In this book you will meet the Weingold and Goldman families set in the Catskill mountains. Each family member has a strong sense of loyalty to the hotel, but at long last, they must decide if it is time to sell. Last Summer at the Golden Hotel is told in alternate perspectives by many of the many characters from each family. This book gave the “Dirty Dancing” feel. The book provided past lies/truths of the family! At times the book was slow, but truly an enjoyable read!

Having grown up spending my summers in the Catskills, I knew I would get a kick of this book, which sent me on a trip down memory lane.
This story was good until the end, when it just a little ridiculous, and the author tried to do that thing authors do when they don’t know how to end a story— wrap everything up in a neat little bow and hurtle towards the finish. The epilogue was corny, and unnecessary.

Want a book with a nostalgic feel? Last Summer At The Golden Hotel will give you that.

This book reminded me of when my mom and aunts and uncles would pack the kids and everything but the kitchen sink into the cars and head out to parks and beaches. Two generations later those trips are still going strong.

This book has it all, family drama, secrets, humor, some suspense. With two sets of families holding on to the past and trying to save their hotel from closure. You’ll have plenty of laugh out loud moments as all three generations of family agree to meet and discuss their options to save or sell this sixty year old resort.

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

Whenever I see Dirty Dancing on TV, even though I have several sections of dialogue practically memorized word for word, I have to stop and watch it. It’s the law!

So seeing the Dirty Dancing reference at the beginning of this book- well, it just made me know I was going to have “the time of my life” 😉

What I Liked:

I loved this cover.. SO fun!

I liked all the family dysfunction and secrets these people were keeping from each other. Family is complicated and when you have 2 families- well things get even more complicated (sometimes in the most humorous ways!)

The ending. It really fit the book and worked for me.

Last Summer at the Golden Hotel is the story of a Catskills resort. It was founded by the the Goldman and Weingold families. After a brief scene of the the Goldman and Weingold children at the resort in the 1980's, the book is set in present day. The families have strong nostalgic ties to the resort, but business is down and they are facing the decision whether to continue or to sell to a big casino developer.

I wanted to read this novel because I am fascinated by the golden age of the Catskills; comparisons to Dirty Dancing and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel intrigued me. I will add that I also saw some glimpses of Schitt's Creek with the characters of siblings Michael and Phoebe - which was fun.

This book is told from a number of viewpoints of different family members. This led to a slightly slower read, but it was interesting. What I liked most about the book was the memories of the past at the resort and the glimpse of the hotel's heyday.

I enjoyed reading Last Summer at the Golden Hotel and would recommend it for anyone who is interested in the Catskills and who is looking for a light summer read.

Last Summer at The Golden Hotel brings you back to a simpler time when families packed up the car and headed t the Catskills for a vacation of family fun activities. If you've ever watched Marvelous Mrs. Maisel or Dirty Dancing and thought "I wish I could have been there!" then this book is for you! There was A LOT of characters to keep track of and for that reason I felt some of the plot got lost among keeping so many people straight. I didn't feel as invested as I should and the ending seemed to drag on a little longer than necessary. This book has all the makings of a quick beach read.

As owners of The Golden Hotel, the Weingolds and the Goldmans were once Catskills royalty, enjoying prosperous summers at a hotel packed with their loyal guests. Fast forward to present day, when the tradition of Jewish families fleeing NYC to summer in the Catskills is a thing of the past. The families must now come together to decide what to do - try and save the place they built from the ground up financial ruin or sell the hotel to an interested buyer and watch their legacy be smashed to bits by a wrecking ball.

When I read the description of this one I knew I had to have it. I absolutely loved this book but I also recognize that it probably has a very niche audience. While you might have loved Dirty Dancing or The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, I think you might need more of a connection to the old school hotels in the Catskills to fully love this one, which fortunately I have!

Growing up, my extended family would retreat to the Catskills every year and spend our winter break at a hotel exactly like the Golden. They even had entertainment acts every weekend as the book references - I vividly remember the time a circus came and my 8-year old self was obsessed.

I looked forward to our week in the Catskills every single year. We stayed at the Fallsview, which was the sister property to the Nevele, which was mentioned in the book! Both hotels have closed due to financial struggles, which totally makes sense having now read this book.

In order to understand why I loved this book so much I felt like you needed to know how much it related to my childhood. I could see how others would have a different experience with it. For me it was an easy 5!

Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Lets Talk Books for the early copy of this one.

This book definitely gave me Dirty Dancing vibes and I was here for it! I loved the description of the resort in its heyday and the surrounding area. I enjoyed the family relationships and the characters in the book,.

This was a good one that I overall enjoyed. I didn't like it as much as her last one, but still worth a read!

The Weingolds and the Goldmans are co-owners of The Golden Hotel, a place that was once the place to be in the Catskills. However, when the hotel starts to fall into disarray, the families, that haven’t been together in years, must come together to make the decision whether they want to sell the hotel or keep running it. As they make their decision, decades-old secrets emerge, financial truths emerge, and the relationship between the two families continue to change.
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This book gave me major Schitt’s Creek vibes! It truly reminded me of the Rosebud Motel and all the struggles they went through. The characters were super likable in this novel, but there were a few points where I felt the plot dragged on.
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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#QOTD: Does your family have a legacy? If so, what is it? Mine really doesn’t, but we’re known to be fun!
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#booksbroadwaybubbly #lastsummeratthegoldenhotel #BerkleyWritesStrongReads #BerkleyBuddyReads

This book has me so excited for summer!
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The Golden Hotel has slowly been losing it’s shine. A hot vacation spot in the Catskills for 60 years, the families that run the crumbling, dated resort have to make a big decision: Keep The Golden and hope they can lure new younger visitors, or sell it for a boatload of cash… but in turn, watch their memories be destroyed by bulldozers as it is razed to build a casino.⁣
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So much family drama and so many secrets in this one! The nostalgia is also really strong if you’ve ever been to any lake vacation area, or watched the movie Dirty Dancing. It was really fun watching the different generations sell their ideas to try and save the aging property - think goat yoga and kombucha bars vs. shuffleboard and bingo night.

A fun story about family and the hopes to rediscover the magic of a bygone era.⁣

I absolutely adored #lastsummeratthegoldenhotel. It resonated with me in so many ways. I spent many Passover holidays first at Grossinger's and then at The Concord Hotel. I also spent a couple of summers ay Kutsher's as a camper in my teens. I enjoyed the nostalgic aspect of the book so much. Last Summer at The Golden also had me laughing (@elyssafreidland has a knack for humour).

Last Sumer at the Golden gets 5stars from me! Thank you #netgalley for my e-ARC in return for my honest review.

What was once a highly successful summer getaway in the Catskills, The Golden Hotel, is now falling into disarray. The two owning families, the Goldman’s and the Weingolds, must put aside their differences and come together to decide the hotel’s fate.

This was a highly enjoyable story and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys stories about family dynamics and drama, commentary on generational differences through the use of multiple character viewpoints, but with a slight touch of over-exaggeration.

I can’t pick out a favorite character as they were all done very well which is a high compliment seeing as there were several first-person accounts across different ages/generations. I also enjoyed the descriptions of the hotel, which was in need of a bit of TLC but described in a way that I could also picture it in its heyday.

Some elements of the plot seemed a bit unrealistic but made the story that much enjoyable. It fit in somehow.

Seeing as I’ve used the word “enjoyed/enjoyable” four+ times it’s safe to say this is the one word I would use to describe thIs one!

A special thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the gifted eArc in exchange for an honest review.

“Last Summer at the Golden Hotel” by Elyssa Friedland ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Multi-generational Fiction. Location: Windsor, New York, USA. Time: back and forth over the past 60 years.—
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Do you love “Dirty Dancing” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”? If you do, I’m betting you will love this book! For 60 years, the Golden Hotel was the premier Catskills vacation resort for many loyal, repeat customers. But the Catskills have changed, and the resort is rundown and behind-the-times. Co-owner families the Goldmans and Weingolds must decide what to do. Will this be the last summer at the Golden Hotel?-
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As 3 generations of the owners’ families convene at the sprawling resort, secrets start to come out. Maybe everything (and everyone) isn’t exactly what the others thought? It’s full of silly, serious, and poignant family secrets. It’s also full of life, and longings, and hope for the future. Flashbacks tell us the myriad stories of the many family members.-
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I enjoyed this light, sweet, and funny book. I read it thanks to NetGalley. It was published on May 17, 2021 by Berkeley Publishing Group, and it’s 5 stars from me for this lovely summer read. 🌵📚👩🏼‍🦳”

This was an interesting and enchanting story set in the Catskills of NY. Two couples built a family resort in the 1960’s that sounds like it would have been amazing for the time period. Slowly the hotel needed more maintenance and refurbishing as the clientele began to seek out more modern places to vacation. Modernization was hard to do with the dwindling money coming in from too few guests. The original owners with their children and now also grandchildren meet to decide the fate of the iconic hotel. As the family members reminisce it definitely takes you back to a much simpler time in the ways people chose to vacation. The question remains - should they sell the resort to a casino developer or keep running the Golden Hotel?There are great characters and subplots within the book. I liked the writing and pacing and overall really enjoyed the story. Definitely a great book to read with summer vacation nearly here.

Whew, let me tell you friends. LSATGH is one fun, juicy, drama-filled, summery escape! What more could you expect when three generations of two large, zany, dysfunctional families, all with fresh and long buried secrets, join together at the hotel they own, needing to decide and vote on if they can save it from the disrepair it’s fallen into or need to sell and let it go? I found myself turning the pages so quickly here as I just had to know what was going to unfold next. Oh how I absolutely loved the nostalgic feels, the atmosphere of the Golden, the vacation scene of the Catskills and the tradition it was seeped in, and all those Dirty Dancing vibes. Reading this one felt like I was on vacation myself! And the news articles, emails, and laugh out loud social media posts interspersed throughout were the icing on the cake.

I actually went back and forth between a 3 and 4 star rating for this book. After really thinking about the writing though, I landed on a solid 4 stars because I realized everything that frustrated me about this one was exactly the point. While I’m all for some good strong character growth, especially in a more character driven story like this one, I really struggle enjoying a story it I just don’t find myself agreeing with or caring for the characters. The iffy motivations definitely caught up with me at times, but what I ultimately realized was that I felt exactly what I was supposed to here. I couldn’t stand the characters exactly when I wasn’t supposed to, and I found myself rooting for them and their growth exactly when I was supposed to. My suggestion is to go into this book with some patience, because you’ll need it to “get along with” the various family members just as much as the characters themselves did. There are also a lot of POV’s here that took a minute to keep track of, and while I found that it slowed down the pacing of the story a bit too much for my liking, I don’t think the story would have been the same if we didn’t get everybody’s backstories as we do.

If you enjoy books BIG on family and drama, this is the book for you! It really is a perfect summer read.

Thank you so much NetGalley, GetRed PR and Berkley Pub for the gifted e-copy.

The Goldman and Weingold families have owned the Golden Hotel for sixty years. In it’s heyday, it was the premiere summer vacation spot in the Catskills but times have changed and the Golden is currently struggling to stay afloat. When a buyout offer is received, three generations of Goldmans and Weingolds return to the hotel to to determine its fate - can it be saved or should they accept the offer and move on?

Filled with family drama, a large cast of characters, and a perfect location, Last Summer at the Golden Hotel is a delightfully entertaining read. If you’re looking for fun books to add to your summer reading list, look no further!

First, I want to head to the Catskills ASAP, and pop in a video of Dirty Dancing.

This novel was channeling all the vibes! And there are so many dramatically funny parts- like seriously, the laugh out loud, kind of funny!

The story line follows two Jewish families (the Goldmans and Weingolds) that co-own the Golden Hotel as they navigate what might be their last summer on the property.

I thought it was unique for the story to span 3 generations of perspectives from the original owners to their children and then the newest generation. Frieland does a great job of bringing the flaws and realities of many families to the forefront of this hilariously comical novel.

If you want a quick, light, humorous, New York setting and growth for characters, grab this novel and add it to your summer TBR.

If you’re a diehard Dirty Dancing gal like me, then Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by @elyssafriedland is a book you are going to enjoy! I got the opportunity to read and discuss this book with a group of readers thanks to @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks and @dg_reads .

#berkleywritesstrongwomen #berkleybuddyreads

In its heyday, The Golden Hotel was a hot spot for the Jewish community to summer vacation in the Catskills. The Weingold and Goldman families own and cherished this hotel. It has since lost its glamour, and the Catskills isn’t the place to be during the summer. The families must come together and decide if they want to save or sell. Of course, the book is filled with family drama and secrets.

I loved nostalgic feel of this book. It was such a fun and fast paced. I recommend picking up a copy!

Thank you to @berkleypub @netgalley and the author for a gifted copy of this book to review.

This book will have you planning your next summer vacation.

There are a few things I learned about this book. First, this is a book about Jewish families. I didn't realize how rare it is for me to read books about Jewish lives and this one was very intriguing. Second, I was surprised to learn from this book that Jewish families had a hard time checking into hotels and going on vacations. They were denied, so places like The Golden Hotel were created to allow places for Jewish families to go to on vacation. This is actually ingenious. I can definitely understand how in the 60s to the 80s, people could create a vacation getaway empire in the Catskills for Jewish families.

But as the times change and people can travel anywhere these days, those empires can start to deteriorate, which is the case here. But when one door closes, another opens.

My former boss still vacations in the Catskills in the summertime with his family. There are still places like this that exists for Jewish families. It's interesting to see how generations of families continue these traditions that meant so much to them as children, and continue it on for the next generation. In The Golden Hotel's perspective, they had to modernize for the new generation.

It's a really great book.

Last Summer at the Golden Hotel was one of my most anticipated releases of 2021. The Goldman and Weingold families have friendship and history tied to their shared hotel The Golden in the Catskills, where Jewish tradition of summers spent there are slowly dying. When they get an offer to sell the property to a company that wants to build a casino, both families converge on the Golden to decide what to do.

I loved the idea of families coming together and reminiscing. This book took me a bit of time to get into and really digest the characters. I loved the constant reminder of how strong family is and the bond of friends that feel like family. At times this book made me laugh hysterically. For me, I felt like there was a bit too much fat shaming in the plot to give it 5 stars. Also, I felt like cheating got glossed over a little bit, when that's a big deal.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! By the end I didn't want it to end. I could've read about these characters for forever!