Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Jul 2011
400 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
It is 1960. When Jennifer Stirling wakes up in the hospital, she can remember nothing - not the tragic car accident that put her there, not her husband, not even who she is. She feels like a stranger in her own life until she stumbles upon an impassioned letter, signed simply "B", asking her to leave her husband.
Years later, in 2003, a journalist named Ellie discovers the same enigmatic letter in a forgotten file in her newspaper's archives. She becomes obsessed by the story and hopeful that it can resurrect her faltering career. Perhaps if these lovers had a happy ending she will find one to her own complicated love life, too. Ellie's search will rewrite history and help her see the truth about her own modern romance.
A spellbinding, intoxicating love story with a knockout ending, The Last Letter from Your Lover will appeal to the readers who have made One Day and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society bestsellers.
Awarded 2011 Romantic Novel of the Year by the UK Romantic Novelists' Association
BookBrowse Says
"The Last Letter from Your Lover is unquestioningly romantic but, unfortunately, I find myself unable to recommend it. The first section could have been lifted from the script of a bad 1960s movie. It's predictable, melodramatic and the characters are complete stereotypes. Even the writing is poor; several times I had to re-read sentences while attempting to figure out what the author was trying to say or to whom a conversation was referring, greatly interrupting the flow of the novel. The chapters were laid out in a confusing manner as well, jumping between the few months before and the few months after the heroine's accident with an inconsistency that was maddening. The only positive thing I can say about this first section is that it paints a good picture of British society in the early 1960s, when pregnant women drank alcohol, smoking was ubiquitous, and racist and sexist attitudes were de rigueur.
The second section is somewhat better in that the writing is more natural, less over-the-top, and the characters are more likeable and three-dimensional. The plot, though, is still terribly predictable and isn't enough to overcome the deficiencies of the rest of the book." - Kim Kovacs
Others Say
"British journalist/novelist Moyes's (Horsedancer) latest book is the perfect read for those who enjoy a more serious romance as well as a British turn of phrase..." - Library Journal
"Starred Review. A nicely judged sense of period and the author's full-blooded commitment lend heartfelt emotion to simple characters in a tour de force of its kind." - Kirkus Reviews
"Beautifully written... an exquisite tale of love lost, love found and the power of letter writing." - Sunday Express (UK)
"An utterly absorbing and blissfully romantic read." - Daily Telegraph (UK)
"A gorgeously romantic and partner-ignoringly compulsive read... Immaculately paced, genuinely touching and stuffed with Mad Men-esque period details, it's a page-turner that loves words themselves." - Independent on Sunday (UK)
"A fabulous, emotional and evocative book..." - Sophie Kinsella, author of Confessions of a Shopaholic
This information about The Last Letter from Your Lover was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo: Phillis Christopher
Jojo Moyes is a novelist and journalist. Her books include the bestsellers Me Before You, After You and Still Me, The Girl You Left Behind, The One Plus One and her short story collection Paris for One and Other Stories. Her novels have been translated into forty-six languages, have hit the number one spot in twelve countries and have sold over thirty-eight million copies worldwide. Me Before You has now sold over fourteen million copies worldwide and was adapted into a major film starring Sam Claflin and Emilia Clarke. Jojo's book Someone Else's Shoes published in hardback, audiobook, and eBook in February 2023. Jojo lives in Essex.
Author Interview
Link to Jojo Moyes's Website
Name Pronunciation
Jojo Moyes: moyz
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