The Last Best Kiss

by Claire LaZebnik

Jane Austen comes to modern-day Los Angeles in Claire LaZebnik's imaginative take on Persuasion, where seventeen-year-old Anna Eliot finds out whether there's such a thing as a second chance when it comes to first love. Fans of Polly Shulman, Maureen Johnson, Elizabeth Eulberg, Stephanie Perkins, and, of course, Jane Austen will love this irresistibly funny and romantic contemporary tale. Anna is tired of worrying about what other people think. After all, that was how she lost the only guy she ever really liked, Finn Westbrook. Now, three years after she broke his heart, the one who got away is back in her life-and he wants nothing to do with her. Anna keeps trying to persuade herself that she doesn't care about Finn either, but even though they've both changed since they first met, deep down she knows he's the guy for her. Now if only she can get him to believe that, too ...

• ISBN10: 0062252283
• ISBN13: 9780062252289
• Publish Date: 22 May 2014 (first published 22 April 2014)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 5 April 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc
• Imprint: HarperTeen
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[phyllish]

Overall, I enjoyed this book, with a few caveats. The emotions of the characters are deep and you can feel them as you read and the situations in the book are believable.

There is a situation in the book where the teens are at a venue where they end up smoking marijuana. Under the influence, one of the characters does something stupid and dangerous. Without giving a spoiler, the result is really, really bad. But the fact that it was the drug use that helped influence the behavior was glossed over. So the drugs aren't actually glorified, but the use of them is presented in a way that makes it seem normal and acceptable.

While there are no sexual acts in the book, it is insinuated that of course all the kids are having sex and that it is okay that they do. There is also a homosexual friend in the book.

[KitsuneBae]

This review also appeared on" Thoughts and Pens.

This was a decent read. The romance developed well and the characters were pretty much likable. I only have two issues: too much detail regarding the clothing of all the characters (including the extras) and that ending. Everything just fell into place with so much convenience that it's almost unbelievable.

Full review to come soon.

[Rowena]

This was a cute and fast read about second chance love and I really enjoyed it. I liked that the main character had done something that she needed to be redeemed for and I loved that she grew into her own person who didn't value what everyone else did above her own needs and wants. And I really loved that she fixed things with Finn and that Finn could finally forgive her because what she did wasn't right and she handled it the way that a normal teenager would, I think. Slowly and in her own way. I thought LaZebnik did a great job of capturing the minds of teenagers and their reactions to real life situations. This story was cute and it had everything I like in books so I definitely recommend it.