This book started off uproariously funny, took a serious turn and tugged at the heart strings on every page. Kate just lost her husband to early-onset Alzheimer’s and is struggling to find her way with her young son. Navigating between loss and grief, hope and possibility, Kate’s conflicted on what her future holds. When a business trip turns into a weekend away with her boss, Hugh, Kate finally processes her grief and starts to make plans to heal herself. There on the beach, secrets are revealed, feelings are uncovered and unexpected plans are made. This book had me at hello with an unexpected grenade, neighbor-watching and a trip off the treadmill. But it kept me reading with its relatable characters and the emotional journey they took me on….and sticky notes.

Kate is a widow at 38. The story goes back and forth between present day and her life with Cam (her deceased husband) as he is diagnosed with Alzheimers. It is a heartbreaking story but it is done with just enough humor to keep it light. Kate is a delightful character as she deals with heartache and day to day life, and eventually dealing with life Cam.

This book has heart, by the truckloads! I know it will appeal to many but it was not for me.
It was apparent from the early pages that this author suffered an incredible loss at a young age and exposing her heartbreak by writing this novel was a personal journey. How can a reader really critique that experience?

I take my task of providing my honest reading experience very seriously, and my review is based upon the editing and mechanics of the finished product. The basic premise of the novel was compelling and kept me reading but here are a few of the things that bothered me:

* Ms. Grey’s humor was the bright light within the pages and had me wanting more.
* The side characters were the crazy bunch who informed Kate and how she navigates “life after”. I would have loved more development of some of them.
* The timeline back and forth took me out of the plot and left me feeling disjointed. I appreciated the backstory fill in points but there were too many back and forth (2 years before, 4 years later etc.) to keep me fully invested in the continuity of the story.
*The cadence of the novel felt frenetic. Some parts were too drawn out (leading to predictable outcomes) and others felt incredibly rushed. At about 75% I considered giving up, but was compelled to figure out exactly why this novel wasn’t working for me. I am known to be overly empathetic in my reading, so these feelings surprised me. My first thought upon completion was that I bet they were under a publishing deadline. This was disappointing.

It’s nearly impossible to give a star rating to a book that hits so close to the author’s heart and experience. I keep my social media platforms “positive only” and refrain from posting negative reviews. I appreciate the early copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

What a complicated, gut-wrenching, affirming read! After a crushing loss, the main character Kate Whittaker tries to regain her footing and reclaim her life. I loved how the author told this story out of order. I always appreciate a mystery in a book, even if it isn't mysterious, and when it's revealed what happened to Kate's husband empathize with her main character even more for what she had to suffer. Grey skillfully applied just the right amount of plausible romance that kept me tuned into the story (instead of reading with disbelief). The last third could have been a little tighter, in my opinion, but this is a beautiful, complicated story I'd recommend to contemporary fiction readers seeking a rich interpersonal story, and those who enjoy romantic fiction. Thank you NetGalley and ZibbyBooks for the opportunity to read the ARC.

The Last Love Note is a lovely tribute to the authors love for her husband who died from a heart attack in 2016. Her love and grief shine through this novel about Kate, her husband Cam, as well as the people who are there for her when her life is falling apart. It is also a romance, both between Kate and her husband and the man who has always been there for her.

I found the story both heart wrenching and heartwarming and was very much invested in both the main characters well as the supporting cast. If you enjoy romance with depth I think you will find that the Last Love Note will touch your heart, but be warned it is not a light rom com.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

This novel centers around Kate, a thirty-eight year old grieving widow of a sweet toddler named Charlie.
Her grief comes on the heels of loss, mostly associated with the death of her young husband due to dementia.
The deep ,respectful way this grief is written about comes from one who is not a stranger to loss herself asEmma Grey draws from the grief she experiences over the loss of her own husband.
Grey must have done much research as well, as the description of the patient suffering from dementia as well as the people in the life of one with this disease seems authentic.
This is truely a love story. The love of Kate for her husband, her child and eventually herself.
Many layers in the grieving process are fleshed out. while heatbreaking I also has healing and encouragement.
I am so happy I took a chance on this one.
In a way I can see how this book would be considerd the last love note from emma Grey to her husband; a touching tribute.

Kate and Cam have that fairy tale marriage that every rom-com sells. With one small son and another on the way, they can only imagine how perfect the future will be, even with Kate starting a new job and having doubts about being able to handle two children under the age of two. When she and Cam have a car accident one day it leads to devastating news and an amount of grief Kate isn't sure she'll survive. I loved this novel for its heart, its optimism and the way it handled grief as an ongoing creature that one has to choose to move past.

The Last Love Note by Emma Gray is a whirlwind of romance, heartache, and pure delight. With characters as colorful as their language, this book takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions. It’s a fun, heartwarming read that’ll leave you smiling and perhaps shedding a tear or two. Perfect for anyone seeking a blend of love and laughter. It was a wonderful read.

The Last Love Note is a book that spans the full range of emotions. Kate Whittaker is left widowed after the love of her life, Cam is taken from her and their young son Charlie. Throughout the pages of this book you feel the raw grief she experiences as she navigates the process of losing her husband and learning to be a single parent. Emma Grey also does a great job weaving in humor and a cast of loveable characters that are always there for Kate. After a business trip away from the home she shared with her husband leave her in new surroundings, Kate makes decisions that put her on a path to accomplish her own bucket list. I enjoyed this book very much and appreciated how the author used her own experiences to create a beautiful story of love in many forms, and of resilience. Thank you to Zibby Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

This is a book about grief and love. Kate, a widow with a young son, has ben living in grief since her husband, Cam passed away. She cannot fathom moving on until she is stuck in a beach town with her boss, Hugh, who has been a support since Cam's diagnosis. Away from her home and constant reminders of Cam, Kate realizes that she needs to make changes in her life.

An achingly beautiful story about one couple's great love, losing that love, and finding love after tragedy.

Almost-fiction? The Last Love Note is loosely based off of the author's lived experiences. While, I enjoyed that aspect knowing she and I share some similarities in our life story, I would have enjoyed an autobiography or even a more comprehensive author's note. I picked up this book because I was curious how much our experiences, in this case, widowhood matched. (There just are not many books with protagonists widowed in their 30's.)

This book has a cartoonish cover, but don't let that fool you about its contents. I did not expect this book to be so character-driven. Although I read the synopsis, after reading the first 20-30 pages, I expected a Rom-Com, and instead I was blasted with emotion with a small side of humor. The protagonist, Kate, is widowed. Two years prior to the opening of the novel and while pregnant with her third and a baby on her hip, she finds out her husband has early onset Alzheimer's. This book is her story of the aftermath and her resilience. It took a few turns I did not expect, but wound up right where I thought it would in the end. I appreciated that the protagonist was not a twenty-something. I don't easily find books with protagonists in their mid-life. There are HUGE trigger warnings for those dealing with grief, especially those losing a spouse "early". There is also triggers for child and/or pregnancy loss and infertility.

Thanks to Zibby Books and Netgalley for this ARC. I will post to Goodreads closer to publication.

Sometimes you just need a book that will make you feel the full range of human emotions. THE LAST LOVE NOTE delivers laughs amidst the tears and a heaping side of hope.

This debut by Emma Grey follows Kate Whittaker, a young mother who finds herself in the uncharted waters of grief after losing her husband. This story is vulnerable, heartfelt and so clearly evident that Emma writes from a place of personal experience with deep loss.

Reading THE LAST LOVE NOTE felt like an intimate glimpse into the life of a woman fighting to redefine her future after her best-laid plans had been stripped away. You will fall in love with the coastal Australian setting, the way Kate navigates conflicting yet coexisting emotions, and how she learns to reimagine big dreams that weren’t entirely lost after all.

This is so much more than a love story, but the best 5 star reads always are.

READ THIS IF:
-Books by JoJo Moyes touch your heart
-Closed-Door romance strikes your fancy
-You want your heart utterly shredded and put back together again

Many thanks to Zibby Books and NetGalley for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fast paced, easy read, delightfully written. I love the author’s turn of phrases which are just simply fun to read! Self-deprecating humor that draws you in and makes you want to keep coming back. Her description of her loss moved me to tears. The book has a beautiful way of moving through horrific loss, making the reader feel the loss but also giving hope and light to the characters and thus the reader. My only wish for the novel is that the ending not been so predictable and the new leading man not someone straight out of Hallmark casting. A regular man with love and compassion and some flaws would have moved this book, for me, from beach read to a really good novel.

Loved this book. Emotional and heart-breaking. Written beautifully. Full of hope and possibility of second chance in love and in life opportunities. Loved all the characters Kate
Cam and Hugh. There is sadness of loosing a loved one and finding love and happiness again. A perfect evening read.

I cannot remember a book that broke my heart this much while also making me laugh and having a happy ending. I went through an entire thing of tissue. This book was about grief, but even more about love and navigating love in a world of pain. Kate and Grace are best friends who live lives of unintentional comedy. Though they have been through such difficult things in life, they bring out the best in each other. Hugh’s more straight laced, but his compassion and empathy are endearing. Cam seems pretty perfect, but his circumstances are heartbreaking. I fell in love with all of them. Grey writes about grief in a way that makes evident she has lived it. The nuances of grief often missed in more broad-stroke presentations of it are throughout this book in such a beautiful and raw way. This book was not a fun read, but it was a cathartic one of hope.

Oh Emma Grey - you have written a lovely, heartbreaking, funny, and wise novel. This novel put me in mind of some of my favourite novels - a compelling heroine, a dashing hero, a tragic (and in this case very tragic) back story, and a cast of lovable and quirky supporting characters. The story takes off at a gallop when Kate's young son finds a hand grenade (long story, but a good one) and doesn't let up till the last tear-stained yet hopeful page. To say more would give away the novel's many surprises. Highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and Zibby Books for this gem.

Loved loved this beautiful book boxes of tissues required.A book that will fill you with grief and characters that you fall in love with.Beautiful read will be recommending.#netgalley #zibbybooks

ABSOLUTELY LOVED! Definitely a multi-tissue book. I loved all the characters and the realness of the grief. The author, sadly, knows this pain too well and it definitely comes through.