,inspite of having a very off feeling about this trip. They agree and set off for the land of romanctic adventure. They have a very short but lovely time to themselves there before Cameron had to prepare for his stunt. On the day of the stunt, Both Cameron and Laya felt something different about the situation but Cameron choose to ingore it in favour of adrenaline running through him and as a result he fell of the slope and was dead on impact.


//“Count me down,” he whispered, just loud enough for me to hear over the gusting wind.
“Three,” I paused.
“Come on, Laya, you must be hypothermic by now. Hurry up.”
“Two. One. See ya.” He winked, pulled down his goggles and said, “See ya.” Then he was gone."//

This scene was actually horrible to witness. Was a sobbing mess and could not see proper the lines I was reading. Laya made a count down for Cameron and Cameron promesed to see her on the "other side" only to crash and die leaving Laya without her soulmate. The girl was rightfull miserable. She quit her residency and came back to her home-city New York where she lived in a rented unit offered to her by the architectural firl her father owns.
Now after six months of this incident, we get to meet the "Golden Boy" -Harvard Graduate architect Micah, who was miserable state working in a conflicted environment under co-partners of Laya's father's firm. He got to meet Laya when she came to visit the office with her father. Something in both of them clicked.

//"I know I’ve never met you, but we know each other?"//

Micah architect with a huge ambition which was getting lost admist the offce work ethics environment. He was like a lost boy whose passion was getting put off and in Laya,he saw something that needed his attention. When he found out that Laya posts almost regularly on her husband's "facebook page",he started to follow her posts. He bought her tickets to " The Nationals"
which he left at her doorsteps anonymously and then sat beside her at the program.He sent her roses,metrocards,took her to see a movie while they made out. They also had sex at a bar where Micah went in hope to see Laya after reading her Facebook post. In a nutshell, Micah slowly and very steadily took Laya out of her mourning period.It was hard,not perfect and never easy to start a new life without the person whom you thought you will spent the rest of your life with. Whom you promised to grow old with. There was always a basic flaw with Cameron. He was a adrenaline junkie. A classified thrill seaker which came with a life full of danger. And Laya realised it too but unfortunately it was too late to do something about it.

//"In my mind, I was back in that French chalet begging Cameron not to do the stunt. Deep down, just like his mother said, I knew Cameron lived for it, and had I asked him not do what he loved, he would have resented me."//

What happened next you ask...haha. It was a a beautiful journey. Even I stopped crying and enjoyed my ride with Laya,Micah,the amazing secondary characters and ofcourse Cameron,because thats the moral of the story. You can find the love of your life both times. Thier love to you may be different but its a love for life all the same.


//"I got to have two great loves in my life. One was a little nuts, a little unpredictable, a spontaneous spirit too wild to restrain, and the other  .  .  . a deep and introspective, thoughtful being with magnificent eyes who loved the stars and space right alongside me. I will always look back and think of Cameron as that rocket ship, shooting for the stars, and Micah  .  .  . well  .  .  . he’s like mission control, guiding me home. Both easy to love, both loved me  .  .  . and I never had to choose."//


This is a beautiful love story. A second chance to love and live a life you thought you will never get to live. Micah got to design his own building after he landed the account he always wanted. Laya remarried. It was Micah. She also finished her residency and gradually became a top surgeon. She also scattered last part of Cameron's ashes. She learnt to let the pain go and have a future that she deserves with the person she loves. This is a beautiful book and if you love "P.S. I love you",Me Before You", then you should definately read it.....xoxo🧡💛

I have been reading this author since she was an indie author. I have read all of her books. I have liked or loved pretty much all of them. I always go into her books with such high expectations.

I struggled with this book. At times I liked it, and at times I found myself disinterested in it. This book is such a slow moving and a mostly depressing story, it's hard to stay focused on it.

I didn't care for the characters in this one. I definitely didn't like Laya. I was so-so with Micah. And I definitely didn't feel the chemistry or connection with them. They were just two characters going about their days, sometimes interacting with one another.

This definitely didn't feel like the author's usual writing. It felt more lacking in emotion than all of her previous books. And this book should have been all about emotions. My overall impression of this book is blah. (And it kills me to say that.)

3.5 Stars

Carlino's talent to spin a tale and convey her words with such style has always enthralled me, so it's not difficult to imagine how excited I was when the publisher sent me the ARC via NetGalley.

I really wanted to like Leyla and it niggled me to bits that I didn't connect with her until nearly the end of the story. I tried to put myself in her shoes in an attempt to understand why she reached out to a lost one the way she did. Logically, sorrow consumed her; however, it did seem a tad odd for someone in her profession to cling memories in such an obsessive manner. It all felt rather illusory to me.

I really liked Micah and gave this lovely guy ten out of ten for his steadfast patience. He set eyes on Leyla and that was that! She was the one he'd been dreaming of, like a sign to get out of the rut he'd got himself into and start anew. Even though he was on the receiving end of something confusing, he quickly became aware that specific boundaries weren't to be crossed. Yet him pushing so subtly paid off to a certain degree. This gentle and compassionate man began to tap into Leyla's subconsciousness, occasionally making her reflect on what could be, other times causing her deep distress.

You see, there’s a lot to be said about social media. You post, it’s read. Is this considered to be stalking? I can’t answer that because sometimes I like to check out what my authors are up to. Was Micah overstepping the mark by reading what Leyla uploaded? It is indeed food for thought. What she was doing showed me she’d hit rock bottom and rebuilding her life was the last thing on her mind.

It's not until disaster struck that Leyla realized just how important Micah had become to her. Yet she still held back...hmm, I don't think Micah's twin sister helped here. Honestly, I would have run a mile, too. I often wondered if the wide berth Micah had given Leyla would backfire on him. It was her call, so he has no option but to play the waiting game. One thing is for sure. It was like a wake-up call for Leylah, and going back to her job meant putting things into perspective.

Carlino's character development left me with my mouth wide open. How twins can be so different, how one can be so sensible and sensitive and the other...well, I honestly thought she'd got a screw loose. But one thing is for sure, neither can live without the other. I had an awful lot of trouble getting my head around some of the comments Micah's sister made and not just to her brother. If it was her idea of playful banter, she lost me there.

Observing how Leylah overcame feelings of crippling emptiness and how she learnt to cope with her emotions...even when faced with a few home truths, didn’t make for easy reading. However, Carlino gets home to her readers that hope and the will to carry on regardless is the key. The tone of the story changed three-quarters of the way in with some damn good dialogue lightening up the mood, and I have to say Pretzel, the dog, tickled me pink!