What do readers think of The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin? Write your own review.

This book is amazing!!! I very much enjoyed "House Girl" and was looking forward to this read. I honestly had a hard time putting the book down and went to bed thinking about the characters. Tara Conklin is a superb writer and draws you into her family and all of its issues. There are so many themes that, probably each of us, can relate to. Love, forgiveness, security, hope and awareness of self are all brought to the forefront of this book. It belongs on book club lists.

I was immediately drawn to this novel and couldn’t get enough of its poignancy, reflection and wisdom. The characters are expertly developed and the plot well conceived. I do not remember reading a novel that explored sibling relationships so vividly. I reread many passages several times...This book emphasizes the importance of compassion and forgiveness. Highly recommended. Why we read.

I enjoyed every page of this book! I loved following the lives of these 4 siblings from their early childhood into their adulthood. It's interesting to watch the different relationships develop between the siblings and to see how the different decisions they all make affect their current and future lives. I highly recommend this book.

The Last Romantics is an engaging, well written book featuring the dysfunctional Skinner family. As children, the four Skinner siblings survive a horrendous period of time which they later refer to as the Pause. It is during this period that the sisters and brother forge their strong love and reliance on each other, and the reverberations from the Pause last well into their adult years. The characters are well developed, interesting, and likable. The one part of the novel that I didn’t care for was the background for the scene set in 2079 with the power outage, sirens, armed soldiers, and shelters. None of it was explained, and it didn’t advance the plot so I felt that it was unnecessary. I think that this book can generate good discussions on any number of topics, and I will definitely recommend it to my book club.

Excellent novel. The writing is beautiful, the characters are complex and the story of this family moving. There’s much to admire in this story of four siblings and their lives both with and without each other. Highly recommended.

I would rate The Last Romantics as a 10 if I could. Please give this book to yourself and everyone you know --- it's that terrific!! Devour it as you would a scrumptious crème brulee.

The four Skinner siblings are the heart and that heart beats through the years with secrets, choices, searches, responsibilities, and coping skills. Author Tara Conklin excels at fleshing out these siblings whose father died early on at the age of 34. The children learn to depend on each other (are knit together) for reasons I will leave for the reader to discover. One says, "What is my high shelf and what will I discover there?" Another must discover what is crucial with a mate. Another realizes that life is complex and how and what we choose will be different for each.

The wisdom and definitions of LOVE, POETRY, and AGING are sprinkled throughout this magnificent novel. The author's ability to portray each character is outstanding, so much so that I had come to know them and will truly miss them.

“The Last Romantics” is an engrossing novel about four siblings and the profound impact on their young lives by their parents. Though I was ambivalent after reading the prologue, by the end of chapter one, I was pretty hooked. This family saga follows the Skinner siblings through a very difficult childhood into adulthood, where they’re once again challenged by a family crisis. The incident offers them a chance to confront their relationship with one another and focus on what truly matters most for each of them. The book will appeal to bibliophiles drawn to character-driven stories of complicated and interesting characters—siblings who love one another as they maneuver through their lives—replete with struggles and betrayals. Provocative and riveting, this beautifully-written novel challenges us to explore our definition of love.

I devoured this story within a couple of days and was sorry to come to the end. It is a riveting tale of the complicated and tangled relationships that exist in a family, especially when loss and depression feature in such an enormous way. Each of the Skinners had an endearing characteristic and I grew to care for them all. What really hit home for me was that we never really know what’s going on in someone else’s head, even if we feel we’re as close to them as we can possible be. Tara Conklin is definitely on my favorite author list with this one.