Cover Image: Our Last Letter

Our Last Letter

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

A lovely romance set during WWII. Vic and Kate seem like an unlikely pair on the surface but they're drawn to one another. War, however, pulls them apart but will there be an HEA? Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Interesting and emotional,

Was this review helpful?

One of my favorite genres to read is historical fiction … especially during WWII. I love learning about new locations that were affected by the war. I was not familiar with Bawdsey Manor. And the dual timeline focus was well done. The characters were well developed and I enjoyed getting to know Vic and Kath. I continue to be amazed at the many ways women were involved in helping end the war and their intelligence and dedication. Great story for those who enjoy this time in history.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoutre for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Was this review helpful?

Wow, amazing, heart stopping, phenomenal novel.. This is a phenomenal story that grabs you at page one and doesn’t let you go. It is an up all night, can’t put it down novel.

Was this review helpful?

This was a wonderful historical fiction book set during WWII. I found it to be a good read. I would recommend it.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

Was this review helpful?

The Last Letter is a lovely story of an unlikely romance between Kathleen Mott and Vic (Vikram) Mackensie a half Indian half Scottish scientist working with Mr Watson-Watts and other hand picked scientists on a top secret plan to develop Radar or RDF as it was first known. Vic was sent to Bawdsey Manor near Felixstowe where Kath lived. Their romance began when they met at Bawdsey where Kath was a cook and continued through letters during the war as Kath joined the WAAF. Kath talking about the doodlebug bombs reminded me of my mum. She would have been Kath’s age during the war growing up in Liverpool. I remember her telling me about the doodlebugs. As long as you could hear them it was okay, it meant they were still passing over - you were in trouble when you couldn’t hear them anymore. This book is written so beautifully. I could feel the heartache of the parents who sent their sons to war. And the bravery of the pilots who risked their lives on every single mission. “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few”. A well done work of fiction and fact. Recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Was this review helpful?

I loved this story, especially the hero, Vikram. Great read!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

This read came at such an interesting time. I think due to our current pandemic, my views on the story were different. Originally, I expected to fall in love with the book because it is a historical fiction love story. And I did, but I also found myself thinking of our current situation and how fortunate we are that all the current technology we are afforded allows us to keep in touch with family and friends near and far, no matter what our world is going through. Liz Trenow shows us what REAL social distancing is like.

Was this review helpful?

My favorite genre of fiction is historical fiction, especially WWII. I truly enjoyed this book - the story was interesting, the setting seemed lovely (I hope to someday visit Felixstowe and the Manor) and the characters were absolutely endearing. I look forward to reading more from Mrs. Trenow.

Thank you, Bookouture and NetGalley, for a digital ARC!

Was this review helpful?

World War Two era books are not my usual genre. However, Our Last Letter absolutely swept me away.

The characters are so well-written, I felt like I knew them all. The descriptive settings put you into the story from page one. You can feel the fear, worry, and turmoil of the times.

I also learned so much about the development of radar for the war, it was a fascinating aspect of the story.

I would highly recommend this book to all lovers of historical fiction, romance, world war 2 era stories, and great story-telling.

Was this review helpful?

Our Last Letter by Liz Trenow is a complex read. Its story is full of emotion, war, and distance. Two unlikely people meet, fall in love, and then are separated. They write letters to each other until their lives take them away from each other. I could only imagine Kath's heart breaking as she misses the man who stole her heart. This book first presented so much love and hope for a better future. Then, the couple are separated and war is happening. The grief and loss as distance has torn the characters apart can be felt on every page. The story carefully depicted the time in history very well. I could feel the tensions and stress of war time. The back and forth from past to present was a bit difficult to follow. The ending of this beautifully written story captured my heart and never let it go. Overall, this novel was entertaining and felt so real.

Was this review helpful?

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What an incredible story. The details that went into making this book made the story so rich. The characters were so detailed and well written. It really felt like you were walking this whole experience with Kath. The story itself was very touching and very emotional. I cried through the last third of the book, so have your tissues handy.

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

Was this review helpful?

Wonderful book!!
Thank you to Net Galley, Bookouture, and Liz Trenow for the ARC of “Our Last Letter”.

World War 2 is in the horizon and Kathleen Motts’s has joined the RAF as a pilot. She is worried about him but she also feels the need to contribute to the war effort. She wants to feel useful!
Vic Mackensie was working on his doctorate in Physics at Cambridge University when he was approached by one of his professors and asked to be part of a top secret group who would be doing groundbreaking work developing radar for the government.
Kathleen was a local girl who had lived near the coast her entire life. On a few occasions, she bumped into Vic in town. She knew he was one of the group of men who was working on a secret project at Bawdsey Manor. He was shy, quiet and polite. He was different from the other men in his group. He was kind but he seemed socially awkward. And she was curious about his mixed heritage of Scottish and Indian. He intrigued her!
Over time, a friendship developed between the two. Unfortunately, as feelings between them were growing, they were both required to go to different places due to their wartime commitments. Letters flew back and forth and they both realized that they shared feelings for each other that had grown beyond friendship. She was everything he dreamed of and he was the man she’d been waiting for.
Sadly, war waits for no one, and they were, again, required to uphold their duty to the country and go where they were told. This time, they would be continents apart.
With a promise of love and hope for their future, they vowed to keep writing to one another and plan for their future. But then....the letters stopped.

This is a wonderful story of love and war. I enjoyed learning about the use of radar technology during wartime. What a huge contribution to the success of the Allied forces in the air!

What will become of the shared love of Vic and Kath?
Anything can happen in wartime.

Thank you to Net Galley, Bookouture, and the author, Liz Trenow, for providing me with the ARC of “Our Last Letter”. I enjoyed it thoroughly and I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Was this review helpful?

I received this book from Netgalley as an ARC for my honest review. I have read other books by Liz Trenow therefore I was really looking forward to reading this one. From the beginning reading the prologue I was intrigued to find out what happened between Vik & Katherine. I was expecting the story to start out with letters but that did not happen until mid way through the story. It was interesting seeing everything that evolved throughout their lives. I was a bit surprised when the last letter was sent and then it went right into the epilogue. I am glad that it went into detail as to what happened after the last letter.

Was this review helpful?

Received from Net Gallery! About WWII,secret inventions that saved so many lives and we still use it today! The story of this person and people,their lives,their families and you have lots of drama romance and historical history! Learned a lot about this time in history and the works that surrounded the radar that we still use today! Really a interesting story very well written and the characters you will come to love! It's a very just read and will read more from this author!

Was this review helpful?

It’s always fun to learn something new, and I learned a lot about the invention of radar and its importance in WWII from this well-written novel. I liked the characters and thought that the author did a fantastic job of creating characters with challenges that they had to overcome. I especially liked Kath’s story arc, as I think she was very relatable. The end seemed a little bit rushed, but all in all, I thought the way Vic and Kath’s story was interwoven was very effective. For a full review, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a pre-release digital ARC of the book.

Was this review helpful?

Our Last Letter by Liz Trenow tells the story of the development of radar and IFF instrumentation. (According to my husband, the pilot, IFF is still used today in flying.)

Vikram Mackensie is the son of a Scottish father and Indian mother. He was born in India on a tea plantation. At the age of ten, he was sent to boarding school in England where he showed a gift for mathematics. Having an Indian mother, the other students thought of him as the different boy, the brown boy. Because of his brilliant mind, he was working on a PhD in physics, specializing in radio waves, when he was selected to work with a group of other brilliant scientists who were tasked to develop radar. They also needed to find a way to tell if the airplane on radar was friend or foe. They were sent to Bawdsey Manor, a mansion built by millionaire Sir William Cuthbert Quilter, to work on this in secret.

Kath was a young woman who was finishing her high school and was at loose ends as to what she would do afterwards. She lived near Bawdsey Manor and ended up working as a cook for the scientists. She was kind to Vic and they developed a friendship which was developing into something more when Vic was transferred. They keep up their relationship by writing letters. Kath joined the military and became a radar operator. She and Vic were planning a future together when he was sent to the US to work with Americans on another top secret project. and the letters stopped.

Do they find one another again after the war. I was surprised at the ending. It is a sweet story of the relationship of Vic and Kath much more than the technical development of radar. This is a very different WWII historical fiction.

Was this review helpful?

There are so many books about WWII that it takes a different twist to early grab my attention. Liz Trenton has provided this in her beautiful book, Our Last Letter. A team of scientists come to a small coastal town trying to invent something to help track airplanes and determine if they are friend or foe. Vic meets Kath, a local resident and they form a bond and eventually fall in love. This story is about what happens when ordinary people come together in the extraordinary time of war. Inspiring, heartfelt and hopeful.

Was this review helpful?

It is 1937 England and unbeknownst to most, the second World War is on the horizon. Kathleen Morris has been happy and one of the things she enjoyed was gazing at the beautiful Bawdsey Manor. She starts to see changes, including gates and walls and strangers embarking in her small village. With an above-average intelligence for math, she eventually seeks to become part of the war effort, hoping to become one of the few women radar operators. Meanwhile, a man approaching the shore and looking for the manor never left Kath's mind.

Meanwhile, Vikram Mackensie has not always had it difficult. Although half British, his brown skin has always set him apart from others. His above-average intelligence as a scientist, however, has given him opportunities he never expected. He is one of the few men being used when it comes to detecting enemy radars. Vic is much like Kath in at least one respect. The two made a connection when he hit the beach, and despite the aggressive war efforts, they begin sending letters to one another.

At some point, Kath is waiting for Vic's next letter and he is doing the same. Kath has no idea where Vic is posted when he was reassigned. Will the two ever meet again and will Kath ever be able to share a precious secret with Vic?

Our Last Letter was an incredibly touching story where hope was never lost. I was riveted to this book, especially as I was able to see another layer to that brutal time in history. The element of love in this story was very effective. The conclusion brought tears of joy to me and with this being the second book that I have read by Liz Trenow I am certain I will be back for more.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

I love this author's books. The details are so rich and the characters so well drawn that when you read this book you feel as if you are walking in Kath's shoes and experiencing what it would have been like to live through the war with Hitler in the U.K. This story has it all. Adventure, war time romance and intrigue. We also learn how the invention of radar saved so many lives during this war. We got to walk in the shoes of both the men and women that had a part in inventing and perfecting it and using it to track aircraft which impacted the outcome of the war.

This story has heart. We experience the pain of loved ones lost, the courage to go on and the feeling of patriotism for one's country. The twist at the end was unexpected and gave a satisfying conclusion. My heart ached for Kath and Vic and all the years' that they lost but felt joy in all the years they would now have ahead of them.

Was this review helpful?

I love her work and this book was no exception. Fantastic detail and I loved the story of Kath and Vic, hoe sad that racism was and still is such a large factor.

Was this review helpful?