*3.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

Last Dance On The Starlight Pier by Sarah Bird is a Texas depression era story about ex vaudevillian Evie who can't catch a break. She works in dance marathons that were as popular as sporting events at the time. With poverty, crime, war on the horizon, and a doom romance the writer brings the era to life as Evie struggles to stay afoot.

The incomparable Cassandra Campbell adds to the era with her 1930s themed narration.

I received a free copy of this audiobook via #netgalley for my fair and honest review.

I finished this a couple days ago, and feel the same; I liked the writing, but not the story. When I look at the book I see a beautiful cover, fondness for the author, and no memory of the story. Bird's writing seemed poetic to me, and I was drawn by her styling to continue until the end. The end was a complete bust.

I'm going with three stars because I liked how I felt when reading. I wasn't bored. I will look for other books by the author.

Thank you NetGalley for accepting my request to read and review Last Dance on the Starlight Pier.

As she watches the Starlite Palace burn and collapse into the Gulf of Mexico, Evie Grace Devlin can’t help but reflect on her life that led to this moment — one where a man she loves is tragically lost in the fire. It’s the early 1930s and the country is fully in the Great Depression. However, on Galveston Island — the “Playground of the South” — one can almost suspend disbelief on Starlight Pier as the hours fly by during a dance marathon. But Evie has overcome so much to be there in the moment, and — after three years of nursing school, getting past her hard-up childhood and deadbeat mom, and her ties to the island’s mob family — her life is quite literally going up in flames.

This 400+ page historical fiction is SUCH a ride. I learned so much about Houston and Galveston — and followed a riveting story while doing it! You get glimpses of the Dust Bowl at this time, plus the life of a performer in the 20s and so much more. I had no clue about the “mob” that drove Galveston’s entertainment district, and I found myself googling all the things while I was reading.

Read if… you loved The Four Winds and Shoulder Season and the dance marathon episode of Gilmore Girls is your absolute favorite.

This is a sweeping historical fiction book set in Depression era America that gives insight into a part of that time few people really talk about. How dances and entertainers still flourished and helped keep spirits up during an incredibly difficult time.

In this story we come to learn all about a travelling dance troupe, that went around the country putting on what were essentially shows under the guise of dance marathons. For a small admission fee people could come watch or participate in what could be days long dance offs with the last couple standing winning. Think of that episode from The Gilmore Girls but much more extreme! But along with the good, there is also a rise in criminal activity and we get a glimpse of that in this story too in a family of Gangsters living in Galveston, Texas.

What I loved about this book was the rich characterization! We get to know these characters as deeply flawed individuals just trying to survive in a world that doesn't always want them. Told from Evie Grace Devlin's perspective, a young woman escaping a dark past, who wants nothing more than to earn her Nurse's pin.

When Evie gets caught up with a travelling dance troupe she makes new friends, falls in love and has the adventure of a lifetime. I absolutely loved her relationship with the star of the show and his storyline was deeply moving. A gay man who is not able to be out openly and is even told he needs to try this new conversion treatment, "the lobotomy" in an attempt to "cure" him.

Perfect for fans of The four winds by Kristin Hannah and great on audio narrated by Cassandra Campbell. This is one that is going to stick with me for a long while after I finished. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copies!

Last Dance on the Starlight Pier
by: Sarah Bird
narrator: Cassandra Campbell
Macmillan Audio

Set in the time period of the Great Depression, Bird's novel covers several social themes while centering around the dance marathons popular during this time. Main character Evie Grace Devlin had a harsh childhood, with aspirations of becoming a nurse.

In this audiobook version of Bird's narrative, Cassandra Campbell delivers an outstanding performance. She alternated between a large cast of characters, never failing in capturing the uniqueness of each one. Her narration displayed the range of personalities and moments from tender and touching to rough and severe. Her talent and technique are both remarkable and versatile.

The book delves into many social and political issues, as we follow Evie's journey to leave her past behind and make something of herself. Not only does she attend St. Mary's School of Nursing, but she also becomes immersed in the world of marathon dance competitions. The people she meets along the way are complex and diverse. She struggles with trust, acceptance, and love, as she navigates life.

Many of the occurrences in the book are harsh, grim and gritty, as is the language. Many are struggling to survive emotionally, physically, and financially. I found the topic of dance marathons to be a fascinating, if somewhat shocking, lesson into that way of life. Issues of morals, class, socio-economic levels, and sexual orientation are woven prominently into the story, along with resilience and acceptance. The book kept my interest to the end.

Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio
for the advance reader's audiobook version and opportunity to provide my unbiased review.
#NetGalley #LastDanceOnTheStarlightPier

Last Dance On The Starlight Pier provides a look at what people did to survive during the depth of the Great Depression in 1932, by focusing on the phenomenon of dance marathons. I learned a lot about what was involved in producing and living through a multi-day dance marathon. I also enjoyed learning about Galveston, Texas. That was the good part. Unfortunately, the main character, Evie Grace, just didn’t resonate with me very much and I felt the book dragged a lot, until near the end. Evie's actions/decisions didn’t seem to mesh with how smart she was supposed to be. I also felt that her sudden epiphany which changes her attitude toward LGBTQ characters wasn’t particularly realistic for the era; it felt very anachronistic.

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The narrator, Cassandra Campbell, did an excellent job with the many voices and accents.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook and to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Last Dance on the Starlight Pier by Sarah Bird pulled me in from the beginning. The author wrote about a time period many people are not familiar with. Dance marathons were one way some people chose to earn a living. I loved how the author incorporated historical details in the story. The nursing school, FDR, and organized crime. She wrote about characters that pulled at ones heart. Cassandra Campbell was fantastic at bringing the characters to life with her voice. She added the right emotions and was flawless. Thank you #NetGalley and #Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this pre-release audiobook. I fully enjoyed it!

This book was sooo long and reallly slow. I wanted nothing but the best for Evie, but somewhere along the way I just stopped caring. I was so bored and couldn’t connect with the characters or the storyline. I wish there was more history in this book and less character development. I normally enjoy reading books about the Great Depression, but this one was unfortunately disappointing for me. The ending was good! But, that’s about it.

I jumped into the world of Evie Grace Devlin without knowing what to expect. And what an engaging ride it was.

Working childhood, rough upbringing, loveless mother. Young Evie managed to get herself out of her mother's grip and built a better life for herself. Her first stop turned out to be good, but it ended on a bumpy note, making young Evie turn back to the life she tried so hard to escape. However, before she managed to make a move, her life gave her another chance to start anew... And what a delightful life it was... until yet another consequence shattered her world.

Taking place during the great depression, we see the people of entertainment try to survive and stay afloat. Although the initial idea of the plot was compelling, I didn't feel the "book spark". I expected something BIG to happen, and when it did - I didn't find it thrilling, mostly due to the novel being "busy". There were too many details to keep track of too many characters (my biggest pet peeve), too many sub-stories, and too many relationships. Nevertheless, this novel prompted me to look more into the novels with great depression storylines in them.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

I wanted to like this book. But I also wanted it to be interesting. We don't always get what we want.
The most I had ever heard about dance marathons game from Gilmore Girls episode where they did one in Stars Hollow. So basically, I knew nothing about them. I thought it would be an interesting topic and take on a historical novel set in the time of the depression. This just isn't something that is regularly talked about from that time period, and I think it had the potential to be GREAT. Instead it was SO BORING and so full of political agendas. Like today's political agendas as much as the time of the depression. I thought because of the topic it would be a lighter take on the time period and not so heavy. But shortly in to the book it brought up WAY under age dancing at burlesque shows, pedophilia, then it led in to genderism (agreed that was an issue) and curing homosexuality, plus the political talks of President Herbert Hoover. It was just a lot of agendas thrown in. And maybe its the time of my life or the season of our own pop and political culture that I just don't want to "escape" into another heavily issued book.
Plus, did I mention it was boring. So I made it to 75% and skimmed the rest. Because honestly I didn't care, and I figured I already knew what was going to happen. And spoiler alert: I was right in having it figured out.
So, 2 stars I felt was quite generous.

"Last Dance on the Starlight Pier" taught me about something I knew nothing of before reading it. I knew the Depression Era was horrendous because my parents and grandparents lived through it. But this book taught me new things and that qualifies as a good read in my book! Historical fiction at its best teaches lessons about history, cultural norms, and values of a time period. Characters were well developed and the settings were detailed enough to get a solid mental picture of places and events. I would like to know more about the protagonist's early life, (childhood) and more about her relationship with her mother and extended family. I requested this book based on its title and cover, and will recommend it based on its content.

Evie Grace Devlin was raised by a loving father who died young and narcissistic mother, who had no moral boundaries. It is a wonder she ended up “normal” at all. Raised on the vaudeville circuit, Evie is no stranger to the spotlight, but she makes her exit as soon as she can and heads to nursing school.

In Galveston at her nursing school, Evie vows to leave her old life behind. With falsified records she is determined to make something of herself, but when director finds out about her somewhat salacious past, she is denied her RN pin and thrown back into the entertainment world.

Dance marathons, all the rage in 1932, needed qualified nurses, or “almost nurses” to help keep their dancers on their feet. Evie was that nurse for a traveling group, whose star happened to know her father. Zave, who learned to dance from her father Denny Devlin, had star power that could not be denied. His story opened Evie’s eyes to a whole other world, causing her to question her own beliefs in the process. Following Evie and Zave across the country seeing how people despite their suffering, would pay for entertainment, was enlightening.

With the backdrop of the depression, the election of FDR, prohibition, and the mob, Sarah Bird does an admirable job of dropping us right into the roaring 20s as they bust wide open and America falls to her feet. I thoroughly enjoyed Evie’s story, she was raw and real and a “take no crap” kind of girl in an era where that was not common. Some parts of the story made me cringe, especially her mother, but it didn’t stop me from rooting for Evie to find her way.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and of course Sarah Bird for the advanced copy. Last Dance on the Starlight Pier comes out next week April 12th. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars

I love historical fiction and so was excited to read something different for me, not about World War II. As a Texan, I was also excited it was mostly based in Houston and Galveston.

Evie has had a very difficult life and doesn't believe her fate when she earns a nursing scholarship. She quickly befriends Sophie, basically a Galveston heiress, who becomes her first real friend. Unfortunately, her narcissistic mother steps in, and a cruel nun denies her the nursing pin she's earned. She ends up working with a dance marathon group where she remembers her father and early childhood in Vaudeville. She meets and quickly falls for Zave. Zave learned to dance from her beloved father and she feels a connection with him right away. Unfortunately, it's a one-sided romance, and Evie's misfortune doesn't stop there. It portrays the difficulties in earning an income, dust storms, and more about the great depression era.

For me this was a slow burn of a book, it was very drawn out. I had a hard time getting through and didn't expect the LBGTQ aspect, but did enjoy that part.

Historical fiction is my favorite genre and I was quite intrigued to find a book that was not about World War II. This book takes place during the 1930's, in Depression Era America. This is the first book that I have read by Sarah Bird and the author does a great job capturing the feel of that time period. Mentions of Hoovervilles, The Dust Bowl, the hope for FDR getting elected all helps to set the tone for this novel. The story centers around the main character, Evie Devlin, who is trying to better her life by going to nursing school. When circumstances keep her from receiving her pin, Evie ends up as a nurse for the dance marathon circuit and then later becomes a dancer herself. The majority of the book is set in the dance marathon world and details all of the hardships the dancers go through. This part reminded me of the movie, They Shoot Horses, Don't They, my only other exposure to what this world was like. I listened to the audiobook of this ARC and was so happy to see that the talented Cassandra Campbell narrated it. As usual, she engaged the listener from the beginning. I would listen to almost anything she read.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this audiobook.

Evie has not had an easy life. Born to performers on the Vaudeville circuit, she was forced to perform at an early age. Following the death of her father paired with the fall of Vaudeville, her cruel mother was unkind. At seventeen, she begins nursing school on a scholarship. Then her past catches up to her and she finds refuge in the dance marathon circuit. There she meets Zave, who was once her father's protégé. They have ups and downs as they struggle to survive the dance marathons in the Great Depression.

Historical fiction is my favorite genre, so maybe I have higher expectations with this type of book. Historical accuracy, specifically with dialogue, is lacking. Open to a random page and read the dialogue aloud- most of the time you'd have no idea it was supposedly in the late 1920s and/or 1932. Topics, phrases, slang, etc... So many things were not as it would have been. I found this terribly distracting and I was thinking more about that than the book.

Cassandra Campbell narrates the audiobook and does a solid job as always. I've never been disappointed in a performance by her.

I received an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Last Dance on the Starlight Pier opens with Evie Grace Devlin wondering how she became the person who would cause a man to kill himself. Evie has not had an easy childhood, but she has dreams to become a nurse. However, just before her pinning ceremony her past comes to light and she is removed from nursing school without her pin.

Evie returns home and finds her Uncle Jake running a dance marathon instead of teaching dances to debutantes. Evie is pulled into the dance marathon world and is paired with the marathon's golden boy, Zave. Zave knew Evie's father, which draws them even closer together. Will this couple fall in love and become the dance marathon's golden couple?

I want SO much to love this book, both for the premise and because I am a fan of Cassandra Campbell as a narrator. But so far (25%), I just can't get there. I am hopeful that I am realistic in adding a "yet" there, though.

Meeting Evie starts out strong, with great descriptions that both connect and separate her from her initial time in Galvaston. I'm rooting for her! Once the story shifts, though, I lost the hook entirely. I've lost that desire to listen in any spare moment to see what happens next, and after days go by without listening I am forced to relisten to remind myself who the new characters popping up are and how they fit.

Another challenge has been, oddly enough, Cassandra Campbell's narration. Don't get me wrong, it is great as always and she is very talented. However, in this performance her voices sound so very similar to Sara Donati's Waverly Place novels (which conveniently and annoyingly here also have a character named Sophie). It is nice at times because they are done well, odd at times because it's a constant reminder of another story, and overall just a tad distracting.

Despite the initial hiccups, I think there is still enough there that I could really enjoy this book, but audio may not be the best format for me. I will be planning on giving it a go as a book or e-book once released.

Two stars is because typically a DNF gets one-star, and the extra star is for potential.

This story take place during the Great Depression and when dance marathons were big. You meet Evie who wants more than anything to get away from her life before and become a nurse however she is unable to get her pin and instead because a nurse taking care of the dancers. This is when she meets Zave and falls in love however it’s only one sided.

The ending I feel could have been different and the medical part of this book, seems a little ahead of it’s time period. While I enjoyed most, it was not anything spectacular.

My honest review for my advance copy from Netgallery

Told through the viewpoint of Evie Devlin, the book Last Dance on the Starlight Pier brings the reader along on a ride back to the United States Depression Era of the 1920's and 1930's. Having grown up on the Vaudeville circuit, Evie has higher aspirations for her life and aspires to be a nurse. Unfortunately her past, through no fault of her own, comes back to haunt her. Not one to give up, Evie joins an eclectic group of marathon dancers and it's with that decision, that the story takes off.

The author was able to beautifully master the complex relationships and self discovery needed for Evie's story to come full circle. Despite the fact that Evie is an adult, this book is a coming of age fiction where the lessons are learned through flashbacks and self realization that force her to grow and evolve. The cast of characters is large, but they each had their own distinct personalities and roles to help the flow of the story. At no point while listening did I feel anyone was written in needlessly.

My largest struggle with this book came towards the end when a medical procedure was alluded to that may help fix Evie's love interest and former protégé of her late father, Zave Cassidy. As a reader, I instantly knew what this procedure was in all of its horror and it made me hate Evie as a character. For that span of time she was completely irredeemable, however, she did come to her senses and I had to cut her some slack.

Like the Depression Era itself, all stories don't end with everything tied up neatly in a bow and this story is no exception. I thought it worked for the story even though, as a reader, I would have liked more closure.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press and Sarah Bird for an advanced audiobook copy of this story.

This story follows Evie’s journey as she loses her future career as a nurse and is lured back into the dance world in which she was involved in at a young age all while suffering disappointments from many people.

Sadly, this story was too drawn out for me. I often found myself agitated at the storyline partly since I wanted the story to move along and partly due to the desperate situations.

On a positive note the narration was great! Cassandra Campbell was adept at both male and female voices and I found her voice very pleasant. Thankyou to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC.