This is the first book I have read by this author and I couldn't put it down. Thank you for letting me read it.

"Two women overcoming past traumas embark on a healing journey across continents in a novel about friendship, family, and rediscovery"

A Big thank you to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for this ALC

🎧 The Last Letters of Rachel Ellsworth -
Barbara O'Neal
🌟 4 🌟's

I enjoy each story I read by O'Neal and the last letter of Rachel Ellsworth was no different.

I always enjoy the poignant and family drama along with strong female characters that O' Neil writes. Veronica and Mariah are powerful, endearing and well developed characters.

Veronica post divorce still navigating the loss of her marriage and the stability it provided answers and to be a travel companion to Mariah a young woman still grieving the loss of her mother and her snowboarding career due to a leg injury.

We travel right along with Mariah, Veronica and Henry whom we meet when the women arrive in London. The story was well developed and we learn how they came to be in their current mental state all while researching Rachel Ellsworth, Mariah's mom's story.

The pacing through the first 90% was great but the last 10% felt a bit rushed and left wanting more from the support characters.

A book about unexpected friendships, found families, grieving, travelling and cozy Parsi cafes

Veronica has spent the last twenty years being a stay at home mom: making sure her husband had everything he needed, prioritizing her family over academic goals and keeping everyone happy. All of that to be replaced by a younger, pregnant new wife.

When she finds a job that involves travelling during Christmas, instead of spending it alone while her kids are skiing with their father and his new wife, she jumps at the opportunity. She wasn’t expecting to find so much more than a job to cover the bills. A new love, new opportunities and, maybe, a new friend.

Mariah used to be an Olympian racing for gold. Now she needs to hire someone to help her carry her bags, since her leg is completely destroyed. But the loss of her career isn’t the only thing she’s grieving; her mother died sixteen months ago, and she still hadn’t made peace with it. By trying to write the last book her mother was working on, about Parsi cafes around the world, Mariah aims to figure out who her mother was, and how she should move forward.

I was very intrigued by the premise of this book. I bonded with Veronica from the beginning and, even though Maria was harder to relate to, she was impossible to hate. Even when she was angry, it was easy to understand where it came from and forgive her. I won’t say much because Maria’s story is part of the suspense of the book, so you’ll learn her secrets as you read.

The story is very character-driven and, while I really enjoyed the characters-especially Veronica, the author did such a great job at making me care for her from the very first chapter-, I wished we had something more. I saw the plot twist coming and the travelling wasn’t as thrilling as I thought it would be. I was expecting Rachel’s story to surprise me more than it did.

That being said, I cared about the characters and enjoyed listening to the audiobook. I liked the narrator, she made the experience so much better. I also appreciated the found family, the little love story and how much Mariah and Veronica helped each other.

It was interesting how the generation and society they were born into played a role on their friendship. Veronica was so focused on being a ‘lady’, she didn’t hesitate to give up her career dreams to have a family, while Mariah let herself be: ate what she wanted, dated without worrying about what to do next. Mariah helped Veronica to stop worrying about her weight and manners and start enjoying life. At the same time, having a mother figure taking care of her really helped Mariah grieve.

Also, the author's writing style was really good, I will check out if she has other books that catch my attention.

Overall, I enjoyed the characterization: the character arcs were interesting and I really bonded with the characters. But I thought the action part was going to be a bit more fast paced and engaging. I would recommend it if you are interested in the premise, because it delivers on what the characters are going through, but not really if you are more interested in the mystery surrounding Rachel Ellsworth.


Audiobook rating: 4 stars
Rating: 3.5 stars.

This is the story of two women, both psychically damaged who embark on a healing journey together.

Mariah Elsworth was an Olympic snowboarder who was shot and badly wounded in a supermarket massacre. Her mother, Rachel, a food writer, was killed. After a long period of recovery, she decides she will complete her mother’s book on Parsi Cafes.

This means a trip overseas. Still in recovery, Mariah needs to hire a companion to assist her. She hires fifty something woman, Veronica, who is struggling emotionally and financially after a divorce that blindsided her and shredded her world.

The parts of the book set in London, Paris, India, and Morocco were excellent and more of that would have been welcome. I also might have enjoyed the book more had I read, rather than listened to it. The audio reader made Mariah consistently sound like a spoiled, insensitive brat. Veronica was a whiner, and her ex sounded like an infantile teenage boy (but maybe that was how he was written). A little of that, maybe. But it took me out of the story.

I also think the novel would have been better served if it kept moving, rather than digressing into the tedium of Veronica’s life. Her ex husband and grown children were one note self centered characters. I wanted her to throw her cell phone away.

The idea for this book was wonderful. It just wasn’t executed well. I wish the padded parts focused on the color of the exotic places they traveled rather than the melodrama post divorce.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Brilliance for the opportunity to listen to this ARC in exchanged for an honest review

This book was full of the most beautiful imagery and descriptions. Even if it hadn’t been a great story (which it was), the pictures O’Neal painted with her words were stunning.

Veronica’s not sure how everything in her life has fallen apart. She’s been arrested, she’s gotten divorced, and she’s on the cusp of eviction. But an unexpected job opportunity comes her way, and things begin to change.

Mariah has lost her mother and doesn’t know who she is anymore. She hurts both literally and figuratively and she can no longer seem to take care of herself. She wonders what do to next and if she’ll ever feel like herself again.

We’ll travel the world with these two women as they get to know themselves again and figure out what they want in new and unexpected chapters of life. They’ll face obstacles but help each other to overcome them; they’ll be exactly what each other needs in this uncharted season.

The audio narration of this book was so wonderful, and, as I mentioned above, the descriptive language really brought the images to life. Listening to these words, I truly felt like I was in a hotel in London, a market in Marrakesh or a cafe in Delhi, and I loved the cultures explored so beautifully in these paragraphs.

Another book about strong, resilient women, this story was truly a joy and a gift that kept on giving from beginning to end.

This book included a series of letters, which is a favorite literary aspect of mine. Do you enjoy when books contain letters or journal/diary entries?

I listened to the audio version of this book narrated by Andi Arndt. The narration was superb as is all the performances by Ms. Arndt.

In this book, Mariah, a young woman prompted by the death of her famed food writer mother, is determined to finish her mother's last project. She was injured in the same incident that took her mother and the resulting injuries require that she hire a travel companion.

Veronica is trying to escape some things in her life and takes the job as travel companion. It seems that her recent life has been very unsettled. There is also a photographer that travels with them. He also has a past that haunts him. They travel to three different countries to try to unravel the mystery that arises when they read letters written by Mariah's mother. The three find support, friendship, acceptance and even love on their shared journey.


I love books written by Barbara O'Neal. Her books are well researched and well written. It seems like she is always taking me to new lands and stirs the desire to travel in me, which is something, because I hate to travel.

Thanks to Brilliance Publishing (Audio) and NetGalley for the audiobook. All thoughts are my own.

Veronica is newly divorced, navigating financial difficulties and seeking purpose. Mariah is a recently retired Olympic athlete grieving her mother and trying to finish her last project by traveling to Africa, Europe and India guided by Mariah’s mom’s letters. Together, Mariah and Veronica learn about themselves, grow and develop new connections as they follow the letters.

I really enjoyed the age and life experience differences represented in the book and the character development. As someone who enjoys travel and I also appreciated getting to read about new places and add new trips to my travel list. There were times in the story I really struggled with the thinking or decision making of one of the characters, but think that was intentional, as life is messy and outside perspective and/or hindsight is often clearer.

This book had an interesting storyline, complicated characters and relationships, some mystery and self-reflection. The narration was fitting of the characters and I was easily able to follow the character transitions.

* World travels
* Foodie experiences
* Character-driven
* Gun violence aftermath
* Post divorce healing
* Found family

This is the third book I’ve read by O’Neal and the common thread among them all is her ability to write really compelling characters. I really loved Veronica and connected to her right away. I did struggled at the beginning with Mariah who was quite a caustic 20 something. Eventually details about Mariah come to light which help to understand her and why she’s got an edge. Not quite the impact When We Believed in Mermaids had on me but I think my summer attention span didn’t quite mesh with this heavily character-driven story.

It also probably didn’t help that the narration was just okay. The narrator didn’t try any accents, which was a shame since this story travels all over the world. She also pronounced the main characters name incorrectly a few times calling her Maria.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for the alc via Netgalley.

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I absolutely loved this beautiful story. Veronica is going through a divorce and needs a change in her life so she answers an advertisement to be a travel companion to do research for a project. When she meets with Mariah she is surprised to hear that she has gotten the job and she is looking forward to travelling and getting paid for doing the research that she enjoys doing. Mariah wants to finish her mother's project of travelling to cafes in London, Monaco, Paris and India to honour her last wishes. They use letters that her mom wrote to her sister to guide them on this beautiful journey and along the way they learn more about each other and about themselves too.....Enjoy!!!

This is a tragic and beautiful novel about mothers, daughters, friendship and recovery. It follows Mariah, Harry and Veronica as they travel the worldwide to complete a project started by Rachel, during which they heal emotionally and develop deep bonds with one another. The inclusion of young Rachel’s letters enriched the story.
Mariah's journey through grief is heartbreaking, yet understanding her mother better plays a crucial role in her healing process.
Barbara O’Neal is an insightful author with well-crafted stories.
Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity to read/listen to this complimentary advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is such a beautiful book. Beautiful characters, beautiful and heart warming story.

Veronica and Mariah at both embarking on new lives for very different reasons. Mariah hires Veronica as a helper as they travel to Europe to finish Mariah's late mother's book.

5 stars.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Brilliance Publishing for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a beautifully written and emotional story! It pulled me in right away, and I loved how it intertwined so many deep issues into such a compelling read. It's a story of two women who are dealing with very different types of grief over the lives they had before as they search for new meaning and a way forward.

I loved the added mystery they were trying to solve, as well as all the delicious food they tried as they traveled (not gonna lie, I was a little jealous!). The characters really pulled me in, and several moments brought me to tears (especially the parts about mother-daughter relationships and love).

My only wish is that the ending had been less abrupt. I didn't want to leave the characters so soon as everything came together! Overall, it was a very moving read.

A special thanks to Brilliance Publishing, Brilliance Audio, and Netgalley for an early copy of this audiobook to review.

This was such a gorgeous adventure.
I got was completely immersed in this story and the culture and the characters.
Two women embark on a journey, not knowing what they will find or where they will end up.
Wow. Absolutely blown away. Did not expect to love this the way I did. I could have done without the random ghost talk and mediums, but I loved everything else so much I chose to overlook it.
If you need an adventure in a book, pick this one up!

Like all of Barbara O'Neal's books, this story really highlights the range of human emotions and the complicated relationships that exist between mothers and daughters (and other family). I found the combination of the emotional journeys of Mariah and Veronica with the travel journey across multiple countries to be lovely. The travel aspect helped to balance some of the heavier themes covered in the story, and the switching of locations gave a nice cadence to the narrative.

The narration was well done, although I occasionally had trouble following which character was speaking, as the POV switched often.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the opportunity to listen to the ALC and provide an honest review.

CW (at varying degrees): gun violence, suicide/ideation, war

I absolutely enjoyed this amazing story

2 women are at the different points in there life, Veronica is just divorced with 3 grown children and she doesn't even know how to push forward and she has to get a job which hasn't done in over 20 years

Then there's Mariah, a snow skater who had a leg injury and needed a companion to go on a journey with

these two women meet and there lives begin to change and intertwine

I absolutely loved listening to this story

Barbara O’Neal’s name was very familiar to me, so I was surprised to realise that this seems to be the first of her books that I’d read.

I finished the book last night, and I was initially going to give it a much higher rating, but I realised that while I did actually really enjoy the story, it wasn’t still lingering in my mind. Or rather, it was, but a couple of really big questions were left unanswered. So 3.5 🌟 seems fair.

Part travelogue, part food blog. The Novel begins with recently divorced Veronica wondering where she goes now in life, her children are grown her husband has gone and she’s far from financially stable enough to take the trip of her dreams, then by chance she sees an advert from Mariah, who is seeking a travel companion due to an injury. Mariah is embarking on a journey to complete her deceased mother’s final book.

I won’t spoiler much from there, but the pair embark on a journey that takes them from America to London, to Paris and Marrakesh and finally India, along the way they strike up a “found family” type friendship, and there are some beautiful descriptions of the settings and of course the food.

I related to Veronica a lot throughout the book, and I was swept away to far away lands for the duration of the book. On reflection though, there should’ve been a lot more food and travel written into the story.

I wonder if I’ll ever get it into my head that cilantro is coriander without the assistance of google.

I enjoyed the narration.

Huge thanks to Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧

What an absolutely bingable story! Read it in one day and didn't want to leave these characters once the final chapter turned it's last page. I've read a few of Ms. O'Neal's other books and some I've loved and some I've felt were a decent read but didn't send me to the same place of book bliss. The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth is the type of book that keeps peeling back layer after layer so that you feel so deeply the pain and perseverance that these characters endure.

Veronica is a recently divorced mother of 3 grown children who's husband has left her for a younger woman. Veronica is dealing with the upcoming holidays and dreading the fact that her children will be spending it with her ex-husband. She also was a stay-at-home mom and has no real career to fall back on now that she is on her own. There are more nuanced dynamics that come into play between her and the ex and he definitely was a character we grow to dislike on so many levels.

Mariah is in need of a travel companion t help assist her on a trek through London, Paris and India to finish a project her mother had started before she died.. Maria is dealing with an injury that was a result of a horrible event. She is seeking someone who can help her with her bags and also with some of the research needed to explore the "letters" that her mother wrote to Maria's Aunt.

The story builds around these two characters and also the introduction of Henry who was a close friend to Mariah's mother.. He joins them as the photographer that helps them document their travels.

There is a story that involves Mariah's mother that is uncovered and then a growing relationship between the trio. I love how Barbara weaves so many emotions of tragedy, heartache and love in this story. The audiobook is superb! Highly recommend!

Another Barbara O'Neal ringer! I love the way she weaves mystery, travel, romance, and friendship all into a book. This was a very original concept, while not being too far-fetched.

Two women, Veronica and Mariah, embark on an adventure across continents guided by letters written by Rachel, Mariah’s mother in search of a story. Both women are overcoming trauma, Veronica, the end of her marriage and Mariah, a recent accident that resulted in a debilitating injury.

In essence, this is a story of friendship, family, and redefining who you are after a trauma. The author brings the reader across continents with wonderfully atmospheric writing. I enjoyed the undercurrent of a mother daughter relationship. Although, I did find the end slightly abupt, but did not detract from the story. Overall, an enjoyable read.