Book of the Month is a monthly book subscription box. Each month, five curators pick out their favorite new hardcover books, and you can choose which one you want to receive on the first of the month. You can also add up to two additional books for only $9.99 each. (This box was named one of the best subscriptions under $15 by MSA readers in the 2021 Subscription Box Awards.)
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
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About this Box
The Subscription Box: Book of the Month
The Cost: $14.99 per month
The Product: Subscribers get to pick from a selection of hardcover books each month. Skip any month you aren't interested in. Add up to two additional books for $9.99 each.
Ships to: The U.S. for free
Book of the Month May 2021 Review
These are the five book choices offered to subscribers this month.
1 of 2
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave - Retail Value $27.00
Book Summary from Amazon:
Before Owen Michaels disappears, he smuggles a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her. Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers—Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother.
As Hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered, as the FBI arrests Owen’s boss, as a US marshal and federal agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen’s true identity—and why he really disappeared.
Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen’s past, they soon realize they’re also building a new future—one neither of them could have anticipated.
With its breakneck pacing, dizzying plot twists, and evocative family drama, The Last Thing He Told Me is a riveting mystery, certain to shock you with its final, heartbreaking turn.
This book felt like a scavenger hunt as we follow along with Hannah and Bailey while they try to uncover where Owen, husband, and father, respectively, has gone. It seems that he's left little clues and piecing those together with the memories that Bailey has from her childhood helps them uncover the past, which is much more surprising than either of them realized. I enjoyed reading this and I was definitely invested in the story, although, I think some of the ways that Hannah uncovers the truth seemed a bit too coincidental (Does anyone really remember conversations they've had in the past that well? Maybe it's just my mom-brain that can't relate!) or happened upon too easily, but that didn't bother me so much because it flowed well and kept my interest.
I liked Hannah and I appreciated how she sought to look after Bailey without smothering her and I just appreciated the natural and non-forced way that their relationship developed. Overall, this book was really very gentle, there was nothing racy or controversial about it and it was a nice, easy read. While I think the author did a great job at developing the characters and the reasoning behind the choices that they made, I think I still would have appreciated just a bit more detail in that aspect. The themes of family, humanity, and making sacrifices for those you love were all there, but they were almost too subtle and I wouldn't have minded if the author went for the all-out gut-wrenching emotion of it all!
Each month, Book of the Month includes a bookmark. This month is kind of scandalous!
If you picked this book this month, please let me know what you think of it!
Verdict: I enjoyed my Book of the Month pick this month and it definitely held my interest and kept me wanting to turn the pages as fast as I could to find out what happened. For such a dramatic premise, it was actually a much calmer tale than I expected, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I really loved the author's style and even if some of the emotion and action were subtle, I think she still got the main points across. I would rate this book as being somewhere between like and love for me. I can't say it was mind-blowing or something you can't miss, but it was enjoyable and I'm happy with my choice this month! Can't wait to hear what everyone else chose, or what you thought if you read this one, so please comment if you get a chance!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this book if you sign up today? Yes, May 20th is the LAST DAY to sign up for Book of the Month to receive the May selections – learn more about the options here – but you may be able to choose this book later as an add-on.
Check out all of our Book of the Month reviews and see what other book subscriptions made our favorites list!
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