This is the first standalone of Beatriz Williams I’ve read and I am in awe!! It is beautifully written and well researched for aviation and the time period of the 1930’s/1940’s. The ladies, Irene and Janey, are strong and independent! Their stories were woven together by solving the mystery of Sam Mallory’s disappearance. A wonderful read! Thank you to Book Club Early Program, William Morrow, and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest review.

This story about a famous female flyer that disappeared is layered with a story of a woman trying to find answers in her own life. Secrets and love and finding answers in order to live life.

First let me introduce myself. My name is Lynne and I love to read. Reading is an escape for me so fiction is my choice. I was honored to get to read Beatriz Williams early release of Her Last Flight. I found myself confused early on due to some time jumps. Going back and planting the time line in my mind set me off on a thrilling “flight” of mystery and intrigue. Though this book is fiction I found myself thinking of the early flights of Amelia Earhart. Imagine my surprise when in the authors notes she mentions Ms. Earhart. I’ve read most of Beatriz’s book and hands down this is my favorite thus far. The story starts in California where we meet the two most central characters in the story, Irene Foster and Mr. Mallory. It is 1928. From the start I could actually feel how these two separate people would and did come together. They meet one day surfing and due to car trouble Irene was taken by Mr. Mallory to his place of work.....an airfield. Air hangers, men in coveralls and planes. From the moment Irene saw Mr. Mallory fly she know she wanted to do the same. From there you have a love story for the ages. In the time jump you met a photojournalist who is hungry for a story on Mr. Mallory’s life. To do so she must find Irene. What she finds and the story that unfolds I promise will have you reading into the night.

I just could not get into the book. I usually like this author’s work, but very slow to begin and did not care for the two main characters. I would not recommend, even though others seemed to have loved the book.

Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollinsPublishers and the Book Club Girl Early Read program for an advanced copy of Her Last Flight in Exchange for my honest review.

LOVED Her Last Flight!!! I am a big Beatriz Williams fan and Her Last Flight is her best stand alone book. Told in the view of photojournalist Janey in 1947 and aviators Irene Foster/Samual Mallory in 1937 this unfolds into a story of aviation escapades, long lost questions, digging up the past and doing a wonderful job of combining historical fiction with strong females plus a few twists and turns.

The first few chapters were a little slow and once I got over my how close is this to Amelia Earhart holdup I didn't want to put it down! It comes out on June 30th so go pre-order it now!

I eagerly anticipate each new Beatriz Williams novel, and the current book, “Her Last Flight,” does not disappoint. With her unique blend of scintillating dialog, intriguing stories, and well-drawn characters filled out by nuances of gestures and facial expressions, this book is a delight to read.

The narrative alternates between two perspectives--that of photojournalist Janey Everett in 1947 and two mysterious aviators, Irene Foster and Samuel Mallory, whose story begins in 1937. Everett is searching for details about Samuel Mallory, who fought in the Spanish Civil War and has been missing, presumed dead since 1937. She discovers what appear to be the remains of his airplane in an isolated portion of Spain, together with a desiccated body and Samuel Mallory’s journal.

Everett’s quest to find details of Foster and Mallory’s story continues with a journey to a remote island in Hawaii, where Everett makes contact with Irene Linquist, the owner of a small airline. Everett believes Irene Linquist is Sam Mallory’s missing former pupil and presumed lover, Irene Foster. In the ensuing story, Everett attempts to ferret out clues from the very private Irene Linquist.

What unfolds is an intriguing story of how Irene Foster met Sam Mallory and became his pupil and fellow aviator, making a succession of famous dare-devil flying escapades across the globe. Were they lovers? Did they both perish in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War? Everett pursues these and other questions during the course of these alternating narratives. Each chapter reveals a little more about each of the three protagonists but the reader can never be sure whom to trust….

Enjoyable read encompassing two different alternating time periods. It took me a few chapters to get the rhythm of the book, but after that it kept my interest until the end.

This book is about a female pilot. The book goes between the present time and between the past. The woman meets a famous male pilot while surfing and learns to fly Years later, a photojournalist finds the female pilot and says she is writing a book about the male pilot. The book tells the story of the photojournalist, as well. I really enjoyed reading this book.

What a great story. I certainly didn’t anticipate where the story went. The weaving of the characters was amazing, as always. Another great book— don’t hesitate to read it!

This is a typical Beatriz Williams read with strong female leads & historical accuracy. The story alternates between Janey Everett, a photojournalist in the 1940's who is researching the famous aviator Sam Mallory & Irene Foster/Lindquist, a famous aviatrix whose story is told in flashbacks to the 20's & 30's. Irene is loosely based on Amelia Earheart, but she is more a composite of women flyers of that time period & the plot is purely fictional.

The novel was a little bit long for my taste, but it really takes off (pardon the pun)near the end & reaches a satisfying conclusion with a nice juicy twist. Being a history junkie, I of course enjoyed learning more about this era, especially what was going on in Spain in the 1930's of which I knew little.

Beatriz Williams continues to impress me with her novels (though I am a bit partial to her collaborations with Karen White & Lauren Willig). I can't wait to see what she puts out next

As a huge fan of Beatriz Williams writing, I tried everything possible to get an ARC of this book. Finally, I was successfully, and immediately started reading. To say that this is a great read is a gross understatement. “Her Last Flight” is loosely based on Amelia Earhart. There are obvious physical similarities and story parallels which add depth and excitement to the story by being familiar, yet new to the reader. That being said, Irene Foster’s story is her own and is told brilliantly. Irene Foster meets pilot Sam Mallory on a California beach after a morning of surfing. Irene’s car won’t start, and they both conclude that it is a bad spark plug. Sam is on his way to the air field to prepare for a show. Irene tags along with the promise of a new spark plug for her car. What follows life changing for both. Irene falls in love with flying, and Sam falls in love with Irene. The story is told in dual timeline by Janey Everett, a photojournalist who is writing a book about Sam Malloy. The past time line is interestingly told in the form of excerpts of Janey’s book “The Aviatrix”. Throughout the book, there is a sense that something is brewing under the surface. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but I knew that every part of the story was important, and that I must be vigilant while reading so that I didn’t miss anything. The story lines are expertly woven so that the twists are both a surprise while making perfect sense. This is a five star read, without a doubt. It will be released June 30, don’t miss it. Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of this wonderful book by one of my favorite authors.

I always enjoy the books of Beatriz Williams and Her Last Flight started out to be just as promising as her previous books. Chapters alternating between different characters and time periods is a signature technique of Williams and always has me taking notes at the start until I become familiar with who everyone is. The characters, setting and time period were all written well but at some point, early on, the story seemed a little slow and I wasn't sure I'd finish. I pushed on and the story did eventually, take off in a big way. There were twists and surprises that kept me guessing how it all would end and how everything tied together. After the slow start, this was a real page-turner and I really enjoyed it.

Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams is an amazing historical fiction gem that alternates between two female characters in two different timelines ( 1947ish with Janey Everett and late 1920s-1937 with Irene Foster/Lindquist).

The author gives the reader insight into both strong, fierce, and fiery women in each alternating chapter and weaves an intricate and intriguing story where the reader learns all about both Irene and Janey through their upbringing, background, passions, failures, flaws, triumphs, and harrowing journeys to “land” them both where they are at the culmination of their paths to the final, and stunning conclusion. Though these women seem to be very different at first, as one reads the tale impressively woven by Ms Williams, we learn that they are more similar and have far more in common by the way of the charismatic, charming, imperfect yet somehow perfect, and undeniably fascinating Sam Mallory pilot and daredevil extraordinaire.

The plot (which the reader can read from the synopsis itself) is unique and fascinating. I loved learning more about planes, aerodynamics, some of the history of aviation and its progress into mainstream media during the 30s-40s. I also truly enjoyed reading the subject matter regarding the female role, introduction, and brake throughs into this male dominated field. I have a soft spot for seeing strong women that are determined to overcome the mountains and barriers to be able to access and succeed in fields that were originally “off limits” to women.

This book has it all: romance, history, family, loyalty, love, gut-wrenching losses, and perseverance to overcome any obstacles.

Despite their faults, I found I was drawn to Janey and Irene and actually loved them both more because of it all. I rooted for them, I shed tears, and I smiled at the amazing twist and positivity perfect ending. I was riveted to this book from page 1 all the way to the perfect end. Nothing else could have possibly fit as well as this was truly a satisfying ending.

This book most definitely receives 5/5 stars. I have been a huge fan of Ms Williams from the beginning, and this latest novel did not disappoint. You will truly enjoy it!

Thank NG and William Morrow/ Harper Collins for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

Thank you again!

Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams is a historical fiction novel inspired by Amelia Earhart and the many “extraordinary women and men at the frontiers of aviation.” In 1947, Janey Everett of the Associated Press travels to a remote village in Hawai’i to track down Irene Foster, the legendary aviatrix who went missing a decade ago during her race around the world. Janey believes that Foster is the key to her research on Sam Mallory, a talented aviation pioneer who was Foster’s teacher and flyer partner. Slowly, Janey uncovers intimate details of Foster’s career and relationship with Mallory… but not everything is as she expected.
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Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams is a masterpiece. The novel alternates between two timelines -- Janey Everett in 1947 and Irene Foster from 1928-1937 -- to tell the story of the famous aviatrix. Words cannot do this story justice, cannot accurately articulate the beauty and raw emotion created by Williams’s words. Her Last Flight is perfect for any lover of Amelia Earhart, aviation, and strong women, of romance, mystery, and historical fiction. A beautiful story of loss and regret, love and hope, Her Last Flight will tug *hard* on your heartstrings. Do yourself a favor and pick up this novel when it releases on June 30th.
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thank you to William Morrow, HarperCollins Publishers, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not sure I possess the vocabulary to express how much I loved this book. Beatriz Williams showcases her immense talent yet again, turning her eye toward the women flyers in the early years of human flight. She states that she drew inspiration from the story of Amelia Earhart, but I sensed a lot of influence of others, especially Ruth Elder. It was great to experience this age in the eyes of the women who made history.

The plot was just as solid as the characters and was engaging through the end. I remember gasping several times towards the end as some unexpected reveals occurred.

This should fly to the top of any historical fiction fan's to-read pile.

A great non-fiction companion to this would be <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37488430-fly-girls?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=2P1Sh9ffrN&rank=2">Fly Girls</a>. You'll see how women like Ameila Earhart, Ruth Elder, Ruth Nichols and others influenced this story.

The time travel from chapter to chapter becomes clear after the first few, and starts to weave the story together. The early aviators in the 1920's were a fearless bunch. And being a woman meant you had to be even more fearless to deal with the male-dominated arena.

Irene Foster surfs at dawn in California. She meets Sam Mallory, a famed pilot and stunt flyer. Their relationship develops around Sandy, the lost and found cat from the beach. He fosters her desire to fly, as she tries to deal with her alcoholic father.

Eugenie Everett isa reporter digging up facts about Mallory's last flight,. She uses all her skills to locate Irene who has become hard to find. The unraveling of their story takes the reader into the world of the early aviators and what that world was like for these pioneers in the sky.

Keep reading and find out all the secrets!

Not one of her better books. Or maybe I have read too many of her novels. I found myself speed reading to get to the end. Sorry, I really wasted to like it.

I am a huge Beatriz Williams fan, so of course, I enjoyed this novel. This is the story of Janey Everett, a photojournalist who is obsessed with the disappearance of aviator Sam Mallory and his aviatrix partner Irene Foster. It calls to mind the endless search for Amelia Earhart, but that is where the resemblance ends.

It is the complex story of how seemingly disconnected lives are ultimately joined. Janey’s search takes her around the world and brings her to Hawaii. It is here that she uncovers the mysteries of the missing couple and those of her own life.

Williams’ heroines are always delightful, tough talking and smart. Janey fits this mold. The reader is given 2 stories, that of SAM and IRENE and that of Janey unfurling the truth of what really happened. There are plenty of twists and a wonderful sense of closure as all the loose ends are knit together.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this novel by one of my favorite authors.