A Mother's Last Wish by Jo Bartlett #Review

 

Jo Bartlett's latest novel, A Mother's Last Wish, was published on January 26th by Boldwood and is an emotional read.

Two sisters, one heartbreaking promise...

To everyone who knows them, Louisa and Tom are the perfect couple. They have two beautiful kids, Stan and Flo, and are about to celebrate ten years of being happily married. Life is perfect. But when Lou is dealt devastating news, that perfect life is turned upside down and Lou and Tom must reevaluate the very foundations their marriage is built on.

Lou’s main concern is who will look after her children if she’s not there to care for them? Will anyone be able to love them like she does?

Holly can’t face the news that Lou is sick. As her older twin sister, she and Lou have always been together, and Holly has always tried to protect Lou. So she’ll do anything, promise anything, to make Lou feel safe and happy. Holly loves Stan and Flo fiercely, but with no children of her own can she ever be the mother her sister wants and needs for her children?

Determined to make the most of every last precious moment, Lou’s final wish for her family is to show them what it really means to live and love. And as Tom and Holly try to navigate their own pain, their only care is to shower Flo and Stan with love and help them make the most of every moment together.

 

My Thoughts

 

I don't think I was prepared for just how emotional and heart-breaking this novel would be. The story revolves around Lou who discovers she has pancreatic cancer and for whom the outlook is bleak. You are told her story through not only her eyes, but also those of her husband, Tom and her twin sister, Holly. The grief and sense of loss is palpable and causes devastation in all their lives.

    Lou's preoccupation throughout is with her children and how they will be after her probable death. She looks at the situation with uncompromising eyes and true to her character, knows that she cannot deal with her feelings about her situation until she has formulated a Plan B to protect them as  much as she can. You feel as though you go through Lou's emotions in real time. This is a hard hitting and thought provoking read. Of course, it is not all sadness as Lou looks for opportunities to enjoy her time with her family. Behind everything that happens though is the impending sense of loss. 

In short: emotional reading

About the Author

Jo Bartlett is the bestselling author of over nineteen women’s fiction titles. She fits her writing in between her two day jobs as an educational consultant and university lecturer and lives with her family and three dogs on the Kent coast. Her first title for Boldwood is The Cornish Midwife – part of a twelve-book deal.

You can read my reviews of The Cornish Midwife series here: The Cornish Midwife  |  A Summer wedding for the Cornish Midwife   |  A Winter's Wish for the Corrnish Midwife  |  A Spring Surprise for the Cornish Midwife  |  Mistletoe and Magic for the Cornish Midwife  |  A Change of Heart for the Cornish Midwife  |  Happy Ever After for the Cornish Midwife  |  Welcome to the Cornish Country Hospital

The Girl She Left Behind 

 You can follow Jo here: Facebook  |  Twitter   |  Instagram   |  Newsletter sign up  |  Bookbub profile 

 Purchase links

Thanks to Jo Bartlett, Boldwood Books and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the tour. 

 

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