REVIEW: One Last Gift by Emily Stone

In One Last Gift by Emily Stone, They say family is what you make it, and that couldn’t be more true for Cassie and Tom Rivers. The loss of their parents to a tragic accident changed their childhood dramatically, creating a bond between the siblings that no one could sever. Their aunt Claire took them in but she didn’t show them much love at the time. It was Tom’s best friend, Sam Malone, and his mum, as well as local pub owner Linda, who made Cassie and Tom feel part of a big family in their small English village. And as they grew up, moved away first for university and then for jobs in London, the trio did what they could to stay close.

‘She’d figure it out, because she had to. And that sense of determination, of need–it made her feel something she’d not felt since that call in December. It made her feel hopeful.’

Then Cassie gets a call she was always afraid she’d receive: her brother Tom died on another one of his grand adventures, leaving behind many people to grieve the loss. As she, Sam, and Tom’s girlfriend Amy try to come to terms with it, Cassie is given one final connection to Tom. He left her the first of several clues in her annual Christmas treasure hunt. Something he created especially for her every year for as long as she can remember. Along the way–once she finally dares open the first envelope–her friends and those she holds dear join in the hunt for Tom’s final gift for Cassie. And who knows? It might turn out to be the catalyst for healing as well as many positive changes–including romance–in her life.

‘Then he looked at her, gave her a half-smile that was so painfully familiar, and she felt her heart jump a little, in a way that made her think that, even now, she would have to be a little careful around Sam Malone, in order to keep her heart safe.’

Emily Stone’s second touching novel, One Last Gift, proves just how proficiently she can tug on a reader’s heartstrings as she takes us on another bittersweet holiday trek across the UK.

‘Then, heart hammering, she picked up the clue. The first clue that would start the hunt to the very last gift her brother would ever give her.’

I will gladly admit that I was wrecked emotionally by Emily Stone’s debut novel, Always, in December. *Wrecked* So I was a little cautious when I began her sophomore effort, One Last Gift. And while it definitely also had loss, grief, heartbreak, and hurt feelings, this had a bit lighter tone to it overall somehow. I think it was because we knew from the synopsis that Cassie was going to lose her brother Tom at some point in the story. I felt more anxious than anything, waiting to see when and how it was to happen during the different time jumps that took place. So it wasn’t a shock. But that doesn’t mean that Stone scrimped on the emotions. She showed Cassie’s–as well as Tom’s best friend Sam’s–sorrow in a raw and very understandable light.

This was mainly told from Cassie’s POV but there were some chapters threaded in from Sam’s POV also. It was interesting to see where his head was at with some of the decisions he had made over the years and to find out his true thoughts/feelings about Cassie. Theirs was an ever-evolving relationship. Friends as kids and into young adulthood, they formed a bond–somewhat over how much they loved and cared for Tom–but once tender, romantic feelings got involved, Cassie and Sam were on different ends of the spectrum. It was a tad frustrating, but because of how realistic Stone had them at odds, it felt honest, based on their personalities and the situations they were in over time.

I did want to mention that as with Always, in December, this had a lovely group of friends and family, plus the locals in Highclere, England, who were an intrinsic part of Cassie, Tom, and Sam’s lives. They all added more depth to the story as well as made a huge impact in the main characters’ lives–particularly with Cassie as many of them were supportive of her trying to complete the final treasure hunt Tom created for her. *sniffle*

QOTD: Have you gone on a treasure hunt before? (It can be local or one that took you across cities/states/countries)

Book Info:

Publication: Published October 11th 2022 (first published August 4th 2022) | Dell |

When a young woman finds herself lost and at a crossroads, one last gift from her brother just might give her another chance at life and at love in this epic holiday romance from the author of Always, in December

Sometimes the best gifts in life are the ones you don’t expect.

Cassie and Tom lost their parents at a young age and relied on each other–as well as a community of friends–to get through it. Especially Tom’s best friend, Sam, who always made sure Tom and Cassie were surrounded with love. But now, twenty years later, Cassie has lost Tom as well. And in a way, she’s also lost Sam; over the years they’ve drifted apart, and now the man she always had a crush on is someone she doesn’t even recognize anymore.

She’s never felt more alone.

Then she finds an envelope with her name on it, written in Tom’s terrible handwriting, and she knows immediately what it is. It’s the first clue in the Christmas scavenger hunt Tom made for her every year; he’d promised her for months that this year’s would be the grandest one yet. At first, she’s too scared to open it–what if she can’t figure out the clues without his help? Or what if she does figure them all out, and her last connection to Tom is gone?

Tom’s clues set Cassie on a heart-wrenching and beautiful journey that will change her life–if she lets them. And as she travels from London to the Welsh mountains to the French countryside, she reconnects with old friends, rekindles a lost love, and most importantly, rediscovers herself. But once she’s solved the final clue, will she be brave enough to accept the gift her brother has given her–and the love it’s led her to?