Book Review: The Last To Know By Laura Jane Williams

Published June 11, 2026 | By Laura

Ash has met her perfect match.

So has CJ.

Unfortunately for them, it’s the same man.

Mid-thirties and feeling the pressure, they’re ready to fight for him. Even if it means sabotaging each other.

As Ash and CJ turn up on each other’s dates, ruin one another’s chances, and accidentally end up spending an awful lot of time together, their friends begin to wonder. Are they fighting over the same guy? Or are they fighting their feelings for each other . . . ?

*****

Cj loves her life in Portugal. She’s the manager of a successful business, has a “friends with benefits” situation with her best friend/colleague but most importantly, she has a son who is her whole world.

Ash is on a journey to find life. Having been the odd one out in her family and always being one for organisation to within an inch of her life, she’s attempting to open herself up to opportunities in Portugal for a few weeks.

When the women meet each other, it’s dislike at first sight. However, can they both find a way to thaw when it comes to each other?

I love Laura Jane Williams and so jumped at the chance to review her latest novel, The Last To Know.

This novel centres around CJ and Ash. The former runs CoLabs, a communal hotel. She’s a mother to Jorge and lives with her cousin and his husband. She has a couple of casual agreements when it comes to relationships and she’s happy with this. Ash on the other hand is a bit more serious when it comes to love and life. She has come to Portugal on a forced sabbatical to fall in love with life again. The women are opposites, and in this case, opposites don’t immediately attract.

I loved both CJ and Ash for different reasons. I adored CJ’s attitude to life. She doesn’t apologise for who she is and what she likes. She’s an onion of a character. There’s a lot of layers to her. She’s been heartbroken so is therefore very guarded. I related to Ash. She’s the worrier, the one that wears her heart on her sleeve. I liked seeing how their relationship developed over the course of the book. As I was reading the interactions between the two of them, the thing that came to mind was the line from Schitt’s Creek – “I like the wine, not the label.”

The supporting characters were fantastic. I loved Miguel and Todd not only for the chemistry they had with each other, but for being father figures to CJ’s son. I liked the message this book promoted which is that family comes in different shapes, sizes and dynamics. Mona is someone everyone should have in their life, as is Willow. There were some emotional moments between these two and Ash and I did well up, not going to lie. There were other moments where I cheered and laughed out loud. Laura Jane Williams has such a wonderful way with humour in her books.

The plot moves well and had a lot to keep my attention. There are some very spicy bits. The author doesn’t shy away from that topic so if you don’t like that kind of thing, this may not be the book for you. I think it fit well into what was happening with the characters. This book is all about self-discovery.

Speaking of themes, the novel covers infidelity, life changing events, sexuality and anxiety amongst others. It’s all mixed in together in a graceful yet realistic manner. The setting felt stunning and has made it onto my travel bucket list. The style of writing had me exploring this beautiful sounding city with Ash. It was so easy to fall into this novel and to keep turning the page. I was completely invested.

I am hoping this isn’t the last time we see these characters. There is at least one character who could have their own novel. I won’t say who as I don’t want to give the ending away.

I don’t think I can say much more without giving too much away. I will end with this. The Last To Know is about loving life and love. It’s about opening yourself up to opportunities but also knowing when to walk away. It promotes acceptance and joy. It’s one of the biggest love letters to being yourself I’ve read, and I adored it.

(Thank you to Penguin for the advanced reading copy in exchange for a honest review.)

About Laura Jane Williams –

Laura Jane Williams (she/her) is known as the queen of the meet-cute. She is the author of six rom-coms, as well as the forthcoming Lovestruck (June 2023). She is also the author of three works of non-fiction.

The rights to Laura’s international bestseller Our Stop have been sold for television, and her books have been translated into languages all over the world. She loves romance, being a parent, and lifting very heavy weights.

Her latest novel, The Last To Know was released by Penguin on 11th June 2026. Click to buy on Amazon UK, Amazon US, and Waterstones.

Say hello to Laura Jane via her website, and Instagram.