The Last Post

June 17, 2019
This uneven tale about a recent widow and a man just emerging from an existential crisis is full of stops and starts. In the opening chapter, Laya heads to Paris on a “second honeymoon” with her professional stuntman husband, Cameron, only to see him die. Grief-stricken, she leaves her surgery residency in California, holes up in one of her architect father’s New York apartment buildings, and obsessively publishes posts to her deceased husband on his Facebook page, despite his family’s pleas for her to stop. Meanwhile, Micah, a frustrated architect in her father’s firm, spends his time “visualizing my life as some giant novel with no meaning” and growing a beard that makes him look like the Unabomber. He fixates on Laya in a way that his twin sister describes as “stalking.” Carlino (Blind Kiss) manages a sympathetic presentation of both protagonists as broken, imperfect people who eventually, after numerous false starts, heal each other; this offsets the lovers’ excessive introspection and plot twists that strain credulity. (For example, after Micah and his sister have consecutive car accidents that land them in the same hospital, Laya ends up operating on Micah.) This angst-ridden story may appeal to Carlino’s fans, but many readers will find the slow-moving romance tedious. Agent: Allison Hunter, Janklow & Nesbit.

June 15, 2019
A young woman struggles to let new love bloom after the sudden loss of her husband. After witnessing her husband's death, Laya falls into depression. In an effort to keep Cameron's presence alive, she makes frequent posts to his Facebook page, talking to him as if he were just away on a trip. This, of course, alarms her family and friends, who struggle to pull her back into reality. When Micah meets Laya at his office--her father owns his architecture firm--he is smitten by her sad beauty. Although he doesn't think of it as such, he begins stalking her via her Facebook posts and uses what he discovers to get close to her. Laya is startled by the coincidences that fall into her life but is too dazed to realize Micah is planning them. As usual, Carlino (Blind Kiss, 2018, etc.) puts a unique spin on a common theme of finding love again after loss. But also typical for Carlino, her characters--Laya's a surgeon and Micah's an architect--seem younger than their years, responding to situations in ways that show a lack of insight for people with their career success. Questions about the characters' naiveté may bring readers out of the story, as will a character's quick, rather miraculous healing after a brutal accident. Characters are a bit exaggerated, especially Micah's twin sister, Melissa, who bursts with attitude, but they are likable, they grow, lessons are learned, forgiveness is offered and received, and life moves on. There is wisdom to be found in this deceptively simple tale of inner wounds and how they impact the choices people make. Social media paves the way for healing in this unique tale of life after loss.

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August 9, 2019

Laya Marston accompanies daredevil husband Cameron on many of his perilous, on-location adventures. When they are on the highest peak of the Alps, Cameron's attempted cliff-diving stunt goes wrong, leading to his tragic death. Grief-stricken, Laya reminisces through Facebook posts, musing on their brief, romantic marriage and imagining future adventures together. She relocates to New York from San Francisco and renews her relationship with her architect father. Micah, who works for her father, is similarly emotionally adrift. He discovers Laya's grim and sorrowful Facebook posts and begins writing letters to her, in attempts to rekindle her passion for life. When Laya and Micah are able to discover new joy and energy, they also find compassion and happiness. Both characters are fairly likable, but Micah's outspoken twin sister, Melissa, adds a much-needed spark to this rather awkward if promising relationship. VERDICT Readers of Carlino's previous works (Blind Kiss; Wish You Were Here) will find this a satisfying, romantic novel, and though the story is rather unlikely, it is hopeful and heartfelt.--Andrea Tarr, Corona P.L., CA

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