Loved this one! Sweet and heartfelt- you will laugh and you will cry! The characters truly felt like my friends by the end and I couldn’t stop rooting for them.

I wished I like this one more. The idea is a good one - a young widow experiencing grief and possibly opening herself up to love again. As someone who was widowed in her 40s I thought I'd really relate to this one - and that's why I requested it from NetGalley. But both heroes of the story -- the dead husband and the potential new love interest -- are so idealized and seemingly flawless, they didn't feel real. Neither did the single best friend who was always ready to care for the widow's son at the drop of a hat for days on end. The jumping back and forth in time also added to the confusion -- I think that is a device that needs to be used carefully to be effective and in this case I am not sure it was needed. I feel like I am being too harsh and I don't mean to be. I truly think there's a good book somewhere in here but it needs a good editor and probably another draft or two to get to it. Kate and Hugh is the story we want to follow - anything that took us away from what was happening with them felt unneeded and distracting. Maybe if it started when Kate and her boss go on the business trip and go forward from there since the first half of the book didn't really play into the plot...

NOTE: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

TW: Loss of spouse, infertility, miscarriage

“Maybe you need an adult gap year. Sell up, travel, write…see what the world offers you.“

An adult gap year!?! Ummm yes, sign me up.

So this book was much heavier than I thought it would be. The cover gives lighthearted, romcom, happy vibes. This is a much deeper book, deeper than I was ready for. It really gives serious insight to someone trying to navigate the grief process. Grief that the author unfortunately knows about firsthand.

The book is about Kate, a widow and single working mom who is struggling and feeling likes she’s treading water after losing the love of her life Cam. Luckily she has a good support system in her friends and family.

The ending in this one wasn’t really a surprise but for this genre, I really don’t trying surprise is necessary especially because the details about how Kate gets from point A to point B Imwere unique for this genre / trope.

I really wish there was more focus on the “note” aspect of the book though. Kate and Cam had a very bond so I wanted to read more of that.

What a beautiful book this was. I commend Emma Grey for sharing such a deeply personal story inspired by the sudden loss of her husband. While the plot is surrounded by navigating grief, it never feels overwhelmingly sad. I’ve read other books written in the aftermath of intense loss and those were books that I had to occasionally put down because the grief just felt so heavy. Grey sure gave us grief, but more importantly she gave the reader hope, love, laughs, and the reminder that life goes on.

I loved the writing style in this. It was so witty and Kate was an A+ protagonist. She’s the type of character you read and just know you’d want to be her friend in real life. And Hugh?! No words. I’m literally speechless. He can take a seat at my round table of impeccable book boyfriends (that aren’t actually boyfriends). Where can I get me a boss like that, Grey? On that note, I actually loved all of the side characters. Grace and especially Kate’s mom were absolutely hilarious. That epilogue was beautiful and made me so happy.

If you’re a fan of books centered around life after loss and slow burn romances, this is a must read.

4.5

Get your tissues out because this one will make you cry, then laugh so hard you cry, then cry again!

The characters were all spectacularly written, especially the main pov who was honest and flawed and unintentionally funny. There were also a plethora of profound moments that had me reflecting on life and all the good and bad things that led me to where I am. I made me appreciate my husband and daughter more than ever.

“I walk toward the shore, the sand getting firmer and wetter beneath my feet, and step out a little way into the cold water, deep enough to have to dig my feet in solidly to keep my balance.
It’s a lot like grief, standing here. You’re dragged from the shallows into the depths where it’s dark and heavy and you can’t see or hear or breathe. There were times over the last two years when, if I screamed, grief would swallow up the noise. It was bigger than my voice. A whirl of emotion for which there’s no sufficient word in the entirety of the English language.”

Thank you Zibby Books for the alc via Netgalley

Thanks to Zibby Books and Netgalley for an early digital copy of The Last Love Note by Emma Grey, which is being published on November 28, 2023.

This is the story of Kate who lost her young husband to early onset Alzheimer's and is trying to come out from under her grief to live life fully again. This book is heartbreaking and shows such hope. I loved the characters and the Australian setting. Keep your tissues handy!

book tugged on my heartstrings. This story started as a fun rom-com but became personal and deeply meaningful. The story was written intimately. I felt Katie’s vulnerability after losing her husband in such a heartbreaking way at a young age. She had to navigate through life’s unpredictability and steer through her emotions as she struggled with making life-altering decisions. I felt her pain, anger, and frustration with losing the love of her life with a young kid. The book's second half reflects the struggles of trying to move on without ruining the memories dear to the heart from the past. I enjoyed the ending as Katie managed to be more open about taking risks, be more present, and dream a little more.

After reading the author's note, I understood how this book was intended to reflect the author‘s life as she wrote this book. I can’t imagine losing my partner at a young age and trying to steer through life again. This book did a great job conveying the importance of grief and the hope to find purpose again. This book is good to recommend if someone is looking for a good cry or a book to reflect on about life and its unpredictability.

Thank you to Netgallery and to Zibby Books for giving me a copy of the book.

The amount of times my heart broke while reading this is astronomical. A beautiful, tragic love story.

A poetic novel with bits of humor, candor and life lessons. A love note to remind us all to never forget, but also to remember to love ourselves and keep moving forward even though we have been hit with grief.
I highly enjoyed this and definitely recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Big words coming to you...are you ready?

This book is my FAVORITE romance book I've EVER read.

First of all, I don't love romance, and rather than focusing on the reasons I don't let's talk about WHY this book was so great.

1. The flow of the storyline as it ebbed and flowed in past and current timelines worked really well.
2. Real emotion was weaved into this book by the author and it emitted itself to the reader. Bravo!
3. It had a level of sadness, but overall it was joyful, real and the focus was love.
4. There was a level of humor that our protagonist spoke and thought that was charming.
5. The overall feel is wholesome, kind, supportive and loving.

Now, go and do yourself a favor. Get this for yourself and for anyone that you know that loves to read. You will not regret it. It is an easy one to recommend and give to all. The only one caveat I might share is there is loss shared in this story that feels very visceral so if someone is close to that it may not be the right timing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zibby Books for this complimentary e-book.

The Last Love Note by @emmagreyauthor has been getting a lot of buzz lately. It’s been selected as a November @bookofthemonth pick and is an Indie Next recommendation! ⁠
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If you’re looking for a book that will make you laugh, make you cry, and leave you full of hope, this is the perfect read for you!⁠
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The Last Love Note is the story of a young widow, Kate, who’s a bit of a mess. Two years after losing her husband, she’s struggling to cope with work, single motherhood, and her grief. When an unexpected detour leaves Kate and her boss, Hugh, stranded for the weekend, she gets a second chance at love. But will she take it?

This book had me feeling all the feels and hoping Kate could find her way through her grief to find love again. It will devastate you in the best way. Bring your tissues.

Watch for The Last Love Note, publishing on November 28th.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @Zibby Books for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Received this as an ARC via Net Galley. This was just ok for me. From the first few pages it was obvious where this was headed. Cam’s diagnosis and illness were tragic. The rest just didn’t engage me - it felt like telling vs showing and I just never felt pulled into the story. It definitely feels like writing this could have been cathartic for the author as per the author’s note she lost her husband. That loss definitely came through in Kate and Cam’s story.

This book will make you have allll the feels. This is a story that has such depth and heart. This is a story that is perfect for anyone going through grief. Or knows someone going through grief. Honestly, this is a story for everyone because we all have lost someone or know someone that has. It is a story that is heartbreaking but also funny. A story that is touching and sweet but also gritty and raw.

I loved the characters so much. I loved this story so much. Kate is a young mother that lost her husband and is doing her best to navigate that loss while also doing her best to show up for her young son. Hugh is her boss turned good friend. You’re going to love them both. Kate is the definition of strength and Hugh is the definition of kind. He is thoughtful without needing recognition which is the best kind of support. She is real and vulnerable and shows how much beauty there is in breaking.

This story beautifully explores how grief impacts the whole support system, not just the person that directly lost someone. It also explores what happens when grief makes someone’s whole life flip upside down and how they come back from that, how they find their spark again.

“Life is short. And maybe the time will come when you feel ready for that, but there are no rules. There’s no rush. Everyone responds differently. You can’t expect anyone to understand how hard it is unless they’ve actually been there,”

This is probably the easiest 5 stars I have given a book this year. This story will impact you. This story will stay with you and I think everyone should read it. I highly recommend this one but get your tissues ready.

Thank you @emmagreyauthor for writing a story that will stay with me for some time.
Thank you @zibbybooks for another touching story
Thank you @netgalley for the early copy

This one is out November 28th.

I love a book that makes me cry and THE LAST LOVE NOTE took that to the next level! Never have I cried in the middle of a book and continued until the last page. This felt like a meet-cute meets a true love story meets a Hallmark movie without being cheesy! I loved hearing Kate's story of how she fell in love with Cam and all that they went through as a couple and then her, as a widow and single mom. As the reader, I could feel what she was going through and the moments in which she felt her eyes were opening wider.

Emma wrote this beautiful novel that will take hold of your heart and truly look at the world differently. The next time someone is empathetic towards you, you'll be drawn to pause to better understand how they know to be so understanding and kind.

Want to read a book that will tear your heart out and then make you hug it after it’s done with you? If that sounds like a good time I recommend this book. It’s got a slow romance, a grief stricken heroine, and a too perfect love interest. It was a good time.

Thank you NetGalley, Zibby Books, and Emma Gray for the ARC of The Last Love Note. I was not prepared for the amount of despair that I would feel while reading this book. The beginning starts of Bridget Jones style and I loved it from the start. Then sadness takes over and you go through Kate's journey. You learn of the fairytale love that Kate and Cam for one another. That love that we all wish for. As Alzheimer's breaks her husband down physically and mentally you realize the pain and heartache the process can be. Thank goodness for Hugh, who reminds me of Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. He helps her grieve through the process and get back on her feet.

This book made me laugh out loud, cry, smile, sob, feel like my heart was breaking and then it put it all back together by the end.

If you have recently gone through the loss of a spouse I feel like this book would be extremely hard. But maybe it would be helpful to know that others struggle through the same situations.

I trudged through the first 75% of this book and enjoyed the last bit.

Kate is consumed by grief after losing her husband. The last few years have been a blur and survival, and when she least expects it, she sees a glimmer of hope in a longtime friend.

What a beautiful, honest book. I loved this story of love after loss, and the story's excellent pacing kept me interested and invested. The pain of grief is specific but made universal by Grey's writing, and the enduring love that's written across these pages is a hopeful testament to connection.

This was a very personal book and heartfelt book for the author. She writes with a passion about love, loss and hope as she experiences widowhood and single parenting at a young age. The book had some humorous moments as she navigates this new life and does some much needed soul searching as she discovers who she truly is and what she wants from life. #SelfDiscovery #TheLastLoveNote #EmmaGrey #NetGalley

A beautiful but heartbreaking story. Bring your tissues especially if you have experienced a close loss like the main character. What I did enjoy that throughout there was always the presence of hope and that things would slowly be easier. Thank you to NetGalley and Zibby Books for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.