I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This book is a sweet generational story about the decisions we make when we are younger and how they affect the rest of our life.

Eighteen year old Betty “Boop” Stern wants more than a husband and children. She has dreams of being a fashion editor and having a full career. This is rare for a women in 1950’s America. The Last Bathing Beauty is a dual timeline novel that follows present day senior citizen “Boop” as she reminisces about the life changing events of the summer of 1951.

Fans of the movie Dirty Dancing will appreciate the summer resort setting. Readers will be transported back to a time that is often described as more simple. Although Betty would be faced with some life changing events, this book was chalk full of all things stereotypical of the 1950s. While I enjoyed these aspects, I often found our young main character to be too sugar sweet.

The Last Bathing Beauty showed an interesting comparison between the past and present differences in society, family values and scandal. While I did enjoy the 1950s setting, I liked present day “Boop” more than the naïve beauty queen of her adolescence. I struggled to finish this book as I didn’t feel motivated to read and I felt that too much of the plot was given away too soon.

Although my experience reading Amy Sue Nathan’s The Last Bathing Beauty, garnered a 2.5 rating, I would recommend it to fans of light historical romance.

This women’s fiction perfectly captured all the nostalgic feels I was expecting, with a story I found delightful. Great character development, and full of family, love and that hope of second chances when we make mistakes. 

A bit of a slow burn, this book took a bit for me to really get engaged in it, but a great read overall. Thank you to Netgalley & Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this title in exchange for my personal review.

In 1951, Betty Stern was a beautiful 18 year old young lady with her whole life ahead of her and she wanted to study at Barnard College in New York. She loved fashion, makeup, looking as pretty as the girls did in the glossy magazines and her plan was to be a fashion editor. Betty lived and worked at her grandparents Sterns Summer Resort. Her grandparents had high expectations of her and they wanted her to represent the resort in the local beauty pageant and be crowned Miss South Haven. She wanted to enjoy her final summer before College, she met Abe Barsky, she fell madly in love and she couldn’t resist a man with a dimple in the middle of his chin. 

Over six decades later, Betty’s a grandmother herself and everyone uses her nickname and they call her Boop. She still likes to dress nicely, loves to have her nails done and makes sure her lippy compliments her outfit. When her granddaughter Hannah arrives for a visit, Boop is delighted to see her, but she can sense Hannah is troubled and she’s worried about her. This makes Betty reflect and look back on her own life, her teenage dreams, and her first love, what happened to Abe and why did their summer romance end all those years ago?

Betty supported by her childhood friends Doris and Georgia; faces her past and tries to help her granddaughter Hannah as well. The Last Bathing Beauty is a story about how a young Betty was pressured into doing what was expected of her at the time, it wasn’t fair and that you should own all pieces of your life, good or bad. I loved the book, not at all what I expected and five stars from me.

(4.5 Stars rounded up)

A beautifully penned glimpse into the 1950s, readers are first introduced to Betty on her wedding day in a prologue that makes it clear the impending nuptials are anything but a typical celebration. This was a far more emotional read than expected for me. Amy Sue Nathan is a new author to me but I am absolutely going to be reading her backlist.

I typically don't care for books that use POVs to catapult readers from past into the present and then back again. If I didn't like Boop so much, I would have struggled with the book far more. I was so invested in the story that I ended up having to drink a cup of tea every time I picked it up to read to settle my stomach. The tension that builds as the story inches toward the moment when Betty's life changes permanently proved nearly overwhelming for this reader. That inevitable implosion wreaked havoc on my stomach. A whirlwind romance mixed with immense obstacles made a perfect storm for heartache.

While I love 1950s fashion, I know next to nothing about life for women in the 50s and even less about the expectations and lives of Jewish families. The author had me intrigued from the very start, wondering what I would do in a similar situation. I still think about it. The friendship between Betty and her friends was heartwarming as it is realistic. I do wish we had more time with them in the younger year POVs because I enjoyed how comfortable they were with each other, especially in the later years. The day-to-day at the resort definitely intrigued me more than I thought it would! I grew up long after the time of yearly family vacations to giant resorts but the author had me wishing for that experience, both the vacationer side and as an employee. 

If you are looking for a historical fiction outside of the war-related stories that will grab you and not let go, I highly recommend The Last Bathing Beauty. A slight bit of domestic tension, an extended glimpse into life in the classic 50s at a resort, but most of all it is a coming-of-age tale that reminds you that things take work and that sometimes it all works out. It has been a few weeks since I finished this book and I still think of and talk about the story with friends and family and bought a final copy for myself. If that isn't an endorsement, I don't know what is.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
**Reviews posted to Blog (Dream Come Review), Goodreads, Bookbub, Barnes & Noble and Amazon

First loves, second chances in a perfect summer read of fantastic historical fiction. 1951 is the year, a Summer camp in the Catskills. Friendship, love, and a thought provoking story will keep you entertained. I loved the Jewish facts about being Kosher, observing Shabbat and it made the visuals of the time and setting very vivid.  I really loved this story and it was a great escape.

What a charming read! Delightful beach reading. 1951 is a unique setting and fun to read.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an e-copy of this book. 

This was a quick and enjoyable read about an older woman looking back on her youth, first love, and how her family's religion played a big part in the outcome of her life. Her past becomes relevant again because of her granddaughter's issues and that makes the story feel more meaningful. The story-line is fairly typical 1950s stuff, but character development is done well, so I care about what happens to them. The Jewish religion does put a slightly different twist on things which was a nice perspective to read about. The author did a lot of research and interviews when writing this book as well which I always appreciate.

This is an engaging character driven novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. A beautifully told story about past regrets, compromises and what is the right path forward.
You will love the characters! My full review will be up later this week! .
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What are you reading right now? What was your fav book from your March reading? .
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Book Description: A former beauty queen faces the secrets of her past—for herself and the sake of her family’s future—in a heartfelt novel about fate, choices, and second chances.
Everything seemed possible in the summer of 1951. Back then Betty Stern was an eighteen-year-old knockout working at her grandparents’ lakeside resort. The “Catskills of the Midwest” was the perfect place for Betty to prepare for bigger things. She’d head to college in New York City. Her career as a fashion editor would flourish. But first, she’d enjoy a wondrous last summer at the beach falling deeply in love with an irresistible college boy and competing in the annual Miss South Haven pageant. On the precipice of a well-planned life, Betty’s future was limitless.
Decades later, the choices of that long-ago season still reverberate for Betty, now known as Boop. Especially when her granddaughter comes to her with a dilemma that echoes Boop’s memories of first love, broken hearts, and faraway dreams. It’s time to finally face the past—for the sake of her family and her own happiness. Maybe in reconciling the life she once imagined with the life she’s lived, Boop will discover it’s never too late for a second chance

This is a wonderfully written and heartfelt book. The story takes place over two time periods,1950’s and present day. We meet Betty as she is working for the summer at her grandparent’s summer camp before heading to college in the fall. Along with Betty are her two best friends Georgia and Doris. Present day Betty is reminiscing with her friends and granddaughter about what her life could have been if things had worked out differently that fateful summer long ago. I loved these characters and I really enjoyed this book. The dual timeline worked well and I liked learning Betty’s life story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this Kindle ARC of The Last Bathing  Beauty. Even though I wasn't alive during the time period, I am fascinated with the 1950's. The Last Bathing Beauty is set in South Haven, Michigan, at a Jewish summer camp for families and is the story of Betty Stern, granddaughter of the owners of the resort. in 1950, Betty is young, hopeful, full of plans and happy with friendship and her life. She meets her first love, Abe, at the camp - he is a waiter for the summer. Plans for her life at Barnard for college and her goal to become a fashion magazine editor are dashed when something she never could have imagined happens to her and changes her life irrevocably.   Sweet and gentle, but not sappy, The Last Bathing Beauty is a great summer read. Even if you weren't around in the 50's, it brings the decade alive. It reminds me of one of my favorite shows on streaming - The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. If you are a fan of Mrs. Maisel, you will thoroughly enjoy this story.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. I'll be posting my review on Goodreads and Amazon

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.