*I received a copy of this eARC from Netgalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.*

This book is set in New Orleans, pre Katrina. I may not have chosen the best time to read it, as Laura was decimating parts of Louisiana while I was speed reading my way through this book because I couldn't put it down. The story takes place during one night in the life of Rosemary, a burlesque dancer. She is going through some things, and because of it doesn't always make the best of decisions."Decatur Street" touches on not only race relations and white privilege in New Orleans (still super relevant even FIFTEEN years later) but on how easy it is to lose oneself in the seedy streets of NOLA. I may have enjoyed it a bit more because I am from Louisiana and the places are familiar to me, but I thought this was a decent read. You're not going to like the main character, but you aren't really supposed to. She's not cuddly, she doesn't make good choices-- but she's real, which made it worth it for me.

Not what I expected but a wonderful novel which might mean even more to those familiar with New Orleans in 2004.  Rosemary and Gaby were friends for years, bonding over their otherness-Gaby is black and Rosemary is poor.  Rosemary manages to get a scholarship to college and then makes a series of bad choices, most involving alcohol, which lead to her being kicked out of school.  Unfortunately, she opts to return to New Orleans and goes to work as a dancer at the Sugarlick, putting her at odds with Gaby.  The relationship is so fractured that they don't talk and when Rosemary's dog dies, she has no one to turn to so she sets out in the night.  This is told over the course of that night as she goes from place to place and meets a variety of characters but mostly she thinks about the past.  And about Gaby.  It's a good read with interesting ideas.  Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.  Am looking forward to more from Cohen.

The sounds, the smells, of New Orleans come off the page.  The duality of old money, and the poor, and the complexity of racial relations in the city shape them all.  Who had the more challenging  life, Gaby or Rosie?

This was a sexy sexy book!  A good one to read during the pandemic.  CHeck it out if you like steamy romance.

I wanted to like this book. I REALLY did. The writing was superb, but the storyline was sorely lacking. I simply didn't care about ...... anyone in the story. I was halfway through still wondering what it was about. By the end, I was skipping entire paragraphs just trying desperately to get to whatever the point was supposed to be, and I never did find it. I'm sorry, but it just wasn't for me.

Meh? I had a hard time trying to connect to this book. The story starts off quite slow setting the back story of Rosemary and how she finds herself working as a burlesque performer. Having never been to New Orleans I enjoyed the descriptions of the area and spots like the secret garden. I realize Rosemary is coming to grips with what life has handed her, but I just kept waiting for something to happen. She stumbles along in a semi drunken state wanting to escape instead of taking any responsibility- she doesn’t even stick around to get her share of the cash when she is done performing..

Just not a title I would be comfortable handing to my readers looking for a recommendation.

Thanks #netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy as always on the look out for something new to show my readers.

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

When it is snowy and cold outside (and my car is buried under 2ft of ❄️ ), superspeed readers like me can read 250+ pages/hour, so yes, I have read the book … and many more today. LOL

I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review.  

From the publisher, as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸.

Set in Pre-Katrina New Orleans, LAST CALL ON DECATUR STREET is an electrifying tale of friendship and betrayal, an exploration of racism and white privilege, and one woman’s journey to find herself in the seedy, glamorous world of burlesque.

Despite vowing to never return to New Orleans when she left for college, Rosemary quickly finds herself back in her hometown—kicked out of school, at odds with her best friend, and desperate to lose herself in a bright, kaleidoscopic nightlife of dive bars and burlesque dancing.

This night, though, is different. An unlikely companion, a secret sorrow, and an unexpected visitor force Rosemary to break free. From the burlesque stage in the French Quarter, strip clubs to strangers’ beds, a secret garden in Jackson Square, and ending at a raucous masquerade party, this night becomes a journey for Rosemary to come to grips with her past, grieve for those she has lost, and maybe, finally, acknowledge that she, too, deserves redemption.

With superlative emotional and intellectual sensitivity, mordant wit, and pitch-perfect style, Cohen captures the uncertainty and messy edges of early adulthood. A love letter to New Orleans, Last Call on Decatur Street is a story of family and home and the complicated things we inherit from the people and places we love.

This book is a love letter to New Orleans - and like the city, it is dirty, gritty and compelling to read.  Rosemary is a fascinating woman and her night is crazy to read about: at times it seemed too convoluted, but, hey, it is New Orleans and anything and everything can happen there, for sure. The book was an enjoyable read and is great for anyone from NOLA or planning on visiting it: yes, it is set in a pre-Katrina world, but the essence of the city is still the same in a lot of places- hot, spicy and crazy! 

Just a thought, though ... very few people from outside NOLA would recognize Decatur Street as part of the city- is Bourbon Street too cliched to make the title "Last Call on Bourbon Street"? 

As always, I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I love emojis (outside of their incessant use by "🙏-ed Social Influencer Millennials/#BachelorNation survivors/etc. " on Instagram and Twitter... Get a real job, people!) so let's give it 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️