In 1958, with the world on the brink of enormous change, a young woman seeks to find where she fits. This is the essence of The Last Dance of the Debutante by Julia Kelly.

Queen Elizabeth II decrees that 1958 will be the last year debutantes will be presented at court. It is “high society’s swan song”. Along with this presentation comes the “season”, the whirlwind of luncheons, cocktail parties and balls. All to parlay the connections made at these events into finding an eligible mate.

Lily Nichols is one of these last debutantes. She is hesitant to drop out of school to attend all the events she will have to commit to but in order to please her still grieving widowed mother and domineering grandmother she becomes a reluctant debutante. It is the goal of her mother and grandmother for Lily to be successful at the season to secure her future which to them means becoming a wife and ultimately a mother, just as they did years before. As the season progresses Lilly makes friends and begins to realize her future may not be within the constraints of “good society''.

“New money upstart” Katherine and Frenemy Leana play prominent roles in helping Lily realize what she really wants. Along the way a tragedy occurs and a family secret is uncovered. Both change the course of Lily’s life forever.

I liked how Julia Kelly brought to life a bygone time that is often not the subject of historical fiction. Usually Regency, Victorian, Gilded Age or WWII gets most of the attention. If you’ve been searching for something different in historical fiction, this is your book.

Thank you NetGalley and Galley Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lily Nichols decides to please her Mother and become a debutante, as this will be the last season., as the season continues Lily learns a secret. very good story.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. It was determined that 1958 will be the last year for the coming out of Debutantes to the Queen. Though this was the beginning of the end of the "Season", Lily's grandmother and mother have told her that she must quit school and participate so she can find a husband. Lily is reluctant but soon finds herself from secluded childhood to as many teas, cocktail hours and balls that her schedule can hold and she is enjoying it! That is...until she is told some devastating news on who she really is and a very close friend meets a tragic end making her fall back to reality. I really liked this story! I have read two of Julia Kelly's books so far and loved each of them! #TheLastDanceoftheDebutantes #JuliaKelly #Dec2021 #gallerybooks