A Mothers Last Wish by Jo Bartlett
I think have probably all thought a few times about what we would do if we were ever given a death sentence. This book delves into that when Louisa, a wife and mom of two young children is told she has terminal pancreatic cancer. Louisa struggles with the thought of leaving her children the most. The story is told through her view and that of her husband and twin sister. Not gonna lie, it will tear at your heartstrings and definitely make you cry especially if you’re a mother.

My thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘A Mother’s Last Wish’ written by Jo Bartlett in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

After having tests organised by her doctor, Louisa is devastated to learn that she has an aggressive type of cancer. She suffers the debilitating effects of chemotherapy but it isn’t halting the progress of the disease that her specialist had hoped for and she’s gradually getting weaker. With the support of her husband Tom, twin sister Holly, family and friends, Lou comes to terms with what the eventual outcome will be and as well as a Plan A she sets herself a Plan B so that her much-loved children Flo who’s six and Stan four are cared for following her demise.

‘A Mother’s Last Wish’ is definitely the saddest and most heartbreaking novel I’ve read, mainly because nearly two years ago I lost my youngest daughter to the same type of cancer. From the beginning I started sobbing which continued all the way through the story till I reached the final page. The characters were so perfectly described that they had personalities and rather than just fiction they felt real and approachable. Although immensely sad, the story wasn’t over-sentimental and there was a positive ending that life does go on albeit with a huge person-sized gap. Thank you, Jo, for writing such an amazing story that I couldn’t stop reading. I’d give far more than five stars if I could and would love to know how the family moved on with their lives.

This book is about dealing with the an incurable cancer diagnosis of a young mother and how she deals with the emotional aspect of leaving her husband and 2 young children .
Rather than focusing on treatment it is an emotional read that concentrates on how she comes to terms with it and how she wants to help her family while she can .
Get the tissues ready. I sobbed regularly all the way through .
Excellently written and sensitivity pours through the pages .

To everyone who knows them, Louisa and Tom are the perfect couple. They have two beautiful kids, Stan and Flo, and are about to celebrate ten years of happy marriage. Life is perfect. But when Lou is dealt devastating news, that perfect life is turned upside down and Lou and Tom must reevaluate the very foundations on which their marriage is built.

Lou’s greatest concern is who will look after her children if she’s not there to care for them? Will anyone be able to love them like she does?

Holly can’t face the news that Lou is so sick, and as twins they’ve always been together. Older by twenty minutes, Holly has always tried to protect her little sister. So she’ll do anything, promise anything, to make Lou feel happy and safe. Holly loves Stan and Flo fiercely, but with no children of her own can she ever be the mother her sister wants for her children?

Determined to make the most of every precious moment, Lou’s final wish for her family is to show them what it really means to live and love. And as Tom and Holly try to navigate their own pain, all they want is to shower Flo and Stan with love and help them make the most of the time they have left with the mother who adores them.
History comes alive in this brilliant, highly-imaginative, and vivid novel. Immersive and revelatory and a pleasure to read!

Loved this book. Full of love, family and strength. Read this at a pool in Spain and sobbed all through it.

Beautifully written story about how you should always live life to the fullest A terminal illness for Louisa forces her to examine the rest of her days, knowing that she won’t be around to see her children grow. The love of family is what keeps most going. A captivating read. Thanks NetGalley for an ARC. .

A raw, tender, honest and emotional story of what to do when life deals you the most unimaginable card. I can't pretend to understand the immense grief and loss the characters felt but it effected me as I read the words. I felt so much sadness,fear, heartbreak and I don't think I have ever sobbed through reading a whole book before like I did this one. As hard as it was to read I just know it was as hard to write so that's a credit to the author. It's not a easy subject by far and I know most of us dread the C word. In this story we follow women who are facing the worst and the main character is facing her children growing up without her. None of the characters feelings, thoughts or actions are wrong as there is no rule book on how to handle something like this we all just do what we feel is right. Grief is a complex emotion and there is no way to predict it. My heart tore in two for the children and even now writing this I have a lump in my throat. I enjoy fiction books like this because they are not sunshine and roses just like life isn't. They are real and honest and I praise the author for taking on such a tough topic that will or has sadly effected most people.

Such a beautifully written book that is so heartbreaking but also heartwarming too. In my opinion Jo Bartlett is a very talented writer and this, although extremely emotional and at times difficult to read, is in my opinion her best yet. I have never cried as much when reading a book as I did with this.
Louisa receives the devastating news that she has terminal cancer and the story focuses on how, along with her family, Louisa navigates the journey from initial diagnosis to her passing.
I liked how this was written from the different perspectives of the main characters and how the narrative doesn’t ever shy away from the harsh realities of cancer.
Like many others cancer has touched my life, either losing family and friends to it or having them survive this horrible disease. This will stay with me for a long long time and I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to read this.

A fairly easy read, despite the emotional subject matter. The key characters are well rounded and interesting. I did, however, find the plot somewhat predictable and lacking in intrigue or complexity.

This was a breathtakingly poignant read. I was reduced to tears in places as the story unfolded. It is a story of heartbreak but yet somehow positive in how the book headed towards its inevitable conclusion. An utterly transfixing read.

Five stars. I wish I could give it more.
From the very first page I was crying. Jo Bartlett has written the most amazing story of how it feels to faced with the devastating news that Louisa has terminal cancer. Louisa can’t bear to face the thought of how her 2 beautiful children are going to move on without their mummy.
With the love and support from her husband Tom and her twin sister Holly she manages to slowly accept her prognosis.
This was such a beautifully written story which made me sob like my heart was breaking.
Well done Jo what a fabulous book.
Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood books for an ARC of this book.

Jo Bartlett does a fantastic job in writing this book, it had that element that I wanted and enjoyed from this type of book. I was invested in what was happening with the characters and how everything worked in this universe.

A big thank you to Boldwood Books, NetGalley, and the author for granting me this e-ARC to provide my honest opinions.

I tried very hard to not cry while reading this; I resonated with every feeling Louisa, Holly, and Tom felt, and I can't imagine how hard it would have been to write this book 😭😭.

This book was beautifully written; I loved how we get to read the views from Louisa, Holly, and Tom. My emotions progressed from sadness, then to anger and sadness again. No amount of words can describe what I felt for Stan and Flo... those precious babies. My heart aches for them.

I know this is just a book, but this will be one of those books that will always be at the forefront of my brain. 😩😩 Before you read, ensure you read the trigger warnings, and I'm adding them to my review: substance abuse, cancer, loss of a parent, grief, neglectful parents, and others.

And to everyone who has had or received a life-changing diagnosis, my heart goes out to you and your family ❤❤. Thank you to Boldwood Books once again for the e-ARC.

A fantastic read that was more emotive than I was expecting but that made me love it even more. I couldn't put it down and I didn't want too

such a moving and emotional book!! extremely well written!!!! total tear jerker so be fully prepared!

A heartbreaking and heartwarming book about a mother who finds out she has an incurable cancer diagnosis. We follow the mother’s journey from diagnosis until she passes. The story has multiple POV but the mother, Lou, is the main character. I can’t imagine going through something like this but it is heartwarming how much she loves her family and wants to make sure they are taken care of.

The book begins with Louisa and her husband at the dr waiting for test results. While they are waiting, they discuss her sister, Holly, and how devastating it was for her to be alone when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The news is bad, and Louisa tries to plan life for her children once she is gone, including her sister as their mother figure. Very sad. Anyone that has dealt with cancer in their life can relate to this. Very somber and makes you thankful for your health.

A beautifully written poignant book that totally resonated with myself, so many parallels,similar thoughts, scenarios etc
Told in such a tender,honest,raw manner I read it with tears streaming down my face at times as I put myself in Louisa’s position, and that of her husband and children and what their altered future would look like.
Although harrowingly sad, there was hope,joy and overall such a heartwarming feel to this read, one that will stay with me long after reading it!
Thank you NetGalley for this early read

"A Mother's Last Wish" is a book about a woman named Louisa who gets a terminally ill diagnosis. She has a husband, twin sister and 2 young kids and always needs a Plan B, even after receiving her diagnosis....
This book is written in such great detail, portraying the different stages of a terminally ill diagnosis and the emotions attached to it, not just from Louisa's point of view but from her husband and sister too. Having had first hand experience of losing a loved one with this diagnosis this book got me in my core. I wept while reading it, it put my own life with a young kid into perspective and it also made me feel a little lighter in a way I haven't before... it's simply a must read!!

Wonderfully written book. As someone whose husband currently has cancer, I can relate to the characters in this story on a level that many will also be able to. I am by far not unique in having family members with cancer.

This is a heartwarming story, no matter how sad the topic.

Be prepared to cry because you will! I highly recommend this book!