The novel is set in two different time frames in the same place: South Haven, Michigan, 1951 and 2017. It follows the life of Betty "Boop" Stern, the beautiful and alluring granddaughter of the Stern Resort owners, a highly respected and popular couple of the Jewish community. When Betty falls in love with Abe, a young man, who cannot be called Jewish as his mother is Christian, events are set in motion, which impact Betty's whole life, as the reader learns in the 2017 part.

I really like historical novels and I was really wrapped up in this one. The 1950s as a setting with all their rigid and (to us) nearly undecipherable rules provide a great setting and the condition for the development of Betty's story. To me, it was very interesting to get to know about the Jewish rules and lifestyle during that time and the sophisticated way of vacationing - it felt like a lost world, but it was still highly relatable and evoked a wonderful sense of nostalgia.

I really liked Betty's and Abe's characters as well as Nannie and Zaide. They were all very nicely conceptualized and convincingly represented and also quite complex. I had some issues with Marvel as I struggled to like him throughout the novel. I feel like the novel could have benefited from a more sympathetic view on him.

The plot itself keeps you interested and I especially enjoyed the positive and optimistic perspective on the older ladies. I liked the idea that life still has to offer surprises, friendship and hope, even at that age. I could have done away with the epilogue, though. To me that last chapter diminished the value of the novel's message as it was too sugar-coated and too predictable. Sometimes it's better to not provide too much closure.

The writing was very good: I learned so many Yiddish words and the style of writing fitted the narrative and the time frame perfectly.

The Last Bathing Beauty was a great summer time read! Memories of my summer as a teen kept coming back to mind. The description and characters were easy to love. I ;have never been disappointed in any of Amy Sue Nathans book- this was a GREAT read!

Such a good story. Loved it from the first page to the last. The characters are wonderful and the story lovely.

A valentine to a long lost dream. Here is a tale of how life can bring great joy and regret almost in the same breath. We meet Betty in a world full of promise. Looking to make her way through the world she trades on her beauty and follows the path it brings. Along the way she learns the hard lessons of life and triumphs in small ways but allows those lessons to help her navigate for her family in ways they only later come to realize. She is forthright and sincere , traits that help her live a life full and rewarding,if only through the next generations.

This was the perfect summer read. It's not a life changing book by any means but it's a great read to get lost in for a few hours. A tale of romance, friendship, love and loss narrated in the 1950s and present day. If you love Dirty Dancing then think along those lines . I'd definitely recommend this to all ages , it's sort of like an historical chick lit sort of read set in a lovely scenic Summer Haven . Well written with realistic characters.
Thank you Netgalletyfor this copy.

📚Book Review📚
The Last Bathing Beauty by @amysuenathan. I actually got this through @netgalley the book came out in April of this year. I ended up getting the audible this month to participate in #arcsgotbackedup since I am SO far behind on my ARCs.😔
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This book is what I call historical chick-lit with dual POVs from Betty as a carefree 18 year old in 1951 wanting to make her last summer before college memorable and Betty now called Boop at 84 reflecting on her life choices in 2017 as she notices her granddaughter seeming to be making some of the same choices Boop made all those years ago.
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I really really really enjoyed this book. It’s heartwarming and heartbreaking all in in. Betty/Boop as a young woman and later as a older woman was a great character that I found relatable and I loved her two best friends also. 5⭐️
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During reading this I found myself thinking of my own grandmothers. Wondering about their lives and finding with some sadness I don’t know a lot about what their lives were like before they got married. Being that I live so far from them now I’m hoping on my next visit I’ll be able to ask them about their lives.

Fairly predictable story, girl falls in love withe wrong boy, Instead of following her heart, she does what is expected. Did learn about the Jewish summer getaways on Lake Michigan that I knew nothing about. Would not recommend unless as a quick summer read

Well written proof that lives have a way of intersecting and the same stories repeat over generations. Wonderfully written story with compelling characters.

Amy Sue Nathan had me hooked when she compared the setting of The Last Bathing Beauty to those from Dirty Dancing and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Her novel made me think of both in various ways.

This was a great story overall. I loved the South Haven scenery and mood. It made me think of when my family and I went to a resort in Wisconsin every summer. I liked the bits of Jewish information, such as keeping Kosher, observing Shabbat, etc. The nineteen fifties came to life through this story and I was able to visualize everything as it might have been back then.

I could relate to Betty with being boy crazy at eighteen, as I remember being the same way when I was starting college. I was definitely stressed out for her situation (which is revealed before it's actually played out). There were some surprises that I did not see coming at all, even with the foreshadowing. I love that Betty/Boop stayed friends with Georgia and Doris for such a long time and how they looked after each other. Their friendship reminded me of Donna, Rosie, and Tanya in Mamma Mia.

My only hangup was that I wasn't a fan of the name Boop by itself. It worked when paired with Betty because of the cartoon icon, but sounded strange otherwise. This didn't take away from my enjoyment of the novel.

This was an interesting and thought-provoking story and Amy Sue Nathan did a great job telling it and keeping me engaged the entire time.

Movie casting suggestions:
Betty: Odeya Rush
Georgia: Ella Wahlestedt
Doris: Sami Gayle
Abe: Luke Benward
Marv: Alex Wolff
Hannah: Melissa Benoist
I'll trust Hollywood to cast Boop and her friends...

The perfect blend of storytelling and mystery creating the perfect beach read for our customers this summer!

What a delightful quick paced summer read. When "Boop"'s grandaughter shows up for an unexpected visit she brings news for Boop. Boop and her lifelong friends decide Boop needs to share the secret she held for life and was hoping to take it to her grave.

This story has a dual timeline, present day and then the 1950s, the story all centred on Betty Stern. Betty lives with her grandparents, after her parents left her in their care, and helps out in the summer camp they run in the catskills. I loved the 1950s atmosphere created by the writer, the innocence of those times. Betty and her young friends are out to have a fun last summer before they go off to work or college. However the events that summer will certainly change the plans of one of the girls.
In the present day Betty is back at the camp and her granddaughter visits unexpectedly, with her own dilemma. This is a story of family, friends and love. A great summer read.

Rating: 4 stars
This is a great read for our almost summer reading season. I’d classify this a Women’s Fiction with a beachy feel. The story is told in dual timelines of the 1951 version of Betty (Boop) Stern, and her 2017 version.

We watch Boop navigate both time periods and understand how choices made by her family members, and herself helped to shape her future. This is a story about family connections. I enjoying learning about the Midwest ‘Catskills’ lake side resort in Michigan. It’s where Betty grew up with her Jewish grandparents after having been abandoned by her parents. I also appreciated how choices made that fateful summer when Boop was just eighteen, affected the rest of her life. It also helped give her the wisdom as to how to answer a grand-daughter’s plea for help during her own crisis.

I enjoyed so many things about this book including the gorgeous cover. This was such a lovely and relatable read about family, love, connections, and following your heart.

‘Thank-You’ to NetGalley; the publisher, Lake Union Publishing; and the author, Amy Sue Nathan, for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The beach has always done wonders for my soul, and this book set on the beach did the same. Every page is so drenched with the promise of summertime and the excitement of budding romance that I’d swear I lived these experiences right along with Betty, taking evening strolls to the arcade and gazing at fireworks on the boardwalk. The 1950s have always been one of my favorite time periods, and the details—from the penny loafers and dresses packaged in tissue to the families that flocked to resorts in the summer—transported me to an era that I desperately wanted to lose myself in. I adored Betty, both in girlhood and as the present-day Boop, and spending time with her family, her girlfriends, and her great love was the exact escape I needed.

Amy Sue Nathan is the kind of magnificent writer who can create a world you just want to curl up and live in for a while. That type of novel is one I’ll turn to time and time again, but especially now. For fans of the ‘50s, for fans of Dirty Dancing-esque summer loves, and for those in need of a seaside escape, I highly recommend this wonderful read. Self-isolating is a lot less isolating when you’re spending time with The Last Bathing Beauty.

Absolutely delightful escapism to a back-in-time era when hair was curled and lipstick was bright. I loved this transporting story that held me in rapt attention, liking the characters so much, smiling as this story zipped along. Nathan rings true in crafting a realistic setting and storyline, so that you're always present in the book's world. I love when a book delivers more than the cover and description promise, and I love that deeply satisfied feeling at the end that I've just been on a wonderful getaway and the time to return is perfect, and I am better for having been there. Wonderful work. I'll check out more of this author's works.

Heart-warming, beautifully written, and a glimpse back to an era when the options and choices available to young women were very different. A lovely summer read.

This was so much fun to read! Written in a twin timeline, I was swept back to the 1950's in a family resort where everyone knew each other, and community was paramount. Admittedly, it gave me Dirty Dancing vibes and I was all for it. These were the kinds of vacations that I never had, nor did my parents, so the entire reading of this book was an escape. I loved the lost love/second chance just lovely and perfect.

In the tradition of sagas such as the The Shell Seekers, The Last Bathing Beauty uses the narrative of an older woman reflecting back on the pivotal events of her life. I didn't know that there were Catskill like resorts (like those in Dirty Dancing) on Lake Michigan, but Amy Sue Nathan describes the sights, sounds, and smells evocatively. Betty Stern is a likable heroine and I loved the descriptions of that summer of 1951 right down to the peep toed shoes and shades of lipstick.

Truly a novel of life coming full circle, as Betty herself notes, while not diminishing the decades in the middle.

Such a perfect book for a lazy summer afternoon.

This story was great! It transitioned smoothly between the 1950s Betty version and the present day Boop version. The 1950s era is not one that I have often read about and this book made me.want to experience more from that time frame. A great beach read that connects readers to the characters with a hint of mystery.

I really wanted to ljke this one because I loved the cover - but it just didn’t do it for me. I didn’t find the wiring to be compelling or well done. However, I could be the odd one out on this one! •

I will say that this book jumps from the past - Summer is 1951 - to the 21st century future: I enjoyed the modern aspect of the story slightly more (there were some Golden Girls vibes in there). •

The story focuses in on the life of a former beauty queen, and the summer that changed her life forever, as she dreamed of a career, marriage, and life of her own. Decades later, she is forced to look back at the decisions that caused that summer to end in tragedy and forced her to make choices that ultimately led her to a life that was nothing like what she had imagined and dreamed of. •

An interesting take on happiness and contentment versus passion and dreams, family, and the way we are beholden to the times we are born into, it was an intriguing read. The bonus was an extremely happy ending, if it did occur in old age. •