After a very busy weekend, I have for you a review of a book that had me super excited to read.
The Last Hour by Charles Sheehan-Miles contains several of the same characters as his previous books in the Thompson Sisters and intertwines them with care without losing them in the complexity of the stories. Released April 19th, this contemporary adult novel is a page turner. A big thank you to the tour organizer
AToMR Tours!
Twenty-seven year old Carrie
Thompson-Sherman has the life she always wanted: her PhD, a prestigious
fellowship, and an amazing husband.
Her life begins to unravel as a jealous colleague puts her fellowship in
jeopardy and a haunting secret Ray Sherman carried home from Afghanistan comes
to light.
Hounded by a federal investigation and the ensuing media feeding frenzy, Carrie
and Ray desperately lean on each other, until a disastrous accident puts both
Ray and her sister's lives at risk.
In the last hour, Carrie and Ray will each find themselves faced with a choice.
A choice that will change everything.
MY REVIEW
Oh my, what
a read! I just finished and I’m still
trying to wrap my head around it all. It’s
hard to say too much without giving spoilers, but I’ll do my best.
The Last
Hour is, as put earlier, an adult contemporary novel which incorporates a bit
of his other two books involving the Thompson sisters. Written as a standalone, I do recommend
reading Just Remember to Breathe first.
I just feel that the reader would get a bit lost without having read
Alexis and Dylan’s story first. They are
not the main characters in this book, but their story helps to tell this story.
The story is
told in a way that incorporates both sides of the story being told. The story covers from the time Carrie and Ray
meet and through their time together.
Written in such a way, that it’s not a repeat of the other person, at
times their a touch on what the other person saw, thought, or said, but done so
well that it’s truly from the other persons perception. That’s one thing I love about this authors
writing, he does it so well and makes it look so easy, but as we all know and
have read from other authors, it’s quite an undertaking which usually falls
flat. Flat is not even a term I would
use for this novel; riveting, full of range, depth, fresh, creative, these are
terms I would and do use for The Last Hour.
As with Mr.
Sheehan-Miles other book I have read, Just Remember to Breathe, this book is
also a page turner. I didn’t want to put
it down. I fell asleep reading it, I had
to read more as soon as I awoke, I took it with me to read during any spare
time that I had. Worst part of that, I
found myself crying while a group of people looked at me crazy, because this
book had such an emotional hold on me.
Ray, the
main male character, in this book is a military man. Please, do not let this taint your
consideration of reading this book. This
is not a “military” book, but deals with a situation that he found himself in
while he was in the Army. There is so
much more to this book than the military aspect, there is a romance, betrayals
not just from those he knows, but a betrayal against another. There is despair, love, hope, loss, emotional
cruelty wrapped up in this masterfully written novel. This is a book for anyone who likes a good
contemporary novel without all the graphic sex and romantic conflicts.
I give this
book 4 stars and I thank the author for providing me a copy for an honest
review. Why only 4 stars after all the
raving I’ve done? Well, there are a few
areas that just seemed to drag a bit more than needed to be. I found myself a few times thinking, okay, I
get the picture, enough already, let’s get the story moving. Thankfully the author did and I look forward
to whatever this author brings to the table next.
BUY LINKS
About
the Author
Charles Sheehan-Miles has been a soldier, computer
programmer, short-order cook and non-profit executive. He is the author of
several fiction and non-fiction books, including the indie bestsellers Just
Remember to Breathe and Republic: A Novel of America's Future.
Other Books in The Thompson Sisters Series
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