This is the first book I've read by this author, and I can't believe it's taken me this long to discover him! He definitely has a different writing style than I'm used to but I loved this book! There are parts that are a little unbelievable but overall, it's fiction at its finest. The characters are so flawed but you are rooting for not only their love story but their lives in general. Maybe Joe Sue (yep, that's her real name!) is a famous Hollywood actress who is as flawed as they come. She is the "people's" actress because she really is one of them - caring, comes from nothing, very charitable, down on their level, etc. - but she's got so many issues! She is addicted to drugs to deal with all this fame and the fact that she has infertility issues. Her husband, also a famous actor, is a scum and I disliked him instantly! However, my favorite character is MacThomas Pockets - Joe's Scottish bodyguard. He is former military and will not cross any boundaries but guards Joe with everything in him. He goes above and beyond. I loved his character and his personality. He stuck by Joe through thick and thin. The suspense storyline shows his true character also.

I have thought about this book for days since finishing it. That's how I know it's a fantastic story. It's made me THINK about so many things! Mainly, what would you sacrifice for the one you love and how far would you go for another one's happiness and their security? So thought provoking! I will be thinking about this book for months to come!

I want to start this review off by saying if you haven't had the pleasure of reading one of Charles Martin's books, please pick one up now!!!!

Everytime I read his books, I am in awe at how he can take tough, heart wrenching topics and write about them with the most delicate of hands. In addition to that, he comes up with simply the best stories that are not your run of the mill fiction or mystery.

"Scars are just the body's response to things that shouldn't be there. A reminder of the pain."

As with most of his novels, this one is a story within a story. You have Maybe Joe Sue (which let's be honest here - who would ever name their child that!), who is a broken woman with the biggest heart on the planet, but her ife is one big roller coaster ride. And all she wants is to have a baby and be loved. You have Pockets (which let's be honest here is just the coolest name ever!), who is her bodyguard, confidant, safe keeper and moral compass. I think we all could use a Pockets in our lives.

"We are all a mess. And no amount of money, and no amount of drugs, changes that. When you're broken, life is finding beauty in the mess. And then holding in for dear life."

The Last Exchange is about how their lives intersect and to what lengths one will go to for love. It's a story of friendship, commitment, love, forgiveness, intelligence, lots of heart and fight, and survival. Martin's writing is inspirational, beautiful, exciting, emotional and has some surprising mystery and twists built in. Overall this is a hard to put down page turner, that is one awesome story with incredible characters that have multiple layers to them. And with all of his books, I feel like I've walked away learning something deeper about myself.

"A life laid down is better than one picked up."

Charles Martin is hands down my favorite author. But I promise you that did not influence this review. His book is just that good!

WOW! This story is un-put-downable! From beginning to end it will have you either racing to turn the pages, or forcing yourself not to. These are realistic, raw characters that exhibit everything you could want in a book. There are twists and turns I didn't see coming and a love story that is so much more than just romance. This is an example of true, self sacrificial love. The kind we all crave and pray we have the fortune of experiencing. This story just may leave you dumb struck and looking up every Charles Martin novel ever written!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

"How far would you go for someone you love? . . . How far?"

"The last exchange. . . . . .It's when you cross paths with someone who's broken, just a mess of pieces, unable to fix anything about anything, and yet for some inexplicable reason, you stoop down, reach out and say . . . 'Me for you'."

"A life laid down is better than a life picked up."

Imagine reading a story that transforms all of these convictions into reality . . . . loving so, so far . . . . transferring the pain of another onto yourself, exchanging life for life rather than sweeping up the innumerable shattered pieces of an expiration. It's here. Between the pages. Of this book.

Utilizing extraordinary plotting expertise to full advantage, the author slowly and meticulously weaves his story, merging "before" and "after" scene changes in such a way that the true story organically emerges at just the right times in all the right places. Readers will question who Kelly MacThomas Pockets really is (and rightfully so), what Maybe Jo Sue has to gain by having him to secure the boundaries of her lavish lifestyle, and ultimately what their relationship will cost each of them in the end. However, . . . . .

"I've been in some places where there is no hope, and yet somehow it swims through the cracks. Rises to the surface. . . . . No matter what you do - ignore it, shove it in a closet, drown it with drink and pill, or stab it with science, experts, and talking heads - you can't kill hope. Not in all of human history has hope ever been laid to rest."

A story that goes deeper and deeper with the turning of every page; fascinating, heart-breaking, hope-building. Salvation always beckons an exchange.

Charles Martin is a masterful story teller in the contemporary Christian fiction genre, always with unique story plots and unforgettable characters. His recent series delved into the world of sex trafficking, but like all his books, there were themes of forgiveness and new starts. While I had liked his previous books, that series was just too dark for me despite my knowledge that he was writing truth about our corrupt world. So I was a bit reluctant to read his latest book THE LAST EXCHANGE, but I gave the novel a chance and am glad that I did. Mrs. Joe Sue is an award-winning actress, who like so many successful famous people, falls into alcohol and drug abuse as she faces unbearable work schedules, a fractured marriage, and painful miscarriages. As the book opens, her once friend and now pregnancy surrogate is blackmailing her for millions of dollars. No longer being protected by her faithful bodyguard Pockets, Joe Sue is kidnapped and held prisoner at her own Montana ranch. The disguised kidnapper says she has been taken to force detox and to save her life. The book alternates between flashback chapters revealing the back story and chapters which detail what is happening with the surrogate mother and the blackmail plan and Joe Sue's detox. One character stands out as being superbly crafted, but I will leave that to readers to discover on their own. I received a copy of this from NetGalley. All opinions are mine.