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Liz's Reviews > The Last Thing He Told Me
The Last Thing He Told Me
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As a stepmother whose husband had full custody of 4 teenage girls, this book immediately grabbed me. It’s been decades, but I still remember that feeling of walking on eggshells, trying to develop a relationship with each of them. In fact, at one point, Hannah thinks something I always used to tell myself - pick your battles. So, when her husband Owen goes missing, leaving her a note instructing her to protect her step daughter Bailey, I could totally picture myself in her shoes. I love how these two set out trying to discover exactly what Owen was trying to hide and realizing it goes beyond the financial fraud his company is accused of. It’s a fabulous story - taut, suspenseful. One of the few mysteries that combines in depth character development and a believable plot. (Well, except for one scene when Labrador retrievers are supposed to be guard dogs!).
There is a great sense of tension throughout this book. They don’t know who to believe or who to trust. They’re forced to depend more and more on each other. And in the end, the story deals with what it means to be a mother. That it’s not just about blood. To make decisions for a child, not for yourself.
This made a great audiobook. Rebecca Lowman did a wonderful job as a narrator.
There is a great sense of tension throughout this book. They don’t know who to believe or who to trust. They’re forced to depend more and more on each other. And in the end, the story deals with what it means to be a mother. That it’s not just about blood. To make decisions for a child, not for yourself.
This made a great audiobook. Rebecca Lowman did a wonderful job as a narrator.
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Quotes Liz Liked
“This is the thing about good and evil. They aren't so far apart - and they often start from the same valiant place of wanting something to be different.”
― The Last Thing He Told Me
― The Last Thing He Told Me
“How do you explain it when you find in someone what you’ve been waiting for your whole life? Do you call it fate? It feels lazy to call it fate. It’s more like finding your way home—where home is a place you secretly hoped for, a place you imagined, but where you’d never before been. Home. When you weren’t sure you’d ever get to have one.”
― The Last Thing He Told Me
― The Last Thing He Told Me
“This is the terrible thing about a tragedy. It isn't with you every minute. You forget it, and then you remember it again.”
― The Last Thing He Told Me
― The Last Thing He Told Me
“People don’t tend to work that way. We have our opinion and we filter information into a paradigm that supports it.”
― The Last Thing He Told Me
― The Last Thing He Told Me
“Which is when I understand, in a flash, what I’ve been doing wrong with her—what I’ve been doing wrong in how I’ve been trying to connect with her. I thought if I were nice enough, sweet enough, she’d understand she could count on me. But that’s not how you learn you can count on someone. You learn it in the moments when everyone’s too tired to be sweet, too tired to try hard. You learn it by what they do for you then.”
― The Last Thing He Told Me
― The Last Thing He Told Me
“Owen isn’t who I thought he was, at least not in the details. There are parts I wish didn’t exist, parts I can’t look away from now. In one way or another, this is the deal we all sign when we love someone. For better or worse. It’s the deal we have to sign again and again to keep that love. We don’t turn away from the parts of someone we don’t want to see. However quickly or long it takes to see them. We accept them if we are strong enough. Or we accept them enough to not let the bad parts become the entire story.”
― The Last Thing He Told Me
― The Last Thing He Told Me
Reading Progress
Finished Reading
May 28, 2021
– Shelved as:
currently-listening
May 28, 2021
– Shelved
May 28, 2021
– Shelved as:
audio
May 28, 2021
– Shelved as:
library
May 29, 2021
– Shelved as:
best-of-2021
July 10, 2024
– Shelved as:
book-clubs
Comments Showing 1-34 of 34 (34 new)
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Leslie
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rated it 4 stars
May 29, 2021 09:42AM
This one is next on my TBR pile.
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I loved this one too Liz. Character driven mysteries are my favorites. Great review!
Leslie wrote: "This one is next on my TBR pile."Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
JanB wrote: "I loved this one too Liz. Character driven mysteries are my favorites. Great review!"Thanks Jan! And so rare to find ones that are this good.
Great review Liz. As a step-mom also, I too really enjoyed this one. FYI, in the 30 years I have had small dogs, black labs are the only dogs who have ever attacked them, on more than 1 occasion. They do have an evil twin side. But yes, I noted that seemed odd as well.
Cathrine ☯️ wrote: "Great review Liz. As a step-mom also, I too really enjoyed this one. FYI, in the 30 years I have had small dogs, black labs are the only dogs who have ever attacked them, on more than 1 occasion. T..."Thanks Catherine. Now see, as a lab mom (5 rescues over 23 years) I had to laugh at them as a guard dog. They might lick someone to death... but I hear you on being a small dog mom. They are “hunters” so the prey instinct could have them go after a smaller dog. I’ve certainly seen mine go after cats and squirrels.
Wonderful review, Liz! I loved this one too😊
Kerrin wrote: "Fantastic review!"Thanks Kerrin
Marilyn wrote: "Wonderful review, Liz! I loved this one too😊"Thanks Marilyn. Glad we were of like minds.
Excellent review. Will try as an audiobook:)
Angela M wrote: "Terrific review, Liz."Thanks Angela.
Antoinette wrote: "Excellent review. Will try as an audiobook:)"Thanks Antoinette. Smart choice!
Elyse wrote: "supercalifragilistic review, Liz xo....and agree --the audiobook with Rebecca Lowman was terrific."
Thanks Elyse. So glad we were of like minds.
I just googled and this is being made into an Apple TV series with Julia Robert’s as the lead. Woohoo!
Glad you enjoyed this one Liz, maybe the audiobook was better than the book :)
Dorie - Cats&Books :) wrote: "Glad you enjoyed this one Liz, maybe the audiobook was better than the book :)"Or maybe because it resonated with me as a stepmom. I was totally engrossed in the two main characters. It’s not a fast paced story, but I did find it more suspenseful than you.
I've wondered about this one, Liz, I may have to hunt this one down (and more time to read it as well!) As for Labs, I've never shared my life with one of my own, but my youngest son and his wife have what they were told was a lab, and he looks like your typical black lab. He's the sweetest dog ever, and my little, 5lbs-on-a-fat-day dog Halle would curl up with him in his bed when we'd visit, and he'd just cuddle up with her. A few years ago, my DIL wanted one of those DNA kits for dogs, and it turns out he's close to 100% pit bull, instead.
Cheri wrote: "I've wondered about this one, Liz, I may have to hunt this one down (and more time to read it as well!) As for Labs, I've never shared my life with one of my own, but my youngest son and his wife h..."I’ve always thought pit bulls get a bad rap. I’ve known some real sweethearts.
Fantastic review, Liz! So glad you enjoyed this too!
Meredith wrote: "Fantastic review, Liz! So glad you enjoyed this too!"Thanks Meredith
Excellent review and very interesting, personal perspective. Happy to see this was a 5-star read for you, Liz!
Regina wrote: "Excellent review and very interesting, personal perspective. Happy to see this was a 5-star read for you, Liz!"Thanks Regina. Glad you enjoyed it as well.
Debra wrote: "Terrific review, Liz!"Thanks Debra.
Love those personal relationships in a review, Liz. Glad you enjoyed it and could relate so well.
Barbara wrote: "Love those personal relationships in a review, Liz. Glad you enjoyed it and could relate so well."I think it speaks to why certain books appeal to us.
Mazza2050 wrote: "Great review"Thank you Mazza.
Fab review! 💜 I still need to read this one.
Mary Beth wrote: "Fab review! 💜 I still need to read this one."Thanks Mary Beth. It’s good fun.
Great review, Liz. This book kept me holding my breath until the last sentence. And I agree that Rebecca Lowman really did a great job. Fantastic listen.
Alvdis wrote: "Great review, Liz. This book kept me holding my breath until the last sentence. And I agree that Rebecca Lowman really did a great job. Fantastic listen."Thanks Alvdis. Glad you enjoyed it so much, too.
