Is it possible to be both extremely heart-warmed and also underwhelmed at the same time? I think that is how I would describe my feelings at the end of this highly anticipated book! She has written a couple of my favorite stories, so I was eager to dive into another one. This promises adventure, travel to far away places, and descriptions of cafés and cuisine that I now have at the top of my bucket list, but the delivery fell slightly short of the quality of writing I was expecting.

Without spoiling any of the plot, Veronica is newly divorced at 50 and does not know where to put her displaced passions and hopes. When a woman posts that she is looking for a travel assistant to collect research for an unfinished food novel, she is shocked to suddenly be whisked away on an international adventure. But the emotional investment and mysterious circumstances of the unfinished project or more than she bargained for. It is in turns heartbreaking and emotionally satisfying.

I was engaged and invested the whole time. But once I turned the last page, I realized that no part of the plot really lived up to any hype and the outcomes were rather predictable and flat. for finishing a food novel, the book didn’t include any neat descriptions beyond what an average novel would, and the descriptions of international cities reflected a Wikipedia description, not a well-traveled eye.

Despite my qualms with the book, I still think it will be what many people need it to be- a summer read, a weekend binge, at once light but with heavy and redemptive storylines!

Veronica, a recently divorced mother of 3 grown children, is at a crossroads in her life and is needing to find a job to make ends meet. She comes across an ad for a travel companion to go to London, Paris & India to help research Parsi cafes. Mariah, the young woman she will be accompanying, wants to finish a project that her recently deceased mother was working on. Mariah solicits the help of one of her mother’s dearest friends, Henry, to take photos. The three embark on this journey and all the while Veronica is dealing with issues from her divorce and Mariah is still suffering from the death of her mother, as well as an injury she recently suffered. There’s a lot of tension throughout the trip but they both end up realizing that they are both what each other needed at this time in their lives. I enjoyed the places they visited and all of the different foods that were mentioned. While I have read many books by this author, this wasn’t one of my favorites. Mariah seemed prickly a lot of times, and I just didn’t really connect with the characters a lot of the time.

Thank you to NetGalley & Lake Union Publishing for an advanced eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Barbara O’Neal with another stunner. Beautiful writing. Makes me feel every time. Never came across a book of hers I didn’t like.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced readers copy. Thoroughly enjoyed this one and finished it in two days. Highly recommend Barbara O’Neal, as always. Poignant storytelling, wonderful story.

I enjoyed the journey by the women in the story. Although, one of the women experienced a more drastic change in her life then the other, the changes catapulted both women in a new direction that was both new and challenging. I loved how I could feel the texture and flavor of each of the countries the characters traveled through the description of scenery, food and people and how each experience made the characters both mesmerized and awaken from each encounter to the new experience. The story reminded me of "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," in terms of sights and flavor and the experiences the characters were having. I loved the description of Marrakech, it sounded so exotic and beautiful and it made me feel happy to know there are places in the world that feel like your best day ever.
I loved the adult romance between Veronica and Henry and how caring and wonderful it was and respectful, and it didn't need to be a tell all in order to feel the intensity of the union. I loved the respect between all of the characters, even when it was hard not to step in to help. I loved that the characters learned that you can't control everything and sometimes you have to wait and see what your next step is, for instance Veronica living situation in Denver, and for some reason it all works out. I loved that the story has a wonderful ending and that closes all the question I was having with the story and I like how there is a little element of the supernatural world and maybe there is more to our world than meet the eye.
I've been reading O'Neal's stories for a long time and I am always surprise and happy after I read one of her stories. they always have a journey where family, food and love are involved and changes everyone.

I want to thank Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy of a story about dealing with challenges in life with new places and experiences.

The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth is a beautifully written novel about grief, healing, and unexpected friendship. Veronica, recently divorced and struggling to get her life back on track, finds herself working with Mariah Ellsworth — a former Olympic snowboarder whose world was upended by a life-changing event. Together, they set out to finish the late Rachel Ellsworth’s final cookbook, a tribute to Parsi cafés.

Their journey takes them from London to Paris, through Marrakech, and finally to India, tracing Rachel’s past while navigating their own emotional healing. The novel weaves themes of identity, purpose, and the power of connection with a gentle thread of mystery that kept me engaged throughout.

I truly enjoyed the richness of the settings, the depth of the characters, and the way the story explored resilience and reinvention without ever becoming heavy-handed. This is the kind of women’s fiction that balances heart with substance.

Highly recommended for fans of character-driven stories with emotional depth and a hint of intrigue.

Love Barbara's books and this doesn't disappoint. A mystery to work through whilst traveling through some fascinating places with an ex sportswomen who has been tragically injured both physically and mentally. Her companions have their own devils to deal with. Wonderful characters and delightful descriptions.

field
When we believed in Mermaids will still remain my favorite novel written by Barbara O'Neal.
LLRE is a lovely book of healing in many different capacities - physical and mental.
I really felt a tug at the heartstrings for all of the loss that the characters shared.
Lovely scenery and international food galore.
Thank you Net Galley for the ARC.
Highly recommend!

I adored how the novel honors the past while embracing the possibility of new beginnings. It’s a soulful, heartfelt read.

Thank you to NetGalley and @LakeUnionPub for this ARC. Veronica is trying to make ends meet when she answers an ad on Linkedin for a travel companion and researcher. Mariah is willing to hire someone to help her travel and finish the book her late mother started. Both trying to heal from major life changes, they try to also heal each other. Sweet read! #TheLastLetterofRachelEllsworth #BarbaraONeal #LakeUnionPub #July2025

4.75 HUGE STARS!!

I cannot say enough incredible things about this book! Huge thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the EARC because this has EASILY come in under my top 5 favourite books I’ve ever read. WOWOWOWIWOWOW!! I will be recommending this one for a long time!!

HOW IS THIS MY FIRST EVER BARBARA O’NEAL BOOK?!?!

*PERHAPS SLIGHT SPOILERS IN A GENERALIZED RECAP OF A FEW MAJOR PLOT POINTS .. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK?*

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The way Barbara is describing these fascinating places whether it be through Rachel’s letters or just the current moments events it has you LONGING to be there experiencing it too. But yet it paints the most vivid imagine for you as if perhaps in another life you have in fact been there. This book hit SO many marks for me, especially in terms of the dynamic and circumstances of Mariah and Victoria. For me this, this struck a very close emotional cord. The relatability was near fatal. The deep character and trauma work that Victoria is unknowingly doing throughout this book adds so much depth and love and hope and unflinchingly brutal honesty.

The way she ties it altogether so satisfyingly gut wrenchingly perfectly is just …*chefs kiss*

O'Neal never fails to impress with her ability to write so many different stories that are unlike the others. I appreciated that we took a step back from the romance themes and focused instead on women finding each other and finding lasting friendships.

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

Thank you NetGalley for an advance ebook of The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth by Barbara O’Neal. I loved, loved, loved this book. The story was beautifully written. The characters are well developed and I had so many emotions about each one. The three main characters I grew to really like as I read further into the book. You learn quickly that sometimes your family are people you choose rather than the people you’re related to. The ending was spot on! I must say, I’m sad I finished it.
I am recommending this book to everyone I know that reads!

I really enjoyed the book. It had a lot of History reference and am glad the author provided explanation. It also involved different cultures which I also enjoyed reading. The plot and the building of it was really good plus the exploration of mental health and traumatic events. For me it was a little hard to keep up with the writing due to constantly getting confused of the narrator was talking about. Also got confused when certain thing were a phone call or a text message, at times there was no division of what was the narration and what was a dialogue. Overall it was a nice read.

I hadn’t intended on reading The Last Letter in more-or-less one sitting; it just happened.

The title is a bit misleading. While the letter certainly exists, the focus of the story is more on grief, found family, and new beginnings.

Before Veronica and Mariah can face the future, they need to face the past. They’ve both hit rock-bottom. Veronica is divorced, jobless, missing her dog and her home, and facing her first Thanksgiving without her kids and beloved traditions. Worse, she’s struggling to pay her rent. Mariah has lost her mother and her athletic career in one violent moment. She’s planned a pilgrimage to finish a book her mom started and needs a companion to help with research and some of the physical aspects of traveling she can’t handle on her own since her physical injury.

I loved the juxtaposition of the younger woman with an older woman entering the next phase of her life. Veronica discovered that her story wasn’t over, and she still had so much to offer. It’s not often that a book highlights an inter-generational friendship, despite how amazing they can be in real life. Mariah learns to face her PTSD and grief, to see her mom as a real person, and to allow other people into her tightly guarded life. They both balance each other. Henry is a nice addition with overwhelming the growing friendship between Veronica and Mariah.

On a side note, I love the way that karma comes for Veronica’s ex.

I LOVED O’Neal’s last novel, Memories of the Lost, so I had high hopes for this book.
Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me. I can see how others will enjoy the story, it’s about finding yourself and there’s a really beautiful message there that’s very well done. Our two FMC’s are battling with the unexpected changes that have upended their lives, their journey together is so well written and I truly can see how many people will love this story.
It just felt like it dragged too much and was difficult to keep my attention.
O’Neal really does have such beautiful prose and her writing is so fluid and immersive.
Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review

After reading a few other books by Barbara O'Neal, I was excited to try her 2025 release, The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth. This is a dual timeline book that tells the story of a daughter, who recently experienced a significant trauma, fulfilling her mother's journey across the world. Additionally, it tells the story of a recently divorced woman trying to find her identity and manage her newly single life. The two women meet and journey around the world together, along with a male photographer, who quickly becomes a love interest. Alternating chapters reveal letters the girl's mother sent, which reveal what was happening in her life at that time. Overall the story was good, though predictable at times. I enjoyed the different perspectives from the different characters. Three and a half stars rounded up to 4.
Thank you to NetGalley, Barbara O'Neal, and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read the advance reader copy.

A set of unlikely travel companions - each undertaking the journey for their own complicated reasons - find that the experience yields far more than they expected.

An athlete whose career is brought to a premature end, a woman whose marriage suffers a similar fate, and a photographer who appear to have little in common discover unexpected layers to each other, and their lives.

O'Neal's trademark skill of crafting memorable characters and providing insights into human existence and relationships are very much on display here. Well worth your time, this one gets 3.5 stars.

Barbara O'Neal does it again in this emotional story about two very different women coping with loss and recovery. Their sweeping journey - and their nuanced relationships - are beautifully developed and delicately described.
She's just that good.

Three people brought together to complete a mother's last dream. A daughter wanting answers, a newly divorced woman needing a new path and an old friend helping helping both. I loved the pace of the book, the future and the past combing into an ending that just fits. No fairy tale, happily ever after, just life being shown as real. A solid read.

I'm a big fan of Barbara O'Neal books, so I was very excited to read this one. While I enjoyed the premise, some of the plot lines were not well-developed, and overall, there just seemed to be some pieces missing. A lot of parts were enjoyable, but if you aren't a big reader, you can skip this one.