Release Day Blitz & Review….The Last Post by Renee Carlino

In this evocative and poignant novel from the USA TODAY bestselling author Renee Carlino 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 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.

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The Last Post is a story about grief and mourning the loss of a loved one and eventually finding yourself again. I know it is being marketed as a contemporary romance but the romance aspect is touched on very lightly and was definitely not a big thing, at least for me.

I was definitely confused as to what the author was trying to convey with this book. I had a really hard time seeing the romantic connection between Micha and Laya. They are both sort of just floating through life but very vulnerable in their emotions.

Laya is a grieving widow who’s lost sight of who she is and where to go in life. Micah has found himself stuck in his life and no longer finds the joy in his job or his personal life – he’s at a standstill.

While we see both Laya and Micah go through life and their trials and tribulations, something felt like it was missing. I did not see the connection with these two. I had a really hard time with particular scenes and some of the characters’ actions. A lot of it felt all one dimensional and thrown together as certain just happened without any reason behind them.

I felt that this book could have been so much more than it was. I did enjoy seeing how Laya was able to go through her grieving process and finally understand it all. However, it was when Micah entered her life and how things progressed, where I struggled with the purpose of his character and where the connection is. I didn’t understand his mishap as nothing truly happened, just that all of sudden he stopped caring about everything.

I will be honest and say Micah came across as more of a character that represents a person who comes into your life for a purpose at the particular moment, but isn’t meant to stay forever. I feel that Micah was Laya’s catalyst in moving on from her husband’s sudden death and helping her see that she’s still alive and has more to give in this life.

Then there was Micah’s twin sister, Melissa. She seemed to play a much bigger part than I anticipated and that was just weird for me. I am assuming the author was trying to portray the close bond that twins have but it missed the mark. There was too much of her personal drama added in that I felt came across as just filler and not truly a part of the story being told.

Overall, Renee’s writing is always strong and tells a good story. But I think this particular book missed the mark for me. It was just ok for me; a right down the middle read.

Renée Carlino is a screenwriter and bestselling author of contemporary women’s novels and new adult fiction. Her books have been featured in national publications, including USA TODAY, Huffington Post, Latina magazine, and Publisher’s Weekly. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons, and their sweet dog June. When she’s not at the beach with her boys or working on her next project, she likes to spend her time reading, going to concerts, and eating dark chocolate.

Learn more at www.reneecarlino.com

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