Her Last Flight was a fun, breezy read with two strong, well developed female characters at its core.

The novel is set during the heyday of aviation with Irene Foster, a character loosely based around the one and only Amelia Earhart. Then, we alternate chapters, flashing forward to the 1940s with Eugenia Everett, a journalist trying to find out the fate of the missing pilots that were once so famous. The best part is that you are placed in the time period with a feminist lens - a female aviatrix that is uplifted by the males in her life but is reminded that she rose to fame by her own skill and strength.

Beatriz is a masterful writer of character, beyond aviation we also get a relationship drama with rich characters that you care about. The reader is taken on a ride of love, loss, and growth. Definitely pick this one up it makes an excellent summer read!

I would like to thank Net Galley for a advanced copy of Her Last Flight.

I could really tell this book was inspired by Amelia Earhart. This was such a enjoyable read. The characters were so well done. I adored Irene and Sam. Their background the romance everything about them. The history of flight was so well written you felt like you were standing on the airfield watching Sam do his stunts in the air. I was rooting for Irene as she began each and every flight. knowing she had the world staring at her!
This book was written in two different time lines. The other time line is about Eugenia who is a journalist photographer. She is writing a book about Sam Mallory and she hunts done the one woman who Sam loved. Eugenia is a interesting character at times she is not very likable but as the story unfolds you began to understand her more . The one criticism I would say is even though this was a historical fiction in the 1947 timeline it felt a little too modern. Some of the wording and the things Eugenia did and said seemed more modern in my opinion.
I really did enjoy this story and I also enjoyed the authors note at the end of the book.

I love, love, love Beatriz Williams, but book was just okay for me. The characters and plot were on point, but this just wasn’t the book for me. Anyone who is interested in aviation or Amelia Earhart will love this book. Still a great book.

I read. A lot. I love the books that feel like an escape into another time, another world. I am a sucker for dual timelines in historical fiction. 'Her Last Flight' was everything I hope for and more. It was such an escape novel in a time where escaping into books has been a bit hard for me. This review is being written on May 17, 2020. Covid 19 is not our friend at the moment. I read every day and still haven't fallen into a book in months. I fell and fell HARD into 'Her Last Flight'.
I love books that dive into the roles and expectations of women in times where the expectations were HIGH for marriage and babies and low for career success. I would definitely say this book is INSPIRED by Amelia Earhart but it is not a veiled book about her. Irene Lindquist is an aviatrix living on Kauai. Photojournalist Janey Everett is a woman on a mission to connect the dots between Lindquist and Sam Mallory, a pilot from the 1920-30s who died in Spain. How and why Janey is looking are the root of the novel. The branches are riveting as we learn through dual timelines of a biography about Sam Mallory (or is it?) and 'present day' 1947. I read well past my bed time more than one night. This book is a riveting ride that will have you laughing, crying, and realizing how far we have come...and how far we have to go. STOP READING THIS REVIEW AND PUT THIS BOOK ON YOUR TBR!! THANK YOU Netgalley for the ARC.

What a great book! I don't read a lot of historical fiction, but Her Last Flight was full of great characters spanning the late 1920's through the 1940"s that were well researched.

After reading, I gave pause to reflect on how we as American's can be brave, driven, and resourceful. A perfect book to remind us of what we can be.

Thank you NetGalley, William Morrow, and Beatriz Williams for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Posting May

Available June 30: Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams

****4.5/5 stars

Best. Book. This. Summer. You'll love it for its intense fun, loose historical significance and romantic mystery.

Recommended readers:

If you like a saucy, independent heroine...
if you like a smart historical romance, with a little mystery thrown in for good measure...
If you enjoy a good plot-driven page turner, with a stunner of a character to root for...
and, naturally, if you liked Beatriz Williams' other offerings, A Hundred Summers & Overseas, this book is for you.

Here's my Rankings:

4.5/5 for characters
4.5/5 for plot
4.5/5 overall
2/5 steaminess
REVIEW FROM BOOKS FOR HER:

If you've been waiting for the book of the summer: THIS. IS. IT. One of our favorite authors - who is really the most underrated author of our time - is Beatriz Williams. And writing about a novel a year, we think makes her plots well-researched but still full of developed characters and historical drama.

Weaving the story of WWII photojournalist Janey Everett with famed female aviator Irene Lindquist who vanished in 1937, Her Last Flight is a stunning combination of mystery, history and passion that is trademark to Williams.  We don't even want to preview the plot of this historical fiction, as we don't want to take away any of your enjoyment. You'll love it for its intense fun, loose historical significance and romantic mystery.

Available June 30: Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams

This book tells the story of two women: a pilot named Irene and a photojournalist named Janey. Janey's story was the weaker of the two. She came from a messed up family, and that had a huge effect on her, leaving lots of room for character growth. Unfortunately there was very little growth, and it was pretty much right at the end of the book.

Irene's story was more interesting to me, but there are things I wish had been developed more and things I wish hadn't been left out. For example, Irene decides she wants to learn to fly. We don't see her learning, though. We just skip ahead to her getting ready to navigate a historic flight. I wish I could have seen her growing love for flying and then her disillusionment with it. Instead we jump eight years into the future and are told she's tired of the life. I didn't feel invested in her struggles.

Above all, this book seemed to be about relationships, but I would have like them to be further developed too. For the main relationship in Irene's life, we see the day she meets the man and then skip to the point where they're in love. The other relationship isn't developed either, so I didn't find myself invested in this aspect of the story either. I almost wish the book had only focused on Irene so those points could have been developed more.

Thank you NetGalley and The Book Club Girls for this early read.

This book tells parallel stories of two strong women, Irene Foster a pillow in the 1920s and Janey Everett,a war correspondent chasing down a new story after the end of the war. Irene was a celebrated pilot who mysteriously dropped from site in the 30s, presumed dead. The story ostensibly focuses on Irene, hey career as a pilot, and hey decision to disappear but Janey's career and life choices play an equally important role in the novel.

This is historical fiction at its best, flowing seamlessly from one time period to the other, always leaving the reader eager to learn the rest of the story.

This was my first Beatriz Williams book and I look forward to discovering the rest of her oeuvre. I was obsessed with Amelia Earhart as a child so a historical novel inspired by a mysterious female aviator was tempting. The author paints a world that feels real and magical at the same time. The parallel narrative is easy to follow and I spent several late nights reading “just a few more pages”. I encourage you to explore the worlds of Janey Everett and Irene Foster. I hope you are as enthralled by this author as I now am.

A great story loosely based on the mystery surrounding Amelia Earhart. Dual timelines in 1937 and 1947, in the early days of flight. Two strong female protagonists lead this story.

Well written and researched book about early flight. It flows back and forth easily between two time lines to tell the story of two well developed characters that are strong women.

Beatriz Williams does not disappoint with this Wonderfully written novel about a female pilot a la Amelia Earhart. The characters are have depth and are realistic, the dialogue is witty and crisp, and the plot is nuanced. There's a bit of a mystery. This book is perfect for historical fiction fans and aviation buffs.

First I would like to thank NetGalley and HaperCollins Publishers for allowing me to read and review this book.

When I got the email saying I was approved to read this book, I literally squealed. Beatriz Williams is one of my favorite authors and I love her books. In my opinion, this was not my favorite of hers, but it was close. It took me a little while to get into this story. I think part of it was handful of characters that were in both of the story lines. It took me a little to get my brain organized and settled into the pattern. The book does start off with intriguing questions the keeps the reader wanting to know what happened.

This book follows two story lines. The first being about a female pilot, Irene, in the 1920s-30s and her passion for constantly pushing the limits of flying. There is a hidden romance with her flying partner, Sam, and after his wife finds out, it forces them to be a part. The second story line follows about 10 years later after WWII. A photojournalist is doing research on the male flying partner, who disappeared in the Spanish desert at the beginning of WWII. She hunts down Irene, who now goes by a different last name, and insists that she was the flying partner of the pilot that goes missing. After gaining her trust, Irene begins to tell her the story of her learning to fly and her relationship with Sam. Both story lines take the reader through their own loop-de-loops and keep the reader guessing what is going to happen next.

What I found most interesting about this book, was the authors note at the end. Williams gives insight on how this brief question developed into an idea, that was developed into a novel. She bases it around the idea of what is Amelia Earhart didn't crash and was never found, but planned it and ran away from the fame and pressure? I almost wish I had read it before I read the book because I think there would have been parts of the book I would have looked at differently. I can say, since I finished reading this book, I have thought about it a lot and I believe that it will continue to stay with me.

This is my second Beatriz Williams book and I wasn’t sure what to expect because I just thought the first one I read was ok. From the beginning of Her Last Flight, I was hooked! It was a great story centered around the early days of aviation and a female pilot. Imitation was set up from the perspective of another woman in the 40s and it jumped back to tell the story of the female pilot. Really interesting and great story telling—I couldn’t put it down!

I love all of Beatriz Williams’ books, and this was no exception! She always has the perfect blend of romance, mystery, and history. I did not see the big plot twist coming AT ALL—well done! I definitely had more interest in Sam and Irene than in Janey up til that point though. This was a wonderful read that I finished in two days. I am already looking forward to her next one.

Janey Everett is a photojournalist in the years following WWII. She has covered war and its aftermath, but the 'news' that she's interested in is old...roughly 10 years old. She wants to solve the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Sam Mallory, an aviation pioneer famous for his stunt flying and spectacular crashes. To solve this mystery, she must find his student Irene Foster. Irene will remind the reader of Amelia Earhart, but this book is not a fictional biography of that famous pilot. Janey's journey of discovery will hold the reader spellbound and reading to the very last page when all is revealed...maybe.

A richly woven, instantly captivating and enthrallingly paced read which glitters with all the hallmarks of Beatriz Williams' mastery of the historical novel--HER LAST FLIGHT ranks up there with the best of this author's superb work.

4.5 ☆ This was a great historical fiction novel with characters you find yourself rooting for! It's hard for me to be surprised by unexpected turns in a storyline but I was pleasantly surprised by this one! Will definitely be recommending!

I have read many of Beatriz Williams novels and collaborations and this is my favorite (so far!). She does such a good job of writing sassy female protagonists and this novel contains two great examples. I also enjoyed the plot twists- never saw them coming! Thanks for the ARC- I will definitely be recommending this one

Told in alternating timelines and from dual viewpoints, this suspenseful novel tells the remarkable story of a lost pilot and a photojournalist.

Janey Everett is a photojournalist in 1947, on a mission to uncover the deepest secrets of aviator Sam Mallory so that she can write a biography on the captivating pilot. Janey tracks down the woman she believes will be her greatest source of information for the biography - a woman named Irene who was once well acquainted with Mallory and who supposedly disappeared after her own plane crashed.

Irene Foster meets Sam Mallory in 1928, on a California beach and her life takes a turn she never could have imagined. Joining the ranks of female pilots, Irene's life becomes something extraordinary with many exciting and emotional moments.

As Irene shares her deepest secrets and life story with Janey, Janey's own past is revealed in a tantalizing display of twisted half-truths. The women are faced with deciding who does Mallory's story belong to, how much of the truth should be revealed and who deserves to hear that truth?

I loved this book. The writing is brilliant as any fan of Beatriz Williams would expect.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins/William Morrow and Beatriz Williams for the advanced copy of Her Last Flight in exchange for my honest review.