Opened this book at random on my kindle on holiday in Cyprus, and was delighted to see it was actually set in Cyprus.

And even happier to say that it hasn't made me fear for my life or anything equally sinister while on holiday here.

Set up in the mountains, its a retreat, a community of like minded people working to be the best versions of themselves they can possibly be.

But even in this sun-drenched setting things can go wrong and there are a surprising number of secrets to be uncovered.

And a massive moral dilemma that shocks all the residents into trying to work out whether they can really do the unthinkable for a huge sum of money.

it was eye opening and certainly gripping, and I loved the story being told from various view points.

A thrilling book and one I thoroughly enjoyed.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

The Last Resort is a book that I didn’t know which way it was going to take me.
The book is based at a spiritual community in Cyprus, Pureheart. Sophia has returned, she used to live her with her mother but unfortunately she died and her grandparents took her back home with them. It is now several years later and she has returned along with two bodyguards as she is a kidnap risk due to the amount of money she has inherited. Quinn is the leader and has been for many years but she is struggling to keep on top of the finances due to heavy loan repayments. Sophia returning is perhaps a bit of light in the dark but although Sophia offers enough money to keep Pureheart going for many years to come it comes at a price and Quinn hopes the rest of the community sides with herself and not go along with Sophia’s suggestion.
This was a book that was quite slow going, it did help me as you really got to know the characters, there were quite a few twists and I enjoyed it with the ending not going the way I expected it to.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

I am usually a fan of this author however I found this book harder to read than normal, as of this I didn’t finish it

I did find this book a bit of a slog. It all started off well with the description of a commune type place seemingly filled with delicious food such as bowls of Greek yoghurt brimming with apricots and honey. So far so good.
However the peace takes a tricky turn for the worst when a girl who grew up there returns to change things forever. I have to say that there seemed to be some rather repellent characters in the story, whilst others made your heart ache for the .

I would call it a summer read, but just keep clear of wellness

I requested this book without even reading the synopsis, this author is an instant buy for me. Plus the cover looked nice, luxury mountain-y. I didn’t realize what this book was about. The cover is misleading which is unfortunate as the book itself is quite good.

The story is about love and revenge and honesty. It’s well written and very descriptive. The author is fabulous as usual.


10/10 would recommend.

Very disappointing, I found this book boring and cringing. Didn't like the characters or the story. Gave up and didn't finish it. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Cyprus

The Pure Heart group lives in an old type of mansion. There are 17 members. At the time, Eva is a young woman who suffers from depression. Her daughter, Sofia, 12, is well-loved by the members of the little community. Eva took her life and Sofia was removed from the place by her wealthy Russian grandparents. An elderly man once funded the place but when he dies, the members realize that his money has been depleted.

Ten years later.

Quinn is the accepted head of the community. Money is very tight for them. They grow their own vegetables and fruit and have chickens. They all believe that the past does not exist and they live for today and tomorrow. When they hear from Sofia that she is coming for a visit for a time, everyone is delighted to see the young woman she has become. But the elegant woman arrives with lots of luggage and two Russian bodyguards. Feeding two more is worrisome for them.

Oh dear. This book was a real struggle. I cannot even imagine what kind of person would willingly want to live in a place like this. Is there such a thing as a cult mentality? I suppose one would have to have something like that to fit into this place. So much of this book is just hoopla and totally cringe-worthy. Not for me. Sorry.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I would love nothing more than to be at a resort right now….

🛥️ pina colada in hand
🛥️ cute little pool boy waiting on me
🛥️ 10 lbs lighter….

Just not THIS resort

TJ Emerson, has done it again. This thriller will have you biting your nails and closing your eyes.

I could not get enough

Hook.Line.Sinker. I was done for as soon as I flipped that first page .

It would become another minimally productive day as I knew immediately I would not be able to put this one down, and I wasn’t wrong.

This book is amazing and you need it, almost as much as I need another book by Emerson, ASAP

Check out this teaser :

As soon as you first see the house, a former hotel in a picturesque enclave of the Cypriot hills, you know this abandoned resort is the perfect home for you – with breath-taking views, a refreshing pool, and peace and quiet, away from the rest of the world. A place to recover and grow.

But paradise isn’t cheap, and as the debts mount, you could lose everything you've worked so hard for.

Until someone makes you an offer: to keep your home, all you have to do is take a life.

But you could never do that… could you?

You’d die to stay here. But would you kill to?

When I read the blurb on the back, I thought it was going to be about something entirely different. So, I was a bit disappointed. I don't mind a slow book but this was something else.

The biggest issue I had with this book is I just foud the blurb so misleading. I felt it really sets you up for something totally different. The story itself isn't bad but I think I would have enjoyed it more if I felt I was going into a book understanding that this isn't a luxury holiday resort but essentially a cult. Some of the descriptions were beautiful and I had a real feel for where it was set but sadly it didn't really work for me.

Thank you #Netgalley

Not what I was expecting, but was pleasantly surprised with the plot. The resort is actually a community, pure heart, lead by their leader Quinn. When a past member comes back seeking revenge, the community does not know what to do. They think they can fix her. But we quickly learn she has her reasons and secrets begin to come to the surface. I liked the "community" plot line which resembles that of a cult and how they all listen to one person for direction. At the very end, I wanted more! After seeing the connections come to life, I want to see where they are now ;)

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house in the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for review based upon my honest opinion.

This was a good read. I feel like it was not the thriller that I thought it was going to be, but I did enjoy the storyline. I thought the book was going to have a more sinister feel and be a deeper story. I did enjoy the characters And there were a few twists that were surprising. It was a quick read, and I would definitely check out this author again.

I was on the blog tour with Rachel's Random Resources

http://ramblingmads.uk/2024/03/20/blog-tour-the-last-resort-t-j-emerson/

I really enjoyed this book. It was different than anything else I've read recently. I couldn't put it down! I will keep an eye out for this author's future work!

This is the best book I have read this year Pure heart is a commune in Cyprus.Quinn is the leader and has been there from the start.Sofia a young Russian millionaire returns grown up and offers everyone money to kill Quinn for the murder of her mother.
A violent episode ends in tragedy but all the events in the story have led up to this..Quinn is dead but everyone else is now happy at Pure heart .Sofia has got her way. This is a gripping thriller by a brilliant writer

Very interesting premise and enigmatic characters. I enjoyed the read and it was a quick one given it was 400+ pages and could have dragged, but didn't. There's a lot going on here and if you are willing to suspend belief for a bit and don't roll your eyes too hard when mind, body and spirit healing are explored, I think you'll very much enjoy the trip.

I gave this book the whole five stars! I love the setting of this book because I work at a hotel. I was not able to put this book down. I was hooked from the first chapter! This book while fiction makes you seriously question yourself and values. You will not regret reading this one!

My Thoughts: this did not go the way I thought it would at all, but I really really enjoyed it!

Again maybe that was my fault as I went in without reading the synopsis so I expected a holiday with disastrous consequences, but what I got was a group of people living off grid at an abandoned hotel. One of them returns after leaving to sty with her grandparents after her mum dies and she brings with her an offer for the other residents that will leave one of them dead if they take her up on it!

Although the pacing was fairly slow for a thriller I do feel that this worked well with the story , if left things opened ended for a while and really allows the suspense and the doubts to build!

The story was told from multiple perspectives which as you’ll know if you’ve been here a while, that is definitely one of my favourites as it gives you a well rounded look at the story.

I really enjoy TJ Emerson’s writing, this is the second book of hers that I’ve read and will be looking out for more in the future. ☺️

If you’re looking for a new thriller to add to your TBR then look no further because you’ve found it.

You can’t always tell a book by its cover or its title is proven once again. Exchange the meaning of resort from spa holiday destination to the other meaning of the last resort - last chance - and you can see where this novel is going to veer off the pretty beach path. A prolific writer, Emerson, is hit or miss for me and this is not one of the best I’ve read.

Starting with the cover. I love it. It drew me in and is perfect for the story. My thoughts so far are that this is going to be really good when it gets going. It has started off a bit slow but it is gaining momentum. I am enjoying the duel timeline so I get a bit of backstory too.

I loved the setting because it’s perfect for somewhere that a ‘commune’ would settle and where some stuff could go down! I was interested in the whole premise.

I’m enjoyed getting to know the characters. I was curious as to who has doing the little reports and where it was going. They are all stating clearly that they would do anything to keep the commune going so I thought it was going to make for thrilling reading. Unfortunately I found that didn’t happen. It was a very slow start and didn’t pick up until nearly 90%.

It wouldn’t stop me reading more by this author but I found myself not rushing to pick it up.