The blurb…
A spellbinding tale of love, loss and long-buried secrets from the Sunday Times bestselling author. If you loved spending A Week in Paris with Rachel Hore or taking the Last Voyage of the Valentina with Santa Montefiore, you will adore this unforgettable novel.Everyone remembers their first kiss. But what about the last?
1961. Journalist Rosamund Bailey is ready to change the world. When she meets explorer and man about town Dominic Blake, she realises she has found the love of her life. Just as happiness is in their grasp, the worst happens, and their future is snatched away.
2014. Deep in the vaults of a museum, archivist Abby Morgan stumbles upon a breathtaking find. A faded photograph of a man saying goodbye to the woman he loves. Looking for a way to escape her own heartache, Abby becomes obsessed with the story, little realising that behind the image frozen in time lies a secret altogether more extraordinary.
The Last Kiss Goodbye by Sunday Times bestseller Tasmina Perry is an effortlessly charming addition to her roster of bestselling novels, including The Proposal, Kiss Heaven Goodbye and Daddy’s Girls. Lovers of Erica James, Lesley Pearse and Jane Green will adore Tasmina Perry.The Last Kiss Goodbye is a beautiful example of the new tone in Tasmina’s writing – the trademark storytelling magic is there, but there is also now a gentle, romantic and moving quality that will leave you brushing away a tear. The elegant, tender romance at the heart of this novel lingers long after you’ve finished reading.
What I thought…
I really enjoyed this book, right from the very first page. I loved that I didn’t have to work to get involved in the story, but that I was pulled in from the beginning.
The characters are sympathetic and easy to like, and there is a lovely storyline which moves along at a good pace. Romantic, with a touch of mystery, The Last Kiss Goodbye was the perfect antidote to my previous read – the rather more gory ‘The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo’.
I loved the way this novel has given a sense of elderly characters with a rich and vibrant past and also a sense of possibility and future. So often, older characters are dealt with in a brisk manner, but there is an elegance and respect in Tasmina Perry’s handling of them.
Romance and intrigue, travel to exotic locations, spread over two time periods – it all adds up to a thoroughly enjoyable read. The ending is worthy of a cheesy rom-com movie, but I think there’s a place in all our hearts for happily ever after.
I gave The Last Kiss Goodbye 8/10
xo
(Book supplied by Hachette NZ)
DOROTHYNADA 