There’s nothing like the bond of siblings, sister/brother love. Just when I thought I wouldn’t cry reading a holiday book, Emily Stone pulled out all the stops and I was crying in the end. Not from hurt but from joy. This story is reminiscent of PS I Love You, with the scavenger hunt and learning to move on. It touched on the idea that everyone struggles when moving on from the loss of a loved one and sometimes you need that push from the other side to help you find that path. Sweet, heart-wrenching and poignant.

Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This just felt all over the place. And my investment in both the characters and plot suffered for it.

One Last Gift is a Christmas second-chance romance novel that follows Cassie and her brother's best friend, Sam. With a years-long history between them, we discover that Cassie and Sam have been skirting around their feelings for each other for a long time. However, because of timing - because of maturity - because of the risk it poses to Sam's friendship with Cassie's brother, Tom - they never get the chance to really explore a relationship. The story moves (strangely) through time, moving forward and offering sporadic glimpses into the past. The narrative is told primarily through Cassie's POV (third person), but occasionally shifts to Sam's. As it progresses, we see the two of them deal with a shared loss and grieve in different ways. It is this mutual grief (alongside the pent-up feelings they've neglected to act on) that bring them back together, as they embark on a traditional scavenger hunt planted by Tom.

The pacing/sequencing and inconsistent POV chapters were not my preference. I also didn't feel much for any of the characters. While there was time spent fleshing out the dynamics between them (and building up side-dynamics), no one had a strongly developed personality. I ultimately didn't care, despite there being some sad things that occur throughout.

I preferred Stone's other story, Always, in December. This one just didn't feel memorable to me in the slightest.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second book I've read by Emily Stone (Always in December was a favorite last year) and I continue to be impressed by the way she handles grief in her story telling. This book is not a happy ending romance, but a story told over a stretch of time, showcasing family, friendship, heartache, grief, and the journey to find happiness.

I loved it! Emily Stone writes beautiful novels that will tug at your heart. I cried during this one a few times.

The characters and their actions always felt real and raw. Stone doesn’t write these perfect little Hallmark books where nothing goes truly wrong. There is heartache and growth, and mistakes and forgiveness within the pages.

This also made me want to start doing scavenger hunts for my kids because who doesn’t love those?!

If you haven’t read One Last Gift, or her last book Always, in December, you 100% should! They were both wonderful.

Thank you to @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for the arc!! 💜

Cassie and her brother Tom lost their parents at a young age. Tom always made a Christmas scavenger hunt for Cassie, and when he is tragically killed, she still gets her clue on Christmas Day. This was an entertaining read. I didn’t like it as much as her first book, but still worth the read.

I just love Emily Stone and her beautiful ability to make me sob. But like, in a festive way. Readers of Always, In December will LOVE this one too. This one starts pretty sad and gets happier — it's the reverse in Always. It's also not *That* christmassy, so definitely one you can pick up any month of the year!

Sweet and deep wish I got a chance to read this one before the holidays it sounded sweet and a little sad

The perfect holiday read! One Last Gift is the perfect combination of a holiday holiday romance with an authentic plot.

Unfolding over the course of a year, Cassie is grieving the sudden loss of her brother, Tom. She and her brother’s best friend, Sam, have always had a connection but his actions have left her heartbroken and wanting nothing to do with him.

Every year, Tom has created a scavenger hunt for Cassie to find her Christmas gift. After his passing, she discovers he has left one last gift for her to find. Can she uncover the toughest challenge yet and will Sam become the man he needs to be?

This one truly was perfect. It has heart, substance, an amazing plot and isn’t cheesy like most holiday books. It’s light enough for the holiday season but really could be read any time during the year!

4/5 stars (5/5 for the holiday genre)

This one really started off with a bang for me. The storyline the plot the characters. It broke my heart but somewhere through the middle I lost a bit of steam. It felt so back and forth between the two characters and their pasts and dragged a bit. I was more interested in the letters / scavenger hunt left behind.

Last year, I choose Emily Stone’s Christmas book, Always in December for our December pick for the Literary Lovelies. I absolutely loved the book despite sobbing during it several times. So I knew that I was just going to love her new book too.

One Last Gift is the story of a brother and sister who live with their auntie after their parents tragically pass away. The siblings are very close and remain this way even as adults. Every year for Christmas, Tom would make a 5 clue scavenger hunt for Cassie as a special gift to her. This year, Tom set up the hunt and then takes a trip to Argentina. He has an accident there and does not survive. However before he passes, he has enlisted friends to help Cassie with the clues and she still continues with the hunt.

There’s so much more to this story, and I just adored it all. There’s a side story about Cassie and Tom’s best friend Sam. I liked that this wasn’t the center plot, but a wonderful side plot. I love how their friends became family; even the local pub owner is like a relative to them both. Tom and Cassie had a lot of tragedy in their lives, but they didn’t let it stop them from living their own lives. It did remind me of PS I Love You which is one of my favorite movies. I also like the reminder that Christmas isn’t always a happy time for everyone.

Thank you so much @randomhouse for my ebook and @tandemcollectiveglobal for my gifted copy. Emily’s books are not to be missed.

5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I fell in love with Emily Stone’s writing after reading Always, in December. I couldn’t wait to read her next book, and One Last Gift did not disappoint. I love unique stories with emotion and heart, with complex characters and realistic storylines. Cassie and Tom as brother and sister broke my heart. Cassie and Sam as friends to lovers gently picked up the pieces and tenderly put my heart back together. This is a love story that doesn’t start or stop with romance. It’s a love story of family and friends, of the ones we miss and the ones who miss us. It’s a story of allowing grief to change us, and the people we love to walk beside us and stand with us through all our joys and heartbreaks. Emily Stone’s books top my list of favorites for this year, and possibly even next year! Because they will definitely sit on my shelf and they will definitely be reread again and again.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Ugh what a great story! It was a slow burn romance, but it really more focused on grieving and the relationship between Cassie and her brother. I really wished we could have seen more interactions between Sam and Cassie when they were younger to understand the connection. I appreciated the dual pov. This wasn’t just about Cassie’s journey, but also Sam’s. The time jumps were frustrating, but also very necessary to the story and for the character growth. Those letters/clues were everything, and I was so sad when it ended. Absolutely loved the ending of this! It was the perfect ending.

Thank you so much Dell Books and PRH audio for my gifted copy in exchange for a honest review

A well written story about grief and coming together with others to grow and evolve. Definitely surrounded by Christmas time but a great standalone novel to read any time of the year.

I just adored this book and the story! Although it was a light hearted read, it still tugged at my heartstrings. This was the perfect book to read on a cold raining day. It really was full of sun shine, love and family!

Emily Stone, you have gained a new fan!!

I will never forget the way Emily Stones debut novel made me cry like a baby, completely ripping at my heart. One Last Gift has somewhat of that heartbreaking pull as well.

Cassie’s best friends are her brother, and his best friend Sam. Cassie has been in love with Sam for as long as she’s known, but the timing has never been right. When tragedy strikes, Cassie gets sent on a “treasure hunt”. On this treasure hunt she learns to conquer her fears and follow her dreams.

The relationship between Cassie and Sam is a favorite trope of mine. Best friends to lovers, or more so brothers best friend to lovers. However, their relationship frustrated me. Why does everything have to be so complicated?! But it’s not a fiction romance without some frustrations.

At the end of the day this was another beautiful and heartbreaking story that will make your heart feel so strongly fornCassie and all she’d endured, but it also gives you hope that your loved ones will get you through your darkest days, and if you conquer your fears, only good things can come your way. Thank you for the ARC! 3.5 ⭐️

I’m not going to lie - this one felt like a punch to the gut. If you read Always, in December, you’ll cry just the same (more so in the beginning than end or maybe the end too…I’m an easy crier so I don’t judge) I needed a hot cocoa with extra marshmallows to recover.

I feel in love with the characters and couldn’t put it down.

Emily Stone is becoming a big name in Christmas books. This was a solid tale about how love can grow from great grief and loss. It was a very unique story and one I’ll remember for a while. I did struggle to connect with these characters but thought it was a good book.

One Last Gift is a gripping story about love, grief, family and dreams. Always in December broke me last year, but the way Emily Stone creates stories and characters is riveting, so I could not resist to this one.
I really liked it. Cassie was a very complex character and could understand her and felt for her. I loved the growth her character went through. I also liked Sam, although perhaps not all the time. And of course I liked Tom and how good he was as a brother. I liked the secondary characters too like Hazel, Josh and Linda.
I also enjoyed that the story had a good balance. It was not only about grief and it was not only about romance. There were moments that left a knot in my throat but there were others that made me very happy.
Overall, it is a lovely story and although I think it lacks a bit of Christmas (in my opinion); I do consider it a nice read for the holidays.

I expected to cry a lot with this book like I did with the authors first book, Always in December, but I didn’t. I got teary eyed a few times. I liked that I didn’t expect Tom to die when he did (I thought he was going to sooner). I started out hating Sam, but he grew as a person. I’m really glad with how it ended with him and Cassie.

This was a heartwarming and emotional Christmas story that involved love and loss and the rediscovery of ones self. This book might trigger some sad and happy tears, be prepared! But Emily Stone does a great job with her character development that truly wraps you up in “history” of Sam & Cassie. For two people that have lost “their person” and joining along on their journey of finding themselves with out Tom, Cassie & Sam stumble along the way but time is key! They grow post Tom, separately which I think is key that Stone wrote it that way. There are a lot of moments of misunderstanding/miscommunication which gets to be frustrating and I didn’t love but once you get past that, your heart warms to Sam and Cassie with their individual journeys and worth the wait.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!