I love Barbara O'Neal's books and this one is no exception. Barbara O’Neal has once again delivered a beautifully written novel that captivates and is filled with so many emotions that I truly recommend.

Thank you lake union and netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and isn't influenced by anyone else

This is my third book by this author. Barbara O'Neal doesn't get enough credit for how beautiful her writing is, imo. This was such an emotional read but then Barbara manages to find a way to mend the heart she just trampled with her poetic words.

Mariah and Veronica come together
to trace Mariah's mother's life journey to try and find some answers to these mysteries surrounding her mother.
You Will feel like you knew these characters and went on this journey with them. The setting is written so beautifully with the scenery.

I loved this book but was left with a couple minor questions so that's why it didn't get a 5 star but it was fantastic, nonetheless. Highly recommend!!


I have a feeling this one will be so good. I loved When We Were Mermaids. Barbara O'Neal had a way with words.

Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
Expected publication: July 29,2025

The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth by Barbara O’Neal is a wonderful book about healing,loss and different kinds of trauma. I could not wait to see what was the mystery the main characters were searching for
There are three main characters: Mariah ,Rachel’s daughter who lost her mother and her career as a snowboarder, Veronica, a recently divorced woman who has problems with her exhusband and her children, and Henry a photographer and Rachel’s ex lover and friend and father figure to Mariah.
They embark on a journey looking for the Parsi cafes that Rachel wanted to write about. It takes them to Paris, Marrakech, and India. The author is so descriptive she brings the cities and food to life. I cannot recommend the book enough

I really wanted to like this, but it fell a little flat for me. I liked the concept, but it wasn't executed as well as I feel it could have been. Over halfway through I started losing interest as Veronica's problems started catching up with her and it started to pull me out of the story. Overall, great concept, but not the book for me.

Remarkable story of overcoming trauma and finding friends who become family. Mariah, coping with the recent violent loss of her famous author mom and devastating trauma of her own, hires Veronica to be her travel companion on a trip to complete her mother’s last book. Veronica has her own problems with a recent divorce leaving her financially unsteady and strained relationships with her 3 kids. Veronica and Mariah set off across the world with Henry, a father figure to Mariah and famous photographer, to delve into the world of Parsi cafes and solve the mystery Mariah’s mom left them via letters and addresses. Along the way Veronica, Henry and Mariah each reveal their own traumas and help each other as only a family can. I might have loved a deeper dive into the mystery of Rachel but the story of Mariah, Veronica and Henry kept me turning the pages for sure.

I just finished The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth by Barbara O’Neal, and I’m still thinking about it. It’s such a beautiful story about two women—Veronica, newly divorced and feeling a bit lost, and Mariah, a former athlete recovering from a life-changing injury. They team up for a journey inspired by Mariah’s late mother Rachel’s unfinished travel project, guided by her heartfelt letters.

Their adventure takes them through London, Paris, Morocco, and India, exploring Parsi cafés and uncovering pieces of Rachel’s past. The descriptions of the places and food are so vivid—I felt like I was right there with them. It’s a story about healing, friendship, and finding light after loss.

If you love emotional stories with strong female characters, a touch of mystery, and a dash of romance, this one’s for you. It’s the kind of book that stays with you long after you turn the last page.

I am a sucker for stories about people of different ages coming together, bonding and helping each other through life. They are my favorite kinds of stories to read! This story was just what I needed.

I have read all of Barbara O'Neal's books. I love them all, but this is one of my favorites. The story is very fast pace, and the characters in the book are very interesting.
Great love story is also in the book along with traveling .If you haven't read anything by this author I highly recommend.

thanks for the opportunity to read in advance.

O’Neal has a way of crafting a story that explores the complexities of relationships and their beauty while always celebrating life’s ordinary beauty . Another winner
Thanks to Netgalley and
The publisher for letting me review the book to Netgalley and the publisher

Thank you #NetGalley for the eARC of #TheLastLetterofRachelEllsworth!

Barbara O’Neal has once again delivered a beautifully written novel that wraps you in emotion and vivid detail. The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth is a heartwarming and at times bittersweet story of two women—Veronica, newly divorced and searching for purpose, and Mariah, a former Olympian grieving the loss of her mother and her identity—who find themselves on a journey neither of them expected.

Through the lens of food, travel, and letters left behind by Mariah’s mother, the novel takes readers across London, Paris, Morocco, and India in a vibrant experience. O’Neal’s descriptions are rich, and you can practically smell the spices and hear the hum of the cities. The emotional stakes are just as powerful—grief, PTSD, family tension, and rediscovery are all explored with tenderness and nuance.

Barbara O'Neal's The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth is a poignant tale of healing, self-discovery, and connection. The story follows Veronica Barrington, recently divorced and seeking a fresh start, as she becomes a travel companion to Mariah Ellsworth, a young woman grieving her mother, Rachel—a celebrated food writer. Together, they embark on a journey across continents, retracing Rachel's unfinished project through Parsi cafés in London, Paris, Morocco, and India. Guided by Rachel's letters, the duo uncovers secrets, faces their pasts, and finds light in unexpected places. O'Neal's evocative prose and rich character development make this a deeply moving read, perfect for fans of stories about friendship, family, and rediscovery.

This is my second book by Barbara O'Neal and I throughly enjoyed it.
Veronica is getting divorced and struggling to find herself in her new life, she applies for a job with Mariah and meets Henry along the way.
A lovely story about people coming to terms with loss and new identity from that loss.
Thank you Netgallery for the advance copy

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/221795630

This is the second book by this author that I've read and it was another enjoyable read. I liked how the story really brought the main characters together throughout their journey through the various countries doing research for the book to give closure to Mariah. I thought Veronica did well to carry on living her life far away from her children, especially at Christmas time. I liked how Henry came through when he needed to for both Mariah and Veronica. I thought the 3 main characters were all likeable and I enjoyed how the story ended. Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Barbara O'Neal for the ARC of this book.

Barbara O’Neal has written a book that will give your senses a workout. The travel that the characters experience is filled with aroma, pinpoint details of India, Paris and other places they travel. The connection that builds between Mariah, Veronica and Henry details how a family begins. A wonderful book that you won’t want it end. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. It’s a great one!

Thank you net gallery for this arc!

This book follows two woman in very different parts of their lives. They meet during difficult times for both of them and aren’t what either expected the other to be like. Veronica is hired by Mariah to help finish a book her mother had been working on. Through her travels, Jill sends her the letters that Mariah’s mother had written from her travels to help put the pieces together of how the ideas for the book came to be an idea along with bit of a mystery that unravels throughout the book about her mother.

The author did a great job of making you feel like you were with them during all their travels. It was such a deep read hitting on hard topics of grief, ptsd, loss, and complex family dynamics.

The bonds the woman and Henry make together made connecting to the characters so much more enjoyable. The healing journey of these two woman along with all the food discussion will have flipping for more. Highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley for the free advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, this was a 4-star read for me. I found The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth to be an extremely pleasurable and heartfelt story. A combination of friendship, coping with loss, and growing into a new and better version of oneself, it struck a beautiful emotional balance. Part travelogue, part exploration of food, I loved how this story used both elements as a way to build and deepen the relationships between the main characters.

The one negative for me was a romantic angle that felt somewhat forced and a bit out of place with the overall tone of the book. I just didn’t need the random spice that happened toward the end—it didn’t add much for me and felt unnecessary in an otherwise thoughtful and emotionally rich narrative.

Still, Barbara O’Neal’s storytelling shines, and this novel is a lovely journey through grief, healing, and connection.

#BookReview #NetGalleyReads #BarbaraONeal #TheLastLetterOfRachelEllsworth #ARCReview #WomensFiction #FoodAndTravel #GriefAndHealing #FriendshipFiction #EmotionalRead #4StarRead

Thank you to Barbara O’Neal and NetGalley for the advanced copy of “The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth”. The story follows Mariah Ellsworth, an Olympic snowboarder, who hires Veronica as a personal assistant for a trip through Europe, Morocco, and India to complete her late mother's cookbook. Both women deal with health issues like PTSD and anxiety. The journey, detailed vividly by the author, includes mystery, great food, a love story, and unexpected twists. Publishing on July 29, 2025 – pre-order now! Inspired by this book, I plan to start my own journey to honor my mom. 💜

4⭐️
(ARC review) — Thank you to author Barbara O’Neal and her publisher Lake Union Publishing. I received an Advanced Reader Copy for the May 2025 release of 𝘛ℎ𝘦 𝘓𝑎𝘴𝑡 𝐿𝘦𝑡𝘵𝑒𝘳 𝘰𝑓 𝑅𝘢𝑐𝘩𝑒𝘭 𝘌𝑙𝘭𝑠𝘸𝑜𝘳𝑡𝘩 in exchange for my honest review.

Two woman that have had devastating losses try to heal and go on a journey of self discovery and finding a new path. The story was heart felt, emotional and thought provoking. Beautifully written.

There’s mystery, a touch of romance but a lot of love, in all shapes and sizes. It was such descriptive writing. You could see the sights, hear the sounds and almost smell the food.

I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

Trigger ⚠️ PTSD & Trauma

Another beautifully written, touching tale by Barbara O'Neal! Her books always make me feel like I'm wrapped in a warm, fluffy blanket of security while navigating through the emotional struggles of her characters. I always seem to internalize their turmoil, yet the author's powerful words always provide me with a sense of comfort, like one gigantic hug, telling me it's ok not to be ok and that everything will be all right. It was no different with this book. The characters were well-developed, and I enjoyed their personal stories and how they came together. The setting bloomed with gorgeous scenery and travel destinations, diverse cultures, and an abundance of delicious sounding foods. The pacing was a little slow but did not take away from my overall enjoyment of the story. I would have liked more on the paranormal aspect that Mariah was experiencing, and I am left with a big question mark on something that occurred during her accident. The ending did not provide me with this answer, but I loved it all the same. Such a great story! I would definitely recommend!

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for granting me a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth is a touching story about a former Olympic athlete, Mariah, and a married mom of 3 turned sudden divorcee, Veronica, who come together in an unusual way. The two travel the world to retrace Mariah's late mother's adventures in search of answers to some of the mysteries that have been plaguing Mariah since her mother's untimely death. The two meet friends along the way, face harsh realities, and deal with mental health issues that many readers can relate to. I found the relationship between Mariah and Veronica endearing and one that both characters didn't know they truly needed. As a former athlete, I related to Mariah's plight in coming to terms with the fact that she can no longer be the athlete she once was. I found the story a little slow at times, but truly enjoyed the book, and would excitedly read a sequel if one came to fruition (maybe Henry's POV?).