Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this one!
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I’m going to go with 4 ⭐️!
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I did a mix of ebook and audio for this one and it was the way to go!
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Was this more of a suspense/mystery than a true thriller? Yes. Did I see a lot of it coming? Yes. Did I binge this in one sitting in a day? Also, yes.
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I liked the resort setting of this one with a big “who did it” storyline. I always love when a book has dual timeline. I really enjoyed getting to see the past in this one. We got to see how our MCs met and came to have the relationship they had in the present.
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I really enjoyed the ending and how everything wrapped up really well!

2.5 rounded down. I really did not like Clemence Michallon’s debut, “The Quiet Tenant” but I was excited to give the author a second try with her newest release. I can’t really put my finger on exactly what it was that I didn’t like about this book. It just didn’t really seem like a thriller to me. The smaller twists were lackluster and the main mystery was just so obvious.

This was fine. Kind of hard to follow and not as good as other books I’ve read by this author. I’m very interested in books regarding cults, but this fell short for me unfortunately. I think it was the dual time lines

#ad much love for the ALC #prhaudio #partner
& the ARC @knopf #partner

“I hated that we spoke it so fluently, the language of violence, of crime. But it was what we'd been given to work with from birth,” (p. 35).

I read this author’s previous book and loved it so much! It was actually my friend @itsNikoTaylor (I feel I always need to add a “bishhhhhhh” to the end of his name.) who recommended it to me. Just loved it! And while this book isn’t like that one, it’s just as compelling. Mostly.

Picture a luxury resort on its own island. Coming home after being away for years and escaping a cult. Sounds fascinating doesn’t it. Then a woman is murdered and all chaos breaks loose.

The story alternates between the past and current times - and while this is more of a slow-burn (maybe) there was never a dull moment. However, I didn’t enjoy the two timelines and really feel this story didn’t need it. Readers looking for a more emotional story will appreciate this one. Thriller readers might not enjoy it as much - but if you haven’t read The Quiet Tenet I highly recommend that one!

🎧 The audio was perfect for this one. I feel I always say this but the narrator did a phenomenal job bringing this book to life.

It’s called Our Last Resort but it’s literally both the place and the characters’ last resort too. Enjoyed the writing and the depth of the characters.

This was a great second novel from Michallon, whose The Quiet Tenant was a standout for me in 2024. The dual timelines kept me intrigued throughout the story and I was intrigued about the mysteries as they unfurled. The last 50 pages or so did more telling than showing, which is a personal pet peeve of mine and therefore this lost a star for me.

Thank you to Knopf and Netgalley for the eArc.

I’ve heard wonderful things about the author’s first book so I was happy when I got her second book on NetGalley. It’s hard for me to write a constructive review. I liked it but didn’t love it. Honestly I found it to be pretty…meh. I was not very attached to our main characters. Their pasts were intriguing and unique and I guess where they come from explains their bond to each other. But it was just another aspect that just failed to connect with me.

This was not a bad book but it just wasn’t the book for me. After hearing how amazing her first book is (I’ve not read it yet) I expected more from this one. I still plan to read her first book.

**Thanks to the author and Knopf for the e-arc I received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.**

This was an interesting read, though not a favorite. The story follows Frida and Gabriel, who escaped a cult as young adults. While at a resort, a young woman is found dead, and the mystery unfolds alongside glimpses of their traumatic past and the unresolved death of Gabriel’s wife.
The plot is straightforward and the ending wasn’t surprising, but it was still a satisfying read overall.
Thanks to NetGalley and Elliot & Thompson for the ARC

After hearing such good things about Clémence Michallon's first novel, "The Quiet Tenant," I was excited to read "Our Last Resort." The book follows Freida and Gabrielle "siblings" who were able to escape a cult when they turned 18. This novel goes back in time to their childhood and also present day where they are a hotel in Utah and a woman was murdered. It's looking similar to another case involving Gabrielle's past. I thought that the cult plot was pretty unique and it really added to the murder mystery. I found the twists mildly predictable, but still entertaining. If you like a thriller with some depth, I would recommend this! Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for this eARC.

I was a big fan of Clémence Michallon’s debut The Quiet Tenant. It was unique, unsettling, and creatively written. Her latest, Our Last Resort, takes a different stylistic route, but I still found myself thoroughly drawn in.

Now let’s get this out of the way… this book is a slow burn. It’s almost glacial. The narrative is steady, not urgent. The reveals are gradual and pack emotional weight, steadily deepening the narrative. It’s labeled a thriller, and while there are moments of tension, it leans harder into childhood trauma, psychological nuance, and relationship dynamics. It’s less edge-of-your-seat intensity, and more reflective immersion… and honestly, I didn’t mind that one bit.

Of course, there are some “wow” moments sprinkled in. But the real strength lies in how the story explores trauma, the ripple effects of choices, and the quiet desperation for love and normalcy. It’s emotionally layered, morally complex, and psychologically thoughtful. It’s not your average thriller fare, but who says thrillers must always follow the same formula?

Michallon’s writing continues to impress with its sensitivity and insight. I’ll definitely be first in line for whatever she writes next.

Thank you @netgalley and Knopf for the eARC of this book, which I have read and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Honestly, this one felt a bit slow and predictable. The setting was awesome, but the characters just didn’t do it for me, and the story didn’t grab me like The Quiet Tenant did. Still, I look forward to seeing what this author comes up with next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the early release ebook. All opinions are my own.

Our Last Resort slowly simmers as the story of Frida and Gabriel, two individuals raised in a cult, deal with trauma and murder in their lives. They were uninteresting and I failed to ever connect with them. The story was written in two different timelines that essentially felt like two different stories. It did little to add to the plot. The story essentially read flat and dry.

While I'm sure that many will find this book enjoyable but I was not one. I will not be running out to buy a copy.

I wanted to love this so much because I loved her previous book! But this was rough. The two timelines didn’t converge at all. The plot was very basic.

Some thrillers throw you into chaos from the start. Our Last Resort quietly pulls you in with beauty and tension, then lets everything unravel in the most unsettling, deliberate way. And I couldn’t look away.

From the outside, the Ara Hotel is all peace and elegance, a remote luxury escape tucked into the haunting landscape of Escalante, Utah. But the calm doesn't last long. When a woman turns up dead at the resort and suspicion lands on Gabriel, Frida is forced to confront not only the cracks in their relationship, but the darkest corners of their past.

What makes this novel stand out is the dual pulse it beats with. In one timeline, there’s the current investigation, whispers of infidelity, and the unspoken grief that clings to both Frida and Gabriel. In the other, there’s the lingering trauma of their shared childhood in a secluded cult, something that doesn’t just haunt them, it defines them. The result is a layered, eerie narrative where every chapter peels back something raw.

Clémence Michallon’s writing is deceptively quiet, restrained in a way that makes the tension sharper, the emotional unraveling more devastating. It’s not just about a murder. It’s about identity, memory, blind loyalty, and the terrifying idea that maybe we only ever know the version of someone we choose to see.

If you love thrillers that take their time, where atmosphere does just as much damage as the plot twists, Our Last Resort is for you. It’s smart, character-driven suspense that knows exactly when to hit hard and when to whisper something that will keep you up all night.

I love reading about luxury places, & Our Last Resort gives readers that setting, but it also gives them a cult-in-the-woods setting. The story moves between these two places and times and explores the relationships and experiences between the narrator and the boy/then man, Gabriel, who she considers her brother. The cult is horrible, but the book doesn't dwell too deeply in that aspect of the story. Instead, it explores a murder that takes place at the luxury hotel where the "siblings" are reuniting. There were moments that felt a little extraneous, but overall, I liked the book-- I got invested in the characters & the drama.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

Siblings, Frida and Gabriel, had a rough childhood born and raised in a cult. At age 18 they made a harrowing escape from the only world they ever new. Now two decades later, both have found a place for themselves outside of the cult. Although many years go by without seeing each other, Frida wants to reconnect with her brother, so she treats them to luxury vacation at a remote, up-scale resort. Shortly after their arrival, another resort guest turns of dead, and things begin to go wildly wrong for Frida and Gabriel.

I was so intrigued by this premise, and curious to see how these two plot-lines were going to come together. Our Last Resort is told through the voice of Frida as her story slowly unfolds in alternating past and present time-lines.

I was invested in the cult storyline, but much less so in the current day happenings at the resort. Frida’s account of cult life, including how she and her brother changed and the challenges they faced throughout their years within the confines of the cult walls, was gripping and suspenseful. Whereas the plot that occurs during the resort stay seemed fabricated and just barely plausible. It was interesting to see how the author brought the two storylines together, but the payoff at the end did not feel worth the time for this reader.

Our Last Resort was my first by this author. Although I didn’t love this novel, Michallon’s writing was solid enough that I will give her highly lauded debut, The Tenant, a try.

Our Last Resort is for thriller lovers who enjoy reading dual time-lines, cultish stories, complicated sibling relationships, rags to riches themes, and White Lotus vibes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for an ARC of Our Last Resort by Clemence Michallon in exchange for my honest review.

Set after a traumatic upbringing, two childhood friends meet at a resort to (hopefully) talk through the past decade. A guest in the resort is murdered and one of the friends is implicated.
The premise is great but the story has holes. It is interesting enough to capture and keep a reader though.

The characters were flat and mostly unbelievable.

I would suggest this for those that enjoy a dark but easy read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf for an early copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. This is the first book I have read by this author and I will be looking for more. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters. I thought the characters had great growth. I enjoyed this book so much that I read it in one day! I would definitely recommend this book.

First I would like to thank NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC of this novel.

This was a super quick thriller read. The beginning of the book started off so promising but overall the ending fell a little flat for me.

I loved learning about the backstory and wish we spent way more time learning about their life in the cult. I found I wanted more info about that time in their lives. The current storyline just seemed a little rushed and all over the place for me.

I wish there had been more twists throughout the book but overall it was a fun thriller read. And if you are a fan of cult troupes I highly recommend.

3.25/5 stars

This was an easy-to-read, rather suspenseful tale of two people who are bound to each other and who may be lacking a moral code. Both raised together in a cult, they had no normal societal frame of reference to shape their development. At least not normal in the ways of the outside world. And therein lies a bit of an issue, for me. As much as I enjoyed the story, it was not easy to connect with either character. Gabriel, I didn't understand at all. Frida was either good or bad, and I'm not sure even she knew. But all that was supposedly explained away in the telling because of their upbringing. Not so fast.

Let me just say, murder has consequences. Nobody gets a pass. Who is guilty and who is innocent? There is more than one death to solve in this novel, actually three. And that is what kept me reading. Like them or not, this "brother/sister" duo kept the momentum going. Recommended.

Thank you to the author, publisher Knopf and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't sure what to expect heading into this book. There are so many paths a book can take when it's "people with a history staying at a resort." This book had much more depth than I was expecting. One part "family" drama, one part coming of age, one part delayed adulthood/childhood isolation.

Unlike other books, the resort plays only a minor part in this story - it is merely a backdrop for decades worth of history to play out for two adults who spent their entire childhood enmeshed in an extremely isolated cult. From the beginning, Freda and Gabriel's "relationship" is clearly complex. It truly does get into siblings-not-by-blood territory. Theirs is in large part a trauma bond formed by growing up in a cult where there are no distinct mothers and fathers, only men and women who fulfill their patriarchal duties.

It is easy to see how a very warped sibling bond forms between the two of them - fiercely loyal and protective but also kept at a distance as well. I liked the nuanced relationships within the book, however it did seem that other details were thrown in a bit unnecessarily, such as the other guests at the resort - specifically influencers and TV stars, not just everyday people at a desert resort. The book I would say is very slow-paced but not entirely difficult to follow.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and a nice break from your typical murder-at-a-resort whodunnit.