There are few books which could be so instantly appealing to me: a trio of older characters and knitting. When Norman passes away, he leaves each of his three friends a letter. Gloria, Bridget and Derek were all former colleagues of Norman. He asks the three of them to take his ashes and scatter them at the most northern part of the Shetland Islands.

This was a fabulous book which was both light-hearted and tender. The author has created three wonderful characters.They are each flawed, complex and relatable, and they come alive vividly on the page.

I was sorry to finish this book as I so enjoyed spending time with Gloria, Bridget and Derek on their adventure in the Shetland Islands. It was an entertaining read whilst dealing with themes of guilt, forgiveness and friendship.

When their friend Norman passed away, he requested that Bridget, Gloria and Derek go on an adventure to scatter his ashes in a place close to his heart, the Shetland Islands, because he didn't live long enough to make it. Bridget, Gloria and Derek used to work together many years ago and were friends. But the friendship ended, and they hadn't seen each other since.
They do agree to do it, and set off to do it for their friend. After they got started, his assistant told them he had requested one more thing, to find his family, he didn't know he had. They also learned that Norman had a huge following on his YouTube channel about knitting. They take on the task, and it is rough because they really don't like each other. But Norman was always a jokester, so he had them on quite the adventure. Will they talk about what happened and why their friendship ended? For Norman, they have to work together to carry out Norman's wishes. It really is a fun read, with the places he has them going, now they are on his YouTube channel, and have started having followers. They think one is actually following them for real, as they go from place to place.
I received an ARC from Boldwood Books through NetGalley.

Norman George, good friend, genius knitter and secret YouTuber.
When he sadly dies he leaves instructions for his three friends, Gloria, Bridget and Derek about where to scatter his ashes. The only thing is he wants them scattered at the most northerly place in the Shetland isles and all three take him with them on a road trip in the middle of winter with storm Beryl looming. The downside to the trip is not the weather but the fact that Bridget, Derek and Gloria really don’t like each other very much but their love of Norman and their guilt from things that happened in the past drives them to attempt the task they have been set as a trio.

I absolutely adored this story of friendship, family, love and loss.
It was an easy fast paced read which makes you fall in love with all the characters.
Norman knew EXACTLY what he was doing when he sent his friends on this trip!

With thanks to Boldwood and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest unbiased review.

A really up-lifting book with funny bits and some sad bits. Death of a friend and a character who might have dementia. The characters were funny and the story was very interesting. I loved the fact that it was set in Scotland. My thanks to netgalley and the publisher's for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed reading The Last Laugh Club by Kate Galley. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

The Last Laugh Club
By Kate Galley
Published by Boldwood Books Ltd

A heart warming tale full of friendships, then & now and someones mysterious last wishes.

Bridget is struggling with her memory, she isn’t the adventurous type, but won’t be left behind.
Gloria is the glamorous and bossy type and happy to organise everything and everyone.
Derek is the quiet one who finds himself in the middle of two friends each wanting to do their best for Norman.

All three arrive at the memorial for their oldest friend Norman, dressed in the bright knitwear gifts – at his request. The three former colleagues haven’t been in the same room for years, or even been in touch. But now they have a task, a request by Norman. His wish is – to scatter his ashes in the Shetland Islands.
Together they find themselves swept into an adventure they never planned or imagined they would be on in their later years.

A comical tale of trials to get the job done, alongside the rekindling of friendships, trust and loyalty.

Joanne Bardgett - teacher of littlies, lover of Children’s literature.
#Netgallery

This was an enjoyable read, certainly with some humour, although it did begin with a sad occasion. The three previous work colleagues are on a journey dictated by their late friend, Norman. They are all in their 70s and something happened in the past that they all seem to carry some guilt from. The setting is in the Shetland isles and I enjoyed the descriptions, even though it was in November and the weather wasn’t good. They meet some interesting people and learn more about Norman and theirselves. There is a bit of a mystery about a person following them on a motorbike. It has a very satisfying ending. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

True to the title, this is a funny book with some laugh out loud moments. Beautiful setting up in the Shetlands with lovely, warm characters.

Norman is dead, and he has reunited his dear friends with a last request. Bridget, Gloria, and Derek are to scatter his ashes in Scotland. Once all three agree to this quest, they are then informed that Norman wants them to find a long-lost family member or members and give them a ring that belonged to his mother.
Through lots of complaining and bickering, all three will have uncomfortable conversations about what happened at the factory, what drove them apart, and Norman's accident.

Loved this story so much. I enjoyed the characters, their flaws, weaknesses, and their huge hearts. They are very different people but reasonable and empathetic and sometimes a bit off in a good way. And their endings were perfect!

Thank you, Netgalley and Boldwood Books, for this joyous ARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

This story was an absolute delight with a bit of everything thrown in, happiness, sadness, uncertainty, love and friendship and i enjoyed every single moment

In order to fulfill Norman's final wishes three of his friends are tasked with scattering his ashes in the Shetland Islands. They all worked together in a small company but haven't been in contact in years and aren't friends with each other. When they arrive in the islands they find that they have an added quest to carry out.
This is one of those slow stories that you find that if you put it down you end up picking it up again to read just another chapter or two. You have Bridget, who is worried that she is beginning to suffer from dementia, Derek, a quiet man who has a secret crush and Gloria, the glamorous ex boss of the company. They also find that Norman, who had been badly injured in a workplace accident, had a very popular YouTube channel with thousands of followers. You learn more about the the characters and the reasons behind their ambivalent attitudes towards each other in a stormy island setting with a mysterious motorcycle following them as they learn more about Norman and each other.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Derek, Gloria, and Bridget are given a request by their friend Norman at his funeral to spread his ashes. This will be an easy thing to do because the each adored Norman but they really don’t care much for each other. They are not looking forward to the long road trip to the Shetland Islands.
This adventure was one that had me filled with a lot of different emotions. It was a trip that Norman was sure to accomplish what he wanted to happen between Derek, Gloria and Bridget.
Thank you NetGalley, Kate Galley and Boldwood Books for the copy of the book The Last Laugh Club. This is my personal review.

Another caper of the older generation, thanks to Kate Galley, whose books I have come to enjoy because they give hope that life doesn't enter a stagnant period after a certain age.
This time, we are on a journey with three old work colleagues: Bridget, Gloria, and Derek. They are brought together by the sad demise of another ex-colleague, Norman, who tasks them with a simple request. To scatter his ashes at the northernmost point of the UK, which is the arse end of nowhere!
They were never the best of friends, these three, so the idea of having to spend more than a few hours together is a bit of a chore, but the trip is not without incident, and there is a bit of soul-searching along the way!
Bridget's character is battling with memory loss, which causes its own issues. Gloria can't quite shake off the persona of the ex-boss of these other people, and Derek is just desperately trying to ensure his friend's last wishes are upheld, along with a bit of unrequited love to add to the mix.
I loved the story from start to finish, and the little twists of mystery and secrets that are uncovered made this a real page-turner!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

This book was filled with adorable promise. While it wasn't as cute as I'd expected, I thoroughly enjoyed the story.
The characters were a little hard to like at first. But once things really got going, I found myself wanting to read "just one more chapter"! I read most of the book on an overnight flight, and I really should have been trying to sleep, but I couldn't quite put it down.
Even though we basically know where things will end up, the journey - both literal and figurative - is worth the ride. We grow to like the characters more and more as they grow to know, understand and like each other.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

With grace,charm, and wit, Galley had crafted a story that warms the soul.

Even in death Norman George is seeking a laugh and as such, he asks three of his closest friends to travel together to scatter his ashes. The Catch, those three friends aren't exactly fond of one another! Readers journey along as three enemies carry out a beloved friends final wish and along the way....they just might find some joy in one another.

This sort of story is our of my normal wheelhouse but I found it epically charming. Warmth exudes from each page alongside a healthy dose of wit to keep the story grounded and realistic. It truly is a joy to see these characters learn and grow even in their later years. Readers looking for a heartwarming read will fall for this sweet little tale.

The late Norman became a highly successful online knitting influencer after an accident at work. Following his death three old colleagues are asked to scatter his ashes and travel to the Shetland Islands. Although the three are known to each other they do not get on. The book tells the story of their travels to fulfil Norman’s request but it’s also a tale of friendship, forgiveness, acceptance and redemption as well as the challenges of aging. Great cast of supporting characters. This is a new author for me and I really enjoyed it.

who knew that spreading ones ashes could bring such an uplifting and joyful novel. well, Kate clearly did because this is what she has given us
Norman died and left behind a huge following of people and love from his knitting community. his three best friends on his death receive letters from him. he wants them to go on a journey for him, one he'd have loved, but never got to do himself. he wants them to travel to the North of Scotland and it is there he would like them to scatter his ashes. now the rub, because our three aren't exactly bosom buddy's and aren't share how they will stand being that close to each other along the way. ugh. but how can you refuse your dead friend?
so the three of course set off. taking the urn for its trip might they find more than they were expecting from this little trip? or will the ashes not be the only thing thrown over board? it seems their old friend might have had a bigger plan for them all in place. and what he has them do ( together) is all part of that. oh and did i mention the knitted jumpers, they were an added bonus feature.
i so enjoyed reading this little adventure of our group. they were all biting, witty, stubborn and brilliant. and somehow even Norman in his urn still became a character throughout. i would happily read more adventures of Derek, Gloria and Bridget. but if not id happily read anything more from Kate Galley. this book made me smile,made my heart feel warm and just made for a gorgeous read.

This is a totally new author for me, and I am grateful for new book introductions from Netgalley as well. I am a knitter as well and quite enjoyed this plot of the dead man who became a knitter after a work accident made him unable to walk again but he managed to make a successful business out of knitting, teaching knitting online, etc using social media and other modern technological tools at his disposal. Very real, but that is not the main story, of him sending some people who inadvertently felt guilty about his accident to scatter his ashes together and developing a friendship from it.

It was quite an adventure, despite them being almost near elderly age, and it was somewhat heartwarming as well.

I don't do spoilers - so highly recommend to pick up this book to find out what adventures they actually met with all the way in the Shetland Islands.

Following a workplace accident, Norman George is confined to a wheelchair. In an attempt to occupy himself he becomes a passionate knitter, When Norman dies he leaves letters for his three best friends {previous work colleagues, now retired) asking them to make one final journey on his behalf. He wants his ashes to be scattered in the Shetland Isles, at the most northerly point of the United Kingdom. There are long held tensions between his friends and for differing reasons, each blames their self for Norman's accident. As they embark on their quest they learn Norman had a prolific online following within the knitting community on Shetland and beyond, and decide to visit some of his most ardent followers.

This delightful tale is about so much more than carrying out Norman's last wishes.. It is a voyage of self discovery, of old tensions re-surfacing and eventual forgiveness for themselves as much as each other. There are plenty of adventures along the way, not least battling with the Winter storms of the Scottish Islands. The author's wonderful descriptions of the islands, their people and the rugged, storm swept landscapes made it an easy book to 'climb inside' and be swept along for the ride. A very entertaining read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my advanced read copy in return for my honest and unbiased review.

The Last Laugh, by Kate Galley, promised me everything: a setting in the British Isles, characters proving that reaching seventies is time for fun and adventure, and a title that was somewhat mysterious. Nonetheless, this book did not deliver for me. I could not connect with the characters or the plot. I had to force myself to finish and it took forever. I couldn't read in bed because I fell asleep too quickly. Maybe it was just my mood; some books just need to be read at the right time. There are many positive reviews and I urge readers to read many of them. Galley is a popular author, and I certainly will give her another try. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read a digital ARC.