The Last Debutantes by Julia Kelly is a historical fiction novel set in London in 1958, the final year of the debutante season. The novel follows Lily Nichols, a university student who reluctantly joins the debutante circuit to appease her mother and grandmother. Along the way, she befriends two other debutantes, Abigail and Sarah, who have their own reasons for participating. However, Lily's world is turned upside down when she uncovers a family secret that threatens to ruin everything. The author creates realistic and sympathetic characters that draw the reader into their lives. This book is a great choice for fans of historical fiction with a touch of mystery.

I do love strong characters in a story, and I also enjoy ones who do not feel the need to disparage their parents/families for having different goals or values. This title sheds some light on an often-misunderstood era and process, that of the debutante. It's one of those stories that changes your mind about a number of things, even if it isn't all completely historically accurate (it's fiction, after all!).

I really enjoyed previous works by this author and this one definitely had many of the same great features--interesting female characters and an illumination of moments in history I knew little about. I felt like I learned a lot about debutantes and 'the season.' I felt like with this personal lens, I understood the role it played in ways I had not before. Midway through the book, the main character's family secrets ended up feeling like a lot by the end, and it was difficult to see the effects it had on her life from that point forward. The end seemed satisfactory for her, but I found myself wondering if most folks would cope with it that well.

When I first started reading this novel, I thought it was about British society and the clothes they wore...Ms. Kelly's descriptions of the beautiful clothes were awesome. But then about halfway through the book, a different plot line emerged that was so much more interesting than clothes and dances. The book became a story of women declaring their independence from the constrictions that society placed on them in the forties and fifties and acting on it. Although I did love the descriptions of the balls, chatter, and clothes, the story of the women going their own way was actually much better.

Title: The Last Dance of the Debutante
Author: Julia Kelly
Narrated by: Marisa Calin
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Length: Approximately 10 hours and 03 minutes
Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster. Thank-you!

What would it be like to be part of the last year of debutantes presented at the British Court in 1958? Lily Nichols about to find out. Lily agrees to be a part of the debutantes to appease her Grandmother Nichols who provides support for her and her widowed mother. As Lily prepares for her debut, she wonders about her mysterious half-sister that she has never met. While being presented to the queen, Lily meets Leana Hartford who is vying to be THE debutante of the season. Lily’s mother is vehemently opposed to their friendship. What is her mother hiding? As the season progresses, Lily must decide what she wants. Does she want to be the perfect debutante who finds a rich husband? Does she want to go back to school to get a degree in English?

I greatly enjoyed this audiobook and a dive into 1950’s England. I was ready to do the jitterbug with Lily and attend one of the dances full of debutantes. I loved the descriptions of how everything worked for a debutante season, and I loved Lily’s yearning for more in her life and for truth in her life. I also thought it was wonderful that she stayed true to herself and didn’t get completely swept away by Leana. I found her friend Katherine Norman with a family who made money through trade to be a breath of fresh air. I liked her honest way of speaking and her supportive friendship. Besides the life and friendships of the debutante, I enjoyed the mystery to the novel as well.

Marisa Calin was a great narrator and made this a very enjoyable audiobook experience. Author Julia Kelly has been on my radar, but this is the first book I’ve read by her. I am going to be reading more of her historical fiction.

I loved the cover of this book, it is so beautiful.

Overall, The Last Dance of the Debutante is a great way to experience 1950s England and be swept away to another time and place.

When 1958 is announced as the last year that debutantes will be presented to Queen Elizabeth II, this pronouncement sets off a flurry of letters to the palace by mothers who want their daughters to be part of this last historical group. The Last Dance of the Debutante highlights an era when seismic shifts were beginning to take place, and people were trying to hold onto the past as the future was arriving. Three women become friends during the debutante process, an elaborate schedule of extravagant balls and cocktail parties in this tale of friendship and glimpse into a bygone era.

This book was to slow for me. I liked the writing but at times I felt that nothing was moving the story along. This might have worked better as a YA novel.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Last Dance of the Debutante by Julia Kelly is Historical Fiction at its best!!! It is 1958 and it has been decided that this will be the last year that debutantes will be presented to court and have a meeting with the Queen. All of Englands elite try to get their daughters in the last court and become ruthless doing. Some of these young women are interested is this whole thing. The dances, the dresses, the manners the commitment are overwhelming and Lily Nichols can’t even imagine doing it. She agrees though when she sees how important it is to her mother. She understands how lucky she is to be picked and will grin and bear it. Things star out ok. Lily, quickly learns the other debutante’s personalities and learns to navigate the whole season. She befriends two young ladies, Leana Hartford, who loves every accept of the whole thing. She seems so comfortable playing the role. Katherine Norman seems to be more like Lily. She will play roll of a dutiful daughter and afterwards wants to go and get a career and be independent. Lily can’t help but fall under the trance of all things Season. But something comes out that could be devastating to her family.. How can she continue? Can she get over the news? Can she find love and happiness? The story brings you back to such a different time and different worries. Where the have and have nots didn’t tend to mix and secrets can ruin entire families. This book was very well written and I enjoyed the characters. It was a four star read for me. I want to thank Netgalley & the author for my copy for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review it…

Review will be posted on 2/17/22

Lily Nichols dreams of attending university. The year is 1958, so a female attending college isn't unheard of, but her mother and grandmother have other plans for her. Lily will make her debut in London and her group will be the last of the debutantes to be presented at court to the queen. Lily's mother, Josephine, isn't exactly helping Lily get assimilated as she has her own trauma she hasn't recovered from. On top of it, Lily feels she must appease her grandmother as she financially supports them after the untimely death of Lily's father and the shame Lily's sister brought to the family. While going to the never-ending balls and parties, Lily befriends Leana Hartford, who is known to be quite a catch within their social circle. Her mother doesn't approve of their friendship though and is hiding many secrets as to why. Lily also meets Katherine Norman, and while she is nicer than Leana, her family's new money is frowned upon. Lily must navigate the social traditions, the family secrets, the endless gossip, and exhausting customs of the upper class all while trying to figure out what she wants most from her life in Julia Kelly's The Last Dance of the Debutante.

Lily is an endearing character from the start of The Last Dance of the Debutante. I could empathize with her and her desire to go to university. It seems crazy to think that she wouldn't be able to do that, all because she has familial obligations as a debutante. Slowly Lily realizes that there's more to being a debutante than she thought, not to mention her family's secrets that her mother is obviously hiding. She doesn't give Lily a decent explanation, so I could feel Lily's frustration. To top it off, it's hard for Lily to find real friends amongst these snobby women, and it seems her mother and grandmother had a problem with both Leana and Katherine. How frustrating! To top it off, Lily finds herself attracted to a young man who isn't from her social circle (the horror!). Thankfully, her friendship with Katherine is a positive one as she encourages her to follow her heart and her dreams.

The family secret plays a big roll in The Last Dance of the Debutante. It is the dark cloud that is hanging over her mother's head and the source of her trauma. Being back in high society after her mother hid from it for years really forces her to face it head on whether she is ready or not. Slowly, Lily realizes the truth to her family's secrets and thankfully before it's too late.

While I enjoyed The Light Over London a bit more, The Last Dance of the Debutante was an interesting glimpse into a time that is long gone. At times, I did get sick of the rich people problems and the topic of the last debutantes didn't feel as fresh as I had hoped; perhaps, because I just read a book on this topic. Either way, it was a solid, but not earth-shattering historical novel that brought a now extinct time to life.

So, are you a fan of Julia Kelly? Is The Last Dance of the Debutante on your TBR list? Let me know in the comments below.

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 competion 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!

Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.

One of the things I’ve always loved about Julia Kelly’s writing is how brilliantly she writes relationships - especially those between women. It has been the standout takeaway from each of her previous novels, and The Last Dance of the Debutante is no different.

I adored Lily as her own character, but when she teams of up with 4 other “debs” (debutantes) in a group they name “The Imperfects,” the story really shines. While you only really delve into two of the girls character development (that of Lily and her deb BFF, Katherine), you really feel like you know each of these girls and you instantly feel like if you were forced to attend one of these cocktail parties, theirs is the group you’d want to be in.

All of that being said, the narrative driving the story is mostly that of Lily, a girl trying to do everything she can to be “good,” “right,” and “proper” — as she navigates where to draw the line between living for others and living for herself.

As I finished the book I found myself wavering between “liked” and “loved,” because while it’s a book that I really enjoyed and couldn’t put down (the best kind!), upon reflection there are some plot lines that could have been tighter, some relationships that were left a bit open, and some things I would have liked closure on.

…but honestly? It’s a book that I loved reading, that I didn’t want to put down, and that I’d easily recommend to anyone that asked!

1958 will be the last year that debutantes will be presented to the Queen, and Lily's mother and grandmother are determined that Lily will be among that prestigious group. Lily, however, has no desire for that and dreams only of entering university to pursue her education. She must however give into their demands since her grandmother is the sole source of their income after Lily's father died, and they would be left penniless if her grandmother withdrew her support.

Lily does meet a cast of interesting debs during her season and I felt that I was going along to all the balls and dinners right along with her. It was a decadent trip filled with romance, mystery and historical details. I couldn't have loved it more! My first five star read of the year!

I cherished every page of The Last Dance of the Debutante! It was absolute perfection from the cover to the very last word. Julia Kelly is fast becoming one of my favorite authors and I can't get enough of the characters she creates.

I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This might be the perfect women's fiction novel. It has it all: London, the Queen, men in uniform, balls, friendships and a devastating truth about one's parents.

Julia Kelly writes books that totally capture you and this one is no exception!!!! I read it so fast as I was so invested in the story!!!!

It is 1958 in London and it has been announced that this will be the last year that the debutantes will be announced before the Queen. Lily is 18 years old and agrees to be presented and do the Season only because she believes that she has no choice.

After the presentation before the Queen, all of the parties and balls begin. The girls are under intense pressure to have the nicest dresses, be invited to the best events and to be looking for husband material.

Lily becomes friends with 2 very different girls…Leana and Katherine. Both friendships will teach her a lot about true friends and also what she really wants in life!!

There is also a huge family secret that will change Lily’s entire life.

Highly recommend this book!! I received an early digital copy.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley via the Publisher though all thoughts are my own.

I always look forward to reading book by Julia and I was not disappointed by this latest book.

This was a whirlwind of a story that's set in the late 1950's London and I found myself caught up in the world of Debutantes. I loved getting to know Lilly particularly how she realized that her ambitions didn't have to match up with expectations and how the best thing you can do is follow your heart. I also loved that she was a reader and how she also didn't let society dictate who her friends should be,

The Imperfects are an amazing group of girls with big hearts, full of laughter and so very loyal to each other. Also, Ian is wonderful and is truly a match for Lilly!

Highly recommend checking out this book!

Trigger warnings: death of loved ones, peer pressure, teen pregnancy, secret pregnancy

I very much enjoyed the three other novels that I read and reviewed by Julia Kelly. They were The Whispers of War; The Light Over London; and The Last Garden in England. Each of these had war as a backdrop for good historical fiction.

Now, Julia Kelly has turned her pen to the post WWII period with this book that has nostalgia, drama, some interesting characters and lots of details. As can be seen from the title, this book is about debs, specifically a group of young women who were among the very last to be presented to royalty in 1958. Such presentations and the seasons that followed were the aspiration of many upper class families.

Here the author follows three different young women; Lily, Leana and Katherine. Each copes with their season in a different way; all of their lives intersect in a kaleidoscope of lunches, suppers, dances, balls, shopping trips, country weekends and more. Those who would like to vicariously sample the dresses, menus and venues will have much to enjoy here.

Each of these young women is looking to find their life’s direction. Follow them on their journey. You will witness friendship, love, conflict and some secrets!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

3.5
This is a well researched novel which gives us a look at life as a debutante. Kelly has researched her topic thoroughly so that societal nuances, the fashions and the scenes of balls, dancing and lunches seemed accurate and show what was typical for a debutante at that time. I enjoyed reading about this period of history and what a debutante season was about, but I also found myself growing bored after awhile. The whole topic and scenes of the debutante society, while accurately depicted, are so superficial, frivolous and indulgent. The main focus is on physical appearances (the most dazzling debutante) and on meeting a potential spouse (who will be engaged next?). As I began to lose interest in the novel, the plot picked up and I enjoyed the latter half of the book. The dramatic events which force characters to look at their life choices made for much more interesting reading. I also appreciated the strength and spirit of Lily Nicholls.

Julia Kelly has done it again! The Last Dance of the Debutante is a sweeping story which takes place in 1958 of the last group of debutantes to be presented to the court of Queen Elizabeth. Backed up by lots of research, the author has created the world of the debutantes in this time period. I enjoyed meeting all of the characters. While the story is centered around Lily Nicholls, the author has created an amazing group of debutantes. Katherine is a sweetheart and in the “Imperfects.” There are debutantes the reader loves to hate. There are secrets to unravel. There are love interests. I kept thinking this could be the next beloved series for Masterpiece, Netflix, or Starz. I can definitely see a sequel following up on the lives of some of the debutantes. My thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

The Last Dance of the Debutante
by: Julia Kelly @juliakellywrites
Gallery Books

Making its debut as a fresh, new year rings in, The Last Dance of the Debutante promises to appear again on the "best of 2022" book lists when the year draws to a close. Julia Kelly introduces readers to the splendor and traditions surrounding the Season of presentation of debutantes to Queen Elizabeth II. Scheduled to be the last year for this event, 1958 is a landmark one in London society.
Kelly's writing is visually and esthetically stunning as she showcases this world of fashion, parties, balls and glitz. Underneath the societal glamour, readers get views into the lives of the young debs who are at a threshold in their lives, coming to terms with their, dreams, values, beliefs, and aspirations. One can feel the excitement and uncertainty of these young ladies as they prepare their dresses and await invitations to fancy events encompassing the world of debutantes.
The character development in this book is impressive, and the plot is a masterful. Lily is a reluctant deb who loves literacy and sewing. As she is thrust into the launch of the Season, relationships evolve with distinctly different Leana and Katherine. With components of female friendships, as well as family mystery and legacy, a sweeping story of a captivating period in history emerges and grips readers for its entirety.
Thank you to Net Galley @netgalley, Simon and Schuster Canada, and Gallery Books @gallerybooks for the advance reader's copy and the opportunity to provide my unbiased review.
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