The last goodbye is a story about Anna whos husband who passed away 3 years ago and how one new years night she called Spencer’s old number to just to hear his voicemail. But it wasn't his voicemail it was Brody who answered and who has Spencer's old number. But to Annas surprise Brody understands her.

This is a Story about Grief and how do you handle it and what its like trying to put your life back together and to answer the question do you want to. Can you truly be happy without the one person who made your life better. This shows Anna going through with coming to terms and figuring it how her life works now. Her friends and family are there for her and try to make her move on. But none of them truly understands what she's going through.

What I loved about this story was the friendship that was presented between two people that were both suffering that understand each other. And helps them to live again.

This is a fantastic Listen I would 100% recommend this book/Audio. I keep wanting to pick up and listen to as much as the story as I could. Comes out June 2021

Thank you Harper Audio, William Morrow and NetGalley for The Last Goodbye.

The Last Goodbye by Fiona Lucas was such a great read. The story was heartbreaking and heartwarming. The characters were so well developed that I could feel what they were feeling. The author handled the topic of grief in a meaningful way. I will be looking for other books by Fiona Lucas.

I liked the narrator. The tone of her voice was soothing.

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****

ARC provided by NetGalley for an Honest Review
This was a really beautiful read about two people finding solace in one another after years of suffering in their own grief. After three years of misery the heroine Anna dials her deceased husbands phone just to hear his voicemail message. However a mishap with the bill has the company reassigning the number and someone (the MC Brody) answers the phone. From there the two spend the entirety of the book (months) getting to know one another and connecting over their shared pain. The book has little to no action aside from an out of control ex mother in law who really needs a kick in the ass IMO. While the heroine puts on a brave face and tries to continue her life, for nine years the hero has suffered in pain becoming borderline agoraphobic and anti people. Talking on the phone slowly brings them both out of their shell and it’s not until the very end that they even meet. This is really my only complaint about the book as once they meet it just sort of ended. There’s so much that I felt was hanging in the balance of uncertainty. I did love how the heroine was inspired by their meeting and connection. She came up with an idea for an app that would bring other grieving people together in a safe and controlled way. Sometimes talking to an absolute stranger is the best thing for you especially if they know exactly what you are going through in a way even those closest to you cannot. This was an intensely emotional read but also truly bittersweet in proving a HEA is possible more than once in your life if you only believe in the power of love & don’t let it slip away.

“That’s the funny thing about the future, isn’t it? We have all these plans, some small, some grand. But things don’t always work out the way we expect them to.”

Thank you to @netgalley and @harperaudio for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was my fourth audiobook this year, and I really enjoyed it. Anna is still grieving the loss of her husband when she calls his number just to hear his old voicemail greeting. But to her surprise someone answers and Brody becomes a constant in Anna’s life. He understands what Anna is going through. Will Anna find the courage to love again? Will Brody have it in him to talk about his own loss?

This was a sweet story and the beginning had the happy ever after playlist vibes. I really grew to love Anna and loved seeing her remember what it was to live and be happy again after loss.

Rating: 🧪🧪🧪🧪 / 5

The last goodbye will be released June 8, 2021.

Anna, a woman living just outside London and working an awfully boring job, is having a hard time following her husbands death almost three years ago. On a particularly painful night, she ends up calling her husbands old phone number and is surprised when someone picks up the phone. She strikes up a surprising friendship with the number’s new owner, Brody, a man who lives alone in a secluded cottage in the country.

Over the course of a year, their friendship grows and Anna starts to move on and make new plans for her future. At the same time, Brody, begins to grow as well and strives to remove himself from the isolation he has created in his life following a devastating loss he suffered nearly a decade ago.

Though it was definitely a bit of a sad read, I thought it was beautiful story about hope and really enjoyed it overall.

I really enjoyed this book. It was emotional as it deals with grief and the loss of a loved one from the start of the book. The author does a great job keeping the emotions raw and realistic in this story. I loved the friendships and the way the characters were developed. I loved how the main characters were able to find hope and healing. I listened to the audio version. The narrator kept me entertained, and I couldn't stop listening until I was finished.

This is an emotional, sad, yet hopeful story about grief and how to move forward after loss. I haven't read a deeper story like this in a while and I was happy for the change of pace. We see the characters in the middle of grieving, not sure how to continue their lives. They accidentally connect and form a friendship that helps them work out feelings and start to heal.

Anna lost her husband almost three years ago and has not been able to deal with her emotions. Her friends think she should start dating again and move on, but Anna isn't ready yet. She really should have seen a therapist to help her sort through her feelings, but she's just trying to survive one day at a time. She calls her husband's old number and ends up talking to Brody who understands loss and they form a friendship.

I really thought Brody's secret was going a different direction and I'm so glad it surprised me. I liked that Anna and Brody were able to lean on each other and get motivated to heal and resume living their lives. The ending is sweet and hopeful, just what I wanted.

I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

This book was so good! It dealt with grief and the loss of a loved one and from the beginning, my heart was in it. I was invested in the main character's story and while I shed some tears, I also smiled and was almost giddy when I saw the first signs of romantic feelings from both Ana and Brody.

In The Last Goodbye, you'll meet Ana a woman who lost her husband more than two years ago in an accident. She sees his family often but we quickly see that her mother-in-law isn't the best to say the least. She slowly pushes Ana away from their family gatherings among other things. It gets worse and worse until Ana stands up for herself. One night, she calls Spencer's old number to hear his voicemail but when a stranger answers, she ends up babbling and talking to him. She probably should have seen a therapist but Brody who also knew about grief managed to help her somehow. They both formed a connection and Ana will learn how to move forward in her life without feeling like she's betraying her husband.

Overall, this was a really good read and I'm glad I got to listen to it as an audiobook!

(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

4.5 *

A very well written story! I listened to the Audiobook and the narrator was wonderful!

This book is about grief and coming to terms with it and moving on. Anna has lost her husband 3 years ago and is struggling one New Year's Eve. She decides to call his cell phone just to listen to his voice on the greeting one last time. She is shocked when someone else answers it and so the story unfolds as she begins to form a friendship with the new person.

The character of Anna was well developed and I could feel her every emotion. This was a story that I was deeply immersed in and could not stop listening until the very end. My eyes welled up towards the ending but it's not totally heart wrenching. Serious subject matter for sure but also full of hope and satisfaction.

I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and Harper Audio for granting me access of this Advanced recording.

When I first started this book I wasn’t sure if it was going to be for me but I’m so glad I stuck with it because the story really started to unfold for me. This is the first book I’ve read by the author but it won’t be the last. The narration was also spot on for this book.

I really loved this book. It was really nice to be able to relate to the characters being around the same age as me and going through the same mental health conditions. It’s not a sappy romance its really very well written.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Goodbye just tugged on my teeny tiny heart strings. In it, you will meet Anna and she is a very interesting character. She lost the love of her life, Spencer, and calls his number just to hear his voice. I honestly have no idea what I would do if I was in her shoes.. but the way she is coping with this awful situation seems kind of normal. At least to me.

So one day she calls the number and is expecting his lovely voice.. but then someone actually picks up. Now at this point, I probably would've screamed and hung up. Just because I'm extremely awkward and probably would've shat my pants. Especially when you aren't expecting someone to pick up. So yeah.. that most definitely would've happened if it was me.

Between you and me, I loved Anna and Brody because they could both lean on another and heal. The one thing I didn't like was how damn pushy her in-laws were. I wanted to punch them when they were like.. you can't be happy now that he's dead and gone. Uh, no.. that's not how this works.

Everyone grieves and heals in their own way. Which this book did a great job diving into that. It just bugged the heck out of me when people would say Anna wasn't doing it right. There is no right or wrong way to any of this. So, yeah, some things frustrated me but the overall book was really good.

Buckle up as you are about to take your emotions for a ride! I'm not an overly emotional person, but with this book I shed tears, felt the main characters anger, frustrations, sadness and laughter. It was an incredible journey and I am so absolutely thrilled that I stumbled across this audiobook as it is definitely going to be one of my favorites of the year so far! The main character is an extremely strong woman who has been through life's worst tragedy and this is the story of her journey through the "after tragedy" life that she must now navigate. The main character shows an amazing amount of grit as she must now figure out how to live a life dramatically different from the plan while also navigating not only her own sorrow, but those around her. A story of true friendship and help from the most unusual source. I highly recommend that you buckle up and take the ride as well, you'll enjoy it!

I admit I almost put this book back on the shelf after the first few chapters. It started pretty slow and just felt like it wallowed, but once I got a bit further in and really got attached to the characters. I loved watching each of them grow out of their grief. It was beautiful and hopeful to see how each helped the others as they dealt with disappointment, loss, guilt, and loneliness. While it was mainly about Anna and Brody the side characters also play such an important and lovely role in telling this story.
This was a great, well written story that leaves the reader feeling good and hopeful and perhaps even better able to deal with what life throws at us.

I actually was able to listen to the audio book and totally recommend it. The reader did a great job. Totally recommend for those that like that format.

This story stole my heart and I think it will be awhile before I get it back. The Last Goodbye is heart wrenching slow burn romance story about two people who are grieving the loss of their loved ones. I loved everything about this story. Anna and Brody had captured my attention and I couldn’t stop listening to the story until I knew what was going to happen between the two of them. The plot of the story while so sad it seemed so real, like I was listening to a story happening in real life. The narrator was absolutely amazing too, even with the male characters. This story for sure will be in the running for my favorite story of 2021.

Book 24 towards my goal of 240! 4/5 stars for this adult romance read! Great for fans of PS, I Love You. I did feel like it was a bit long, but still enjoyable. Loved the cover, and characters. Narration was great.

*I received this book in exchange for honest review from Netgalley*

I enjoyed the unique premise to Fiona Lucas’ “The Last Goodbye”. Anna lost her husband three years before to a drunk driving accident. She calls his cell phone and, unexpectedly, someone answers. Through their conversations, they get to know each other and help each other heal from their own tragedies. The author handled the themes of grief and new beginnings very well. I was rooting for Anna and Brody to break through and create a new life together.

The audiobook was expertly narrated by Antonia Beamish. While it would have been nice to have a male narrator handle Brody’s sections, Antonia rose to the occasion!

Expected Publication Date: June 8, 2021
Review Date: January 27, 2021
*Thanks to Fiona Lucas, William Morrow Publications, and NetGalley for this advance audio copy

The Last Goodbye is a book about two people, Anna and Brody, who have never met but have had similar losses in their lives. The changing POV between the characters allows us to imagine the heartbreak in both their lives. I felt very empathic towards the both of them, and felt like I was living their lives every time they spoke on the phone. The audiobook had me hooked from the beginning and I enjoyed listening to the narrator. Cant wait for the book to release so that I can read the physical copy!

Anna is grieving the loss of her husband Spencer who died nearly three years ago (Anna can always tell you precisely how many years, months, and days). Her best friend is doing her best to help her move on, but Anna is not ready. On New Years Eve, Anna dials Spencer’s phone number to hear his voice mail welcome message, and when she says “I love you”, a male voice answers “I beg your pardon”. Those are the exact words Spencer would have used as it is one of their inside jokes. Anna hangs up, understandably freaks out, then eventually calls the number again and ends up forming a mutual support relationship with Brody, the man who was given Spencer’s old phone number. On the other side of the conversation, Brody has also suffered a loss and is suffering from severe agoraphobia as a result, a condition for which he is not seeking treatment. Anna and Brody become friends, encourage each other to move forward, and fall in love without realizing it.

I admit I was a bit wary when I started listening to the audiobook, because the blurb refers to “P.S. I Love You”, which I read years ago and found too depressing for my taste. I shouldn’t have worried. While Anna’s grief is portrayed in a way that feels realistic, the parts of the book where she wallows in grief are fairly short and I never felt bogged down by them. There is also a lot of humour to balance the sadness, like Anna’s “not Spencer” alarm, a little voice that chimes up when she finds herself in a potentially romantic situation with a man who is not Spencer. Brody’s panic attacks also feel realistic, but I did find myself wondering if the treatment would really make him improve that quickly, but for plot purposes it works really well. While Anna and Brody are nice and solid characters, it is the secondary characters in Anna’s life, her best friend Gabby (sorry if the spelling is wring, once again I listened to the audiobook) who almost feels like a fairy godmother in the ways she pushes the plot forward, and her mother-in-law Gail, who is very close to falling into the category of evil stepmother.

The book takes place over the course of a little more than a year, which is long enough for the changes the characters go through, but there is no real sense of the seasons passing so I was surprised when Christmas and New Year rolled around again. I was pleasantly surprised by the lat roadblock thrown up in Anna and Brody’s way when it looked like they would be getting together again. When the conclusion came, I would have taken a bit more to wrap up, maybe like an epilogue set at New Year’s Eve a years on, because it felt abrupt and much of the logistics of the future were left unresolved.

Overall, it was a very pleasant reading experience. The narrator, Antonia Beamish, has a lovely voice and accent (the book is set in England), and she makes a good job of distinguishing all the different voices. When she spoke as Brody, I almost forgot the narrator was a woman.

Thanks to NetGalley for this audiobook!

The Last Goodbye tugged on my heartstrings through this sad romance. Anna has lost her husband to an accident. Her friend desperately wants her to move on, 3 years later. She still has strange ties to her husbands family. Everything seems to be holding her back.

One night she calls his number and unleashes how sad she is. To her surprise someone had answered. She then continues to call this number and confide her feelings in a man named Brody. He seems to understand her grief even though he hasn’t provided details to his story. The two unlikely pair really help each other by developing this strong bond. Anna can talk to him freely without judgement.

This book reminded me of the movie Return to Me where the main character falls in love with the woman who received his wife’s heart transplant. Even though Anna attempts to date we find ourselves routing for Brody. Can she figure out what happened in his life? Who he really is? If he is her new happily ever after? Can she get past any guilt she may have in moving on?

Such a sweet and sad story The Last Goodbye tells. I really enjoyed the audiobook. I enjoyed the accents the narrator used, giving each character a voice. It held my attention and I listening feverishly for two days until I finished. I had to know what Anna would do, who Brody was, how they’d find themselves again. I would definitely recommend!