I have such mixed feelings about this one.

Sara is one of those characters that everything happens to, she doesn't do anything to cause any of this (eyeroll). Her and her best friend from high school (she's 34 btw) loose touch and she blames the other woman entirely, even though she says at one point that last time Naomi invited her out the last was too hard to get too, that's the lamest excuse.

She also put Harry on this pedestal, where he can do almost no wrong, her 15 year long crush making her blind to everything. She makes up a fake boyfriend because she's too embarrassed to say she's single (even though they literally just reconnected and there's no way he'd know she's been single for a long time). Then, when he confirms he's split from his ex she gets all worked up about how he doesn't wanna get married again, even though they aren't dating, haven't talked about dating, or anything, she instantly has this like "ughh why is he like that" attitude. It's understandable he might be a little gun-shy about getting married again after his marriage tohis high school sweetheart ended.

While I know this is a romance, I would have liked a lot more info on the app, not just like "ope we're working on it."

Overall, this book was fine. It's not one that I couldn't put down, often I had to make myself keep reading it and found myself skimming parts. Sara is so in her own head and always about the same things, it got really repetitive.

This entire concept and premise was SO FRESH and I absolutely loved the idea of messages beyond the grave....but oops sent way too soon!

This was fun, quirky and just hit me at the right time.

First and foremost thank you for allowing me early access to this book!
I really enjoyed that Sara decided to take a stand and pursue her dreams for once instead of fulfilling everyone else’s.
I’m not sure i really loved the idea of the app that was written about, it seemed far fetched to be so wrapped up in- maybe something similar but different overall concept would’ve made more sense to me. I found the characters to be a little stuck in the past for being in their 30s all she talked about was high school.. I understand the aspect of her life kinda going in the opposite direction and drifting from people and remembering what it was like especially after rekindling her flame with her old crush but it’s all they talked about..

This was a cute book. I like that Sara is a career focused woman in the tech industry. Her messages being sent created a snowball affect in her life that led to growth in her relationship ships.

🦇 One Last Word Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

❓ #QOTD What would you want your last words to be? ❓

🦇 Sara Chae is the founder of One Last Word, an app that sends messages to people in your life after you die. When another Sara Chae dies, her obituary triggers the prototype app to send messages Sara drunkenly uploaded; messages to tiger parents, former best friend, and unrequited high school crush Harry—who just so happens to be the mentor for the venture capital program Sara applies to. Can she win funding for her app and learn how to speak up for herself, or has the app already had the last word?

💜 Sara Chae is a messy yet strong self-aware female in STEM; the type of character we need a little more of. Our FMC is relatable and realistic as she learns how to believe in herself, speak up for herself, and mend the important relationships in her life. Her characterization is consistent, but it's her self-actualization that really makes the story refreshing. In too many books, readers are left exhausted as MCs run themselves in circles, unaware of their mistakes. Sara recognizes where she needs to grow and makes the effort. You can't help but root for her until the very end.

💙 While I loved the story's premise, the execution didn't entirely work for me. Unfortunately, there's a lot more tell than show, which causes the pacing to lag. A few of the situations (such as Sara and Henry attending a gala that's a little too much like Henry's failed wedding) seemed clunky, awkward, and unrealistic. There are a few awkward transition between the dialogue and exposition, too, which full you out of the story.

🦇 Recommended for fans of Shark Tank or Ali Hazelwood.

✨ The Vibes ✨
📱 Self-Discovery
📱 STEM Heroine
📱 Contemporary Women's Fiction
📱 Fake Dating
📱 Friends to Lovers / Second Chance Romance
📱 Closed Door Romance
📱 Miscommunication

🦇 Major thanks to the author @suzannepark and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #OneLastWord

💬 Quotes
❝ Was it that they still hadn’t even acknowledged any wrongdoing or never asked me why I felt this way or wondered why I carried all this with me till my alleged death at age thirty-four? No dialogue. No discourse. For the first time, I’d offered my true feelings toward them, using carefully worded constructive feedback, and they couldn’t handle it. ❞
❝ Yes, I knew you’d have to deal with some awkward aftermath. But it was better than seeing you live your life enveloped in Bubble Wrap. It’s worse than living in regret . . . you didn’t really live at all. ❞

First and foremost, thank you to NetGalley and Avon or Harper Voyager for my eARC. Secondly, thank you to the author Suzanne Park for creating a book that represents me as a Korean-American woman. I truly enjoy seeing diversity in books and appreciate all the BIPOC authors that write stories for us. The reason for my 3 stars was because the story lacked emotional response from me, as a reader. The only time I truly felt anything was her interactions with her parents and even then it was minimal. I’m the type of reader that likes strong character development or pivotal moments that impact the characters in a profound way. I found Sara a little lackluster and thought Jia had stronger character traits and stood out more as a well-rounded character. Harry’s issues with marriage and love just didn’t seem complete and like it was glossed over. Their first kiss scene was random and there was absolutely no set up for it. Even with these points, I still read the entire book and enjoyed it.

“I have my own issues. I’m guilty of holding people up to an ideal standard, a level of perfection that doesn’t allow room for any faults, flaws, or mistakes. And I haven’t experienced meaningful love because of it. I hide my feelings and deflect to not get emotionally hurt."

Wow, that quote resonated with me deep in my soul!!! I love reading Suzanne's book because she writes the Asian American life in a way that I can relate to. It's nice to see myself in the MCs!

“I’m more like gramping. Like your grandparents camping. I’d complain about all of it, not want to do physical activity, and go to bed early.”

Lol, this is so me. I love how One Last Word makes me laugh out loud! Sara our FMC is so relatable in that she's a woman in a man's world trying to shatter those glass ceilings. She's seriously funny! And her friend Casey was one of my fav characters in the story! The way he'd lovingly dole out tough love!! Harry is our MMC and gorgeous but dealing with his own crap. I enjoyed how naturally their relationship progressed!

"Loving someone and giving him my heart was the bravest thing in the world, and I was ready to do that now."

I enjoyed OLW and read it all in one night but for me it was missing the same magic that The Do-Over had. I'm not even sure I could pinpoint one thing exactly but I found myself not enjoying this one as much. It's still a fun read though!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC of One Last Word by Suzanne Park. This books was such a great read — an amazing cast of characters, flawed leads with great development, representation of women in tech, a second chance/slow burn romance. In my mind, the romance, while great was not the star of the show — that was the growth and journey that the characters went on. This is my second Suzanne Park novel, but not my last! Add this one to your TBR list!

Small Business BookTok ARC Reviews: “One Last Word” by Suzanne Park

Note: This ARC was given to me for free by the author and I am reviewing this book voluntarily.

In a world that wants you to be silenced, have the courage to not just get the last laugh, but one last word!

Sara Chae is the founder of “One Last Word”, an app that automatically sends the user’s family, friends, and loved ones their final words immediately after they pass away. When the system confuses Sara for someone else under the same name and immediately sends out her final words to her parents, ex-best friend, and high school crush, Harry, she soon discovers that this technological error might be the happy accident that leads her to a journey of healing and closure.

From the author that brought you “The Do-Over”, Suzanne Park delivers once again with this Contemporary Romance tale of self-discovery and claiming your voice! Sera Chae was a phenomenal heroine to follow throughout the novel as she teaches readers to never be afraid of communicating your wants, needs or feelings to the people in your lives. If you don't take time to talk things out and things are left unsaid until it’s too late, you’ll find yourself either left with regrets or thoughts of what could have been. Sara also displays a determined spirit and technological savvy and she refuses to let any naysayers or sexist coworkers silence her or crush her dreams to launch her app! And the chemistry between Sara and Harry? Incredibly wholesome! If you’re looking for the perfect Spring read with an empowering message, then don’t miss out on this book when it hits online and in-store shelves on April 16, 2024!

Rating: 5/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

-Tropes to Expect: Second Chance, Friends-to-Lovers, Self Discovery, Fake Dating, Pining, Closed Door Romance, and STEM Romance.

 -Trigger Warnings: Generational Trauma, Family Conflict, Discussions of Friendships Falling Out, Discussions of Divorce, Brief Mention of Off-Page Death, and Relationship Anxiety/Separation Anxiety.

I’ve been a Suzanne Park fan since reading and loving So We Meet Again. I was very eager to see what she could do with a STEM heroine. Sara Chae was a main character you could 100% root for and I loved her snarky, no nonsense attitude and the fact that she was quick to stand up for herself in a male-dominated industry. This one had a romantic subplot and I do think that was the weakest part of the story. Bummer because that aspect had a ton of potential. I also felt a bit of a disconnect with the pacing and some of the dialogue feeling stilted. I think it would’ve been better if it was longer so it could be more fleshed out but Park did a great job with the short page count. I did love the message of this story and the strong ending, though!

Overall, highly recommend if you love women’s fiction, STEM heroines, slow burn romances with flirty tension, and overcoming tense familial relationships.

Rating: 3.5/5 
Acclaimed author Suzanne Park returns with a charming and compelling novel about an aspiring tech entrepreneur who goes on a rollercoaster journey of self-discovery after her app, which sends messages to loved ones after you pass, accidentally sends her final words to all the important people in her life—including the venture capital mentor she’s crushing on.

When Sara Chae hits her latest roadblock at work when pitching her app, it's the straw that breaks the camel's back and she ends up resigning on the spot. Being mid-thirties, now unemployed, single, and moving into her younger sister's walk-in closet to make ends meet is NOT what she imagined for herself, and is definitely not what her parents would be proud of. As Sara enters into a VC mentorship program for her app, One Last Word, she's surprised to find out that some of her "test" messages are released and sent to their recipients - including her old bosses, her parents, her high school crush, and an ex-best friend. Turns out, high school crush is the mentor she's assigned to at the venture capitalist! There were definitely things I liked and related to with this read. Sara is a workaholic, trying to find a balance between work life, friends, romance, and family. Having these messages accidentally sent out forced her to have some hard conversations with her parents, helped her speak her mind towards the sexism and racism she sees in her tech work world, and forced her to confront some of her past behaviors in regards to her friendships. There were some parts that didn't work as well though. For starters, the pacing felt a little disjointed. Sara's mentorship was to span three months and it felt like we had a big beginning and all of a sudden we were at the end with very little impact of the in-between. The romance with Harry also felt a little off? I was happy to see that Sara was having harder conversations before anything serious, but their dialogue felt simple and forced and I didn't feel a romantic connection given what we saw of their interactions. Overall, Sara is a FMC that you really root for and you love to see the growth she has in all aspects! 
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

2.5 Stars

This was my first Suzanne Park book and I was so excited for it. The premise was really different and interesting! Unfortunately it just didn’t work for me and I found the execution lacking.

The main character, Sara, was really hard to root for as I just found her mostly unlikable aside from her work ethic & ability to stand up for herself in sexist and bullying environments, which was nice to see.

The romantic relationship also seemed to have no build up and go from 0-60 waaaaay too fast. I was honestly shocked when things started happening with them (I gasped aloud) as I just felt no progression to get to that point! Harry seemed sweet & dreamy but as we got to know him and his major issues I just found myself getting the ick!

Thank you to Net Galley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC of One Last Word in exchange for an honest review.

One Last Word is an app created by Sara. The app sends out emails upon a person’s death, written by the deceased. When there is a hitch with the app, and Sara’s emails are sent out prior to her death, drama ensues.
I found One Last Word’s story build-up to be a bit slow. The love story between Harry and Sara tried for angsty but ended up falling short. The side characters, Jia and Casey, brought the comedic relief. I liked how each email that was sent out, required Sara to face a problem head-on, instead of brushing it aside. The story overall was well written and enjoyable.

A cute tale of what it means to chase your dreams in a non-conventional way. One Last Word takes the tech world and the concept of “things I wish I said” with the main character’s creation of an app that allows you to message your loved ones after you pass. An identity fluke leads to our protagonists’ messages to be sent out to a number of people in her life and hilarity ensues. Park’s tale is cute and a fun read.

I have not read any of Suzanne's books before, so I went into this pretty blind. The premise sounded interesting and different than anything I had read before. The blurb made it sound almost a little Black Mirror-esque, which was intriguing to me. Overall, however, I just didn't find myself connecting to the story. I'm not sure if it was myself (I am a mood reader), the author's writing style, the characters...something just didn't click for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for the eARC! This romance has an intriguing premise: the FMC develops an app that sends someone's last words after they die. From the outset, Sara's displeasure with her job is evident as she confronts the pervasive racism and sexism in her field and her workplace. Later on, after her character growth, she uses her newfound confidence to advocate for herself when speaking with her parents and not just standing up to her colleagues (she quit to develop the app on her own once they passed on it). Despite her shortcomings as a character, the reader can't help but be drawn to her tenacity. Although Harry (love interest) seems like a great guy who is there for Sara, there were for sure some red flags, and I wasn't completely sold on the romance between the two characters.

I was so interested in the storyline when selecting to read this book. This story follows sara and she created an App that would allow users to be able to write letters to loved ones that were no longer there. She ended up sending a letter to her parents after a drunken night. her old crush and others.

I found myself getting bored. I wasn’t drawn to the technical aspect of the book and found myself skimming over pages.

This was just not in for me.

Hands down - funniest author ever. She should so be a stand up comedian - love all of Suzanne Park's books and am always 100% entertained and recommend them to all of my friends.

Another great read by an author who understands how dynamic women can be, and how much they deserve to love, grow and thrive.

I've read other books by Suzanne Park, but this might just be my favorite one. Sara Chae developed an app called One Last Word that automates a pre-written message to whoever you would like, after you die. Through an error, her test emails to her circle gets sent when she's very much alive. It sends her on a journey to rectify and confront those people in her life and her message to them. Through it all, she encounters a second-change love, a lapsed friendship, repairing her relationship with her parents and getting real with her sister. For some reason, I kept picturing Harry Shum Jr as the second chance love (her HS crush who comes back into her world). You can choose your own adventure.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.