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ceena's review against another edition
4.0
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
As someone who has started a series only to realize it would never finish because the author died, this book struck a cord with me. Through in a childhood friend on the outs who is badgered into going on impromptu journeys to find out how the story ended and I knew I wanted to read this book.
The Last Word is a charming book with a sweet slow building romance. It's one I've been looking forward to getting to, but after my burn out of historical novels last year I was a bit apprehensive to start. This is a historical novel done right... for me. There are historically accurate events and people who are present. I always enjoy when there is a short author's note at the back going over some of the historical events and giving more solid dates.
Lucinda is a charming character who I immediately liked. I felt bad about her circumstances and was rooting for her to get all she wanted in life. I didn't like how in the first pages the characters were explaining the main character's personality to us, but as the book went on the dialogue and explanations were better. I love how smart she is and that David never questions how smart she is. As for David, there were times he might seem bland, but I appreciated his drive to do good work, be a gentleman, and how open he is towards Lucinda rising above what women could do at the time.
I will say their initial interactions in the book were a bit awkward for me since it seemed like they were both always smirking or trying to one up each other, but they were chuckle-worthy as well. Their relationship conflicts were not entirely internal either which was very nice. Most of the book is reading about their growing affections, so there is not any necessary drama.
I also want to mention that there are some prominent side characters. They might not have been as fleshed out as they could be, but I appreciated the conversations between Lucinda and Penelope that had nothing to do with men or crushes.
My biggest problems with the book were the switching the point of view without notice and the time and setting not always being clear. I think some of this might be the ARC issues though and formatting will put in clearer divides. Perhaps this would also help make it clearer when a significant amount of time has passed.
I recommend this one to those who like historical novels and may be looking for a cleaner or less intense romance.
As someone who has started a series only to realize it would never finish because the author died, this book struck a cord with me. Through in a childhood friend on the outs who is badgered into going on impromptu journeys to find out how the story ended and I knew I wanted to read this book.
The Last Word is a charming book with a sweet slow building romance. It's one I've been looking forward to getting to, but after my burn out of historical novels last year I was a bit apprehensive to start. This is a historical novel done right... for me. There are historically accurate events and people who are present. I always enjoy when there is a short author's note at the back going over some of the historical events and giving more solid dates.
Lucinda is a charming character who I immediately liked. I felt bad about her circumstances and was rooting for her to get all she wanted in life. I didn't like how in the first pages the characters were explaining the main character's personality to us, but as the book went on the dialogue and explanations were better. I love how smart she is and that David never questions how smart she is. As for David, there were times he might seem bland, but I appreciated his drive to do good work, be a gentleman, and how open he is towards Lucinda rising above what women could do at the time.
I will say their initial interactions in the book were a bit awkward for me since it seemed like they were both always smirking or trying to one up each other, but they were chuckle-worthy as well. Their relationship conflicts were not entirely internal either which was very nice. Most of the book is reading about their growing affections, so there is not any necessary drama.
I also want to mention that there are some prominent side characters. They might not have been as fleshed out as they could be, but I appreciated the conversations between Lucinda and Penelope that had nothing to do with men or crushes.
My biggest problems with the book were the switching the point of view without notice and the time and setting not always being clear. I think some of this might be the ARC issues though and formatting will put in clearer divides. Perhaps this would also help make it clearer when a significant amount of time has passed.
I recommend this one to those who like historical novels and may be looking for a cleaner or less intense romance.
laura_cs's review against another edition
5.0
I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
"It's not about the story. It's about unfinished business."
Fresh out of finishing school, Lucinda "Lucy" Leavitt quickly finds some unfinished business that she wants to seen taken care of.
Lucy has been following a serialized novel for years now, and it seems to be getting towards the all important climax. But then--to her horror--she learns that the author died without finishing the story. She recruits her childhood friend and her father's business partner, David Randall, into helping her track down the author's last known whereabouts. But, along the way, she and David find so much more.
As an English Major who spent a good portion of her degree on British literature classes, I loved the premise of the aspect of a serialized story, and the execution of this plot, with all of the small and subtle references to some of the greatest female authors of the Regency and Victorian eras that came with it. Lucy and David are both fantastic characters and one cannot help but fall in love with them as they fall in love with each other. This is a brilliant piece of storytelling, and I cannot wait to see what Ms. Hastings will write next.
"It's not about the story. It's about unfinished business."
Fresh out of finishing school, Lucinda "Lucy" Leavitt quickly finds some unfinished business that she wants to seen taken care of.
Lucy has been following a serialized novel for years now, and it seems to be getting towards the all important climax. But then--to her horror--she learns that the author died without finishing the story. She recruits her childhood friend and her father's business partner, David Randall, into helping her track down the author's last known whereabouts. But, along the way, she and David find so much more.
As an English Major who spent a good portion of her degree on British literature classes, I loved the premise of the aspect of a serialized story, and the execution of this plot, with all of the small and subtle references to some of the greatest female authors of the Regency and Victorian eras that came with it. Lucy and David are both fantastic characters and one cannot help but fall in love with them as they fall in love with each other. This is a brilliant piece of storytelling, and I cannot wait to see what Ms. Hastings will write next.
bookgirl4ever's review against another edition
4.0
Upon hearing that the mysterious author of her favorite serial has died, Lucinda is determined to tract down surviving friends and family so she can find out if the author revealed the romantic ending. Lucinda is hampered by her sex in a time when ladies did not work, own property, and attending finishing school to better their chances of finding a good husband. She finds her father's business partner has grown up just as she has, and he is willing, despite a falling out in their youth, to accompany her and her chaperone on her quest. It is obvious that the two will fall in love, and there is a lot of chemistry between the two. Lucinda is headstrong, very intelligent, and witty. Doesn't follow the typical YA tropes so this read was breath of fresh air.
High school+
High school+
100pagesaday's review against another edition
4.0
Lucinda Leavitt has just returned home from finishing school. Lucinda's mother died when she was young and Lucy has grown up at her father's countinghouse where she learned how to help with the books and complete sums quickly in her head. After finishing school, Lucy would like to have a job at the countinghouse, however, she is now expected to spend her days as a lady- working on stitching, attending parties and generally wasting the day away. One of Lucy's pleasures after finishing school is reading her favorite serialized novel, but the issue that the ending of the story should be in instead contains a note that the author has died and the story is left unfinished. With a renewed purpose in life, Lucy begins the hunt for deceased author B. Smith's final words of the story. Although, a proper lady cannot go about with her chaperone and a man to guide her, so she enlists her sleepy chaperone Mrs. Patton and childhood friend and father's business partner, David for the adventure. While tracking down B. Smith, Lucy proves to others and herself that she is much stronger than she believes.
The Last Word is a fun, young adult, Victorian romance with a strong female lead. Lucy is a magnetic personality from the start, wanting to defy all of the female norms for women in 1861. Her determination to use her intelligence to work, find the end of her story and be more than a lady who sits around until she finds a husband is immediately captivating. I absolutely loved the idea of the adventure to find the last words of B. Smith's story, I know that this would be something that bothered me as well. I was even more pleased to find out that B. Smith's story was based on the real unfinished work of Elizabeth Gaskell. Lucy's quest brought her on a journey through many Victorian-era homes and people of the time. David was a perfect travelling companion for Lucy and I enjoyed watching their friendship turn to romance through their many swoon-worthy moments together. David's respect for Lucy and his understanding of her intelligence and strength makes them a perfect pair. In addition, I enjoyed the historical aspects of the novel, the culmination of the story with the Tooley Street Fire and the impacts it had on the area as well as the introduction of Bloomers to society and the practice of wealthy American women marrying into English families for titles make an appearance as well. Overall, a charming Victorian romance with a fiercely determined heroine who will make her own last words.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review
The Last Word is a fun, young adult, Victorian romance with a strong female lead. Lucy is a magnetic personality from the start, wanting to defy all of the female norms for women in 1861. Her determination to use her intelligence to work, find the end of her story and be more than a lady who sits around until she finds a husband is immediately captivating. I absolutely loved the idea of the adventure to find the last words of B. Smith's story, I know that this would be something that bothered me as well. I was even more pleased to find out that B. Smith's story was based on the real unfinished work of Elizabeth Gaskell. Lucy's quest brought her on a journey through many Victorian-era homes and people of the time. David was a perfect travelling companion for Lucy and I enjoyed watching their friendship turn to romance through their many swoon-worthy moments together. David's respect for Lucy and his understanding of her intelligence and strength makes them a perfect pair. In addition, I enjoyed the historical aspects of the novel, the culmination of the story with the Tooley Street Fire and the impacts it had on the area as well as the introduction of Bloomers to society and the practice of wealthy American women marrying into English families for titles make an appearance as well. Overall, a charming Victorian romance with a fiercely determined heroine who will make her own last words.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review
lyndajdickson's review against another edition
3.0
Lucinda and David were childhood friends, but they had a falling out and haven’t seen each other for four years. Now, Lucinda asks for his help to discover the ending of her favorite serial romance after the author’s sudden passing. Under the not-so-watchful eye of Lucinda’s chaperone, they set out to discover the fate of the main character. Will Lucinda discover the end of Eurydice’s story? And what about her own story? Will Lucinda get her happily-ever-after? Is that even what she wants?
The story is told from the points-of-view of Lucinda and David, so we get to see things from both the female and male perspectives in a time when women were to be seen but not heard. Lucinda is a modern woman for her time, with a love of numbers, a desire to work for her father’s accounting firm, and a disdain for social conventions and marriage. This book has all the right ingredients: a strong and intelligent female lead, a handsome and supportive male lead, a story within a story, events taken from history, and the inclusion of women’s rights issues. Unfortunately, it fails in the execution. The main flaw is that the author tells us too much, rather than letting us see it for ourselves. In addition, while some real historical figures are mentioned, their inclusion feels forced, with the author unrealistically introducing them by their full names. Also, in the end, everything wraps up a bit too easily.
I received this book in return for an honest review.
Full blog post: https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-last-word-by-samantha-hastings.html
The story is told from the points-of-view of Lucinda and David, so we get to see things from both the female and male perspectives in a time when women were to be seen but not heard. Lucinda is a modern woman for her time, with a love of numbers, a desire to work for her father’s accounting firm, and a disdain for social conventions and marriage. This book has all the right ingredients: a strong and intelligent female lead, a handsome and supportive male lead, a story within a story, events taken from history, and the inclusion of women’s rights issues. Unfortunately, it fails in the execution. The main flaw is that the author tells us too much, rather than letting us see it for ourselves. In addition, while some real historical figures are mentioned, their inclusion feels forced, with the author unrealistically introducing them by their full names. Also, in the end, everything wraps up a bit too easily.
I received this book in return for an honest review.
Full blog post: https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-last-word-by-samantha-hastings.html
kiperoo's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely lovely historical. Strong-willed female protagonist (who is good at math, yay!) fighting the system in a realistic way, with plenty of adventure, friendship, family trials, and just the right amount of romance. Highly recommend!
leslie_books_and_socks_rock's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this Victorian historical from Hastings.
Lucinda finished attending finishing school and is ready to go back to real life - help her father with the ledgers from his countinghouse, read her favorite serial book (it comes chapter by chapter in a magazine) but she is denied both.
Lucinda finished attending finishing school and is ready to go back to real life - help her father with the ledgers from his countinghouse, read her favorite serial book (it comes chapter by chapter in a magazine) but she is denied both.
danyell919's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this read! It was such a delightful, clean romance with a great message about equality. It just warmed my heart!
jbrooxd's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. I don't generally read/like historical fiction, but this was a delight! I loved the characters and the premise was clever. The author's note was fascinating and included information about real serialized stories that were unfinished because of the deaths of their authors. Also included other historical facts included in the novel.
shelfawareness's review against another edition
4.0
RATING: 4/5 STARS
This book was a fun one! I enjoyed reading about Lucinda and David's adventures tracking down the mysterious author, Mrs. Smith. The banter between the two of them is sharp and entertaining. The strength of this novel is that it is so progressive about women's roles in society. Lucinda aims to be more than a trophy wife of a prominent man. She yearns to take a role in her father's business and prove herself worthy of the job. This is difficult in a time when ladies were made to stay out of business affairs and keep to domestic duties.
The historical context was admirably portrayed - I could tell that the author researched the time period well. I also enjoyed the references to various works of literature (by some of my favorite authors! Charlotte Brontë, Jane Austen, and Elizabeth Gaskell).
If you're looking for a diverting read from the Victorian Era, give this a try.
A sincere thanks to Swoon Reads for providing an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Social: @_shelf.awareness on Instagram
This book was a fun one! I enjoyed reading about Lucinda and David's adventures tracking down the mysterious author, Mrs. Smith. The banter between the two of them is sharp and entertaining. The strength of this novel is that it is so progressive about women's roles in society. Lucinda aims to be more than a trophy wife of a prominent man. She yearns to take a role in her father's business and prove herself worthy of the job. This is difficult in a time when ladies were made to stay out of business affairs and keep to domestic duties.
The historical context was admirably portrayed - I could tell that the author researched the time period well. I also enjoyed the references to various works of literature (by some of my favorite authors! Charlotte Brontë, Jane Austen, and Elizabeth Gaskell).
If you're looking for a diverting read from the Victorian Era, give this a try.
A sincere thanks to Swoon Reads for providing an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Social: @_shelf.awareness on Instagram