This beautifully written audiobook pulled me in with its layered characters and evocative settings across Europe. Veronica, starting over after divorce, and Mariah, reeling from the loss of her mother and career after a tragic shooting, navigate grief in its many forms—loss of a parent, a marriage, a vocation—while wrestling with addiction, secrets, and the question of how to rebuild a life.

I loved how the story explored romance later in life, the legacy of hidden truths, and the idea of starting over no matter your age. The descriptions of Parsi cafés, their food, and the cultural details added richness and depth, and the narration brought every emotion and setting vividly to life.

A poignant, heartfelt novel with just the right balance of grief, healing, and second chances. I definitely recommend it—and will be reading more from this author.

This was a great emotional ride. I really liked the main character. If anything, I thought the ending was a little abrupt, but I really liked the growth in the main characters throughout. I will look for more from Barbara O'Neal, and think that this book would make a great book club selection.

What a captivating story!
This book took me on a fantastic journey through beautiful places and a journey of self-discovery and healing.
A story about the power of friendship, the healing power of love, and the importance of second chances that completely captured my heart.

Title: The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth
Author: Barbara O’Neal
Narrated by: Andi Arndt
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Length: Approximately 11 hours and 59 minutes
Source: Thank-you to Lake Union Publishing for a review copy of the paperback book as part of the TLC Book Tour and thank-you to @netgalley for audiobook review copy.

How do you communicate with friends? Emails, texts, social media, or old-fashioned letters? I would say all the above for myself.

Victoria is going through a divorce. She and her husband had seemed closer than ever until he ended it all for a much younger woman. Fifty and suddenly alone, Victoria must get a job fast to survive. She gets a job as a companion to Mariah, a young woman with an injury who is going to travel the world tracing the footsteps of her mother’s last unfinished project in London, Paris, Morocco, and India. Her mother, Rachel, was a good writer, and she also left behind letters she had written her sister. As Victoria and Mariah make their journey, they learn more about Rachel and themselves.

My thoughts on this novel:
• The audiobook had a good narrator and was interesting to listen to.

• I liked Victoria’s character growth throughout the novel.

• I really disliked Victoria’s ex-husband. He seemed to want his cake (new younger wife) and eat it too (keep his ex-wife on string.). I kept wondering why he didn’t get in trouble for not paying his alimony.

• Why can’t Victoria’s family change their tradition of skiing every year as a family so that Victoria gets to have a family Christmas at least every other year? It’s strange to me that this is a family tradition since Victoria doesn’t ski or snowboard.

• Rachel was killed in a mas shooting while grocery shopping with her daughter. Mariah survived but can no longer snowboard (she was an Olympian) with her handicap. The PTSD from this tragic even still impacts Mariah.

• A handsome middle-aged photographer, Henry, accompanies them on the trip. He is a father figure for Mariah (one of Rachel’s ex-boyfriends), and a love interest for Victoria.

• I liked how both Victoria and Mariah had a coming-of-age storyline as they came to terms with their new realities and worked towards moving forward with new dreams.

• I loved the descriptions of all the different countries, foods, and cafes.

• I didn’t see how the cafes, countries, and Rachel’s story were all linked until the very end.

• I am close to Victoria’s age of fifty and she gets picked on by her kids for being old and treated as an old lady a lot on their trip. I suddenly felt very old!!

Overall, The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth by Barbara O’Neal was a great story with unforgettable characters, growth, and travel. I enjoyed it!

The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth has a beautiful premise—a cross-continental journey of food, memory, and healing—but unfortunately, it didn’t quite come together for me. The idea of following Rachel’s letters through different countries had so much potential, and the settings were lush and vividly described. I could almost taste the food and feel the atmosphere in each location.

However, the story itself felt overly drawn out, with too much repetition around the characters’ grief and trauma. The pacing dragged, and I often found myself losing interest in the main mystery of Rachel’s unfinished project. Veronica and Mariah’s personal arcs were touching in moments, but at times they leaned on cliché rather than real emotional depth. The addition of the war photographer character also felt predictable and didn’t add much to the central story.

Overall, while Barbara O’Neal’s writing is atmospheric, the novel lacked the emotional impact and narrative drive I was hoping for. A lovely idea, but the execution didn’t keep me engaged.

This started off very strong and I was fully invested. I mean, I’m here for a mom who is reinventing herself after her kids have left home and her husband has left her for another woman. But then one of the characters became really whiny and used a lot of foul language. Mostly she seemed much younger than her actual age and I was turned off each time she came on the page. Had it not been for her, I think I would have really enjoyed this book.

Rating:
It was ok

What you’ll find:
Mid life mom
Second chance at life and love
Travel

This author does a great job taking characters with flaws or a traumatic past and having them work through their problems in an unexpected way. I loved getting both Veronica and Mariah’s point of view. The age gap between them I think was perfect as they both had feelings they had to work through and the whole trip helped put those into perspective. I loved the food journey and the mystery that came with putting Rachel’s trip together. It was emotional, adventurous, and has a great sense of found family.

Thank you @barbaraonealauthor @amazonpublishing @tlcbooktours for the gifted copy.

The story follows Veronica and Mariah at pivotal moments in their lives. Recently divorced, Veronica faces spending the holidays alone while her children are with their father. Initially disappointed, she chooses self-discovery and adventure. Mariah, a young woman whose Olympic dreams were shattered by injury, seeks to honor her late mother by completing her unfinished project as a food writer. Her journey takes her across London, Paris, Morocco, and India. But she will need assistance. That's where Veronica comes in.


Veronica and Mariah
The dynamic between Veronica and Mariah is central to the narrative. Their relationship is one of mutual support and growth. However, as virtual strangers, each with their own concerns, it takes time for them to appreciate one another. Veronica needs a break from her routine, while Mariah requires assistance and time to adjust to health issues. Together, they embark on a journey focused on personal healing and cultural exploration.

Despite the compelling premise, the book falls short in fully developing their relationship. While moments beautifully capture the essence of their bond, other places feel more like a Hallmark movie and not too realistic.


Veronica and Her Children
One of the weaker aspects is the underdeveloped relationship between Veronica and her children. The narrative misses an opportunity to explore the complexities of a post-divorce family dynamic, which could have added depth and emotional resonance to Veronica's character and storyline. In this case, the children are spoiled and unlikable. To fully develop the whys would be helpful.

Travel and Exploration
The travel aspect is initially engaging, offering vivid descriptions of diverse cultures and cuisines. However, as the story progresses, it becomes predictable, losing the sense of adventure and surprise expected from such a journey.

Conclusion
The book is an intriguing read with a promising premise, but it fails to fully deliver on its potential. While Veronica and Mariah's journey is heartfelt, the story suffers from underdeveloped relationships and a predictable plot. The ending, in particular, is unrealistic and detracts from the overall impact of the story. Nonetheless, it offers moments of enjoyment and insight, making it a decent read, but not a standout in its genre.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I couldn't put it down. Thank you for letting me read it.

"Two women overcoming past traumas embark on a healing journey across continents in a novel about friendship, family, and rediscovery"

A Big thank you to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for this ALC

🎧 The Last Letters of Rachel Ellsworth -
Barbara O'Neal
🌟 4 🌟's

I enjoy each story I read by O'Neal and the last letter of Rachel Ellsworth was no different.

I always enjoy the poignant and family drama along with strong female characters that O' Neil writes. Veronica and Mariah are powerful, endearing and well developed characters.

Veronica post divorce still navigating the loss of her marriage and the stability it provided answers and to be a travel companion to Mariah a young woman still grieving the loss of her mother and her snowboarding career due to a leg injury.

We travel right along with Mariah, Veronica and Henry whom we meet when the women arrive in London. The story was well developed and we learn how they came to be in their current mental state all while researching Rachel Ellsworth, Mariah's mom's story.

The pacing through the first 90% was great but the last 10% felt a bit rushed and left wanting more from the support characters.

A book about unexpected friendships, found families, grieving, travelling and cozy Parsi cafes

Veronica has spent the last twenty years being a stay at home mom: making sure her husband had everything he needed, prioritizing her family over academic goals and keeping everyone happy. All of that to be replaced by a younger, pregnant new wife.

When she finds a job that involves travelling during Christmas, instead of spending it alone while her kids are skiing with their father and his new wife, she jumps at the opportunity. She wasn’t expecting to find so much more than a job to cover the bills. A new love, new opportunities and, maybe, a new friend.

Mariah used to be an Olympian racing for gold. Now she needs to hire someone to help her carry her bags, since her leg is completely destroyed. But the loss of her career isn’t the only thing she’s grieving; her mother died sixteen months ago, and she still hadn’t made peace with it. By trying to write the last book her mother was working on, about Parsi cafes around the world, Mariah aims to figure out who her mother was, and how she should move forward.

I was very intrigued by the premise of this book. I bonded with Veronica from the beginning and, even though Maria was harder to relate to, she was impossible to hate. Even when she was angry, it was easy to understand where it came from and forgive her. I won’t say much because Maria’s story is part of the suspense of the book, so you’ll learn her secrets as you read.

The story is very character-driven and, while I really enjoyed the characters-especially Veronica, the author did such a great job at making me care for her from the very first chapter-, I wished we had something more. I saw the plot twist coming and the travelling wasn’t as thrilling as I thought it would be. I was expecting Rachel’s story to surprise me more than it did.

That being said, I cared about the characters and enjoyed listening to the audiobook. I liked the narrator, she made the experience so much better. I also appreciated the found family, the little love story and how much Mariah and Veronica helped each other.

It was interesting how the generation and society they were born into played a role on their friendship. Veronica was so focused on being a ‘lady’, she didn’t hesitate to give up her career dreams to have a family, while Mariah let herself be: ate what she wanted, dated without worrying about what to do next. Mariah helped Veronica to stop worrying about her weight and manners and start enjoying life. At the same time, having a mother figure taking care of her really helped Mariah grieve.

Also, the author's writing style was really good, I will check out if she has other books that catch my attention.

Overall, I enjoyed the characterization: the character arcs were interesting and I really bonded with the characters. But I thought the action part was going to be a bit more fast paced and engaging. I would recommend it if you are interested in the premise, because it delivers on what the characters are going through, but not really if you are more interested in the mystery surrounding Rachel Ellsworth.


Audiobook rating: 4 stars
Rating: 3.5 stars.

This is the story of two women, both psychically damaged who embark on a healing journey together.

Mariah Elsworth was an Olympic snowboarder who was shot and badly wounded in a supermarket massacre. Her mother, Rachel, a food writer, was killed. After a long period of recovery, she decides she will complete her mother’s book on Parsi Cafes.

This means a trip overseas. Still in recovery, Mariah needs to hire a companion to assist her. She hires fifty something woman, Veronica, who is struggling emotionally and financially after a divorce that blindsided her and shredded her world.

The parts of the book set in London, Paris, India, and Morocco were excellent and more of that would have been welcome. I also might have enjoyed the book more had I read, rather than listened to it. The audio reader made Mariah consistently sound like a spoiled, insensitive brat. Veronica was a whiner, and her ex sounded like an infantile teenage boy (but maybe that was how he was written). A little of that, maybe. But it took me out of the story.

I also think the novel would have been better served if it kept moving, rather than digressing into the tedium of Veronica’s life. Her ex husband and grown children were one note self centered characters. I wanted her to throw her cell phone away.

The idea for this book was wonderful. It just wasn’t executed well. I wish the padded parts focused on the color of the exotic places they traveled rather than the melodrama post divorce.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Brilliance for the opportunity to listen to this ARC in exchanged for an honest review

This book was full of the most beautiful imagery and descriptions. Even if it hadn’t been a great story (which it was), the pictures O’Neal painted with her words were stunning.

Veronica’s not sure how everything in her life has fallen apart. She’s been arrested, she’s gotten divorced, and she’s on the cusp of eviction. But an unexpected job opportunity comes her way, and things begin to change.

Mariah has lost her mother and doesn’t know who she is anymore. She hurts both literally and figuratively and she can no longer seem to take care of herself. She wonders what do to next and if she’ll ever feel like herself again.

We’ll travel the world with these two women as they get to know themselves again and figure out what they want in new and unexpected chapters of life. They’ll face obstacles but help each other to overcome them; they’ll be exactly what each other needs in this uncharted season.

The audio narration of this book was so wonderful, and, as I mentioned above, the descriptive language really brought the images to life. Listening to these words, I truly felt like I was in a hotel in London, a market in Marrakesh or a cafe in Delhi, and I loved the cultures explored so beautifully in these paragraphs.

Another book about strong, resilient women, this story was truly a joy and a gift that kept on giving from beginning to end.

This book included a series of letters, which is a favorite literary aspect of mine. Do you enjoy when books contain letters or journal/diary entries?

I listened to the audio version of this book narrated by Andi Arndt. The narration was superb as is all the performances by Ms. Arndt.

In this book, Mariah, a young woman prompted by the death of her famed food writer mother, is determined to finish her mother's last project. She was injured in the same incident that took her mother and the resulting injuries require that she hire a travel companion.

Veronica is trying to escape some things in her life and takes the job as travel companion. It seems that her recent life has been very unsettled. There is also a photographer that travels with them. He also has a past that haunts him. They travel to three different countries to try to unravel the mystery that arises when they read letters written by Mariah's mother. The three find support, friendship, acceptance and even love on their shared journey.


I love books written by Barbara O'Neal. Her books are well researched and well written. It seems like she is always taking me to new lands and stirs the desire to travel in me, which is something, because I hate to travel.

Thanks to Brilliance Publishing (Audio) and NetGalley for the audiobook. All thoughts are my own.

Veronica is newly divorced, navigating financial difficulties and seeking purpose. Mariah is a recently retired Olympic athlete grieving her mother and trying to finish her last project by traveling to Africa, Europe and India guided by Mariah’s mom’s letters. Together, Mariah and Veronica learn about themselves, grow and develop new connections as they follow the letters.

I really enjoyed the age and life experience differences represented in the book and the character development. As someone who enjoys travel and I also appreciated getting to read about new places and add new trips to my travel list. There were times in the story I really struggled with the thinking or decision making of one of the characters, but think that was intentional, as life is messy and outside perspective and/or hindsight is often clearer.

This book had an interesting storyline, complicated characters and relationships, some mystery and self-reflection. The narration was fitting of the characters and I was easily able to follow the character transitions.

* World travels
* Foodie experiences
* Character-driven
* Gun violence aftermath
* Post divorce healing
* Found family

This is the third book I’ve read by O’Neal and the common thread among them all is her ability to write really compelling characters. I really loved Veronica and connected to her right away. I did struggled at the beginning with Mariah who was quite a caustic 20 something. Eventually details about Mariah come to light which help to understand her and why she’s got an edge. Not quite the impact When We Believed in Mermaids had on me but I think my summer attention span didn’t quite mesh with this heavily character-driven story.

It also probably didn’t help that the narration was just okay. The narrator didn’t try any accents, which was a shame since this story travels all over the world. She also pronounced the main characters name incorrectly a few times calling her Maria.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for the alc via Netgalley.

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I absolutely loved this beautiful story. Veronica is going through a divorce and needs a change in her life so she answers an advertisement to be a travel companion to do research for a project. When she meets with Mariah she is surprised to hear that she has gotten the job and she is looking forward to travelling and getting paid for doing the research that she enjoys doing. Mariah wants to finish her mother's project of travelling to cafes in London, Monaco, Paris and India to honour her last wishes. They use letters that her mom wrote to her sister to guide them on this beautiful journey and along the way they learn more about each other and about themselves too.....Enjoy!!!

This is a tragic and beautiful novel about mothers, daughters, friendship and recovery. It follows Mariah, Harry and Veronica as they travel the worldwide to complete a project started by Rachel, during which they heal emotionally and develop deep bonds with one another. The inclusion of young Rachel’s letters enriched the story.
Mariah's journey through grief is heartbreaking, yet understanding her mother better plays a crucial role in her healing process.
Barbara O’Neal is an insightful author with well-crafted stories.
Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity to read/listen to this complimentary advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is such a beautiful book. Beautiful characters, beautiful and heart warming story.

Veronica and Mariah at both embarking on new lives for very different reasons. Mariah hires Veronica as a helper as they travel to Europe to finish Mariah's late mother's book.

5 stars.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Brilliance Publishing for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a beautifully written and emotional story! It pulled me in right away, and I loved how it intertwined so many deep issues into such a compelling read. It's a story of two women who are dealing with very different types of grief over the lives they had before as they search for new meaning and a way forward.

I loved the added mystery they were trying to solve, as well as all the delicious food they tried as they traveled (not gonna lie, I was a little jealous!). The characters really pulled me in, and several moments brought me to tears (especially the parts about mother-daughter relationships and love).

My only wish is that the ending had been less abrupt. I didn't want to leave the characters so soon as everything came together! Overall, it was a very moving read.

A special thanks to Brilliance Publishing, Brilliance Audio, and Netgalley for an early copy of this audiobook to review.