Daisy Groves lives in Poole, Dorset with her twin sister Rose and her parents. Daisy is a paintress, for Poole Pottery, she marries Alfred Carter, his father owns the company. Like everyone Daisy and Rose, Alfie and their families are worried about another world war starting. When Alfie receives his call up papers, Daisy is upset and she’s frantic when she hears about the British troops are stranded at Dunkirk, she keeps looking out across the harbour waiting for the Little Ships to return including the Thomas Kirk Wright’s a Poole lifeboat and it's bringing soldiers back from France.

Over ten days, thousands of retreating troops are ferried back to England, it was chaos on the beaches, men had to stand waist deep water for hours and hope there was enough room on a vessel. Alfie is declared missing in action, presumed dead, and Daisy is a young widow and she’s only been a bride for a few months. By chance she meets a French soldier Luc Laurent, he was on the beach at Dunkirk and he’s one of many French soldiers who were rescued.

The story has a dual timeline, it’s set in the 1940’s and in 1996, and told from the two main characters points of view Daisy and Felicity.

Felicity James is devastated when her childhood sweetheart Pete dies in a tragic accident, she has the support of her gran and her best friends June and Mark. Later, Felicity decides she needs a holiday, she travels to the South of France, to Côte d'Azur and stays in the town of Saint- Christophe, on the French Rivera, overlooking the stunning blue Mediterranean Sea and horseshoe shaped harbour. Felicity finds a small jug in a curiosity shop, and she wonders how a piece of Poole Pottery ended up in Côte d'Azur? Felicity meets Jean-Pierre Dubois, a baker and restaurant owner and he shows her around the town and countryside and Felicity falls in love with France and is it too soon for her to develop feelings for another man?

I received a digital copy of The Last Boat Home by Rachel Sweasey from Boldwood Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. The author uses her own personal story, her English heritage, and her association with Poole and the Royal National Life Boast Institution to base her narrative around.

The dual timeline saga is about separation, loss, love, togetherness, relationships, loneliness, and regret, and heartbreak, second chances, with a strong emphasis on Dunkirk, the sea, fishing and seafaring. Four stars from me, a great combination of fact and fiction, I loved the descriptions of France and the yummy food.

This has an interesting cast of characters that carry the story along a nice pace and create depth to the story. Great plot and I found myself filling an afternoon reading this in one sitting as I found it so enjoyable. Loved the descriptions of France. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest , unbiased review. 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️