My first read by Nina Manning, this definitely won't be my last! Fab story about Sylvie, an actress, so when her agent calls to offer her the lead in a film with a handsome star calked Dexter, shes worried because she had a breakdown on her last film, she realizes she must relive part of her past as this part will involve swimming in the sea which was her undoing early in her life. And so we travel to Corsica in 2008 to see her family--mother, father, two sisters--and the fateful night sister Franny disappeared. Past and present collide in this fascinating tale of childhood, mental instability, family ties, and the lengths people will go to when protecting their loved ones.

Thank you NetGalley for the kindle copy in exchange for an honest review. Actress Rey Levine is trying to make a comeback. She lands a role alongside heartthrob Dexter Rice. Suddenly she finds herself in her own thrilling drama. A great read!

I really wanted to love this story more than I did, as it dealt with some very serious and dark issues; such as control and coercion, physical and mental abuse of a minor, alcoholism and an instilled guilt complex.

All of this baggage had been haunting Rey since her childhood, which had culminated in the disappearance of her younger sister when she was a teenager some fifteen years ago, something she has always felt and been led to believe, was her fault, a notion she has never been told was not in fact the truth.

The guilt and painful memories had caused Rey to lead a life fuelled by excesses of drink, men and substance abuse; all three readily available in her position as an actress of some renown. However, with middle-age approaching, Rey's bright star is on the wane, her life and mental health is in freefall and she knows that the only way she has any chance of stopping the downward spiral, is to face her own demons about her childhood and find out the truth of exactly what did happen to her sister on that fateful holiday night on the beach.

Told as a thoughtful and thought-provoking, dual-timeline story, Rey's flashbacks to her childhood filled in the gaps and fleshed out her very disjointed thoughts, with her traumatic recollections and current day insecurities and lack of closure, being described in great detail by Rey herself.

Addictive, compulsive and claustrophobic as a storyline, the writing should have been more compelling. However, as much as I wanted to feel sympathy with Rey, realising just how permanently damaged she was, I found I simply couldn't relate to the self-centred pity which exuded from her every thought and word, which was so emotionally draining for me as an outsider. It was only her reaction when a partial truth was revealed about events of the night fifteen years ago when her sister disappeared, which had me connect with her in any meaningful way, but by then it was too little too late to redeem my reading experience.

If you enjoy a storyline which dives into the deepest depths of the damaged mind and tries to rationalise and analyse those disjointed thoughts, then this would definitely be a book worth trying.

Rey, a had-been movie star has a chance at stardom again with a new movie deal…but it involves performing an action that brings up past trauma of her missing sister. Told in a then and now format, Rey’s past and secrets are revealed. This was a slower psychological thriller with a focus on character development rather than plot, as the one twist was revealed at the very end.
3.75 stars

A poignant, driven read that keeps you invested from beginning to end, a wonderfully written thriller!

Very unsatisfying story that takes a long time to get to where you absolutely know what happened. Terrible dialogue between the two actors like something from a sketch show, certainly no actor ever uttered those hackneyed cliches. Ending is abrupt and all in all is very amateurish

Rey is an actress that is in a bit of a slump at the minute. When she gets a chance of a perfect job opportunity will she take it? Plagued by the disappearance of her younger sister when she was just 17, can she keep this out of the public eye?

I feel like this was not your typical Nina Manning book. It started off slow and just never really picked up from there. I was disappointed as I usually enjoy her books.

I have previously read some of Nina's books and loved them. This one unfortunately didnt hit the mark for me . I didnt like the ending. I was left disappointed.

Her Last Summer tells the story of Rey an actress who has been out of work after a few unfavourable public moments but has been offered a new role that could turn things around. Just as she begins to prepare for this role, her sister, Scarlet goes to the media and sets things in motion to bring up some very difficult moments from their past. Narration alternates between the present, and the past, a summer many years ago when Rey's youngest sister Franny, disappears during a family vacation near the coast. Between infuriating paparazzi, tense family relationships and Rey's own fears and self doubt, preparing for this role and continuing to keep her past in the past just got a whole not more difficult!

I have read a few of Manning's books and enjoyed them, but this was my first Manning suspense/thriller. I enjoyed the book, and found it a pretty good balance between suspense and regular fiction, but it was not my favourite book from this author. I did find that there were a few grammatical and mechanical errors (mostly awkward/incorrect use of punctuation) as well as a few repetitive parts, something I haven't noticed in her other books. I found the ending just ok. There was a lack of closure, but also not a cliffhanger or ending where the author seemed to intentionally allow the reader to make their own guesses to the ending, so I just ended things feeling a bit disappointed. I am glad I read the story and did enjoy it, but I was hoping for a little more in all areas.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher, boldwood books, for giving me the chance to read and review this book!

The writing of this book is great, it's free flowing and the book gets you gripped right from the very 1st chapter. It tells the story of getting your life back after a traumatic event. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and author for this advanced copy.

This book pulls you in from the start. Gripping, and rather sad at times, it tells the story of getting life back after trauma. The writing was wonderful, it flowed perfectly. I can't wait to read more from this author.
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and author for this advanced copy.

You want an honest review so here it is. Disappointed doesn’t begin to even cover it. I’m mad. This was not a thriller or gripping, I’m not sure what it was. It was slow and boring and kept implying it was building to something bigger. I kept waiting and waiting and then ……. Nothing! What a let down absolutely no closure and that infuriates me when a book ends that way! I will not be recommending this book.

I was very disappointed with this story. It was described as a gripping psychological thriller and it lacked every single one of these elements. It should be categorized as a family drama with a touch of mystery. It was slow and boring, and I did not connect with the unlikable main character. The ending did not give me any closure, which frustrates me beyond words. Definitely would not recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this eARC.

Actress Rey has been out of work since her last public meltdown. Now she is offered a role to relaunch her career and she cannot refuse. The only problem is she needs to swim which she hasn't done since her little sister vanished at the beach decades ago...
Her Last Summer is a psychological thriller set in the UK in the present and Corsica in the past.
Rey's career is stalled after a series of unfavourable public incidents. Now she has a second chance and a brilliant opportunity. But she needs to get water confident again and quickly so enrols at a local pool. This instantly brings the past back to the forefront of her mind and she needs to deal with her hidden emotions.
I found Rey quite difficult to like despite her obvious emotional pain. The disappearance of her little sister has haunted her for years and she has tried to self medicate with drink and drugs. There is also generational pain as we find out about her mother's drink issue and the unhappy family situation. This is revealed through Rey's made up story which she uses to ditract herself in the present day, as well as big clues and a hugely uncomfortable atmosphere in the 2008 chapters.
I was quite intrigued at the beginning of the book but the pace slows in the middle before racing along at the end. There are lots of hints about Franny's disappearance and Rey's guilt. Her fear of water is a direct result of her past trauma and now she is also feeling threatened by journalists and paparazzi who want to expose the truth. I thought that the ending was very rushed and didn't wrap up the plot threads or resolve the mystery to my satisfaction.
Her Last Summer is an emotional psychological thriller with an intriguing mystery.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this advanced copy. I had high hopes for this one, but it left alot of unanswered questions. I got into the plot, of Rey getting hired for a movie, but super anxious about not wanting to do swim scenes, because of something in her past, a hint that something happened with her sister. But the movie never finished and we didn't find out exactly what happened to her sister? I did like the writing style and the plot.

3.5 rounded up
I love a book with dark pasts, secrets and lies and this did not disappoint.

Whilst I didn’t like Fey as a character, I loved her relationships with her sisters both in the past and how her and Scarlett’s was stained in the present. I did feel for her, having the finger pointed at, by those in the actual know how and I’m not surprised of her actions in the present.

I liked how the ending was roughly tied up but I am so intrigued about a certain character new life, a follow up is needed or I will forever be wondering!

An actress named Rey has been in a professional slump and is seeking work when the perfect opportunity falls into her lap from her agent. Rey has a past that she’s been keeping hidden, but it comes to the public’s attention as she’s thrust back into the limelight with her new movie. Her youngest sister disappeared as they vacationed in France as children, and now people are spectating as what could have happened and whether Rey could have been involved. Rey is forced to face her fears as the movie she’s booked puts her back in the ocean, which she’s avoided since her sister went missing.

I enjoyed this read, but the ending definitely left more to be desired. I felt like there was an incredible build up with the story, and then it felt rushed in the last few chapters. Otherwise it was a great read!

Nina Manning is one of my favourite authors, so I was super excited to read this new book. It certainly didn’t disappoint.
It drew me in quickly and I had to keep reading on. The ending is fabulous and unexpected. It’s the perfect beach read.

Rey has finally gotten the acting job she has needed, but there is a catch. She must swim in open water, something she hasn't done in fifteen years.

I like a good conquering your fears story but this one didn't really give us that as I was expecting. I liked the dual timelines so we can learn why Rey is afraid. The book is billed as a thriller but I didn't feel like it was one. Read more like a drama about past and current events. The conclusion came up fast but left a few thins unanswered. I found the flashback sections of the book the most interesting part.

I just felt like there needed to be more at the end.

Thanks to netgalley and Boldwood Books for the arc.