Best, First and Last
Amy Matthews
352 pages
Simon & Schuster (Australia)
Published on March 5th, 2025
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Best, First and Last is a contemporary dramedy by an Australian author, about a feisty widow from Arizona who decides to walk the Inca trail with her daughter and granddaughter. I was invited to request an ARC by the publisher and liked the sound of a travel story about Peru, a place I visited years ago. This explores the lives, loves and secrets of three very different women from the same family.
Bonnie makes a rash decision to take her divorced daughter Sandra, unhappy granddaughter Heather and the ashes of her recently deceased husband, Junior, on her bucket list trip to Peru to celebrate her 70th birthday. Things don’t quite go to plan when Heather, trying to extricate herself from a relationship with a man she doesn’t love, meets a handsome stranger on her first night, while Sandra can’t let go of the her philandering ex who keeps breaking her heart. Can three damaged women find healing in the Andes when they can barely stop bickering long enough to draw breath?
This was sometimes moving, and sometimes funny. I enjoyed the varied characters and the relationships between them, even if I would hate to go on holiday with any of them! It’s well written and brought back happy memories of a beautiful and unique country. I found the flashback scenes slowed the pace down a bit, but they were actually essential to understand each of the women’s motivations and behaviour, and I liked the way it ended.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Best, First and Last is available now.
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