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!

Like all of Barbara O'Neal's books, this story really highlights the range of human emotions and the complicated relationships that exist between mothers and daughters (and other family). I found the combination of the emotional journeys of Mariah and Veronica with the travel journey across multiple countries to be lovely. The travel aspect helped to balance some of the heavier themes covered in the story, and the switching of locations gave a nice cadence to the narrative.

The narration was well done, although I occasionally had trouble following which character was speaking, as the POV switched often.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the opportunity to listen to the ALC and provide an honest review.

CW (at varying degrees): gun violence, suicide/ideation, war

I absolutely enjoyed this amazing story

2 women are at the different points in there life, Veronica is just divorced with 3 grown children and she doesn't even know how to push forward and she has to get a job which hasn't done in over 20 years

Then there's Mariah, a snow skater who had a leg injury and needed a companion to go on a journey with

these two women meet and there lives begin to change and intertwine

I absolutely loved listening to this story

Barbara O’Neal’s name was very familiar to me, so I was surprised to realise that this seems to be the first of her books that I’d read.

I finished the book last night, and I was initially going to give it a much higher rating, but I realised that while I did actually really enjoy the story, it wasn’t still lingering in my mind. Or rather, it was, but a couple of really big questions were left unanswered. So 3.5 🌟 seems fair.

Part travelogue, part food blog. The Novel begins with recently divorced Veronica wondering where she goes now in life, her children are grown her husband has gone and she’s far from financially stable enough to take the trip of her dreams, then by chance she sees an advert from Mariah, who is seeking a travel companion due to an injury. Mariah is embarking on a journey to complete her deceased mother’s final book.

I won’t spoiler much from there, but the pair embark on a journey that takes them from America to London, to Paris and Marrakesh and finally India, along the way they strike up a “found family” type friendship, and there are some beautiful descriptions of the settings and of course the food.

I related to Veronica a lot throughout the book, and I was swept away to far away lands for the duration of the book. On reflection though, there should’ve been a lot more food and travel written into the story.

I wonder if I’ll ever get it into my head that cilantro is coriander without the assistance of google.

I enjoyed the narration.

Huge thanks to Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧

What an absolutely bingable story! Read it in one day and didn't want to leave these characters once the final chapter turned it's last page. I've read a few of Ms. O'Neal's other books and some I've loved and some I've felt were a decent read but didn't send me to the same place of book bliss. The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth is the type of book that keeps peeling back layer after layer so that you feel so deeply the pain and perseverance that these characters endure.

Veronica is a recently divorced mother of 3 grown children who's husband has left her for a younger woman. Veronica is dealing with the upcoming holidays and dreading the fact that her children will be spending it with her ex-husband. She also was a stay-at-home mom and has no real career to fall back on now that she is on her own. There are more nuanced dynamics that come into play between her and the ex and he definitely was a character we grow to dislike on so many levels.

Mariah is in need of a travel companion t help assist her on a trek through London, Paris and India to finish a project her mother had started before she died.. Maria is dealing with an injury that was a result of a horrible event. She is seeking someone who can help her with her bags and also with some of the research needed to explore the "letters" that her mother wrote to Maria's Aunt.

The story builds around these two characters and also the introduction of Henry who was a close friend to Mariah's mother.. He joins them as the photographer that helps them document their travels.

There is a story that involves Mariah's mother that is uncovered and then a growing relationship between the trio. I love how Barbara weaves so many emotions of tragedy, heartache and love in this story. The audiobook is superb! Highly recommend!

Another Barbara O'Neal ringer! I love the way she weaves mystery, travel, romance, and friendship all into a book. This was a very original concept, while not being too far-fetched.

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.