What do you think?
Rate this book
The Last Detail
Hope, love, and loss meld two polar opposite personalities. How long can they keep passion for their ministry and each other after the wedding?
Medical missionary and avowed bachelor Merit Campbell is wounded during a skirmish at his Mideast clinic and sent home to recover. Restlessness propels him to explore the happier moments of his childhood in Illinois where he meets Amalia Kennedy, owner of The Last Detail, who enjoys helping people prepare for their final years. Merit ushers in new life; Amalia ushers it out. Love? Obviously. Marriage? Check. Dealing with the family closet? Step back…
Amalia enjoys her predictable life in a quiet little Illinois town—until long-time intended, Hudson, finally proposes in a way that shows her boring and old are coming way too fast. When a mutual friend introduces Merit and Amalia, the spark of attraction makes Merit reconsider his bachelorhood. When he can’t return to the mission, he accepts a call as pastor to Amalia’s church. As the two grow closer they weather constant interruptions from ministry, business, and family, even at their wedding and beyond. When tragedy strikes, they must learn to rely on each other in ways they couldn’t have prepared for.
Medical missionary and avowed bachelor Merit Campbell is wounded during a skirmish at his Mideast clinic and sent home to recover. Restlessness propels him to explore the happier moments of his childhood in Illinois where he meets Amalia Kennedy, owner of The Last Detail, who enjoys helping people prepare for their final years. Merit ushers in new life; Amalia ushers it out. Love? Obviously. Marriage? Check. Dealing with the family closet? Step back…
Amalia enjoys her predictable life in a quiet little Illinois town—until long-time intended, Hudson, finally proposes in a way that shows her boring and old are coming way too fast. When a mutual friend introduces Merit and Amalia, the spark of attraction makes Merit reconsider his bachelorhood. When he can’t return to the mission, he accepts a call as pastor to Amalia’s church. As the two grow closer they weather constant interruptions from ministry, business, and family, even at their wedding and beyond. When tragedy strikes, they must learn to rely on each other in ways they couldn’t have prepared for.
322 pages, Paperback
First published January 3, 2014
235 people want to read
About the author
Lisa J. Lickel
32 books173 followersLisa Lickel is a writer and editor who lives with her husband in the rolling hills of western Wisconsin. A complete list of her novels: mysteries, award-winning romance and children’s books, and contemporary fiction can be found on her website. She writes newspaper features, short stories, magazine articles and radio theater. An avid book reviewer and blogger, freelance editor, and writing mentor, she loves to encourage new authors. She has two grown and married sons. Find more at LisaLickel.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 25, 2015
Great story. Great tension with a little mystery. Could not put it down.
January 15, 2014
Lisa Lickel's The Last Detail is a delightful novel about friends and family—parents, brothers and sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles. Families who are not unlike our own. Families who offer love and support despite failures, tragedies, and illness.
Merit Campbell is a medical missionary who runs a clinic for the tribal people of Nehrangestan on the continent of Asia. The story opens in the midst of a battle between two warring tribes. After Merit gets caught in the crossfire, he sustains wounds and must return to the US for recuperation.
Amalia Kennedy assists Hudson Demerest in running his funeral home with her business The Last Detail, where no detail escapes her. Hudson has come to depend on Amalia and believes he can't do without her. When her childhood friend proposes marriage, Amalia is not impressed with his frank admission he wants a son rather than professing his love. Though people in Fox Falls, Illinois expect the couple to marry, Amalia turns Hudson down with a resounding no, yet Hudson doesn't seem to take no for an answer.
Merit is one of four children along with Worth, Prudence, and Justice. After the death of his older brother Worth and the disappearance of his youngest brother, Justice, Merit is afraid to allow anyone in his life again. Since he's always looked to Prudence for wisdom and strength, he voices his doubts about taking a wife to the mission field. When he asks what she'd do if she lost her family to tragedy, she wisely answers that they weren't hers in the first place, but God's.
Merit meets the practical, yet lovely Amalia when she helps Prudence with details involved in disposing of deceased Uncle Bruce Campbell's enormous old family home. From the beginning, the relationship between Merit and Amalia is electric. The lighthearted banter between the two is clever, upbeat, and fresh, bringing a smile to my face.
While on leave in the states, Merit is offered a job as a pastor for New Life church when Pete Thompson and his family accept another pastorate. The change from life on the mission field to a pastorate isn't as easy.
The characters came alive for me. I could visualize each one and their unique personalities. Amalia who is steady, hardworking, and practical. Merit who suffers with doubts and insecurities. Through him, the reader is allowed to see that pastors are as human as anyone else. One of my favorite characters was the colorful Angus Craig who owns The Print Shop and gives his life to the Lord.
The story is filled with laughs, smiles, family outings, tragedy, and a surprise ending.
Merit Campbell is a medical missionary who runs a clinic for the tribal people of Nehrangestan on the continent of Asia. The story opens in the midst of a battle between two warring tribes. After Merit gets caught in the crossfire, he sustains wounds and must return to the US for recuperation.
Amalia Kennedy assists Hudson Demerest in running his funeral home with her business The Last Detail, where no detail escapes her. Hudson has come to depend on Amalia and believes he can't do without her. When her childhood friend proposes marriage, Amalia is not impressed with his frank admission he wants a son rather than professing his love. Though people in Fox Falls, Illinois expect the couple to marry, Amalia turns Hudson down with a resounding no, yet Hudson doesn't seem to take no for an answer.
Merit is one of four children along with Worth, Prudence, and Justice. After the death of his older brother Worth and the disappearance of his youngest brother, Justice, Merit is afraid to allow anyone in his life again. Since he's always looked to Prudence for wisdom and strength, he voices his doubts about taking a wife to the mission field. When he asks what she'd do if she lost her family to tragedy, she wisely answers that they weren't hers in the first place, but God's.
Merit meets the practical, yet lovely Amalia when she helps Prudence with details involved in disposing of deceased Uncle Bruce Campbell's enormous old family home. From the beginning, the relationship between Merit and Amalia is electric. The lighthearted banter between the two is clever, upbeat, and fresh, bringing a smile to my face.
While on leave in the states, Merit is offered a job as a pastor for New Life church when Pete Thompson and his family accept another pastorate. The change from life on the mission field to a pastorate isn't as easy.
The characters came alive for me. I could visualize each one and their unique personalities. Amalia who is steady, hardworking, and practical. Merit who suffers with doubts and insecurities. Through him, the reader is allowed to see that pastors are as human as anyone else. One of my favorite characters was the colorful Angus Craig who owns The Print Shop and gives his life to the Lord.
The story is filled with laughs, smiles, family outings, tragedy, and a surprise ending.
September 3, 2018
This is one of those stories that will stay with me for a long time. Lisa Lickel's vivid characters tugged at my heart. There are several emotional wallops in the book, but the faith and purpose at the core of the hero and the heroine ring true. Truly excellent and worth reading.
August 12, 2014
This book was a sheer delight--one that I curled up with on the couch and reveled in getting lost in the lives of Amalia Kennedy and Merit Campbell (a man I would love to find for myself one day!). These highly relatable, down-to-earth characters and the all-too-real struggles they face in trying to live godly lives and have a godly marriage is a comfort and inspiration. The added bonus was that the setting, Starved Rock State Park in Utica IL, is in the backyard of my hometown, which triggered a warm sense of nostalgia. Lisa Lickel is truly a masterful storyteller.
February 24, 2016
This book made me realize I need to take care of details before I leave this earth. I'm in the process of probating a will for a family member, and it is a mess. Do as much as you can to help the person you leave in charge. Write things down and make sure you have it all legally correct. This book will make you think, but it is also entertaining.
February 23, 2019
A good subtitle for this book would be: What happens when two self-flagelants meet and fall for each other?
Answer: They beat themselves up for liking each other, for not sticking to their own interests--in Merit's case his mission work--they deny their attraction and/or scold themselves for showing--or not showing enough--interest in the other.
Once I start reading a book I don't like to quit, so it stuck it out with this one, though I found Merit and Amalia's non-romance quite tedious. I wondered why God didn't come through with some clear direction for them instead of leaving them to flop around like fish on the sand.
They do get it together and Amalia's happy on her wedding day. Merit seemed happy for a few hours until someone sends him into a spin of anger. He's an intense perfectionist and happiness is rare for him in this book. I just can't see him as a pastor.
Amalia gets a handle on her tendency to berate herself and tries to soothe Merit through his many anxieties and anger issues. She finally gives him the talk God should have given him, telling him they aren't perfect and they just have to accept that. Will Merit be able to "let go and let God" or will his bi-polar personality and constant self-reproach lead to a total breakdown? Questions for a sequel.
Answer: They beat themselves up for liking each other, for not sticking to their own interests--in Merit's case his mission work--they deny their attraction and/or scold themselves for showing--or not showing enough--interest in the other.
Once I start reading a book I don't like to quit, so it stuck it out with this one, though I found Merit and Amalia's non-romance quite tedious. I wondered why God didn't come through with some clear direction for them instead of leaving them to flop around like fish on the sand.
They do get it together and Amalia's happy on her wedding day. Merit seemed happy for a few hours until someone sends him into a spin of anger. He's an intense perfectionist and happiness is rare for him in this book. I just can't see him as a pastor.
Amalia gets a handle on her tendency to berate herself and tries to soothe Merit through his many anxieties and anger issues. She finally gives him the talk God should have given him, telling him they aren't perfect and they just have to accept that. Will Merit be able to "let go and let God" or will his bi-polar personality and constant self-reproach lead to a total breakdown? Questions for a sequel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2018
As I began this book, I expected a simple love triangle, but the author really surprised me by moving the story through the romance and into the harder subjects of love when it’s not easy, forgiveness, serving the Lord while questioning your calling, and how to cope when God takes something away that you love very much. It wasn’t a fast-paced story; instead, it naturally unfolded as we followed Amalia and Merit and his family. It was the perfect pace for the heavier subplot topics.
July 25, 2014
Very much enjoyed this. Here's my Amazon review:
Missionaries. How do they choose the mission field? How does God choose them? What do they do when the mission is taken away from them through no fault of their own? Do God's people also deserve love and happiness?
Merit and his family have sacrificed much on mission for God. The older brother Worth died on the mission field; Merit served the same people but was injured in an attack on the clinic where he served and was sent home to recover; and the younger brother Justice disappeared at age 17 but ended up serving refugees from the same mission field. Merit feels that everyone he loves has been taken from him, so when he meets Amalia, he is afraid she will also die if he allows himself to love her.
Amalia's business The Last Detail helps grieving families take care of the final details following the loved one's funeral. She does a great job caring for others, but not so great taking care of herself.
Lisa Lickel has done a great job of placing Amalia and Merit in juxtaposition and helping them overcome themselves in order to be one in their marriage. The story has twists and turns including instances where God clearly has stepped into the picture to help them become the servants they need to be for him.
Missionaries. How do they choose the mission field? How does God choose them? What do they do when the mission is taken away from them through no fault of their own? Do God's people also deserve love and happiness?
Merit and his family have sacrificed much on mission for God. The older brother Worth died on the mission field; Merit served the same people but was injured in an attack on the clinic where he served and was sent home to recover; and the younger brother Justice disappeared at age 17 but ended up serving refugees from the same mission field. Merit feels that everyone he loves has been taken from him, so when he meets Amalia, he is afraid she will also die if he allows himself to love her.
Amalia's business The Last Detail helps grieving families take care of the final details following the loved one's funeral. She does a great job caring for others, but not so great taking care of herself.
Lisa Lickel has done a great job of placing Amalia and Merit in juxtaposition and helping them overcome themselves in order to be one in their marriage. The story has twists and turns including instances where God clearly has stepped into the picture to help them become the servants they need to be for him.
October 10, 2014
Lisa Lickel introduces her readers to Merit Campbell and Amalia Kennedy, two people on different paths in life who run into each other unexpectedly. He's a missionary, wounded during a skirmish in the village where he lives and takes care of medical needs, at home in the US to recouperate. Amalia's company, The Last Detail, is hired to stage Merit's uncle's home to sell after the elderly gentleman dies. Merit decides to make that house his home base until he can return to the village. Amalia works closely with Hudson Demarest, the local funeral director who assumes she will marry him one day.
Complications arise, emotions are placed on hold, but lives are changed as the story unfolds. This is a great romance with a touch of mystery, one hard to put down. It is well written with believable characters who seek to serve God first and foremost in their life. Great read.
Complications arise, emotions are placed on hold, but lives are changed as the story unfolds. This is a great romance with a touch of mystery, one hard to put down. It is well written with believable characters who seek to serve God first and foremost in their life. Great read.
August 30, 2016
Ms. Lickel's story made me laugh and cry as my emotions ran the rails of life. Loved her characters, even the annoying Hudson.
But my heart wept and soared as Amalia and Merit came through the valley of the shadow of death and learned what love is all about. Great book! Five stars!
But my heart wept and soared as Amalia and Merit came through the valley of the shadow of death and learned what love is all about. Great book! Five stars!
November 3, 2016
I got a third of the way through with this book and finally gave up. I got so tired of all the church talk. The heroine just wants to do more, help more, etc. and the hero wants nothing to do with a relationship other than with God. It really got tiring after a while.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews