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The Last Train Home
On the last train home you expect to find standing space only, drunk people singing, the overpowering smell of McDonalds...
You never expect to find love.
When Abbie and Tom cross paths traveling home after a night out, their eyes meet across a crowded carriage and their connection is unmistakable.
What they don't know is that moments later they will both be caught up in an event that will change them forever.
It's one that will bring them together. But it will also tear them apart.
A lot can happen in seven seconds. A lot can happen in seven years.
Can they find their way back to each other?
Gorgeously romantic and swoon-worthy, this is the next unputdownable, will-they-won't-they love story from Elle Cook.
You never expect to find love.
When Abbie and Tom cross paths traveling home after a night out, their eyes meet across a crowded carriage and their connection is unmistakable.
What they don't know is that moments later they will both be caught up in an event that will change them forever.
It's one that will bring them together. But it will also tear them apart.
A lot can happen in seven seconds. A lot can happen in seven years.
Can they find their way back to each other?
Gorgeously romantic and swoon-worthy, this is the next unputdownable, will-they-won't-they love story from Elle Cook.
352 pages, Paperback
First published October 5, 2023
76 people are currently reading
2167 people want to read
About the author
Elle Cook
4 books288 followersElle Cook worked as a journalist and in PR before becoming a full time novelist. The Man I Never Met is her first contemporary novel and The Last Train Home is her second. She is also the author of six historical novels under her real name, Lorna Cook.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 270 reviews
November 23, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
After a fun night out with friends, Abbie must run to catch the last train home, but she slides inside the doors just as they are closing. A handsome stranger catches her eye, and they begin a playful conversation-the kind that would never occur on the morning commute to work.
But, then there is a jolt, and the train goes dark.
“A LOT CAN HAPPEN IN 7 SECONDS…”
What occurs next will both bond the two together-and tear them apart.
“A LOT CAN HAPPEN IN 7 YEARS…”
Told in alternating chapters from both Abbie, and our handsome stranger, Tom, we learn how the TIMING of certain events will push these two apart, and pull them back together again over the course of the next several years, as both grapple with their feelings and the frustrations that come along with them.
WILL THEY GET A SECOND CHANCE AT LOVE?
I don’t know why this second romance from author Elle Cook has been published with so little fanfare, as I enjoyed it just as much as her debut “The Man I Never Met”, and she deserves a bigger audience!
See review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
As soon as I saw that this was available as an Audible, I purchased a copy and listened to this entertaining story voiced by Montserrat Lombard and Tom Stourton, who were equally engaging and brought these relatable characters to life!
Sweet, but not spicy, I can easily recommend this one to fans of the romance genre! ❤️
Available now!
Looks like a third romance is planned for 2025, and while that seems so far away now-I’m sure it will be worth the wait. I’ll be watching for it!
Elle Cook also writes historical fiction under her real name, Lorna Cook.
After a fun night out with friends, Abbie must run to catch the last train home, but she slides inside the doors just as they are closing. A handsome stranger catches her eye, and they begin a playful conversation-the kind that would never occur on the morning commute to work.
But, then there is a jolt, and the train goes dark.
“A LOT CAN HAPPEN IN 7 SECONDS…”
What occurs next will both bond the two together-and tear them apart.
“A LOT CAN HAPPEN IN 7 YEARS…”
Told in alternating chapters from both Abbie, and our handsome stranger, Tom, we learn how the TIMING of certain events will push these two apart, and pull them back together again over the course of the next several years, as both grapple with their feelings and the frustrations that come along with them.
WILL THEY GET A SECOND CHANCE AT LOVE?
I don’t know why this second romance from author Elle Cook has been published with so little fanfare, as I enjoyed it just as much as her debut “The Man I Never Met”, and she deserves a bigger audience!
See review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
As soon as I saw that this was available as an Audible, I purchased a copy and listened to this entertaining story voiced by Montserrat Lombard and Tom Stourton, who were equally engaging and brought these relatable characters to life!
Sweet, but not spicy, I can easily recommend this one to fans of the romance genre! ❤️
Available now!
Looks like a third romance is planned for 2025, and while that seems so far away now-I’m sure it will be worth the wait. I’ll be watching for it!
Elle Cook also writes historical fiction under her real name, Lorna Cook.
February 17, 2024
"A lot can happen in seven seconds. A lot can happen in seven years." Elle Cook
Isn't that the truth! After reading and loving "The Man I Never Met", I knew I had to immediately read this one. Once again, don't be fooled by that cover. This is not a rom-com but rather a complicated contemporary romance, and apparently I am a sucker for these will-they-won't-they romances.
Sometimes certain life circumstances can bond you to another person and other times it can tear you apart. Timing really is everything. I adored Tom and although I mostly liked Abbie, there were times her actions annoyed me. Regardless of my annoyance, I really wanted these two to find their way back to each other. I alternated between my Kindle and listening to the audiobook and found them both equally enjoyable. Elle Cook - you toy with my emotions, but even still, I eagerly await your next book. 5 stars.
Isn't that the truth! After reading and loving "The Man I Never Met", I knew I had to immediately read this one. Once again, don't be fooled by that cover. This is not a rom-com but rather a complicated contemporary romance, and apparently I am a sucker for these will-they-won't-they romances.
Sometimes certain life circumstances can bond you to another person and other times it can tear you apart. Timing really is everything. I adored Tom and although I mostly liked Abbie, there were times her actions annoyed me. Regardless of my annoyance, I really wanted these two to find their way back to each other. I alternated between my Kindle and listening to the audiobook and found them both equally enjoyable. Elle Cook - you toy with my emotions, but even still, I eagerly await your next book. 5 stars.
October 23, 2023
I see this cartoon covers and I always assume it’s a romcom. I read the blurb and I thought “This looks like a happy read, let’s save it for a rainy day”. However, the last train home is not particularly happy, it’s overall a story about bad timing.
Complaint made, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the story. Elle Cook wrote a set of realistic and relatable characters, whom we can easily understand. We know of their ambitions, insecurities, choices and hopes, we see them grow through life, and we understand them, because either we’ve been there, or we know someone that was.
This has the feel of a love story that could actually happen, with all its highs, lows, greys and disencounters. I just don’t believe on its ending.
Because we know who the final couple is, we know things we’ll go wrong at some point. We know the author will need to change the characters to keep MCs mind mostly guilty free.
Sean changes do not come as a surprise, but they felt out of character to me. I also found the end rushed and a bit unbelievable, but it is what it is.
As a finance girl, I always enjoy when the characters are financial analysts, though nobody ever understands what they do, which annoys me. Anyway, the picture of the financing sector and its workers in London, and other locations, was accurate and perfectly captured.
I also appreciated the road trip down memory lane through the subprime, this was so significant, I like to see it now, with the eyes of someone who’s not living through it anymore.
Recommended for romance readers who enjoy Josie Silver and Rebecca Serle, and can tolerate heartache until finally reaching the happy ending.
3.5 🌟
I would like to thank Random House UK, Cornerstone, Penguin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Complaint made, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the story. Elle Cook wrote a set of realistic and relatable characters, whom we can easily understand. We know of their ambitions, insecurities, choices and hopes, we see them grow through life, and we understand them, because either we’ve been there, or we know someone that was.
This has the feel of a love story that could actually happen, with all its highs, lows, greys and disencounters. I just don’t believe on its ending.
Because we know who the final couple is, we know things we’ll go wrong at some point. We know the author will need to change the characters to keep MCs mind mostly guilty free.
Sean changes do not come as a surprise, but they felt out of character to me. I also found the end rushed and a bit unbelievable, but it is what it is.
As a finance girl, I always enjoy when the characters are financial analysts, though nobody ever understands what they do, which annoys me. Anyway, the picture of the financing sector and its workers in London, and other locations, was accurate and perfectly captured.
I also appreciated the road trip down memory lane through the subprime, this was so significant, I like to see it now, with the eyes of someone who’s not living through it anymore.
Recommended for romance readers who enjoy Josie Silver and Rebecca Serle, and can tolerate heartache until finally reaching the happy ending.
3.5 🌟
I would like to thank Random House UK, Cornerstone, Penguin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 2, 2024
When I read The Man I Never Met last year, I remember being so impressed by how strong the chemistry was despite the two characters spending the majority of the book apart. Once again, I'm feeling the same way with this one!
Though a fateful train derailment connects Abbie and Tom in a unique way, a whirlwind of circumstances continually pulls them apart over the next five years. A right person, wrong time type of situation. The twist and turns made me want to pull my hair out—but in an enjoyable way, you know? It hurt so good.
With the story beginning in 2005, I loved the noughties nostalgia as you follow Abbie and Tom in their respective lives. I was keeping all my fingers crossed for these two, but truly uncertain how they'd find their way back together again. It's a slow, slow, slow burn, but very much worth the wait.
(heat level: closed door)
Though a fateful train derailment connects Abbie and Tom in a unique way, a whirlwind of circumstances continually pulls them apart over the next five years. A right person, wrong time type of situation. The twist and turns made me want to pull my hair out—but in an enjoyable way, you know? It hurt so good.
With the story beginning in 2005, I loved the noughties nostalgia as you follow Abbie and Tom in their respective lives. I was keeping all my fingers crossed for these two, but truly uncertain how they'd find their way back together again. It's a slow, slow, slow burn, but very much worth the wait.
(heat level: closed door)
August 13, 2023
After reading and loving The Man I Never Met earlier this year, I was delighted to be invited to read The Last Train Home before it’s released later this year. I cannot put into words how much I LOVED this book. It was perfect. Just perfect.
It’s 2005. Abbie and Tom meet on the Tube on the way home from their separate nights out. They wouldn’t usually talk to strangers on their commute, but they’re drunk so why not? Their chat turns into a bit of flirty banter and the pair really hit it off. But then tragedy strikes, and suddenly Abbie and Tom are forever bonded through the most traumatic of events.
Initially, they’re friends. Their friendship verges off into a more than friends direction, but on the evening that they finally kiss, Tom receives some shocking news and as a result, rejects Abbie in their moment of passion, leaving her feeling humiliated. After that, things are never the same, and despite their obvious feelings for each other, it’s very much a case of right person wrong time. We follow the pair though the next 5 years and watch them live their separate lives, that remain inexplicably intertwined. They are each other’s ones that got away. Can they find a way back to each other?
This book broke my heart. Put it back together again. Broke it some more. Etc etc 🤣 it gave me all the feels. I cried at multiple points - sad and happy tears. I loved the 2005-10 nostalgia. But most of all, I loved loved loved Abbie and Tom. I want to be friends with them in real life. Two of the most heartwarming, genuine, loveable characters I’ve ever had the privilege of reading about. A great concept overall and I just want to go back and read it all over again. My review doesn’t do justice for how incredible this book is.
It’s 2005. Abbie and Tom meet on the Tube on the way home from their separate nights out. They wouldn’t usually talk to strangers on their commute, but they’re drunk so why not? Their chat turns into a bit of flirty banter and the pair really hit it off. But then tragedy strikes, and suddenly Abbie and Tom are forever bonded through the most traumatic of events.
Initially, they’re friends. Their friendship verges off into a more than friends direction, but on the evening that they finally kiss, Tom receives some shocking news and as a result, rejects Abbie in their moment of passion, leaving her feeling humiliated. After that, things are never the same, and despite their obvious feelings for each other, it’s very much a case of right person wrong time. We follow the pair though the next 5 years and watch them live their separate lives, that remain inexplicably intertwined. They are each other’s ones that got away. Can they find a way back to each other?
This book broke my heart. Put it back together again. Broke it some more. Etc etc 🤣 it gave me all the feels. I cried at multiple points - sad and happy tears. I loved the 2005-10 nostalgia. But most of all, I loved loved loved Abbie and Tom. I want to be friends with them in real life. Two of the most heartwarming, genuine, loveable characters I’ve ever had the privilege of reading about. A great concept overall and I just want to go back and read it all over again. My review doesn’t do justice for how incredible this book is.
January 1, 2025
Elle Cook, you're brilliant! Such a beautiful story 💔
October 29, 2023
In 2005 two tipsy people are chatting on the late night tube in London, then the unthinkable happens, the train derails and many are injured. Tom, an investment analyst for a merchant bank in the City helps Abbie, a retail journalist, off the train and to safety.
What happened that night creates a bond between the two of them, a friendship turned star-crossed lovers as they discover they have so much in common - even working in office buildings opposite each other. But every time they get close something happens to tear them apart. Are they fated to be together or is this a case of never to be?
I loved this. I loved a trip down memory lane to the recent past, memories of the London bombings (OMG I remember that so clearly), London winning the bid for the Olympics, the financial crash, all brought to life as Abbie and Tom's lives swirl around, intersecting only to twirl away again.
It sort of reminded me of the film Sliding Doors, even though there wasn't that much in common, maybe that vibe of coulda, shoulda, woulda, or perhaps more prosaically it is that Abbie only just caught that tube, a few seconds later and she would have missed it and never met Tom that night.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
What happened that night creates a bond between the two of them, a friendship turned star-crossed lovers as they discover they have so much in common - even working in office buildings opposite each other. But every time they get close something happens to tear them apart. Are they fated to be together or is this a case of never to be?
I loved this. I loved a trip down memory lane to the recent past, memories of the London bombings (OMG I remember that so clearly), London winning the bid for the Olympics, the financial crash, all brought to life as Abbie and Tom's lives swirl around, intersecting only to twirl away again.
It sort of reminded me of the film Sliding Doors, even though there wasn't that much in common, maybe that vibe of coulda, shoulda, woulda, or perhaps more prosaically it is that Abbie only just caught that tube, a few seconds later and she would have missed it and never met Tom that night.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
August 12, 2023
I don't think I could have loved this book more! Absolutely delightful. Two of the most vivid characters I've read in a romance for a long time. I think this all stems from that shock start.
Warning to readers: I do not recommend reading this on your commute!
I got Sliding Doors vibes a bit with this, and their life pathways misaligning was only encouraging me to read on.
Passionate, Perfect, Proper romance.
Warning to readers: I do not recommend reading this on your commute!
I got Sliding Doors vibes a bit with this, and their life pathways misaligning was only encouraging me to read on.
Passionate, Perfect, Proper romance.
February 3, 2024
4.5 ⭐️
This book was the definition of miscommunication !! The characters were so realistic and I really couldn’t put the second half down. It gave Love Rosie vibes & I loved it 🤌🏼
This book was the definition of miscommunication !! The characters were so realistic and I really couldn’t put the second half down. It gave Love Rosie vibes & I loved it 🤌🏼
October 16, 2023
This was such a lovely read! Once I started it, it was hard to put down because the story drew me in completely and was a real page turner. I loved reading from both perspectives, and both storylines worked really well for me. They were believable, and ran a very natural course. All in all this made for a great read and I can certainly recommend this!
April 6, 2024
A beautiful, emotional and heart-wrenching love story!
You just can't help falling in love with Abbie & Tom!! ❤️
You just can't help falling in love with Abbie & Tom!! ❤️
November 16, 2023
I want to thank author Elle Cook, for giving her readers Tom and Abbie and their wonderful, heartfelt story. Their connection flares in an instant on a crowded train, a connection that expands into friendship, and maybe more…? But their lives are complicated, the choices that they make messing with their hearts and heads. Their path to finding love and happiness is circuitous—twisting and winding, frustrating and sometimes sad—and I was invested in it all! From the first page I was drawn into their story, feeling their emotions as if I were sitting in that tube carriage, eating a Happy Meal in a park, looking out their windows at each other, even sharing a cigarette on a work break. I was there for all the highs and lows, all the times one more thing got in their way, and most of all for the times that their connection seemed unbreakable. This is a beautiful novel about a love that is worth hanging onto, a love that won’t give up, a love that is chaotic and tangled and glorious.
June 5, 2025
4.5⭐️ i really love slow stories about real life and real relationships! this was super sweet and heartbreakingly honest. the only thing that bugged me was how long they let the misscommunication play out
April 7, 2024
3.5 ✨
Although not quite as spectacular as her debut novel, I really dig this author!
Although not quite as spectacular as her debut novel, I really dig this author!
July 8, 2023
I do love a train themed read, and this book begins with strangers Abbie and Tom on the London Underground. When the train is involved in an accident, Tom takes care of Abbie, and they become friends. The story is initially begins in 2005, but we follow their lives over the next seven years.
I absolutely loved this book. I was so hooked up in their storylines that I ended up reading it through the night and finishing it the next morning! Abbie and Tom are wonderful characters, but the accident that they were involved in has a knock on effect on both of them. They realise they work in opposite office blocks in London and after some sneaky cigarette breaks and lunch dates, they start to become more than friends. Of course, the path to true love never runs smoothly and we follow their lives as the book moves on.
I thought it unusual for a book to be set in the early 2000's without there being some sort of time jump, but I was won over with the memories from that time! The storyline flowed along wonderfully and even though there were lots of moments to wipe away the tears, there were plenty of happy times throughout! It's such an easy read, I really connected with the characters and found myself being enveloped by such a warm feeling by the last page. Truly delightful, would recommend!
I absolutely loved this book. I was so hooked up in their storylines that I ended up reading it through the night and finishing it the next morning! Abbie and Tom are wonderful characters, but the accident that they were involved in has a knock on effect on both of them. They realise they work in opposite office blocks in London and after some sneaky cigarette breaks and lunch dates, they start to become more than friends. Of course, the path to true love never runs smoothly and we follow their lives as the book moves on.
I thought it unusual for a book to be set in the early 2000's without there being some sort of time jump, but I was won over with the memories from that time! The storyline flowed along wonderfully and even though there were lots of moments to wipe away the tears, there were plenty of happy times throughout! It's such an easy read, I really connected with the characters and found myself being enveloped by such a warm feeling by the last page. Truly delightful, would recommend!
January 14, 2024
Man, what an anti-romance book. I jumped into this story hoping for a cute romantic story and now here I am, happy that I’m not in a relationship so I don’t have to deal with such a messy life as these characters had.
At first I wasn’t even sure where the story was going; from the beginning it took a turn I never expected, and then it just continued to go on its own to no-happy-ending. I wasn’t a fan of this at all, but the writing was great so I’m rating it overall 2-stars.
At first I wasn’t even sure where the story was going; from the beginning it took a turn I never expected, and then it just continued to go on its own to no-happy-ending. I wasn’t a fan of this at all, but the writing was great so I’m rating it overall 2-stars.
April 23, 2024
This is the first time I’ve read a book where I didn’t want the story to end. I wanted them to finally get together in the end because their relationship was making my heart POUNDDDDDD; but I didn’t want their story to end. I was heavily invested in their lives, their relationship, their tense will-they-won’t-they dynamic. When they finally say “I love you” and begin their real relationship, I literally shouted and said “FINALLY!” The dialogue was also purposeful and the writing-style was fantastic.
March 18, 2025
Love, Rosie but with a bigger plot point to kick off the meet cute.
May 1, 2025
This was such a nostalgic read about missed opportunities, bad timing, and second chances. Just like The Man I Never Met, this one had me tearing up throughout. 4.25 on audio.
November 22, 2023
Can love really be found in the face of disaster?
The Last Train Home looks like it could be a romcom, but actually, it's a tale of bad timing, responsibility & how the repercussions from events can go on to haunt you.
The story is told over several years, alternating from Abbie to Tom's perspectives, so you do get a real feel for both characters, which I really appreciated.
I buddy read this with @bookworm_blogger22 & @wendyreadsbooks & as always, I loved our chat. There was one point where we all thought this would have also made a great story about friendship & the difficulties of navigating these as adults. This book has quite a few dimensions & some emotional moments.
The Last Train Home looks like it could be a romcom, but actually, it's a tale of bad timing, responsibility & how the repercussions from events can go on to haunt you.
The story is told over several years, alternating from Abbie to Tom's perspectives, so you do get a real feel for both characters, which I really appreciated.
I buddy read this with @bookworm_blogger22 & @wendyreadsbooks & as always, I loved our chat. There was one point where we all thought this would have also made a great story about friendship & the difficulties of navigating these as adults. This book has quite a few dimensions & some emotional moments.
August 8, 2024
Areally good story
November 21, 2023
"The Last Train Home" is the second novel from author Elle Cook. The two main characters Abbie and Tom meet on a train home just minutes before a terrible accident changes their lives forever. It becomes clear right from the beginning that they have clicked immediately and that they are on the brink of falling in love. But then a short text message changes everything ...
Just like Elle Cook's first book "The Man I Never Met", I also enjoyed this one. It is told in alternating chapters from Abbie's and Tom's point of view. It is basically a story of bad timing and reminds me a bit of the novel "One Day" by David Nicholls and the movie "Love, Rosie". I could relate to all of the characters and I was drawn easily into their lives. My only point of criticism is that the ending was pretty predictable and therefore was no big surprise for me.
So in a nutshell, I want to highly recommend this book to all those who love a beautiful romance with serious underlying issues and quite a few twists and turns.
Just like Elle Cook's first book "The Man I Never Met", I also enjoyed this one. It is told in alternating chapters from Abbie's and Tom's point of view. It is basically a story of bad timing and reminds me a bit of the novel "One Day" by David Nicholls and the movie "Love, Rosie". I could relate to all of the characters and I was drawn easily into their lives. My only point of criticism is that the ending was pretty predictable and therefore was no big surprise for me.
So in a nutshell, I want to highly recommend this book to all those who love a beautiful romance with serious underlying issues and quite a few twists and turns.
November 8, 2023
As soon as I read the first few pages I knew we were in for an emotional read and I wasn’t wrong. What a start to Tom and Abbie’s relationship!
I really enjoyed reminiscing about the time of the London Olympics and remember vividly the London bombings and financial crash of the times. The way Tom and Abbie’s stories are woven through the memorable timelines brings the story to life completely.
Elle Cook writes such relatable characters - their choices and mistakes are what make them human and it was easy to empathise with Abbie and Tom as the impact of the events of their meeting meant their story was never going to be an easy one.
I really enjoyed reminiscing about the time of the London Olympics and remember vividly the London bombings and financial crash of the times. The way Tom and Abbie’s stories are woven through the memorable timelines brings the story to life completely.
Elle Cook writes such relatable characters - their choices and mistakes are what make them human and it was easy to empathise with Abbie and Tom as the impact of the events of their meeting meant their story was never going to be an easy one.
February 10, 2024
This was definitely different to what I was expecting but it is definitely a book I would recommend.
November 20, 2024
ya this was not a cutesy romance what the fuck did i just read - this was more chaotic and unhinged than a harry styles fanfic i fear
August 1, 2023
I steamed through this one, I have to say!
I love a book that is set a little while back. Not enough to be deemed proper historical, but old enough for me to feel that nostalgia... more modern history, I guess.
The Last Train Home felt exactly like that.
Abbie and Tom meet, officially, on a train in 2005, and their introductory conversation goes from that to a disaster movie scene in what feels like seconds.
A derailment. A blackout. An unexpected hero. A lot of confused feelings.
Being two people involved in such a tragedy can bring them together like nothing else could.
But is it friendship, a mutual support acquaintance, or something else?
Set over seven years and told from the viewpoint of both Abbie and Tom, this was a beautifully heartrending story where, as a reader, I wanted to bang heads together but felt the internal pull of conflicting thoughts that both characters were feeling.
I loved the will-they/won't-they element of the story, and a little further on, I was in love with Teddy! A cute little person is always a bonus to bring that 'awww!' element.
So many moments from the not-so-distant past are mentioned, including the London Bombings, the awful recession of 2008 (and ongoing) and how these events fractured people's lives and brought others together.
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone, and Penguin, for an ARC.
I love a book that is set a little while back. Not enough to be deemed proper historical, but old enough for me to feel that nostalgia... more modern history, I guess.
The Last Train Home felt exactly like that.
Abbie and Tom meet, officially, on a train in 2005, and their introductory conversation goes from that to a disaster movie scene in what feels like seconds.
A derailment. A blackout. An unexpected hero. A lot of confused feelings.
Being two people involved in such a tragedy can bring them together like nothing else could.
But is it friendship, a mutual support acquaintance, or something else?
Set over seven years and told from the viewpoint of both Abbie and Tom, this was a beautifully heartrending story where, as a reader, I wanted to bang heads together but felt the internal pull of conflicting thoughts that both characters were feeling.
I loved the will-they/won't-they element of the story, and a little further on, I was in love with Teddy! A cute little person is always a bonus to bring that 'awww!' element.
So many moments from the not-so-distant past are mentioned, including the London Bombings, the awful recession of 2008 (and ongoing) and how these events fractured people's lives and brought others together.
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone, and Penguin, for an ARC.
October 16, 2025
I have mixed feelings about this book. This was a “right person, wrong time” kind of plot and this type usually makes me feel all kinds of bittersweet because what do you mean they’re soulmates but not at that point of time?
Here we meet Tom and Abbie whose lives become intertwined when they were involved in a train wreck together. Prior to that, they saw each other briefly but never talked to each other before.
After the wreck, they slowly get to know each other but the odds were not in their favor. They had to be separated due to certain circumstances and for a few years at that.
To see both of their lives go in completely different directions despite how well they got along was very heartbreaking. Like I want them to be happy, but happy together as a couple.
As the years passed, everything soon went to shit and tom and Abbie found their way back to one another back again. I couldn’t express how happy I was to see that. They soulmated so hard that the universe put them back together again.
I did have some issues with the book:
1. They had multiple miscommunication and they wouldn’t have stayed apart for so long, had they just talked like normal people
2. It was obvious that both Abbie’s and Tom’s partners at the time were big red flags so I wondered why they still continued to try and stay with the red flag partners.
3. After how long it took for them to finally get together, the book ended with an epilogue that shows only 2 years in the future. That was nice but I wanted to see more romantic moments between Abbie and tom. Not just domestic happiness.
All in all, a great book but could be better.
3.5 stars
Here we meet Tom and Abbie whose lives become intertwined when they were involved in a train wreck together. Prior to that, they saw each other briefly but never talked to each other before.
After the wreck, they slowly get to know each other but the odds were not in their favor. They had to be separated due to certain circumstances and for a few years at that.
To see both of their lives go in completely different directions despite how well they got along was very heartbreaking. Like I want them to be happy, but happy together as a couple.
As the years passed, everything soon went to shit and tom and Abbie found their way back to one another back again. I couldn’t express how happy I was to see that. They soulmated so hard that the universe put them back together again.
I did have some issues with the book:
1. They had multiple miscommunication and they wouldn’t have stayed apart for so long, had they just talked like normal people
2. It was obvious that both Abbie’s and Tom’s partners at the time were big red flags so I wondered why they still continued to try and stay with the red flag partners.
3. After how long it took for them to finally get together, the book ended with an epilogue that shows only 2 years in the future. That was nice but I wanted to see more romantic moments between Abbie and tom. Not just domestic happiness.
All in all, a great book but could be better.
3.5 stars
August 5, 2023
I loved The Last Train Home. Ella Cook is the queen of "the one who got away" romances.
Tom and Abbie first meet on the London Underground, both tipsy and on their way home from a night out. Their flirty chat ends when the tube derails and Abbie loses consciousness after a hit to the head. Tom - a modest hero - carries Abbie out of the tunnel and this experience bonds them for the rest of their lives. It turns out they work near each other and a friendship blossoms - but the moment something more happens between them their relationship collapses and they stop speaking to each other. Years follow and both Tom and Abbie find themselves in relationships with other people, getting married and having children, even moving away, and the pair lose contact but still can't stop thinking about each other.
I sped through this novel, it was such a lovely read and I warmed to both the characters straight away. Bonding them through a traumatic event did mean that they had a believably intense connection from the get-go and this develops throughout the book.
Both of the marriages that Abbie and Tom end up in are realistic, both in their lovely moments and how they fall apart.
A wonderfully romantic novel, can't wait to read more by Ella Cook.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.
Tom and Abbie first meet on the London Underground, both tipsy and on their way home from a night out. Their flirty chat ends when the tube derails and Abbie loses consciousness after a hit to the head. Tom - a modest hero - carries Abbie out of the tunnel and this experience bonds them for the rest of their lives. It turns out they work near each other and a friendship blossoms - but the moment something more happens between them their relationship collapses and they stop speaking to each other. Years follow and both Tom and Abbie find themselves in relationships with other people, getting married and having children, even moving away, and the pair lose contact but still can't stop thinking about each other.
I sped through this novel, it was such a lovely read and I warmed to both the characters straight away. Bonding them through a traumatic event did mean that they had a believably intense connection from the get-go and this develops throughout the book.
Both of the marriages that Abbie and Tom end up in are realistic, both in their lovely moments and how they fall apart.
A wonderfully romantic novel, can't wait to read more by Ella Cook.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.
November 30, 2023
I really enjoyed The Last Train Home. It was an easygoing, cute read that made me feel all warm and cosy the more I read. Abbie and Tom are great main characters and Elle tells the story from both points of view, flipping from one to the other.
Meeting on a train late one evening, their lives are thrown together in the worst way possible and from there, things get better, then worse, then better again with loads of life-changing events happening to both of them over the next seven years.
I loved all the characters - most of the time - in this book. Teddy made me laugh and Natasha is just the perfect best friend to have. A book about bad timing, and historical events that actually happened, but mostly it’s about love and romance and how everything will always work out in the end.
If you love well-written contemporary fiction, with some curve balls thrown in, then I’d recommend adding this book to your TBR.
Thank you to Penguin Random House UK and Century Books for the opportunity to read and review The Last Train Home by Elle Cook.
Meeting on a train late one evening, their lives are thrown together in the worst way possible and from there, things get better, then worse, then better again with loads of life-changing events happening to both of them over the next seven years.
I loved all the characters - most of the time - in this book. Teddy made me laugh and Natasha is just the perfect best friend to have. A book about bad timing, and historical events that actually happened, but mostly it’s about love and romance and how everything will always work out in the end.
If you love well-written contemporary fiction, with some curve balls thrown in, then I’d recommend adding this book to your TBR.
Thank you to Penguin Random House UK and Century Books for the opportunity to read and review The Last Train Home by Elle Cook.
December 27, 2023
An ARC read. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity.
I must admit the cover drew me to this book, and while The Last Train Home started off with a bang, I am sad to say halfway through the book I lost interest. You could call The Last Train Home a book about missed opportunity or bad timing, but this isn't Sliding Doors or Sleepless in Seattle. This is a book where two MCs have an adorable meet cute that goes from adorable to dramatic in seven seconds flat.
I will admit, I loved the line, "A lot can happen in seven years. A lot can happen in seven seconds." I thought it was foreshadowing, but the book didn't move where I hoped it would move. Our MCs both make poor decisions, communicate poorly, some of which is due to drinking way too much way too often. While I liked the MCs they reminded me more of teenagers than working adults.
I really, really wanted to like this book, but it was not what I was expecting, and even the hint of infidelity (especially with children involved) is a huge turn off for me.
DNF at 51%.
I must admit the cover drew me to this book, and while The Last Train Home started off with a bang, I am sad to say halfway through the book I lost interest. You could call The Last Train Home a book about missed opportunity or bad timing, but this isn't Sliding Doors or Sleepless in Seattle. This is a book where two MCs have an adorable meet cute that goes from adorable to dramatic in seven seconds flat.
I will admit, I loved the line, "A lot can happen in seven years. A lot can happen in seven seconds." I thought it was foreshadowing, but the book didn't move where I hoped it would move. Our MCs both make poor decisions, communicate poorly, some of which is due to drinking way too much way too often. While I liked the MCs they reminded me more of teenagers than working adults.
I really, really wanted to like this book, but it was not what I was expecting, and even the hint of infidelity (especially with children involved) is a huge turn off for me.
DNF at 51%.
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