The Last Charm by Ella Allbright

The Last Charm is one of my favourite romance stories of 2020. It is heart-warming, emotional and memorable: the kind of read that will have you thinking about Leila and Jake for a long time afterwards.

The story surrounds Leila’s charm bracelet, which was given to her by her mother prior to leaving Leila and her father. On the heart is a single charm. By the time Leila loses the bracelet years later, it is full of unique and beautiful charms. Each charm represents a special time in the romance between Leila and Jake: a story she has to tell the stranger who has found the bracelet in order to have it returned. The story is told in a series of memories starting when Leila is 13 until she is 30.

I respect that this romance does not happen immediately. Both Jake and Leila have a dysfunctional parent which impacts their identities and self-respect. As a result, each of them has personal growth to experience before they can commit to one another. These issues are presented with impact, and sensitivity.

I absolutely love the theme of the book for its originality and sentimentality. I appreciated learning about the story behind each of the charms. These characters are well developed and likeable. In summary, I found the story to be very engaging and I had a hard time putting it down.

I listened to the audiobook version which was narrated by Sarah Lambie who does a fantastic job as bringing Leila’s voice to the story. I found her voice to be youthful, sweet and joyous in all the right places. Her articulation and cadence made this book a joy to read. If you are a fan of audiobooks, I would definitely recommend this version of the book which enhances an already wonderful story.

Thanks to Netgalley, HarperCollins Audio UK and One More Chapter for the ARC of this book in exchange for the honest review provided here.

My rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5.