Title: The Last Text
Author: Alice Winters
Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited
Length: 120 Pages
Category: Contemporary Romance
At a Glance: I loved the premise of Alice Winters’ The Last Text. And, though I struggled a few times with the dialogue—the guys came off as oddly immature at times—for the most part, I really enjoyed her voice. The next time you’re looking for something short and sweet, definitely consider checking this one out!
Reviewed By: Jules
Blurb: Happy Birthday, Daniel. I was told not to send you another text, but I never was any good at listening. I love and miss you. I always will.
When I lost my partner of eight years, I felt like my world was crashing down around me. In order to feel some relief from the overwhelming emptiness, I’ve found myself sending him texts every year on his birthday, even though I know he will never answer. It makes me feel like there’s a piece of him still alive, at least in my heart.
I’m sorry, you must have the wrong number. I apologize for not responding sooner, but I was at work.
That is, until someone responds to my text. Jace is charming, sweet, and everything I could ever want. But how can I accept someone new in my life when Daniel’s only been gone two years? Even so, Jace starts to consume my world. It feels like I can finally breathe as he helps me understand that my life doesn’t have to revolve around my grief.
Soon, I find myself laughing again as he pulls me away from the hopeless cycle I’ve been caught in, and I love spending time with him, whether it’s playing video games together or discussing our comic book alter egos. But I still need to let go of this guilt and allow Jace to show me that I can love another without replacing what I’ve lost. Jace rewrites my entire world with every word and smile he gives me, and it’s becoming harder to not give in and hand him my heart. Maybe Daniel did respond after all.
Review: It’s been two years, but Merrick is still very much grieving the loss of Daniel, his boyfriend of almost a decade. Daniel was Merrick’s first love, his first everything. Every year on Daniel’s birthday, much to the chagrin of his family, Merrick texts Daniel. Just a little message to say how much he loves and misses him and always will. It’s harmless, right? The messages don’t go anywhere, and Merrick feels better. No harm, no foul. Until this year, when someone actually answers him. Jace—the person on the other end of the reply—gamely plays along with the random texting. It may be a bit awkward at first but once he realizes the situation, he wants to be there for Merrick as a friend above all else, even when he starts to fall for him.
Jace is everything, you guys. I loved him so much. He was one hundred percent the ray of light that Merrick needed to start helping him get through his grief. He was patient, and kind, and so clearly cared for Merrick. I loved how their relationship evolved from friends, to the possibility of more. Until Jace came into his life, Merrick had a pretty ho-hum existence. But pretty soon he finds himself smiling more each day and realizing that it’s directly related to spending time with Jace.
He’s always so happy about everything and it feels refreshing…When he’s around, I’m suddenly happier than I feel like I’ve been in ages. I feel like I can finally push this thick fog away from me and take a breath, and for once, the air doesn’t weigh me down.
I loved the premise of Alice Winters’ The Last Text. And, though I struggled a few times with the dialogue—the guys came off as oddly immature at times—for the most part, I really enjoyed her voice. The novella undoubtedly has a certain charm about it, and I fell pretty hard for both characters (but especially Jace). I also loved some of the quirkier elements, like Merrick having rats, or the fact that he was writing a graphic novel. It’s cool little details like that that separate books from the rest of the pack and make the story more memorable.
The next time you’re looking for something short and sweet, definitely consider checking this one out! It was so swoony and despite the few little hiccups, I really did love it.
You can buy The Last Text here:
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