Review: Always the Last to Know

Title: Always the Last to Know

Author: Kristan Higgins

Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group

Publication date: June 9, 2020

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Summary

The Frosts have a pretty typical American life. Barb and John have been together for 50 years and trying to navigate their changing relationship. They still had their daughters, Juliet and Sadie, to help round them out. At least, until John had a stroke.

After the stroke, the family conflicts start to show. Sadie takes a leave from her art teacher job in New York to stay home and take care of her dad. Where, unfortunately, her ex lives. Juliet is questioning her status in the architect world as a younger woman is more successful than she is. She’s convinced she’ll never have the perfect life everyone else has. Barb has to face her relationship with John and try to figure out exactly where things went wrong.

Review: Always the Last to Know

Thanks to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book! It’s not what I typically read, but it’s a great book to start off for the summer season. The book reads like a typical woman’s fiction book, following each member of a family as they deal with sudden tragedy. Through each lens, we get to piece together their family history and the cracks that have built over time.

I enjoyed each character in this book, as Higgins does a good job of making their voices unique. Together, they paint a picture of their family, one that a lot of people will be able to relate to. There are points where you get angry with what’s happening, the circumstances that Juliet, Sadie, Barb, and John find themselves in. But Higgins allows them to grow throughout the book, and allows them to grow with each other.

The overall message is also one that hits home with me; the fact that no matter how much you can plan, life never goes the way you expect it to. And accepting that (and yourself) is where you can start to find joy and happiness. Honestly, a great message for everything that’s been happening in the last year or so. 2020 hasn’t gone the way anyone has expected it to, so this overall message is extremely timely.

While there were aspects of the plot that were easy to predict, this is an overall enjoyable read that will make a perfect beach companion.

3.5/5 stars