I really enjoyed the slow pace of this book and I thought the pacing worked well to show the stages of grief as well as the development of friendship/love. This is a well-written book that brought the characters of Anna and Brody to life. The details of Anna and Spencer's relationship were also just right to both display their relationship to the reader and to provide some key points for plot progression (with the phone call and expected response). I appreciated the way in which Brody's fears were depicted - he is a character with a complicated past. Fiona Lucas is clever in her use of dialogue and timing. This is a touching, sweet story and I would highly recommend it!

Anna is having a hard time moving on with her life after the death of her husband Spencer. Her mother in law Gayle wishes is was Anna who died instead of Spencer. Brody is a complete stranger who inherits Spencer's phone number which Anna still dials. Anna and Brody start late night conversations about grief because Brody is going through his own pain and trauma. We don't find out Brody's trauma until 80% into the book which I always find unfair when one person knows more about the other especially when they haven's met IRL. Gayle is the most horrible person and I'm not sure why Anna even tries with her. I would have kicked my relationship with her to the curb a long time ago. This book took me 12 days to read which means the storyline, the characters, the plot was not calling to me to pick up the book.

First off this cover is amazing! I love the color. This was such a sweet story about love loss and finding yourself in life. Some of it was a tad predictable but it is a romance so what do you expect. I thought the writing was fabulous and I want to read more from this author!

The Last Goodbye is a poignant story about processing the grief and sorrow of a loved one, the difficulties it takes to begin the process, and the relief and happiness that can come with healing and starting to move forward. While there are two main protagonists in the story, Anna and Brody, through Anna's eyes we also see the grieving process of her mother-in-law, Gayle. All three are processing the loss of a loved one in a different way, and all three in a sustained state aren't just detrimental to that individual but to the people around them. It may be hard for someone who hasn't lost a close loved one to relate to any of these characters, but having been through it I can definitely see Anna's process in mine - and the difficulty she has with Gayle, who pushes others away unintentionally by coping as if the loss hurts her most of all. Brody, too, is processing loss and doing so to the point that he has difficulty interacting with other people. When Anna calls him at her husband's old phone number she unwittingly does the healthiest thing of all - she finds someone that can relate that helps her process her emotions and begin to find happiness again. I love how Lucas builds a relationship between Anna and Brody, while they both explore how their relationship with each other changes their relationships with the people in their life in a positive way, and does so in a way that feels authentic to anyone who's struggled with loss in their life.

The Last Goodbye is a beautiful story of two people, grieving and learning to overcome fear. Anna and Brody have experienced the worst form of loss, one where it is a struggle to leave your bed to live another day without them.

Anna has been calling her husband's phone just to hear his voice when all of the sudden someone answers. Not only answers but listens as she unravels the two years, nine months and eight days of loss. Has it truly been that long since Spencer died? As it still feels like yesterday to her. A poignant tale of friendship unfolds over the next year, full of emotion and a mutual understanding what it means to grieve. But what is Brody masking about his life to fully let Anna is his life and agree to meet her in-person?

This book is about love, loss and forgiveness to open your heart again. This book touched everyone of my emotions and the concept is brilliant. My only wish was that we had more of Anna and Brody's hello!

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow Books for a complimentary copy for an honest review.

Grab the tissues. This was a beautiful tale of loss and grief. The characters are meaningful and relatable. Highly recommend. My only issue it was slow in parts but worth it.

How can you move on if you can’t let go?

Anna must learn to live again after a tragedy takes her soulmate. She must deal with her heartbreaking grief in her own time and manner. The Last Goodbye is ultimately a tale of healing.

Grab some tissues and enjoy!

This was a lovely story but I wanted the plot to move along just a wee bit more quickly to hold my interest. Though there is the allusion to romance, the story is extremely tame and nothing in the way of romance actually ever happens. It's about two broken people who are complete strangers until they find each other by happenstance and begin a relationship through phone calls. It's definitely worth the read or listen and I enjoyed the story.

This is not a good feeling, happy and touchy feely book. It deals with hard topics of grief, learning to live again and finding purpose after tragedy. Well written and heartbreaking. I feel for the main character but Brody, who becomes her confidant, is very underdeveloped. Other than that, this was better than I thought it was going to be. Recommended but not light and fluffy and kind of a downer of a book.

Thanks to Netgalley, Fiona Lucas and William Morrow & Custom House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 6/8/21

The Last Goodbye is a well written story about coming to terms with different types of grief and moving on with life afterwards. Our main character Anna lost her husband Spencer three years ago and is still struggling. After having a really hard night she calls Spencer's phone to hear his voicemail greeting one last time... and someone answers. She soon begins a friendship with a man named Brody who listens to her vent and understands her like no one else in her life can.

I loved all of the characters, but I did feel Brody was a bit underdeveloped as a character. I wanted to know more! Fiona Lucas did a great job exploring grief while not letting the book become overly serious.

I switched back and forth between the kindle version and the audiobook while reading. The narrator did an excellent job bringing the story to life.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Audio for allowing me access to this advanced reader/listener copy!

A sweet story about overcoming loss and navigating yourself into a new life. A story about using grief to find purpose and help others. I loved the phone call in the middle of the night and how important they became to each other, just as a voice on the other end of the line. An anchor. I did think the relationship was a little predictable, but I would have been devastated if it didn’t happen. Super well written and charming.

I'm rather torn about this book. The writing is nice, the portrayal of grief is strong, and I'd probably read more of Fiona Lucas's work in the future. But... I don't think this was the book for me.

It's been three years since Anna's husband, Spencer, was killed by a drunk driver. She has never been able to get over him. One night, overcome by her loss, she dials Spencer's number, just to listen to his voicemail, only to find someone new owns it. She "meets" Brody, also terribly struggling with his own grief.

As their phone calls become more frequent and deeper, the pair begin learning to find hope again. But Brody isn't being entirely honest, and that threatens to destroy everything they've built.

My problem with the book was that it just felt so long. I understand that grief is personal and you can't just "get over it," but that makes for a tedious novel, especially when the dead character's personality is never fleshed out to make me understand why Anna still can't cope three years later. I know she repeats over and over that he was amazing, but as he was born out of his awful family, I'm just not seeing it. That they're still meeting on a weekly basis to stare at pictures of him and the way that Gayle acts? Sorry, but they all need intense therapy.

The only compelling character was Brody and I only lasted as long as I did because I really wanted to know what his loss was (though I was able to guess). But I found his and Anna's relationship really hard to believe.

Thank you to William Morrow's Book Club Girls for making this copy available to us.

4.5 Stars!

Everyone grieves and heals in their own time and manner. Anna Barry is the perfect example. Friends and family mean well, but it’s a process that is individualistic. I may even be one of those friends or family, hurting right along with Anna, but impatient for her to move on, to heal and find happiness again. As we follow Anna, I understand and feel her struggles. The “moving on” can be especially difficult if you never got the real chance to say goodbye. And then Anna meets Brody Smith in a very unusual manner. Their conversations are simple and freeing. Brody is a fantastic listener. But he isn’t without his challenges and his own grieving. Whereas we know immediately Anna’s circumstances, Brody’s is delivered more slowly. I found both ways engaging and satisfying as they both navigated their similar yet different situations. As the their closeness grows so does their strength to move forward and open up to life again. Everything of what they went through was realistic and I was right there with them. This is a beautifully written story of acceptance and healing. I think what holds me back from giving it 5 stars is that I wish I’d gotten a little more at the end and the cover doesn’t exactly match the content.

After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish.

This was a lot sadder than I was expecting it to be. I knew it was about Anna struggling to get over the death of her husband, but I assumed that things would get lighter when she connected to Brody. I started this and stopped this so many times - I wasn’t a fan of the audiobook narrator. If you want a sad book, read this. It was good but sad.

Thanks to @NetGalley, William Morrow and Custom House, and HarperAudio for my ARC!

A sweet book about loss and two broken souls finding one another. I enjoyed the growing relationship between Brody, who suffers from paralyzing anxiety and panic attacks and Anna, who has lost her husband in a horrible drunk driving accident. The novel touches your heart and is a wonderful afternoon escape.

Anna lost her husband three years ago in a tragic accident, and continues to struggle with the grief, just getting through each day. Her family and best friend Gabi urge her to move on with her life, but she isn't ready.

Then one night, in desperation to hear his voice, she calls her husband's phone. But instead of the recorded greeting she expected, this time someone answers. His name is Brody, and he is going through his own struggles. Anna finds she can talk to him, and he is willing to talk any time she calls. Over the next year, they support each other through their grief and help each other to see the light again. ⁣

Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of The Last Goodbye.

Beautiful and powerful story about dealing with the loss of a loved one and what we do to survive the encompassing grief that follows. It teaches you that you can't really have love without loss, but you do what you can to get through it. Painful at times, but a must read.

This is not a happy book. It is about grief and loss. But it's also about healing. I loved this one.It was moving and beautifully written.

Goodbye is the end of a conversation. The last goodbye indicates something is final. Right away, the reader knows that the characters will encounter some type of sad ending from the title.

Very quickly, we learn that Anna Mason's husband died 2 years, 9 months and 8 days ago. He was killed by an alcoholic on her husband's walk to the grocery store. Anna's life immediately took a turn from being very happy to the reverse with immense grief. She called his old phone just to hear his voice for comfort. Instead of hearing her late husband's response, she heard a real voice from a strange man, Brody. Over time, Anna and Brody became friends with frequent chats to share their emotional setbacks little by little. It turns into a romantic telephone friendship which makes the plot easy to predict.

The author puts a mix of characters into the plot including a wicked mother-in-law that makes you want to say a few choice words to her. Her best friend, Gabi, is a what everyone needs in life -- someone who provides comfort, support and friendship. And you feel sorry for Jeremy who is an admirer. For me, this book was slow in parts although it may be helpful for someone who needs support with grief and anxiety.

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy which gets released on June 8, 2021.