Reviews

The Last Word by Samantha Hastings

foreveryoungadult's review against another edition

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Graded By: Rosemary
Cover Story: Big Face
BFF Charm: Yay
Swoonworthy Scale: 5
Talky Talk: Dick and Jane
Bonus Factor: Girls Who Code Count
Bonus Factor: Feminism
Relationship Status: Leaving My Calling Card

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moonprismbooks's review against another edition

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4.0

I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh this was such a delight to read! I absolutely loved it! Lucinda and David are such wonderful main characters! It was quite a swoon read as well with those two! I love the concept of the story and setting! Everything fits so well together!

Lucinda is so independent and knows what she wants. I liked her character this was because she clearly would’ve been considered a rebel back in that time period. She never gave up on finding the ending to her favorite story. She would get a lead and immediately want to chase it to where it leads. I really enjoyed her personality.

David is so lovely! I liked that he saw Lucinda as his equal. He always was by her side encouraging her to pursue what she wanted. He knew she was amazing with numbers and always let her know that. He followed her on her journey for the truth and stood by her side all the way. He is quite the gentleman for sure!

The love between Lucinda and David is so cute. I liked that it slowly was building through the entire novel. It was there as an underlining plot that did come out occasionally. When it came out we got some hilarious lines and funny flirty banter.

The Last Word is a cute fun and quick read. It follows the story of finding out the truth, but also discovering who you want to be and what in society. Breaking the norms and boundaries of the time period and never apologizing for doing it.

cathy_acasefullofbooks's review against another edition

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4.0

Lucinda Leavitt, recently returned home from finishing school, is devasted to find that the author of the serial she's been following has died before finishing the story.

Well that just won't do. In between helping her father's business out (without him knowing, of course, because how UNLADYLIKE), she attempts to track down this author and find out where her belongings (and maybe the end of the story?) have ended up.

This was a really fun read. I loved how strong and independent Lucinda was. I loved the friendship she found with Persephone - and honestly, I wish we'd gotten a bit more of it.

I read this lightning fast. I'm glad I picked it up!

nataliesboooks's review against another edition

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4.0

3.5 stars, rounded up. It was cute.

cozykrysti's review against another edition

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5.0

THE LAST WORD is lovely, fun, and absolutely swoon-worthy! What a phenomenal debut by Samantha Hastings!

Main character Lucinda is a heroine that will have readers applauding the whole way through the book. I adored her spirit, her sass, and her heart.

I was blown away by the wonderful feminist themes throughout this book, and Hastings delivered them with such a witty punch. Lucinda is the type of heroine girls need to read about!

The romance is absolutely swoon-worthy! For a clean, historical novel, it really gets the blood pumping! And oh the banter between the two main characters! It is witty repartee at its finest, and I absolutely adored it. Lucinda and David are one literary couple that readers are sure to ship!

I fell in love with the premise for this book the second I read about it, and learning about its inspiration in the author’s note made me appreciate it even more!

The authors writing style is charming. Her voice is clear and full of personality, and it made for such a fun read.

This book was everything I’d hoped it would be and then some. Even if you aren’t usually a reader of historical fiction, you will enjoy this book. It’s an absolute delight!

ink__and__page's review against another edition

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4.0

3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4 for this nice debut novel by a new to me author. I love regency romance this book had a nice combination of romance, exploration and self discovery in a time period that does not have room for intelligent, independent minded women. A fast and enjoyable read!

roguewonder's review against another edition

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3.0

3.25/5
- I was a little confused at first because I checked this out from my library’s ya section but the characters, from their histories, sounded older, in their late teens? Unconfirmed ages
- This is like 90% romance, 10% snooping for the book ending
- Overall, a historical romance written like ya which makes for a quick, dreamy summer read

always_reading_a_novel's review against another edition

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5.0

I really enjoyed it!

This book was really good! The characters were well-written, and the plot was interesting! I appreciated that the book was clean and the romance was sweet. I look forward to reading the author’s next book!

jessmcall's review against another edition

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3.0

I really enjoyed Lucinda as out main character and her relationship dynamic with David. Overall, this was a cute, fun historical YA romance.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

hollymbryan's review against another edition

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4.0

The Last Word is a delightful debut from Samantha Hastings! This historical fiction has sweet romance and a book-lover’s mystery at its heart. I absolutely adore historical fiction, in both senses of the word: fiction written today about historical subjects, and fiction written in historical times. The Bronte sisters are my all-time favorite, and I also have a soft spot for Jane Austen. I would compare The Last Word to Jane Austen’s novels, as it has decidedly less gothic feel than the Bronte sisters’ works and focuses on the conventions of society and how so many women chafed at the strictures placed on them.

Lucinda is an absolutely delightful heroine, smart as a whip and seriously unfulfilled in the life she is expected to lead as a proper young lady. Reading about her aptitude for math reminded me of Ada Lovelace, who also chafed at the role she was forced into by society (though Ada’s mother supported her study of math) and would often discuss complex mathematical topics at society parties. Lucinda, who could balance accounting books faster than any clerk in her father’s accounting business, wanted so badly to be part of that world, but her father forbade it. When Lucinda turns to her father’s partner, her old childhood friend David Randall, to help track down her favorite author, she may have also found a way to take part in the work she loves and is so good at. David is definitely a swoon-worthy hero, like Mr. Darcy but way less...well, rude! Watching David and Lucinda get reacquainted was so much fun, I felt like I was falling in love right along with them.

I highly recommend this sweet historical romance to anyone who loves the works of Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer, or contemporary writers of historical romance. I promise that you will root for Lucinda and David to find the author Mrs. Smith, to figure out a way for Lucinda to fulfill her potential, and to fall in love! Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours, Swoon Reads, and Samantha Hastings for allowing me to be part of this tour and to share my love of The Last Word with you.

Rating: 4 stars!

**Disclosure: I received an early e-copy from the publisher for purposes of this blog tour. This review is voluntary on my part and reflects my honest rating and review of the book.