The Last Post by Renee Carlino

Publication: Atria Books

Publication Date: 8/20/19

Disclaimer: I received a free advanced digital copy of this book from Atria Books in exchange for my honest opinion. This has no effect on my opinion, review, or rating.

GoodReads Synopsis: 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.

Opposites attract, right?

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.

Review: This is the second Renee Carlino book I read and it may be my last. I just can’t stand the characters she writes. I understand that they’re flawed or whatever, but it’s too much. Both of the main characters in this novel are so unbearable. There were so many times where I wanted to DNF’ed this book, but I kept trudging through in the hope it would get better and the fact that I was already so far in it, but no it does not. Layla knew what she was getting herself into when she met her husband, Cameron, so it was frustrating to listen to her whine how Cameron was such a risk taker that it took his life when she’s the complete opposite. As for Micah, I didn’t like him from the beginning as he came off as stalkerish and weird. Also towards the end of the book, most of it seemed so unbelievable and overly cliché. Personally, I’d recommend skipping this book unless you already like the author’s other books.

Rating: 1/5