| Title | : | The Last Time I Saw You |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 316 |
| Publication | : | First published May 7, 2019 |
The internationally bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish follows that success with an addictive novel filled with shocking twists about the aftermath of a brutal high-society murder.
Dr. Kate English has it all. Not only is she the heiress to a large fortune; she has a gorgeous husband and daughter, a high-flying career, and a beautiful home anyone would envy.
But all that changes the night Kate’s mother, Lily, is found dead, brutally murdered in her own home. Heartbroken and distraught, Kate reaches out to her estranged best friend, Blaire Barrington, who rushes to her side for the funeral, where the years of distance between them are forgotten in a moment.
That evening, Kate’s grief turns to horror when she receives an anonymous text: You think you’re sad now, just wait. By the time I’m finished with you, you’ll wish you had been buried today. More than ever, Kate needs her old friend’s help.
Once Blaire decides to take the investigation into her own hands, it becomes clear that all is not as it seems in Baltimore high society. As infidelity, lies, and betrayals come to light, and tensions rise to a boiling point, she begins to alienate Kate’s friends and relatives with her relentless, accusatory questions, as she tries to find Lily’s killer. The murderer could be anyone—friend, neighbor, loved one. But whoever it is, it’s clear that Kate is next on their list. . .
In The Last Time I Saw You, Liv Constantine takes the lightning pace of The Last Mrs. Parrish and raises the stakes, creating an exquisitely tension-filled and absorbing tale of psychological suspense in which innocent lives—and one woman’s sanity—hang in the balance.
The Last Time I Saw You Reviews
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TWO STARS
Please…don’t shoot the messenger! Waaaaaaah! I loved the Constantine’s THE LAST MRS. PARRISH and couldn’t wait to read their newest offering. THE LAST MRS. PARRISH is campy, delicious fun with two ultra-devious women trying to out maneuver each other for the affections of Mr. Parrish.
THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU consists of this:
First 1/3: Slow, yet confusing- why so many characters?
Second 1/3 : Repetitive, boring. Kate, our main character, is repeatedly “haunted” by scary texts from her mother’s killer. It quickly begins to feel like a bad tv episode of Pretty Little Liars.
Last 1/3: Ridiculous!!! Every soap opera cliché is pulled out of the box, truly laughable stuff.
Despite my complaints, it still felt like a two-star read for me. I like the setting of the super wealthy characters, always entertaining to see how those socialites live! Plus, I did finish the book. But, if you are a true lover of psyche suspense, you will want to skip this one.
NEXXXXXXXT, please!
Thank you to Edelweiss for the advance copy. All the nasty opinions 🔪are my own. -
Two disappointing,frustrating,booooriiiinnnnggg stars!
As soon as I found out Last Mrs. Parrish’s author wrote a new mystery, I got excited and could not wait to start it. But after a few pages, I still got lost! There was too much drama about rich people’s lives, too many nonsense characters and our main character Kate got spooky text messages over and over like a never ending nightmare or dejavu. I thought I’m watching one episode of Young and Restless instead of reading a thriller!
So I left this book and read other ones of my list. I thought taking a break would change my mind and I could give more chances. But surprise, surprise as soon as I took this one in my hands again, after a few pages, my eyelids got heavier, I started yawning but good news, I slept tight and had great dreams.
The ending is so predictable ( Yeah I congratulate myself, I reached the ending,yay!!) So no twists,no shocking revelations, a group of not smartly written, irritating characters’ journey finalized and I took a deep breath, made myself a promise that I should choose better thrillers not to waste my time! -
My reviews can also be seen at:
https://deesradreadsandreviews.wordpr...
2.75 Stars
Life seems to be going very well for Dr. Kate English. She has a wonderful husband, a lovely daughter, and a great career. But things change after her mother is found brutally murdered. Kate had just been considering what to get her mother for Christmas and now she’s planning her funeral. She can’t comprehend why someone would want to hurt her kind, wonderful mother.
Kate and her best friend, Blaire Barrington haven’t spoken in fifteen years. But when Kate calls to tell Blaire about her mother, Blaire immediately comes to be by Kate’s side. All the old anger is forgotten, and it feels like they’ve never been apart. Kate is thankful that Blaire came to be with her.
Blaire is almost as devastated as Kate. Lily was like a mother to her. She treated Blaire like family.
Although Blaire didn’t grow up as affluent as Kate, she has done well for herself. She is a successful author, co-authoring books with her husband, David.
But not everyone is happy Blaire is back.
After the funeral, Kate is exhausted. She is taking a moment for herself when her cell phone vibrates. There is a text from a private caller with a message for Kate…an upsetting and threatening message. The police are called but other than monitoring Kate’s calls and emails there isn’t much they can do. Then as Kate gets another shock…in her bathroom, there’s an even more twisted message along with an upsetting “gift”.
And it doesn’t stop there…
We are given insight into Kate and Blaire’s time in High School, all the plans they had until a tragedy changed the course of ALL of their lives.
So who killed Lily and who is harassing Kate?
The story is told from Kate and Blaire’s point of view. I was interested in the storyline but had a hard time connecting with some characters, especially Kate. Her reactions were all over the place. Usually, I’m not bothered if things don’t seem believable, but I felt a few things were over the top.
Although I didn’t enjoy this novel as much as I enjoyed “ The Last Mrs. Parrish”, I still thought this was a decent read and I liked how everything came together in the end. I’m looking forward to reading more from Liv Constantine.
I'd like to thank Harper for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are my own. -
RTC...
Pleased to announce that this is our #ScaredSuspenseBookClub choice for the month of May! We will be posting on our instagram account (@scaredsuspensebookclub) throughout the month, but our final discussion will take place on Monday, May 27. Hope you can join us! <3
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Okay.......so let's sort this one out.
The Last Time I Saw You opens with a dying woman. She's face down on a marble floor. Gotta be some money involved here. We feel the life slowly seeping out of her. The circumstances around this tragic scene have yet to be revealed. The light fades and so does our victim.
Enter Dr. Kate English, a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, who sits in complete shock upon hearing about the death of her mother, Lily Michaels. She and Lily were so close. Her father, Dr. Harrison Michaels, is lost without his wife's presence and returns to his practice after the funeral. Lily was his world.
Kate, on the other hand, is unable to set her own life back in motion as the mother of young Annabelle and the wife of architect, Simon. She's taken time off from her shared practice with her father and has become more reclusive at home. Something just doesn't seem right in regard to her mother's death. If this was a burglary gone wrong, nothing was taken. The only evidence is a broken window.
To add to her worries, Simon and Kate had been separated for a while and he's only recently moved back in. It appears that Simon has a roving eye. Simon also can't stop the financial bleeding in his architect business. Simon Says: Can ya lend me a dime?
The stage revolves and an ol' friend from the past shows up for Lily's funeral. Blaire Barrington and Kate were inseparable as teenagers. They had a falling out when Blaire spoke up and told Kate that she shouldn't be marrying Simon. He wasn't good enough for her. Decked out in bridesmaid dress attire, Blaire leaves the wedding party and the two have never spoken since. But Lily's death forms a point of reunion and forgiveness for both women. Blaire decides to stay at Kate's for a few days to provide comfort to her and to sift through events leading up to Lily's death.
Now here's where Liv Constantine (actually two sister writers under one name) ladle on the creepy sauce. Kate begins to receive threatening texts containing eerie nursery rhymes. Dead mice and birds find their way into the master bedroom. And it appears that someone is watching Kate's every move. The more that things start going down hill, the more Valium rolls out.
The Last Time I Saw You is a munchy little mystery. But, at times, it's a check-off-the-necessary-ingredients type of read. We've got a slew of suspects and a slew of daily weird events packed tight on every page. You'll see it coming, but the coming will just have a change of costume this time. The wrap-up is thick with explanations to make sure that no loose ends dangle. It's a lot to sift through.
As I always say, take this one out for a test drive for yourselves. It's received quite the reviews. It's perfect for a weekend read as it does entertain.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Harper Collins and to Liv Constantine for the opportunity. -
Kate English is coping with the death of her mother who was recently murdered in her home. Lily’s death was a shock to her quiet Baltimore community because she was so highly regarded. A few days after her death, Kate begins to receive horrible threats against her family. Security and surveillance are brought into her home but these threats proceed to unsettle her life.
During the funeral, her childhood friend Blaire comes from New York City to comfort Kate, and their relationship is reignited. Blaire spent many summers living with Kate's family when she was younger. She is a writer with a flexible schedule and decides to stay with Kate to help her through the ordeal. With her research background, she also decides to delve into Lily’s death by investigating the murder on her own.
This is the second book by the writing team named Liv Constantine. I loved this novel as much as ”The Last Mrs. Parrish” due to its clever twists, suspense and well crafted ”creepiness”. I often ask myself how two of the loveliest people can create these sinister stories. -
2.5 stars. A little too much for me.
Kate and Blaire haven’t spoken in years. They used to be best friends, Kate’s wealthy family always including Blaire in their family gatherings and summer vacations. After Kate’s mother is murdered, Kate reaches out to Blaire who immediately drops everything to come back into Kate’s life to support her friend in a time of need. Blaire, now a famous author, starts her own investigation into what happened to Kate’s mother. As she digs deeper into Kate’s life, she uncovers some shocking and dramatic secrets.
This is a suspenseful, jaw-dropping, unpredictable journey that kept me guessing. The characters had my suspicions all over the place. It was a quick read that was high on drama and entertainment.
The first quarter of the book was my most enjoyed section. I was intrigued and curious to see how everything would come together. After that point, I couldn’t stay bought-in to the story. There were too many questionable, over-the-top things happening that my believability radar couldn’t let go of. I also had an issue with character connection as I didn’t feel invested in any of them, especially Kate. I have read other reviews comparing this novel to a soap opera, and that completely sums up my feelings as well.
Overall, this was a highly entertaining, dramatic story that kept me flipping the pages, but isn’t one that left a lasting impression or impact. There are many raving reviews, so make sure to check those out!
Thank you to Ashley at HarperCollins for gifting me a physical copy to read and review! This was a Traveling Sister read with Brenda and an IG group.
THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU is AVAILABLE TODAY! -
Author Blaire Barrington and doctor Kate English were best friends until Kate's wedding, when Blaire and Kate fought and Blaire was replaced as Kate's maid of honor. They have nothing to do with each other until years later when Kate's mother, Lily, is brutally murdered. Kate and Blaire had been such close friends that they spent holidays and weekends together and during their last year of high school, Blaire lived with Kate's rich family. So when Kate's mother is murdered, Kate reaches out to Blaire and asks her to come be with her.
Once the funeral is over and Kate starts getting threatening texts and finds small, dead, birds/animals with warning notes, she needs Blaire even more. Blaire is considered an outsider by many, as even though she is a wealthy, famous author now, her more humble beginnings have never allowed her to break the wall of Kate's high society world. Blaire is determined to find out who killed Lily, a women that Blaire loved like a mother. Blaire doesn't care who she rubs the wrong way in her search, while at the same time Kate is beginning to trust fewer and fewer people other than Blaire. Since Blaire is an author for murder mysteries, her research has given her the tools she needs to investigate Lily's murder, whether her investigating skills are welcome or not.
In the past, Kate had mental issues when a boyfriend died before their senior year of college. Blaire helped Kate then too so during this time of stress, Kate becomes more and more dependent on Blaire, while turning others away. Blaire thinks that the stress of Lily's death, added to the threats, are pushing Kate to a breakdown she may never recover from. At the same time, there seem to be references that Blaire might resent Kate's life long wealth and birthright into a life that Blaire would have loved to have been born into. Blaire even looks down on Kate when, right after her mom's death and while getting many threats, Kate doesn't use the type of place settings that Kate's mom would have used. For how much Blaire hates this judgmental society, she hypocritically judges those around her.
The book is full of suspects and even those who might not be suspects, in the murder of Lily, are up to no good, whether it's infidelity, betrayal, lies, cover ups...so many secrets abound. Kate can't trust her father, her husband, her long time financial adviser, Lily's longtime friend, no one really is trustworthy to Kate but Blaire. As things get more tense and the threats seem to indicate another disaster is near, Kate's world seems to be imploding around her.
I enjoyed the first part of the book a lot although at a certain point things began to seem too much. Too many suspects, too many details, too many motives. I'm a reader who likes loose ends cleared up but it seemed every one of the characters has too much to say and I do think the book could have used more focus. I began to feel bogged down by too much character thinking and too much character talking. The ending of the book even goes on farther than seemed necessary. I will say that I enjoyed how some characters that I didn't like at first became some of my favorite characters at the end of the book. And then there were the characters that were rich and rotten at the beginning and stayed rich and rotten to the end. This really was quite the soap opera with both physical and physiological threats. The book contained more twists and turns than a roller coaster.
Thank you to HarperCollins and Edelweiss for this ARC. -
Many thanks to Harper for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
This book really f*cked up my psyche.
I truly can't remember the last time a book gave me chills as this one did.
The Last Time I Saw You follows Kate England, a young doctor who is going through a separation with her (perceived) unfaithful husband. But that isn't the only thing. Her mother, Lilly, has just been brutally murdered and the murderer has disappeared without a trace. Now, Kate must not only grieve but also try to figure out who killed her mother.
I didn't go into this expecting much. Mainly, because
Chelsea, did not enjoy this novel. (No shade to Chelsea. I love her and her reviews. ❤) I was expecting a two or three-star read which is why I was so stunned when I finished this, shaking with shock and joy.
This wasn't just an ordinary murder mystery. It's also a psychological thriller. Psych thrillers are pretty common nowadays. I have read quite a few of them but none of them have affected me like this one. Throughout the book, Kate is questioning her sanity as she slowly descends into psychosis. Things are disappearing. Packages are coming that Kate didn't order. The best part of it is that it's not made clear if Kate is crazy or not. The reader is just thrown in. It is such a wild and terrifying ride. Constantly going at breakneck speed, this book was nauseatingly horrifying yet ridiculously addictive.
Overall, I am shooketh. You need to read this book no matter what your genre preferences are.
Bottom Line:
5 Stars
Age Rating [ R ]
TW: Murder, Suicide, Mental Illness
Cover: 3/5 ~ Plot: 4/5 ~ Characters: 5/5 ~ Audio: 5/5
Genre: Mystery/Horror
Publication Date: May 21st, 2019
Publisher: Harper (HarperCollins)
Standalone: Yes
Best Format: Audio
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I was super excited to read this mystery/thriller after reading the synopsis, but sadly it was just an okay read for me.
The beginning and the set-up of the premise was intriguing and the pace was was working until it didn't. I was hoping for more character development with more interesting characters. The protagonist became annoying with too much over the top reactions to the ongoing situations.
There really was too much repetitiveness and too many suspects to really add to the overall conclusion of who-dunit. When the suspect was revealed it was just lack-luster.
I'd say it was readable enough if you're looking for a middle of the road kind of mystery.I don't know? I could be wrong, but I like a more clever puzzle in my mysteries. I do plan to read The Last Mrs. Parrish (which I own) and have heard is a twisty one.
Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. Out May 7,2019 -
A dead body, a threatening text, dead animals with a child’s nursery rhyme attached, more threatening texts and packages, the return of a long-lost friend, and a confused, frightened family await the reader in THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU.
Who could have murdered lovable, charitable Lily? Why did Lily want to change her will a few days before she was murdered?
We follow heiress, Dr. Kate English, and her family as they grieve and are guarded by private investigators at their home.
We also find out that quite a few of the characters have secrets and things that happened in the past that may have lead up to what is going on in the present.
Everyone seemed to be a suspect - no one was excluded.
I enjoyed THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU. This book will be enjoyed by women's fiction fans as well as mystery fans so put your thinking caps on and hone up on your detective skills.
Trying to solve the mystery of who killed Lily and who was sending the threatening notes and packages was a well kept secret.
The ending was a bit abrupt, but didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. 5/5
This book was given to me as an ARC by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. -
I was a little late to the party with Constantine’s debut, The Last Mrs. Parrish and I had kind of put it off because it was so hyped up and I didn’t want to be underwhelmed. I ended up really liking it and was fairly certain I would like this one as well, the premise sounded good, nothing groundbreaking, but I was interested for sure. Unfortunately this one just work for me and I found myself sorely disappointed in the end. I will admit it was a weirdly fast read for me, I think I kept expecting some sort of shift that would turn things around but that never happened 🤷♀️
I’m not going to waste a bunch of time bashing this book, I HATE writing negative reviews but I pride myself on honesty and believe in transparency, so I’m just going to quickly give you some highlights as to why I can’t recommend this one.
🙊 For anyone that’s read more than a handful of thrillers this is predictable throughout and then by the end, things take a turn towards the ridiculous with strange “twists” that reminded me of a soap opera. I like soaps but this was just too much.
🙊 The characters behaved so oddly, everything was over the top and dramatic, think bad lifetime movie. Again, I like those movies, but no.
🙊 The believability factor was at like a zero, it was absurd and outlandish.
Overall rating: 2/5 -
3.5 Stars
Lindsay my reading sister and I read this one with a group of our IG friends and also with a few of our Traveling sisters it made for such an entertaining and fun discussion.
The Last Time I Saw You is an easy to follow, fast-paced escape read that I flew through in two sittings. The unreliable characters along with the twists and turns had me pointing my finger at a few suspects here in this whodunnit mystery. I enjoyed chatting with our friends as we discussed who picked up on those layered clues and who including me picked up on some of those clues that threw us off and lead us done a different path with whodunnit here in this murder mystery.
The tension rises here as infidelity, lies and betrayals start to surface and I was flying through the pages to find out how it all comes together in the end. Things did take a turn to becoming a bit too much for me and some things didn’t quite up, however, Liv Constantine pulled off some surprising, clever and entertaining twist there at the end that had me smirking to myself and left us laughing with each other in our discussion.
I highly recommend for group reads that I am sure will lead to a fun discussion.
Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for my copy from EW. -
2.5 stars
Well, I didn't have quite the same good reading experience with this one as I did with The Last Mrs. Parrish. I think I would have enjoyed this one more as a novella rather than full- length book because the longer the story dragged on, the less I cared if something bad happened to the main character.
Dr. Kate English is devastated when she finds out her mother Lily was brutally murdered. Even though Kate has been estranged from her childhood friend Blaire for years, she still reaches out to her for comfort and the two are quickly able to pick up their friendship. While the police are investigating the murder, Kate starts getting creepy text messages. It is soon apparent someone is out to destroy Kate's life and there is quite the list of suspects who might want her dead. The story goes back and forth between the perspectives of Kate and Blaire.
So the authors (Liv Constantine is a pen name) do set the stage for what should be an intriguing mystery. Unfortunately, I figured out a little too early into the story which direction it was going to go and was really disappointed when I turned out to be correct. I like being fooled rather than being right. Now, I will say I did not guess correctly the entire plot but enough of it that it did feel like a letdown when I finished the book.
Kate just became increasingly more and more annoying as the story progressed to the point I was actually rooting more against her than being on her side. I get that she was under stress but still lady, you got to treat people a little better.
This book just wasn't on the same level as the authors' previous novel. At times the writing veered into bad cheesy soap opera territory. At the core, there are many good elements of the story but I think it needed a little more tlc before going to publication. With that being said, I look forward to reading any future books the authors write as I do think they have talent even if this particular book wasn't a winner for me.
Thank you to the Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review! -
This is one of my most anticipated reads so far this year! I have literally wanted to read this since the day I finished The Last Mrs. Parrish. I was over the moon excited to get my hands on an early copy as you can imagine. You know the book, the one you receive and you keep staring at it on your bookshelf wanting to devour it, running your hands over the cover, reading the first couple pages! Yet you know you should wait closer to publication date even though you can hardly stand it! Yep that was this one for me.
This novel was just the right mixture of family drama and mystery wrapped into one. I flew through my copy of this book in less than 24 hours as I just could not put it down. The story is written around Kate English who has grown up in a household of privilege and continues to do so in her married life. Kate's life is pretty much perfect except money can't fix everything in life.
Kate's life spirals out of control as her mother Lily is found murdered. As the investigation for her killer takes off Kate is faced with trying to figure out who did this to her mother. It becomes clear that the killer is someone who knows them well as they appear to be stalking Kate also. I felt completely creeped out and my suspicions were all over the place. There were so many suspects. The family was surrounded by people and it seemed that the killer knew what Kate did every second of the day. I kept wanting to scream at Kate to get these people out of her life. Except every time I had someone pegged as the killer yet someone else became the suspect in my mind! Well played Liv Constantine!
The ending definitely sealed the 5 star status for me! This was an ending that I never saw coming and I did a bit of gasp as I reread it to make sure I was understanding exactly what was going on. It defiantly had me fooled for a minute. Loved it! Bravo Liv Constantine for a very clever ending! I hope these sisters are knocking out their next book soon! I will definitely be in line waiting for it!
Thank you so much to Harper Collins for this finished copy! You made my day when I got this. Also a huge thanks to Liv Constantine for writing this fantastic book that I loved! -
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
I really enjoyed
The Last Mrs. Parrish so I went into
The Last Time I Saw You by
Liv Constantine expecting to enjoy it as well, and lucky for me, I did!!
What it's about: Dr. Kate English has a gorgeous home, an adorable daughter, a lucrative career, and an extremely handsome husband named Simon. But none of these things can protect her when her mother is found murdered in her home, and Kate seems to be next. Kate reaches out to her estranged best friend, Blaire Barrington, who rushes back to come to the funeral. When Kate starts getting creepy texts and 'gifts' from someone who could be her mother's killer, Blaire decides to start her own investigation into what is going on, and try to find Kate's mother's killer in the process. Nothing and no one is as they seem as the rush to find Lily's killer intensifies, before it's too late . . .
I swear that every time I read a Liv Constantine book, these ladies find some way to blow my mind. While I didn't LOVE The Last Time I Saw You, I did really enjoy it and am having a hard time believing there are so many bad reviews for it. This was a very solid 4 stars for me, and not only was the pacing excellent, but the mystery and Kate's downward spiral as she seems to lose her mind over the person that's after her kept me glued to the pages.
I wouldn't say there are any overly likable characters in this book, but I have come to really enjoy characters that I don't particularly care for. The Last Time I Saw You has 2 viewpoints that we switch between, Kate and her friend Blaire, neither of which seem very reliable as narrators especially as the book goes on.
The only real complaint I had with The Last Time I Saw You is that I did think it got a bit repetitive towards the middle and end. But overall I was hooked the entire time, and I really didn't think there were any dull moments.
Final Thought: I was not able to see any of the twists coming in this book, and the ending left me with a very 'oh sh*t!' type of feeling. I would say even though the two are completely different, if you enjoyed The Last Mrs. Parrish then you should enjoy The Last Time I Saw You as well. This is also a great one to pick up if you are looking for a quick, binge-worthy read. I read it in one sitting and in just over 4 hours.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions are my own. -
The Last Time I Saw You by Liv Constantine is a psychological thriller about the dysfunction of Baltimore high society. Dr. Kate English has it all: she is a physician, wife and mother, living in a showcase home and is also the heiress to a family fortune. Tragedy strikes when her mother Lily is brutally murdered and the police haven't a clue who the perpetrator could be. Blaire Barrington, Kate's best friend in earlier years, comes to the funeral to offer her support and to help unearth information about the murder. Soon after the funeral, Kate begins to receive threatening texts promising that she is next. The tension intensifies till Kate becomes paranoid and starts doubting the integrity of several people in her life. Who could have killed Lily and is the same person coming for her? Suspicions of infidelity, betrayals and dishonesty only succeed to confuse. The resolution will astonish. This is a great title for beach or cottage reading. Thank you to Harper Collins Publishers and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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The Last Time I Saw You, a mystery/thriller, was a solid 3.5 stars. I absolutely loved The Last Mrs. Parrish and didn’t hesitate picking this up.
The story centers around Kate and the murder of her mother. Kate is not only having a difficult time coping with the loss of her mother but after receiving threatening messages, she feels that she’s the next target on the killer’s list. Everyone in Kate’s life is a suspect in her eyes-her dad, husband, nanny and so on. There are a lot of characters in this book so be warned.
The Last Time I Saw You has a lot going on and may not be everyone’s “cup of tea” but it’s an entertaining and well-written book. A great book to bring on a weekend holiday or to the beach. I’d recommend this to fans of mystery/thriller books. -
I didn't get a chance to read Liv Constantine's debut novel The Last Mrs. Parrish, so when I got my hands on their upcoming novel The Last Time I Saw You, I knew that Chelsea and I needed to pick this for our May Scared Suspense Book Club selection (you can follow the bookclub on Instagram @scaredsuspensebookclub). Sadly, this book is not up to par with what I was expecting. Maybe it was high hopes, but I'm seeing a lot of negative reviews for this title as each day passes. It just came off very unbelievable, over-the-top melodramatic, and soap opera-y, if that makes sense.
I'd love to talk more about this book at our book club so if you plan to read it for the month of May, join us! -
This one did not work for me.
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When Kate’s mother, Lily, is found murdered, Kate turns to her former best friend, Blaire, for support. Kate soon receives an ominous text, and it seems she may be the next victim. Blaire decides to investigate and find who killed Lily.
Kate and Blaire had been best friends as teens, but grew apart as they got older. Kate married, had a child, and became a doctor. She has a perfect life. Blaire is divorced, childless, and her career is suffering. Her life is not so perfect. Still, when they reconnect after Lily’s death, their friendship picks right back up. As someone targets Kate with disturbing texts, Kate’s paranoia about those around her increases. In addition, Blaire’s investigation into the murder has some people upset.
Secrets, lies, and betrayal. An entertaining, though somewhat ridiculous, thriller. Unreliable characters, murder mystery, friendship, and family drama. Some intriguing things happening, but it wasn’t pulled together as well as I was hoping for. My main complaint was the lackluster ending. Readers who devour psychological thrillers may find this one to be a disappointment. However, it would make a good choice for those looking for a melodramatic thriller to read at the beach/pool this summer.
I received a free eARC of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. -
Last year I read and love The Last Mrs Parrish so when the publisher granted my wish for an advanced copy of The Last Time I Saw You I was super excited. And I am happy to say that it did not disappoint. Once I picked this book up I did not want to put it down. The story had me hook, line and sinker! The ending was clever and although I suspected who I did not pick the why or how. Brilliant! A fantastic story of friendship, betrayal and lies - what more could you want.
Kate English has a perfect life - a career, beautiful daughter, handsome husband and more money than anybody will ever need. But just before Christmas her world comes crashing down when her mother is murdered in her own home. The woman who was her best friend growing up Blaire turns up to the funeral and they reconnect. After the funeral strange things start to happen - anonymous threatening texts, horrific gifts and the feeling that she is being watched. Who can she trust and why is somebody doing this to her?
Thanks so much to Harper Collins and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased. -
For such a short book, I really found this to be such a slog.
This was my first introduction to the writing sisters of Liv and Valerie Constantine, what a huge disappointment!
The opening was pretty strong as the reader is immediately introduced to the murder of Kate's mother Lily.
What a hook!
We also learn that Kate and Blaire had a massive falling out, though Kate's former best friend immediately answers Kates call of comfort.
As the book title suggests the complex dispute between the pair is teased throughout the novel.
Kate soon starts to receive threating messages which at first added a bit of suspense, but gradually became annoying.
The fairy tale threats are so cliché and Kate (who's suppose to be a Doctor) hysterical reaction to them started to grate.
Whilst the authors introduce way to many characters to add extra red herrings just ends up making the originally enticing mystery way too confusing to keep track.
I'm actually glad that I stuck with it as the soap opera ending was rather amusing, but somehow fitted the whole story. -
After the murder of Lily Michaels, Blaire Barrington’s former best friend’s mother, she returns to support Lily’s daughter, Dr. Kate English, while she grieves. But when Kate begins getting packages in the mail filled with threats, the Blaire becomes determined to find out who the killer is and who is tormenting her childhood friend. Will Kate, grief-stricken and anxiety-filled, break down before the perpetrator is caught? And will they catch who is perpetrating the awful acts before anyone is hurt?
Sally, I was disappointed by Liv Constantine’s follow-up to The Last Mrs. Parrish. This study of abnormal psychology had a promising storyline, but it was broken up too frequently with the two narrator’s historical stories without any organization and the plot felt unnatural and disjointed. Unfortunately, the back and forth in the timeline quickly became distracting and confusing.
I was specifically excited for the Baltimore prep school setting for this novel which is where I grew up, attending one of the very schools (there is no such place as Mayfield). The little tidbits of Maryland life were accurate and fun to hunt for, but seemed artificially planted within the story. Additionally, the Baltimore world of private schools isn’t quite as wealthy or snobbish as made out in the book, at least in my experience. So this, too, was something of a let-down. What’s described is more along the lines of what I imagine New York City or Boston academic culture is like due to the larger preponderance of extremely wealthy individuals.
Overall, the entire plot felt contrived and forced, but especially the big dénouement. The character-driven storyline had secrets, red herrings, and murder suspects around every corner (nearly too many, to be frank), but it simply didn’t flow the way that their other novels did (if you weren’t aware, Liv Constantine is a pen name for two sisters who write together). The one shining star was the manic, anxiety-prone, slightly delusional main character, Kate English. While the second narrator, Blaire Barrington, is also a good character, she doesn’t come off quite as authentic and believable. I can’t say anything more without spoiling the plot which I hate doing. Overall, an average book that I mildly enjoyed, but it just didn’t hold my attention well (I kept putting this book down which I don’t normally do). I suggest giving it a try, just don’t expect The Last Mrs. Parrish or The Wife Stalker. Rating of 2.5 stars rounded down. -
DNF. The characters were insufferable. Every rich white people cliché imaginable is in this book and I just couldn’t force myself to finish.
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More like 2.5 Stars for this one, so I'm rounding it up...
The Last Mrs. Parrish was a 4 star read for me, and I loved it: I remember thinking the writing style of Liv Constantine was smart, sexy, sleek, and binge-worthy and was hoping their sophomore novel The Last Time I Saw You would live up their first. Sadly, not for me at least...
The opening started out with that same fast-paced, binge-worthiness as Mrs. Parrish then things begin to fall flat not long after. I felt like I was in the middle of a soap opera with a cast of extremely moneyed characters.
Kate, the main character becomes annoying after the first part of the book. Yes, I felt terrible for her that her mother had just been murdered and she's now being stalked. But she acts like a cliched character and at one point, I was hoping she would get bumped off so she'd stop walking around acting so crazy.
Also, there are just too many characters and too many suspects in the book. Even the details that point to the "suspects" are a bit over the top. I already had the whodunit figured out when Kate began to be threatened because all the clues were there. Then when the person was revealed, it felt rushed and unsatisfying as if the authors tried to work the suspect and the reason why the person did this without giving enough room to explain everything sufficiently to the reader.
I love my domestic drama to be suspenseful and this just wasn't, at all. Soapish-drama and cliched is how I would sum this one up, especially when I know what this duo is capable of writing.
If you haven't read The Last Mrs. Parrish, then I highly recommend you pick that one up instead although in hindsight, if you haven't read their first book, then you might not be as disappointed.
**Thank you Edelweiss and Harper for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.** -
This is a DNF for me at 18%. Not sure if it was the writing style or the pace but I found myself not wanting to pick it back up after I easily put it down and then not caring who killed her.
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Dr. Kate English's glamorous life comes to a screeching halt when her mother, Lily, dies--brutally murdered in her own home. At the funeral, Kate reunites with her close college friend, Blaire Barrington, whom she hasn't seen in fifteen years, since the two had a falling out. But Kate's grief and shock get even worse when she receives a text, "You think you're sad now, just wait. By the time I'm finished with you, you'll wish you had been buried today." Soon she finds herself threatened, wondering if she's being watched and targeted in her own home. She asks Blaire to help look into her mother's death. But Blaire's aggressive questions alienate Kate's friends, and all the while, Kate feels increasingly afraid for her own life. Who killed Lily, and are they coming for Kate next?
"Only days ago, Kate had been mulling over what to get her mother for Christmas. She couldn't have known that instead of choosing a gift, she'd be picking out a casket."
This was a creepy enough thriller, but boy, it was chock full of a cast of unlikable characters. It was impossible to find much sympathy for Kate, despite her grief over her mother. She was an irrational, annoying, wealthy woman and a terrible mother to her young daughter, whom she foisted on the nanny every chance she got. Blaire had few redeeming qualities; same with Kate's philandering husband, Simon. It seemed like poor Lily was probably the best in the bunch, but she was dead.
The writing in this one was tough for me. A lot of simplistic words and style, which was filled with much telling, but little showing. Stop telling me how everyone feels and let it all unfold naturally. This was coupled with a ton of very short, fake red herrings that kept getting thrown in every few chapters. I'm all for a red herring, but let it fully play out. Instead, it would be tossed in and then almost immediately ruled out, leaving you with the equivalent of literary whiplash.
There were also a lot of pretty major "coincidences" that left me feeling a bit dubious. Seriously, this is really happening? Many of the plot points were rather predictable, though there were a couple of good twists. It was a creepy read, though seemed oddly simple (I can't think of another way to describe it), and it did keep me reading.
Overall, not my favorite read, and doesn't motivate me to read the previous Liv Constantine book that much. My notes say "good enough," which is probably the best description I can come up with. I kept reading, but I didn't love it. 2.5 stars.
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The Last Time I Saw You is a slow burn psychological thriller that has you questioning whether or not the main characters are sane or if they are losing touch with reality. After Kate’s mom is murdered she begins receiving threats, gifts, and taunts from the supposed killer. She heavily relies on Blaire, her estranged best friend and other character POV, to help her navigate this difficult time and help figure out who close to her could be the killer and stalker. I was able to guess the main culprit early on but that didn’t detract from the enjoyment of this novel. Constantine is a gifted writer that I will definitely be reading more of.
I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review. -
"But I delighted in seeing your world fall apart. You think you're sad now, just wait. By the time I'm finished with you, you'll wish you had been buried today."
2.5⭐
I enjoyed Liv Constantine's The Last Mrs. Parrish, so I was very excited to get my hands on The Last Time I Saw You. This book still has the drama like The Last Mrs. Parrish, but in a different way that I didn't love.
I liked the first half of the book. It had my attention, and I was interested in seeing where it would go. After a while, it really started to drag, and it felt like it wasn't going anywhere.
This book dives straight into soap opera territory, which is fun sometimes, and then other times it doesn't work for me. The storyline was so over-the-top by the end, and my interest was lost.
