Review: The Last Post by Renee Carlino

THE LAST POST
Renée Carlino
Publication date: August 20, 2019
Series: No
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Format: eARC
Source: Atria and NetGalley



GOODREADS  *  AMAZON








S Y N O P S I S

“See you on the other side.”

Laya Marston’s husband, Cameron, a daredevil enthusiast, always said this before heading off on his next adventure. He was the complete opposite of her, ready and willing to dive off a cliff-face, or parachute across a canyon—and Laya loved him for it. But she was different: pragmatic, regimented, devoted to her career and to supporting Cameron from the sidelines of his death-defying feats.

But when Cameron dies suddenly and tragically, all the stages of grief go out the window. Laya becomes lost in denial, living in the delusion that Cameron will come back to her. She begins posting on his Facebook page, reminiscing about their life together, and imagining new adventures for the two of them.

Micah Evans, a young and handsome architect at Laya’s father’s firm, is also stuck––paralyzed by the banal details of his career, his friendships, and his love life. He doesn’t know what he’s looking for, only that there is someone out there who can bring energy and spirit to the humdrum of his life.

When Micah discovers Laya’s tragic and bizarre Facebook posts, he’s determined to show Laya her life is still worth living. Leaving her anonymous gifts and notes, trying to recreate the sense of adventure she once shared with her late husband, Micah finds a new passion watching Laya come out of the darkness. And Laya finds a new joy in the experiences Micah has created for her.

But for Laya, letting another man in still feels like a betrayal to her late husband. Even though Micah may be everything she could wish for, she wonders if she deserves to find happiness again.


M Y   T H O U G H T S

After a whirlwind first year of marriage, Laya is suddenly and tragically a widow. Retreating from work, family and friends, Laya is mired in grief and finds solace in leaving messages for Cameron, her deceased husband, on his phone and his Facebook page. Despite pleas from his family to stop the posts, which they consider hurtful, Laya can’t seem to stop.

Micah works for Laya’s father’s architectural firm and seems to be at a crossroads himself. He feels a disconnect with his friends and a sense of pointlessness to his work and his everyday life. When he meets Laya he’s immediately drawn to her. He knows she is a widow and, when he comes across her posts to her deceased husband, he feels compelled to somehow help her. Taking cues from her posts, he begins to slowly get to know Laya and a relationship (of sorts) forms.

I was excited to dive into The Last Post because I have loved several of Carlino’s books in the past. She has such a gift for emotional storytelling. Unfortunately, it was the emotion that was missing from this one for me. I didn’t feel a connection with either Laya or Micah, and at times I wasn’t even sure I felt a real connection between the two of them. In the beginning I wasn’t sure what to make of Micah or what his motivations were. It wasn’t clear to me whether he was altruistic or was trying to fulfill some need in himself.

Both Laya and Micah were living very small, insular lives – disconnected from the world and the people around them. I liked how together they both started to rejoin the world. Laya was finally able to start moving past her grief and Micah was coming out of… whatever it was he was going through. Honestly, I never did really understand what his issues were or what was troubling him. Laya struggled to come to terms with Cameron’s failings and recognize that neither he, nor their marriage, had been perfect. It was satisfying to see her come out of her shell and be willing to move forward.

While I didn’t feel emotionally invested in Laya and Micah’s story, and I missed that emotional punch that I’ve come to count on from Carlino, there’s no denying that she is a gifted storyteller. I love her writing style and I love her ability to tell a story about real people facing real challenges. Her stories always feel authentic and never gimmicky. If you enjoy stories that focus on overcoming loss, second chances and moving on, give The Last Post a chance.

3.5/5 STARS


Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. This does not impact my opinion of the book or the content of this review. I received no compensation and my review is voluntary.


22 comments

  1. Carlino's books are always hit or miss for me, unfortunately mostly miss. I don't know what it is, since the premise always sounds so good! Laya's journey sounds very interesting to me, though.

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    1. I did enjoy Laya's evolution as she moved on from grief to acceptance and finally being ready to move on. That part was done so well.

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  2. This is a new one to me and it sounds good. Layman's journey sounds like an emotional one.

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    1. I wish I had been more emotionally invested, but it was still a good story.

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  3. Sorry this one didn't work for you but I remember you mentioning you'd seen some bad reviews and were worried it wouldn't be a hit for you like Carlino's books usually are. I've not read a Renee Carlino book in a little while but I remember the emotion being the most important thing that kept you reading so sorry it was so absent here. It definitely would have meant I wouldn't enjoy it as much either.

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    1. Wow, good memory, Becky! :) You're right, I did see several advance reviews that had me a bit cautious. And I felt very similarly - good writing, good story, just a disconnect from the characters. It's like, sometimes she hits it out of the park with the emotional aspect and sometimes not so much.

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  4. I'm sorry this wasn't as great as you'd hoped! I've never read anything by this author, but it does sound a bit too deep for me. I hope your next read is 5 stars!

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    1. Thanks Tracy. Carlino has written some books that just knock me over with the emotion, but this one didn't quite do it.

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  5. I loved the sound of this from the blurb and from your description at the beginning of your review, so I'm sad to see that the emotions were missing from this. :( Feeling no connection to the characters and feeling like they themselves didn't connect is THE WORST. Hope your next read is/was better! :)

    Veronika @ Wordy and Whimsical

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    1. Thanks Veronika. I agree, feeling like you're in the midst of a good story but feeling no connection to the characters... boo hoo! Hopefully my current read will be a great big 5 star read! :)

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  6. My experiences with Carlino have all be really emotional, so I am shocked by this, but at least the story was still good. Sorry it wasn't great, though.

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    1. I know! Same for me (well, with one exception) but usually Carlino's story telling has me 100% in and almost always shedding some tears. I did enjoy this story but I just wasn't connecting to the characters.

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  7. I haven't tried one of Carlino's books yet even though I've heard good things about them. That's a bummer about not feeling more invested in the characters in this one. Glad you still enjoyed it overall though.

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    1. The first book I read by Carlino remains my favorite. Before We Were Strangers was amazing. This one just didn't have that emotional punch for me, but I still enjoyed it.

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  8. I had to skim because I didn't want to get spoiled. I'll be reading it soon. It sucks this wasn't better for you, but glad you still liked it :)

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    1. I hope this one is a big hit for you, Gen! I'll be excited to read your thoughts on it.

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  9. I haven't read this author before. I typically like books that deal with grief but only when I can really feel something along with the characters. I am sorry this one wasn't better for you.

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    1. I agree, Carole. It's hard to really be invested in a character's grieving when you don't feel that connection. It was still a good story, though.

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  10. This does sound like such a great premise. Sorry it didn't quite hit the emotional level you were hoping for, but happy to hear you enjoyed it overall. Wonderful review, Tanya! I'm actually quite curious. :)

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    1. Thanks Rachel! I would definitely still recommend this one. Just because I didn't connect with the characters doesn't mean someone else wouldn't. In fact, Jazmen over at This Girl Reads a Lot posted a good review and she was totally invested and felt the emotion.

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  11. I've enjoyed Carlino's books before, especially her Sweet Thing duology. It's hard when an emotional connection is missing from a story. I'm glad you were still able to enjoy the story, and hopefully her next book will pack that emotional punch. Wonderful Review Tanya :)

    Lindy@ A Bookish Escape

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    1. Thanks Lindy! I've read several by Carlino but haven't got to Sweet Thing yet. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed that one. I still need to read it and Nowhere But Here.

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