Thursday 10 September 2015

Book Review - The Last Kiss Goodbye by Tasmina Perry

The Last Kiss Goodbye
 
The Last Kiss Goodbye by Tasmina Perry
Published: 10th September 2015
Publisher: Headline Review
Pages: 383
Available in Hardback and on Kindle
 
Blurb
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.
 
Review
The Last Kiss Goodbye is the latest novel by Tasmina Perry and I think it is her best yet. This novel like her previous novel The Proposal (I’ve still to read this one yet…my bad) is written with a dual time aspect, which is a different style to her previous high glamour novels but done in the usual addictive Tasmina Perry writing style.
The Last Kiss Goodbye starts in 1961 with Rosamund Bailey, a young activist set on changing the world, until she meets Dominic Blake political journalist and born explorer. As two fall in love and begin to plan a future together tragedy strikes the unlucky pair.
Fast forward to 2014 and Abby Gordon an archivist is putting together an exhibition of British explorers when she discovers a photograph of two young lovers saying goodbye. Deeply moved by the photograph Abby sets out to discover who the people in the photograph are. She then meets Rosamund Bailey, the woman in the photograph and sets out to discover what exactly happened to Dominic Blake after that last kiss goodbye.
Abby was a character who instantly made her way into my heart, she’s suffering from heartbreak after discovering husband Nick has an affair and I think she was determined to use the photograph as proof of everlasting love to sooth her broken heart. I was longing for her to give Nick another chance and let them become a family again.
Rosamund came across as slightly harsh with her opinions in the 1961 chapters. After she meets Dominic you can begin to see her soften a little as she falls in love and who can blame her – if a handsome man whisked me away to Paris I’m sure I’d fall for him in such a romantic place.
I found this novel to be beautifully written and the romance in it is subtle but so moving, I think it will be hard to read without feeling a little pull at the heart strings. The ending was perfect and I think captured the overall essence of the story wonderfully.
I’m really excited to see that one of my favourite authors has taken the leap into historical fiction as dual time frame novel are my favourite to read and The Last Kiss Goodbye is a perfect example of this. I’m quite glad I still have The Proposal to read as I know I’m going to love it! I can’t wait to read Tasmina’s next novel as I’m sure it will be brilliant.
Thank you so much to Headline and bookbridgr for sending me a copy to review, I adored this book and give it 5/5.


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