An Amazon Charts and Washington Post bestseller.A novel of love, lies, and deceit from the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Everything series.Lifestyle journalist Ella Skye remembers every celebrity she interviewed, every politician she charmed between the sheets, and every socialite who eyed her with envy. The chance meeting with her husband, Damien; their rapid free fall into love; … husband, Damien; their rapid free fall into love; and their low-key, intimate wedding are all locked in her memory. But what she can’t remember is the tragic car accident that ripped her unborn child from her. Ella can’t even recall being pregnant.
Hoping to find the memories of a lost pregnancy that’s left her husband devastated and their home empty, Ella begins delving into her past when she’s assigned an exclusive story about Nathan Donovan, a retired celebrity adventurer who seems to know more about her than she does him. To unravel the mystery of her selective memory loss, Ella follows Nathan from the snowcapped Sierra Nevada to the frozen slopes of southeast Alaska. There she discovers the people she trusts most aren’t the only ones keeping secrets from her—she’s hiding them from herself. Ella quickly learns that some truths are best left forgotten.
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You guys… you NEED this book. LAST SUMMER is utterly captivating and impossible to put down, so strap yourself in for a ride. In addition to being a superb writer, Kerry Lonsdale has a talent for creating complex characters who wrestle with very real situations. This is her best yet, a sly suspense coupled with sizzling romance and unending twists. Lonsdale should be on every reader’s radar.
I was fortunate enough to read an early version of this manuscript. It is, without doubt, my favorite of Kerry’s books: a rip-roaring adrenaline rush from the first page to the last. You don’t know who to believe as the story unfolds with red herrings, hot sex, and whip-lash twists and turns which, although unexpected, make perfect sense. I have no doubt there will be comparisons to GONE GIRL, especially given the characters’ personalities, but the story is not quite what you think it it. I will add that Damien might be one of my favorite characters ever. So good!
Don’t start reading this wonderful new book by Kerry Lonsdale if you have things to do – like cooking a meal or going to sleep. I guarantee that you won’t be able to put it down until the end. It’s another page turner of a book that has twists and turns throughout that will keep you guessing until the end.
Ella, a magazine lifestyle journalist, wakes up in the hospital with her husband Damien at her side. She doesn’t remember the accident that brought her to the hospital and worse yet, doesn’t remember their unborn baby who died during the accident. Damien seems to be mad at her and Ella knows that he is hiding something when he won’t answer all of her questions. As she tries to remember the months that she’s forgotten, she goes through her computer files and tries to learn more about her past. When she gets a phone call from her editor to do a story on Nathan – a rugged survivalist, she learns that he is somehow tied to her memory loss and decides to do the story to see if he can help trigger her memories. I can’t say any more about the story because I don’t want to give away something crucial but what I can tell you is the last 20 pages are a huge surprise. Every time you think you have this story figured out, you find out a chapter later that you were totally wrong. And trust me – the book is full of red herrings that will keep you guessing.
This is a book that is going to keep you guessing from the first page to the last. Add it to your TBR list – trust me, this is going to be one of the most talked about books of the summer and you don’t want to miss it!
Thanks to the author for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars!
I received the ARC of this book and pre-purchased a copy. I have read all of Kerry Lonsdale’s books and I think she is a gifted, wonderful author. This book is another gem to add to her collection.
As I was reading the book, I thought I had the plot of the book figured out (turned out to be not true!). That was okay to me, since I usually am in this position to guess the outcome when I read the types of books that I do (Women’s Fiction, Romance). I was still completed interested in the book and it was definitely a page-turner. When I was not reading, this book was always on my mind. Now after finishing it, this book remains on my mind and I imagine it will be for a long time. I wrote a few notes to myself about half the way in the read to remind me of my feelings. It is odd to look back at them now, after completing the book, I was so wrong!
Ella Skye, a Senior Features Writer with Luxe Avenue magazine, is trying to replace her lost memories after being in a car accident resulting in the loss her unborn child and waking up in the hospital. The oddest thing is that the selective memory lost comes 5 days after the accident. She cannot remember anything about her pregnancy, and other things related to that time. Her journalist skills take over and this is a mystery that she needs to solve. Ella deduces that two people are the link to her memory loss, her husband, Damien and the person she interviewed last summer, Nathan Donovan. Unfortunately, Damien (the founder and CEO of a private global cybersecurity firm) will not be open and talk to her about the missing memories, is being distant, depressed and angry. Nathan is an outdoor adventurist and TV celebrity. He wants Ella to get to know him again, before telling her what happened between them.
The old saying that you do not know what goes on behind closed doors, kept running through my mind while reading the early part of this book. While on the surface, Ella and Damien seem to have a terrific marriage with no financial cares, take care of their bodies and are physically active, enjoy each other’s company, have a terrific sex life and both have professions they are driven to perform, it still seemed things between them were not so perfect. The fact that Damien was not very sympathetic to Ella after her car accident, death of their unborn child and her selective memory loss spoke so much to me about their relationship.
I do not want to say more about the plot; even what I wrote is too much. I think the book should be read because it is fantastic and not knowing too much about the plot is a good thing.
Kerry Lonsdale has created well-developed characters that are so complex. I thought I knew them and then as the book progressed, I find out I did not know them at all! The plot is excellent. I went through so many different emotions as the story unfolded. I was immersed from the start and was pulled deeper and deeper into story as I read. I was blown away by this book and I know I will be rereading it, which is something I rarely do.
Last Summer is a deliciously dark and twisty tale that leaves you wondering who you should root for until the very end.
I loved this book. Here is my endorsement: “Move over, Gone Girl, and make way for Last Summer, a taut, intricately plotted novel of secrets and lies, love and betrayal. I thought I knew where the story was going, but the final, shocking twist gave me a serious case of whiplash. Just wow.”
Intriguing
Bravo! What a story!
Last Summer by author Kerry Lonsdale grabbed me from the first and I could not stop reading until I had finished the whole book. I urge those who want to read this amazing psychological suspense to skip reading reviews which may hold hints or spoilers.
So, how will I write a review you may ask? Very carefully! You want the twists of the plot to shake you because it is very emotional. This book is about loving someone enough to put aside your own dreams for their comfort in life. It is also about an enormous miscommunication between Ella and Damien which sets up the couple for secrets and future heartaches.
Ella has been in an accident and wakes up in a hospital but does not remember certain parts of her life. Something has happened to her during her recovery time in the hospital which has robbed her memory of the most horrific event, an accident and the death of her unborn son. She can not feel guilt because she does not remember being pregnant or even wanting a baby. Ella discovers she and Damien loved and named the baby boy Simon. So, why does she not have any maternal memories of this baby? There is more than one answer, but you must discover how deeply the deceptions and manipulations by loved ones can make a huge difference in a persons life choices. As Ella recovers and starts a new feature project to interview a man of mystery, fragments of memories began to shatter her heart.
The ending left me breathless!
Publication Date July 9, 2019
Thank you Kerry for the awesome ARC of Last Summer and the opportunity to read and review!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book while waiting.
5* Intriguing Stars
I am a huge fan of Kerry Lonsdale’s writing and I was beyond excited to receive her latest novel, Last Summer.
This book did not disappoint. Once you start the story you will not want to put it down!
The story revolves around Ella Skye, who is a lifestyle journalist, and has recently lost her memory as well as her unborn child after being involved in a car accident. Ella is determined to regain her memory, as she has no recollection of being pregnant or being involved in the accident. Ella is frustrated that her beloved husband Damien is not being very cooperative with helping her and she is rather perplexed about this. Ella is then given a second opportunity to interview Nathan Donovan, who is a retired celebrity adventurer and she is hopeful that he may be able to piece back her memory from their previous interview where they spent 2 weeks together.
The story of Ella, Damien and Nathan is full of love, lies, deceit, and trust. It was well written and flowed easily with twists you did not see coming.
I highly recommend this fast paced domestic suspense read.
Many thanks to Kerry Lonsdale, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for my copy to read and review.
This was a fantastic read! The author pulled me in right away from the very first pages. Ella wakes up in the hospital after a horrible accident but has no memory of it. In fact, she has lost several months of memories. What follows is a roller coaster of a ride through Ella’s life as she tries to figure out why she has lost her memories, while also trying to rebuild her life. The characters are all very real and the writing is sharp. Just when I thought I had something figured out there was another twist. This was definitely a page-turner (I read it in two sittings, late into the night). And the ending? It made me want to start all over at the beginning. A definite 5-stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and the author for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This author writes books that you can’t put down once you start. The characters are so richly developed that you feel like you know them personally.
Wow! Just Wow! Loved this book! Didn’t want it to end! What a concept! Just think if you could selectively forget ugly memories or people that have hurt or betrayed you! My emotions were tossed back and forth by this delicious storyline! I stayed up WAY too late to finish it and can’t wait for the next book! The author’s descriptions of the characters and her way of writing kept me guessing until the very end! Twists and turns are what make a book a pleasure to read. I have read everything Kerry Lonsdale has written!
Wow; what a thrilling ride. I couldn’t stop reading and spent an afternoon and evening doing nothing else. You won’t be able to put this one down until so many pieces of the puzzle are answered. Great locations for scenery (took me back to my visit to the area many years ago). Such an exciting twist of a story and the ending…!!!! Perfect! Thanks to the author for the ARC. Kerry Lonsdale never disappoints!
LAST SUMMER by Kerry Lonsdale is fascinating and unpredictable to the very last page (no, I didn’t see that coming)!
Last Summer is a compelling and chilling suspense that kept me turning the pages until the very end. This was my first Kerry Lonsdale novel, but it definitely won’t be my last.
I spent an entire afternoon completely immersed in Kerry Lonsdale’s upcoming book, Last Summer. Ella is suffering from memory loss after a car accident. She can’t even remember being pregnant or losing the baby. As Ella and her husband, Damian, try to keep their marriage from imploding, devastating secrets are revealed. I’m hoping for a second book to continue this story!
The Last Summer is a fantastic book by Kerry Lonsdale. Ella is a lifestyle journalist for Luxe magazine who is married to Damien a CEO and founder of a cybersecurity firm. Ella wakes up in the hospital and cannot remember the last several months including the accident and loss of her unborn baby. Damien becomes moody and distant. Luxe Magazine asks Ella to interview Nathan, a retired celebrity adventurer. Ella learns that she interviewed Nathan before the accident and agrees to the interview in hopes of recovering some of her memory. The book has several twists and turns that I never saw coming. The ending was shocking and I wished the book didn’t end. The Last Summer has great characters. Make sure you have several hours free, as you will not want to put this book down. I highly recommend the last summer! Thank you to Kerry Lonsdale and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of The Last Summer and this is my honest review
Lies, deceit and love is swirling around in memories lost! How far would you go to lose memories or have control over the past events. This book is an excellent choice for book clubs that want go to tackle hard stuff and grow from reading! What if you could select what memories you can keep it loose!
Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “Last Summer” by @Kerry Lonsdale, Lake Union Publishing, July 2019
Kerry Lonsdale, “Last Summer” has written an intense, intriguing, and captivating novel. The Genres for this Novel are Fiction, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, and Romance. The timeline for this story is mostly in the present and goes back to the past when it pertains to the characters or events in the story. There are twists and turns, betrayals and lies. The author describes her characters as complex and complicated.
Is there anything at all in your life you would willingly forget if you could? Ella Skye is a journalist, who seems to have selective memory loss. Ella remembers her husband Damien, but she can’t remember significant and important things after her accident. Ella tries to solve this mystery by herself, and she has no idea what will change lives forever. I would recommend this page-turning novel for readers who enjoy a thought-provoking, and intense novel.
What a great book! I was hooked from the very beginning. Lonsdale really knows how to keep her audience enthralled. With just the right amount of mystery with a twist this is a book worth picking up.
I was provided an advanced copy of this book.