In this evocative and poignant novel from the USA TODAY bestselling author of Blind Kiss and Wish You Were Here, a young widow in the midst of grieving her late husband through Facebook posts learns to heal and fall in love again. “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 … 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.
Written with Renée Carlino’s signature “tender and satisfying” (Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of Maybe in Another Life) prose, this warm and compassionate novel shows us how powerful the courage to love and live again truly is.
more
With her words Renee Carlino has the ability to literally rip your beating heart right out of your chest; and she does within pages of The Last Post.
Losing her husband–Cameron, tragically and all of a sudden hit Laya Marston hard. Now lost and stuck in the denial stage of the grieving process, Laya’s heart is broken. She copes by reliving past moments shared with Cameron and dreaming of their future.
In such a heartbreaking novel, Micah Evans was a breathe of fresh air, especially in those moments shared with his sister, Melissa. Because of them, this novel also held a lighthearted tone. But I couldn’t help but feel as if Micah’s character was a bit on the borderline stalker side, especially since the heroine was extremely vulnerable throughout the novel.
Though this novel was not as utterly gut-wrenching as one would expect, especially when considering what one would gather from the synopsis, Renee Carlino’s writing truly shined whenever she took the surface level of emotion and delved deeper. It stands that this novel is a novel fueled by tradegy and grief and was at times heavy on the heart.
3.5 STARS!
The Last Post by Renée Carlino is a story of overcoming tragedy and finding not only love, but oneself.
Laya is a newlywed and she witnesses the death of her husband, Cameron. After that tragic event, Laya falls into a black hole of despair and grief. She doesn’t know how to let him go.
Micah is an architect working for Laya’s father and when he first meets her he feels an instant connection towards her. Laya feels it too, but she ignores it and pays it no mind. Feeling lost and scared, her sadness won’t let her move on.
Micah was the opposite of any hero you’ll read. He’s not your typical alpha hero. He’s humble, keeps to himself, and the complete opposite of Cameron. The interactions between his twin sister, Melissa and himself will definitely have you giggling and added a light tone to an angst filled novel.
Though the moments where Micah answers Laya’s posts were a bit bizarre and we don’t really experience the impact of this couple’s love and their true connection til the end of the book, I was still able to take in the story’s beautiful message and see that Micah’s intentions were good.
“I got to have two great loves in my life. One was a little nuts, a little unpredictable, a spontaneous spirit too wild to restrain, and the other . . . a deep and introspective, thoughtful being with magnificent eyes who loved the stars and space right alongside me. I will always look back and think of Cameron as that rocket ship, shooting for the stars, and Micah . . . well . . . he’s like mission control, guiding me home. Both easy to love, both loved me . . . and I never had to choose.”
In all honesty, I’m so conflicted in my feelings towards this book right now that I don’t even want to give it a rating. The story was beautifully written, which speaks highly of Renée’s magnificent craft; however, it took me a while to feel any emotion towards the plot and its entirety. Though heartbreaking, I didn’t feel the full impact of emotion–my eyes weren’t watery and I didn’t sob into my pillow. The emotion felt wasn’t as intense as it was in me when I read and fell in love with Renée’s book, Wish You Were Here… But, I say jump into this book head first and experience it head on. Three. Two. One. See ya.
4.9 Stars
29 year old surgeon Laya has only been married to professional stunt-daredevil Cameron for a year, when he suddenly died doing a flying-stunt in France.
Now, almost a year later, Laya is back in New York to be near her dad .. but she’s not living. She’s just barely existing. She even stopped working as a doctor.
The only thing that seems to help her is writing little messages on Cameron’s Facebook page.
But her dad and Cameron’s family want her to stop. She can’t go on pretending that he’ll read those messages and come back…
Enter Micah. He’s also stuck in his life. He loves his job as an architect at Laya’s dad’s company. But he doesn’t love-love it anymore. He doesn’t love New York anymore. He hates the dating, one-night stand, clubbing life. He’s too old for that sh*t!
That’s when he sees Laya for the first time and he’s blown away by her beauty and her sadness.
He tries to get to know her, to help her. But can she love again?
Micah is not giving up easily! But is there really a chance???
What will happen with Laya & Micah?
Will there be a HEA?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT!
Well, that was a Renee Carlino book. And I started crying and feeling while reading the first pages. Well, to be honest, I kinda already cried reading the blurb!
Ugh, I hate it when people die in books. Ok, in real life too obviously. But in books – we don’t want people dying too!
At least we only got one chapter with Cameron – we couldn’t fall in mega love with him before he died.
And then there’s Micah. And he’s soo adorable. He’s not the perfect billionaire CEO we so often get these days. He’s a bit broken too. He’s in therapy for some things …
I just loved him!
And I loved Laya too.
They would be soo perfect for each other! But of course Laya’s husband just died. She can’t immediately fall in love with Micah. And lots of things happen before we can even think about that happy end!
I really adored this book. I cried a lot. But it was also so very adorable and sweet and New Yorkish and so full of love and family and hope.
Great book!
*3 Stars*
ARC kindly received in exchange for an honest review.
I’m not really sure what to say about this book. The writing style was fine, and the story did make me want to know what would happen, and so I did want to see it through to the end. BUT, it was weird. Just plain old weird.
I understand that Laya is grieving in her own way. Micah though, he was just an odd duck. It felt stalkerish to start with, even though he did realise that. But also, it just felt over the top. Like, there was nothing to base anything on between he and Laya and their weird friendship/relationship/whatever it was.
I just didn’t connect with these characters, so I didn’t feel too invested in either them. That said though, I was still determined to see what would happen, and if these characters would find themselves and their places in life.
3.5 stars
When I pick up a Renee Carlino book, I know that it’s going to be an emotional ride. One that will pull on my heartstrings and make me examine my own life and experiences. The Last Post was no different.
Laya’s journey after the sudden death of her husband was painful, poignant, and sometimes frustrating. There was a lot of hot and cold and erratic behavior, but I think it was the author’s way of showing how disjointed and broken Laya felt. People cope and handle grief in so many different ways. I’m hesitant to call this book a romance because even though there were romantic elements, I felt the story was more about healing, forgiveness, and self discovery. My favorite chapter in the book was actually one where Laya and her father speak about grief and loss. It was such a heartbreaking and uplifting chapter. One that gave me a different perspective and had me reframing my own experiences and feelings.
I liked both Laya and Micah, but I can’t say that I loved them. Micah was a creepy stalker and did some really questionable things in his attempts to get to know Laya. I just didn’t feel the spark and connection that they supposedly shared. They were both emotionally stunted and the back and forth dance between them with Laya pulling away and Micah coming on way too strong or constantly apologizing got old pretty quickly. Micah just felt too desperate for most of the book, taking any scrap Laya would grant him. The first part of the book was a bit confusing and slow for me, but the ending and epilogue were very sweet and tied the story together really well. Overall, The Last Post is a thoughtful read that will have you holding your loved ones next time a little longer and tighter.
*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*
A poignant story of grief and love. I wish there were more romances about grief. It’s such a misunderstood emotion, and for one we will all face at some point, it’s not always handled with care and empathy. THE LAST POST nails it. Renée Carlino’s Laya is grieving the unexpected loss of her husband, Cameron and the reader can feel her pain and fear. While Laya’s outlet (writing posts to her deceased husband on his Facebook page), may be seen as odd by some, I don’t think it’s fair to judge Laya. Grief manifests in many ways and until you have lost someone, please don’t judge. I recently experienced an unexpected loss & reading THE LAST POST felt like someone understood my heartbreak. All the unanswered questions, wondering if you had done something differently, would the outcome change? As for Micah, the male lead, I really liked him. (personal note: I have always LOVED that name & am writing a character with it, so every time I saw his name, I was swooning). Micah’s not an alpha male, and I adored that. He’s got a good heart and only wants the best for Laya, even if that means she’s not in his life, but I was hoping he’d get the girl in the end. A fantastic read.
This was a book about loss and renewal. Laya lost her husband, Cameron, in an accident, and she isolated herself. She needed time to mourn, even though Cameron’s family was upset with Laya for posting messages on Cameron’s Facebook page.I felt sorry for Laya, people mourn in different ways and I felt that they should have just left her alone.
Micah fell in love with Laya and he befriended her. He wanted her to feel for him, what he felt for her. After all that happened, between them, I’m glad that Micah left Laya to mourn. He gave her the time, she needed, to move on, with him.
4.5 Stars!
In full disclosure, I went into this book with lowered expectations based on the average rating this book had been receiving. As I was reading, I found myself trying to predict where the story was going, because there had to be a major jump-the-shark moment where this story derailed. I’m thrilled to report that it never happened. After some big smiles and a few tears, I ended up loving this story.
This is only the third book I’ve read by this author, but I enjoy this author’s writing style with a passion. Personally, I found the story highly compelling, heartbreaking, witty, and for the most part, realistic. Although told in dual POV, I found that Laya had a more developed characterization. It was largely her story of dealing with self-isolated grief and healing. I did love Micah, though, and his own steady transformation after meeting Laya. He also had a very fun relationship with his sister that stood out in moments of witty banter and sibling tenderness.
I think Carlino did a fantastic job with Laya’s character and her process through grief. Micah might not have been as developed as Laya’s character, but I understood his existential crisis explanations and his draw to her, as well as his use by the author to give Laya an even stronger reason to recover. Their slow-burn romance was pretty swoon-worthy, too.
In the end, I simply enjoy Carlino’s writing. I really believe she has a pulse on authentic emotions and behavior.
I have been reading Renee since the beginning. Each book has taken a different path.
This story starts with a tragedy, but the two main characters were each going through some difficulties in life. It’s a slow pace but I had to read to the very end because I had to know the ending.
What an amazing 5 star heartfelt story that had me reading for hours non stop.
Laya is going through the steps of grief. Being married just a short time and to loose the love of her life. Micah hasn’t found a purpose in life. Going day by day just existing. That is until he meets Laya.
This was an amazingly beautifully well written story about grief, love and finding a place in life. These 2 characters struggle apart but together they will heal each other. I loved Micah and Laya very much. Even Micah’s twin sister was quite a funny one. It was an highly addicting story with a storyline that flowed well. A solid original page turning experience.
Standalone told in a dual POV with an HEA. I strongly recommend this story.
I have read every book by Renee. For the most part, everyone of her books I have adored. There was one that was ok, nothing really wrong with it, but it didn’t wow me. I feel that this one will be in the latter category. I did finish this, I do not think it was bad, but I do feel it wasn’t for me. I need to connect with the characters more than I did in this book. I need to see and feel the spark between them to be able to root for them. I didn’t do any of that in this book. I love her and her writing, but this was just a miss for me.
3.5 Stars
The Last Post is the latest book from Renee Carlino, a story of a woman drowning in grief and the man who tries to put her back together.
Filled with the beautiful words I’ve come to expect from Carlino, the blurb drew me in and I have been looking forward to this book for months. Unfortunately, it fell a bit flat for me and wasn’t what I was expecting. While I couldn’t connect with the characters or the story, I couldn’t bring myself to put it down as the writing itself was great, and I kept hoping it would hook me.
Laya & Micah were just an odd pairing in my opinion, and while they kept insisting there was a “spark” between them, I didn’t feel there was a connection at all. Micah was more of a desperate stalker in my opinion, and while Laya kept finding herself drawn to him, I would have slapped a restraining order on him pretty quickly. Their storylines, separate & together, just seemed very wishy-washy, and unfortunately, I couldn’t really figure out how I was supposed to feel or where the storyline was going throughout the book.
And while I wasn’t a huge fan of the main characters, I adored Melissa and would love more about her. She definitely livened everything up and brought a much-needed dose of humor to an otherwise sad storyline.
This was an okay read. Laya suffered a horrible tragedy and it’s been hard for her to move on. When she comes to NY, she meets Micah who works for her dad. Micah finds a connection with Laya and wants to be involved. What comes next is a story filled with grief, sadness, but ultimately love and happiness. As a reader we feel Layla’s sadness and we go through the motion with her. Though sometimes it was just too much. I wanted more of the happiness to come out. And because of that it was hard for me to really get into the story. However there were parts that did keep me interested and I wanted to see how it would play out. Laya and Micah were ok characters. Overall this wasn’t a bad read, I just wanted a little more.
Laya loves her husband, Cameron, daredevil antics and all. She may not feel the same zest for adventure that he does, but she understands his need for it. And then he’s gone, dying tragically and she’s lost without him, stuck in denial with her new reality. In her mind and heart, Cameron isn’t gone forever, he’ll come back to her like he always does. Those who follow her on social media see proof of this, including tales of future ideas for escapades. Five years later, she’s frozen in time, unable to let go of her life with Cameron, unable to move forward without him.
Micah, an architect at Lay’s dad’s firm, is frozen as well, though in different ways. His is more that he feels stuck, willing but unable to do more. He wants to, yet doesn’t know how to get out of his rut. Until he discovers Laya’s posts and realizes they can help each other. Micah will help her recapture her spark, her will to live by the two of them finding new experiences together, and he’ll get out of the mire he’s found himself in.
As Laya begins to heal, so does her heart and room is opening within it to allow Micah in…but is she betraying her late husband’s memory? Will Micah help her see she deserves happiness, and Cameron would’ve wanted her to find it?
One-click now and follow along as two people forge a new path for themselves…together. I have to say I didn’t like the person Micah was, hard partying and “giving” of his free time, if you know what I mean, but appreciate that he did want to change it. As for Laya, while I’m a lot more lenient with heroines, there’s that part of you that wonders if Micah is simply a replacement for Cameron, one that doesn’t measure up at that.
By Elizabeth
The Last Post by Renée Carlino is a full length, romance novel and tells Laya and Micah’s heart wrenching and emotional story.
Laya Marston is a doctor and at age 29 already widowed. Her late husband was a adrenaline junkie, a stuntman and he died doing what he loved most. Laya was the devoted and supportive wife and now she’s lost without him.
And then there’s Micah Evans. He works at her father’s company, but the architect has his own baggage. He’s stuck too.
The Lost Post is a story about loss, a new life and new love, a fantastic read, excellent written and beautifully thought out and beautifully told. 4,5 stars.
How do you move on after your husband dies? Not only dies, but dies violently with you as a witness… Well, you fall apart and wallow in despair.
Laya is a bright and ambitious doctor. She has a plan, and it doesn’t include marriage to a daredevil. Cameron is charismatic, and his zest for life pulled this reader and Laya into his vortex. Unfortunately, he didn’t defy death on the stunt in the opening act of this book. Even more gruesome is the fact that Laya is there; she is a witness to her lovely husband’s horrifying, untimely death. I melted when Cameron and Laya said “three, two, one, see ya’ on the other side”. Such a cute little thing between a couple that turned into something dark.
Between losing her husband and witnessing his demise, her grief consumes Laya to the point of neurotic posts on her late husband’s Facebook page and to his cell phone.
Micah is an architect who works in Laya’s father’s firm. He’s in a funk. He is not being giving credit for his work, and he is frustrated to the point of giving up. He is in the middle of a personal and professional existential crisis. When he starts obsessing over Laya on social media, he gets out of his own head in order to try to get Laya out of hers.
Ms. Carlino is truly respectful of loss as she flays open Laya’s emotions. She also lays Micah open for perusal as he reinvents himself. I love that Micah’s family brings a much-needed lightness to a story that is essentially about loss, grief and moving on. While I didn’t fully embrace either main characters or their relationship, I did appreciate the life preserver they provided one another.
Heartfelt, emotional story of new beginnings!
This book was a unique and emotional story with some unique twists, that had me scratching my head as I was reading it.
He did that and she did what?
The blurb of this book pulled me in and overall I enjoyed this book. The writing was strong and compelling.
The story begins with a fairytale marriage that endures a tragic moment that changes the course of Laya’s life. As she struggles with her grief she does what many people do now a days…she turned to social media!
What develops as a result, had me creeped out, but I couldn’t not read to discover what happened next. Honestly, this is where a startling new development, made me not find the characters too believable or relatable.
However, I’m glad I kept reading because they redeemed themselves. I was drawn in by these characters and how their story evolved!
I couldn’t put this book down.
Micah has some struggles of his own and how they manifest themselves had me wanting to shut down all my social media accounts.(but I didn’t)
This book truly pulled at my emotions and made me think about what would I do point with a devastating loss.
This is a story of grief overcoming loss and new beginnings.
What happens?
What’s the end result?
Read it and find out!!
Renee Carlino’s vivid, descriptive prose never fails to draw me into her stories. Having read this book pretty quickly, unable to tear myself away from the tortured and tragic yet hopeful and full of love pages, I found myself enamored with the story telling chops of Carlino. Her style of writing just always manages to find some long buried emotion or reveals a new vulnerability in life. It’s a sort of magic ingredient that makes her stories so compelling and captivating.
While I didn’t connect wholly to these characters I understood them in a myriad of ways. Grappling with their grief and existential issues right along with them helped me to absorb and really feel the story that much more. There were certain actions that I struggled with because I didn’t understand it and some I thought I did understand but still didn’t agree with. But that’s okay for me and didn’t detract from the emotional depth of the story.
The Last Post was more than a romance to me. It was realistic piece of contemporary Women’s fiction with very complex, layered romance and interpersonal relationships. The romance of the story was juxtaposing the hope with the despair, the light with the dark. The story was as welcoming as it was standoffish making for a really intriguing reading experience. Taking this unique journey with these fascinatingly complex characters told with rich and brilliantly executed writing is definitely recommended by me.
Renee Carlino has been a go to author for me since her first book. She has a way telling a story and captivating you with her characters.
Layah is a widow after losing her husband. Cameron was a daredevil and she was the complete opposite. She has no family around to lean on while she’s grieving. Her mother died when she was a young girl and her dad lives on the other side of the Untied States. After hitting rock bottom is now living in the same town as her father and not doing much with her life.
Micah is an architect who works in the Layah’s father’s company. He is a player and does one-night stands. He is trying to change and after meeting Layah he wants to be there for her. He is trying to work his way into her life but she is reluctant because she is still trying to heal.
I enjoyed this book and way Renee Carlino tells the story.
The Last Post is Renee Carlino’s next standalone. I have read and loved a few of her books so I was excited about this book. She has a way with her words that are heartfelt. I don’t want to spoil anything so I will make this quick.
Laya was living the life. Living in San Francisco with her loving husband and completing her fellowship as a surgeon. She never thought she would be married until she met Cameron, a thrill-seeker and stuntman. She loved him and loved him hard. They traveled for his work and he loved every minute of it while she was on the sidelines supporting him and also scared at the same time. And, then it happened. She lost him to what he loved. A tragic accident. Now, she wasn’t sure how to live at all.
Micha was in a funk. He didn’t want to go clubbing and hooking up with randoms. He just wanted to work, sleep, and sit on his couch. Grow a beard. He didn’t like where his life was going. Then he met her. The boss’s daughter. Laya. He felt like he knew her from the very start. He liked her but he felt she was off somehow. Then he found out why. She lost her husband six months ago. And now she was in New York. Once he found out that she still posts on Facebook to Cam, it was a way he thought he could help her except it came out all wrong. Stalker much.
These two loss souls developed a complicated friendship of sorts. And more.
I thought the concept of the story was there but it fell flat. I didn’t feel the connection between Micha and Laya. I did however enjoy Micha and his twin sister, Melissa’ s banter. She is hilarious and snarky. I wish I loved this book but I didn’t. It was slow and too fast at the same time. You would have to read it to understand what I mean.
Overall…it was okay. The concept was good but I didn’t connect to the characters.
Quotes:
“Why do you want me here?”
“Because I need a distraction.”
“I feel like a placeholder or something,” I said in a low voice. I was half-kidding.
“Just stop talking. You’re not an object.”
“Hey, Micah, do you really like that girl?” I turned around, expecting Laya to be right there.
“Yeah, I do.”
“Good,” Mel said. “She’s awesome, by the way. Kind of out of your league, though, dickwad.”
I sighed. “Annnd you’re back.”
“Another risk taker.”
“I get a flu shot every year,” I said, smirking.