A quick, sweet read involving Christmas Scavenger Hunt, a unrequited love with a sibling’s best friend, and tragic loss.

I didn’t enjoy knowing one of the characters was going to die from the summary, while Tom is still in the book for a quarter of the story.

Other than that, the story moved a little slow for my liking. However, overall sweet.

After loving Always, In December I knew I had to read this one! I really loved this book and love how the author can write with such a balance of heartbreak and love. I loved the love story and also loved the relationship between the main character and her brother. Definitely recommend this one, especially for this upcoming holiday season!

In this novel, One Last Gift, Emily Stone spins a wonderful story about the love of family and friends. This particular story really hit home for me, because I lost my brother when we were similar ages to Cassie and Tom in a tragic accident. Emily puts to page indescribable feelings and she does an amazing job of it. The grief, the blame and all the other motions Cassie goes through in her journey of coping with her loss and forgiveness of their childhood friend, who she blames, grabs you from the beginning and stays with you through the end. I love that there is some romance without it being the main plot.
I’ve always felt the mark of a good author is when all of the characters are interesting. I want to know more about all of the side characters-Linda, Hazel, Claire and even Sam’s parents who are only on a handful of pages. I always find it impressive when an author can take the main characters and make them feel extremely real, as if they were based off of someone they know intimately in really life. Cassie and Sam are believable-flaws and all. I loved seeing the story from both perspectives and the author navigated the transitions between them very well.
Emily Stone is one of my favorite authors. Her books don’t follow the cookie cutter rom com plots and tropes, and she drags feelings out of you that leave you thinking about the book the next day. I look forward to reading more from her and can’t wait to recommend this to my friends.

I started One Last Gift at bedtime and stayed up all night because I couldn't put it down. Cassie was such a relatable character that I felt her heartbreak and disappointment and hope, so I kept turning the pages, wanting to know how things turned out for her. Her brother Tom, is the anchor of her life, even after he's no longer it. Their Christmas tradition makes this book so special because it shows their beautiful relationship and ultimately leads Cassie to where she needs to be. Then there's Sam, Tom's best friend: he's complicated and does unacceptable things because of his fears. Their story spans a long time, where we see them grow together and apart and evolve. He's imperfect, very much so, but I loved to see him redeem himself. One Last Gift was a heartwarming story that I would definitely read again.

I enjoyed reading “Always, in December” by Emily Stone, so I was excited for a chance to review “One Last Gift.” I found this tale to be especially poignant and tender.

Cassie was still very young when she lost her parents. Hence, she leaned on her brother. Tom. Unfortunately, he dies right before Christmas. Living without her brother is a struggle. Yet, then she opens a gift he left her, which sends her on a journey where Cassie reconnects, learns, and possibly falls in love.

This is a sad tale, but has plenty of heart. The author manages to keep the story from becoming too maudlin. I do not recommend opening this book until you are ready to commit to sharing Cassie’s range of emotions and personal growth.

Thank you very much to Emily Stone, Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Um, how dare Emily Stone write such a beautiful, heartbreaking and healing story? I cried so much while reading this and had t heart broken and put back together so many times.

This was truly a lovely story, but make sure you have tissues nearby. One Last Gift follows Cassie as she navigates life with her nearest and dearest, and learns how to heal and grow after experiencing gut-wrenching loss. Not only was this a romance, but I was a story of finding yourself and pushing through things that scare you.

I was already a big fan of Emily, and this second book totally lived up to my expectations. 10/10 recommend!

I loved this. The characters feel so real, especially siblings Cassie and Tom, and so everything hurt. The love interest Sam Malone is probably the book's weakest link, he's not developed well enough for me to get past how he treated Cassie for years. 3.5 stars.

One Last Gift by Emily Stone was truly a remarkable story!
She has climbed her way to the top of my favorite list.

Such a unique book.
I found it beautifully written and very emotional.
The characters are brilliant. They felt realistic and vivid which made for such an incredible experience.
One Last Gift was a heart-wrenching and beautiful journey I didnt want to get out of.

I was getting sad once I seen I was getting close to the finish line. And in my opinion to me that right there makes this book worth every star rating I can give!
I couldn't have loved this one anymore than I did.

All thoughts & opinions are my own!

Ballantine/Dell,
Thank you so much for this approved eARC.

This was absolutely delightful. The plot was well-paced and captivating from start to finish. I highly recommend this fun and quick holiday read! Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

not really what i expected, but also exactly as advertised? i was hoping for more romance, more of sam and cassie. it’s fine and all, i just didn’t really connect. lovely ending, though.

#netgalley

a little holiday in the spring is just what I needed. this was so cute and such a nice reading break. I actually didn't read many holiday books this past year so it was fun to get into one in may.

This is one of those heartbreakingly beautiful books. So much love, pain, sorrow, and happiness. I loved the relationships the characters had with each other. And I loved where the storyline went! It had a few twists that I didn’t expect, and I loved that! I couldn’t put it down and finished it in one day. I feel like this is definitely a holiday must read! I’m looking forward to reading more from Emily Stone! 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing -Ballantine for this arc!

One Last Gift by Emily Stone
Publishing Date - 10/11/22
Rating (5/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was so excited to receive a copy of Emily Stone’s 2nd upcoming novel , One Last Gift , from Netgalley!! I loved her debut novel , Always in December , just as much as this one!

Cassie’s brother Tom is the most important person in her life. When he unexpectedly dies just before the Christmas holiday , she struggles with grief and doesn’t know how to go on with her life without him. Cassie receives one last gift from Tom , a card that sets up an annual shard tradition - a Christmas treasure hunt he organizes for her.

I loved this one! Loved the characters! Loved reading the letters from her brother Tom. Loved the ending!! Highly recommend this one!

Emily Stone has a way of storytelling that will leave you breathless. Of course she has wrecked me once again. There’s so much love, pain, and grief in this book and it’s all tied into such a beautiful story. Cassie having to keep on without her brother, Tom, was so painful to read. Sam having to keep on without his best mate, Tom, was also so painful to read. As Cassie and Sam find their own way and back to each other you can’t help but fall in love with these characters and their story.

TW: death of parents at a young age, death of brother, grief, overconsumption of alcohol.

I really really enjoyed this book! It was super cute! The characters and storyline were pretty brilliant!

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Lighthearted, easy read, sweet, perfect for a lazy afternoon or a book club read.

What a lighthearted, feel-good, motivational romance! It made me smile! It embraced my soul and touched my heart gently.
The recap of blurb: Cassie and Tom raised each other after losing their parents at young age. Tom’s best friend and Cassie’s first crush Sam always supported them at their hardest times but now Tom is dead, Sam is far away from Cassie’s life. The letter her brother left behind takes her their traditional scavenger hunt which will help her to take a trip to memory lane to embrace her own happiness.

Cassie’s self growth, second chances, friends to lovers, seizing the moment and grief story was so engaging, genuine. The sensitive subject about losing your loved one handled so well without wrenching your heart.

The evolution of the characters and Cassie’s scavenger hunt trip from London to the Welsh mountains to the French countryside which turns into a secret journey to find herself was extremely meaningful, heartfelt. That’s the way she reconnects with her old friends, getting out of her shell to discover more about life, happiness,letting go and confronting to Sam for their unresolved feelings.

There are so many misunderstandings and miscommunications between Cassie and Sam as expected. It made a little frustrated but they resolved perfectly.

Overall: definitely a great, feel-good, pocketful of sunshine reading I truly enjoyed!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, Dell for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest feelings and thoughts.

One Last Gift is a cozy, sweet read, full of sadness and plenty of hope.

Having lost her parents at a young age, Cassie’s brother Tom is the most important person in her life. When he unexpectedly dies just before the Christmas holidays, she struggles with grief and doesn’t quite know how she can adjust to life without him. Cassie receives one last gift from Tom, a card that sets up their shared annual tradition- a Christmas treasure hunt he organizes for her. Cassie finally feels brave enough to open the card and goes on a life-affirming and life-changing journey. Adding to all of the complicated feelings Cassie is experiencing is Sam, Tom’s best friend, who is also feeling lost. She’s spend most of her life loving him but doesn’t recognize the person he has become.

I recommend this to readers of women’s fiction, and those who enjoy romantic dramas. Despite the heavy subject matter, the book feels lighthearted and features plenty of good chemistry, yearning, friendship, and self-discovery with a dash of misunderstanding/miscommunication here and there.

Thank you very much to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This review will be posted to Goodreads, Amazon, and other review outlets on the publication date.