This is a bit of a rollercoaster read. It's full of oohs, ah's and questions. Brynn and Aster have some sort of history. But what happened - is the niggling question the reader is left pondering when after some years they meet again.
As per usual, Melissa Brayden draws the reader into interesting characters, and the progression is uncertain. Just when it seems it's going to be a good but straightforward read, there is a twist and turn and it becomes unpredictable. But because the characters are so well drawn, and the premise engaging, I found myself determined to finish. And then there is the, what next? I'm not totally convinced by the reasons for the initial breakdown of their relationship, but loved reading this and if anything it does reiterate that misunderstandings can cause unnecessary angst!
4.5*

Summary: When your parents name you and your three siblings after flowers, the world is stacked against you. At least, that’s how Aster Lavender feels. The youngest daughter, Aster always keeps her head down and lets her siblings stand in the spotlight. She sells her gourmet doughnuts from Hole in One, the small drive-through stand in sleepy Homer’s Bluff, Kansas, and daydreams about seeing the big beautiful world. Love is never going to happen, especially when the only other lesbians in town are already married to each other.
Beautiful Brynn Garrett arrives to fill in for Homer Bluff’s only veterinarian, and suddenly every pet in town is sick. Brynn’s older, smarter, and way out of Aster’s league. Plus, she’s only in town temporarily and definitely running from something. Aster didn’t plan for a connection so strong it knocks the wind right out of her, but Brynn makes her feel like anything but a wallflower.
What I loved about this book: 1) Story takes place in a fictional town in Kansas, aka my home state, so that’s kinda fun!. 2) The author is truly gifted. She writes in a way that as the story progressed, I became emotionally invested in the characters without realizing it had happened. 3) The plot seemed to be predictable at first but I was really surprised and happy with the ending.
Opportunity for improvement: For the second book in a row I have zero negative things to say. I loved this story and Melissa Brayden is a master of the wlw romance!
ARC provided by @netgalley in exchange for an honest review. #queerbookstagram #lgbt #wlw #lgbtqia #loveislove #queerrepresentationmatters #lgbtqbooks #bookstagram #queerbooks #books #booklover #booksofinstagram #bookish #booksbooksbooks #bookworm #booknerd #lgbtqreads #pride #queerreads #hockey #romance #lesbianromance #wlwromance

AMAZING!
Aster is the youngest sister in a family where the kids are named after plants. She owns a donut shop but has big dreams to go to culinary school in the big city. Shes also hoping maybe she can find love since its next to impossible to find it in her sleepy hometown. And maybe there she will be something other than the youngest and mostly invisible Lavender sister. Brynn is filling in for the town vet and everyone is curious about her! When Aster and Brynn meet, its not long until the pair are well and truly attracted to each other. But Brynn is only in town for a while and Aster has her plans…..

I ADORED the heck outta this book!!!! Melissa Brayden can do no wrong and she knocked it out of the park once again! The story draws you in and before you know it you have read the whole book because, honestly, how can you leave amazing characters like these? Aster and Brynn have such a connection to each other and you just know they belong together, if only they would get out of their own way. This is a great book and I cant wait to read it again!

Melissa Brayden is a star in the sapphic romance novel world, and The Last Lavender Sister is another wonderful foray into a sweet romance filled with characters that you fall in love with.

An honest review thanks to NetGalley. Melissa Brayden really knows how to make you cry, I do not think I have read one of her books that did not give me waterworks. Brynn and Aster were amazing and the supporting characters really made this book something more. This was a fantastic romance read, all the emotions get felt in this book, angst, happiness, heartbreak and a forever love.

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not quite sure where to start with this one. It started with a lot of promise that it largely did not deliver on.

This features MC Aster, the fourth and last child in the Lavender family made up of older sisters Marigold and Violet and brother Sage, who apparently has lived her entire life in a small town in the shadows of her siblings, though I couldn’t see why, they all seemed like nice people, but none were particularly spectacular at anything. Aster is fairly quiet and unassuming and prefers books over people, can’t fault her there, she also runs her own donut business, while the rest of her family work at their lavender farm. The other MC is Brynn, a vet, who comes to town to fill in for her friend Tyler who is going away for six months to do some study. Brynn is also just out of a toxic relationship where her partner cheated on her and is not feeling so great about herself.

So, this set up what I thought was going to be a fairly routine book about two people who find each other and the usual ‘one of us will have to move’ thing due to the short time frame for Brynn to be in town. I will give Brayden points for subverting this, as that’s not really what happens at all. Instead this is a slow, slow, slow burn of a book that spans several years broken up into parts.

I enjoyed Part One, mostly it was very sweet and the way the MCs meet and their relationship unfolds is lovely and full of meet-cutes and banter. Aster is a little shy, but blossoms thanks to her relationship with Brynn and Brynn is obviously smitten with Aster. This bit takes up roughly 40%.

Part Two and most of Part Three form the next 30% and contain some major time jumps, and this is where the book lost me. It started to feel very much like my least favourite Brayden book of all time [book:Back to September|43800722], with the MCs living in different places and dating other people. I am not a fan of MCs dating other people in stories, usually this happens at the start of a book and then the MCs get together, but I am really not a fan of them being together and then being with other people and then getting back together. The two also sort of swap personalities here, as Aster starts to really shine and come into her own in these sections but Brynn becomes pretty withdrawn and also a bit unlikable (Aster is never unlikable at any stage). Part 3 also ends with a major miscommunication and Brynn acting like a complete ass, which didn’t help.

Part Four starts with another major time jump and some family circumstances that force Aster home and back into Brynn’s orbit. Brynn’s “woe is me, I could be happy if I could just get out of my own way" shtick is also in full flight here, but Aster has grown enough to call her on it and not put herself back out there. At one point Brynn tells Tyler that Aster is over Brynn’s "back-and-forth" and I was right there with her, it was way past old at that point. They keep running into each other though and eventually discuss what happened, and manage to reconcile after a big gesture from Brynn. The epilogue provides a nice tidy bow on the HEA, though to be honest, I thought Aster deserved someone better.

I enjoyed Aster’s family and her relationship with the various members and their side plots were mostly interesting. I did find the whole ‘no-one knows Aster’s name’ thing a bit hard to believe given this is a small town and she owns a popular business, but it was a plot device to show how far she comes. Brynn’s relationship with Tyler was sweet, and I loved both dogs, dogs are always a plus! I also thought Marigold’s reveal came out of nowhere, but wouldn’t mind reading her book if there is one.

I liked this more than Back to September, but found it very uneven, I’d give Part one 4 stars, Parts Two and Three 2.5 stars and Part four 3 stars, so will round this out to 3.25 stars.

Melissa Brayden latest standalone books have been very angsty compared to the series. Not that a mind, some angst always works. The Last Lavender Sister focussed a lot on the character development of Aster. I felt she really progressed from the quiet towns gourmet doughnuts baker to an excellent restaurant chef. Brynn on the other hand, a veterinarian who had been cheated on by her ex has a tough time trusting people. Brynn is a likeable character but the way she treated Aster made it difficult to keep liking her.

Like said, a pretty angsty book at different moments. Well worth the read.

I have to say, I loved Aster. The youngest of the Lavender sisters who owns a donut shop but dreams of becoming a chef. She is the type of woman you are just drawn to. Beautiful but she doesn't know it, shy and bright. But she is overlooked by her little town in Kansas. Brynn is the temporary veterinarian in town for 6 months that turns into permanent resident. They meet, enjoy their love for books, they become friends and they become deeply attracted to each other but it’s not the right time so they part ways. Aster moves to Boston to attend culinary school, they lose touch. As the story spans several years Aster and Brynn’s relationship changes and evolves. How Brynn wins Aster back is breathtaking. The end of the book is amazing and I will not ruin it for you Enjoy the book..

I absolutely adored the first half of this book and honestly thought it would end up one as my favourite books of the month. I loved the way Brayden structured this story, and it was a pleasant change from her usual romance formula. I love a story where the MCs take a bit of time to work their crap out before they hook up, as it makes it feel more monumental when they finally get together. Brayden did this superbly.

However, the second half of the book featured Brynn being quite awful to Aster, which just didn't gel with me. Aster was a sweetheart, and after Brynn's behaviour I literally wanted her to move on and find her HEA elsewhere. I think it was a really interesting choice for her character and although I still liked the story, it left a slightly bitter taste in my mouth.

All in all, an interesting premise and one that covers years but also a whole lot of angst.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Aster feels like the world is against her. The youngest of three, she always lets her siblings, Sage and Violet, shine. She owns a doughnut shop, Hole in One, in a sleepy little town, where her creativity shines through her gourmet doughnuts. during one lunch break, where she reads on her favorite bench, she meets Brynn, the new interim vet in town, and they connect instantly.
This was a cute and fun slow burn romance. The chemistry between Aster and Brynn was palpable, the banter was witty and I could see a good character growth, as this is told in parts separated by a few months/years. It was predictable, but I enjoyed the ride, although I felt it was a bit repetitive at times and the ending was a bit abrupt.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I've read all of Brayden's books and her writing just keeps on improving. In this latest novel, she (hooray) takes us to a small town in Kansas. I say hooray because so many of her stories are in Cali and it's nice to see the midwest get a chance. (Colorado next. please Melissa?) Digressing, apologies.

We have Aster Lavender, the youngest of the family who owns a cute and creative donut shop, The Hole in One. She dreams of leaving the small town or at least finding a girlfriend. Cue the new veterinarian, Brynn Garrett, who recently moved to Homer's Bluff to help out a fellow veterinarian and for a change in her life. She's gunshy after being lied to, cheated on, and treated like dirt. Aster is witty, charming, cute, and makes her smile. Can love overcome the fears?

If you enjoy a light and funny HEA, this is right up your alley.

Many thanks to Melissa Brayden, Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I am always excited to read a book by Melissa and this time it was no exception. This book took me out of my reading slump and I am so happy about it.

This book is different than other books I've read by Melissa. It's a slow burn and gets frustrating and sad at times. But not once did I stop rooting for Aster and Brynn to find their way to each other.

It was a treat reading the sibling and pet interactions. Such an enrichment to the story.

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

Melissa Brayden has delivered another another great read. The characters Aster and Brynne have fabulous chemistry and there were tonnes of angst all sprinkled with Brayden's usual wit. The sub characters were likeable and bounced off the MC's with much empathy and humour. The general storyline was a bit frothy but there was plenty of emotion. An enjoyable read.

Typically I really like Melissa Brayden. Unfortunately, this book was the exception. It focuses on Aster Lavender who runs a donut shop in Homer's Bluff. Brynn is arriving in town after making a deal with the previous vet who is taking a slight leave of absence. Aster and Brynn meet here and leave throughout town and then they realize that Brynn is renting the house next to Aster. What I realized right off, the women have no chemistry and I did not see how the connection was happening.
The story was not well put together. Aster goes away to cooking school and expects that Brynn will wait for her, but does not tell her that she has feelings for her. Very odd storyline.
Not a favorite of mine.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It was an excellent romance novel by Melissa Brayden. I loved seeing romance blossom between Aster and Brynn. I especially loved the way it was set in a small town where most wouldn’t stay, but wlm were able to make time and distance work over time because of their enduring love for each other. It was a very sweet novel with sexual and heat in all the right points of the novel. Sublime. I loved Exclusive before this one and I love The Last Lavender Sister just as much.

Ms. Brayden writes wonderful romance novels and this one is no exception! From the moment I started reading it, I couldn’t stop. I laughed, cried, and smiled frequently while reading The Last Lavender Sister.

The two main characters are Aster Lavender and Brynn Garrett. Aster is the only sister who is not working in the family business in the small town of Homer’s Bluff, Kansas, and is, therefore, always thought of as the “last Lavender sister”. She runs her own business called “Hole in One”, a donut shop which sells wonderful donuts with creative names. She dreams of leaving and going to school in Boston to become a top chef. Aster is shy and keeps to herself.

Brynn Garrett is a veterinarian working for a very large veterinary business in Chicago. As a favor to her old college friend, she agrees to come to Homer’s Bluff for six months to work for a local veterinarian while her friend attends advanced vet courses in Chicago. Although she hasn’t lived in a small town before, she finds the town to be very friendly and she soon settles into the slower pace. She meets Aster and they find some mutual interests and thus the slow burn attraction begins.

The plot is different from most romance novels with many twists and turns. This is not a “meet then jump into bed” story. Instead, their relationship grows over time. The story is solid and thoroughly enjoyable. The characters are so well developed that I did not want to let them go at the end of the book. The support characters are a large part of this story.

The Last Lavender Sister is a great read! I highly recommend it with a rating of 5 out of 5 stars.

I received this ARC from Bold Strokes Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Lavender sister is the small town lesbian romance I've been waiting for!
Friends to lovers with slow-burn and close family. Perfect for a weekend read.
Aster feels a connection with newcomer Brynn and a friendship slowly starts to grow. Brynn has been through a lot and is still running from her ex. She finds in Aster a welcoming friendship, something she really needs at the moment. But what about that connection they felt?

I loved Aster's character development and her whole family. There were times I got a little frustrated with Brynn, but coming from her past I understood her. The cute interactions between them were everything and they surely had chemistry.

I finished it wanting a second book for Marigold, Aster's sister. Would recommend to those who love a slow-burn friends to lovers.

This had a lot of potential and started really strong. Unfortunately it really fell apart in the middle section. I think the many time jumps detracted from the book. I felt like the side characters could have used more development as at times it seemed they only existed to further the plot or examine the relationship between the mcs. I loved Aster but some of the issues in the relationship in the latter part of the book felt a little forced and ridiculous.

I just LOVE the Lavender family.

This book was like a warm hug on a cold day for me. I enjoyed all aspects including the friends to lovers, insta-love, and second chance romance tropes. The Lavender family dynamic and the inclusion of shelter animals really added to the depth of this book.

Aster's character development is top notch. You couldn't ask for anything more. The characters are described in perfect detail and it's easy to imagine the small town in Kansas where they all live. I'm so glad that this author was brought to my attention and I look forward to reading other books she has published.

This was a really cute story with a lot of elements that combined to make it sweet. I thought the book had a few too many breakups between the main couple for my taste, especially with the ways that those resolved, but there are sweet elements of epistolary storytelling as a result. All in all, a fun read!