Thank you to Net Galley and Bookouture for allowing me access to the ARC of Last Christmas in exchange for my honest review.
This book was intriguing, intense, and suspenseful up until the very end.
It was about three sisters along with their husbands and parents celebrating Christmas together. There are secrets, lies, jealousy, tension, and lots of family dysfunction that made this one hard to put down.
It is told from the perspective of two sisters and one husband providing multiple viewpoints. The characters were well developed, each holding secrets and drama of their own.
Fantastic read, 4/5 stars.

Amazing book.
Had me hooked instantly.
Having 3 peoples stories really intrigued.
Would recommend to family and friends.
So many twists in the story to keep you interested

This was more of a family drama/suspense and not really a thriller in my opinion. After reading the synopsis I was excited to read this, but I had higher hopes. I didn’t feel connected to the characters. I did however find the story well written and it did keep me engaged. I just didn’t overly enjoy the last bit of the book. It’s hard to rate it, because I liked it but at the same time I didn’t like it that much.

This book started out strong but got didn't continue its momentum.
SPOILERS:
The characters are not likeable. Neil, who I did feel sympathy for somewhat, gets killed early on. However, despite his depression, his behavior really grated on me. The whole drinking and throwing up on his in-laws' porch was disgusting. I was shocked Sacha stayed with him.
Later on, we find out Sacha wasn't so great either. The author tried to make her a sympathetic character but then we found out she had been sleeping with her sister's husband.
Christy's POV felt unnecessary in moving the narrative forward. I started off liking her but I was puzzled why she was with her toxic husband, Adam. Later on, we find out Adam had been hitting on Christy's sister and despite this, Christy stays with him.
The ending was quite predictable. It didn't even feel much like a thriller. The tepid climax / ending made it feel like a family drama of a highly dysfunctional family.

2 stars out of 5.

Based on the synopsis, this book sounded really good but it did not deliver and I was left disappointed. The book started off with so much potential, it really drew me into the story, but then it just got boring. I almost didn't finish this book on multiple occasion. When the ending came along, it was predictable. None the of the characters were likable either. This one just wasn't for me.

Sacha's husband Neil ends up dead at the bottom of a cliff while at Sacha's families Christmas celebration. Multiple people in Sacha's family don't like Neil, so could one of them have killed him? Or was his death an accident?

Thanks Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Overall this book was a good read, it had some good twists. However it wasn’t what I was expecting somehow,

Threads Loosen..
Tensions rise over the Christmas period leading to, perhaps, unexpected results in this dark domestic noir. Relayed effectively with the use multiple narratives, viewpoints are exposed and the drama escalates as threads loosen and the family tapestry inevitably falls apart. Twists and turns litter an immersive plot populated by well drawn and credible characters and where more detail is given over to the domestic drama saga than the murder mystery. A well done insight into a, mainly, appalling family enduring extreme tragedy and who are most definitely not having a Merry Christmas.

The author did an excellent job of describing Neil and how he was struggling with depression, poor self esteem, was feeling like a failure as he couldn't get his wife pregnant and was dreading the Christmas holiday. Neil really wanted to stay home but his wife-Sacha told him they needed to spend it with her family as her father is dying. Your heart goes out to Neil as he is struggling and once you meet all of Sacha's family even more so.

This family is so dysfunctional that you will be thankful you don't have to spend the holidays with them. So much family drama, lies, murder and of course jealousy make for one Christmas you won't soon forget.

This is a pretty heavy emotional read for a holiday book.

This book was just not what expected it to be…
I read this book as an ARC.
I don’t think this book can count as a thriller or crime book.
However, it wasn’t fun for me. I was really happy when I finished it… it was boring. Nothing exciting happens and everything is predictable. You can predict who the killer is and there are not any plot twists.
I can’t say more about this book. I’m sorry.

here were some great twists, and at 275 pages, it was a quick read. . Only the first 40% of the book takes place during Christmas, so I do wish it were a bit more Christmassy, and there was something I would have liked more of an explanation on, but overall I really enjoyed this one!

Christmas + thriller = SIGN ME UP! I loved this. I love the writing style. I loved the twists and turns. Can’t wait to read more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to reach this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I rcvd a copy of this book via NetGalley for my honest opinion.

I wanted to like this book. A family murder mystery over the Christmas holiday sounded like great fun. However, I couldn't find a character that I actually liked. It was so hard reading Neil. All he did was moan and complain. The "poor me" behavior got old fast. Did anyone in this family even remotely like each other?

I've heard good things about the author and will try another of her books however this one was not for me.

First of all Thank you, THANK YOU for the opportunity to read this book. Normally, I am not a Psychological Thriller fan,but Last Christmas changed all of that. I thought that I had everything figured out but oh boy, I was wrong. This is one that I believe I must purchase when it is released in November.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Maria Frankland and #Bookouture for the opportunity to read an advance copy of LAST CHRISTMAS, to be republished November 10, 2023. 5/5 Stars for this family ensemble of intrigue and suspense. Everyone has secrets, but those in this family pretty well outweigh most others! I expected a warm, heartening feeling from the title. Wow was I surprised! It’s not what it seems is the ongoing theme. As the novel moves through one trial after another, the members of the family are seriously affected until the bitter end. Great read. #NetGalley #Bookouture #MariaFrankland #LastChristmas

Sacha and her husband are visiting her family for Christmas. Her father us unwell and everyone wants to be together for his last christmas. Sascha's husband Neil is struggling with chronic depression and causes a few minor issues with her family. Then suddenly Neil ends up dead. Who killed her hubsand. Was it an accident?


This book had me hooked from the very first page. I believe I read it in under 1 day. I figured out the story pretty early on in the book but I still very much enjoyed the plot.


Thank you to Netglalley and Bookouture for a digital copy of this item exchage for an honest review.

#LastChristmas #NetGalley
A good read.
Neil and Sacha have travelled to her parents as it is probably the last Christmas her terminally ill father will celebrate.
Neil does not want to go, he has never felt part of Sacha's family. He is battling depression, alcoholism and his marriage seems to be collapsing as well.
Christmas day, things come to a head between him and his toxic brother in law, and Sacha's mother sends them out on a walk to sort things out.
Only one man returns.
Starting was a bit slow but it picked up soon.
It's a fun read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me an advance copy.

Maria Frankland, the Queen of dark domestic drama, does it again. Take one perfectly ordinary family and throw them in the pressure cooker that is Christmas. Well ordinary in so much that this is to be dad’s last Christmas as he is suffering from terminal cancer. No pressure there to make it the best Christmas ever. Ordinary in so much as one of the son-in-laws is suffering from clinical depression and his wife, Sacha, despises him for his inability to hold down a job, give her a child and stop drinking. The in-laws don’t like him much either and he’d rather be anywhere else than spending Christmas with the wife’s family. Ordinary in so much that two of the sisters don’t like each other much either. Sacha can’t bear to look at Rebecca who is about to give birth to her third child.

Looks like a recipe for disaster and that is just what it is, however, even in their wildest dreams the family could not have envisaged what a disaster. Fortunately I was on holiday when I started reading this because I just had to know what was going to happen. How would this end? I read solidly until midnight and only stopped then because I could not keep my eyes open. I picked it up first thing the following morning.

Frankland keeps the suspense going until the last possible moment and the end certainly blindsided me. I can thoroughly recommend this thrilling read.

Wow! I can honestly say this is the best book I have read for a long time, the twists and turns kept on coming. I couldn't put this book down and it kept me up until the early hours this morning. The story was believable and I really felt myself routing for Neil at the beginning and that ending! Put a massive smile on my face I was not expecting that. Thank you so much for letting me review this book I loved it

Thank you to Netgallery and the publishers for this ARC.
This is my first time reading from this author wow what a book! This is the perfect whodunnit book which is full of suspense and many twists and turns! The characters were well written my favourite character was Sascha.
This is one of the best domestic thrillers I have ever read! It had it all, love, hate, tension, remorse, sadness. I loved every minute of reading it! 😊

It is Christmas, and Neil and Sacha have travelled to her parents as it is probably the last Christmas her terminally ill father will celebrate.
Neil does not want to go, he has never felt part of Sacha's family. He is battling depression, alcoholism and his marriage seems to be collapsing as well.
Christmas day, things come to a head between him and his toxic brother in law, and Sacha's mother sends them out on a walk to sort things out.
Only one man returns.

Well, I have to say I could barely bring myself to put this highly suspenseful book down! The story weaves between the members of the family, highlighting their jealousies, and the competing for their parent's attention and love.
I cannot say I liked Sacha very much at all. Her behaviour was horrible, and as the book progressed, I found that she really wasn't a nice person.

I don't want to spoil the story for anyone, but I had my suspicions as to who put Sacha in hospital, and I was right.

Maria Frankland certainly knows how to write a psychological thriller, and keep the reader avidly turning pages!

I just have a problem with the timeline. Neil's funeral takes place in late January, the inquest late February, and by then, Sacha has been in a coma for 7-8 weeks. Or am I reading it wrong?

Apart from that, I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.