Emily Stone has a gift for making her readers feel all of the feels. From first crushes to heartbreak, then deeper heartbreak, overcoming grief and eventually, hope and a light at the end of the tunnel.

I adored Cassie. Her close relationship with her brother Tom is so touching and is similar to my relationship with my older sister. That made Tom's death even more gripping, as my heart felt like it was sharing Cassie's grief. She grew in so many ways over the course of the book and her bravery, as a result of Tom's final scavenger hunt, was a key plotline. Keep a tissue on hand!

Sam was a complex soul. The author did a great job of letting us crush on him alongside Cassie, then hate him, then love him again. His relationship with both Tom and Cassie had me delving deep into my emotions (definitely a theme of the whole book!).

This book was both complex and simple. A wonderful read full of heartache and love, goodbyes and fresh starts, friendship and family dynamics. The scavenger hunt theme was just perfect. Can't wait for her next tearjerker!

Synopsis: When Cassie and her brother Tom start a tradition after their parents die of having a scavenger hunt each year for Christmas. When Cassie loses Tom she doesnt know how she will make it through and realizes how much those silly games really did mean to her around the holiday season. Will it ever be the same? Then one day she finds one last letter that starts her off on a journey that even she didn't know could exist.

Thoughts: I think this book did a great job of sharing that while there are a lot of good things that happen around the holidays, there are also difficulties in facing the holidays with loved ones missing or traditions that no longer happen due to life changes. I think this book did a great job pulling the readers in. I loved connecting with the characters and wished that the scavenger hunt could have gone on forever. It reminded me too to enjoy the moments we have because we are not guaranteed them. I recommend this book but do take in mind that it is somewhat of a difficult read but worth the tears and connections you will make.

I think Emily stone is an autobuy author. I absolutely love her beautiful heartbreaking storylines. This one had a beautiful ending of found love and moving on after death. I enjoyed the quest aspect left to her by her brother. It was a beautiful way to heal and fall in love.

ONE LAST GIFT
By Emily Stone

One last Gift is a story about grief and loss and so much more - it is about friendships, family, and finding love.
I enjoyed this melancholic story of a journey to discovery - to hope, to finding new beginnings amidst a life of sorrow and sadness. The writing was lovely, and I enjoyed this book a lot.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. I liked Cassie and Sam and reading about the clues that lead Cassie to her last gift from her brother. It was sweet and heart warming. I felt like Cassie and Sam were super immature in the beginning of the book, and all their misunderstandings and miscommunications were frustrating at times, but I liked the way the book ended. I enjoyed Always December more.

Bottom Line: Read it.

**I received a copy of One Last Gift from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

It must be challenging as an author when you have more than one piece of work out because there's always going to be comparisons to your previous piece(s), but alas, that's exactly where I find myself with One Last Gift. Always, in December was one of my favorites and I only liked it more the more books I read after it. This just didn't hit the same, sadly. It was okay and fine, and if I weren't comparing it to her previous book, I probably would've enjoyed it more, but it just didn't evoke the same emotions for me. I also never predict anything, but did predict a few key moments in this one, so that took some of the magic away. Overall, fine but not my favorite.

Tom and Cassie’s parents died in a plane crash when they were young. Ever since then Tom has looked out for Cassie and tried to include her in all of his adventures with his best friend Sam. Every year at Christmas time, he would also create a scavanger hunt for her to find her Christmas present. This is someting that she looked forward every year.

Tragedy strikes when Tom is on a solo adventure and Cassie is left to fend for herself. She doesn’t even have Sam as they have become estranged when their feelings started getting complicated and Sam pushed her away. One night, Cassie is given an envelope with Tom’s handwriting on it, and she knows it is for the final scavenger. It is Tom’s One Last Gift for her.

The book is an emotional read. It delves into feelings of grief, loneliness, and the idea of found family. These characters are filled with flaws and honestly at points drove me crazy. I wanted to shake some sense into them. Tom’s scavenger hunt pushes Cassie’s boundaries and forces her to try new things. This results in alot of unexpected changes for her character.

One Last Gift does quite a bit of time line jumping which I wasn’t fully a fan of. Every time I thought I was getting comfortable with the characters and what was going on, it would jump in time and I would feel disjointed again. The time jumps did not allow for full character development which was disappointing to me as a reader. I would have really liked to see how these characters changed and developed overtime. To me that would have made a stronger story.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

One Last Gift by Emily Stone is a nice read about Cassie as she journeys to find herself in the wake of losing her brother. Like most romances you know where it is heading but the trip is a pleasant one. I enjoyed the characters and spending time with Cassie.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

One Last Gift is perfect for fans of PS I Love You. It’s full of holiday cheer, as well as heart break. I loved the concept of the scavenger hunt, and it was such a bitter, sweet story!

This would fit firmly in the Hallmark-esque book category. It was sweet, but not quite as sad and serious as the author's previous release. I also don't think it HAS to be read at Christmas, though the holiday does set the mood for the read. I loved the message of facing fears, and picking yourself up after a tragedy knocks you down. Overall a very enjoyable read.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I loved her book Always in December last year, even though the ending ripped my heart out. This one wasn’t as sad, but it definitely wasn’t a lighthearted holiday read. Her writing is beautiful and I loved the character development. I also love the trope of being in love with your brother’s best friend. I liked the Christmas scavenger hunt that was central to this story. Cassie and Tom loose their parents at a young age and grow up with their aunt. Sam who is Tom’s best friend is always there too. Cassie has always been in love with Sam, but does he feel the same way? I loved the relationship between them, it seemed very authentic. The characters were likable and even though a lot of the book is centered on grief it still brought a smile to my face at the end.

Genre: Holiday Romance

Format: Audio/Ebook

4.25 stars - I enjoyed it!

Thank you @prhaudio for the complimentary audiobook, @netgalley for the digital copy, and to @penguinrandomhouse for the #gifted copy!

I loved @emstonewrites’s book Always, in December last year and was so excited to get to this one this year!

There is something about a British holiday read! It’s exactly the type of book I’m looking for this time of year. This book centers around grief, moving on, forgiveness, and feels like a cozy Christmas Day. It’s tender, heartfelt, sad, and hopeful.

I loved the connection of the siblings Cassie and Tom, their annual scavenger hunt, and how that brought Sam and Cassie together throughout the story.

Overall a beautiful and emotional Christmas romance that will tug on your heart strings!

I requested this book as I absolutely loved Emily Stone's last novel and the premise of her latest book sounded fantastic. Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me. I could not connect with the characters or the writing. I am not a huge fan of female MC's that do not have a back bone and I do realize that this MC had been through quite a bit in her life already but I just failed to connect.

Also a head's up to readers that this is not a sweet/fun holiday romance. Enter this book knowing that it emphasizes heavily on death.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an early copy of this book.

Another great Christmas read from Emily Stone. She manages to tug at the heart strings yet bring all the warmth and comfort of the holidays!

Emily Stone’s books always end up being more emotional and deeper than you’d think at first glance and this one is no different. “One Last Gift” was a solid read that I liked, but just was not one of my faves. However, there were thought-provoking moments that made me think and for that, I’m rounding up from 3.5 stars up to 4. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy for review.

This was such a heartfelt Holiday read. It took a different turn than so many Holiday reads with a. Little heartbreak but so much love throughout the whole story.

Appropriately, One Last Gift was my last holiday read of the season. I use the term holiday here lightly, however, as this book has Christmas scenes, but really takes place over the course of a few years.

In this story we meet Cassie and Tom, brother and sister who have always been super close, in large part due to the loss of their parents at an early age. Together with Tom’s best friend, Sam “no relation to Cheers” Malone, the trio has weathered many a storm. Secretly, Cassie has harbored feelings for the womanizing Sam for awhile. One night, the unrequited love is requited with a kiss. With stars in her eyes, Cassie thinks this will move their relationship to the next level, but feet planted firmly on the ground Sam wants to move on, no real explanation given.

Most women would get over it, but Cassie’s devastation at being rejected lives on, morphing over the years into pure hatred. Sam seems to be ok with this and Tom never questions a thing. Tom and Sam, however, remain close, so
Cassie is often forced to grin and bear it.

Then a trip the two men are set to go on doesn’t go as planned. Tom ends up going, while Sam ends up staying. This sets off a chain of events that will forever change the course of their lives, Tom dying in a freak accident while away. But wait, there’s more! Before Tom left, he set up his latest elaborate scavenger hunt, resulting in what he couldn’t know would be the ultimate final present to his sister and his friend.

The rollout of the last gift in One Last Gift spans months, taking Cassie on journeys to new places, forcing her to do things outside her comfort zone. Some might say that was always the plan. Instead, I felt the concept that Cassie would discover the right clues at just the right times (despite her brother’s day to day involvement) to be rather far fetched. In short, the message here is her brother knew her better than she knew herself. The only problem is the reader barely knew Tom either. Also, a chaste kiss years prior doesn’t really serve as a proper backdrop for a grand love story between Cassie and Sam who otherwise, rarely interact through most of the book. All in all, One Last Gift didn’t really leave a lasting impression on this reader.

Emily Stone has done it again! This is the perfect holiday read if you’re looking to take a emotional step aside from the Hallmark rom-coms and want a tale of loss, grief and second chances!

I loved this story, and it certainly had me tearing up in the first 50 pages! I immediately was invested in the relationships between Hazel, Cassie, Sam and Tom - loving their development over the years and then being with them for a while before tragedy struck.

The scavenger hunts were creative and light - and were a great exploration of grief and still living one’s life. All around a great story!

While this was released. around the holiday season, it is not a Christmas book. It actually is very emotional as a woman loses her brother but continues a long tradition of a scavenger hunt for a final present. Though I did tear up at parts I really did enjoy this story. It's sweet and quiet and makes you want to hug the ones you love. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Such a charming romance! So glad I read this during the holidays. Make sure you add it to your TBR pile this holiday season!