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!

I really enjoyed the book. It had a lot of History reference and am glad the author provided explanation. It also involved different cultures which I also enjoyed reading. The plot and the building of it was really good plus the exploration of mental health and traumatic events. For me it was a little hard to keep up with the writing due to constantly getting confused of the narrator was talking about. Also got confused when certain thing were a phone call or a text message, at times there was no division of what was the narration and what was a dialogue. Overall it was a nice read.

I hadn’t intended on reading The Last Letter in more-or-less one sitting; it just happened.

The title is a bit misleading. While the letter certainly exists, the focus of the story is more on grief, found family, and new beginnings.

Before Veronica and Mariah can face the future, they need to face the past. They’ve both hit rock-bottom. Veronica is divorced, jobless, missing her dog and her home, and facing her first Thanksgiving without her kids and beloved traditions. Worse, she’s struggling to pay her rent. Mariah has lost her mother and her athletic career in one violent moment. She’s planned a pilgrimage to finish a book her mom started and needs a companion to help with research and some of the physical aspects of traveling she can’t handle on her own since her physical injury.

I loved the juxtaposition of the younger woman with an older woman entering the next phase of her life. Veronica discovered that her story wasn’t over, and she still had so much to offer. It’s not often that a book highlights an inter-generational friendship, despite how amazing they can be in real life. Mariah learns to face her PTSD and grief, to see her mom as a real person, and to allow other people into her tightly guarded life. They both balance each other. Henry is a nice addition with overwhelming the growing friendship between Veronica and Mariah.

On a side note, I love the way that karma comes for Veronica’s ex.

I LOVED O’Neal’s last novel, Memories of the Lost, so I had high hopes for this book.
Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me. I can see how others will enjoy the story, it’s about finding yourself and there’s a really beautiful message there that’s very well done. Our two FMC’s are battling with the unexpected changes that have upended their lives, their journey together is so well written and I truly can see how many people will love this story.
It just felt like it dragged too much and was difficult to keep my attention.
O’Neal really does have such beautiful prose and her writing is so fluid and immersive.
Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review

After reading a few other books by Barbara O'Neal, I was excited to try her 2025 release, The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth. This is a dual timeline book that tells the story of a daughter, who recently experienced a significant trauma, fulfilling her mother's journey across the world. Additionally, it tells the story of a recently divorced woman trying to find her identity and manage her newly single life. The two women meet and journey around the world together, along with a male photographer, who quickly becomes a love interest. Alternating chapters reveal letters the girl's mother sent, which reveal what was happening in her life at that time. Overall the story was good, though predictable at times. I enjoyed the different perspectives from the different characters. Three and a half stars rounded up to 4.
Thank you to NetGalley, Barbara O'Neal, and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read the advance reader copy.

A set of unlikely travel companions - each undertaking the journey for their own complicated reasons - find that the experience yields far more than they expected.

An athlete whose career is brought to a premature end, a woman whose marriage suffers a similar fate, and a photographer who appear to have little in common discover unexpected layers to each other, and their lives.

O'Neal's trademark skill of crafting memorable characters and providing insights into human existence and relationships are very much on display here. Well worth your time, this one gets 3.5 stars.

Barbara O'Neal does it again in this emotional story about two very different women coping with loss and recovery. Their sweeping journey - and their nuanced relationships - are beautifully developed and delicately described.
She's just that good.

Three people brought together to complete a mother's last dream. A daughter wanting answers, a newly divorced woman needing a new path and an old friend helping helping both. I loved the pace of the book, the future and the past combing into an ending that just fits. No fairy tale, happily ever after, just life being shown as real. A solid read.

I'm a big fan of Barbara O'Neal books, so I was very excited to read this one. While I enjoyed the premise, some of the plot lines were not well-developed, and overall, there just seemed to be some pieces missing. A lot of parts were enjoyable, but if you aren't a big reader, you can skip this one.

This was an emotional journey for Mariah and Veronica, who travel from Colorado to Europe and then to India, trying to unravel the clues for a last book from Mariah’s mom Rachel. This last year has been a nightmare for Veronica and Mariah. Veronica’s long-time husband dumps her for another woman- his younger pregnant mistress- and kicks her out of her home and her lovely gardens that she created. And Mariah was in a violent mass shooting where she was almost killed and her mother died beside her. Her leg was shattered along with her career as an Olympic snowboarder. When Mariah decides to follow clues from her mother for her last book, she hires Veronica to help her travel and unravel the story of her mother’s past life and love in India. Mariah’s ‘stepfather’ Henry goes along too as a photographer and helps them figure out what really happened to Rachel so long ago. The trio travel from place to place sampling so much food and tracing Rachel’s footsteps as Veronica tries to figure out how to write Rachel’s last book while she unravels the mystery of a long ago tragedy. During the trip the two women face their pain and learn to trust each other and themselves. This is the story of loss and of growth and of love. I loved the vivid descriptions of the cafés They went to and the exotic foods they sampled. It was amazing watching these two shattered women find themselves and learn to rely on each other and their inner strengths. I loved the ending when Veronica‘s found family gets to meet her friends and children. Throughout the book, it was heartwarming to watch Maria learn to rely on Henry and Veronica… And I loved watching the women grow. This was a thoroughly enchanting novel. Thank you, NetGalley for the digital copy. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book right from the beginning! Several interesting relationships to follow, a mystery to figure out and travel from the US to London, Paris, Morocco and India. I really liked the author’s writing style and look forward to reading more of her books!

Barbara O’Neal is one of my favorite authors – I can always count on her novels to be thoughtful explorations of the complexities of human life. This latest offering is no exception. I was engaged with the storyline and the characters from the first page to the last.

The overarching theme of this novel is the response to trauma – either physical and or emotional. Three people have all suffered a significant loss with varying degrees of healing. Miriah Ellsworth was a world-class snowboarder when she was severely injured and lost her mother in a tragic event. Veronica Barrington, a middle-aged homemaker, is stunned when her professor husband of two decades announces he has fallen in love and abruptly packs his bags. Lastly, Henry, a war photographer, withdrew from conflict zones after seeing too much suffering and receiving a wound himself.

All three embark on a journey to London, Paris, Marrakesh, and India to complete a project begun by Rachel Ellsworth, Mariah’s mother, a renowned food writer. The trip is fraught with challenges primarily arising from Mariah’s unresolved grief and fragile health. Things are further complicated by Veronica’s ex-husband who has unceremoniously stopped her alimony payments and cancelled her access to credit cards. Due to her precarious financial state, she is forced to deal with an eviction back in Colorado with little or no support from her adult children.

Despite all the drama, the character development is solid and realistic as the three forge ahead on their quest. Greater insight is gained by the receipt of Rachel’s letters to her sister Jill – letters that reflect Rachel’s enchantment with India as a college student during a study year abroad. The last letter, as indicated by the book’s title, ties together all the pieces of information gathered through their travels.

While I appreciated the nuances in the developing relationship between Mariah and Veronica, the organic evolution of the bond between Veronica and Henry was the most enjoyable. Another positive aspect of the book was the evocative and colorful descriptions of the cities on their journey. These added a dimension to the storyline that enhanced the overall enjoyment.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

This book was an enjoyable and thought-provoking read that offered a rich blend of storytelling, character development, and thematic depth. The author’s writing style is engaging without being overly complicated, striking a good balance between detail . A worthwhile read.

This is my first Barbara O'Neal book but I don't think it'll be my last. Her writing is beautiful and poetic. She covers relationships, trauma, and healing in a way that's relatable and thoughtfully done. I found The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth to be one of those books that weighed heavy on my heart, but I did finished it feeling full of warmth and appreciation for the relationships in my own life.

Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

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.