The Last Anniversary: A Novel

Written by Liane Moriarty

Narrated by Heather Wilds

From Liane Moriarty, author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers, comes an unforgettable novel defined by her signature sharp wit, page-turning storyline, and lovable and eccentric characters.

A family secret explodes. A first kiss betrays. A mystery is solved. A marriage is tested. It all happens on one extraordinary night—the Last Anniversary!

Sophie Honeywell always wondered if Thomas Gordon was the one who got away. He was the perfect boyfriend, but on the day he was going to propose, she broke his heart. A year later he married his travel agent, while Sophie has been mortifyingly single ever since. Now Thomas is back in her life because Sophie has unexpectedly inherited his aunt Connie's house on Scribbly Gum Island—home of the famously unsolved Munro Baby mystery.

Sophie moves onto the island and begins a new life as part of an unconventional family, where it seems everyone has a secret. Grace, a beautiful young mother, is feverishly planning a shocking escape from her perfect life. Margie, a frumpy housewife, has made a pact with a stranger, while dreamy Aunt Rose wonders if maybe it's about time she started making her own decisions.

As Sophie's life becomes increasingly complicated, she discovers that sometimes you have to stop waiting around—and come up with your own fairy-tale ending.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Jul 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9780063034792

Liane Moriarty

Liane Moriarty is the number-one New York Times bestselling author of Big Little Lies, The Husband's Secret, and What Alice Forgot, as well as The Hypnotist's Love Story, Three Wishes, The Last Anniversary, and the Nicola Berry series for children. Liane lives in Sydney, Australia, with her husband and two children. www.lianemoriarty.com.au

Reviews for The Last Anniversary

[karenvg3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this one on audio. The story was a little bit predictable but I still had fun listening. The characters were all a bit quirky and everything wrapped up nicely. I LOVED Heather Wilds voice as she changed from character to character. 3.5 ⭐️

[Aleksandra Ivanovska · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing book and even better narrator! Loved every minute of it.

[Monica Cedeno · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great narration, good story. I like Liane Moriarty and this story is pretty epic. Mostly serious, whereas sometimes Ihave laughed out loud w her other books. I recommend it.

[lara335 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Sophie is bequeathed a house on a tiny family-run island, that makes its income from an old mystery.I enjoy Moriarty’s novels for their insightfulness wit & understanding of contemporary life & issues. But found this one difficult to keep an interest in, too slow-moving and a cast of hum-drum characters, and a lot of post-natal depression.Margie, a minor character, was the most interesting, married to a man who belittled & ignored her, turning herself & her life around.

[buffycharpentier · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a winding road. I am a big fan of Liane Moriarty and the flawless way she weaves multiple narratives together. The story of the Doughtry sisters and the baby they found abandoned in a nearby cabin is one full of secrets and rich with family drama. The events unfold after Connie Doughtry's death and her sister Rose is not sure she can keep the big family secrete of who baby Enigma truly is. Connie has left her home to her nephews' ex-girlfriend and with that the actions are set in motion that as much as Connie wished the past would have stayed buried, just can't be hidden any longer.

[Zsoka Horvath · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing writing! Good audiobook. I loved how real, lovely the characters were. Will read/listen to it again.

[Donna Mandriota · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very entertaining. She did a great job, weaving all those peoples lives together..

[Kathy Casillas · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love Liane Moriarty characters in her books! I love her sense of humor as well!

[erinclark_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I just love Liane Moriarty's writing, she always has a little unexpected twist at the end of her stories that make me either laugh or gasp out loud, so clever! I listened to the audio version of this book and found it excellent with the Australian accent of the narrator. All the characters in this book are well developed and one can empathize with all of them. I'm a huge Liane Moriarty fan and she does not disappoint with this book. Highly recommended.

[caslater83 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book is definitely not on par with "The Husband's Secret." I found this book to be dry and dull. So dry that I stopped reading and started skimming until I reached page 65 and realized that there was no point trying to go on.

I'm not a supporter of foul language in books, but I dislike my inability to feel hooked to the story even more. If you can't connect with the characters, put down the book. If you don't feel anything for this book, put it down and move on. I hate doing it, but sometimes it's better to put yourself out of your own misery.

[neale_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another well told story from Liane Moriaty. This one has a bit more humour than the others I have read. Good characters, not all likeable. Worth a read. There are a few twists at the end.

[kerilynned · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm going to give this one 3.5 stars actually. I have come to love Liane Moriarty books but this one isn't at the top of my favorites. It took me longer to get into this book and I kept feeling that I just wanted to be done with it. It drags a little and has too many different characters perspectives. I did enjoy the surprise at the end involving Rose, it made the read worth it!

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

To say the characters in this tale are unusual would be an understatement. Sophie has been given a rather large gift by a person she hardly knows. But this inheritance comes with some entanglements. Sophie finds herself enmeshed in an old family mystery involving a baby whose parents had vanished. There are many twists and turns in the tale, as well as some heartbreak and enlightenment, but I’d expect nothing less from a Liane Moriarty novel.

[diana.hauser · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

THE LAST ANNIVERSARY is written by Australian author Liane Moriarty.I like Ms. Moriarty’s writing style. Her characters are dissected and presented on a platter for better or worse. Plots are engaging with multiple layers.THE LAST ANNIVERSARY concerns a very dysfunctional family (past and present) who manufactured a mystery so as to cover up a tragedy and rise from poverty.I was slow to pick up all the nuances of character and plot until the ending of the book. It was puzzling, frustrating and a tad unrealistic, but I enjoyed the development and insights into each character and their evolution.My favorite of all Ms. Moriarty’s books has to be BIG LITTLE LIES, but each title has something to offer the reader and each title is interesting.

[nyiper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As usual, just great! I love the way she deals with each and every character in this rather large collection of people and how they all interrelate. She is such a great story teller in all of her books. I am looking forward to her newest one, already out in Australia, The Husband's Secret, which I happen to have a copy of right here in my hands---happiness!!

[flourgirl49 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not as good as her later books. This was written earlier in her writing career, and I think she developed into a better writer as she went along. You can definitely see signs of her talent for character development and great dialogue. The ending was kind of anti-climactic and fizzled out, but all-in-all a worthwhile read.

[coolmama_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What if?Sophie Honeywell lives in Sydney and is left a house on Scribbly Gum Island by the Aunt of her ex-boyfriend. Poor Sophie, almost 40, without boyfriend or child. Part murder mystery (the island shot to fame due to an abandoned child), part chick lit.The novel could have been 50+ pages shorter, however, I loved the authors snarky comments!

[kimhooperwrites · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I never met a Liane Moriarty book I didn't love. The end.

[bookczuk · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I somehow stumbled across this book, and picked it up to read between some other obligatory books, which were either darker, more serious, or non-fiction. This presented a good diversionary read, with characters I liked (though I kept getting the family tree all bolloxed up). So great moments/twists in the book, as characters reveal themselves, but my favorite came at the very end of the book. Can't say more without a spoiler.

[philipjhunt · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The plot is nicely complicated with many sub-plots to resolve, but it's all a bit sweet and silly. Nevertheless, Moriarty knows how write characters that keep us interested for 400 pages.

[trayceetee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a fun story. I really enjoy the way Moriarty develops her characters, as the story itself unfolds. I didn't have any real suspicions or inklings about the truth behind the Alice & Jack Monroe story.... I was pleasantly surprised by the way the whole story wrapped up.

[emhromp2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A brilliant book, touching and funny. It's about a woman who doesn't get from life what she'd really want. Then she moves to a close-knit community and has to sort her life out. I like this author and can't wait for her next novel. Her first novel was better though.

[bookworm12_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Moriatry crafts novels that suck you in immediately. The timeline and family tree in this one are a little trickier to follow than her others, but I read it in one weekend and that helped me keep everything straight.The Gordon family has lived on a small island in Australia for years. A mystery involving a vanished family and abandoned baby has haunted the shores for decades. When Connie, one of the eldest members of the family passes away, she unexpectedly leaves her home to her grandson’s ex-girlfriend Sophie. The odd choice baffles the family, but soon Sophie steps into her ready-made life on the island. She meets Connie’s whimsical sister Rose, Enigma, the mystery baby and her adult daughters: Margie and Laura. The grandkids, Grace, Thomas, and Veronica are all adults as well. Each one adds a unique twist to the story. Grace’s story was powerful because it gave such an intimate look at post-partum depression, something so few people understand. I also loved seeing Margie’s transformation. Standing up for yourself after years of being put down is incredibly difficult. The big twist/reveals weren’t as shocking as some of her other novels, like Big Little Lies, but that didn’t matter. I just enjoy the worlds she creates too much to care. BOTTOM LINE: The magic of the island is infectious. You want to visit it and be swept away by the mystery of it all. It’s not my favorite Moriarty novel. It definitely feels like an earlier work, but that just means she’s getting better with each book and I have even more great novels to look forward to.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There were some great characters in this novel - and there were some serious topics addressed as well. I felt such compassion and fear for Grace, and empathy for Sophie, and admiration for Margie. The revelation of secrets at the end of the book was satisfying without wrapping everyone up in a bow - and there was that last big surprise that Ms. Moriarty specializes in.

[she_climber · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not as snarky and funny as Moriarty's other books but still a very engaging and entertaining story.

[gingermama-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Even though I saw the answer to the central mystery a mile away (as will any reader paying the slightest bit of attention), the author still managed to surprise me at the end. That plus an engaging cast of characters and an entertaining plot puts this one closer to 4 stars than 3.5.

[Marcy · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I usually love her books but this one drug on and on only to have a lackluster ending. There were too many characters to keep track of and so most you just got a summary of the traits. Not a fan of this one

[askelmore · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Best for:Fans of Liane Moriarty, fans of mysteries that unfold in unexpected ways, and fans of books that go a little deeper than you might expect.In a nutshell:Alice and Jack Munro abandoned their baby girl - named Enigma - 70 years ago. She's now a grandmother, and one of the sisters who rescued her has died, leaving behind some unfinished business.Worth quoting:“If her back had ever hurt like this when she was twenty she would have been hysterical, demanding painkillers and cups of tea in bed, but she has found that nobody is especially surprised to hear you’re in pain when you’re in your eighties. You might find it astonishing, but nobody else does.”Why I chose it:I realized after finishing her latest book that I hadn’t read all of them, so I remedied that quickly.Review:I liked this one a lot. I have a vivid picture of the fictional island where most of the book takes place. I can picture the characters, and while I don’t think I relate directly to any of them, I appreciate how they are mostly well-thought-out and well built characters. They aren’t one note.The book starts after the death of Connie, who is in her 90s and was one of two sisters who discovered baby Enigma after her parents vanished from their home on the island. Connie has left her home to her great-nephew’s ex girlfriend Sophia, so that’s weird. Much of the book focuses on Sophia, but also on Grace, who is struggling deeply with post-partum depression. I was not expecting that but I think it’s handed interestingly (though I would defer to those who have actually experienced it). In broader terms the book looks at what family means, what secrets can do to and for a family, and how we often don’t really know our partners and family. I also like that we get the perspectives of older people in the book - people in their 70s and 90s. Rarely do we have those points of view, and as I’ve mentioned before, I appreciate exploring those experiences.I think What Alice Forgot is still my favorite of Moriarty’s books, but this one might be a close second.Keep it / Pass to a Friend / Donate it / Toss it:Donate it

[AmeRu Da · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The book did not disappoint like all the books by this author!

[bookandsword · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

“A marriage is hard work and sometimes it’s a bit of a bore. It’s like housework. It’s never finished. You’ve just got to grit your teeth and keep working away at it, day after day.”This is my last Moriarty book (that is until she writes more) and sadly my least favorite one. It even topped Truly Madly Guilty (which I rated 3.25) all the rest of her works I absolutely love. I am pretty sure that this is her debut novel, so I didn't want to be too critical of her writing, but this book just didn't do anything for me. Normally her books make me laugh out loud, or gasp with surprise, but not in this case. Not a single laugh, the whole reading experience was kind of meh. “You can still bake a perfectly good cake while losing your mind.”The whole plot of the book makes completely no sense. I mean it's not convoluted or anything, it's just very unbelievable, and quite frankly - boring. First of all I never understood why they suddenly decided to threat Sophie as family, or why she was the center of attention at all. She was only means for other plot line as far as I can tell. She was enjoyable character to read, at times. At other times she was just a desperate 40 year old who needed to get laid asap. Funny, but also kind of annoying. I think I only truly cared about Grace, and Margie as well, but her character could have used a bit more page time. Grace was hard to read, but oh so important. Grace was the reason why I love Moriarty's books - she was truthful, she had many flaws and she was battling a very hard battle and nobody else really noticed, until it was too late. "Baby Munro Mystery" - a big shocker, so interesting, need to solve it! NOT. I did guess the twist, well I got the wrong woman, but I pretty much guessed it. It makes no sense, but those who read the book will understand. There was a very funny "coming out" plot line which I enjoyed a lot. But I could also tell that the book was older (written in 2005) because it contained a lot of prejudiced opinions which I didn't care for at all. The last "shocking revelation" was indeed shocking, but since it was literally revealed in the last page it felt more as an afterthought, than an actual plot twist. "The Munro Baby" plot twist wasn't enough, so I feel like that other twist was just thrown in the end, and it really shows. This is a book that can definitely be skipped, but if you are like me, and would like to read all of the books from an author I'd say don't keep it to be the last one you read. Read Big Little Lies or What Alice Forgot - those are much better, they pack a good punch and they are also quite hilarious. The only reason I can think to read this book would be for relationships in this big, dysfunctional family - the "mystery" part of it is a total crap.