Throughly enjoyed this upcoming thriller. Hannah was such a likeable and brave woman. She had strength and resolve and the author didn’t have to hit you over the head to make you believe it. Her protectiveness of Bailey was admirable. I’ve been in a reading slump lately, including a few lukewarm ARCs so this was such a treat!

Laura Dave has written another winner! The Last Thing He Told Me is suspenseful as details are shared in a dual-timeline format. What we know and what we need to know come just as you believe you have everything figured out. The story of Owen, Hannah and Bailey is one of love, loss, family, parenting, secrets and forgiveness. When life hands you a challenge you and sit and fester or you can find a way to make lemons into lemonade. This is the story of The Last Thing He Told Me. We can't know every detail of those we love. That's their story. How we tell ours is up to us.

This book was unbelievable. I absolutely loved how Hannah was so willing to sacrifice for the step daughter who hasn’t exactly been nice to her. Would have liked to see more conflicted emotions from her, honestly that’s the only thing. But this book draws you in, there are plenty of twists, and it’s a fast read. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to fans of family drama/ family secrets style suspense. I couldn’t put it down. Thank you to netgalley, the author, and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars rounded to 5

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Last Thing He told Me.

I was intrigued by the premise and pleased when my request was approved.

When Hannah's husband, Owen, flees from the authorities when his company is charged with fraud, leaving his daughter behind, Hannah knows it is for a good reason. Owen adored Bailey and would do anything for her. Anything.

But, when she discover her husband is not who he is, reflecting back on the past when he misspoke or misstated something about his life, Hannah, with Bailey reluctantly in tow, decide to do a little investigating of their own.

Is Hannah ready to face the truth behind her husband and what this may mean for her flailing relationship with a stepdaughter who refuses to accept her?

The premise is not new; a woman marries a man after a short courtship but later finds out he is not who he is supposed to be.

The narrative starts dramatically, suspenseful, as Hannah discovers Owen's lies and begins to piece his past together with the little she knows about him.

I enjoyed following Hannah and Bailey's journey in Texas, digging for clues, interviewing people who may or may not be able to help them.

Personally, the narrative turned a bit soapy for me; who Owen really is, why he did what he did to protect Bailey, and how Hannah bargained for the life of her stepdaughter.

The selling point of the story is Hannah and Bailey's relationship; their growing bond as stepdaughter and stepmom, Bailey slowly beginning to understand and accept Hannah's help and her desire to protect and love her as a daughter.

The writing was good, and I liked Hannah and Bailey; they were sympathetic and likable characters.

The story was just okay for me, but some readers will really love this.

I received an arc from netgalley for an honest review. I loved this story about Hannah and Bailey. The story is based around the disappearance of Hannah's husband Owen, which is Bailey's father. This book takes you on so many twist and turns you never see anything coming. It flows well with quick chapters and not too many descriptive details. I absolutely couldn't put this book down.

Thank you to NetGalley, Laura Dave and Simon & Schuster for this ARC! Wow, I tore through this book. I have read other Laura Dave books that I really enjoyed and the description of this one felt like it was going to be a bit of a detour for her. I was slightly wary. There was no reason to be worried. This book was fast paced, twisty, and did not feel like the other run of the mill thrillers that are so prevalent today. There were many surprises in this book and it went in directions that were completely unexpected. I won't say anything about the plot because this is one I went into blind and I really enjoyed the experience of letting the story unfold. Highly recommend!!!

This book kept my interest until 3/4 in. I expected so much more. I wanted to know why the husband disappeared, and when we get the truth, I was a little disappointed.

I also felt the book ended too quickly - the slow burn 2/3 in was so good. I was invested in figuring out all the secrets but was left wanting more or at least real closure.

I would read another book by this author - I enjoyed her writing style - to be honest, my issue with the plot lines were personal. While I was expecting more - someone else probably was perfectly happy with the ending.

What a nail-biter! Being a step-mom myself, I found myself rooting for Hannah and the impossible situation she finds herself in. My patrons love a good suspense and will love this one!

Thank you for reminding me that I can find a book riveting and engrossing. Sometimes I feel that my brain is so involved in all the things swirling around me that I have lost the ability to concentrate so totally in a book that I forget about the outside world. This book really held my interest. It had me in the first few pages when Hannah receives a strange note and then realizes that her husband has disappeared.

Rather than filling the pages with multiple characters and plots, the author keeps her focus on Hannah and her stepdaughter, Bailey. There are no extraneous subplots and the reader travels with Hannah and Bailey as they search for the missing Owen. There are lots of twists as they move toward detente and solving the perplexing mystery.

The author doesn’t resort to easy closure, but allows the reader to follow these 2 characters to a satisfying path forward.

Thank you Netgalley for this very interesting ARC.

When I first started reading this book, it felt very similar to one I had read years ago. The story quickly distanced itself, however, and ended up being a great read. Hannah Hall has not been married to her husband, Owen Michaels, for very long when he suddenly disappears in the wake of a scandal at his job. He leaves behind a note saying Protect Her which Hannah knows refers to his daughter Bailey...who is not a fan of her stepmother. Soon they are approached by the FBI and US Marshalls and questioning everything they know about their husband and father. The story is told in multiple time lines, jumping backwards through Hannah and Owen's relationship, and moving forwards as she searches for clues to his whereabouts. There were definitely twists that leave you guessing until the end. Overall a well written book full of suspense.

Hannah's husband Owen may be gone, but he made his wishes clear - Hannah is to protect her stepdaughter Bailey at any cost. With that, we're off into a complex web of corporate wrongdoing (think Enron crossed with Theranos), FBI investigations, and secret pasts. Hannah and Bailey try to figure out exactly who Owen was, why he had to disappear, and what their lives will look like going forward, with or without him.

I'm a sucker for a good domestic thriller, and this one hooked me from the beginning. The story is told mostly in the present, with just enough flashbacks into Owen and Hannah's relationship to help the reader put together the pieces. I liked playing detective along with Hannah - this isn't a book with a ton of "gotcha" twists, but rather a mystery that unfolds piece by piece. If you're looking for a good family drama/light thriller, this is definitely a great book to pick up. 4.5/5 stars

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first read of a Laura Dave book.. I’ve been DNFing books lately and this one grabbed me and kept me pulled in. It’s told from the point of view of a wife whose husband goes missing one day, with the only instructions to keep his daughter safe. A step daughter who doesn’t have a strong relationship with her step mom. What unfolds is a mix of plot twists where the characters continue to try to hold on to what they know and believe about the people they love. A book for me is always as good as the ending. This one had a heartbreaking yet beautiful conclusion that tied everything up into a neat little package. I would highly recommend this book!

I read a ton of thrillers and mysteries but The Last Thing He Told Me is definitely now in the top five. Each character is immensely likable and I found myself really rooting for Hannah and Bailey on their search to find Owen. While the twist at the end was unexpected, it was definitely a softer thrill. However, the ending packs a punch emotionally and never feels rushed. I will for sure be recommending this one to all my mystery and family drama loving friends!

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Owen disappeared after being married to Hannah for a year. He sends a note to Hannah asking her to keep his daughter Bailey safe. The fbi arrested Owen's previous boss. Hannah and Bailey are attempting to learn more about Owen's previous life. This book kept me guessing.

How much would you do to protect someone you love? This was strongly written and had an interesting premise. I also liked that our main character had an interesting profession that wasn't typical.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Absolute must read! The Last Thing He Told Me is a domestic thriller that is unputdownable! Laura Dave is always a sure thing for me so I went into The Last Thing He Told Me completely blind (and I highly recommend everyone doing that too)! This epic read is a such a huge change from what I was expecting from Laura Dave, but as per usual, she knocked my socks off!! The fast paced storyline had a ton of well placed twists and turns I guarantee you will not see coming. I can absolutely see this novel made into a movie because it’s that goooood! I have loved all of the novels I’ve read from Laura Dave, but The Last Thing He Told Me is officially my top favorite—5 huge stars!!!

I received an advance copy of, The Last Thing He Told Me, by Laura Dave. This book is an okay thriller. Hannah's husband of only a year, leaves her a note to protect his daughter. I thought the pacing was a little slow.

I read The Last Thing He Told Me in an afternoon, I couldn’t put it down!! The first page starts off with the mystery of why Ethan has disappeared, and has given a young girl a scrawled note to deliver to his wife. The note says one sentence: Protect her. From there, Ethan’s wife and daughter are off to understand why he ran, and who he really is.
Just as you think you might know where the story is going, there’s another twist to keep you guessing. The book ends with heartache and joy, a duo that are seemingly at odds with each other, but make sense here.
Laura Dave has crafted an incredible thriller, that will have you racing to turn the page to find out what happens next.
I absolutely recommend The Last Thing He Told Me!

Wow! This book absolutely blew me away. It will be one of my favorite reads this year and next year since it doesn't even come out until 2021.
Laura Dave has written her best book yet. I am still reeling from this book and an ending I never saw coming!
Owen disappears but leaves his wife, Hannah a note saying Protect Her. Bailey, Owen's daughter comes home with cash. Neither of them know where Owen could have gone. Soon the FBI arrests Owen's boss and they are knocking on Hannah's door.
This is when Hannah realizes Owen isn't who he says he is. Hannah and Bailey set out to discover just who Owen really is.
What they discover neither of them could imagine.
I loved how this book was told in the present and in flashbacks. The relationship Hannah had with her grandfather left a lasting impression on me as someone whose grandfather raised her too. Laura Dave did an incredible job building this relationship and weaving it throughout the book.

This book was definitely suspenseful throughout and kept me guessing the entire time. I will be putting this book in everyone's hands next year!

Add this to your TBR for May 2021.
Thanks to the publisher Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for my advanced ebook copy.