Reviews

The Last Lavender Sister by Melissa Brayden

lujein's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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? It's complicated

4.0

geobarros's review against another edition

challenging reflective fast-paced

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

3.75

evereadssapphic's review against another edition

4.0

This is my first book by this author, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The writing style and the beautiful small-town setting were great. Aster stood out to me as an intriguing person with a lively and positive perspective on life. Her passion for cooking was really beautiful. However, at times, she did come across as quite naive. On the other hand, my feelings towards Brynn were not as positive. While I empathized with her background, triggers, hurt, and fears, I found her treatment of Aster hard to like. Despite this, Brynn took responsibility for her actions without making excuses and looked really guilty for what she did, that improved her impression for me. However, the 2-year gap during which they were apart didn't sit well with me, it seemed really unnecessary. Despite that, the overall story was enjoyable, and it was a nice read.

dadd0reo's review against another edition

4.0

no voy a mentir, no quería que acabaran juntas pero bueno jdhdjd dios bendiga a aster lavender<3 mi chikita

pandon's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Very enjoyable read. Loved all the characters, loved the setting, even enjoyed the stubbornness of Aster, Brynn, Sage, and Tyler. There is angst, a bit of heartbreak and, of course a happy ever after. But the journey getting there could be considered (in a good way) torture.

station12reads's review

challenging emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

"The Last Lavender Sister" by Melissa Brayden captivated me with its heartfelt storytelling and endearing characters. MCs Aster and Brynn have this incredible slow-burn romance that unfolds throughout the book; so beautifully written, filled with both tender and heartbreaking moments and electric chemistry. I absolutely loved the character growth that occurs and how integral the timeline jumps were to that process.  

Having read "Marigold" first, I particularly enjoyed the character background & further development of the various members of the Lavender family. I'm not sure I would have given "Marigold" a chance, if I read this book first, because of how disconnected she & Violet felt from Aster for most of the book. However, I loved the sisters' Part Four connection & seeing Aster with Tyler & Sage throughout. 

"The Last Lavender Sister" is a must-read for fans of small town, age gap, slow-burn, sapphic romance. I found myself smiling, laughing, and even shedding some serious tears at times. This story is truly a remarkable read that deserves every bit of my five-star rating.

emmascc's review against another edition

2.0

This had a lot of potential and started really strong. Unfortunately it really fell apart in the middle section. I think the many time jumps detracted from the book. I felt like the side characters could have used more development as at times it seemed they only existed to further the plot or examine the relationship between the mcs. I loved Aster but some of the issues in the relationship in the latter part of the book felt a little forced and ridiculous.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

grace_astudentreading's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

This book can be alternately titled "five times Brynn and Aster messed it up and the one time they finally got it right." But despite what that might make you think, there is no miscommunication trope. Brynn and Aster communicate so well, especially Aster. I especially loved their letter writing. It was so wholesome and so them, doubly so when side by side with the way they would read together. Brynn and Aster are truly soulmates and their chemistry and compatibility is off the charts! Yet even with that so obvious from the first page, there is so much angst. Both characters had to grow and change before they could come together and have their happily ever after. I really enjoyed the character development for both Brynn and Aster, and the fairly long timeline of their relationship. I felt like I truly knew both of them deeply, from their passions to their insecurities and every bit of their hearts. I was rooting not only for them as a couple but for Brynn and Aster as individuals. I was also rooting for Sage and Tyler, who were the most adorable side couple and really emphasized the theme of soulmates and true love being messy but worth it. I would love for them to get their own book! Lastly, on top of everything Brynn and Aster, this book also had everything I loved from Marigold. There were amazing descriptions of food, especially donuts. There were adorable dogs. And there were the incredibly wholesome Lavender family. I loved getting to know Marilyn in this book, and her relationship with Aster was so important. Overall, I absolutely adored this book, the emotional rollercoaster that it was, and I highly recommend it. And I can't wait to read more from Melissa Brayden.

kburns2004's review against another edition

4.0

I love Melissa and all of her books, and this was no exception. The one thing I didn't enjoy was all the jumps ahead in time. But that's a me thing not a book thing.

lilcaracol17's review

3.0

I mean it got me out of a reading slump and I liked the chemistry between the two leads but objectively this was not very good.