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A Mother's Last Wish
To everyone who knows them, Louisa and Tom are the perfect couple. They have two beautiful kids, Stan and Flo, and are about to celebrate ten years of happy marriage. Life is perfect. But when Lou is dealt devastating news, that perfect life is turned upside down and Lou and Tom must reevaluate the very foundations on which their marriage is built.
Lou’s greatest concern is who will look after her children if she’s not there to care for them? Will anyone be able to love them like she does?
Holly can’t face the news that Lou is so sick, and as twins they’ve always been together. Older by twenty minutes, Holly has always tried to protect her little sister. So she’ll do anything, promise anything, to make Lou feel happy and safe. Holly loves Stan and Flo fiercely, but with no children of her own can she ever be the mother her sister wants for her children?
Determined to make the most of every precious moment, Lou’s final wish for her family is to show them what it really means to live and love. And as Tom and Holly try to navigate their own pain, all they want is to shower Flo and Stan with love and help them make the most of the time they have left with the mother who adores them.
Lou’s greatest concern is who will look after her children if she’s not there to care for them? Will anyone be able to love them like she does?
Holly can’t face the news that Lou is so sick, and as twins they’ve always been together. Older by twenty minutes, Holly has always tried to protect her little sister. So she’ll do anything, promise anything, to make Lou feel happy and safe. Holly loves Stan and Flo fiercely, but with no children of her own can she ever be the mother her sister wants for her children?
Determined to make the most of every precious moment, Lou’s final wish for her family is to show them what it really means to live and love. And as Tom and Holly try to navigate their own pain, all they want is to shower Flo and Stan with love and help them make the most of the time they have left with the mother who adores them.
304 pages, Paperback
Published January 26, 2025
916 people are currently reading
383 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
February 8, 2025
4☆
This was a very heartfelt and emotional story. I found myself tearing up (crying god dammit) and gosh, it was so emotional. It's a whole journey, following a mother who's been diagnosed with cancer. Despite this terrible diagnosis, Lou never fails to be humorous, or positive, even though she's dying, and leaving behind a husband and kids. It's a very real situation, and it pulls at your heartstrings heavily.
I thought the characters were very well developed and I enjoyed the writing style. It was very beautifully written, but also very realistic as well.
This was a beautiful yet heartbreaking story, and I cannot recommend it enough!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was a very heartfelt and emotional story. I found myself tearing up (crying god dammit) and gosh, it was so emotional. It's a whole journey, following a mother who's been diagnosed with cancer. Despite this terrible diagnosis, Lou never fails to be humorous, or positive, even though she's dying, and leaving behind a husband and kids. It's a very real situation, and it pulls at your heartstrings heavily.
I thought the characters were very well developed and I enjoyed the writing style. It was very beautifully written, but also very realistic as well.
This was a beautiful yet heartbreaking story, and I cannot recommend it enough!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
January 20, 2025
A very heartfelt story about twin sisters who each get a health diagnosis and have to deal with it. Oh I felt all the emotions, from the parents to the twins to the kids. Oh so good! I can’t wait to read more from this author. Thanks to NetGalley for this early release in exchange for an honest review. To be published January 26, 2025.
January 31, 2025
First, I want to thank Jo Bartlett, Boldwood Books, NetGalley and Rachel's Random Resources for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review.
WOW!!!! Jo Bartlett’s A Mother’s Last Wish was an incredibly emotionally difficult book to read as I just lost my father in December. There were many many parts of the book where I found myself ugly crying (you will need tissues for this book). Jo wrote a very beautiful story with many insightful messages that went outside the box in creative writing.
Jo dedicates this book to the two she couldn’t bear to leave Anna and Harry.
In a Mother’s Last Wish Jo Bartlett educates her reader’s about Pancreatic Cancer that Louisa is diagnosed with and Breast Cancer that her twin sister Holly has.
My heart went out to Lousia who just got diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and has two adorable young children. This is when my heart broke in a million pieces. I was blessed to have my Dad for 48 years..but these characters in the book wouldn’t have their Mom for that long. She wouldn’t get to see their big milestones and that tore me up. I was blessed to have that. I didn’t realize that til I read Jo’s book.
My favorite part of the book was when they had Disney Movie night with Pizza and munchies and the characters Lilo and Stitch came for the kids! How cool was that? My kid at heart would be flipping out!
There was a very unique twist to this story.
WOW!!!! Jo Bartlett’s A Mother’s Last Wish was an incredibly emotionally difficult book to read as I just lost my father in December. There were many many parts of the book where I found myself ugly crying (you will need tissues for this book). Jo wrote a very beautiful story with many insightful messages that went outside the box in creative writing.
Jo dedicates this book to the two she couldn’t bear to leave Anna and Harry.
In a Mother’s Last Wish Jo Bartlett educates her reader’s about Pancreatic Cancer that Louisa is diagnosed with and Breast Cancer that her twin sister Holly has.
My heart went out to Lousia who just got diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and has two adorable young children. This is when my heart broke in a million pieces. I was blessed to have my Dad for 48 years..but these characters in the book wouldn’t have their Mom for that long. She wouldn’t get to see their big milestones and that tore me up. I was blessed to have that. I didn’t realize that til I read Jo’s book.
My favorite part of the book was when they had Disney Movie night with Pizza and munchies and the characters Lilo and Stitch came for the kids! How cool was that? My kid at heart would be flipping out!
There was a very unique twist to this story.
January 30, 2025
⚠️Trigger Warning : terminal illness, loss, grief
This was probably the hardest book to get through that I have ever read. Written as a fiction novel about a mother’s last moments with her family following a terminal diagnosis, but unfortunately, this fictional world is all too real for so many.
I lost a friend to cancer less than a year ago, and maybe it was too soon to dive into such a painful read, but in a way, it was therapeutic, too. There are so many things that are hard to make sense of when you watch a loved one go through the hardest struggle of a lifetime. Through this book and the voices of main character Louisa, her husband Tom, and her twin sister Holly, I found a way to better understand my friend’s last days in a way I wasn’t able to when she was here experiencing them. I found myself inside her head and her heart through the perspectives of the very authentic and honest characters of this heartbreaking story. That healing was a gift I didn’t anticipate being given when choosing to review this book.
This story of love and loss also gave me a place to channel my own grief. As a mother myself, it always felt unbearable to even think for a second about what it would be like to have to say goodbye to my children. That experience was depicted in such a raw and honest way yet gentle and eloquent through the pages of this book. I related to the characters in such a real way that I felt their heartache, and I cried heavily with each turn of the page. I finally feel like the emotions I previously didn’t allow myself to feel or the fears I didn’t allow myself to navigate were given a voice and I was able to process things as I hadn’t been able to before.
To say this book will forever hold a place in my heart is an understatement. A book like this isn’t meant to be tossed on a shelf and forgotten about. A book like this is meant to touch lives, to change them for the better, to open old wounds and allow them to heal, to give a community to those who might be experiencing something alone.
This was probably the hardest book to get through that I have ever read. Written as a fiction novel about a mother’s last moments with her family following a terminal diagnosis, but unfortunately, this fictional world is all too real for so many.
I lost a friend to cancer less than a year ago, and maybe it was too soon to dive into such a painful read, but in a way, it was therapeutic, too. There are so many things that are hard to make sense of when you watch a loved one go through the hardest struggle of a lifetime. Through this book and the voices of main character Louisa, her husband Tom, and her twin sister Holly, I found a way to better understand my friend’s last days in a way I wasn’t able to when she was here experiencing them. I found myself inside her head and her heart through the perspectives of the very authentic and honest characters of this heartbreaking story. That healing was a gift I didn’t anticipate being given when choosing to review this book.
This story of love and loss also gave me a place to channel my own grief. As a mother myself, it always felt unbearable to even think for a second about what it would be like to have to say goodbye to my children. That experience was depicted in such a raw and honest way yet gentle and eloquent through the pages of this book. I related to the characters in such a real way that I felt their heartache, and I cried heavily with each turn of the page. I finally feel like the emotions I previously didn’t allow myself to feel or the fears I didn’t allow myself to navigate were given a voice and I was able to process things as I hadn’t been able to before.
To say this book will forever hold a place in my heart is an understatement. A book like this isn’t meant to be tossed on a shelf and forgotten about. A book like this is meant to touch lives, to change them for the better, to open old wounds and allow them to heal, to give a community to those who might be experiencing something alone.
January 26, 2025
With the inevitability of its outcome, this was never going to be an easy book to read – Lou’s journey following a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer was raw, excruciatingly painful, and very emotional. I read it over the course of three days – often having to set it aside, just to breathe a little – and felt entirely part of the family’s experience, through every devastating setback and with an immense sympathy for her concerns about leaving her young children (and her husband Tom, and twin sister Holly) behind. The blow they’ve been dealt is even crueller because of Holly’s own earlier successful fight against a cancer diagnosis – the universe can be so very unfair at times – and we learn that they are particularly close because of the appalling parenting they were both subjected to.
It almost feels wrong to write a review in terms like characterisation, the relationships and their emotional impact because – such is the author’s skill – every moment of this book felt entirely real. When they hurt, I could feel their pain – and when they cried, I wept with them. And after that, it might seem strange to say that I found the whole story particularly uplifting – it’s overflowing with love, and I could feel that throughout every bit as strongly as the immense sadness at a life cut short. The characterisation is quite superb – however low her spirits, Lou never loses her wry sense of humour (or her sassiness – I loved her so much…), and there are unexpected moments of sheer joy as she attempts to cram in all the positive experiences her children will remember. As the author puts it, she’s finding her own way to keep living while she’s dying, not wanting to waste a precious moment. And, on a lighter note, that includes not suffering fools gladly – the times when she puts insufferable “friend” Billie in her place are just magnificent, and I wanted to hug her even more than I already did.
Her attempts to make sure her children are cared for after her death are so real and understandable, however impossible to achieve – as are her interactions with the on-line end-of-life forum (something many of us turn to in challenging times – I vividly recall my own experiences when dealing with mum’s dementia), including the cruelty of the trolls who only seek to make a bad situation worse. And something I particularly liked about this book was that we didn’t just see everything through Lou’s eyes – we have Tom and Holly’s perspectives too, and their own emotional turmoil while providing the best support possible was quite wonderfully handled. And, as we shared their inner thoughts, I entirely empathised with many of their complex feelings too, and their emotional honesty – especially Holly, concerned that she was so deeply involved because it felt good for once to be truly needed.
And, as a review, I think that’s enough. If this was – at times – a challenging book to read, it must have been an incredibly difficult one to write. And I thought it was an absolute triumph – written from the heart, drawing on her own real-life experience, making the reader feel so very deeply for the individuals at the book’s centre. It might not be the book for everyone – especially if they have their own struggles, because it might just be too painful. But the book really is so much more than that – if I found myself sobbing helplessly at times, the perfectly judged ending left me hopeful for some happiness in everyone’s future. Extraordinary writing, and an entirely unforgettable read – and I couldn’t recommend it more highly.
It almost feels wrong to write a review in terms like characterisation, the relationships and their emotional impact because – such is the author’s skill – every moment of this book felt entirely real. When they hurt, I could feel their pain – and when they cried, I wept with them. And after that, it might seem strange to say that I found the whole story particularly uplifting – it’s overflowing with love, and I could feel that throughout every bit as strongly as the immense sadness at a life cut short. The characterisation is quite superb – however low her spirits, Lou never loses her wry sense of humour (or her sassiness – I loved her so much…), and there are unexpected moments of sheer joy as she attempts to cram in all the positive experiences her children will remember. As the author puts it, she’s finding her own way to keep living while she’s dying, not wanting to waste a precious moment. And, on a lighter note, that includes not suffering fools gladly – the times when she puts insufferable “friend” Billie in her place are just magnificent, and I wanted to hug her even more than I already did.
Her attempts to make sure her children are cared for after her death are so real and understandable, however impossible to achieve – as are her interactions with the on-line end-of-life forum (something many of us turn to in challenging times – I vividly recall my own experiences when dealing with mum’s dementia), including the cruelty of the trolls who only seek to make a bad situation worse. And something I particularly liked about this book was that we didn’t just see everything through Lou’s eyes – we have Tom and Holly’s perspectives too, and their own emotional turmoil while providing the best support possible was quite wonderfully handled. And, as we shared their inner thoughts, I entirely empathised with many of their complex feelings too, and their emotional honesty – especially Holly, concerned that she was so deeply involved because it felt good for once to be truly needed.
And, as a review, I think that’s enough. If this was – at times – a challenging book to read, it must have been an incredibly difficult one to write. And I thought it was an absolute triumph – written from the heart, drawing on her own real-life experience, making the reader feel so very deeply for the individuals at the book’s centre. It might not be the book for everyone – especially if they have their own struggles, because it might just be too painful. But the book really is so much more than that – if I found myself sobbing helplessly at times, the perfectly judged ending left me hopeful for some happiness in everyone’s future. Extraordinary writing, and an entirely unforgettable read – and I couldn’t recommend it more highly.
January 29, 2025
Thank you to @rachelsrandomresources for inviting us onto this book tour.
You will definitely be needing the tissues at hand when you read this one. Louisa and Tom find out that she has incurable pancreatic cancer she is trying to work out how to deal with this and what will happen after she's gone but with time running out so quickly has she time to try and fiz everything before she has to say goodbye. Tom doesn't really want to think of a life without Louisa but knows that he must and Holly is struggling also as they are twins and she is twenty eight minutes earlier so when they have spent all that time together how will they survive apart.
This literally will pull at your heart strings and you don't know who to feel more sorry for. They all tackle things differently but somehow come together to make the best of the situation they have in front of them it's just that time is disappearing far quicker than they all imagined.
Absolutely heart breaking story.
You will definitely be needing the tissues at hand when you read this one. Louisa and Tom find out that she has incurable pancreatic cancer she is trying to work out how to deal with this and what will happen after she's gone but with time running out so quickly has she time to try and fiz everything before she has to say goodbye. Tom doesn't really want to think of a life without Louisa but knows that he must and Holly is struggling also as they are twins and she is twenty eight minutes earlier so when they have spent all that time together how will they survive apart.
This literally will pull at your heart strings and you don't know who to feel more sorry for. They all tackle things differently but somehow come together to make the best of the situation they have in front of them it's just that time is disappearing far quicker than they all imagined.
Absolutely heart breaking story.
January 31, 2025
A Mother's Last Wish is a very sad story. You can tell from the title and synopsis how this story ends but that doesn't stop it being very interesting to read how it unfolded.
In the beginning I struggled a bit to connect with Lou and I even felt a bit guilty about that because I thankfully have no way of understanding the things she was grappling with.
As the story progressed, it became easier for me to connect with her and I also connected with all of the characters.
This a story of deep familiar bonds and the difficulties we facing when confronting our own mortality and that of someone we deeply love.
I very much liked the storyline of the online support group who helped offer Lou support and guidance as she navigated through her diagnosis and treatment.
I cried as the book was wrapping up and all the way to the end.
Very well done story of love and loss, family bonds, and motherhood.
If you are a fan of tear jerkers this one is a great read.
In the beginning I struggled a bit to connect with Lou and I even felt a bit guilty about that because I thankfully have no way of understanding the things she was grappling with.
As the story progressed, it became easier for me to connect with her and I also connected with all of the characters.
This a story of deep familiar bonds and the difficulties we facing when confronting our own mortality and that of someone we deeply love.
I very much liked the storyline of the online support group who helped offer Lou support and guidance as she navigated through her diagnosis and treatment.
I cried as the book was wrapping up and all the way to the end.
Very well done story of love and loss, family bonds, and motherhood.
If you are a fan of tear jerkers this one is a great read.
March 2, 2025
Louisa has just found out that she has terminal cancer. Her greatest fear is not the actual dying but instead leaving behind her husband and two young children. So she spends the little time she has left tying up loose ends and getting her affairs in order. Really, that’s about it. I didn’t feel any connection to the characters and was distracted by some of the longer development pieces. This was an okay story for me. Not bad, but it really reads more like a quick memoir. It’s a sad one for sure.
February 17, 2025
A must read!
I loved the dynamics of this family. The great love Lou has for each member of her family.
I enjoyed her giving her side of this dreadful terminal illness.
I cried many tears, but also many of those tears were healing; because it reminds me to make every day count.
I highly recommend this read.
I loved the dynamics of this family. The great love Lou has for each member of her family.
I enjoyed her giving her side of this dreadful terminal illness.
I cried many tears, but also many of those tears were healing; because it reminds me to make every day count.
I highly recommend this read.
January 26, 2025
I absolutely loved Jo's previous standalone book, The Girl She Left Behind. I was looking forward to another similar book by her.
A Mother's Last Wish sounded heartwrenching enough from the title. The novel itself is that and more. Jo Bartlett creates characters effortlessly in this book, and I really felt for Louisa and liked her personality. I also liked her passion for writiing and her writing job. I enjoyed the insights into her experience being a mother, and her marriage with Tom.
I liked the bond between her and her sister Holly, and how she was a support when Holly had cancer in the past.
Both twin sisters have experience with cancer, and that also made the book very sad. The way that Jo Bartlett approaches the subject is tactful and in a way that made me want to know more.
A Mother's Last Wish is completely immersive and I had to struggle not to get emotional. I really liked her children Flo and Stan and they were cute. I can't imagine but what it would've been like for Louisa and everyone close to her. I identify with what she says about saying "I'm fine" as being what people want to hear.
I did like Kate too, and how supportive she was of her, both as a friend and as a lay minister. I really didn't like Billie. I felt she was very manipulative but I did feel proud of Louisa for standing up for herself when near her. I felt Billie was even unfair to her son Felix. I really felt for him too, and like if I were there I'd have said something to protect him.
Jo Bartlett goes really deep into Louisa's feelings and experiences, wich are mostly about her concern for Flo and Stan and everyone else after she's not there for them. This is understandable. The way Louisa tried to live was admirable, and how she tried to help herself and her experience on the forum was realistic.
The hospital atmosphere is really well described. I am a person who has had a lot of experience of hospitals, and this was very realistic.
A Mother's Last Wish is unforgettable. I was close to tears on many occasions, and did cry on others. It's so perfectly realistic and emotional and is an amazingly well written, beautiful book. It really tugged at my heatstrings and was one that stayed with me long after I'd finished it. It's one of the best novels of the year so far for me.
5 stars
Thanks to Jo Bartlett and Boldwood Books for my eARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.
A Mother's Last Wish sounded heartwrenching enough from the title. The novel itself is that and more. Jo Bartlett creates characters effortlessly in this book, and I really felt for Louisa and liked her personality. I also liked her passion for writiing and her writing job. I enjoyed the insights into her experience being a mother, and her marriage with Tom.
I liked the bond between her and her sister Holly, and how she was a support when Holly had cancer in the past.
Both twin sisters have experience with cancer, and that also made the book very sad. The way that Jo Bartlett approaches the subject is tactful and in a way that made me want to know more.
A Mother's Last Wish is completely immersive and I had to struggle not to get emotional. I really liked her children Flo and Stan and they were cute. I can't imagine but what it would've been like for Louisa and everyone close to her. I identify with what she says about saying "I'm fine" as being what people want to hear.
I did like Kate too, and how supportive she was of her, both as a friend and as a lay minister. I really didn't like Billie. I felt she was very manipulative but I did feel proud of Louisa for standing up for herself when near her. I felt Billie was even unfair to her son Felix. I really felt for him too, and like if I were there I'd have said something to protect him.
Jo Bartlett goes really deep into Louisa's feelings and experiences, wich are mostly about her concern for Flo and Stan and everyone else after she's not there for them. This is understandable. The way Louisa tried to live was admirable, and how she tried to help herself and her experience on the forum was realistic.
The hospital atmosphere is really well described. I am a person who has had a lot of experience of hospitals, and this was very realistic.
A Mother's Last Wish is unforgettable. I was close to tears on many occasions, and did cry on others. It's so perfectly realistic and emotional and is an amazingly well written, beautiful book. It really tugged at my heatstrings and was one that stayed with me long after I'd finished it. It's one of the best novels of the year so far for me.
5 stars
Thanks to Jo Bartlett and Boldwood Books for my eARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.
January 27, 2025
I’m going to start by saying what a truly beautiful book this is, despite having to read it through a veil
of tears. Jo Bartlett writes from the heart and intuitively knows how to command her audience’s
attention. Her command of the word flow and intuitive timing with the reveal of more and more
detail is impressive.
We meet Louisa and Tom along with their delightful children, Stan and Flo. A perfectly imagined
family that ticked every box in the description of ideal goals. We also met Holly, who is Louisa’s non-
identical twin and the eldest by a narrow margin. We also learned that Holly is a survivor of cancer
so it was an easy leap to hope that the story would somehow prove to be about Holly. Wishful
thinking.
Once the initial diagnosis was revealed, the pain and downward spiral commenced, and I became
inconsolable through my tears. This story felt very close to home, and it’s impossible not to recall
those who have survived as well as those who have succumbed to this relentless disease.
It seems patronising to describe Louisa as brave. She didn’t really have any other option, but her
reactions to the reality of not being around to see landmarks in her family’s future were totally
understandable. I genuinely felt as though I knew and understood this brave and love-filled woman
whose life was being halted so arbitrarily before it had really begun.
The love between Louisa and Tom was never in doubt, and their love story was one that I would have
liked to spend more time with, but I know that more time is probably the strongest wish for anyone
with a limited amount remaining.
There was no doubt in Louisa and Holly's relationship. Their connection as twins was very special,
even though they struggled to navigate the proverbial sea of emotions. Try to overlook Louisa's
manipulative behaviour as she conjures up her ultimate solution for Tom’s future without her. It’s
impossible to second-guess where our minds may head in desperate times.
I cannot heap enough praise on this book, and I know I will continue to be emotional about it for
years to come. The one consideration whilst reading was the knowledge that Jo had also survived a
damning cancer diagnosis. If you follow her on social media, you will easily spot that there’s a large
helping of Jo in Louisa’s character and quite rightly so. I was hoping for a miracle, but will happily
accept that Jo being around to write her beautiful books is exactly the miracle I was looking for.
of tears. Jo Bartlett writes from the heart and intuitively knows how to command her audience’s
attention. Her command of the word flow and intuitive timing with the reveal of more and more
detail is impressive.
We meet Louisa and Tom along with their delightful children, Stan and Flo. A perfectly imagined
family that ticked every box in the description of ideal goals. We also met Holly, who is Louisa’s non-
identical twin and the eldest by a narrow margin. We also learned that Holly is a survivor of cancer
so it was an easy leap to hope that the story would somehow prove to be about Holly. Wishful
thinking.
Once the initial diagnosis was revealed, the pain and downward spiral commenced, and I became
inconsolable through my tears. This story felt very close to home, and it’s impossible not to recall
those who have survived as well as those who have succumbed to this relentless disease.
It seems patronising to describe Louisa as brave. She didn’t really have any other option, but her
reactions to the reality of not being around to see landmarks in her family’s future were totally
understandable. I genuinely felt as though I knew and understood this brave and love-filled woman
whose life was being halted so arbitrarily before it had really begun.
The love between Louisa and Tom was never in doubt, and their love story was one that I would have
liked to spend more time with, but I know that more time is probably the strongest wish for anyone
with a limited amount remaining.
There was no doubt in Louisa and Holly's relationship. Their connection as twins was very special,
even though they struggled to navigate the proverbial sea of emotions. Try to overlook Louisa's
manipulative behaviour as she conjures up her ultimate solution for Tom’s future without her. It’s
impossible to second-guess where our minds may head in desperate times.
I cannot heap enough praise on this book, and I know I will continue to be emotional about it for
years to come. The one consideration whilst reading was the knowledge that Jo had also survived a
damning cancer diagnosis. If you follow her on social media, you will easily spot that there’s a large
helping of Jo in Louisa’s character and quite rightly so. I was hoping for a miracle, but will happily
accept that Jo being around to write her beautiful books is exactly the miracle I was looking for.
February 2, 2025
Keep a box of tissues handy because Jo Bartlett will break your heart with her latest novel, A Mother’s Wish.
Louisa and Tom are a couple who seem to have the world at their feet. As parents to two lovely children, the devoted couple are about to celebrate their ten year anniversary and all seems perfect in their world – until tragedy strikes. Lou is dealt devastating news and she feels as if everything she loves and cherishes most in this world is about to slip through her fingers. Who will look after the children if she is no longer around? And will anyone love them as much as she does?
Her twin sister Holly feels as if the bottom has fallen out of her world when she hears Louisa is ill. Older by ten minutes, Holly has always protected her twin sister and would do absolutely anything for her. As she doesn’t have children of her own, Holly promises Lou that she will love, cherish and protect Stan and Flo as if they were her own. But can Holly be the mother Lou wants her to be?
With the future bleak and uncertain, Lou wants to show her kids how much she loves them and enjoy every second she can get with them. Can the man she loves and the sister with whom she’s shared everything with since birth be there for her when she needs them most? Or will Lou’s last wish not be granted?
Jo Bartlett’s A Mother’s Wish is a beautifully told and sensitively written tale about family ties, the bonds that bind us together and the power of love that will seriously sever every reader’s heartstrings. Poignant, emotional and absolutely heart-wrenching, A Mother’s Wish is a book that readers will find hard to put down and impossible to forget.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Louisa and Tom are a couple who seem to have the world at their feet. As parents to two lovely children, the devoted couple are about to celebrate their ten year anniversary and all seems perfect in their world – until tragedy strikes. Lou is dealt devastating news and she feels as if everything she loves and cherishes most in this world is about to slip through her fingers. Who will look after the children if she is no longer around? And will anyone love them as much as she does?
Her twin sister Holly feels as if the bottom has fallen out of her world when she hears Louisa is ill. Older by ten minutes, Holly has always protected her twin sister and would do absolutely anything for her. As she doesn’t have children of her own, Holly promises Lou that she will love, cherish and protect Stan and Flo as if they were her own. But can Holly be the mother Lou wants her to be?
With the future bleak and uncertain, Lou wants to show her kids how much she loves them and enjoy every second she can get with them. Can the man she loves and the sister with whom she’s shared everything with since birth be there for her when she needs them most? Or will Lou’s last wish not be granted?
Jo Bartlett’s A Mother’s Wish is a beautifully told and sensitively written tale about family ties, the bonds that bind us together and the power of love that will seriously sever every reader’s heartstrings. Poignant, emotional and absolutely heart-wrenching, A Mother’s Wish is a book that readers will find hard to put down and impossible to forget.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
December 31, 2024
A raw, tender, honest and emotional story of what to do when life deals you the most unimaginable card. I can't pretend to understand the immense grief and loss the characters felt but it effected me as I read the words. I felt so much sadness,fear, heartbreak and I don't think I have ever sobbed through reading a whole book before like I did this one. As hard as it was to read I just know it was as hard to write so that's a credit to the author. It's not a easy subject by far and I know most us of dread the C word. In this story we follow women who are facing the worst and the main character is facing her children growing up without her. None of the characters feelings, thoughts or actions are wrong as there is no rule book on how to handle something like this we all just do what we feel is right. Grief is a complex emotion and there is no way to predict it. My heart tore in two for the children and even now writing this I have a lump in my throat. I enjoy fiction books like this because they are not sunshine and roses just like life isn't. They are real and honest and I praise the author for taking on such a tough topic that will or has sadly effected most people.
December 24, 2024
A big thank you to Boldwood Books, NetGalley, and the author for granting me this e-ARC to provide my honest opinions.
I tried very hard to not cry while reading this; I resonated with every feeling Louisa, Holly, and Tom felt, and I can't imagine how hard it would have been to write this book 😭😭.
This book was beautifully written; I loved how we get to read the views from Louisa, Holly, and Tom. My emotions progressed from sadness, then to anger and sadness again. No amount of words can describe what I felt for Stan and Flo... those precious babies. My heart aches for them.
I know this is just a book, but this will be one of those books that will always be at the forefront of my brain. 😩😩 Before you read, ensure you read the trigger warnings, and I'm adding them to my review: substance abuse, cancer, loss of a parent, grief, neglectful parents, and others.
And to everyone who has had or received a life-changing diagnosis, my heart goes out to you and your family ❤❤. Thank you to Boldwood Books once again for the e-ARC.
I tried very hard to not cry while reading this; I resonated with every feeling Louisa, Holly, and Tom felt, and I can't imagine how hard it would have been to write this book 😭😭.
This book was beautifully written; I loved how we get to read the views from Louisa, Holly, and Tom. My emotions progressed from sadness, then to anger and sadness again. No amount of words can describe what I felt for Stan and Flo... those precious babies. My heart aches for them.
I know this is just a book, but this will be one of those books that will always be at the forefront of my brain. 😩😩 Before you read, ensure you read the trigger warnings, and I'm adding them to my review: substance abuse, cancer, loss of a parent, grief, neglectful parents, and others.
And to everyone who has had or received a life-changing diagnosis, my heart goes out to you and your family ❤❤. Thank you to Boldwood Books once again for the e-ARC.
May 21, 2025
an emotional tearjerker
Jo Bartlett’s A Mother’s Last Wish is a touching and emotionally rich novel that tenderly explores the complexities of family, the strength of sisterhood, and the legacy of a mother’s love. Set within the framework of an outwardly perfect family, the story follows the emotional unraveling that comes with a terminal diagnosis—and the extraordinary lengths loved ones will go to in order to fulfill a mother’s final request.
The characters’ journeys will tug at your heartstrings, as each of them navigates grief, uncertainty, and the challenge of letting go in their own deeply personal way. Despite their differences, they find strength in one another, facing the unimaginable with courage and compassion.
Ultimately, A Mother’s Last Wish is a beautifully crafted story of love, loss, and resilience. Bartlett offers a narrative that is both heartbreaking and hopeful—perfect for readers drawn to emotionally powerful stories about the bonds that hold us together, even in the face of goodbye.
Jo Bartlett’s A Mother’s Last Wish is a touching and emotionally rich novel that tenderly explores the complexities of family, the strength of sisterhood, and the legacy of a mother’s love. Set within the framework of an outwardly perfect family, the story follows the emotional unraveling that comes with a terminal diagnosis—and the extraordinary lengths loved ones will go to in order to fulfill a mother’s final request.
The characters’ journeys will tug at your heartstrings, as each of them navigates grief, uncertainty, and the challenge of letting go in their own deeply personal way. Despite their differences, they find strength in one another, facing the unimaginable with courage and compassion.
Ultimately, A Mother’s Last Wish is a beautifully crafted story of love, loss, and resilience. Bartlett offers a narrative that is both heartbreaking and hopeful—perfect for readers drawn to emotionally powerful stories about the bonds that hold us together, even in the face of goodbye.
January 16, 2025
A Mother’s Last Wish by Jo Barlett
What a heartbreaking story of a loving mother, Louisa, who receives the most devastating news possible, she has pancreatic cancer and its incurable and she only has months left to live.
Now Louisa wants only the best for her children, six-year-old Flo and four-year-old Stan. Who will be there to look after them when their dad, Tom, goes away on business? Who will be there to hug them when they are sad or to comfort them when they are upset? As Louisa learns to let go she finds her twin sister Holly is there to step in and be the best Aunt the children could ask for.
This book is written from three points of view Louisa, Tom and Holly.
I loved this book and shed many tears, I loved the characters, especially Louisa, and I found the story heart wrenching.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Boldwood Books, for a copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review.
What a heartbreaking story of a loving mother, Louisa, who receives the most devastating news possible, she has pancreatic cancer and its incurable and she only has months left to live.
Now Louisa wants only the best for her children, six-year-old Flo and four-year-old Stan. Who will be there to look after them when their dad, Tom, goes away on business? Who will be there to hug them when they are sad or to comfort them when they are upset? As Louisa learns to let go she finds her twin sister Holly is there to step in and be the best Aunt the children could ask for.
This book is written from three points of view Louisa, Tom and Holly.
I loved this book and shed many tears, I loved the characters, especially Louisa, and I found the story heart wrenching.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Boldwood Books, for a copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review.
February 3, 2025
A Mother's Last Wish is a poignant and emotional tale created by the incredibly talented author, Jo Bartlett.
When Louisa receives heartwrenching news, the perfect life she built with her husband, Tom, and their two wonderful children begins to unravel. Unfortunately, her older twin sister, Holly, who is just 23 minutes her senior, is unable to protect her this time.
I'm so sorry for the delay in this review! It took me much longer to read than I anticipated - I found myself an emotional wreck during the latter part of the story, having to pause frequently as I couldn't see the words through my tears! Jo's extraordinary ability to captivated and engage readers is truly impressive. As I read, I seemed a deep reality in the narrative, layer discovering that Jo had drawn from her own experiences, along with those of several friends and family members who have faced similar life-changing moments, effectively expressing those powerful emotions through her writing.
When Louisa receives heartwrenching news, the perfect life she built with her husband, Tom, and their two wonderful children begins to unravel. Unfortunately, her older twin sister, Holly, who is just 23 minutes her senior, is unable to protect her this time.
I'm so sorry for the delay in this review! It took me much longer to read than I anticipated - I found myself an emotional wreck during the latter part of the story, having to pause frequently as I couldn't see the words through my tears! Jo's extraordinary ability to captivated and engage readers is truly impressive. As I read, I seemed a deep reality in the narrative, layer discovering that Jo had drawn from her own experiences, along with those of several friends and family members who have faced similar life-changing moments, effectively expressing those powerful emotions through her writing.
December 29, 2024
Such a beautifully written book that is so heartbreaking but also heartwarming too. In my opinion Jo Bartlett is a very talented writer and this, although extremely emotional and at times difficult to read, is in my opinion her best yet. I have never cried as much when reading a book as I did with this.
Louisa receives the devastating news that she has terminal cancer and the story focuses on how, along with her family, Louisa navigates the journey from initial diagnosis to her passing.
I liked how this was written from the different perspectives of the main characters and how the narrative doesn’t ever shy away from the harsh realities of cancer.
Like many others cancer has touched my life, either losing family and friends to it or having them survive this horrible disease. This will stay with me for a long long time and I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to read this.
Louisa receives the devastating news that she has terminal cancer and the story focuses on how, along with her family, Louisa navigates the journey from initial diagnosis to her passing.
I liked how this was written from the different perspectives of the main characters and how the narrative doesn’t ever shy away from the harsh realities of cancer.
Like many others cancer has touched my life, either losing family and friends to it or having them survive this horrible disease. This will stay with me for a long long time and I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to read this.
January 16, 2025
Louisa get the heartbreaking news that she has terminal cancer. We follow her journey from her initial diagnosis through to her passing. She is loved and supported by her husband Tom and her twin sister Holly.
This story is told from Louisa, Holly and Tom's points of view. Have a box of tissues handy as this story will make you cry as you live through all the emotions that Louisa has to go through. Louisa is distraught at the knowledge that her children will be carrying on their lives without her. This story could be about any one of us. This is a beautifully written book.
Published 26th January 2025
I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #JoBartlett for my ARC of #AMothersLastWish in exchange for an honest review.
This story is told from Louisa, Holly and Tom's points of view. Have a box of tissues handy as this story will make you cry as you live through all the emotions that Louisa has to go through. Louisa is distraught at the knowledge that her children will be carrying on their lives without her. This story could be about any one of us. This is a beautifully written book.
Published 26th January 2025
I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #JoBartlett for my ARC of #AMothersLastWish in exchange for an honest review.
January 18, 2025
Get the tissues ready when reading this moving read
About a mother providing all she thinks her children need.
A dreadful diagnosis has her reevaluating her life
And making plans for others, despite the strife.
Lou's husband and her twin both really care
And the happiness of Stan and Flo they'll try to share.
But worries, love and making the most of time
Not to make the most of it would be a crime.
A harrowing, moving, inspirational read,
Though tissues I suspect you'll also need.
So skilfully written, from three points of view
Making it easy to empathise with them all the way through.
For my copy of this heartbreaking read I say thank you
As I share with you this, my honest review.
About a mother providing all she thinks her children need.
A dreadful diagnosis has her reevaluating her life
And making plans for others, despite the strife.
Lou's husband and her twin both really care
And the happiness of Stan and Flo they'll try to share.
But worries, love and making the most of time
Not to make the most of it would be a crime.
A harrowing, moving, inspirational read,
Though tissues I suspect you'll also need.
So skilfully written, from three points of view
Making it easy to empathise with them all the way through.
For my copy of this heartbreaking read I say thank you
As I share with you this, my honest review.
January 27, 2025
A Mother's Last Wish by Jo Bartlett was brilliantly written. It follows a mom of two named Louisa who gets diagnosed with terminal cancer. She has to navigate the emotions that go with the diagnosis as well as explain it to her two young children with the help of her husband Dan and twin sister Holly. Told in different points of view from all three of the adults, you get a well rounded and realistic look at how one might navigate a life ending diagnosis, palliative care and the aftermath. I rarely cry while reading a book, but this one definitely had me emotional. Would definitely recommend this book for anyone who likes books that tug on their heart strings.
I was given this Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion and review.
I was given this Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion and review.
February 1, 2025
This was emotional ( you’ll need some tissues). It was very candid, raw and unfiltered.
It follows the story of Lou, who has just been diagnosed with an incurable cancer, the emotions and feelings, fears that follow and her last moments with her husband, twin sister and her kids.
It is a great story of confronting one’s own mortality and the attendant suffering, grief and experience and how others cope, especially kids.
The author’s writing was very candid and she represented this by allowing each character a voice, especially Lou even right to the end.
This book is a sort of reflection and reminder of making each moment count and living life to the fullest and being of service to others.
I cannot recommend this enough.
It follows the story of Lou, who has just been diagnosed with an incurable cancer, the emotions and feelings, fears that follow and her last moments with her husband, twin sister and her kids.
It is a great story of confronting one’s own mortality and the attendant suffering, grief and experience and how others cope, especially kids.
The author’s writing was very candid and she represented this by allowing each character a voice, especially Lou even right to the end.
This book is a sort of reflection and reminder of making each moment count and living life to the fullest and being of service to others.
I cannot recommend this enough.
February 7, 2025
So much love
This book was very good. BUT the book was very depressing from the beginning. I had a very similar situation with my sister and it brought so much back. I have no kids! Her kids were mine too. My brother.in law and i went through her illness together. I could never be married to him but he is like my brother. Ten years later we are still tight. Even though I got married much later in life we still worry about each other. Judy isn't a name you hear often anymore and that's my name. So when the Palliative Care person was introduced as Judy the tears came. Even though for me it was a tough read , I'd definitely read it again. So many parrelels and many chocked up moments.
This book was very good. BUT the book was very depressing from the beginning. I had a very similar situation with my sister and it brought so much back. I have no kids! Her kids were mine too. My brother.in law and i went through her illness together. I could never be married to him but he is like my brother. Ten years later we are still tight. Even though I got married much later in life we still worry about each other. Judy isn't a name you hear often anymore and that's my name. So when the Palliative Care person was introduced as Judy the tears came. Even though for me it was a tough read , I'd definitely read it again. So many parrelels and many chocked up moments.
January 21, 2025
When Louisa gets dealt a devastating diagnosis her world as she knows it tilts dramatically. Suddenly she realises what she will miss out on with her family and begins to worry.
But when she is given advice, she relaxes and decides to to take all matters into her own hands and believes she can enjoy them while she can.
This story looks at the who,e issue of receiving the diagnosis, to the final moments when everything is taken out of your hands. It looks into how the emotions are laid bare and the discussions of what is going on and how they deal with it all.
It is a heartbreaking story that you will need tissues for.
But when she is given advice, she relaxes and decides to to take all matters into her own hands and believes she can enjoy them while she can.
This story looks at the who,e issue of receiving the diagnosis, to the final moments when everything is taken out of your hands. It looks into how the emotions are laid bare and the discussions of what is going on and how they deal with it all.
It is a heartbreaking story that you will need tissues for.
February 17, 2025
A heartbreaking tale of love
Jo Bartlett has written a most thought provoking story of a dying mother and the love she has for her children, as well as her husband and twin sister, and their love for her.
It's one of the hardest things ever to say goodbye to a loved one, especially when they are far too young to die, and Jo has managed to summarise all the thoughts and emotions which run through the heads of the three narrators Lou, her husband Tom and her twin Holly.
It's heartbreaking, but at the same time may be comforting for anyone going through a similar situation. And the story ends with hope and a love everlasting.
Jo Bartlett has written a most thought provoking story of a dying mother and the love she has for her children, as well as her husband and twin sister, and their love for her.
It's one of the hardest things ever to say goodbye to a loved one, especially when they are far too young to die, and Jo has managed to summarise all the thoughts and emotions which run through the heads of the three narrators Lou, her husband Tom and her twin Holly.
It's heartbreaking, but at the same time may be comforting for anyone going through a similar situation. And the story ends with hope and a love everlasting.
June 21, 2025
Sad but Awesome
This book is really gripping. For anyone, with a terminal illness, dreading leaving their family. During times like this, when everyone is feeling so much pain and emotion, so much uncertainty as to what they should or shouldn't feel or say, this book is almost therapeutic. Reading about Lou, Tom, Holly, and the sweet children they all love so much , the struggles and feelings they all deal with, allows one to know that its all normal. The anger, hurt, jealousy, feeling unnecessary and forgotten, as people around you are going on with life, is almost a part of the grieving process.
This book is really gripping. For anyone, with a terminal illness, dreading leaving their family. During times like this, when everyone is feeling so much pain and emotion, so much uncertainty as to what they should or shouldn't feel or say, this book is almost therapeutic. Reading about Lou, Tom, Holly, and the sweet children they all love so much , the struggles and feelings they all deal with, allows one to know that its all normal. The anger, hurt, jealousy, feeling unnecessary and forgotten, as people around you are going on with life, is almost a part of the grieving process.
December 19, 2024
A beautifully written poignant book that totally resonated with myself, so many parallels,similar thoughts, scenarios etc
Told in such a tender,honest,raw manner I read it with tears streaming down my face at times as I put myself in Louisa’s position, and that of her husband and children and what their altered future would look like.
Although harrowingly sad, there was hope,joy and overall such a heartwarming feel to this read, one that will stay with me long after reading it!
Thank you NetGalley for this early read
Told in such a tender,honest,raw manner I read it with tears streaming down my face at times as I put myself in Louisa’s position, and that of her husband and children and what their altered future would look like.
Although harrowingly sad, there was hope,joy and overall such a heartwarming feel to this read, one that will stay with me long after reading it!
Thank you NetGalley for this early read
December 27, 2024
Five stars. I wish I could give it more.
From the very first page I was crying. Jo Bartlett has written the most amazing story of how it feels to faced with the devastating news that Louisa has terminal cancer. Louisa can’t bear to face the thought of how her 2 beautiful children are going to move on without their mummy.
With the love and support from her husband Tom and her twin sister Holly she manages to slowly accept her prognosis.
This was such a beautifully written story which made me sob like my heart was breaking.
Well done Jo what a fabulous book.
From the very first page I was crying. Jo Bartlett has written the most amazing story of how it feels to faced with the devastating news that Louisa has terminal cancer. Louisa can’t bear to face the thought of how her 2 beautiful children are going to move on without their mummy.
With the love and support from her husband Tom and her twin sister Holly she manages to slowly accept her prognosis.
This was such a beautifully written story which made me sob like my heart was breaking.
Well done Jo what a fabulous book.
January 14, 2025
This was such a sad, heartbreaking story that left me with a tear in my eye. Louisa and Tom are the perfect couple with two small children when a hospital appointment changes everything. She has cancer and it’s terminal. The story tells of her struggles during this sad time and spending as much time with her two children. It’s a beautiful story with the reality that this could happen, it was very well written and the emotions were everywhere in the book. This book fulls at your hearts strings, a great story. 5 stars
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.
January 26, 2025
This was a very emotional and heart wrenching read and covered a topic that is very close to my heart after losing a very dear friend to cancer a year ago. I am sure that a mothers last wish will resonate with many readers for one reason or another as sadly lots of people are either going through their own cancer journey or supporting others with theirs.
This is a brilliantly written book told from the perspective of three characters and I strongly advise having tissues close by. This book will resonate me for a long time to come.
This is a brilliantly written book told from the perspective of three characters and I strongly advise having tissues close by. This book will resonate me for a long time to come.
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