Wow!

Such a great read with an ending I never saw coming!

Kerry Lonsdale writes a story that keeps you turning pages and has you completely immersed. I was so addicted to these characters.

I do have to say, I hope there’s another book coming. I want more!!!

Clever. That is the word that comes to mind when thinking about this book. The plot, the twist, the characters, the motive, the idea, the ending - they are all very clever. I can’t imagine being in the positions that Ella found herself in throughout this book. How absolutely frustrating and scary! And how she managed to move on with each revelation and truth uncovered is amazing! I am a big believer in gut instinct and, boy, did Ella have some spot-on hunches! I really enjoyed reading “Last Summer”. It was easy to read and was a perfect blend of psychological drama and suspense. I am interested in reading other books by Kerry Lonsdale, this one was my first by her, and I’m hooked!

Ella wakes up in a hospital and she can't remember the past couple months. She decides to look more into her past and winds up with more unanswered questions. Will Ella ever get her memory back? Will she ever find out how she lost her memory?
Last Summer was a really good book. I look forward to read more from Kerry Lonsdale!

This is an entertaining book, but I had trouble suspending disbelief and relating to the characters. This stand-alone novel is about loss, grief, and lies within a marriage. Ella is dealing with memory loss after a car accident and cannot remember her pregnancy, which she lost. There are a few twists and turns that will make you question her ethics and morals and ending will leave you with unanswered questions.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy.

I finished this book and thought "Wow! What just happened?!" I thought the author did an amazing job writing all the twists and turns that are threaded throughout this book. I kept trying to figure out exactly what happened last summer that resulted in Ella forgetting key pieces of her life (how do you forget your entire pregnancy?!). Let's just say I was no where near close to what actually happened and that is one of the things I liked best about this book - it was unpredictable! Once I started I didn't want to put this book down because I had to know what happened.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing a copy for review.

I've been a fan of Kerry Lonsdale's books since I devoured the Everything We Keep, the first in the Everything series and every book she writes has the same effect on me, I can't stop reading them and end up loving every book! Last Summer is no exception, every free moment I had in the two days it took me to read this book, I kept picking it up and could not wait to see what would happen.

A few of the revelations that happened in the book, I had a feeling would happen, but Lonsdale has her great way of throwing the reader for curveballs all along the way with a few revelations I was not expecting at all! I feel like there is no one better at writing about memory loss than Lonsdale. Throughout the story, I felt for Ella and you are hoping that she gets the answers she needs as to the parts of her memory she cannot recall.

This book states that it it is a standalone, but I will gladly line up to read a sequel if there is one, because the ending makes you want to read so much more of Ella and Damien's story! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of a fantastic book!

When Ella Skye is involved in a road traffic accident she loses her pregnancy. When she wakes up in hospital and the sad news is broken to her, she feels chilled. She has no memory of conceiving a baby son, of her journey through pregnancy or the name they had lovingly chosen for their son. She had always wanted a family and reasoned that she would have been ecstatic, especially as her husband Damien had recently told her he did not want a family. Worse still she knew she could not grieve for their son because she could not accept the concept of grieving for someone she had no memory of. Damien is reluctant to talk about their situation despite Ella wanting to get everything clear in her mind. He was grieving the loss of his baby.
She could remember her early history; she could remember her chance meeting with Damien that quickly became a passionate love affair; she could remember their intimate, perfect, romantic wedding day and their last holiday together in the Maldives. She could remember her job as a lifestyle journalist; she could remember every celebrity story she had ever submitted to be published apart from the last one.
The doctors believe her short term memory will most likely return with rest but Ella herself feels totally adrift. Nothing feels the same any more. Their home feels empty; her husband seems remote; in fact he doesn’t seem like the man she knows she fell in love with. Desperate to recover her lost days she agrees to interview reclusive celebrity adventure seeker Nathan Donovan, hoping the familiarity of her work will take her out of herself and reveal the mystery of her selective memory loss. This is the story of Ella’s quest to regain her recent memories.
This is a stand-alone novel full of intrigue, subterfuge and the lessons you learn and then wish you didn’t know. It’s about love and loss, grief, fear, lies, and outright deceit. The writing is fluid and the settings are amazing, beautiful and made me wish I were within this story, drinking in the picturesque scenery and living the life of danger and dare. I didn’t particularly like the three main characters and I found the storyboard quite a puzzle. I enjoyed reading it on the whole but I thought the last couple of chapters were not needed and in fact diminished the final twist in the story.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Lake Union Publishing through my membership of NetGalley. Thank you for my copy sent in return for an honest and unbiased review. It’s a 3.5 review from me.

I could not put this down! I’m not huge into thrillers but Last summer was such a good book. It gave me the best kind of anxiety and kept me on my toes.

This is a great psychological thriller-low key but enough to give your shivers or pause for thought. It has a killer tie up and an ending that will make you catch your breath.

I've been a fan of Kerry Lonsdale's writing over the past few years. She never fails to amaze and surprise me. Last Summer is no exception!

Right from the start, Last Summer was a compelling story. I had a hard time putting it down. It kept me on my toes and I had no idea what would happen next. While I was able to guess one small piece of the puzzle, everything else was a complete surprise. As always, Kerry did a great job describing people and settings. I felt whisked away on some armchair adventures! I loved the dynamic between Ella and the three big supporting characters: Damian, Nathan, and Davie. The feelings and emotions were captured perfectly for each moment.

I wish there would be a sequel, but I heard it's a stand-alone. There's definitely so much more to work with! Don't make this the last read of your summer; put it on the top of your TBR as soon as it publishes.

Movie casting ideas:
Ella: Odette Annable
Damien: Jeremy Jordan
Nathan: Ryan Paevey
Davie: Sarah Roemer

Last Summer


An imaginative and intriguing psychological drama about lies, deceit and memory loss.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
Ella Skye is at the top of her game as a lifestyle journalist. Her assignments are the rich and famous, and she remembers every celebrity and politician she has interviewed. The chance meeting with Damien Russell, a wealthy entrepreneur; their love at first sight romance; and their low-key, intimate wedding are all locked in her memory. She can even remember Damien telling her he never wanted children. But what she can’t remember is the tragic car accident that landed her in the hospital and killed her unborn child. Ella can’t even recall being pregnant. And why would she even be pregnant if her husband didn’t want children?

Hoping to find her lost memories, Ella begins delving into her past trying to remember her pregnancy. The baby’s newly decorated room, and the maternity clothes mean nothing to her. At work, she’s assigned an exclusive story about Nathan Donovan, a celebrity adrenaline-junkie 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 Sierra Nevada mountains to the frozen slopes of southeast Alaska. She soon discovers the people she trusts the 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.

REVIEW
If you could make a bad memory disappear, would you? LAST SUMMER is an imaginative and intriguing story. It’s a psychological drama exploring the limits of lies, deceit and secrets in relationships. One page easily leads to another in this quick and engaging read.

LAST SUMMER is a beautiful blend of characters, setting and story. My favorite part was the cleverly plotted twists and turns. Kerry Lonsdale has plenty of tricks up her sleeve and you may pick up on a surprise or two. Her writing is first rate and Ella, Damien and Nathan‘s characters are delightfully well-drawn. Be sure to pack this gem on your summer beach trip!

Kerry Lonsdale writes emotionally charged domestic drama, family suspense, and women’s fiction. She is co-founder of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, an international organization that boasts over 1,000 writers, Kerry resides in Northern California with her husband, two children, two naughty kitties, and an aging Golden Retriever convinced she’s still a puppy.

Thanks to Netgalley, Kerry Lonsdale and Lake Union Publishing for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Lake Union Publishing
Published July 9, 2019
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

Ella Skye is a journalist who wakes up in a hospital with no recollection of her recent past, including the unborn baby she was carrying and lost during a tragic car accident. Resolved to understand the reasons behind her selective amnesia, Ella embarks on a journey through her past and events leading up to the fatal accident.

Last Summer is my first novel by Kerry Lonsdale, and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. I wasn't sure about it going in. I felt the premise of the book was a bit over the top, and honestly, I was getting tired of this book genre. Much to my surprise, this book turned out to be a great page-turner that I just couldn't put it down. I liked the characters, and I felt the dialogue was dynamic and well-paced. The plot was intriguing and full of twists and turns. I don't want to give too much away as this book has an ending you won't see coming.

I would like to thank Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of this book. A new stand along with all the twists, turns and a complicated love triangle. Ella wakes up in a hospital and she can't remember the past few months. She decides to revisit an old interview in the hopes it will trigger her memory but instead it just brings up more unanswered questions about what really happened that summer. Her journey to recover her memory will have you up all night turning the pages and you won't see this ending coming. I absolutely loved this book!

Last Summer by Kerry Lonsdale was one of the most exciting and surprising books I’ve read this year. The idea behind the plot was very original and the story-building was great throughout. I was perched on the edge of my chair up until the very last page. It focuses on Ella who has been in an accident and miscarried because of it. When she wakes up she can’t remember certain parts from what happened anymore and she sets out to find out the truth about what happened.

One of my favourite things about this novel were the characters. Somehow I had a hard time pinpointing their exact intentions and ideas, which was very interesting. Damien and Nathan annoyed me at first because they wouldn’t talk, but as the plot progressed it became clear why and I managed to understand it. Ella managed to get my sympathy from the beginning, until she cheated on Damien and blamed him. I truly disliked her at that point. This completely flipped again after the big final revelation. It’s exciting when you don’t know what people are like and you’re trying to figure it out.

I did have a few points of criticism. First of all, some of the text was missing in my version. Especially all electronic communication. This made some parts quite difficult to understand. Was that just my version or did other people experience the same problems?

Secondly, I think the book should have ended after Damien’s shocking revelation. It was so out of the blue and left me flabbergasted. I would have loved to have closed the book with that lingering feeling. However, there were two more chapters that diminished the ending in my opinion. The information given there was redundant and the book could do without.

All things considered, I enjoyed this book a lot. If you’re into unexpected twists and family drama, this is the perfect book for you. I gave it four stars.

This book was wild! I don't know what I can say that won't give away major plot points, but I am overthrown with emotions. I felt bad for Ella through the whole book and at the end- that was thrown out the window! I still loved this book though.... It was really, really good.

I received an Advance Reader Copy through NetGalley.

All I can say is wow! This story is a true rollercoaster with so many twists turns. I love how the writing keeps the reader in the dark just as much as the main character, Ella. I thought I had it figured out with careful reading, but I was shocked by the ending.

Coming off a wildly successful series, Kerry Lonsdale is back with her first stand-alone since the conclusion of the Everything series and she is back with a vengeance!

When Ella wakes up in the emergency room following a car accident and having suffered a miscarriage with absolutely no memories of ever being pregnant, she is desperate to piece together the gaps in her mind, but nothing is as it seems - not her marriage, her friendships and her career - including a piece on a famous outdoorsman she's been profiling. Strap yourself in for a fun (and sexy!) thrill ride as we go along with Ella as she tries to regain her memories and her sense of self!

Last Summer will have you gasping and wondering, what exactly happened last summer...and the answers may shock you. And just when you think you may have figured it out, be prepared for another shock. Last Summer is pure delightful summer fun and a wonderful thrill ride.

Thank you to Lake Union & Little Bird Publicity for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This book is just pure soap opera.

If you can embrace that? It's an enjoyable read. I struggled to suspend my disbelief throughout, and yet it didn't really matter that much. Much like watching shows full of as many tropes of this, you can still find something enjoyable while acknowledging how utterly ridiculous it is.

Did I guess pretty much every twist way, way in advance? Yes. (The final one? NO. That one caught me off guard). Did I make notes of the percentage of the way through the book I was and my prediction at the time because I was so certain at 30%, 50% and 70% of what was going to be revealed in the final few chapters? Yes. Did it matter? Undecided, but at worst - not much.

Did the final twist completely change the tone of the book? God, yes.

Review posted to Goodreads. Thank you to NetGalley and the published for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Explosive Until Almost Literally The Last Word. This is yet another tale where Kerry Lonsdale superbly plays with memory to tell a truly compelling story, using different memory issues than she did in her Everything series but writing at least as well as that excellent work. If this is your first Lonsdale book, it is a great introduction to her general style and her ability to craft and tell a story that will draw you in and have you literally not wanting to put the book down. Just about the only quibble that can be openly discussed without verging close to, if not directly into, spoiler territory is that the cover, while beautiful in its own right, doesn't seem to have anything to do with the story at all.

This is my first Kerry Lonsdale book, and it won't be my last. I have been trying to branch out of my romance corner. Don't let the title mislead you because Last Summer has quite a few twists and turns you DON'T see coming. And don't let this common theme fool you, because it can definitely stand on its own two feet, much like the characters.

The characters are both strong and vulnerable, so very real. No one is flawless, but what sets them apart is there fierceness for each other. The loyalty to protect the ones you love. This book is about the journey to find something hidden, and also about reflection and wanting to make something broken work again.

Some of my assumptions were correct but those twists I told you about. The story-line was unpredictable for me. I do recommend this book for anyone who loves a romantic suspense with a dash of thrills.

4 Twisty Stars

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the generously provided ARC.