Oh, what a pleasant surprise of a book! I adored everything about this one. Eve is a young woman who loves books and has dreams of being a writer, but struggles with self-doubt and self-consciousness about her talent. After being passed over for a promotion that she never wanted in the first place, she impulsively takes a job working for Henry Grey, who along with his wife and son suck her into their orbit. What follows is a summer of self-discovery and the forging of her own path through the world. The plot is beautifully executed, and has a vintage, classic, nostalgic feel that I loved. Eve was not pretentious and neither was the writing in this one. She’s just a girl who loves books, trying to navigate her way through young adulthood while trying to find her spark (and ignore her mother’s not so subtle hints that she settle down with a nice man who could provide financially). I think the success of this one for me was how the author avoided getting too wordy. It allowed eve’s character to shine and the pacing to be perfectly on point.

What a wonderful summer read! Thank you Netgalley and Henry Holt for the ARC!

I was thrilled to receive a review copy of this novel - thank you to both Net Galley and Henry Holt books. This book checked off so many boxes for me. Being from New England, I love anything set in the northeast, and this takes you from Cape Cod to Boston and NYC. This is the story of a young girl navigating her way through the publishing world in the 1980s and landing a job with a writer for the New Yorker. As an aspiring writer herself, she jumps at the chance, and finds herself living in his home and traveling in literary circles. It's a coming of age tale, with the setting I absolutely adore. I would give this a 4.5 star rating - not a 5 because I was disappointed by some of Eve's behavior in this story -- I wanted more from her. The first half is so strong, but I yearned for the story of her professionally to be a bit more developed. I HIGHLY recommend this as a summer read. For those who love books about books and writers, look no further. I'll be watching for more books by this author as well.

What a wonderful way to spend my holiday weekend! I couldn’t put this book down and felt myself reaching to my kindle every time I a spare minute to read. The Last Book Party is a delightful story that felt sentimental and ageless.
We meet Eve, the book’s protagonist as she enters the party of an acclaimed writer and she is introduced to a world very different from the one she grew up in. Eve is a 25-year-old booklover and works in publishing. The Last Book Party mostly takes place over a summer where Eve makes some choices with her love life that might not be the best choices.
I instantly was engrossed in this book. I loved the literary references (and would love a full list of the books mentioned within the book) and I enjoyed going on this journey with Eve. It was nice to feel like I had escaped to the Cape for the weekend and feel like I was a part of the amazing literary world of Henry and Tillie. I cried for Eve when she cried, laughed when she laughed and felt love when she did.
This book is an immediate addiction and one you wont regret!
*Thanks to the publisher for providing an arc of this edition via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really, really wanted to love this book. A story filled with books, writers, and words, all set in the 80s, hyped me up quite a bit. The title and the summary suggested such an intense climax, yet I was disappointed in the flat plot and characterization.

This is a very quick read, and it’s filled with some beautiful prose and witty dialogue. It’s worth the read, but it didn’t have enough to wow me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This was a solid three-star read for me. While I appreciate the meditations on book love, the character of Eve felt so one-dimensional. She is a character I have read before. I cannot recall any standout moments in the book but never did I dislike what I read. I just failed to connect with the writing.

“At his sentencing hearing, he’d had only one character witness, his high school shop teacher, who testified that while he didn’t remember the man doing anything remarkable, nor could he recall him causing any trouble. Deliberating for fewer than ten minutes, the jury recommended the electric chair.”

This quote from the book sums up my feelings. It was neither remarkable nor terrible. It just was.

Eve Rosen is a young woman working an entry level position at a publishing house in New York City. Her foot-in-the-door to the literary world and writing career she has always dreamed of. But Eve is bored. She hasn’t written a word in a a long time and she jumps at the chance to work for the summer as assistant to famed author Henry Grey, in his Cape Cod home. Impressed by the world that has always been just out of reach, Eve worships his poet wife Tillie and crushes on his son, an artist, who is happy to take advantage of the situation. Fascinated by the life of the famous author, Eve is honored to take on even the smallest task for this revered man. It is a long, hot summer leading up to the night of the infamous book party. Gradually Eve realizes that this world she has obsessed over is nothing more than a very long, twisted embellished story. Lessons learned the hard way, this coming of age book is an absolutely captivating read. Perfect for booklovers this summer, releases July 9th, a beach bag MUST!!

Eve is a budding writer who is stuck in a dead end assistant job not getting her anywhere. She has the opportunity to go to Cape Code for a summer party with authors and poets and takes it as an opportunity to mingle and network with some of the top in the business. She lands a job as research assistant for one of her idols.

As the summer progresses she begins to see that this lifestyle might not be all that it appears to be and she may not be as excited about it as she thinks. It just may be more then she bargained for.

This is my first book by Karen Dukess. Had never even heard of her but am glad i was recommended this book. I wasn't sure about it at first but by the 4th chapter i was hooked in this story. I wasn't ready for it to end. Eve is a young aspiring writer working in a publishing house but takes a summer job as an assistant to a local famous writer. That summer Eve learns about herself as a person and grows in her profession as she finds out what she really wants to be in her career. I would recommend this book to everyone and a huge thanks to Netgalley and Henry Holt Company for my honest review

A look behind the curtain of the publishing world as experienced by a naive recent graduate. This novel captures both the era and the locale (Cape Cod, Massachusetts) quite well. Reading this novel reminds one of how eye opening that first decade after college can be as when maturing from a student into an adult. Yes, this focuses on the world of publishing, but all adult worlds hold many surprises for the unsuspecting neophyte fresh out of school. Our girl seems to weather her first storms rather well, though I am not certsin how much she really cares after all.

4.5 stars

Oops… I did not mean to finish this book in one sitting and let alone to like it either.

The Last Book Party is like a bad drug that you shouldn’t dabble with, but you will try anyways because it sounded SOO good. I do not really read romance and they are not really my genre, but it sucked me right in and wanted to know more how people in their 20’s grew up in the 80’s.

The story was narrated by Eve Rosen – a 25-year-old booklover and works for publishing industry in New York – who made bad decisions with men and her life choices. Her entanglement with the series of men she chose along with her family problems led her to alter her dreams and to start anew.

On the first few chapters, I had a problem with the character as she was weak, lost and somewhat helpless in her mid-twenties. But I had to remind myself that this was way back in the late eighties and women were different back then. But her choices in life is so relatable how people make mistakes after mistakes and I wondered what she’s going to do next.

Karen Dukess did a wonderful job with this novel as she showed real-life experiences and how we go back up and how to face the world again. Highly recommended for summer’s reading.

If you're looking for something addicting and somewhat satisfying, this book must be for you.

Again, Ooops… I didn’t mean to like this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced copy in exchange of an honest review.

This debut is gorgeous. It sucked me in from the beginning. With gorgeous descriptions of Cape Cod and the high literary life, Dukess had me spinning between Eve's many men and dying to attend the annual Book Party. Truly I wasn't sure who to root for! I loved the allusions to so many books and characters, the way the stories Dukess alluded to mirrored Eve's life. There's no doubt all book lovers will fall for this book.

Charming coming of age story, insidery and nostalgic look at publishing and writing - a great summer read that includes an unexpected twist.

Not as great a book as I hoped. The lot was okay but not one that drew me to read it fast. The characters were nothing out of the ordinary, for me, from other books about authors, bookstores or publishing houses. It was a satisfactory read but not fivestars for me.

I love how this book immediately transports you into the seductive literary/publishing world of the eighties. It has everything you could want from a smart, summer read: romance, betrayal, scandal, charm. All of the characters are so well-developed; I particularly enjoyed how realistically each embody the insecurities and doubts felt by all writers—both aspiring and established. Eve Rosen’s journey to self-discovery is believable and satisfying, and it is lovely to see her finally find her voice and confidence as a young woman/writer. I enjoyed this book immensely, and I definitely recommend it!

Loved this beautiful book which tells the story of young Eve in the summer of 1987, trying to break into the world of publishing. Eve narrates the book, working as an assistant to a somewhat famous writer in Manhattan/Cape Cod. It is kind of a coming-of-age story full of friendship, romance and Eve dealing with both as she puts in some hard work and has a lot of fun as well. Great writing, love the authentic descriptions and the many twists and turns that the story took. Could not put this one down! Highly recommended!! Thanks so much for the ARC!!!

3.75 stars for The Last Book Party by Karen Dukess

The old coming-of-age story gets a modern, bookish, facelift in The Last Book Party by Karen Dukess. The main character, Eve is a 25-year-old woman trying to find herself in the outrageous, over-the-top 80s. Set in New York, Dukess paints a stunningly accurate picture of life in NYC, Cape Cod, and Truro. Eve dreams of being a published author. Famous, beloved, and idolized by others. When Eve is offered the opportunity to spend the summer of 1987 as author Henry Grey's assistant, she is overjoyed. Working closely with the famous Grey family is an eye-opening, heartbreaking experience. Eve learns there's a lot of ugliness going on behind the flawless facade put on display for fans.

The Last Book Party is narrated by Eve, a naive booklover dreaming of the day her book will sit on the top shelf next to the authors she loves. Her path is convoluted at times and her naivety (at age 25) a bit frustrating. She makes a few bad decisions resulting in unforeseen detours and hard truths. But it was a learning experience -- mere stepping stones on her life's path. The ending was realistic and satisfying, despite feeling rushed. I liked Eve. I loved that she loved books and her adoration of writers mimics my own. All the bookish references were like extra icing on an already delicious cake. I devoured this book in one sitting and cannot wait to see what Karen Dukess serves up to readers next. I just hope the next book is longer.

Happy Reading,

RJ

I tore through this novel in a single night. Intensely charming, intelligent, sexy, and specific, THE LAST BOOK PARTY immerses us in the incestuous world of the 1980s literary elite, from boozy publicist-thrown parties in Manhattan to the writing nooks of a New Yorker staff writer on Cape Cod. The novel's narrator, Eve, has all the insecurities and doubts of any 25-year-old aspiring writer but doesn't let those stop her from being a compelling, bold, active heroine in charge of her own life. This is the summer's most delicious and intelligent beach read.

This short novel was a nice read and was well done. I didn't love it, and I'm not sure why because I don't have specific critiques. Perhaps it was simply too brief? Perhaps there was not enough dramatic tension? I wish I knew, because I loved the description and thought the characters and prose were quite good. I liked it, just didn't love it- rounding up from 3.5 stars.

1980"s literary scene in NYC and Cape cod. This story of a young writer trying to find her place in the world was very readable. I liked the characters, flaws and all. I felt that it ended abruptly though.

Incredibly well written book full of nuance and foreshadowing. The protagonist Eve wants nothing more than to break into publishing yet her entanglements when she gets there teach her so much more . This was a fabulous read! Thank you to Henry Holt and co. for graciously providing me this review copy (via netgalley) in exchange for an honest review.