This was such a gorgeous adventure.
I got was completely immersed in this story and the culture and the characters.
Two women embark on a journey, not knowing what they will find or where they will end up.
Wow. Absolutely blown away. Did not expect to love this the way I did. I could have done without the random ghost talk and mediums, but I loved everything else so much I chose to overlook it.
If you need an adventure in a book, pick this one up!

Mariah and Veronica are both dealing with grief. Mariah's mother Rachel was killed and her olympic dreams are gone thanks to a devastation injury so she decides to follow up on her mother's work by traveling the world to visit Parsi cafes. Veronica, reeling from a divorce, impulsively takes a job as her assistant. These women, different in age and perspectives come together to heal. They're accompanied by Henry, a photographer but the story is really about Mariah and Veronica. This has travel and foodie vibes. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

This book took me by surprise and I thoroughly enjoyed following along with both Mariah and Veronica on their journeys. Both women were flawed but likeable, and I found O'Neal's writing to be beautiful. This was my first book of hers, but definitely won't be the last!

Thank you Lake Union Publishing and Barbara O’Neal for the copy of The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth.

I started out really liking this one, and then when it got to psychics and ghosts, I just couldn’t find my way anymore.

This was a hard book for me to get into because I felt it was often slow. After the divorce, Veronica is having trouble getting her life going. She has 3 children, all of which are the absolute worst. They don’t want her working, but think she should magically be able to drop her job once she gets one. She asks her daughter for some help, who can’t be bothered because she is full of excuses. I just wanted to reach into the book and strangle all of them, which shows how well they were written. But Veronica needs to find a backbone. Your children are all grown up, living outside the home, so you don’t have to have anything to do with your ex, period.

I liked Mariah and felt closer to her. She was struggling a lot. With PTSD and painful healing, she’s had a hard road. I liked how the story came from both female’s perspectives, although I felt breaking the book up into different sections wasn’t needed.

Overall, this is a leisurely told, enjoyable read which kept me perpetually hungry.

Right... I definitely didn't expect this to happen when I decided to read The Last Letter Of Rachel Ellsworth. I've been meaning to try this author for a while now as I kept hearing great things about her books, and I do always love a bout of bookish travel as well as an unlikely friendship trope... So it's easy to understand why this book ended up on my shelves. I fully expected to enjoy my time with this story, but somehow I ended up struggling considerably to even make it to the final page instead. Outlier review ahead!

Before I continue, I do have to say that my reading mood has been particularly fickle lately and I've been struggling with a beginning reading slump, and this might have impacted negatively on my reading experience with The Last Letter Of Rachel Ellsworth. That said, there is no denying that I had a really hard time to find the motivation to keep reading this story... I confess that I started skimreading long before the halfway mark, and I should probably just have DNFed it instead. I'll try to explain below what did and didn't work for me below.

I can't deny that I still love the premise of The Last Letter Of Rachel Ellsworth, and especially its promise of the bookish travel and the mystery around Rachel's unfinished book. I loved the idea of the two women traveling together, and I was especially looking forward to the Morocco and India setting. Sadly, I found the execution to be underwhelming, and there wasn't quite as much focus on the travel itself as I thought there was going to be. Don't get me wrong, the story does take you to the countries mentioned, but somehow the different settings didn't really come alive for me and instead were buried under a huge pile of drama.

And now I have arrived at one of the main issues I had with this book: the drama. I get that the story has to show that both women have a troubled past and explain why the two ended up being unlikely travel companions. It didn't exactly make for an enjoyable beginning, but it's something I could overlook if the rest of the story has a change in focus. And here is where it went wrong for me: the drama doesn't go away, but instead it is possibly even more present and only gets worse over time. It overshadowed every single aspect of the plot I was looking forward to, and as a result it became harder and harder to find the motivation to keep reading.

Directly related to this are the two main characters of this book: to say that I strongly disliked them is an understatement. Sure, I get that Mariah suffered a lot with her mother dying under such horrifying circumstances and herself being seriously injured, but she basically behaves like a petulant and irresponsible teenager most of the time. It is very hard to look past this, and I wasn't a fan of how she treated everyone either. As for Veronica... I found her to be even more frustrating and off-putting. She is basically a human doormat and lets both her ex-husband and her children walk all over her. She is constantly obsessed about her weight and what she eats, and her behavior in general only made me like her less and less over time. The cheating element was just the worst, and it only made me dislike the story and characters even more.

The writing itself wasn't all bad and the premise had a lot of potential, but between the extremely unlikeable characters and overdose of ongoing drama I honestly couldn't care less about what happened to any of them. Especially Veronica I started to hate more and more as I learned more about her past and saw how she behaved... And the drama with her ex and children ruined the rest of the plot. It's a shame there wasn't more focus on the actual travel and Rachel's book, because that was the story I was hoping to find and The Last Letter Of Rachel Ellsworth mainly just left me feeling extremely disappointed. I seem to be in the minority so far though, so definitely don't give up on my account if you think this book is your cup of tea.

I really enjoyed Barbara O'Neal's When We Believed in Mermaids and This Place of Wonder and this is another good one. Mariah Ellsworth, a former Olympic snowboarder, is mourning the death of her mother and the end of her career due to a gruesome injury. Veronica Barrington is still trying to recover from a painful divorce and strained relationships with her 3 children. The two become unlikely friends when Veronica agrees to be Mariah's travel companion on a multi-continent trip to find answers that will help her finish her mother's final project. Mariah's mother Rachel was a travel writer who was working on a project about Parsi cafes in London, Paris, Morocco, and India. They're accompanied on the trip by Henry, a photographer who is also Rachel's ex-boyfriend and is like a Dad to Mariah. Using a series of old letters from Rachel to her sister as a guide, they set out to figure out the story that Rachel was trying to tell. Their journey is a revelation in many ways for all 3 of them. This is a beautifully written book with compelling characters. I look forward to reading more of Barbara O'Neal's books.

Two women, Veronica and Mariah, embark on an adventure across continents guided by letters written by Rachel, Mariah’s mother in search of a story. Both women are overcoming trauma, Veronica, the end of her marriage and Mariah, a recent accident that resulted in a debilitating injury.

In essence, this is a story of friendship, family, and redefining who you are after a trauma. The author brings the reader across continents with wonderfully atmospheric writing. I enjoyed the undercurrent of a mother daughter relationship. Although, I did find the end slightly abupt, but did not detract from the story. Overall, an enjoyable read.

Is it possible to be both extremely heart-warmed and also underwhelmed at the same time? I think that is how I would describe my feelings at the end of this highly anticipated book! She has written a couple of my favorite stories, so I was eager to dive into another one. This promises adventure, travel to far away places, and descriptions of cafés and cuisine that I now have at the top of my bucket list, but the delivery fell slightly short of the quality of writing I was expecting.

Without spoiling any of the plot, Veronica is newly divorced at 50 and does not know where to put her displaced passions and hopes. When a woman posts that she is looking for a travel assistant to collect research for an unfinished food novel, she is shocked to suddenly be whisked away on an international adventure. But the emotional investment and mysterious circumstances of the unfinished project or more than she bargained for. It is in turns heartbreaking and emotionally satisfying.

I was engaged and invested the whole time. But once I turned the last page, I realized that no part of the plot really lived up to any hype and the outcomes were rather predictable and flat. for finishing a food novel, the book didn’t include any neat descriptions beyond what an average novel would, and the descriptions of international cities reflected a Wikipedia description, not a well-traveled eye.

Despite my qualms with the book, I still think it will be what many people need it to be- a summer read, a weekend binge, at once light but with heavy and redemptive storylines!

Veronica, a recently divorced mother of 3 grown children, is at a crossroads in her life and is needing to find a job to make ends meet. She comes across an ad for a travel companion to go to London, Paris & India to help research Parsi cafes. Mariah, the young woman she will be accompanying, wants to finish a project that her recently deceased mother was working on. Mariah solicits the help of one of her mother’s dearest friends, Henry, to take photos. The three embark on this journey and all the while Veronica is dealing with issues from her divorce and Mariah is still suffering from the death of her mother, as well as an injury she recently suffered. There’s a lot of tension throughout the trip but they both end up realizing that they are both what each other needed at this time in their lives. I enjoyed the places they visited and all of the different foods that were mentioned. While I have read many books by this author, this wasn’t one of my favorites. Mariah seemed prickly a lot of times, and I just didn’t really connect with the characters a lot of the time.

Thank you to NetGalley & Lake Union Publishing for an advanced eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Barbara O’Neal with another stunner. Beautiful writing. Makes me feel every time. Never came across a book of hers I didn’t like.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced readers copy. Thoroughly enjoyed this one and finished it in two days. Highly recommend Barbara O’Neal, as always. Poignant storytelling, wonderful story.

I enjoyed the journey by the women in the story. Although, one of the women experienced a more drastic change in her life then the other, the changes catapulted both women in a new direction that was both new and challenging. I loved how I could feel the texture and flavor of each of the countries the characters traveled through the description of scenery, food and people and how each experience made the characters both mesmerized and awaken from each encounter to the new experience. The story reminded me of "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," in terms of sights and flavor and the experiences the characters were having. I loved the description of Marrakech, it sounded so exotic and beautiful and it made me feel happy to know there are places in the world that feel like your best day ever.
I loved the adult romance between Veronica and Henry and how caring and wonderful it was and respectful, and it didn't need to be a tell all in order to feel the intensity of the union. I loved the respect between all of the characters, even when it was hard not to step in to help. I loved that the characters learned that you can't control everything and sometimes you have to wait and see what your next step is, for instance Veronica living situation in Denver, and for some reason it all works out. I loved that the story has a wonderful ending and that closes all the question I was having with the story and I like how there is a little element of the supernatural world and maybe there is more to our world than meet the eye.
I've been reading O'Neal's stories for a long time and I am always surprise and happy after I read one of her stories. they always have a journey where family, food and love are involved and changes everyone.

I want to thank Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy of a story about dealing with challenges in life with new places and experiences.

The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth is a beautifully written novel about grief, healing, and unexpected friendship. Veronica, recently divorced and struggling to get her life back on track, finds herself working with Mariah Ellsworth — a former Olympic snowboarder whose world was upended by a life-changing event. Together, they set out to finish the late Rachel Ellsworth’s final cookbook, a tribute to Parsi cafés.

Their journey takes them from London to Paris, through Marrakech, and finally to India, tracing Rachel’s past while navigating their own emotional healing. The novel weaves themes of identity, purpose, and the power of connection with a gentle thread of mystery that kept me engaged throughout.

I truly enjoyed the richness of the settings, the depth of the characters, and the way the story explored resilience and reinvention without ever becoming heavy-handed. This is the kind of women’s fiction that balances heart with substance.

Highly recommended for fans of character-driven stories with emotional depth and a hint of intrigue.

Love Barbara's books and this doesn't disappoint. A mystery to work through whilst traveling through some fascinating places with an ex sportswomen who has been tragically injured both physically and mentally. Her companions have their own devils to deal with. Wonderful characters and delightful descriptions.

field
When we believed in Mermaids will still remain my favorite novel written by Barbara O'Neal.
LLRE is a lovely book of healing in many different capacities - physical and mental.
I really felt a tug at the heartstrings for all of the loss that the characters shared.
Lovely scenery and international food galore.
Thank you Net Galley for the ARC.
Highly recommend!

I adored how the novel honors the past while embracing the possibility of new beginnings. It’s a soulful, heartfelt read.

Thank you to NetGalley and @LakeUnionPub for this ARC. Veronica is trying to make ends meet when she answers an ad on Linkedin for a travel companion and researcher. Mariah is willing to hire someone to help her travel and finish the book her late mother started. Both trying to heal from major life changes, they try to also heal each other. Sweet read! #TheLastLetterofRachelEllsworth #BarbaraONeal #LakeUnionPub #July2025

4.75 HUGE STARS!!

I cannot say enough incredible things about this book! Huge thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the EARC because this has EASILY come in under my top 5 favourite books I’ve ever read. WOWOWOWIWOWOW!! I will be recommending this one for a long time!!

HOW IS THIS MY FIRST EVER BARBARA O’NEAL BOOK?!?!

*PERHAPS SLIGHT SPOILERS IN A GENERALIZED RECAP OF A FEW MAJOR PLOT POINTS .. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK?*

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The way Barbara is describing these fascinating places whether it be through Rachel’s letters or just the current moments events it has you LONGING to be there experiencing it too. But yet it paints the most vivid imagine for you as if perhaps in another life you have in fact been there. This book hit SO many marks for me, especially in terms of the dynamic and circumstances of Mariah and Victoria. For me this, this struck a very close emotional cord. The relatability was near fatal. The deep character and trauma work that Victoria is unknowingly doing throughout this book adds so much depth and love and hope and unflinchingly brutal honesty.

The way she ties it altogether so satisfyingly gut wrenchingly perfectly is just …*chefs kiss*

O'Neal never fails to impress with her ability to write so many different stories that are unlike the others. I appreciated that we took a step back from the romance themes and focused instead on women finding each other and finding lasting friendships.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance ebook of The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth by Barbara O’Neal. I loved, loved, loved this book. The story was beautifully written. The characters are well developed and I had so many emotions about each one. The three main characters I grew to really like as I read further into the book. You learn quickly that sometimes your family are people you choose rather than the people you’re related to. The ending was spot on! I must say, I’m sad I finished it.
I am recommending this book to everyone I know that reads!