The Last Goodbye Book Club Questions
by Laura Pavlov
These questions assume everyone has finished the book and contain spoilers, including the ending.
This novel gives book clubs plenty to unpack because its romance keeps running into family loyalty, old shame, business ethics, and the fear of being left behind. The characters make messy choices, and it is easy to argue about whether those choices are selfish, brave, or both.
Use the questions however your group likes. Pick one topic, work through it slowly, or mix questions from several sections. Let everyone answer before debating, and do not worry if you disagree. The best conversations usually start when someone sees a character very differently than you do.
Family Loyalty and Chosen Family
- 1.Bass pays Jovi's final tuition and has raised her since she was a teenager, yet he refuses to accept Jenna's claim that she has changed. How does Bass's protectiveness of Jovi shape his conflict with Jenna, and does Jovi's insistence that she just wants a relationship with their mother make you sympathize with her hope or worry for her?
- 2.Briar's central motivation is earning William's approval, while Denton supports her and Tabitha resents her. How does Briar's family history with William, Tabitha, and Denton explain her willingness to hide the truth about the K&R hotel deal from Bass?
- 3.Jovi insists on adding a seat for Jenna at graduation dinner even though Bass warns their mother will disappoint her. Given that Jenna was actually drinking at Whisper-Tails and lied about missing her flight, was Jovi's hope for her mother naive, or was Briar right to help Jenna show up anyway?
- 4.The group chat scenes show Cannon, Phoenix, Brody, and Cutler teasing Bass about Briar and debating whether she is off-limits or trustworthy. How does this friend group function as Bass's chosen family, and were their suspicions about Briar proven right or unfair?
- 5.Tatum learns that Raelyn died in a car accident, had a five-year-old son named Oliver, and named Tatum in her will as the person she wanted to care for him. How does this subplot echo the book's themes of chosen family, shame, addiction, and hidden love, and what does Nix's decision to drive Tatum to the attorney's office reveal about him?
Romance and Relationship Boundaries
- 6.Briar first gains a meeting with Bass by falsely claiming to be pregnant, then later accidentally punches him in the nose. How do these early chaotic moments affect the way you understood their enemies-to-lovers dynamic, and did the later breakfast apology and houseboat dinner make their shift believable?
- 7.Bass calls Briar his 'worst fucking nightmare' and says the restaurant is not for sale, but he eventually agrees to a deal that keeps Bennett's on the Bay open during renovation. What was the real turning point for Bass: Briar's revised offer, the grilled cheese conversation, or his growing attraction to her?
- 8.Bass and Briar repeatedly call their dinner 'as friends,' agree to one kiss, then agree to sex 'to get it out of their systems,' and later agree to date until they hate each other. Did the book convincingly show why they could not keep things casual, or did their professional boundaries make the relationship feel doomed from the start?
- 9.Bass proposes to Briar on the houseboat with candles and rose petals after their relationship began with her forcing a meeting and him calling her his worst nightmare. Was the proposal a fitting full-circle ending, and what does 'home' mean for Bass and Briar by the final page?
Public Confrontations, Pride, and Accountability
- 10.When Tabitha insults Briar's deceased mother at the Winchester dinner, Bass stands up, says 'Shame on you' to Tabitha and confronts William for allowing it. Did you agree with Bass's decision to publicly call them out, or should he have handled it differently for Briar's sake?
- 11.Cannon rides in the PBR World Finals with broken ribs and a broken hand, finishes second overall, and handles the loss with grace. How does his ability to accept defeat compare with the pride struggles of characters like Bass, Briar, and William?
- 12.Briar uses Josephine's letters to threaten William with media exposure unless he agrees to build the smaller Blue Sky Inn and give her 51% ownership. Did you agree with Briar's choice to use her mother's letters as leverage, and did William's later apology and pride feel earned?
Fear of Loss, Home, and Starting Over
- 13.Briar finds Jenna at Whisper-Tails, books her flight and hotel, and gets her to Jovi's graduation without asking Jenna to change her life or make promises. Did Briar overstep by involving herself in Bass's family, or was this the most selfless thing she does in the book?
- 14.Briar tells Bass, 'Everyone leaves me. It's just another goodbye,' and Bass responds that goodbye is not the same as someone passing away. How does Cutler's advice that 'love is more powerful than loss' connect to Briar's fear, and did the ending resolve that fear for you?
- 15.Briar turns down partnership at Winchester Investments and chooses to oversee and run the Blue Sky Inn while living in Blue Sky Bay. Was that the right ending for her character, or did it feel like she was giving up the career she had fought for?