I’m true Charles Martin fashion, the author ripped my heart out and handed it back to me at the end. I finished this book a few days ago and I am still speechless. How far would you go for love? Would you take it to the last exchange? If you are looking for a happily ever after this isn’t for you.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.
All opinions are my own.

Charles Martin is one of my favorite authors and in my opinion he hit it out of the park with this one. It felt like a different type of story – a romance, a mystery and a good versus evil all wrapped up together. The characters are real, you feel their love, their hurt and their pain. You cry for them and you root for them to win.
I loved this book, and highly recommend this one!
Thank you Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for my ARC.

Charles Martin has once again delivered an "I can't put it down" book, The Last Exchange. Maybe Joe Sue (Yes, that is her name.) was a foster child who made it big in Hollywood. She married, Syd, another actor who rode her coattails to star status. Pockets was hired to be her bodyguard. Because Syd was constantly away filming, Pockets and Joe became close, but they never crossed a professional line. When Joe was just our of rehab, she was kidnapped after receiving her third Oscar, and her surrogate mother was demanding more money , The whole story unfolds as Pockets stands trial. It is a story that could only happen in Hollywood.

this book illustrates what a person will sacrifice when they truly love someone. it's a great read. I was able to read an ARC on #NetGalley.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the early reader copy of The Last Exchange by Charles Martin! This author is one of my all time favorites, and his newest book does not disappoint! Martin’s books often revolve around people who have been broken through tragedy and the healing process they go through to find peace and forgiveness. In this story, it’s a Hollywood starlet and her bodyguard, and the complex relationship between them. I read this book in a day - I laughed, I cried, and I loved right along with the characters in the book.

How far would you go for someone you love? That's the question this story asks and answers. I loved every inch of this book. I couldn't put it down - read it in a day. This is a story of love and sacrifice that everyone should read.

This is listed as Christian fiction, but there is nothing overtly religious about it. But if you are a believer, the concept of the last exchange - having Someone taking your brokenness and giving you His unbrokenness - will resonate.

Highly recommended. Family friendly though some of the topics such as drug abuse and miscarriages will be difficult for some readers.

Charles Martin has become one of my favorite writers. After reading his Water Series, I was excited to pick up his newest book.
Pockets is an interesting character and I enjoyed the way his character developed throughout the story. Maybe Joe Sue was a bit more stereotypical, the tragically compromised actress with a heart of gold but haunted by past inadequacies. Her husband Sid was a brute of a man who she should have recognized for who he was. The plot was intriguing and unrolled rapidly, though at times there was a bit too much fantasy.
Martin writes beautifully especially when he captures the essence of love and hope, good and evil in this world. The flaw in this book was that he bordered on too much of unbelievable romance fiction.
I would recommend this to fans of Martin and those interested in a good thriller/ romance novel.

As Charles Martin does best, a heart wrenching portrayal of good vs. evil. Good from first page to last page, I recommend for every adult.

I received an advance copy of this book for review. The novel explores the idea of how far a person will go to protect someone he/she loves. The very original and unique plot is multi-faceted and peopled with interesting and complex characters. I gladly and enthusiastically recommend this read.

Charles Martin tells a story like no one else. An unlikely heroine; an even more unlikely hero. A line of protocol that must not be crossed. Indulgent, self-serving love versus sacrificial care. What emerges is the me-for-you kind of love story that rarely finds its way into today’s novels. Thank you, Charles, for this book.

WOW is the perfect word for this amazing book!! I'm always excited to start a new Charles Martin book, but this one is by far, my very favorite of his. It has everything you could want in a book - a little romance, a lot of suspense and a lot of wondering how it will all end. I absolutely loved this one and highly recommend!

Thank you to net galley for the arc in exchange of an honest review!

My words alone can’t do this book justice. It is a beautiful, touching story of love, addiction, infertility and the rigors of fame. It is a poignant exploration of human nature and the events that can change the course of a life.

The characters are well thought out with distinct personalities and the plot is unique and intriguing. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year. I am now on a mission to read all of Charles Martin’s books.

This is most definitely a 5-star read and I am ever so grateful to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the advanced copy. This book is due to be published on October 3, 2023. Be sure to grab a copy.

Let me begin by saying that I am a major Charles Martin fan. I read his books as soon as they come out and his style of introspective, character-driven writing drives me to be a better writer myself. I am a fan boy, to be sure.

As a combination between Nicholas Sparks and Davis Bunn, Martin's works began as contemporary Christian allegory, with characters whose faith may not be shouted from the rooftops, but is seeped into their every action. He brought Christian fiction to a new, exciting edge.

In his development as a writer, Martin's style has changed. He maintains the same emotive writing elements, but his stories (which always were light on the overt Christianity in order to appeal to a wider market) continue to shift to being more clean literary fiction than Christian fiction, and more parable than allegory.

All this is to say is that is if you are looking for a Christian fiction story that has snuck its way into a General Fiction category, you may be disappointed. This work is part of the new realm of Christian-adjacent fiction that Martin and others seem to be exploring.

If you are simply looking for a clean, general fiction read, here are my thoughts:

In Charles Martin's The Last Exchange, you will find the emotive, gritty writing that has become the hallmark of this best-selling author.

MacThomas Pockets is an elite, former Scottish Special Forces member hired to protect world-famous actress Maybe Joe Sue. Once you get past the names (and the author does have a reason for them), this is a well-constructed narrative that alternates from the past to the present to explain the actions of the bodyguard in defending the life of the movie star whose life is swirling down the drain because of a deadly cocktail of drugs, fame and brokenness.

I like how Martin slowly peals back the layers of the characters, never giving you more than you need. He leaves breadcrumbs as clues and never fails to explain the motivation behind characters and their actions (the motivation for the attack on the antagonist was very well teased out, for example).

I have one problem with the narrative and it is the big reveal at the end (which I will not spoil here). Maybe Joe Sue is deeply flawed, but it is the plot twist with Pockets that I am still processing. I could see the ending coming, but I didn't think Martin would go there because I felt he would give our good guy a very bad side. Now, the author explains the character's action through the first-person prism of Pockets' own rationalization of his acts. It is totally believable that a character would say this, but I don't know if we are supposed to accept it as readily at Sue does.

Except for that, I contend this is a powerful story that may be focused on the lives of the rich and famous, but has connections to us mere mortals who scratch our our existence far from the spotlight.

Page-turner.
I had no idea what was happening at the beginning of the book but Mr. Martin had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure it all out. By the end of the book I was in awe at how he pulled it all together. The characters are full of life. I thought I had things completely figured out and while I did guess somethings other things caught me by surprise.
This is a definite recommend from me!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own." #TheLastExchange #NetGalley

Summary:

“Here’s the catch—even if I make it out of here alive, I need a reason to breathe again.”

When MacThomas Pockets finished his last tour as part of the Scottish Special Forces, he was hired to consult for a film director to finesse some scenes that weren’t working. In a twist he never saw coming, he ended up moving to L.A. to work as the bodyguard for movie star Maybe Joe Sue.

It didn’t take long for Pockets to realize there were two Joe Sues: The Joe Sue the public saw with her perfect life and her Hollywood husband. And the private Joe Sue: the one with the traumatic youth that no amount of pills could cover up, who desperately wanted a child of her own.

Even after their paths diverged, he continued to track Joe Sue’s life. Only a few would notice when the bottom fell out. But he did. And that’s when he stepped in.

The latest novel from New York Times bestselling author Charles Martin travels from Hollywood to rural Montana as one man answers the question: How far would you go—really—to save someone you love?

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. Charles Martin is one of my favorite authors and he didn't disappoint with his new book. I wasn't sure where the book was headed at first and I sure did not see some of the ending of the book coming at all. Loved it!

As usual, Charles Martin draws you in to the love story and has me staying up way to late to see how it ends. This is the story of loyalty, love, pain and laying down one’s life for another. It was triggering because of the discussion of miscarriages which can be difficult as so many women, including myself have experienced them. And it doesn’t necessarily end with the main characters riding off into the sunset. But there is great conclusion and I loved the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This book is in typical Charles Martin style, yet the story is a bit different from the last 3. This is a good thing, in my opinion! A bit depressing until the end, but not a bad story overall. The backstory on Pockets!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance e-copy of this book. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This is a fascinating, compelling story that is action-packed, and somewhat of a roller-coaster ride to the very end. The characters are utterly amazing and made me wonder how anyone could put together such a diverse, and interesting cast of characters who each play a vital role in this gripping story.

Born to a young girl and left at the hospital: somehow the name Maybe Joe Sue ended up on her birth certificate. Joe grew up in over twenty different foster care homes until she aged out. Now she works at an all-night diner, flipping burgers to survive. A regular to the diner in the early morning hours frequently uses the corner booth to rewrite scripts. One morning he notices Joe’s easy-going manner, contagious smile, and her legs. That is when her life changed for both good and bad. In time, she becomes an Academy award winning actor, married to another Hollywood star. She, sadly, is also an addict, who after seven trips to rehab, still wears a pill fob around her neck which makes it easy and convenient to drop a pill discreetly into her mouth. The one thing missing that she yearns for is a baby, however, she has suffered numerous miscarriages.

Mac Thomas Pockets was in the Scottish Special Forces and was hired to consult on a film and ended up not going back to Scotland as planned, but instead moves to Los Angeles and becomes the bodyguard for Maybe Joe Sue. He immediately tuned in to her addiction, however, also recognized the other Joe, the movie star that her fans love.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions and comments are my own.

While it’s hard to pin down a favorite, Charles Martin just might be that for me in the realm of authors. He writes characters and subjects that have depth as well as being unforgettable. I appreciated how he tackled a real and present subject matter that has affected many families.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Without giving away the plot, this twist of this book was obvious and I don't know why it was written the way it was, as if the identity of the "bad guy" was an unknown. The back and forth between before and after, along with the point of view changing from third person to first person took some work for the reader at the beginning - work that I had a hard time bringing myself to care enough to do.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
I absolutely devoured this book!!!! What a book!
Pockets is asked to be movie star Joes bodyguard. Joe suffered an unhappy childhood and is married to a husband who is never home or with other women. She desperately wants a baby. With all this she finds her escape in drugs, she struggles with her addiction, seeking treatment which never seems to work and asks Pockets if she slips again to help her, After numerous miscarriages her only hope is a surrogate and then that leads to demands for money.
This book will grab you and you will feel love, tears, frustration, humor and hope!
I can’t wait for Martins next book!