What a great story of a charm bracelet that has a story to it. I really enjoyed this one!! I read/ listened to it and thought it was well done. However sometimes there was an echo but I think that might be more Netgalleys app and not this book. So glad I got a chance to listen to this.

The Last Charm was my most favourite book from last month. I was drawn into Leila's world from page one. When Leila loses her charm bracelet, she writes to tell the person who finds it the story behind it and why she needs it back. What follows is a story of love, loss and hope. It is her story all looped together onto her bracelet by charms and a reminder of everything she has been through.

 This book gave me all the feels and I'm thankful to @onemorechapter for hosting the #OMCReadalong for this book. I loved listening to the audio of this one - I really am an audiobook convert!!

Absolutely loved it!
Although I guessed where the story would end, the journey with Leila and Jake was beautiful.
To begin with I found Leila irritating and spoiled, I really just wanted to shake her as she couldn’t see what was right in front of her, in the form of Jake but as the story between them progresses it begins to make sense.
I rarely finish a book and think ‘I would love to see this adapted on screen’ But this book is one I would love to see.
This book will leave you smiling.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins audio uk for this arc in return for an honest review.

3.75 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter HC for the complimentary audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I'm honestly not sure where to start with this book. In the book Leila is writing to a person who has found her treasured charm bracelet. As part of the correspondence Leila explains the importance of each charm. In essence though the book is about two kids who meet as pre-teens and their on again, off again friendship as it develops over the years.

The book has what I have come to think of as a quintessential British romance feel. Very character driven, well written internal dialogue, slow burn, closed door and with a narrative that takes place over a long period of time.

In the end I did really end up enjoying the story but have to admit that at times the heroine drove me a little crazy.

So long story short, if you enjoy British romances, chances are you'll enjoy this book.

NARRATION: I thought the narrator did a solid job of narration. She has a pleasant voice that seemed well suited to the predominant character of the book. I listen to a lot of audiobooks and what I aim for in a narrator is someone who enhances the books qualities and doesn't distract from them. This narrator did exactly that.

This is Jake and Leila's love story, starting from when she is 11 years old and told through charms that are brought for Leila's charm bracelet that she receives on the day her mother walks out.

This book was everything I didn't know I needed in a book, it is simply charming. The characters were so real and raw that I fell completely under their spell within the first few chapters. I have to admit I wasn't Leila's biggest fan during the first half of the book, she was selfish, stubborn and ungrateful but even with that I was still thoroughly invested in her story, which just shows how great the writing is in this book! Jake on the other hand, I adored. He honestly might be my new go to book boyfriend, I loved everything about him and his story broke me.

I cried more at this book than I have in a long, long time, it was not just because the events touched me personally, it was how well they were written, each one tender and honest.

If you loved Somewhere Close to Happy by Lia Louis or Me Before You by Jojo Moyes I think you will love this one.

This is Jake and Leila's love story, starting from when she is 11 years old and told through charms that are brought for Leila's charm bracelet that she receives on the day her mother walks out.

This book was everything I didn't know I needed in a book, it is simply charming. The characters were so real and raw that I fell completely under their spell within the first few chapters. I have to admit I wasn't Leila's biggest fan during the first half of the book, she was selfish, stubborn and ungrateful but even with that I was still thoroughly invested in her story, which just shows how great the writing is in this book! Jake on the other hand, I adored. He honestly might be my new go to book boyfriend, I loved everything about him and his story broke me.

I cried more at this book than I have in a long, long time, it was not just because the events touched me personally, it was how well they were written, each one tender and honest.

If you loved Somewhere Close to Happy by Lia Louis or Me Before You by Jojo Moyes I think you will love this one.

The narration of this book was fantastic and I would definitely look for more audio books narrated by Sarah L

The last charm by Ella Allbright I absolutely loved this story it broke my heart in places and made me smile in others. It had an ending I did not predict and the whole story is breathtaking.

This story is a slow burn, to begin with, I wasn't sure it would hold my interest, It's a new adult romance, and that was many years ago for me. The characters are engaging, and they soon draw you into their world. You care what happens to them, and then you're hooked and have to keep listening.

From the beginning, you have a feeling that this story will break your heart, and it does. There's also laughter, love and so much growing up for Leila and Jake in this story. You want them to get the happy ending they deserve.

I enjoyed listening to this love story. The narrator is professional and brings the characters to life. You forget she's there and it's just you and the characters telling their story.

This is a beautiful story, believable, emotional and raw, something that leaves echoes in your mind.

I received a copy of this audiobook from Harper Collins Audio via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Beautiful and emotional. Tender and touching. Heartwarming and heart-wrenching. Ella Allbright’s enchanting storytelling hit me right in the feels. This is the story of Leila and Jake. The story spans 15 years and highlights the events that the charms on Leila‘s charm bracelet represent. A heart, a key, a dog, a car, a rainbow, a champagne bottle, A pencil, a book... The story is told linearly so we really get to watch Layla, Jack, and their friends and family laugh, cry, and live through the years. The story has such a raw and authentic quality and I was completely invested in the lives of these characters. Leila was a great character, but wow did that girl frustrate me. Jake I just loved him he really was an honourable man. All the secondary characters added so much heart and charm to the story. This book really took me by surprise, it exceeded my expectations and will stay with me for a long time. A stunning heartfelt story.

The audio was great I loved listening book while reading it. Narrator capture emotions perfectly. Here is my review for book-

The Last Charm was bittersweet women’s fiction that revolved around charm bracelet and Leila and Jack’s story behind each charm. It was about domestic abuse, abandonment issue, mental health, trust issue, relationships, family, hopes, fears, dreams, loss, grief, and forgiveness.

The Last Charm was written in first person narrative from Leila and Jack’s perspective, alternatively, spanning 15 years of Leila and Jack’s life and their story from 2001 to 2017. Writing was beautiful, descriptive, and emotive. Setting of Bournemouth was lovely and I loved the places characters visited.

Plot was interesting. It started with Leila writing an email to Caitlin who found her charm bracelet recounting the story behind each charm, her and Jack’s story to convince her the bracelet was hers, so she could finish the birthday treasure hunt Jack created, find the last charm and add it to bracelet. I was curious to find out what each charm were, how she received them and what was their story. The prologue and this email gave hint this was not happily ever after story and yet I wasn’t prepared for what was coming.

Characters were realistic and relatable. I loved Leila’s friends, grandfather, and dad. They were so supportive to Jack and understanding even with Leila’s tantrums and anger issues. Jack’s mom not as bad as I thought in the beginning. I don’t understand why she wouldn’t run away and let her husband bully and beat her for so many years but I was glad when escaped and learned to live her life. Leila’s mom was complicated. At first, I thought she was selfish because nothing can be reasonable enough to leave daughter without any explanation. Even when the reason was revealed I felt the way she abandoned Leila was wrong. She could send letter or anything explaining her condition but she didn’t which affected Leila in worst way.

Leila was nice person but she was so self-absorbed, wrapped in her own world, in her hurt and abandonment and trust issues. She raised the wall around her in fear people might leave her like her mother or she might be like her mother. I empathised with her. I could feel her pain of not knowing reason why her mother left her, couldn’t have closure or move on in life leaving the past behind and yet I didn’t like the way she behaved. It was wrong to hurt people just because she was hurting, taking her grandfather and dad’s love for granted, not appreciating Jake’s help, friendship and love, saying most hurtful things that one might not even say to enemy. What I didn’t like was she was like that in almost 70% of the book, whining, hurting, feeling guilty of hurting, saying sorry and then repeat the cycle. It took so long for her to understand other people’s feeling and perspective, appreciate what she had and not just focusing what she didn’t have. I bet if it wasn’t for Jack she might not have grown.

Jack was my favourite in this story. He was quirky, smart, wise, caring, protective, and empathetic. He was born with cleft palate and different coloured eyes. His dad was alcoholic and abusive. Life was hell for him until he met Leila when he moved in Leila’s neighbourhood. Her drawings gave him escape and he got attached to her grandfather who taught him many things specially to find opportunity, live life with courage, and doing something good in life. I loved how he helped and look after Leila and her family even when he was in navy and when he came back in breaks. I admired his patience. No matter how much Leila insulted him, said hurtful things, her never disliked or hated her. Even though he had feelings for her ever since he met her, he endured her disastrous relationships with other guys, motived her, believed in her, supported her passion for painting and yet never revealed his true feelings until she was ready and being careful not to tell the truth about all charms. I haven’t met any character or person who could be this patient. It was amazing to see his growth, feelings and relationships with all characters.

Romance was slow build and so complicated because of Leila’s confused feelings and her issues. I loved Leila and Jack’s friendship in that first week when they met. It was sad to see them drifting apart after that, their on and off friendship, and seeing Leila settling for jerks. It was in fact frustrating to see one sided love of Jack but once Leila realised her mistake and her feelings, it was lovely to see them together. Heartbreak, disagreements, problems between couple, support and motivation for each other made their relationship realistic. They were perfect for each other, making each other better person (mostly Jake making Leila better person).

There were many layers in book filled with wisdom about letting go of past, living with hopes and dreams, overcoming fears, taking risks, living in present, embracing one’s flaw and turning it into strength, understanding other people’s perspective, and grief.

Climax was heart breaking. I was expecting it, in fact was expecting a bit earlier but still it made me sad. Everything happened after that tragedy was depressing. Loved that last charm and Leila’s conversation with Caitlin. End was bittersweet and perfect.

Why 4 stars-

Because of Leila. Like I said I didn’t like the way she was behaving, being self-absorbed and taking it so long to accepting her feelings and to develop.

Overall, The Last Charm was heart-warming, magical, charming and bittersweet story of Jack and Leila. I highly recommend this to fans of fiction.

First off I want to start out this review by thanking Netgalley and One More Chapter a division of Harper Collins Publishing for an audiobook for an honest opinion of The Last Charm by Ella Allbright. I started this lovely story as a group read along.

In the beginning of the story you meet Leila and Jake as teenagers. Leila mother has just left her and her father without warning, and are forced to leave the home she grew up in, and Jake and his family move in. On that same day Leila receives a charm bracelet and on every major milestone she mysteriously a charm for her bracelet. On the day that Leila and her father move out she meets Jake. They spend the week and become friends.
This story sent me through a whirlwind of so many emotions! In the start I cried, sobbed, and cringed while reading about how Jake's father abused him and his mother, because he felt that Jake was worthless because he was born with a cleft pallet. As a result Jake was very self - conscious about his scar. On the other side there is Leila. She was sooooo angry and hurt by the abandonment of her mother (understandably so) BUT the way she would lash out at Jake in her moments ANGER by saying such hurtful things. It was definitely in those moments I wanted to shake Leila! Honestly, I found myself not liking Leila very much in the beginning. Jake, on the other hand I wanted to just hold and protect him, because he was just so sweet and understanding and always there for Leila no matter what.

This book is DEFINITELY a story of friendship, love, and the power forgiveness and ultimately HOPE! I
I would WHOLEHEARTEDLY recommend this book to anyone. I will be looking for more from Ella Allbright in the future.

***TRIGGER WARNINGS*** ABUSE and ABANDONMENT

What an absolutely heartbreaking and heartwarming story. This book immediately tugged on my heartstrings. Beware, you will need tissues for this. Fantastic work.

The narrator did a fantastic job bringing this book to life. So passionate.

**listened via audio**

This was a super sweet romance with a great premise. The use of the 'charms' was a great plot device. Very similar to PS I Love You by Celia Ahern, but still engaging and interesting despite the similarities.
I wasn't expecting the ending though!! (didn't see it going that way)

I really enjoyed the narrator. There wasn't a lot of different accents for characters (something I really like) but I still found the narrator easy to understand and interesting and engaging to listen to.

Overall it was a sweet book. It wasn't particularly original and did play along to the typical romance tropes and conventions. But it was cute and easy-listening.

The Last Charm Ella Allbright
I don't read contemporary women's fiction that often, but when I do I want it to be like this book!
Leila has lost her charm bracelet, and its very precious to her. A stranger has found it, and in order to get it back Leila is telling the story of each charm and why it is special to her.
I loved Leila, but probably loved her friend Jake even more.
This book is charming, a beautiful story of love, family and friends.
I alternated between audio and ebook for this one, and loved the narrator.

This was such a clever idea - each charm holding it’s own memories. As I have my own charm bracelet I could really relate to the stories being told.
Beautifully written, you just can’t help loving the main character.
The audio version was amazing - listening to a story like this really brought it to life.

This book will definitely stay with me for a long time. The narrator did such a fantastic job and I loved every minute of it. I knew after the first chapter that this book was going to be perfect. Beautifully written & full of wonderful characters..

" Have you ever loved someone so much, that every time you look at them a piece of your heart swells with joy simply because they're in the world?"

Heartfelt, moving, and surprising, The Last Charm is a charming will-they-won't-they story of love and friendship told through the eyes of its protagonists Leila and Jake.

The story slowly unfolds beginning with Leila's lost charm bracelet and then taking us right back to young Leila and Young Jake who are on the cusp of their teenage years when they first meet. Both are battling with their own demons but in each other find a focal point and sense of calm. Unbeknown to Leila, Jake spots something in her at first sight, and slowly, patiently works to win her affections.

What follows is a beautiful exploration of their relationship, their family, and their journey to find themselves, in order to get back to each other - all cemented into a series of secretly delivered charms. I particularly loved the use of imagery, Leila's expression of herself and feelings through her art, and the way the narrative dealt with some very complex and hard hitting themes.

This is no straightforward story and there are number of unexpected twists and turns. Will love win out? You'll have to read it to find out!

Thanks to the OneMoreChapter and NetGalley teams for the ARC audiobook.

I went into this audiobook blind, and like most of the best reads, I picked it for its cover and a quick glance at the blur to see if we would be a good fit.
The Last Charm by Ella Allbright is a story of first love, a slow burn over the years, of adolescent misconceptions and one family trying to hold it together as another fell apart.
The charms are a pointing reminder of the events in the main character, Leila's, life, made more so by the journey she and Jake take, both together and apart.
Sarah Lambie is the perfect narrator, her voice conveys the frustrated teenage monologues and the heart-breaking agony of life as equally as well as the love, and humour of the characters.
Listen to this book, with a warm drink, a bar of chocolate, and a box of tissues, you will need them. I won't say any more as I don't want to do you the disservice of spoiling anything about this book, sit back and enjoy it.

My thanks as always to Netgalley, the publisher #OneMoreChapter and the author Ella Allbright for allowing me to read and review #TheLastCharm

The book begins with Leila having lost her charm bracelet, she is emailing Caitlin who has found it. What follows is Leila's explanation of how she got each charm, so as to prove to Caitlin that she is the true owner of the bracelet.

We are then transported back to when Leila and Jake first met when they were children. Leila's Mum has left the family home and she and her Dad are moving out now. Jake and his parents are moving into the house, and this is how they meet.

Living just a few doors down is Leila's grandfather and when Jake's Dad proves not to be all he should be Jake finds a father figure in him and a friendship for years to come. It's through this connection he always knows what Leila is doing in her life over the years.

Jake has several meetings with Leila through the book and there is obviously a connection but nothing ever comes of it. It was through these meetings over the years and Leila's over the top dramatic and bitchy attitude to Jake that really wound me up. I felt she really didn't treat him very well. Each time it would seem that they were getting on and then boom, she couldn't deal with it. Leila does have some good points though, as an artist she often describes scenes in Windsor and Newton artist colours which I loved.

I listened to this on audio and at times it did feel like this "will they, won't they" would never end as each new charm was discussed and a story retold. The narrators voice was great and really added to the story. I know if I had been reading this my eye would have been jumping ahead, but on audio I had to wait and let it all unfold.

Then the book became unbelievably sad beyond belief and I found myself just saying no, no, no over and over it was so powerful.

Unfortunately, I cannot give a full review as the audiobook has stopped at 64%. The app will not let me progress past this point. It just freezes and closes.

Up until this point, I was really enjoying the book. It has its happy moments and its really sad moments. Its story of love and friendships.

I really liked the Narrator too. At first, I thought the pace was a little slow with the narration but I got into the rhythm quickly and it worked perfectly.

I hope the app can be fixed and I can finish the audio.