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Last Salute
From the author of The Campaign and No Rules of Engagement…
Pamela Wright will never forgive her sister for dying in the Afghanistan war, or the Army for Laura’s death, or anyone else for making it okay for Laura to go halfway around the world to fight for reasons Pam has never fathomed. Numb with grief, she buries her sister but not her rage.
Among the mourners is Trish Tomlinson, who loved Laura long ago and has found the news of Laura’s death sharply painful. She remembers Pam as an unwelcome third wheel, but now finds comfort in the company of the young medical resident, and in the details of Laura’s journal that Pam shares.
Brought together by grief, something more grows. Guilt and anger cloud their feelings and jeopardize any chance at a future. How can love blossom in the shadow of death?
Pamela Wright will never forgive her sister for dying in the Afghanistan war, or the Army for Laura’s death, or anyone else for making it okay for Laura to go halfway around the world to fight for reasons Pam has never fathomed. Numb with grief, she buries her sister but not her rage.
Among the mourners is Trish Tomlinson, who loved Laura long ago and has found the news of Laura’s death sharply painful. She remembers Pam as an unwelcome third wheel, but now finds comfort in the company of the young medical resident, and in the details of Laura’s journal that Pam shares.
Brought together by grief, something more grows. Guilt and anger cloud their feelings and jeopardize any chance at a future. How can love blossom in the shadow of death?
288 pages, Paperback
First published November 17, 2013
11 people are currently reading
226 people want to read
About the author
Tracey Richardson
34 books264 followersI'm the author of several lesbian romance novels published by Bella Books, including the Lambda Literary Award finalists "Last Salute" and "No Rules of Engagement". I'm a voracious reader, even more so now that I've retired from a 27-year career as a daily newspaper journalist.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
March 31, 2020
The characters were hard connect with and the romance was just okay. They fell for each other pretty quick, or at least Tracy did since Pam had always loved her.
February 28, 2024
Well constructed, bitter-sweet tale of loss and what it means for the survivors, one sister and the other the 1st love of the dead Major. I love the way TR writes - my 7 of hers, all 5* bar one 4*. Recommended highly.
November 2, 2019
Pamela Wright is a doctor finishing her residency in Chicago. When she gets the devastating news that her older sister Laura was killed in action in Afghanistan, she goes back to Ann Arbor, her hometown, to make arrangements for her burial. There she meets again with Trish Tomlinson, her sister’s high school sweetheart. Brought together by grief, they both share the bereavement process which eventually transforms into something deeper. But guilt and anger threaten to tear them apart…
‘Last salute’ is a good lesbian slow-burn romance audiobook dealing with the grieving process and finding one’s own identity after a devastating loss. As Pam and Trish get together to face Laura’s death, they are forced to confront their feelings about Laura and each other. Laura’s memory acts as a catalyst for finding answers to different events in both women’s lives. For a good part of the story, Laura is like a third wheel in Pam and Trish’s relationship and the reader wonders if they’d be able to move on. Needless is to say that this book is on the angsty side, but the angst is justified by the painful events.
This is a character-driven story and the author excelled at building their distinctive personalities, fears, and regrets. This is true not only for Pam and Trish, but also for Laura, who leaves a diary that helps both leads, and the reader, to get a better picture of her life choices. Parallel to this, Ms. Richardson explores the idea of war, its shortcomings, and strengths, if any. It’s not a light read but I found that the author achieved a delicate balance between angst and love, and even managed to add a small action twist near the end.
I’ve read this book a few years ago and I remember finding it too dramatic for my taste. Having said that, I found that the audiobook version took the story to a higher level thanks to the narration of Maxine Mitchell. Her performance of the characters’ voices was spot-on including the male voices. There are a few very emotional parts of this story that Ms. Mitchell performed with ease, conveying the feelings poignantly. The tone and the pace of the narration were just right for this story. If you are looking for a drama with a hopeful ending, this could be a good choice. The audiobook is available with the Audible Escape subscription which will provide you with more than 9 hours of entertainment.
Overall, a good lesbian slow-burn romance audiobook. 4 stars for the story, 5 stars for the narration. Average, 4.5 stars.
See all my reviews at www.lezreviewbooks.com
‘Last salute’ is a good lesbian slow-burn romance audiobook dealing with the grieving process and finding one’s own identity after a devastating loss. As Pam and Trish get together to face Laura’s death, they are forced to confront their feelings about Laura and each other. Laura’s memory acts as a catalyst for finding answers to different events in both women’s lives. For a good part of the story, Laura is like a third wheel in Pam and Trish’s relationship and the reader wonders if they’d be able to move on. Needless is to say that this book is on the angsty side, but the angst is justified by the painful events.
This is a character-driven story and the author excelled at building their distinctive personalities, fears, and regrets. This is true not only for Pam and Trish, but also for Laura, who leaves a diary that helps both leads, and the reader, to get a better picture of her life choices. Parallel to this, Ms. Richardson explores the idea of war, its shortcomings, and strengths, if any. It’s not a light read but I found that the author achieved a delicate balance between angst and love, and even managed to add a small action twist near the end.
I’ve read this book a few years ago and I remember finding it too dramatic for my taste. Having said that, I found that the audiobook version took the story to a higher level thanks to the narration of Maxine Mitchell. Her performance of the characters’ voices was spot-on including the male voices. There are a few very emotional parts of this story that Ms. Mitchell performed with ease, conveying the feelings poignantly. The tone and the pace of the narration were just right for this story. If you are looking for a drama with a hopeful ending, this could be a good choice. The audiobook is available with the Audible Escape subscription which will provide you with more than 9 hours of entertainment.
Overall, a good lesbian slow-burn romance audiobook. 4 stars for the story, 5 stars for the narration. Average, 4.5 stars.
See all my reviews at www.lezreviewbooks.com
February 24, 2020
I enjoyed this book. It took place at one of my favorite places. It was a nice age gap romance as well!
January 10, 2015
This is a very well written book that tugs at your heart. The story opens with Pam receiving a devastating news about her elder sister Laura's death during a mission in Afghanistan. At the funeral, she was re-acquainted with Trish - her sister's ex, who has never gotten over breaking up with Laura over the years. Pam and Trish, through supporting each other through the loss and grieve, realizes that they're both attracted to each other. However, before they can truly be with each other, they both have to get over their ghosts and letting go of their own fears.
I like how the story also tells us about Laura through chapters of her journal, as well as the journey both Pam and Trish is taking. If you were Pam, you will fall for Trish as well. She's incredibly intuitive, considerate and she's been solid in every way possible for Pam while she sorts out her own feelings. You know these two are destined to be together and I'm so happy that they are.
I like how the story also tells us about Laura through chapters of her journal, as well as the journey both Pam and Trish is taking. If you were Pam, you will fall for Trish as well. She's incredibly intuitive, considerate and she's been solid in every way possible for Pam while she sorts out her own feelings. You know these two are destined to be together and I'm so happy that they are.
March 31, 2018
I'm on the roll trying books with trope I don't like today... :s
Here, it's the crush on the sister's ex. Which dies. So it's a lot of suffering, loss, anger, grief, and old crush starting anew on top of that. And the carbon-copy sister secondary trope doesn't help at all.
I probably shouldn't marked it as "read", because I pretty much scrolled over it, but I did get to the happy ending so... should I keep testing TR books or not ?
Do you have a Tracey R favorite that I should look into ?
Here, it's the crush on the sister's ex. Which dies. So it's a lot of suffering, loss, anger, grief, and old crush starting anew on top of that. And the carbon-copy sister secondary trope doesn't help at all.
I probably shouldn't marked it as "read", because I pretty much scrolled over it, but I did get to the happy ending so... should I keep testing TR books or not ?
Do you have a Tracey R favorite that I should look into ?
August 13, 2015
I seem to be in a minority here but I totally enjoyed this novel. I've had Last Salute on my Kindle for a couple of years but just never got around to reading it. Something about sloppy seconds had me reluctant to give it a look. I'm so glad I took the chance as I was rewarded with a well written and thought provoking look at casualties of war and the loved ones left behind by heroic warriors.
Richardson has a beautiful writing style. The first 20% of the novel, as Pam and Trish come to terms with Laura's death are heartfelt and moving. It's hard not to commiserate with Pam and Trish as they deal with the loss of a beloved sister and ex-girlfriend. I was impressed at how effective the author was at conveying their loss and grief.
I was also impressed with how Richardson succeeded in convincing the reader that Trish and Pam had a chance at making their initial friendship bloom into so much more. I found their attraction magnetic and thought it was only a matter of time before Pam and Trish would work out their insecurities and reluctance towards building a life together. The trip to Afghanistan was not only an awakening and mind shift for the two protagonists, but brought understanding to the reader. A career in the military was a choice Laura made willingly. Trish was secondary to Laura's need to serve. That realization in addition to Pam's decision regarding her future career path put sold on this couple's future together.
I couldn't help but highlight some of the lovely writing.
Loc. 2868-2870 Pam to Trish: "I will never," she said, looking deeply into Trish's eyes, "want another woman the way I want you. You are the only woman I've wanted, who touches me to my very core, whose love and friendship gives my whole life meaning."
Loc. 373-3475 Trish to Pam: "I loved your sister. But it was a long time ago, and it was during a time in my life I'll never have back again. And I don't want that time back again. This is my life now. You are my life now, and this is exactly how I want it to be. It was how it was meant to be. I believe that now."
Call me a sentimental fool but I loved this love story.
Richardson has a beautiful writing style. The first 20% of the novel, as Pam and Trish come to terms with Laura's death are heartfelt and moving. It's hard not to commiserate with Pam and Trish as they deal with the loss of a beloved sister and ex-girlfriend. I was impressed at how effective the author was at conveying their loss and grief.
I was also impressed with how Richardson succeeded in convincing the reader that Trish and Pam had a chance at making their initial friendship bloom into so much more. I found their attraction magnetic and thought it was only a matter of time before Pam and Trish would work out their insecurities and reluctance towards building a life together. The trip to Afghanistan was not only an awakening and mind shift for the two protagonists, but brought understanding to the reader. A career in the military was a choice Laura made willingly. Trish was secondary to Laura's need to serve. That realization in addition to Pam's decision regarding her future career path put sold on this couple's future together.
I couldn't help but highlight some of the lovely writing.
Loc. 2868-2870 Pam to Trish: "I will never," she said, looking deeply into Trish's eyes, "want another woman the way I want you. You are the only woman I've wanted, who touches me to my very core, whose love and friendship gives my whole life meaning."
Loc. 373-3475 Trish to Pam: "I loved your sister. But it was a long time ago, and it was during a time in my life I'll never have back again. And I don't want that time back again. This is my life now. You are my life now, and this is exactly how I want it to be. It was how it was meant to be. I believe that now."
Call me a sentimental fool but I loved this love story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2014
Pamela Wright already feels alone and slightly lost when a knock at the door signifies the end of her last real connection. Her older sister Laura has died in a helicopter crash on the way to a forward hospital while on tour in Afghanistan. Facing her loss alone seems too much to bear.
Trish Tomlinson notices that the flag has been lowered to half mast at the high school where she teaches and is stunned to find that the alumni they are honoring is her first and only love.
When Pam sees Trish as the funeral cars move through Ann Arbor she realizes there is one person who will share her grief, one person who will understand. As the two women support each other through their pain old feelings surface, new feelings emerge. But will grief and guilt be too big a hurdle for them to overcome?
---------
Last Salute is an interesting story with several complex layers of emotion. On the one hand it is about how we become who we are, how some people chose a life others find alien and what motivates those choices. It is also about how we deal with grief, the grief of losing a loved one and the grief of being left behind when relationships don’t work out. At the same time it is a romance, but a romance which has to deal with guilt and bereavement.
Pam has lost her father to a plane crash, her mother to cancer and now her sister. – first to the army, then to the crash. She has fought to create a life for herself but is burdened by never being as good as her big sister. She has never recovered from a teenage crush on her sisters girlfriend and has lived a life following in her sisters footsteps. Now she has to grow into herself, find out what she wants and who she is.
Trish though she has the ideal dream – happy and in love with her high school sweetheart. But Laura chose the army over their dream and Trish has spent 13 years waiting for her to come back. Now she has to chose whether to let her heart die with Laura or face up to the fact that Laura never chose her.
In amidst all of this is an exploration of how the people who chose to put their lives on the line feel about the risks they take and the legacy they leave. Ms Richardson not only takes us into the heart of a forward hospital and an army base, but to the VA medical center back home. She shows us how the troops try to deal with the fear, how they come to terms with the risk, and by default we see why they find it so very hard to adjust to ‘normality’ when they come home.
Well written and a skillful balance between current growth and old pain, woven around the impact Laura had in life, and the legacy she has left. A gentle romance dealing with some of the hardest issues we all have to face.
Trish Tomlinson notices that the flag has been lowered to half mast at the high school where she teaches and is stunned to find that the alumni they are honoring is her first and only love.
When Pam sees Trish as the funeral cars move through Ann Arbor she realizes there is one person who will share her grief, one person who will understand. As the two women support each other through their pain old feelings surface, new feelings emerge. But will grief and guilt be too big a hurdle for them to overcome?
---------
Last Salute is an interesting story with several complex layers of emotion. On the one hand it is about how we become who we are, how some people chose a life others find alien and what motivates those choices. It is also about how we deal with grief, the grief of losing a loved one and the grief of being left behind when relationships don’t work out. At the same time it is a romance, but a romance which has to deal with guilt and bereavement.
Pam has lost her father to a plane crash, her mother to cancer and now her sister. – first to the army, then to the crash. She has fought to create a life for herself but is burdened by never being as good as her big sister. She has never recovered from a teenage crush on her sisters girlfriend and has lived a life following in her sisters footsteps. Now she has to grow into herself, find out what she wants and who she is.
Trish though she has the ideal dream – happy and in love with her high school sweetheart. But Laura chose the army over their dream and Trish has spent 13 years waiting for her to come back. Now she has to chose whether to let her heart die with Laura or face up to the fact that Laura never chose her.
In amidst all of this is an exploration of how the people who chose to put their lives on the line feel about the risks they take and the legacy they leave. Ms Richardson not only takes us into the heart of a forward hospital and an army base, but to the VA medical center back home. She shows us how the troops try to deal with the fear, how they come to terms with the risk, and by default we see why they find it so very hard to adjust to ‘normality’ when they come home.
Well written and a skillful balance between current growth and old pain, woven around the impact Laura had in life, and the legacy she has left. A gentle romance dealing with some of the hardest issues we all have to face.
July 16, 2015
I wanted to try out this new book by Richardson because I had liked The Campaign also by her. This wound up just as interesting and engrossing as that one was.
It's about Pam Wright and Trish Tomlinson. Pam is an ER Doc in Chicago, Trish a High School teacher in Ann Arbor. The woman that they both have in common is Laura, Pam's big sister and Trish's first love.
The story starts as Laura dies while serving as a doctor in the Army in Afghanistan. Pam and Trish reconnect when Pam brings Laura's body home to Ann Arbor on her way to Laura's final resting place in Arlington National Cemetery. From there they help each other through the grieving process, or try to at least. They each of a lot of varied baggage too. And then the romance tries to make itself known and the story gets really interesting. Will they, won't they, etc.
I really liked the book. Overall the writing seemed solid and at some points, like the scene where Pam gets notified of her sister's death, the writing was amazing. I also thought that some of the turns of phrase were really really cool.
I do have to say that I would have loved to hear about more of a lot of the characters in the book. I especially wanted to know more about Camille's story. Some of the mysterious things she said definitely piqued my interest.
Overall I thought it was a great book, and a fun and quick read.
I won this through the Goodreads First Read giveaways.
It's about Pam Wright and Trish Tomlinson. Pam is an ER Doc in Chicago, Trish a High School teacher in Ann Arbor. The woman that they both have in common is Laura, Pam's big sister and Trish's first love.
The story starts as Laura dies while serving as a doctor in the Army in Afghanistan. Pam and Trish reconnect when Pam brings Laura's body home to Ann Arbor on her way to Laura's final resting place in Arlington National Cemetery. From there they help each other through the grieving process, or try to at least. They each of a lot of varied baggage too. And then the romance tries to make itself known and the story gets really interesting. Will they, won't they, etc.
I really liked the book. Overall the writing seemed solid and at some points, like the scene where Pam gets notified of her sister's death, the writing was amazing. I also thought that some of the turns of phrase were really really cool.
I do have to say that I would have loved to hear about more of a lot of the characters in the book. I especially wanted to know more about Camille's story. Some of the mysterious things she said definitely piqued my interest.
Overall I thought it was a great book, and a fun and quick read.
I won this through the Goodreads First Read giveaways.
August 25, 2014
"Last Salute" was a well-written book about two women dealing with the loss of a woman they both loved. Laura Wright's death while serving in Afghanistan devastates her younger sister, Pamela, and her ex-girlfriend, Trish Tomlinson. Pamela and Trish come together to mourn Laura and find themselves angry that she died for a cause neither of them believe is worthy enough to have them suffer such a loss.
While grieving, the two women begin to realize that they have feelings for one another but pursuing those feelings isn't so simple. The memory of Laura haunts both Pamela and Trish, overshadowing the possibility of something truly special developing between the two of them.
The book deals with the subject matters of death and love nicely and there are moments that you feel for both Pamela and Trish but you also want to move forward with their lives, especially Trish who seems to have been stuck ever since her relationship with Laura officially ended but she appeared to have been carrying the proverbial torch since then.
"Last Salute" gets four stars.
While grieving, the two women begin to realize that they have feelings for one another but pursuing those feelings isn't so simple. The memory of Laura haunts both Pamela and Trish, overshadowing the possibility of something truly special developing between the two of them.
The book deals with the subject matters of death and love nicely and there are moments that you feel for both Pamela and Trish but you also want to move forward with their lives, especially Trish who seems to have been stuck ever since her relationship with Laura officially ended but she appeared to have been carrying the proverbial torch since then.
"Last Salute" gets four stars.
February 21, 2015
Great reading
The first two chapters really set the stage for a very thought provoking and insightful take on mortality and relationships. Tracey Richardson gets my vote as a caring writer.
The first two chapters really set the stage for a very thought provoking and insightful take on mortality and relationships. Tracey Richardson gets my vote as a caring writer.
May 14, 2015
Solid writing overall (as I expected), though was surprised to find some dialogue clunky. For some reason I could not connect with it at all.
The diary passages didn't work at all for me, though what they transported was important to the story.
The diary passages didn't work at all for me, though what they transported was important to the story.
May 30, 2020
A story of loss, letting go & living on
“So here we are, our hearts forever engraved by someone we can never have.”
“Three seconds up, three seconds hold, three seconds down. It was the last time anyone would ever salute Major Laura Wright again, and it broke her heart.”
“Should she go home? Finally get on with her life now that the torch she’d been carrying for so many years had been so cruelly and permanently snuffed out?”
“Isn’t the love that someone will always feel for us in their heart the best thing we can leave behind?”
+ • + • + • +
It made me smile, made me cry, made my heart ache & made me optimistic riding the emotional rollercoaster from the first word to the last about finding & forging the redemption & resilience, security, strength, promise & power of real love
“So here we are, our hearts forever engraved by someone we can never have.”
“Three seconds up, three seconds hold, three seconds down. It was the last time anyone would ever salute Major Laura Wright again, and it broke her heart.”
“Should she go home? Finally get on with her life now that the torch she’d been carrying for so many years had been so cruelly and permanently snuffed out?”
“Isn’t the love that someone will always feel for us in their heart the best thing we can leave behind?”
+ • + • + • +
It made me smile, made me cry, made my heart ache & made me optimistic riding the emotional rollercoaster from the first word to the last about finding & forging the redemption & resilience, security, strength, promise & power of real love
September 13, 2022
A pretty strong three. This was about dealing with the death of a loved one. It deals with serving in Afghanistan and what is involved with that. The vehicle is a relationship that comes in to being after a loved one mutual to them both dies. They must overcome grief and conflicts they encounter due to it in becoming a couple.
I liked learning about the situation and challenges troops serving in Afghanistan deal with. The part about handling grief rang true to me. The romance angle was eh for me. Even when it got sexy it fell by the wayside for me. It could just be a dynamic that fails to hook me though.
I liked learning about the situation and challenges troops serving in Afghanistan deal with. The part about handling grief rang true to me. The romance angle was eh for me. Even when it got sexy it fell by the wayside for me. It could just be a dynamic that fails to hook me though.
April 30, 2024
A solid 4.5 stars for me. I have just recently read Kristin Hannah's The Women, and this book brought to mind many of the feeling and emotions I felt when reading that book. I actually cried a number of times in the first quarter of the book. It's not as intense as K.H.'s book, or as well written, but it is a good book, filled with emotion and strong feelings about loss and war. The sex and love affair parts are minimal, which is good. It's still a lesbian romance, but a deeply sad, searching book of feelings and needs.
January 15, 2019
This was a great read, the characters are well developed with a storyline that flowed from chapter to chapter. I completely recommend it and hope that others find it as enjoyable as I did.
read-books
July 11, 2019Great
July 18, 2021
Very difficult book that starts one in tears. Grief and understanding why makes for hard reading or listening but this is well done.
July 29, 2021
Meh. Too much non-relationship stuff for me. And too much talking during the sex scenes. Just not my thing, I guess.
September 4, 2021
Heart-wrenching and cathartic for all involved, a long journey to find true love and to realize what has always been but not realized it. Everything at it's time a mist tragedy. Loved the ending
January 22, 2024
Not bad. She has better ones out there. A decent read.
August 29, 2015
Its hard for me to know what to say about this book -- I liked the writing of this story, but I didn't really like the story so much. The romance between the two women was fine, but the premise that brought them together was a little morbid. I also didn't really like the fact that the resemblance between the sisters was emphasized at the beginning. It would have been better if the younger sister had been different in appearance -- then it wouldn't be so weird to imagine Trish with her. It was too much like replacing one sister with another. Also the path they took to be together was a little ridiculous -- one is against it, then the other is. Trish's best friend being an ex, the strange fear of flights, the unnecessary accident: most of the story between the women was just annoying. Ultimately my favorite parts of this were the parts about the military hospital and the stuff in Afghanistan. The exception was the stuff with the Canadian nurse and the worry about acceptance within the Canadian army -- aside from the fact that Canada has had legalized same-sex marriage for 10 years, there have been gay military in Canada for nearly 20 years. If the author was going to have a plot point using Canadians, the least she could do was her homework. It was a minor point maybe, but it was aggravating
June 6, 2014
Not much to say other than the connection was missing. Liked the idea of the plot but the reality of it just sort of fell flat. Big fan of all things military, but the creepiness of the sister look-alike swap was a little much. Could have overcome that if the story had more depth and development. It's always fairly obvious when an author jumps the gun on a plot idea before adding other necessary elements. Not Ms. Richardson's best effort and I have liked her previous offerings.
July 7, 2014
Ok Story
I've read another book by this author and felt I would give this one a try. It was predictable and the long run but read it until the end. I liked Trish and I like how she was able to separate her feelings for Laura and Pam. I will continue reading more from this author.
I've read another book by this author and felt I would give this one a try. It was predictable and the long run but read it until the end. I liked Trish and I like how she was able to separate her feelings for Laura and Pam. I will continue reading more from this author.
February 12, 2014
Wow, just wow.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews