Oh goodness. I just finished an advanced reader’s copy from NetGalley of The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth. I absolutely loved it. We meet Mariah, Veronica and Henry on a wonderful journey. Veronica is working as a companion to Mariah, and Henry is the photographer. But there is so much more than that. Each one is working through problems on their own, but they all come together as family. The words, the languages, the smells and flavors all combine to make an amazing story. Barbara O’Neal has told of a wonderful journey and I loved taking it with her. Five stars. Thank you NetGalley for an early read for my honest feedback.

I love books by Barbara O’Neal. Her latest, The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth was an excellent book. I couldn’t put it down.

The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth is a heart-warming story of love, loss and the journey through grief. Veronica and Mariah may seem like opposites in every sense of the word but their shared grief brings them together as they search for answers left by Mariah’s late mother. This story brings together all the best parts of travel and light-hearted mystery that keeps you hooked until the very end.

Healing from past trauma is a journey that requires courage, patience and support; nobody knows that better than Mariah Ellsworth and Veronica Barrington.

These two broken women help each other reframe their narratives and reclaim agency. Mariah is grieving the loss of her Olympic snowboarding career and the loss of her mother, while Veronica is grieving the loss of her marriage and abrupt divorce while dealing with ‘empty nest’ syndrome. Both know that connecting with a supportive community will help them foster a sense of belonging and fulfillment, but they have little idea about how a multi-continent journey will impact them.

When Mariah feels compelled to finish her mother’s writing project and hires Veronica as an assistant, they inadvertently help each other build resistance, process their emotions, learn to forgive, and finally let go. When a photographer, Henry Spinuzza, joins them, this journey becomes a healing one for all three.

This is my third book by author Barbara O’Neal and I’ve come to realize that she really knows how to emotionally involve her readers and uses her well-honed writing skills to keep them turning pages. I love that she crafts her characters so that they aren’t defined solely by the trauma. This time, I got a sense of who Veronica was as a person outside of her family and who Mariah was when not labeled as an athlete or grieving. Furthermore, O’Neal’s use of dialogue and her characters’ body language mirror their experience and coping mechanisms.

This is a worthy read because O’Neal enriches her readers’ understanding of the human experience in an authentic and empathetic way. She delicately navigates the narrative landscape of trauma.

I was gifted this copy by Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I received this ARC copy in exchange for a review:

London, Paris, India and food mixed with heartbreak and some mystery. What's not to love! ❤️ My favorite by Baraba O'Neal is still the Starfish Sisters but this was a solid enjoyable read.

Barbara O’Neal know show to write a book that pulls all the heartstrings and has you thinking about it from months to come. This book was fabulous!! Loved it. Add it to your TBR list.

after reading and adoring o’neal’s previous book, i was over the moon to dive into her latest release and it did not disappoint! i feel like this time around i enjoyed the firmer plot and characters, as the mystery had me invested and the romance was just enough to have me rooting for them! (far be it from me to read a book without some kind of romance-adjacent factor). i devoured this in one sitting and im already missing being in this world

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union for the opportunity to read The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth by Barbara
O'Neal who has long been one of my favorite authors. I have read everything she's written, including her books written under other names. I have enjoyed every one - but none more than this one.

The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth by Barbara O'Neal, published by Lake Union Publishing, is a full length stand alone romance novel. A story that spans years, impacts families, telling Veronica and Mariah's story.
I loved the growth of the characters, loved the twists and turns that had me guessing till the last page.
I loved the family dynamics and the beautiful writing, 5 stars.