The Last Thing He Told Me- A Novel by Laura Dave
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Web ID: 1677840220 reviews
Great Page-turner
I enjoyed this quick reading page-turner with an original reveal that sets it apart from other mystery/thriller domestic dramas. When his boss is arrested, Hannah’s husband disappears, leaving her with his snarky teenage daughter Bailey. They discover that the man they loved and trusted had an assumed name and identity. Hannah takes Bailey on a road trip hoping to spark memories that will lead them to the truth. What they discover puts all their lives in danger. The development of the relationship between Hannah and Bailey is well done. Bailey learns to lower her guard and trust her unwanted step-mother, while Hannah endeavors to protect Bailey while allowing her personal choice. There is a good reason this book has won so much acclamation. It is entertaining and the characters likeable and real. I had read Laura Dave’s first two novels and was glad to finally read her latest best-seller, now an Apple TV series. I read the Reese’s Book Club paperback with a reader’s guide and discussion questions. Thanks to the publisher for a free book.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Tight Plot, Real Characters, Can't Put Down
I have to be honest -- this is not the sort of novel I would normally read. I definitely don't do book club reads. And yet... There was something about the synopsis that appealed to me. The story of a newlywed whose husband disappears, leaving her alone with his teenage daughter who can't stand her. And the last thing he tells her is in a note that reads just two words. "Protect her." Okay. I'm hooked. This isn't going to be your usual Book-club-story-with-a-message kind of artsy-fartsy story. And it wasn't. A thriller that captured my attention and kept me turning the pages until I'd finished. I was up until 2 AM reading because I could not put the book down. A tight plot that had twists and turns that takes you along for a ride. With just enough of the past creeping in to fill in the gaps. The characters are nuanced, layered. Emotionally invested in the story to be true to it. They are real with flaws and insecurities about whether they're doing the right thing or following the right path. They grieve the loss and learn to turn to each other, an evolving relationship between Hannah and her stepdaughter Bailey, as they make their way to the truth. And when it finally comes, a dance with the devil. What wasn't to love about that book? And a sequel coming in January, 2026. A must read, I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Gripping
So gripping and well-paced! While not really a thriller but more suspense/mystery, The Last Thing He Told Me held my attention for every minute. The ending brought me to tears in the best way.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Amazing
Amazing book I was in school trying to figure out what happened with Owen. The ending though, I feel like could be a bit controversial whether people like it or not, but I loved it.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Emotional tale
The Night We Lost Him was a moving story about two distant half siblings coming together to find out what happened to their father after the news of his death arrives. He has supposedly fell over a cliff at the house that he has owned for many many years. Sam approaches Nora in the only way he knows how. He employs her, but makes his fiancée meet and interact with her, until he arrives. After a few false starts, Nora finally agrees to meet and chat about what Sam needs to… their father’s death. It’s really really well written, the characters feel relatable and you can feel their raw grief. I shed tears reading this. It really got to me. Brilliant. Many thanks to Random House Uk, for the opportunity to read this arc copy via Netgalley. My opinion is my own. #Netgalley, #RandomHouseUk, #LauraDaveAuthor
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Frustrating in a good way
This book frustrated me but in a good way! It sucked me in instantly, and had me feeling like I could not put it down which is what I look for in a book. I found the story fresh and interesting and I loved the authors writing style.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Enjoyed the suspense and tension
I’ve been dying to read this book to see if it lived up to the hype, I read it in two days. Couldn’t stop trying to guess where the plot was going to end up. It’s got plenty of mystery, suspense and family drama. I was very impressed with Hannah, she made tough choices and decisions not everyone would agree with. She’s happily married to Owen with a teenage stepdaughter who resents her. When Owen disappears everything Hannah believes in is turned upside down. Her quest for answers takes her from CA to Texas. She has to decide if the FBI and the U.S. Marshal are looking out for her best interest or if they just want to use her to find Owen. Some of the scenes are over the top and some events were a bit too coincidental but it didn’t bother me. Overall I really enjoyed the suspense and characters and would read the next book. This would be a great book club read, I can think of numerous topics and questions for debate. There are many “What would you do?“ situations.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Broken People
“The Night We Lost Him” has been described by the Publisher as a combination of soulful suspense and evocative family drama. (True) It’s also labeled as a thriller-a riveting page turner-but that it is NOT. I expect a FAST pace when I see the word THRILLER, but the pace of this story is extremely SLOW. It is also depicted as an EPIC love story. (Hmmm) Hotel magnate Liam Noone was still friendly with his three ex-wives, and he was still an involved father with his three children-even though he kept his families carefully separated. But he loves them all-the BEST that he is able to. To his eldest child and only daughter, Nora, he was a father who loved her from afar – as he often spent his time at his cliffside cottage on the California coast-and she lived in Brooklyn with her mother. Windbreak was the home where Liam would go to spend time alone, or with the mysterious HER. It is also the place where he will end up falling to his death. The authorities rule the fall “accidental” but her half brother, Sam seems to believe otherwise. And, we as readers know he is correct because the PUSH is revealed in the PROLOGUE-but we don’t know WHO pushed him., Sam convinces Nora to fly to California with him in an attempt to learn the truth. When they finally find their first clue as to what may have REALLY happened the night they lost their father (not until the midway mark of the book!) they begin to uncover their father’s secret-which he had kept hidden for 51 years. It involves a woman named Cory. (not a spoiler-their chapters from the PAST start early in the narrative) I wish I could say that THEIR relationship made sense to me-but it did NOT. I also did NOT find it to be an EPIC love story-it didn’t move me EMOTIONALLY at all. I do enjoy Laura Dave’s character driven stories, and I will be watching for her next book. She writes complicated, broken people very, very well. But, THIS time the story fell flat for me.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com