Reviews with content warning for Grief - The Last Goodbye

Emotional read centered around the 2 main characters coping with grief, each in his/her own way. Relationships with secondary characters are also examined as they deal with grief differently. The book is ultimately hopeful in portraying how the 2 main characters begin to have hope for the future, helping each other to resolve the guilt that each has been feeling. Their sweet romance is slow to develop, but they eventually realize that they have each found the perfect person to help them move on, if other circumstances do not get in the way.

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razanarozzy's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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reniareads's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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swhence's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

'Grief is a funny thing', he began slowly. 'People think of it as sadness. But it's much more complex than that. It has so many layers, so many tangled emotions-including anger'.

This book is about dealing with grief and moving on from loss. I loved how the author represented sorrow as a nuanced emotion and how everyone has their own grieving process.
The highlight of the book was the writing. It was smooth and gripping. The protagonist Anna was well developed while the other main character Brody could have been more fleshed out. Although the pacing was slow, it was consistent. However, I cannot help but feel that this could have been a 350-page book.

I would have rated the book 3.5 stars if it weren't for the last portion which was rushed and overwhelming. Nevertheless, it was a good one-time read.

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rachrreads's review

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dark emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I was given an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It’s been three years since Anna’s husband, Spencer passed away due to an accident. Anna’s still struggling— unable to get out of bed, going through days of numbness, and shutting herself out from the world. Her best friend constantly is trying to get her out into the world by trying new things. But, Anna isn’t ready to move on yet. She still has all of Spencer’s things where he left them and her fortnight dinners with his family are spent mourning him.

Anna calls Spencer’s phone on occasion, just so she can hear his voice. On New Year’s Eve someone picks up, someone who’s not Spencer. Through the next year, the two form a bond and help each other through their grief. Anna is able to pull herself out of her depression and get back out into the world. Brody, the man on the other end of the phone, finally begins to stop isolating himself from the world. Through it all they heal, and maybe even find love along the way.

This was a beautiful book about grief and mental health. Anna and Brody were struggling and Fiona Lucas did a fantastic job depicting this. There were subtle hints throughout showing the characters beginning to heal, as well as setbacks to their healing. The two characters were so real.

Spoiler

I felt like the book dragged in the middle and also I wasn’t totally buying that they were falling for each other. To me it just seemed like they were mistaking their healing and dependence on each other for love.

Overall this was a beautiful book on healing after loss and finding yourself again.

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lastingliterature's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

It has been 3 years since Anna’s husband tragically died and she can’t seem to move on. After a rough New Year’s Eve, she decides to call his phone to hear his voice one more time through his voicemail. Instead, someone answers. It turns out that after the phone bill not being paid, they finally recycled the number and gave it to someone new. The man who answers, Brody, becomes a safe haven for Anna. Together they are able to talk through their individual griefs, coping with loss, and taking small steps to re-enter the world again.

This is a beautifully written story centered on loss and how other people expect you to cope with it. Anna, for instance, has her mother and friend encouraging her to try new things and possibly date, whereas her mother-in-law implies Anna is being disloyal when she finally starts to live again. Everyone handles grief differently and there is no perfect amount of time for how long it takes to cope; Fiona Lucas portrayed this extremely well.

While I wasn’t particularly looking for a sad read, this story enraptured me from the start. Despite the sensitive material, the book was pretty uplifting and inspiring. Brody and Anna found each other when they both desperately needed someone who truly understood what they were going for and were both able to help each other climb out of the holes they have been living in. Both of their stories will tug at your heart.

I do have to also add that this is a great one to check out on audio—the narration was so well-done and it really brought the story to life.

Please go buy this book when it’s out in the US on June 8th!!

TW: death of spouse, death of child, depression, panic attacks, agoraphobia, anxiety, grief

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!

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