Title: Last One Home
Series: New Beginnings, #1
Author: Debbie Macomber
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Date Published: March 10, 2015
Rating: 3 Stars
Growing up, Cassie Carter and her sisters, Karen and Nichole, were incredibly close -- until one fateful event drove them apart. After high school, Cassie ran away from home to marry the wrong man, throwing away a college scholarship and breaking her parents’ hearts. To make matters worse, Cassie had always been their father’s favorite -- a sentiment that weighed heavily on her sisters and made Cassie’s actions even harder to bear.
Now thirty-one, Cassie is back in Washington, living in Seattle with her daughter and hoping to leave her past behind. After ending a difficult marriage, Cassie is back on her own two feet, the pieces of her life slowly but surely coming together. Despite the strides Cassie’s made, she hasn’t been able to make peace with her sisters. Karen, the oldest, is a busy wife and mother, balancing her career with raising her two children. And Nichole, the youngest, is a stay-at-home mom whose husband indulges her every whim. Then one day, Cassie receives a letter from Karen, offering what Cassie thinks may be a chance to reconcile. And as Cassie opens herself up to new possibilities -- making amends with her sisters, finding love once more -- she realizes the power of compassion, and the promise of a fresh start.
Quick Thoughts:
I have mixed feelings about Last One Home. I really liked the concepts of sisters healing their relationship and of a woman overcoming an abusive marriage. Unfortuanately, this just fell short in many ways, and I kept finding myself wanting more.
What I liked:
- Steve. He was so kind, giving, and had so much patience!
- the premise. These are important topics.
-Learning a little bit more about Habitat For Humanity, and discovering more about how the charity works.
- Cassie...for the most part. Sometimes I did get frustrated with her, but I also understand that she was still trying to get herself together and heal. Sometimes she let people take advantage of her, but again, she was still working on things.
-Nichole and Karen grew on me. At first it seemed like they were snotty and self-righteous, but it was nice to dig deeper and to see growth and other dimensions to their characters.
What didn't work for me:
- The narration. She....spoke....so....sloooowly. I cranked the speed up.
- Cassie's daughter. Oh, man! That girl was so friggin obnoxious and she grated on my nerves. I was so tempted to fast forward the parts she was in (and there were a lot of them). And of course, the mom just laughed it off. She wasn't funny, Cassie!
- The story needed a little more plot development.
Overall, this was a decent read.
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