One Last Word: A Novel

by Suzanne Park

Acclaimed author Suzanne Park returns with a charming and compelling novel about an aspiring tech entrepreneur who goes on a rollercoaster journey of self-discovery after her app, which sends messages to loved ones after you pass, accidentally sends her final words to all the important people in her life—including the venture capital mentor she’s crushing on. Sara Chae is the founder of the app One Last Word, which allows you to send a message to whomever you want after you pass. Safeguards are in place so the app will only send out when you’re definitely, absolutely, 100% dead, but when another Sara Chae dies and the obituary triggers the prototype to auto-send messages that Sara uploads on one drunken night—to her emotionally charged mother, to a former best friend who ghosted her, and to her unrequited high school crush Harry—she has to deal with all the havoc that ensues and reopen old wounds from the past.  She applies for a venture capital mentorship and is accepted to the program, only to find out that the mentor she’s assigned is none other than her former crush and VC superstar Harry Shim, and her life goes from uncertain to chaotic overnight. Empowering and laugh-out-loud funny, One Last Word  is a remarkably relatable story about a woman in tech who learns to speak up and fight for what she wants in life and love.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Audiobook, Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, Adult

1 pages, Audio CD

Published April 16, 2024

About the author

Suzanne Park is a Korean-American writer who was born and raised in Tennessee. In her former life as a stand-up comedian, she was a finalist in the Oxygen Network's "Girls Behaving Badly" talent search, and appeared on BET's "Coming to the Stage." Suzanne was also the winner of the Seattle Sierra Mist Comedy Competition, and was a semi-finalist in NBC's "Stand Up For Diversity" showcase in San Francisco alongside comedians Ali Wong and Nico Santos.

More info about her books can be found at https://linktr.ee/suzannepark

Reviews

[Mai H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suzanne is one of the nicest writers in LA. I started attending book events more regularly this year. She attends at least half of them, always buys a book or two, and happily chats with and supports so many other authors.

Sara Chae is the founder of the app One Last Word, which allows you to send a message to whomever you want after you pass. Obviously, her messages are sent. She hasn't died. Chaos ensues. I loved the cast of characters, starting with Sara herself. A mid-thirties Korean American woman that's living in her younger sister's closet because she doesn't have her shit together? Attacked. Okay, so I'm not living in my sister's closet. But, I do live with her.

Some of you might not like Jia, Sara's younger sister. But if you have siblings, you'll understand the dynamic. Their parents may seem special to you, but if you're Asian American, or part of an immigrant family, you'll get them. I got them. It still hurt. Every straight girl needs a gay best friend, and Casey delivered. Remind me to call mine. I miss him.

I think I loved this one so much, because the romance wasn't so in your face. This book is about Sara's journey, and I enjoyed that. Romance is nice, but it isn't everything. The tech world is a very scary place if you're not a white male, and can be very difficult to navigate. Those Silicon Beach boys are not it. Neither are the ones with yellow fever. There's unfortunately a lot of overlap. LA dating is not it. Perhaps a story for another time.

📖 Gifted by Suzanne

[Southern Lady Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recently, romances aren't sticking with me and I think I've been burnt out on them - HOWEVER - I felt like One Last Word was a nice breath of fresh air!!

So many women in STEM romance novels make the woman this quirky manic pixie, and it annoys me - not because those women don't exist, etc. It's because there are so many other women out there who are plus-sized, etc... and sometimes it seems like unless you're a pretty perfect smart gal - there's no romance coming your way.

One Last Word, though? Our heroine is of Asian descent and short, but she's a bit of a gremlin and has been focused on her career rather than doing skin care treatments. I NEEDED that character!!

I also really liked our main couple's relationship because it truly felt like two real people just getting to know each other again without a ton of drama, etc.

NOTES:
- A few steamier scenes but overall, the book focuses on the plot

**Thank you to Avon for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

Find Me On Instagram 🦋 || More Bookish Thoughts & Reviews Here 🖤

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though Suzanne Park's debut was a bit of a miss for me, I am so glad I decided to read her again and got to experience One Last Word! This book focuses on Sara who creates an app called One Last Word which allows you to send messages to people after you die. It throws us headfirst into the world of venture capital, and as you can guess it is an area dominated by men. The romance between Sara and Harry was cute and sweet, but the main focus was on Sara and her finding her voice which I loved. All of the characters are diverse and approachable, and the family dynamics, especially between younger and older sisters, were spot on.

Catherine Ho is a great narrator, and though it felt like it took a little bit for her to find her footing with the audiobook, she eventually did, and I loved her as the voice of Sara. Women in STEM is something I haven’t read enough of, and I’m glad that’s where Park decided to take this storyline. Sara’s app and her decisiveness stole the show making this a real treat to read, and the way it all wrapped up was perfect and had me pumping my fist. One Last Word makes for an excellent summer read and how the author mixes humor, culture, romance, and fighting for what you want is enlightening and delightful!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A character-driven novel that takes a while to get into, I struggled to like Sara at times, but she did feel completely real. Sara was a woman of color in tech, and it was aggravating to see what she had to go through (and I 100% believe that struggle). I liked seeing her support group, and even more, I enjoyed seeing the growth and awareness her character, her friendships, and her family members have throughout the story.

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suzanne Park is a new author for me. I chose to read this book because the concept of a tech startup with a glitch caught my attention and I thought it would be a fun read.

Description:
Acclaimed author Suzanne Park returns with a charming and compelling novel about an aspiring tech entrepreneur who goes on a rollercoaster journey of self-discovery after her app, which sends messages to loved ones after you pass, accidentally sends her final words to all the important people in her life—including the venture capital mentor she’s crushing on. Sara Chae is the founder of the app One Last Word, which allows you to send a message to whomever you want after you pass. Safeguards are in place so the app will only send out when you’re definitely, absolutely, 100% dead, but when another Sara Chae dies and the obituary triggers the prototype to auto-send messages that Sara uploads on one drunken night—to her emotionally charged mother, to a former best friend who ghosted her, and to her unrequited high school crush Harry—she has to deal with all the havoc that ensues and reopen old wounds from the past. She applies for a venture capital mentorship and is accepted to the program, only to find out that the mentor she’s assigned is none other than her former crush and VC superstar Harry Shim, and her life goes from uncertain to chaotic overnight. Empowering and laugh-out-loud funny, One Last Word is a remarkably relatable story about a woman in tech who learns to speak up and fight for what she wants in life and love.

My Thoughts:
Overall a good story. It was easy to feel the ups and downs as Sara Chae navigated trying to get funding for her software application. It was funny to think of Sara living in her sister's closet (poor girl). I liked the reconnection with her estranged friend as well as the reconnection with her crush from high school. There were some parts that made me laugh and I always enjoy books that provoke laughter. Recommended for fun, light reading.

Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager through Netgalley for an advance copy.

[Lian Dolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a pleasure to dive into One Last Work by Suzanne Park, a smart, contemporary and laugh-out-loud novel about taking chances and making amends. With a clever plot twist that leads to deep storylines about love, friendship and family ties, Park draws us in with relatable characters and sharp dialogue. The overall effect is a satisfying tale of a modern woman choosing to live life on her own terms.

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Suzanne's books. The general flow and story are always interesting to me. And I felt like I'm learning new information and ideas. This book was about Sara that created an app called the last word that enabled users to write an email to loved ones and/or friends the last words they wanted to express before death. Which could be cathartic to some. After a night of too many drinks she unfortunately sent hers to her parents, her old high school crush, and former best friend. On top of that she was chosen to participate on a pitching show to showcase her app to the public. I liked Sara. She was a very likeable character. She was definitely a workaholic that wanted to please her parents. She needed work/ play balance or a good nights sleep. The high school crush Harry was okay. I think the reality of who he really was wasn’t too great. He wasn't likable for me. And that’s needed for the romance part of the story. The former best friend was a lot better. She was thoughtful, insightful and kind. Sara’s app and the pitch competition was a bit overwhelming for me. I've learned through reading this that technology and apps are not my favorite things to read about. I skimmed through some of those scenes. The ending was good. Though, I needed more from Harry to understand the romance aspect of this story. Overall, it was a good story with a likeable main protagonist. I definitely recommend her previous books. They were fantastic. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my review.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

ONE LAST WORD held me captive until the very last page. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. I just had to know if Sara was going to find her happily ever after as well as finish her book. I will be thinking about Kara’s story for days to come and wonder how I would have handled her situation. Ms. Park had me on quite the emotional rollercoaster by the end of the story but I also had a smile on my face. I wasn’t sure how things were going to go after the plot twist but I loved the ending. As a whole, I really loved and identified with how much this book celebrated a strong but crazy and quirky woman. So thank you Suzanne Park for making my heart so happy. I loved every minute of it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Fresh Fiction. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.

You can read my full review at:

https://freshfiction.com/review.php?i...

[María · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 35%
I am the same age as the protagonist and I don’t see her behavior and attitude as some thirty something woman - more like a 16 years old.

The people she can’t get over are her highschool crush and her highschool friend - two people she hasn’t seen in almost twenty years - and she is still upset and hurt by them. This feels very inmature and unrealistic. I barely remember my teenage dramas, and holding grudges for so long…it’s childish and make her look weird for her age.

Harry is pretty bland, and is always talking about how hungry he is (???). The conversation in their first dinner was completely meh. And Sarah making up an imaginary boyfriend for no reason felt like a teenage tv show where everyone is a bit dumb. It made me lose interest right away.

I liked the beginning of the story much better, when it was about Sarah trying to be an entrepreneur.

[Myah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m really sorry, I wanted to love this but I only made it about 30% through before skimming the rest. The writing just felt very simplistic and immature, the dialogue was clunky and unrealistic, I didn’t really care about any of the characters…was just a miss for me :/ I loved the concept but I felt no chemistry amongst the characters and the flow of the story was kinda confusing and awkward.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a light-hearted, women in STEM romance that sees a young Korean American woman trying to get an investor to help her launch her app. With the 'help' of her meddling sister she accidentally reaches out to her high school crush who turns out to be her new mentor. With some family drama, a Dragon's Den VC contest element and a kissing only/closed door romance, this was a fun read perfect for fans of authors like Cathy Yardley. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. The cover for this book is FANTASTIC but the story was just okay for me and not likely to be a standout of the year.

[Michelle]

DNF

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, this was a pretty quick, fun read, a bit reminiscent of To All the Boys I've Loved Before. However, I did have to suspend my disbelief a bit about the whole concept of "One Last Word" as a business. Some of the drama concerning the "bug" also seemed a bit overblown because during development and testing, it's expected that there will be bugs, even serious ones, and anyone involved in the process, from investors to developers, should understand this.

The third-act conflict concerning Sara's relationship with Harry soured me a bit on their relationship because that was just something that was unacceptable in my opinion and resolved way too quickly. But similar to the Do-Over, I enjoyed the other aspects of the story much more than the romance.

But overall, I enjoyed this, and I think fans of Shark Tank will especially enjoy this.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smart and fun romance novel set in the tech sector/venture capital world. The protagonist is an Asian American woman who launches her own startup, sick of being undervalued and overworked in a toxic, male dominated company (and sector).

The app she’s developing gives users the chance to get the final word and/or say things they couldn’t say in their lifetimes by sending pre-written messages posthumously. While developing the program, she and her cronies get a chance to explore what things actually should go unsaid and what would be better communicated sooner than upon death, while there is still time for dialogue and forgiveness and fresh starts and whatever else could happen between people in a lifetime.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. I’d recommend it!

[Julie Tieu · Rating 5 out of 5]

ONE LAST WORD dives into what it's like to be a woman in tech and how difficult it is to get the same kind of opportunities. But the heart of the book is how the protagonist, Sara, learns to advocate for herself professionally and personally, when the app she developed sends messages that were meant to go out when she died. As a result, Sara had to face her nagging parents, her ex-friend Naomi and her former high school crush Harry. Readers get to see the journey Sara goes on as she tries to balances it all. Though things don't always go as planned, you'll root for Sara as she gains her confidence and puts herself out there.

[Kristie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to like Suzanne Park's books more. The premise of her books sound good but the execution is lacking. Her dialogue doesn't sound like how real people would talk. The vast majority of the dialogue is dry. The few funny or clever parts? The author ruins them by explaining her own jokes as if her readers were stupid.

Who are her readers supposed to be? Her characters are supposed to be in their thirties but have the EQ of teenagers. There is character growth in her books but largely because the characters start off so immature that there's nowhere to go but up. Her books have moments of brilliance while others have plot holes so large they're laughable. This one is no different.

[Tessa Voccola · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75 stars
i thought the premise of this book was interesting but the characters themselves felt very flat to me. the protagonist felt almost too juvenile to be in her 30s and every problem that arose was fixed in the next chapter without any real emotional cost or conversation needed. i never even really rooted for the love interest cause i just didn’t find any of it emotionally compelling.
i did really enjoy the FMC’s relationship with her sister though. a lot of books in this genre pit sisters against each other and i thought their relationship in this was very sweet and wholesome.

[Angi Pingle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Do editors exist anymore? The conversations were so unrealistic. The main character hates confrontation but confronts her boys in the first chapter and the people interviewing her a few chapters later. All emotions are surface level. All conflicts are settled immediately. I wanted things to simmer but as soon as there is an issue they are resolved. So repetitive. Do I need you to describe what a best friend is? No. Do I need you to describe what a best friend is 30 times? No.

Honestly it felt like To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before but not as playful.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

One Last Word-read as a standalone

By Suzanne Park- new to me author

Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐ ½

📃Page Count: 288

🌎Setting: LA

Publication 4/16/24, Read 4/17/24

🤷🏾‍♀️What to Expect:
Genre: Adult/Women's Fic, Multicultural Interests/Asian American Fic, Contemporary Romance

Tropes: STEMist romance/tech world, 2nd chance romance, pining heroine, friends to lovers, fake dating, closed door

⚠️TW: family drama, misogyny, racism

Summary: Sara Chae is tired of being dismissed and underappreciated. She has a great idea- Upon My Death-an APP that sends messages to loved ones after you pass. Fed up with her boss she quits her middle management job and joins a venture capital mentorship where her high school crush Harry Shim is her mentor. Her death is accidentally reported by the APP and messages go out to her parents, her former BFF Naomi, and her high school crush Harry. Sara has to clean up the mess this causes in her relationships while standing up for herself.

🎭The characters:

Sara Chae-34, works in STEM @ Color Wheel Communications (CWC). Creates One Last Word APP.

Harry Shim-married for 10 years, recently broke up w/ his wife. Sara's new mentor

Jia-26 ,Sara's sister she moves in with after quitting her job.

Casey-Sara's coworker and friend of 5 years @ CWC

🤔 My Thoughts: Sara was a strong, female businesswoman trying to make it in a white ,male dominated tech world. She handles herself with integrity and believes in her work. I didn't care much for her sister Jia or Harry as a love interest, but Sara's tenacity makes up for it.

🙏🏾Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC via NetGalley🩷! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions are my own and freely given.

[Lauren Ansley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute, clean romance with our main character developing her app as the big storyline. Loved the family dynamics and the discussion of her parent’s health always being a factor or something she worries about.

I thought it was weird how much the characters still think about high school. They are in their early 30’s - should they not have moved past high school by now?

For the audiobook: I thought the narrator was AI because the pronunciation of some of the words were SO weird. Turns out it was not AI after a Google but wow does she pronounce things oddly.

[Shay Tibbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suzanne's books just get better and better with each one she writes, loved this one and can't wait to share my full review!

Thank you to NetGalley + Avon books for the copy to read and review!

[skyeslibrary · Rating 3 out of 5]

“may we all be showered with shards from Sara breaking more glass ceilings"

•

One Last Word opens with Sara pitching her app, Upon My Death, to her misogynistic bosses. after a matter-of-fact dismissal of her project, Sara quits on the spot and decides to strike out on her own.

fast forward, and Sara has been accepted into a venture capitalist program, which could lead to the funding of her app. she also quickly discovers her mentor happens to be her high school crush, Harry.

an unintentional soft launch and an app rebranding later, Sara is chasing her dream while dealing with difficult relationships and falling in love at the same time.

•

One Last Word is ultimately the story about a woman with an idea navigating how to bring her vision to life while projecting her voice.

the romance was lackluster for me, but it didn’t take away from my interest in Sara. her journey was enough to keep me reading and cheering for her.

•

read if you like:
♡ app development
♡ asian female mc
♡ closed door romance
♡ entrepreneurial boss women
♡ fake boyfriends / fake dating
♡ family birthday parties
♡ friends to lovers
♡ friendship reconciliation
♡ galas
♡ kettle bells
♡ reality competition shows
♡ single pov
♡ taylor swift references
♡ tech startup culture
♡ women in stem

trigger warnings:
☞ divorce
☞ misogyny
☞ racism
☞ toxic parental relationships


•
thank you to the publisher, Avon Books, for sending me an early copy of the book!
—

♡ find me on Instagram!

[Ariane · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried so hard to like this book. The 'woman in tech' bit was the reason I picked it up in the first place. The first few chapters were strong and then it just went downhill from there. This book has an identity crisis because it's not quite romance (there was absolutely zero chemistry between Harry and Sara) and it wasn't a coming-of-age story. Sara was such a self-absorbed character. I hoped there would be more about her building the app but that 'woe is me' and swooning over Harry shtick got old fairly quickly.

She quit her job because her bosses didn't see her true value, and the first thing she did at the incubator was flirt with her still-married mentor, who clearly said he was dating and potentially not interested in anything serious at the moment? Surely, I'm not the only one that sees that red flag? Then she complains about having to do everything on short notice when she was told prior to acceptance to the program that the winners would have to go on The Bullpen? And how did she find 'satisfied customers' when she never even tested the app past her sister and Casey? Long story short, I found the book to be a one long whinge from Sara. Not enough working and too much complaining.I thought Jia was a more likable and interesting character!

[Clara Gilleland · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I liked this book more 😫

I really, REALLY wanted to love this. I thought the premise was great and was pretty certain I was going to love it. But it just fell flat for me. It kind of somehow felt like way too much was going on while also nothing was really happening? I’m keeping some stars here because I still stand by the premise being a strong concept and I really enjoyed the representation of women in the tech industry.

[Mia · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Suzanne Park books are hit or miss for me, and I just couldn’t get into this one. Super cute cover & liked the premise!

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Megan | Megan.Reads.Romance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Avon for an ARC and a finished paperback of this one! These are my honest thoughts....

Meh.

Women's fiction with a romance subplot. Average. I think this was incorrectly marketed to the romance genre, when it firmly lands in the fiction/chicklit category, with a romance subplot that left me wanting wayyyy more.

Sara is getting her second chance, after leaving a dead-end job that didn't value her in any way. She gets the chance to compete for her app to find funding, and along the way, it reconnects her with her high school crush. She has to move in with her sister because she lost her job. And the app she created? Sends one last word to loved ones after someone passes away. Sara gets herself into a pickle when she drunkenly writes her own one last words to people... her ex-best friend who ghosted her, her crushes, her old bosses, even her old high school crush.

There was a lot of important parts of this story... Sara as an Asian American woman in STEM being the most prominent characteristic. I think Park wrote Sara as a neurodivergent character, but without a diagnosis or naming that part of her. As a neurodivergent person myself, I saw a lot of myself within Sara's character and could identify when the "other" way her brain thinks made her feel different or caused her struggle. I would have loved it if we could have named or acknowledged this part of Sara's character, as I love to see other people like me represented in fiction...

This is a solid story. I am rating it a bit lower, 3 stars... it's probably more like a 3.5 read. I could have rated it 4 stars, but I was expecting romance, and that only came as an appetizer here.

[Alicia Meyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks, NetGalley, for the eARC! This book was sweet. Sara is a FMC you can cheer for, who learns to be more honest with herself along the way. The tech world setting felt unique, too. There were so many relationships happening that none felt fully developed, but I was still really fond of the parent/child dynamics.

[bookish.reader.elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this ARC to review. Thank you Avon Books for gifting me an ARC.

This was a really fun read. It gave me some To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before vibes but a more grown up version. Instead of love letters this story focuses on Sara Chae an aspiring tech entrepreneur who creates an app that sends messages to loved ones after you pass away. When another Sara Chae passes away it triggers the app to send out messages the messages she had drunkenly drafted to her parents, her estranged best friend, and her unrequited high school love interest.

I thought the story had a great balance of romance, self discovery, touching heartwarming moments and women in STEM rep. I really enjoyed Sara’s character. We see a ton of character growth and as an AAPI reader and a fellow woman in a STEM field I really appreciated and related to the story. Sara often faces misogyny, racism and discrimination in her field. I loved seeing her stand up for herself not only at work but with her family too. This isn’t just a romance it focuses on family relationships and mending broken friendships. The love interest Harry is also a wonderful character. He’s sweet and also dealing with his own insecurities related to his identity and with romance. It was so great seeing he and Sara reconnect and bring out the best in each other.

Overall I think this is a super fun read that will be perfect for summertime! It has a bit of everything, romance, AAPI rep, women in STEM, funny and sweet moments.

[Celia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Definitely not long enough for everything that’s going on. Solid 3 and good quick surface level book to read on a long weekend ☀️

[Raquel Bonelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 2,5
Como que um livro tão curto pode ser tão longo...