You know that this read will be a tear gone, but it’s so beautifully written and grabs your heart from the beginning. I read this whilst in hospital and several people asked if I was ok. To which I could only reply it’s the book!

Spencer is Anna’s one and only love of her life, after a trip to the shop he is killed in a car accident. Three years later Anna remains heart broken, desperate to hear his voice she dials his mobile number. But the phone is answered, by another male voice Brody...... what follows is heart warming

Grief is very difficult and Anna’s story is exceptionally written.

I enjoyed this story even though I knew it was going to be a weepy so I was prepared with tissues at hand. The Last Goodbye takes us on the journey of grief as Anna whose husband Spencer is the love of her life is killed in car accident as he pops to the shop. Feeling like her life is in limbo Anna decides one day almost three years later to telephone his mobile just to hear his voice but is shocked to hear a different male voice on the other end. It turns out to be Brody, who is another lost soul, who fully understands what Anna is going through. More phone calls continue between them and Brody provides a much needed and welcome listening ear.
I found Brody to be a rather complex character who after pushing everyone away becomes almost a recluse. I enjoyed discovering how their friendship blossomed and even though it is a sad read it is one that I found to be heart-warming.
My thanks to Net Galley for the ARC, these are my own thoughts on this story.

A wonderful but emotional read, certainly need your tissues for this one. A heart-breaking story for of hope. Grief is one of the most difficult this we all face in life and all our experiences of how we handle grief is different, A sensitive subject handled in an insightful way.

‘The Last Goodbye’ is the latest book by Fiona Lucas.

Anna’s world was shattered three years ago when her husband Spencer was killed in a tragic accident. Her friends and family think it’s time she moved on, but how can she when she’s lost her soulmate? On New Year’s Eve, Anna calls Spencer’s old phone just to hear his voicemail greeting. But to her surprise someone picks up. Brody answers and is the first person who truly understands what Anna is going through. As they begin to speak regularly, Anna finds herself opening up and slowly she discovers how to smile again, how to laugh, even how to hope. But Brody hasn’t been entirely honest with Anna. Will his secret threaten everything, just as it seems she might find the courage to love again?

‘The Last Goodbye’ is the first book that I’ve read by Fiona Lucas aka Fiona Harper and it most certainly will not be the last, a tender and emotional about love and grief this story makes for heart-breaking reading in parts.

Even though, it’s been almost 3 years since her husband and soulmate Spencer was killed when a drunk driver hit him, Anna is not able to move on. Still consumed by grief, she rebuffs offers of nights out with well-meaning friends, who all want to set her up with someone new. The last piece of contact that Anna has with Spencer is the voice mail on his answer machine until one day, it’s gone and replaced with the voice of Brody who’s been assigned the new number. Heartbroken that her connection with Spencer is gone, Anna finds so many similarities in Brody and begins a tender phone friendship with him, as he offers an anchor in her sea of grief.

This story is a beautifully written that I was immediately swept up in. Anna is a lovely character, kind with a sweet nature, she’s lost without Spencer by her side and as everyone moves on around her she finds it hard to let go. Likewise with Brody, he too is dealing with turmoil with no one to turn to but his dog called Lewis. Brody and Anna find a solace and companionship in each other and this makes for tender reading as they confide and progress forward in life. My heart truly went out to Anna at times in this book, as she was under pressure to move on but there’s no time limit with grief and everyone needs to progress at their own pace, which people should be respectful off.

The story travels at a lovely pace as Anna begins to confront her grief and tries to adapt to her new life as well as get to know Brody and their interactions are fun and heart-warming.

An original and heartfelt story that genuinely made for poignant reading, ‘The Last Goodbye’ is an emotional story about loss, hope and courage and is perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes and Cecelia Ahern.

You can buy ‘The Last Goodbye’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.

A great read, really heart-warming. The way the characters developed throughout the book was beautiful.
The story was so lovely and left me with a smile on my face. I highly recommend this book.

An absolutely gorgeous book!! I had high hopes for this ad I’ve seen so many amazing reviews and it did not disappoint!!! I can’t wait to read more from this author

Anna's husband died in a tragic accident three years ago but Anna is unable to move on. On New Years Eve, as the clock hits midnight, she calls his phone number just to hear his voice one more time on his voicemail. Instead, someone answers.

This is such a lovely heartfelt and well written book. I could really feel the anguish and grief Anna was going through. I'm sure I felt every emotion going whilst reading.

The character of Brody, the voice at the end of the phone, was someone I really enjoyed. I thought the anxiety, panic attacks and agoraphobia following a tragic accident in his past, were well represented.

The relationships Anna had with others in the book came across strongly too. The love for her best friend, the awkwardness with her in-laws, the strength from her family. All complex relationships which carried a realistic view.

This exploration of grief, slow burn romance, learning to heal and love again was wonderfully warming and an absolute joy to read. A beautiful story.

Awwww, where to start with this one. As the title would suggest The Last Goodbye is sad, poignant and heartfelt. It’s an emotive read that Fiona Lucas has beautifully written, I broke my heart and sobbed throughout great chunks of the book - which is a huge testament to the writing. I felt so engaged I could have been reading about a friend, not fictional characters in a novel.

The Last Goodbye centres around the fragility of the central character Anna as she navigates a different path to the one she had mapped out with husband Spencer, who was tragically killed in an accident three years previous.

Her grief and sense of loss was utterly palpable, as a reader I felt, not just for her, but for her friends and family; all of which were doing their best to give her a reason to cling on, encouraging her in different ways to take a hold of her life and start to live again, something Anna is totally opposed to - the guilt she feels for being alive when Spencer isn’t, is very real and moving.

The ripple effect of death travels wide, affecting not just Anna, her family and friends but also that of Spencer’s family and friends too. Anna and Spencer’s family regularly meet for Sunday lunch where the author serves up grief on a platter for all to see and some of it is not palatable, but again sadly so very true. Everyone is affected by grief differently and Anna’s struggles to have a voice and find a place in the family as a daughter-in-law without Spencer by her side are particularly sad chapters to read.

When Anna is feeling particularly low she calls Spencers phone to listen to his answerphone message, she just wants to hear his voice and pretend for that few seconds it’s all a dream, he’s not really dead. This is something that she needs to do but it makes her feel worse when he never picks up, he doesn’t answer until one day there is an answer. It was at this point I had a near heart attack, as did she! How could that be possible? All becomes apparent when she calls again, it isn’t Spencer at all - his number has been given to someone else, a man called Brody.

As the book progresses Anna finds herself calling Brody whenever she is low, she found pouring her grief to a faceless person easier than to those close to her. I loved how the author described these interactions, the distance and anonymity allowed Anna to verbalise her grief and gain impartial, non judgmental insight into how she could possibly move forward. I loved the friendship and connection that developed through these late night calls. Brody finding he needed them as much as Anna.

There isn’t a template for grief, there isn’t a time frame but there seems to be a process and Fiona Lucas walked us through it admirably, highlighting the different needs and emotions for all of the characters. I came to love Brody as much as Anna, and wanted to know his background too, as his story unfolded I cried buckets - how could he help Anna so much with what he was going through too. The Last Goodbye was sensitively written, I hung off every chapter, muttering, praying and or crying - this book really should have come with a large box of Kleenex! I was totally captivated, breathless and broken as I walked in the footsteps of Laura, Spencer and Brody. An outstanding read that will stay with me for a long time, a read I have already recommended to so many friends, thank you.

Loved this! So good, so exciting, so gripping and great story. Can't wait to read more by this author - absolutely brilliant.

"That's the funny thing about the future, isn't it? We have all these plans, some small, some grand, but things don't always work out the way we expect them to."

The Last Goodbye is a story about love, loss and letting go. A story about finding joy in life, finding your strength and learning to dream again. Beautiful, heartbreaking, hopeful and uplifting, it is a story that will make you thankful for those you love and treasure all you have.

The author addresses the many different facets of grief in this story and writes with an honesty and sensitivity that really makes you feel what the character does. She explores questions such as how do you start again, rebuild your life and your future without the person who was supposed to be there beside you? And how can you hope and dream again when your hopes and dreams were shattered in an instant? She also explores the idea that there is an acceptable time limit on grief and how you can’t move on until you are ready. And how moving on looks different for everyone.

An aspect of the book that particularly resonated with me was Lucas’ examination of anxiety, panic attacks and agoraphobia. Once again they are written with sensitivity and honesty and, as someone who has, and still does, experience these things, she has perfectly described how they make you feel. It was so vivid that I could almost feel my own heart racing alongside theirs.

I really liked Anna and Brody. They are great characters that I warmed to quickly. I was rooting for them and felt invested in their fate, both individually and as a couple. I liked their relationship, how they found solace in this stranger at the other end of the phone, how they inspired each other and helped each other find parts of themselves they thought were lost forever. Obviously I was desperate to know what the mysterious Brody’s secret was. I had some ideas but didn’t get it right and thought the author did a wonderful job of making him so enigmatic, slowly unveiling parts of him to Anna and the reader at the same time. It had me on tenterhooks and made it impossible to put the book down. I needed answers!

Tender, affecting, bittersweet and poignant, if you’re looking for a wonderful story that will give you all the feels, then this is the one for you.

A really lovely read .The main characters are really struggling with different kinds of grief but they begin to support each other by phone calls,and this leads to many challenges for them both ,A beautiful story full of love and friendships and most importantly healing.

One thing is for sure, I don’t think I was fully emotionally prepared for the commitment this book requires. It is so sad! You definitely need to have a strong constitution to read this story so consider this your advance warning.

There are some seriously heavy topics explored in this novel but I think the writer handles them expertly and sensitively. From the death of a loved one to a family tragedy and isolation, there is a lot of sadness running throughout the pages. I felt quite glum reading this story yet, simultaneously optimistic that Brody and Anna will find a comfortable resolution.

Reading this book felt like sharing the uncomfortable, claustrophobic journey that Anna and Brody are both on. The sadness emanates from the pages and I felt my heart break frequently with the loss that both characters present. However, why would I want to put myself through this? Simple. Step by step, it is clear that Anna and Brody are making small changes. I smiled when Anna smiled; I laughed with her and Gabi… all in all, I felt invested in the characters and their journey.

Lucas has created a narrative that leaves readers grateful for what they have. After a turbulent twelve months that the world has experienced, I think this puts quite a few things into context. The grief that Anna and Brody present is palpable, but so is the hope and kindness that they offer one another. Because, at the heart of it, it’s non-judgemental listening that helps both characters move forwards. They both need each other for that support and I think that Lucas demonstrates the importance of this unconditional aspect of their connection.

I really enjoyed reading this story because it felt so well written. It was incredibly sad and was certainly not fast-paced. Reminding me of a Jojo Moyes story, (not just because it is a heart-breaker) I was emotionally connected to the characters very early on and was keen to see how this slow drama would unfold. Consequently, don’t be put off by the emotions in this story – just approach it when your head is in the right place.

With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This poignant, brilliantly written book explores how Brody and Anna, two complex characters tentatively wade their way through their own personal griefs and then their lives become intertwined. A gorgeous, heart-rending read about loss, hope and life thereafter.

A bereaved young woman is the main focus of this insightful and sensitively written story. It shows that grief and finding the positivity to move on with your life is unique. Original plot twists and relatable characters make this an engaging story. The friendship that builds between the bereaved woman and the man who answers her husband's old phone is realistically paced. You believe in the characters and the many heartbreaking moments in this story resonate. Ultimately, its a story of loss, love and most of all, hope.

I received a copy of this book from HQ via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

A gentle, sensitively written story of loss and love, beautifully written. I must admit I struggled to get into the story, but after a couple of chapters, found it hard to put down, as wanted to se what happened next

This was absolutely beautiful. Full of love, loss, perceptions, mistakes, hindsight, forgiveness and moving on.
Anna really wears her heart on her sleeve and is very honest with herself. I warmed to her immediately and fell in love with her. A chance telephone call changes her path to help her move on and the steps taken to move on whilst still scared to do this. Grief is at the heart of this book and I felt her loss but not to the point that it made the story too upsetting or difficult. I felt i was more rooting for her future than anything else.
Beautifully written. A excellent mix of characters all dealing with grief or loss in very different ways.

It’s been almost three years since Anna’s husband Spencer died in a tragic accident and she’s still finding it difficult to come to terms with his death and move on with her life. After a particularly disastrous New Year’s Eve she dials Spencer’s old phone number just to hear his voicemail but to her surprise a man answers. Brody is the first person who understands exactly what Anna is going through, and as she begins to confide in him she learns how to start living her life again. But Brody hasn’t been honest with Anna, and his secret threatens to ruin their new-found friendship.

Written by award-winning author Fiona Lucas, The Last Goodbye is a moving story of love, loss and hope. Anyone who has ever lost someone close to them will know that grief is incredibly hard, at times all-consuming and feels as though it’s never-ending, and Fiona Lucas has done an incredible job of writing such a powerful story which sensitively deals with the topic of death. Her portrayal of a wife grieving the loss of her husband is incredibly realistic, and it’s also refreshing to read a story with such an accurate description of someone dealing with anxiety and panic attacks. The choice of a dual narrative works for the most part and is a clever concept in order to slowly reveal Brody’s own challenges.

Fiona Lucas has created well-rounded characters who the reader grows to care about, and even minor characters, such as Spencer’s family, are developed enough to be likeable. Through Lucas’s vivid descriptions, readers are able to gain an insight into the person Spencer was, and grieve with Anna as she comes to terms with her loss.

While the concept may sound a little unbelievable, in reality The Last Goodbye is in fact a convincing story, which is helped by the slower narrative. The action takes place over a number of months, and snippets of information about Brody’s own life are released over the course of many chapters. Grief takes time and so it feels right that Anna and Brody’s friendship doesn’t feel too rushed. As a result the reader ends up utterly invested in both Anna and Brody’s journeys on the path to recovery.

For some The Last Goodbye may not be an easy read, but it is certainly a compelling book which draws the reader in and leaves them guessing right up to the very last page. A beautiful and at times truly heartbreaking tale, The Last Goodbye is an uplifting and hopeful story that proves it is possible to find happiness even during the darkest of times.

Beautifully and very sensitively written. This novel explores loss, grieve, anxiety and friendships in a honest way. It is very poignant and heartbreaking which really made me understand Anna’s grieve.
I highly recommend.

A heartfelt emotive book about grieving widow Anna and a chance phone call that takes her on a journey. Beautifully written characters. Very sleepless in Seattle and cheesy but very sweet too.

I was gifted a copy of this book by Headline Books and Net Galley, in exchange for an honest review.

Sensitively written, this book explores loss, anxiety, family tensions and friendship in such a kind and honest way that you can’t help but be enchanted by it. The characters and their behaviour is honest and convincing, and the storyline - whilst rather predictable some in places - is one to lose yourself in. Mental health and anxiety are handled really well, and it feels true to the story and the characters that these themes should feature. There are many touching moments, both happy and sad, and by the end you do feel like you’ve been on a journey with Anna and Brody.

I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a gentle and moving story about how just one moment can change your life.