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One Last Wish

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Sometimes, one last wish is all that we get...

It should have been me.
I was supposed to be the one who died in the car accident that day.
Not my best friend who had a family to leave behind.
But like most things, life is unpredictable and filled with unexpected changes.
Like stepping in to help her family pick up the pieces after their world shattered around them.
Or the epic cross country road trip that we took to honor the bucket list she made when she was a little girl.
I never expected to become a part of their family along the way.
I tried to keep the lines clear and avoided getting too close.
After all, it wasn’t just my heart that I feared breaking.
I wasn’t looking for love, but that didn’t mean that it didn’t find me.

351 pages, ebook

Published August 7, 2021

3 people are currently reading
715 people want to read

About the author

Samantha Baca

58 books1,046 followers
Samantha lives in the southwest with her husband and two children, where she enjoys writing, drinking iced coffee, and watching the greatest show of all time—Friends. With over 30 books published, Samantha enjoys writing across several different genres, from steamy romantic suspense to laugh-out-loud spicy romantic comedies. She also has a sweet spot for holiday stories, so grab a blanket and get ready to binge some of the sweetest—yet spicy—holiday romance your heart can handle!

Samantha loves connecting with her readers, so here’s a list of where you can find her:

Facebook Reader Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/29457...

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSamant...

Instagram:
https://instagram.com/author_samantha...

Webpage:
www.samanthabaca.com

Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/authorsamant...

Books2Read:
https://books2read.com/ap/RQAYK9/Sama...


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5 stars
33 (66%)
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8 (16%)
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6 (12%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
Profile Image for Renee (BookLoveWithRenee).
273 reviews16 followers
September 4, 2021
My. Heart. This story is the ultimate tearjerker- from the very first chapter. I absolutely fell in love with these characters and their story- it’s impossible not to. I was invested in their lives instantly & couldn’t stop reading. I found myself super frustrated with Emma towards the end of the book, you gotta read it to understand why 😉 But the HEA is perfect. Definitely recommend this book…as long as you have your tissues handy!
Profile Image for Karen's Utterly Unashamed .
495 reviews40 followers
August 8, 2021
3, 3.5, 4 It could be all of these. It depends on what you're looking for, what kind of mood your in...you're life at the moment.

"We're on vacation, and we're filling items on a bucket list that someone else never got to do. So, I want to live in the moment. I want to pretend, just for a little while, that we don't have a damn care in the world."

If you like sweet romance, emotional romance, Lifetime movie romance, then you will love this book. There isn't spice or sex but there is feeling. I can honestly see this one as a Lifetime or Hallmark movie. The dad, the little girl, the best friend and the guilt all rolled into a heartwarming movie about finding love after your life goes to shit, dealing with the hand you have been dealt, and moving past these moments of guilt to find happiness. This book is all of that.

It has a good message although a hard one to read at times. The last couple chapters were the best for me. The last letters really get you in the gut. If you've ever lost a friend, a spouse, or a parent you will be able to relate and feel the pain these characters are moving through.

"Emma, it's okay to be broken as long as you have someone strong enough to hold you together."





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3,714 reviews42 followers
September 4, 2021
This is an emotional story of love, loss and hope and it is Emma and John's story and it is a must read. Emma's best friend Charlotte picks Emma up so that she can get a outfit for a job interview after finding the perfect one they go to pick up Lily who is Charlotte's daughter only they never make it and Emma would never see her best friend again but Emma blames herself even though it was a drink driver and that day something broke in Emma with the loss but she was still determined to be there for John and Lily just as Charlotte had been there for Emma when her parents died when she was so young. Omg there were so many emotional situations and I cried so much with the amount of grief that they were all going through with the death of Charlotte but I loved how they came together to cared for each other even though they were all devastated. What do you do when guilt and grief wears you down and you feel like you can't move forward with your life so you push the people you love away so that you will not feel that type of loss again well that is what Emma was feeling like in all of this and I felt like I was there going through it all as well. This is the first book that I have read by Samantha Baca but definitely not the last as I couldn't put this book down and read it in one sitting late into the night and it is one of my favourite books that I have read in a long time and I can't wait to read more of her books in the future as the depth of her writing is truly amazing and she certainly knows how to keep her reader's attention and on the edge of their seats and I definitely recommend you read this book and you will not be disappointed but make sure that you have your tissues ready because you will definitely need them.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Erin - Books&nails&puppydogtales.
615 reviews29 followers
September 12, 2021
Be sure to have the tissues handy

Emma and Charlotte have been best friends most of their lives. Through Emma losing both her parents, Charlotte falling in love with John, getting married and then having Lily. They have always been each others family. Then tragedy strikes and Charlotte is gone. Emma tries to take care of her best friend's husband and her god daughter as best she could. Survivor's guilt made it impossible for Emma to just be with John and Lily and be happy. They all have to walk their own path to their new normal, to figure out how their family will work now that it is missing a piece. I laughed and cried and mourned with them. This is really an amazing story, about finding the love that you need, in the most unlikely likely of places.
Profile Image for Patricia G..
117 reviews1 follower
September 15, 2021
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love the struggle, the emotions, the romance, and the heartbreak.

Plain and simple, this woman has a way of weaving words that will flood you with so many emotions and feelings, I really don't know how to put what I'm feeling into words.

There were a few times when my tears were dropping trough my face but this one was also emotional and shattered my heart a lot of times.

Just trust me when I say that if you are looking for an emotional book, this is the book for you.
554 reviews672 followers
September 12, 2021
Note: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings: mention of death, alcohol abuse, survivor's guilt.

To be honest, I did like the story, but since it's been a while, I've forgotten a lot. But some things I do remember, so I'll just focus on them for the review.

Firstly the road trip. Sure, I always enjoyed a good road trip, with my family as a younger me, it was days of fun for us to go on random road trips and enjoy various cities and towns. And in this novel, I enjoyed the sight seeing and the things they complete on Charlotte's wish list.

The guilt - Emma spends most of her time on said road trip with Charlotte's family in guilt. I did sympathise with her, because of a recent death in my own family, so you can't really balance out thoughts and think it should've been anybody them, rationalism is out of the window when it comes to grief. And Baca explored it beautifully in a dark and tragic but with a bittersweet tone to it in the end.

The child - A bit obnoxious but still likeable enough.

John - To be honest people will disagree with me on this, but I thought maybe they should've been friends instead. I know shocker for me to say so, as I am usually hell bent on getting the friendly characters together no matter what, but I just didn't feel it for John and Emma. Sure they had tons of platonic chemistry but the sudden jump in being more than friends, just didn't sit right with me. And I couldn't really be happy or care much about their budding relationship status later.

Emma - Sure she turns out to be more confident as time goes by and escapes the guilt haunting her, but she was more mild than my usual taste in liking heroines. So a bit hard to connect with her.

Overall the story is sweet, emotional and reasonable. And this novel definitely pushes me more to try more of Baca's stories, due to the emotional and sweet quality in them.

Until the next read,

-TMR
Profile Image for Stephanie Renee.
Author 42 books411 followers
July 21, 2021
Let me preface this by saying that I am NOT a clean romance fan. When I choose a book, it's rarely a clean one. Give me all the smut. HOWEVER, I read everything by Sam, so I decided to give it a go.
Despite the fact that this book doesn't have the dirty stuff, it is still entertaining. The characters suck you in and tug at your heartstrings the entire time. Sam writes the characters in a way that really has you empathizing with them and rooting them on (and simultaneously telling them to get their heads out of their butts).
It will have you laughing one minute and reaching for the tissues the next. One Last Wish is a heartwarming story that is definitely worth the read.
3,016 reviews16 followers
September 7, 2021
loved it !!! cried ugly tears... love Emma... John and Lily... this is their story... a fast paced drama full of tears...one last wish is an emotional roller coaster with survivors guilt to the max... Charlotte was Emma's BFF, they were in a car accident and only Emma survived...Emma promised to take care of Charlotte's husband John and her daughter Lily... thus the bucket list and road trip... a heart breaking and heart healing story...

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Kerri Kalakay.
300 reviews5 followers
August 30, 2021
I loved this sweet story. I literally didn’t put this down. From the start you just love Emma, Lily, John and Charlotte. Be prepared to laugh and cry. Such a perfect relaxing read. I want more!! Lol
Profile Image for Kimberly Santos.
15 reviews
August 24, 2021
I love a good romantic story and this fit that perfectly. I loved the story of the characters becoming a family, and the lack of sex scenes. It was the right call for this story. Highly recommend.
Profile Image for Amanda.
254 reviews8 followers
December 2, 2021
Do yourself a favor and grab some tissues before settling in to read. You'll need them, but it'll be worth it. One Last Wish is a sweet, clean romance but it's really more than that. It's about a family learning how to survive loss and friends learning how to love differently. There's a really fun bucket list written in riddles and an awesome cross country trip to boot. I loved this book so much even though the first few chapters broke my heart. "it’s okay to be broken as long as you have someone strong enough to hold you together.”
Profile Image for JLynn.
Author 29 books56 followers
September 7, 2021
I went into this book knowing that it was different than other books by this author, but not sure what to expect. It was the best rollercoaster ride. I laughed. I cried. I fell in love with the characters and loved watching their journey. It's a book that I know I'll read again.
Profile Image for Andrea.
728 reviews21 followers
April 3, 2022
Oh, I am so conflicted in how I feel about this book!

You have all of the heartbreak when Charlotte is killed in the accident. Emma has lost her best friend, who is her family. Lily has lost her mother. John has lost his wife. They are all lost and grasping at straws, trying to figure out how to continue to survive.

And then Emma moves in with Lily and John to be Lily’s nanny, but it almost feels like something else. My brain kept screaming, “Danger, Will Robinson!” I just was not comfortable with the direction her relationship with the widowed family was going. And you know that she is also questioning it, which does make me feel better.

Perhaps I would have felt better about it had Charlotte died following a terminal illness. At least then there would have been some mental preparation because of the expectation of death. But a car accident is too abrupt. Any supposed feelings had me yelling, “Rebound!” And no matter how close Emma was with Charlotte’s family, I just cannot see her parents being so supportive of a relationship so soon.

At the same time, Lily really needs a mother figure in her life. “Aunt Emma” is a great perso not fill that role.

Taking on Charlotte’s bucket list is a beautiful idea. I just love that. But gain, it can cause some confusing emotions.

I won’t give any spoilers, but I will say that in spite of my concerns, the ending was satisfactory and I did still enjoy the book overall.

Thank you to the author and Give Me Books for the requested review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Nagma (Take A Look At My Bookshelf).
1,712 reviews100 followers
September 8, 2021
This book made me feel all the feels! One Last Wish is a sweet, clean romance about a woman whose best friend, Charlotte, and only family passes away in a tragic accident. Emma suffers from PTSD and survivor’s guilt from the accidents that took her parents and then her best friend from her. Emma has survived two tragic accidents, after the most recent one she’s left feeling lonely in this world with the responsibility of her best friend’s daughter and husband. Lily, Charlotte’s daughter, Josh, Charlotte’s husband, and Emma all are dealing with their grief in different ways. One day they stumble upon Charlotte’s bucket list and the three depart on a cross-country road trip. Through this road trip, Emma wasn’t looking for love nor was she looking to become a part of a family she can’t live without.

I really enjoyed One Last Wish. Samantha Baca has written many romance books and this one, albeit a bit different, does not disappoint. It’s an emotional story of love, loss, family, and hope. John and Emma’s story is unconventional and full of difficulties. Not only do these two have their emotional struggles and shared grief, but Emma is dealing with insecurities of her own. One thing to note is that this book is written solely through Emma’s POV and at no point during the book did I feel the story was lacking. I absolutely loved this story, Emma and John’s journey to a HEA, and the family they ended up becoming.

Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
952 reviews1 follower
September 9, 2021
One Last Wish by Samantha Baca is an endearing journey that the characters and the reader go on together, and I LOVED every single minute of it!

Emma is such an amazing character. A wealth of experience, good and bad, so strong and resilient, even when at her lowest, and I just wanted her to accept herself like everyone else in her life did! Wanting to do right by her chosen family, even when it might be the hardest thing she'd ever do.

Charlotte is beautiful inside and out, and her presence throughout tugged on my heartstrings and made me feel enveloped in the best kind of hug.

Lily is darling! She's sweet and sassy and adorable, and watching her grow on this journey called life put a smile on my face.

And John? What can I say about John? He made my heart happy. Trying his best, his utmost, trying to be loyal, trying to live, and make life worth it for his family, for his loved ones. He struggled at times, and it was so tangible, giving the story such depth.

This story is PERFECTION. It is one HECK of an emotional rollercoaster ride of a journey and worth every caught breath, every sigh, every tear, every smile. It is poignant, it is tasteful in how it deals with difficult and evocative topics, and I know you won't regret reading it! So, dive in, and get ready for am adventure of a lifetime!

P. S. Sammy is a VIP!
Profile Image for claire - clairesbooked.
321 reviews54 followers
July 16, 2023
This book starts off with a tragic beginning. Emma has dealt with a lot of loss in her life, from losing her parents at a very young age, and now her best friend Charlotte. Even worse, both events were car accidents that Emma was also a passenger in, and now she's left with survivor's guilt all over again.

Charlotte left behind a husband, John, and daughter, Lily. She also left behind a bucket list. Emma, John, and Lily decide to fulfill Charlotte's bucket list over Lily's summer break from school. This includes a cross-country road trip to visit Charlotte's parents. Emma finds herself fitting in too well to John and Lily's life and is fighting with her feelings over it. When she realizes she is uncomfortable with this, she finds herself wondering if that's a good or bad thing.

This book is a sweet and clean romance (no spice). Instead we get to see the beautiful connection Emma strengthens with her goddaughter. I don't cry easily, but this book had me reaching for the tissues, especially at the end!

Kim Rossi brings this book to life. There are a lot of characters in this book for one person to narrate, and she did a great job at differentiating between all the voices.

THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU IF: You are looking for a sweet romance without the spice, that will leave you reaching for the tissues, in a good way.
Profile Image for Wendy Livingstone.
20.1k reviews256 followers
September 6, 2021
This is a new author to me, and I will certainly be looking out for her work in the future. This is a story which pulls at the heartstrings throughout, and is about survivor guilt, and dealing with the hand you are given. After a car accident takes her best friends, Emma is left wishing it has been her as her friend has a caring family who are left shattered by her death, and a bucket list which involves a car journey. This is a beautifully written story which is an emotional roller coaster, and is filled with family, heartbreak, guilt, loss, healing, grieving, humor, and love, which leads to heartwarming and entertaining riveting page turner. I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I recommend. Plenty tissues required to read this story.
Profile Image for Felicia.
72 reviews
October 4, 2021
I received my copy of One Last Wish from a Goodreads giveaway. The only reason why I gave this story a 4 star rating is because it had me crying way too many times. Loss, survivors guilt, and grief. Emma and Charlotte become besties after Emma loses her parents at a very young age. Beating 40 the two besties were in a car accident. Surviving a second deadly accident leaves Emma messed up. Is there a way for Emma to be there for her best friends daughter without feeling guilty? How much hurt can a person go through before they break? But the biggest question is why are guys so dumb? Samantha Baca created characters that I could connect with in a story I could hardly put down. Go read it for yourself before I give too much away.
Profile Image for booklover0228.
825 reviews22 followers
October 7, 2021
what a feel good story

Emma and Charlotte have been friends since childhood. Charlotte had married John and had a daughter Lily. They were on their way to pick up Lily from school, when they are broadsided by a drunk driver. Charlotte was killed and Emma had a ton of injuries.
John decided to take Lily on a road trip to honor a bucket list that Charlotte had made. They ask Emma to come along to help with the list. After awhile John and Emma had feelings for each other but Emma didn’t want to betray her best friend. She left and went back home. Both of them were miserable and finally admitted they needed to be together.
129 reviews2 followers
May 19, 2025
I feel bad since I've read Baca books before and I've always liked them, however, this one was almost a DNF for me. It just didn't seem to flow well, seemed to be written by an inexperienced writer, lots of repetitive descriptive words, I don't know, just something was very off about the writing on this one.
The story idea was ok, the writing was intermediate at best, I finished the book with an icky feeling, not a single tear shed (and I'm normally an emotional reader!). This book just didn't connect with me at all. I see there are several great reviews, so apparently, I missed something, but to each their own.
738 reviews6 followers
October 21, 2024
Wow, not what I expected!

Survivor’s guilt can be so heartbreaking and Samantha Baca shows us exactly this in One Last Wish.

This was a very emotional story that gives us emotions from one end of the spectrum to the other. One minute love is blooming around everyone and then the horrific happens. Broken lives left in shambles. Is there hope after such a tragedy!

If reading this isn’t bad enough, I listened to the audio version and cried!!!! Samantha Baca, you broke me with this one!!!
73 reviews1 follower
April 18, 2025
This book had all the feels.

Having lost a really close friend several years ago, I could absolutely relate to the main character. I felt her anguish, her anger — the pain was so real it cut deep. I cried, I laughed, and at times I just sat with the weight of it all. The romance was tastefully done and never overpowered the story, which I appreciated. It was beautifully written and felt incredibly authentic, like the author had lived through some of these experiences herself. This story will stay with me for a long time.
Profile Image for LivingLovingReading.
214 reviews13 followers
September 6, 2021
Holy Emotions! Bring on the tissues… this was such a great read- a perfect second chance romance filled to the brim with emotions that will have you grabbing for the tissues. It deals with so many great topics- including survivors guilt- and is extremely well written! It will have you turning the pages while you ache for these characters, longing for them to get through it and get the happy ending they deserve.

Definitely an excellent read!
Profile Image for Nicole.
4,259 reviews53 followers
September 8, 2021
I knew by the blurb this one was going to make me cry and boy did it. Man were the tears flowing with this, one but it was also so beautiful. This is a book that pulls on the heartstrings. The characters pull you right into this book. It's a beautiful journey they take. The epilogue is the reward so deserving of these characters. Though this book took my heart on a roller coaster ride this book is so worth the read, It's a heartfelt emotional read.
1,391 reviews4 followers
September 17, 2021
Emotional, adventure, thrilling, interesting

Oh my goodness! This book is such an excellent story. I loved the emotional anguish, this author crushed it. Grab a book of tissues for the roller coaster ride in the relationship of John and Emma. I laughed through the cross country adventure, but cried for the reason why. This book is interesting, thrilling, and a little suspenseful.
Profile Image for Laura Gimbel.
358 reviews9 followers
April 30, 2024
An amazing story of two close friends, Charlotte and Emma. Best friends through thick and thin.
Charlotte was married with a young daughter. Emma was single trying to figure things out with Charlotte’s help until she died in a car accident & Emma lived with many injuries.

Emma blamed herself for Charlotte death and had a hard time making things right.
Emma’s life changes once she accepts what and who she is really in love with.
Profile Image for Chris.
189 reviews
October 3, 2021
I don't usually read romances but I thought I would try this as a free giveaway. The main character was written to be down on herself. But the author went overboard - this character comes across as having a major personality disorder. People have a low opinion of themselves if they are involved in an accident and the other person in the car dies, not them. Survivor's guilt can deeply affect them. But this book goes WAY to far. I would get angry that the woman would assume the absolute worst.

The story's base would have been a good story.
1,250 reviews4 followers
August 6, 2023
This story is angsty, and emotional, .. Charlotte and Emma have been best friends. After Charlotte's passing, Charlotte's husband, John, young daughter , Lily, and Emma decided to go on a road trip to honor Charlotte.
Through tragedy Emma and John found love.
Kim Rossi narration is very good. She brings all the raw emotions to this story.
Profile Image for Ann.
1,940 reviews32 followers
September 9, 2023
This story deals with grief, loss of loved ones and the need to overcome the fear of finding love. Emma longs to be a wife and mom, but her career always came first. When the opportunity arises to fulfill her dream will she take it? Kim Rossi delivers a wonderfully emotional performance of tragedy, grief and learning to carry on.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews

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