The multiple themes of the book (family, loss, love, facing ones fears, making a life for oneself) are universal and understood by most adults although totally fraught with painful imaginings and raw feelings by young people. I didnt really enjoy this book but hope to leave a fair opinion. This style of writing did remind me of how painfully intense everything seemed to be in my early twenties so perhaps this demographic is the target market? The writing was fine although I chafed at the level.of emoting and the slowness of the story - too much intensity for me; it was painful enough living through it once and not something I'd expect to relive. That said, maybe we older adults need to be reminded of the raw intensity of our early years. 3.4 to 4 stars.

A beautiful story, heartwarming even though it starts out on a sad note. Cassie and her brother Tom lost their parents at a young age so Cassie doesn’t remember them very well. Tom has always looked after her and they were very close. Suddenly, Cassie loses Tom who falls to his death on a climbing holiday. Cassie is devastated. Sam was Tom’s best friend and he hurts too from the loss. Cassie has always had a bit of a crush on Sam. Every year at Christmas time Tom would set up a scavenger hunt for Cassie. He set one up before he died. Cassie has to solve four clues before getting the gift. A story of love, bravery forgivenesses and freedom. I loved it!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

While this story revolves a bit around a holiday theme (Christmas), this can certainly be read any time of the year. Cassie Rivers and her older brother Tom lost their parents at a young age. It’s obvious that even early on, Tom took on on his sibling role very seriously. He set up treasure hunts for Cassie every Christmas with clues for her to hunt with rhymes in them. For Cassie, this was something she eagerly looked forward to and Tom enjoyed seeing her take delight in it. He has a very charming and affable way about him that is also teasing, laidback and charismatic, and he is Cassie’s favorite person in the world. He is her anchor and support system, always encouraging her in her endeavors and wanting her to be happy.

For having so little family, these two also have their best friends, Sam and Hazel. Cassie has a crush on Sam and just when sparks are beginning to erupt and take hold, Sam does something that pushes Cassie away permanently. What’s interesting about these characters is how they each handle grief and loss regarding their parental figures. In some ways, it stunts their growth or leads them down a road of avoidance or even cowardice, opting for the path of least resistance or harm.

Cassie is lost without Tom after his death, but she does undergo a journey of dealing with his death through the actual stages, wanting to preserve his memory and trying to move forward. She is looking for a purpose beyond the going through the motions and that sets the stage for her to wake up from her grief fog. I liked Cassie, she’s a bit feisty and persistent and she’s also no one’s fool. Sam, on the other hand, took more work for me to like. He wasn’t a bad guy, but his priorities were skewed and he makes some big blunders. Yes, he matures from the experiences and even attempts to make amends, but he still didn’t quite make the cut for me. However, the absence of Tom felt palpable in both of their lives and I enjoyed the dilemmas that Cassie and Sam both encountered with reconciling their current lives and pursuing actual roles that made them more active participants in their own lives, to become more fulfilling. Tom’s final treasure hunt has some hidden messages with the way he set up the clues and who Cassie had to retrieve them from, which is apropos for her and wound up also having her cross paths with Sam again, seeing the improved version of him. Despite the sad cloud of Tom’s death, there is also a strong sense of hope and optimism for the future, too, ending on a uplifting note.

I’ll be honest, when I first read the description for this, I wasn’t interested. But I kept thinking about it, and finally decided to read it and I’m glad I did.

This was not an easy read, it was heartwarming after being heart-rending. I dabbed at a lot of tears with many a tissue during my reading; this one kind of put me through a bit of a wringer. I didn’t love everything about it (won’t go into because of spoilers, but ugh, one part really bothered me), but for the most part, the story, it’s a beautiful one and I read this straight through until I finished - you get invested in these characters and this story.

Recommended.

This book was such a heart wrenching yet heartwarming book wrapped into one. You felt the loss of Tom just as every character in this book seemed to, but you also felt the growth of Sam, again, just as every character seemed to. This book was the perfect ‘early Christmas’ read. Not too Christmas’y’ but a good taste of it, while still bringing in real emotions and stories. There are character developments, character shocks, and happy endings. Thank you to NetGalley, Emily Stone and Random House for giving me, and others, the opportunity to read and review this arc. I intend to post this review August 2, 2022 to my ‘bookstagram’. The link should be attached to this review!

A very touching story of Tom and Cassie, brother and sister. Don’t let my daughter read this - too heartbreaking for people who have lost a sibling. Well, I guess reader beware - your heart will be squeezed a few times. Nice story. I thought the author may have actually lost someone close but I didn’t find any mention.

A great read on grief with a scavenger hunt thrown in with a mix of romance a well written book with lovable characters.

Thanks to @RandomHouse for the gifted ARC! The Christmas after her brother passes, Cassie embarks on his final gift: a life-changing scavenger hunt he had planned for her. Tender and compassionate, addressing loss, love, and found families. For fans of The Two Lives of Lydia Bird. Releases 10/11 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

From reading the blurb about the book, you know something sad is going to happen. Cassie's entire world has been her brother Tom and in the beginning, we learn how he tragically passes. I was a little hesitant to read this at first because I didn't want to read a sad book but decided to push through because I'd read another title by Emily Stone, and I'm very glad I did. The majority of the book alternates perspectives been Cassie and her brother's best friend Sam and how they each respectively deal with their grief. This book had moments of victory as each character worked through their grief, moments of friends/family as all of those who also knew Tom rally around Cassie, and moments of introspectiveness. It was a very sweet story that I would definitely recommend reading to others!

*I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion

I fell in love with Emily Stone after reading Always in December. I was SO glad to read this ARC. It did not disappoint. I cannot wait to see what Emily stone does in the future!!

Christmas in July! What a cute holiday read, it made me want to cozy up by the fire! A cute, yet predictable story about loss and grief and follows Cassie as she tackles adulthood and a scavenger hunt set up by her brother who passed away. I enjoyed this book, and think it would be a great addition to your holiday list this year!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Well this was just the most delightfully cozy read. A true heroine’s journey. One Last Gift was a beautiful reminder that it’s never too late to change your path, chase your passion, or begin again. This story was beautifully told and touched my heart deeply.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A charming story of loss, love, and the baggage we carry through life. Recommended. #OneLastGift #NetGalley #SaltMarshAuthors

[book:One Last Gift|60323954] felt like <i>P.S. I Love You</i> and <i>Last Christmas</i> had a literary baby. There is no one in the world Cassie loves more than her brother, Tom. Yet, after a tragic accident, the only thing Cassie has left of Tom is the first clue of the annual treasure hunt he does for her each Christmas. Spanning over the course of a year and told in alternating perspectives, Cassie's hunt for her brother's last gift to her not only keeps her brother alive in spirit but forces Cassie to reflect on what she wants out of her life. There is a love story between Cassie and Tom's best mate, Sam, but I'd say the core of this book is one of grief, family, and self-growth. Tears were shed, people, tears were shed. In that way, I think fans of Mhairi McFarlane would enjoy [book:One Last Gift|60323954].

What kept this at a 3-star rating for me was the simultaneous realism and implausibility of the plot. At some points, this book felt so <i>real</i> in how characters dealt with grief and how the romance was portrayed (spoiler: it's far from perfect). But, I was always frustrated by how unrealistic a lot of the plot ended up being as well. <spoiler>Like, we are to believe that Tom went completely out of the tradition's norms by extending the hunt for months with added personal notes, just... because? While it made sense in <i>P.S. I Love You</i>, here, it just felt random and unlikely</spoiler>.

Either way, I'm glad I read this and it was a perfect was to celebrate the holidays in July :)

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Predictable rom-com, but a cute read overall. There weren't any shockers, and I felt like the things that should have been shocking were foretold quite obviously. However, the overall theme of the book was a good one, and I enjoyed reading it.

This was a lovely holiday book that had me in my feels the whole time. Cassie and Sam’s story was so sad and yet so hopeful at the same time. It was a fast read and I really enjoyed getting to go on Cassie’s last Christmas gift scavenger hunt. I wished I could have read this at a snowy cottage in Wales with a glass of red wine in front of a fireplace. This book should definitely be on your holiday wish list!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4801926689

“One Last Gift” is by Emily Stone. I will admit that the Publisher’s synopsis and the cover immediately made this book of interest to me. This book is about grief, grieving, friendships, and figuring out relationships and how they all work in ones life. While I liked the overall idea of this book, I found it difficult to enjoy as much as I had hoped to. I found the pacing to be a bit slow and wasn’t a fan of the wallowing and emotional angst, though I know that everyone deals with death (and stress!) differently. I found the scavenger hunt idea to be rather interesting. I liked how Tom always was looking out for Cassie - in a rather non-annoying big brother sort of way (for a change!).

I wish to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Dell Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Oh my goodness I loved this book. It is one I read in one day because I simply could not put it down. Emily Stone’s style of writing is very positive and uplifting. She writes in a way that engages you at the beginning and keeps your interest for the entire story. This is a love story but it is so much more. It is the closeness of siblings struggling down life’s path after the death of their parents; it is the story of friendships, and it is the story of strangers and their impact on the life of others. If I could give this a ten star rating I would do so and I highly recommend it to all age groups. Do not miss this one, it is sure to be a hit. I love the scavenger hunt theme throughout the story.

I would like to thank Megan Whalen of Random House and Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. Tom and Cassie Rivers were orphaned at an early age. They are cared for by their Aunt Claire( their late mother's sister) . Claire takes care of their physical needs, but is not a warm fuzzy caregiver. Linda, who owns the local pub, is a more maternal figure. She is there for Cassie and Tom, as well as their friends Hazel and Sam. Tom and Sam are best friends. Cassie and Hazel are best friends as well. The story takes us through the lives of Tom and Cassie from young orphans, to teenagers to young adults. The one constant is that Tom watches out for Cassie, and takes care of her. Every Christmas , Tom sends Cassie on a scavenger hunt with rhyming clues for her present. Then , one Christmas, Tom dies. Cassie feels completely alone. Until she finds an envelope with with one last set of clues for her scavenger hunt. I really wanted to love this book. The characters , for the most part, are like able and engaging, and the scavenger hunt concept was fun. The one non like able character is that of Cassie's boss- he is totally unpleasant. The book is set in England, but takes trips to Wales, France and New York. It seems a bit drawn out , and takes a long time getting to the main premise. It is also the saddest Christmas story I have read in a long while. There are long stretches with nothing but angst. It is about Cassie finding herself, and taking care of herself, but it is also about family, the family we are born into and the family we create from friends. The book has a good story and premise, but was too meandering and too maudlin for me to love.

So much angst and drama wrapped this story in a slow plodding HEA. I loved the idea, a yearly scavenger hunt and the love of two close siblings are at the center, with adapting to tragic loss. This is a long, slow, redemptive read and is good, just slow.