Cassie Carter and her seven-year-old daughter Aimee barely escape from her physically abusive husband, Duke. At eighteen and pregnant, Cassie ran from her family home in Spokane, Washington only to be isolated in Florida by her new husband. Sequestered from her family and friends, she receives broken bones, black eyes and multiple contusions and bruises. Escaping from a window and running to a women's rescue was all that saved her life when Duke headed for the kitchen for a knife. Finally receiving the support needed to put him behind bars, Cassie and Aimee relocate to Seattle where she works as a hairstylist at a local salon and volunteers as a victim advocate. Through these years she has been completely isolated from her sisters, Karen and Nichole, as well as her parents.

Starting over with absolutely nothing, she applies to Habitat for Humanity and is accepted. Along with the promise of a home, she must volunteer 500 hours on the construction of their projects. Getting off on the wrong foot with the supervisor of the construction site, Steve Brody, eventually they meet in the middle. Steve lost his loving wife three years ago to cancer and still bares the loss. Gruffness is all he has now until unexpected feelings grab him by the throat for the new helper. Her now twelve-year-old daughter only encourages Steve's attempts at courting her. Her parents have passed and she has finally received a reply from her sisters for a possible reunion while Steve is putting undue pressure on her to form a more permanent relationship. After the abuse, how is she to be certain she isn't getting into the same situation as with her last husband and will she be able to bridge the ocean of hurt and misunderstanding with her siblings?

There is so much more to LAST ONE HOME. The heartbreaking issues of separation and loss of parents and siblings, only scratches the surface. Creative information is given to the reader of the consequences and terror of an abusive marriage. Managing to find redeeming qualities in a man after near death from another, is emotional and takes renewed faith. Debbie Macomber never disappoints me. I snatch up every story this woman writes, even though she keeps me crying through half of it and my heart aches. She always manages to leave me with a warming of the soul and fuzzy feelings that stays for days. If you don't grab LAST ONE HOME, it's your definite loss!

Book Summary

Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Blossom Street and Cedar Cove series, delivers an inspiring new stand-alone novel about the enduring bond between sisters, the power of forgiveness, and a second chance at love.

Growing up, Cassie Carter and her sisters, Karen and Nichole, were incredibly close—until one fateful event drove them apart. After high school, Cassie ran away from home to marry the wrong man, throwing away a college scholarship and breaking her parents’ hearts. To make matters worse, Cassie had always been their father’s favorite—a sentiment that weighed heavily on her sisters and made Cassie’s actions even harder to bear.

Now thirty-one, Cassie is back in Washington, living in Seattle with her daughter and hoping to leave her past behind. After ending a difficult marriage, Cassie is back on her own two feet, the pieces of her life slowly but surely coming together. Despite the strides Cassie’s made, she hasn’t been able to make peace with her sisters. Karen, the oldest, is a busy wife and mother, balancing her career with raising her two children. And Nichole, the youngest, is a stay-at-home mom whose husband indulges her every whim. Then one day, Cassie receives a letter from Karen, offering what Cassie thinks may be a chance to reconcile. And as Cassie opens herself up to new possibilities—making amends with her sisters, finding love once more—she realizes the power of compassion, and the promise of a fresh start.

A wonderful novel of perseverance and trust, and an exciting journey through life’s challenges and joys, Last One Home is Debbie Macomber at the height of her talents.