One Last Gift: A Novel

One Last Gift: A Novel by Emily Stone

Title:  One Last Gift: A Novel

Author: Emily Stone
Publisher:  Dell
Genre:  General Fiction (Adult), Romance, Women's Fiction
Format:  Kindle
No. of Pages: 400
Date of US Publication: 11 October, 2022
My Rating:  4 Stars

My Thoughts 

I’ll be honest, when I first read the description for this, I wasn’t interested. But I kept thinking about it, and finally decided to read it and I’m glad I did. 

This was not an easy read, it was heartwarming after being heart-rending. I dabbed at a lot of tears with many a tissue during my reading; this one kind of put me through a bit of a wringer. I didn’t love everything about it (won’t go into because of spoilers, but ugh, one part really bothered me), but for the most part, the story, it’s a beautiful one and I read this straight through until I finished - you get invested in these characters and this story. 

Recommended. 

eARC kindly provided by Dell / Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley. Opinions shared are my own.

Description

When a young woman finds herself lost and at a crossroads, one last gift from her brother just might give her another chance at life and at love in this epic holiday romance from the author of Always, in December

“Heartbreaking, romantic and full of warmth . . . waterproof mascara recommended!”—Sarah Morgan, author of The Christmas Sisters

Sometimes the best gifts in life are the ones you don’t expect.

Cassie and Tom lost their parents at a young age and relied on each other—as well as a community of friends—to cope. They were especially close with Tom’s best friend, Sam, who always made sure that Tom and Cassie were surrounded with love. But, twenty years later, Cassie has lost Tom as well. And in a way, she’s also lost Sam; over the years they’d drifted apart, and now the man she always had a crush on is someone she doesn’t even recognize anymore.

She’s never felt more alone.

Then Cassie finds an envelope with her name on it, written in Tom’s terrible handwriting, and she knows immediately what it is. It’s the first clue in the Christmas scavenger hunt that Tom made for her every year; he’d promised her for months that this year’s would be the grandest one yet. At first, she’s too scared to open the envelope—what if she can’t figure out the clues without his help? Or what if she does figure them all out and her last connection to Tom is gone?

Tom’s present sets Cassie on a heart-wrenching and beautiful journey that will change her life—if she lets it. And as she travels from London to the Welsh mountains to the French countryside, she reconnects with old friends, rekindles a lost love, and, most important, rediscovers herself. But once she’s solved the final clue, will she be brave enough to accept the gift her brother has given her—and the love it’s led her to?