Oh my . Going to be one of my books of 2026..You follow a book club and its members . They all have amazing stories . Absolutely loved it and a perfect ending. Can not recommend it enough .

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC.

Erin is 54 and lives with son Jack and cat Tybalt in Blackheath, London. She runs the Bookmark Café, a cosy place with many book shelves. Erin leads a weekly book club which is called The Last Page Book Group because she likes everyone to read the last page of a book first so she knows what's coming. The half dozen book group members are a varied bunch with a spectrum of ages, but they all get along well.

Erin's been trundling along just fine until one day newcomer Adam shakes up the group and wakes up dormant feelings. Someone suggests writing down what they want their "last pages" to sound like in terms of what they would like to have achieved. Their wishes range from travel to love to professional success. Erin is reluctant to participate but when her landlord suddenly ups the rent to unmanageable levels she knows what she wants - for her café to survive. But how to go about it and can the others help?

I loved this book. I felt so at home in it, and a passing reference to Grace from The Forgotten Book Shop felt like just for the initiated. Oftentimes when you get a book that takes place in a book-filled environment like a bookshop or library, the books are just in the background. This novel is all about reading. It shows how books are for everyone - they give us access to different worlds but also connect us to others who love to read, and they can educate, entertain or soothe us.

I loved all the characters and their challenges, from elderly widower and father figure Joe to talented but self-doubting Riley to stressed out GP Hafsa with an autistic daughter, Susan who wants to make perfume, travel-obsessed Mercy and Adam who has a grown-up son he's never met. I also loved son Jack who shows emotional intelligence and love for his mother that's so good to see. Erin has so many people in her corner and it's good to see her embrace it and take some risks, also in regards to Adam.

I love older characters and this is such an intelligent book. It's a gentle romance, a love declaration for books and a manual on how to get out of your comfort zone, achieve personal growth and make dreams a reality. It's also a warmhearted book about community and found family, about shared passions and new beginnings, and it manages to be light-hearted, inspiring and hopeful without compromising on emotional depth. What a treat, with a gorgeous cover.

There are books that feel like a gentle hand on your shoulder, guiding you into a world where comfort and possibility intertwine—and The Last Page Café is one of them. Kate Storey has crafted a story that feels both tender and hopeful, the kind of novel you want to curl up with on a quiet afternoon, a mug of something warm in hand.

The café itself becomes more than a setting; it’s a symbol of second chances, of community, and of the quiet magic that happens when people open their hearts. Storey’s writing is inviting and unpretentious, with characters who feel like old friends—flawed, endearing, and deeply human.

What lingers most is the atmosphere: the hum of conversation, the scent of coffee, the sense that even in life’s messiness, there’s beauty to be found in connection. It’s a book that reminds us that endings can be beginnings, and that sometimes the smallest places hold the biggest stories.

Warm, uplifting, and quietly profound, The Last Page Café is a novel that leaves you with a smile and a renewed belief in the power of community and love.

My thanks to Kate Storey, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

This is the story of a book group where they choose books based on the last page. The characters in the book are well developed and grow as they start to write their last pages. There’s an older widower who is just delightful and I can imagine him with a twinkle in his eye for example.
The MFC is struggling with running the business especially due to hike in rent. And so the story develops gently, yet with purpose. There is romance which is sweet and this is a clean book with no smut which would not have fitted the tone or voice of the book.
Thank you to the publisher Avon and NetGalley for this ARC.

What an interesting idea, a book club where you read the last page first. This book challenges you to think about quite a few things but in a warm and gentle way. There are some wonderful characters and lovely romance. Some challenges and a fantastic community. A real feel good book, one of the best I've read for a while.

I loved this book.

Erin is 54 and is living a half life running the cafe inherited from her mother. Her son has returned home from university.

Her greatest joy is her book club where they make their choice of books to read based on their enjoyment of the last page.

Erin does not like change but she is forced to face it as her book club is disrupted by the arrival of a new member, her landlord wants to increase her rent so that she is faced with giving up the cafe and her son wants to fly the nest.

A delightful tale of taking chances, friendship and community.

One I will be recommending.

Erin runs a book club at her Bookmark store where they always have this quirky rule that they read the last page first. It really is a community group with a fantastic mixture of characters that warm your heart when they eventually tell their stories but when it comes under the threat of closure due to financial issues will Erin be able to save it. It's a feel good story full of charm and emotion which you can feel from the very first page and beautifully written by this author which makes it a really enjoyable read

A lovely story set in a cafe where women meet once a week to discuss the current book that their bookclub is reading. Books, cafe and romance a perfect read. I enjoyed the gossiping between the women and they way they looked after each other. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I love this author so I couldn't wait to start this book. Lets just say I wasn't disappointed! Ive found myself checking the back pages first if im not sure of something so straight away I loved this! What is not to love about this book. Books, romance and gossip! Perfect combination for a cosy afternoon! Once again thanks Kate!

The Last Page Café by Kate Storey is another heart-warming, uplifting, feel-good story about books, community, second chances, fresh beginnings, evolving legacies, fostering new and established relationships, embracing or redefining change, finding courage in adversity and overcoming obstacles to fulfill your dreams. We get to see all these scenarios demonstrated in the characters’ lives and events. All assisted by a caring community of persons who share common goals and interests.

Erin McRae is a fifty-four year old woman dealing with some tough challenges but she has inherited her mother’s business called The Bookmark. She is happy being a business owner, as it means she has a purpose outside of being Jack’s mother. But this legacy is not really her own for it was her mother who built it and then passed it on to her. She constantly worries she will mess it up or be a disappointment and always tries to do what she thinks her mother would have wanted. Her own ideas don’t get explored until later on when she is at risk of losing The Bookmark due to finances. The rent on the café she loves increases and her son is getting a new job and moving out. She is facing some big changes. And this is a major problem for unexpected events make Erin very uncomfortable.

The only place Erin feels in control is in her book club of eclectic members. But she has created a strange rule for this group. They must read the last page first before choosing their novel. A peculiar stipulation that Erin has set up. Why does she require this? Well that is an interesting question. You’d naturally think it would spoil the surprise or fun in reading a story. But Erin says she feels safer in knowing the outcomes. This is something that mirrors her own life—not just in reading fiction. She is not a person to take chances and does not like anything upsetting her balanced system.

Out of this bizarre reading requirement, though, something very good develops. When the group members decide to write their own last pages, new perspectives arise that bring about some stunning revelations and alterations in their lives. Romance springs forward, too. While secrets surface and deep wounds heal. It becomes obvious the Book café offers a great community service. And seen in this light, there is hope for its continuation, when it comes under threat of ending. With a little help from her friends and support from the fundraiser, Erin is encouraged to try a new direction (which ends up being pretty cool). She has always been guarded in her steps as she has not been one for surprises but the negatives that happen in her life force her to reconsider another path, or at least take a second look at her views and make a few small alterations. These small, though vital changes provide a fresh burst of energy in her life that allow her to make constructive decisions and ultimately strengthen her future.

The Last Page Café by Kate Storey is unique but it covers universal and foundational ingredients that matter and establishes the importance of community and relationship building. There is quite a delightful and varied cast of characters who made me smile, chuckle and cheer as they came together to discuss books and solutions to life in their book club. And the number of wonderful books mentioned in this novel were such great reminders of ones I need to add to my TBR list or to reread! I really enjoyed this story. It has lots to offer readers who appreciate the special gift of friendship and sharing through the love of books and book clubs across the world. 4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Avon Books and Netgalley for a review copy.

This book was a warm cozy slow paced blanket. The cozy vibes it gives is not like, the Spell Shop whimsy cozy type of vibes. Its more like, the feeling after a good cry after a break up/loss - emotional but full. It has tender moments that just makes you want to believe again. The theme of control felt very present in the book (tied to the Last Page Book Group picking weekly books based on reading the last page) and there’s growth and depth in the characters and their situations. Really enjoyed this portrayal of found family/community coming togetherness, personal growth and why risk taking can be worth it.

This was a lovely book with a main character - much like myself - who likes to be in control, to know what is happening, know when and where things are heading - the comfort of certainty and knowledge. This book allows us, alongside Erin and her lovely book group, to explore how we live and how we can consider making our own choices rather than letting life happen to us. There is a little romance but this novel is so much more than that.
This book has a real warmth in its relationships and the concept of a cafe where books are front and centre was utterly charming. The book discussions also reminded me of some books that I have enjoyed myself which I loved. This was a perfect book for snuggling up on the sofa on a winter's day with a warm cup of coffee.

Erin runs a cafe/ coffee shop full of books. She also has a book group called The Last Page book Group. Erin is fearful of reading books that don't have good endings so the book group choose their book to read by reading the last page first.
One day Adam,a journalist walks into the cafe to join the book group and finds it both crazy and hilarious to read the last page first.
Erin is not happy about Adam but she also finds herself attracted to him and that is one thing she definately does not want.
I enjoyed this book as I always enjoyed the books I have read by Kate Storey. Good characters and stories you can relate too. Loved this one.

What a lovely story!! This book is a delightful blend of family, friends, and a little romance. Full of kindness and good people, this is a heartwarming tale to savour.

I enjoy novels based on the love of books and libraries. This is my third book by this offer and it is another solid story worth reading.

Erin McRae inherited the homey and quaint Bookmark Café from her mother. It is a decades-long fixture in the small community and serves as the venue for the book club that Erin started. Due to her own history of pain and disappointment in love, she has convinced the group to read the last page of every potential book selection to determine if it is worth reading. Enter Adam, a successful nomadic journalist, who challenges the group dynamics on several levels – especially the last page criteria. Erin is both incensed and attracted to the man and his ideas.

As she struggles with the loss of control in the group, the pending possibility of her son leaving the nest, and the potential loss of the Café due to an exorbitant rent increase, Erin slowly begins to allow herself to reveal her vulnerability to her friends and to accept help in moving beyond her self-imposed limits. Simultaneously, the other members of the book club begin to explore possibilities for themselves as they write “last pages” for their futures.

The pacing at the beginning of the novel is slow and the repetition of Erin’s issues is at times tedious, but both these criticisms pale compared to the character development of the multigenerational members of the club. The richness and evolving depth of the relationships is insightful and satisfying as the pace picks up at approximately 30 percent in. The feel-good ending may have been a little rushed, but it is consistent with the storyline and inspiring in the characters’ achievements.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

The Last Page Café by Kate Storey was such a cozy, comforting read. It’s the kind of book that feels like a warm drink and a quiet afternoon—perfect for switching your brain off and just enjoying the story. The café setting is charming, and I loved the gentle, small-town atmosphere woven throughout.

The characters are easy to like, and the story has that comforting theme of fresh starts, healing, and finding connection when you least expect it. Nothing is overly dramatic or stressful, which honestly made it ideal holiday reading. It’s simple in a good way—relaxing, familiar, and reassuring.

While it’s not a book that tries to reinvent the genre, it does what it sets out to do really well. If you’re looking for something cozy, light, and uplifting to read on vacation or during a quiet weekend, this is a great choice.

This is an uplifting and feel good read with the story surrounding a book group who has an unusual premise that they choose books to read based on what the last page says. The story has a community feel and is a story of second chances and new beginnings with lots of book recommendations interspersed in the story.

In the Last Page Cafe, fifty two year old business owner Erin McRae has inherited her mothers cafe and enjoys running it although it is no longer as busy as it used to be. Left by her husband right after her baby was born, Erin now steels her self against getting her hopes up, and lives a routine life where she avoids change and surprises at all costs. she even insists her book club read the last page of their next book, so they know what happens before they decide whether to read it so she will not be
surprised!

I love a found family story filled with quirky characters that support each other and this novel is full of those lovely people. I will admit to having trouble with Erin herself for quite a while, but she does manage to grow and change as the story progresses. The Last Page Cafe is a book about growth and believing in yourself, about embracing change, love and friendship, and if you are looking for an uplifting hopeful story I would recommend giving this one a try.

Thank you to net galley and Avon books UK for the digital copy of this book.

I like that this book is all about found family in the bookish space. I love that we get to see all kinds of forms of relationships and growth of a community in this book. Please read if you like books show the creation of a family and finding where you fit in the world.

Another wonderful book from Ms. Storey. We are capture in the world outside of London at the Bookmark, a struggling cafe where a group of folks from all walks of life come together to discuss books. Yet unlike most book clubs, this group is different - they read the last page first before reading the book. We meet lots of wonderful folks all trying to figure out their next chapter. Ms. Storey does a wonderful job for us as readers to get to know each character. The concept of how they would want their last chapter, their last page is very inspiring not only to read but also reflect in one’s own life. A great book to be read and maybe with a book club too!

Thanks Netgalley for the chance to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

After meeting Kate at an author event I purchased her first two books and devoured them straight away. I recommended them to all my friends.

Living close to the area where they are set makes them even more special.

When I saw this one as an advanced read, I kept everything crossed to be able to have the early opportunity to read it.

Set in Blackheath just a stones throw away, the setting is clearly fixed in my mind. Kates writing transports you to a book club in the most lovely cafe. I loved the characters nd the relationships within the group.

You are championing Erin on to safe her cafe.

With a lovely happy ending it mKes this a delightful read.

I love all the books Kate entwines within the pages and already have a to be read list.

Thanks NetGalley for my copy of the Last Page Cafe. This was an enjoyable book albeit a bit long. Loved the characters and story line

Well the setting is perfect, books, cakes and coffee so the story is onto a winner with just that! This is a cosy read which will make you want to go to the cafe and eat cake with the characters. Enjoyed and would recommend.

The Last Page Café was such a cozy, comforting read. I loved the bookish café setting, it made me want to curl up with a drink and stay there all day. The characters felt genuine and easy to connect with, and the story had a nice balance of heart, humor, and mystery. It was the kind of book that’s perfect for unwinding, and I finished it feeling happy and satisfied. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who loves cozy reads with a literary touch.

3.5⭐️ rounded up.

This was a feel good story about family, love, and the power of community. It follows Erin, a 54 year old woman who, after inheriting her mother’s cafe, struggles with a series of life events that put her business at risk. This is a bookish book that incorporates a book club along with multiple book recommendations throughout. It’s uniquely entertaining to add books to your TBR while in the process of reading another book, and I thoroughly enjoyed that aspect of this story.

I have read other books by this author, which, for me, were five star reads. While I enjoyed this book, I did not find it nearly as engaging as The Memory Library, for example. I think the reason I felt this way was because I had a hard time warming up to the FMC. Erin had a series of struggles in her life, and because of this, she built barriers out of fear in an effort to protect herself from pain. In her unwillingness to attempt anything where there was a possibility of her getting hurt, she not only closed off her ability to find happiness, but also allowed herself to judge others for their life choices. Although there was significant character growth throughout the novel, her general negativity and pessimism grated on me after a while.

My distaste for Erin was balanced by the secondary characters, who were all adorable with compelling individual backstories. Additionally, the theme of taking control of your life and having the ability to re-write the last page of your own story resonated with me as someone finds herself entering a new phase in life with children who are now grown. Overall, The Last Page Cafe was a heartwarming story of self discovery and found family, and is the perfect book for someone looking for a lighthearted and cozy read.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK, and Kate Storey for an advance digital copy of this book.

I have read all the authors previous books and this one is my favourite one, without giving any spoilers away, this book is set in a Cafe run by Erin , who has a son called Jack and who has a cat called Tyball

Erin has book in her cafe and runs a bookclub in the cafe which is very successful

who does not love, cafe with cakes, books and cat, . my dream life if I only won the lottery

I would highly recommend this book and many thanks to the publisher and net galley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for thus review

Erin McRae is divorced, fifty four and has an adult son called Jack. Ever since she inherited her late mother’s Mary’s café, The Bookmark, she’s been busy and doesn’t have a lot of time to herself. Here she holds a books club, where they read the last page of the novel first and then decide if they will read it or not.

The members include Erin, Joe, Susan, Mercy, Nuala and Riley and one night Adam Darling arrives. He’s a journalist, in his fifties and doesn’t understand Erin’s policy of choosing a book and she finds him annoying. Erin is keeping a secret The Bookmark under threat of closure, the landlord has upped the rent, and the future is looking grim for her and mum’s legacy and she feels like a failure.

Riley who works at the café comes up with the idea of everyone writing their own last pages or final chapter, and not how they die and more along the lines of what they want to do or achieve and this causes all sorts of repressed feelings and emotions to bubble to the surface.

I received a copy of The Last Page Café by Kate Storey from Avon Books UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The narrative is created around two things I love books and reading and no I’m not a member of a book club unless online ones count?

A story about friendship, between people from different walks of life and age ranges, providing a place where they can drop in, have something to eat, swap over and read a book and an outlet for so many lonely customers and as it turns out a very important resource for the community.

The perfect choice for readers and book lovers and I've added a few to my long want to read list as many are mentioned throughout and I liked the possible budding romance between Erin and Adam and both have given up on love and five stars from me.

I highly recommend all of Ms Storey’s books including The Last Page Café, The Forgotten Book Club and The Memory Library.

This is my third Kate Storey book, and each one has centred around a library or book club — a theme I absolutely adore. I love any story about books, book clubs, or libraries, so this was right up my street. Kate’s writing always has such depth and her characterisation is wonderfully sharp, capturing people with all their quirks and flaws. I’ve really enjoyed every one of her novels, and I can’t wait for the next.

When Erin inherited The Bookmark Café from her mother, she believed she was set for life in a job she adored. It provided enough for her and her son, Jack, and allowed her to employ Riley — a young girl who sees Erin as more of a mother than her own ever was. After the breakdown of her marriage, Erin has become wary of relationships, and the book club she runs at the café has a unique rule: they read the last page of every book first, a small ritual that helps Erin feel she’s protecting her heart. But when her landlord suddenly raises the rent to an unaffordable level, Erin feels the weight of responsibility — to honour her mum’s legacy, to keep Riley employed, and to maintain a safe home for herself and Jack. The question is whether she can hold everything together.

This was such a lovely, uplifting read, full of warmth, community spirit, and the quiet courage it takes to start again. Erin’s journey — balancing responsibility, vulnerability, and the hope of something better — felt tender and believable, and the café setting added that comforting, bookish charm I always enjoy. Kate Storey writes with real empathy for her characters, and by the end I was rooting for Erin, Riley, and Jack to find the security and happiness they deserve. I’m already looking forward to whatever she writes next.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8297174834

https://maddybooksblog.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-last-page-cafe-by-kate-storey-this.html

When anything new or outside the norm is scary. Erin life followed her dreams, young love that survived university, marriage, the blip of infertility and then a wonderful son. Hand grenade thrown by her husband who decided being married and having a son didn't suit him. Leaving her ideal house and moving in to a flat with her baby. Leaving her event's manager job to work alongside her mum in the local cafe.
Having to read the final page of a book before reading the story is the quirk of the book group that meets once a week in the cafe.
A wonderful group of diverse people, people who become friends as the story progresses. On the surface they all have busy and fulfilling lives but need the group.
I have really enjoyed the book and wish the characters well on their next chapters.

Review 3.75

I am not going to lie, I downloaded this book purely for the cat on the cover. I am a typical judge a book by its cover kind fo person, and I loved this one. Kate Storey is a new to me author.

When Erin McRae inherits the Bookmark Café from her mother. she is striving to keep the cafe and book club part of the local community it has become a life line and meeting place for so many. Due to increased rental prices from her landlord she is force to accept help from other and realises that maybe she finally belongs somewhere and sometimes it is ok to ask for help and not have to control everything.

The Last Page cafe is a heartwarming story of a woman just trying her best, its full of friendship, laughter, a sense of community and honouring traditions. I really enjoy the story, the characters and the writing style.

Thank you to Avon Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for a honest review.

This is a warm-hearted thoughtful read set around Bookmarks cafe and especially the lovals who attend their book club. With a diverse mix of characters who have a great rapport their club gets a new member who sparks change to their club much to the disgruntlement of cafe owner Erin who fears change. There’s two main storylines in this which intertwine well, that of the future of the cafe which is under threat and that of the book club members thinking about writing their own future. Each character has a good background (and future) story and it’s good to see the impact these have on them. It’s a relaxed easy read in a welcoming bookshop location with some lovely characters and a thoughtful concept which I loved.