Susan's Review of The Last Dance of the Debutante by Julia Kelly

When it’s announced that 1958 will be the last year debutantes are to be presented at court, thousands of eager mothers and hopeful daughters flood the palace with letters seeking the year’s most coveted invitation: a chance for their daughters to curtsey to the young Queen Elizabeth and officially come out into society.

In an effort to appease her traditional mother, aspiring university student Lily Nichols agrees to become a debutante and do the Season, a glittering and grueling string of countless balls and cocktail parties. In doing so, she befriends two very different women: the cool and aloof Leana Hartford whose apparent perfection hides a darker side and the ambitious Katherine Norman who dreams of a career once she helps her parents find their place among the elite.

But the glorious effervescence of the Season evaporates once Lily learns a devastating secret that threatens to destroy her entire family. Faced with a dark past, she’s forced to ask herself what really matters: her family legacy or her own happiness.

Lily Nichols’ world is turned upside down when she receives The Invitation; the invitation to be presented at court. She wanted to finish her last year of school and longed to attend university. Instead, her Grandmother and Mother are talking about dress fittings, photography appointments and sending her to a finishing school in Paris.

Julia Kelly creates a captivating story for Lily and her friends known as The Imperfects as they navigate the Season. Ms Kelly’s voice shines as she transports the reader to the 1958 London. Loved her detailed, colorful descriptions of the cocktail dresses, Worth ball gowns, shades of lipstick and hairstyles. I could hear the music and laughter and feel the excitement as the Imperfects dressed for Philippa’s ball. The gowns and the matching hats, gloves and lip color reminded me of photographs of my parents. My Mom always looked so pretty when they went out—she took time with selecting her dress, heels, hair and makeup.

Ms. Kelly’s decision to set Lily’s story during t late 1950’s added the perfect amount of drama to The Last Dance of the Debutante. Underwriting a debutante’s season was an expensive undertaking and the aristocrats were forced to compete with nouveau riche. It was important to have your cocktail party at an exclusive club, wear a Worth original; not an off the rack gown—appearances were very important. The completion between the debs was often intense and friendships were lost over one too many cocktails. Loved how Lily, Katherine and The Imperfects realized that they were not like the other debs and they banded together to endure the gossip and endless social events.

Along with the glitz, glamour and champagne, this story has a lot of heart. Lily came into her own during the course of this novel. Although Lily’s dream was to attend university, she acquiesced to her Grandmother and Mother’s wishes and left school for the season. Being a debutante was a real eye opener for Lily—she made friends, gained confidence and becomes independent from her family. She learns truths about her friends, family and herself. Loved that Lily realized that she had choices—she didn’t need to lead the life her family wanted for her—she could make her own decisions.

The Last Dance of the Debutante has all the story elements that I adore! It’s an engaging read filled with captivating characters, romance and conflict. After you finish this novel, raise a glass of champagne to celebrate Lily and the perfectly Imperfects!

Reviewed by Susan Gorman

ARC provided by Gallery Books

Susan's Review of The Last Garden in England By Julia Kelly

Present day: Emma Lovett, who has dedicated her career to breathing new life into long-neglected gardens, has just been given the opportunity of a lifetime: to restore the gardens of the famed Highbury House estate, designed in 1907 by her hero Venetia Smith. But as Emma dives deeper into the gardens’ past, she begins to uncover secrets that have long lain hidden.

1907: A talented artist with a growing reputation for her ambitious work, Venetia Smith has carved out a niche for herself as a garden designer to industrialists, solicitors, and bankers looking to show off their wealth with sumptuous country houses. When she is hired to design the gardens of Highbury House, she is determined to make them a triumph, but the gardens—and the people she meets—promise to change her life forever.

1944: When land girl Beth Pedley arrives at a farm on the outskirts of the village of Highbury, all she wants is to find a place she can call home. Cook Stella Adderton, on the other hand, is desperate to leave Highbury House to pursue her own dreams. And widow Diana Symonds, the mistress of the grand house, is anxiously trying to cling to her pre-war life now that her home has been requisitioned and transformed into a convalescent hospital for wounded soldiers. But when war threatens Highbury House’s treasured gardens, these three very different women are drawn together by a secret that will last for decades.

I thoroughly enjoyed Julia Kelly’s new novel The Last Garden in England!

Julia Kelly has written an engaging, poignant story for the women of Highbury House. The author chose to have this historical novel set in three time periods; 1907, 1944 and present day. This technique worked because the reader is able to relate to each of the women who are connected to the garden.

The chapters in Last Garden in England are divided by seasons. I enjoyed reading how each of the character's stories unfolded during each season. I could imagine Venetia’s plans for each garden room, smell the flowers as Diana walked through the children’s garden and imagine Emma’s disbelief when she realized that the once famous property has been neglected for years.

Emma Lovett has been tasked to bring the fabled Highbury House gardens back to life. She is honored to restore the gardens designed by Venetia Smith in 1907.

Venetia Smith has made a name for herself by designing gardens for the wealthy. She is hired by the Melcourts to create a one- of- a- kind garden showpiece. The Venetia chapters interested me because the distinction between classes was very apparent. Even though Venetia was the artist who designed the plans for the gardens; she was treated by her employers as a servant. The sketches of Venetia’s walled gardens intrigued me. Each garden portrays a piece of a woman’s life; the tea party garden, the bridal room, the children’s garden and the winter garden.

Diana Symonds is the mistress of Highbury House. She has experienced a lot of change in the past year; the death of her husband, food shortages and rationing during the war and her home being requisitioned as a hospital. I loved the friendship that developed between the Highbury house cook Stella and Beth who was conscripted during the war and served as a Land Girl. Diana, Beth and Stella are very different – their bond? The Highbury House gardens.

Julia Kelly is able to weave each of these stories together flawlessly. Venetia created the Winter garden that served as Diana’s refuge during the war. Emma’s company specializes in restoration work and she is committed to bringing the gardens back to life. Loved the authors descriptive writing—I was able to picture the gardens as Venetia designed them, as Diana saw them and as Emma envisioned them. I could imagine the neglected, mysterious Winter garden and understood its importance to Venetia, Diana and Emma.

The Last Garden in England is a complex, moving historical novel filled with hope and a bit of intrigue.I highly recommend this book if you love to read historical fiction, novels set during World War II or appreciate the beauty of an English country garden!

I enjoyed this book so much that I bought Julia Kelly's Light over London--loved it!

Reviewed by Susan Gorman

Copy of the book provided by Net Galley

Julia Kelly photo by ©Scott Bottles 

Julia Kelly is the international bestselling author of historical women's fiction books about the extraordinary stories of the past. Her books have been translated into 11 languages. She has also written historical romance as well as fast-paced contemporary sports romance under the name Julia Blake. In addition to writing, she’s been an Emmy-nominated producer, journalist, marketing professional, and (for one summer) a tea waitress. Julia called Los Angeles, Iowa, and New York City home before settling in London.

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Check out Julia Kelly's blog for her design of the Highbury House garden!