I feel like this was not your typical Nina Manning book. It started off slow and just never really picked up from there. I was disappointed as I usually enjoy her books.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time in exchange for a review. You should read it!

I have previously read some of Nina's books and loved them. This one unfortunately didnt hit the mark for me . I didnt like the ending. I was left disappointed.

Her Last Summer tells the story of Rey an actress who has been out of work after a few unfavourable public moments but has been offered a new role that could turn things around. Just as she begins to prepare for this role, her sister, Scarlet goes to the media and sets things in motion to bring up some very difficult moments from their past. Narration alternates between the present, and the past, a summer many years ago when Rey's youngest sister Franny, disappears during a family vacation near the coast. Between infuriating paparazzi, tense family relationships and Rey's own fears and self doubt, preparing for this role and continuing to keep her past in the past just got a whole not more difficult!

I have read a few of Manning's books and enjoyed them, but this was my first Manning suspense/thriller. I enjoyed the book, and found it a pretty good balance between suspense and regular fiction, but it was not my favourite book from this author. I did find that there were a few grammatical and mechanical errors (mostly awkward/incorrect use of punctuation) as well as a few repetitive parts, something I haven't noticed in her other books. I found the ending just ok. There was a lack of closure, but also not a cliffhanger or ending where the author seemed to intentionally allow the reader to make their own guesses to the ending, so I just ended things feeling a bit disappointed. I am glad I read the story and did enjoy it, but I was hoping for a little more in all areas.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher, boldwood books, for giving me the chance to read and review this book!

The writing of this book is great, it's free flowing and the book gets you gripped right from the very 1st chapter. It tells the story of getting your life back after a traumatic event. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and author for this advanced copy.

This book pulls you in from the start. Gripping, and rather sad at times, it tells the story of getting life back after trauma. The writing was wonderful, it flowed perfectly. I can't wait to read more from this author.
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and author for this advanced copy.

You want an honest review so here it is. Disappointed doesn’t begin to even cover it. I’m mad. This was not a thriller or gripping, I’m not sure what it was. It was slow and boring and kept implying it was building to something bigger. I kept waiting and waiting and then ……. Nothing! What a let down absolutely no closure and that infuriates me when a book ends that way! I will not be recommending this book.

I was very disappointed with this story. It was described as a gripping psychological thriller and it lacked every single one of these elements. It should be categorized as a family drama with a touch of mystery. It was slow and boring, and I did not connect with the unlikable main character. The ending did not give me any closure, which frustrates me beyond words. Definitely would not recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this eARC.

Actress Rey has been out of work since her last public meltdown. Now she is offered a role to relaunch her career and she cannot refuse. The only problem is she needs to swim which she hasn't done since her little sister vanished at the beach decades ago...
Her Last Summer is a psychological thriller set in the UK in the present and Corsica in the past.
Rey's career is stalled after a series of unfavourable public incidents. Now she has a second chance and a brilliant opportunity. But she needs to get water confident again and quickly so enrols at a local pool. This instantly brings the past back to the forefront of her mind and she needs to deal with her hidden emotions.
I found Rey quite difficult to like despite her obvious emotional pain. The disappearance of her little sister has haunted her for years and she has tried to self medicate with drink and drugs. There is also generational pain as we find out about her mother's drink issue and the unhappy family situation. This is revealed through Rey's made up story which she uses to ditract herself in the present day, as well as big clues and a hugely uncomfortable atmosphere in the 2008 chapters.
I was quite intrigued at the beginning of the book but the pace slows in the middle before racing along at the end. There are lots of hints about Franny's disappearance and Rey's guilt. Her fear of water is a direct result of her past trauma and now she is also feeling threatened by journalists and paparazzi who want to expose the truth. I thought that the ending was very rushed and didn't wrap up the plot threads or resolve the mystery to my satisfaction.
Her Last Summer is an emotional psychological thriller with an intriguing mystery.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this advanced copy. I had high hopes for this one, but it left alot of unanswered questions. I got into the plot, of Rey getting hired for a movie, but super anxious about not wanting to do swim scenes, because of something in her past, a hint that something happened with her sister. But the movie never finished and we didn't find out exactly what happened to her sister? I did like the writing style and the plot.

3.5 rounded up
I love a book with dark pasts, secrets and lies and this did not disappoint.

Whilst I didn’t like Fey as a character, I loved her relationships with her sisters both in the past and how her and Scarlett’s was stained in the present. I did feel for her, having the finger pointed at, by those in the actual know how and I’m not surprised of her actions in the present.

I liked how the ending was roughly tied up but I am so intrigued about a certain character new life, a follow up is needed or I will forever be wondering!

An actress named Rey has been in a professional slump and is seeking work when the perfect opportunity falls into her lap from her agent. Rey has a past that she’s been keeping hidden, but it comes to the public’s attention as she’s thrust back into the limelight with her new movie. Her youngest sister disappeared as they vacationed in France as children, and now people are spectating as what could have happened and whether Rey could have been involved. Rey is forced to face her fears as the movie she’s booked puts her back in the ocean, which she’s avoided since her sister went missing.

I enjoyed this read, but the ending definitely left more to be desired. I felt like there was an incredible build up with the story, and then it felt rushed in the last few chapters. Otherwise it was a great read!

Nina Manning is one of my favourite authors, so I was super excited to read this new book. It certainly didn’t disappoint.
It drew me in quickly and I had to keep reading on. The ending is fabulous and unexpected. It’s the perfect beach read.

Rey has finally gotten the acting job she has needed, but there is a catch. She must swim in open water, something she hasn't done in fifteen years.

I like a good conquering your fears story but this one didn't really give us that as I was expecting. I liked the dual timelines so we can learn why Rey is afraid. The book is billed as a thriller but I didn't feel like it was one. Read more like a drama about past and current events. The conclusion came up fast but left a few thins unanswered. I found the flashback sections of the book the most interesting part.

I just felt like there needed to be more at the end.

Thanks to netgalley and Boldwood Books for the arc.

Initially uncertain about "Her Last Summer," I found myself inexplicably drawn to it, and I'm delighted that I was. The dual-timeline narrative was engaging, and the plentiful twists compelled me to read 'just one more chapter' long into the night, well past the time I should have set it aside.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC.

I thought this book touched on very important family dysfunction themes, mental health, and trauma, which are all deserve representation. I generally liked the main character, and I wanted good things for her. The pacing of this book was good and it kept my focus throughout.

However, this dual timeline felt a little disjointed to me. What was going on in Rey’s current life almost felt irrelevant. I felt some of the subplots in the current timeline were fillers, and weren’t important to the overall story. I think having a current timeline was necessary for this story, but the actual plot of the current timeline could have been more valuable to the story.

Overall, I found this to be really well written, interesting story, and I enjoyed it very much.

Thank you so much to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this advance copy!

Her Last Summer is the 7th book that I've devoured by Manning and have thoroughly enjoyed.

In the summer of 2008 Rey's little sister went missing, never to be seen again. Fast forward to the now and Rey's deep seated fear of the water...did she harm her sister, or is she harbouring the regrets that she couldn't save her?

It's a moderately paced domestic thriller, that's told across dual timelines with Manning taking both Rey and the reader on the search for redemption.

I found it to be quite an emotive read. It touches on several sensitive subjects throughout and shows just how far you go to protect your family.

A brilliant story, with a wow ending.

"Her Last Summer" by Emily Freud follows Rey Levine, a former actress grappling with a past trauma that resurfaces when she lands a dream role requiring her to swim in open water—something she hasn't done since a tragic event fifteen years ago. While the premise is intriguing, the story starts slowly and struggles to maintain momentum. The flashbacks add interest, but the plot lacks sufficient twists, and the ending feels rushed with unresolved loose ends. Overall, it's a decent read but falls short of its full potential.

Her Last Summer is Nina Manning's tenth book but it's the first of her novels that I have read and I really enjoyed it.

Rey is filled with guilt after her little sister disappeared whilst her family was on holiday. Rey was just a child herself so it really wasn't her fault but her family still blamed her and the whole devastating event shattered her family into a million pieces. Rey is now an actress, which is unsurprising as the last person she wants to be is herself.

It is so heartbreaking to see how one event in their past can shape a person's whole life. Rey is searching for oblivion so she doesn't have to remember her past but the memories start resurfacing as soon as Rey steps foot in the pool. Rey holds the key to what happened to her sister but someone else knows too and they'll do anything to stop her as they follow her from London to the Scottish Highlands. Yikes!

Her Last Summer is tense, disturbing and a little creepy with a dark family secret at its heart. I shall definitely be reading more of Nina Manning's books after enjoying this one so much.

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Her Last Summer is a powerful mix of the past and the present told through a dual timeline. I was pulled into Rey’s story instantly and couldn’t read the pages fast enough, the writing is so compelling and the profound effect of trauma is dealt with sensitively. I also loved the fact that we were given the jigsaw pieces of the mystery and the truth of what happened night. If you like a slow burn domestic thriller I highly recommend this one and you will need to keep reading.