Cover Image: The Last Season

The Last Season

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

The Last Season by Jenny Judson and Danielle Mafood is set in the Victorian era. It's a wonderful romance novel. The characters are well developed and creative. The plot with its twists and turns is engaging. I was captivated by this story from start to finish!

I highly recommend the Last Season!

Notification: I received this book for free. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are my own. Thank you to Jenny Judson and Danielle Mahfood as well as Netgalley and Touch- Point Press for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book.

Was this review helpful?

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. A good women's fiction novel drama. Highly recommend. The cover is beautiful

Was this review helpful?

This book is another one is a recent string of arcs that never ended up on my kindle. I don't know what the problem is, but I can't review it. Sorry.

Was this review helpful?

Nothing grabbed me like this cover. Absolutely beautiful both inside and out. I was breathless at the wonderful writing and how the story gripped me

Was this review helpful?

If you are looking for a historical romance, The Last Season is a great debut set in Victorian England highlighting British high society. The story begins with an only child of an aristocrat, lonely and tucked away in their family's manor. Desperate for friendship, Cassandra makes fast friends with Crispin St. John, the stable boy. Their story spreads over a couple of decades, documenting adventure, long-distant letter writing and of course love.

Throughout if all, we get to experience India, America and of course the upheaval of British society. I love that the authors spent time to detail each setting and their beautiful landscapes. Money, power and social status is constantly changing hands leaving for plot shifts and arcs. In the middle of it all are Cassie and Crispin, desperately in love but divided by social status and money. I recommend this to read or listen as I experienced both. I wasn't sure of the narrator at first but quickly fell in sync with her lilt and tempo. I hope to see more installments for siblings May and Archie, with Forsythe hell bent on revenge and ruin.

Thank you to Netgalley, TouchPoint Press, and authors Jenny Judson and Danielle Mahfood for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honey review.

Was this review helpful?

Honestly, this book was not for me. I was very tame, which is fine for many readers but I like romances that have a lot more spice. I do think that the characters were interesting on their own, but it was just was not my cup of tea.

Was this review helpful?

Set in England in the 1800s, Cassandra and Crispin meet as young teenagers on Cassandra’s family estate. Despite their difference in wealth, the two form a friendship and bond. As the years go on, Crispin is fired from the estate, and they don’t see each other for years, but still have a pull towards each other.

I enjoyed this historical romance spanning many years. The chapters alternated focus between Cassandra and Crispin so readers were able to follow the characters as they grew and changed. I enjoyed the forbidden love aspect, and that they kept in touch through letters, but I wish they were reunited sooner. This was a nice quick read for me to round out my reading last week✨

Thank you @getredprbooks @netgalley for the copy of this book!

Was this review helpful?

A different style of historic romance taking more time and covering the impossible romance genre as one is a spoilt aristocrat the other a stable boy from landed gentry brought low by his father loosing all their money. The romance doesn't happen quickly starting when they are 12/13 and finishing 10+ years later so more of a saga very clean and sweet.

Was this review helpful?

Genuinely loved this book! The H and h were independently interesting and had a believably-written relationship. I don't usually enjoy second-chance romances, especially where a substantial amount is conducted over letters or non-face to face contact, but the author successfully worked their correspondence in with their meetings in a way that kept me connected to the characters and the plot.

Was this review helpful?

4 stars

There are so many things that this book contains that I normally do not like - a romance where the main couple doesn't progress beyond kissing on page, tons of exposition and time spent away from the romance, a vignette style timeline taking place over multiple years, and characters that don't necessarily stand out or break free from the society in which they live.

Yet, there is something about this book that I ended up really enjoying! I can't even put my finger on it, but I found myself being really charmed by this book. The experience was very reminiscent of when I read the HR classic Edenbrooke earlier this year - both books just have this simplicity to them that just slowly wins you over as you read.

There were a few things that didn't make this a perfect read for me - the beginning was a bit slow and the ending came rather quickly - but I had a really lovely time with this book and I hope that more people get the chance to experience it!

Thank you to NetGalley and TouchPoint Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Was this review helpful?

I felt this book could have been so much better if it would have been shorter and it needed more umph in it! It’s a great historical fiction debut and the characters were developed well, I found myself bored with the friendship and romance aspect of the story.
2.5 stars

Was this review helpful?

I read this book in one sitting. It's the friends-to-lovers/forbidden love story of Cassandra Drayton, the daughter of a Viscount, and Crispin, the stable boy at her family's estate. They meet as young teens and develop a friendship before being separated. Cassandra continues on the path expected of her - being presented to society to make an advantageous match - while Crispin is sent to India where he encounters opportunities he never would have in England. Despite the distance between them, the two continue to correspond, the bond they forged as kids growing stronger. When both of their fortunes change as adults, could the pair finally find their way to each other?

Although there is a love story, this is very much historical fiction. I enjoyed being transported back to the Victorian era and both Cassandra and Crispin's journeys are exciting, both figuratively as they come of age and literally as they travel the world, and you can't help but root for them. Don't miss the author bios at the end - I loved Jenny and Danielle's story as much as their characters!

Thanks to Get Red PR, Touchpoint Press and NetGalley for a copy to review.

Was this review helpful?

I read a lot of Regency novels, but I appreciated that this was both familiar and unique within its setting. The writing style helps to make this stand out in its already-lovely genre, and I love how these two authors seamlessly wove their voices together here.

Was this review helpful?

This was a great debut novel! Historical Fiction is my favorite genre, so I was looking forward to this read. While it started out a bit slow, and I initially didn't find Cassie all that likeable as a main character, that changed as she matured (I probably wasn't all that likeable myself as a young teen! ha!). The story really picked up when Crispin left for India and we saw the two friends come of age in dramatically different worlds. In this Victorian romance, we get a story not just about love, but about true friendship. I especially enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the settings - from Calcutta to an English Country Estate - and even the beautiful dresses the ladies wore during the Season. I received a free NetGalley ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, but this is one I definitely would purchase for myself. Recommend to any fans of Historical Fiction / Victorian Romance.

Was this review helpful?

3.5 ⭐️

I enjoyed the letters, that was probably my favorite part. I had such mixed emotions about Lord D. I wanted to like him, to respect him, but I just couldn’t…until the very end.

Overall, I would say a sweet story, more PG 13 than I prefer, but that’s just me. :)

I appreciated that most characters were not completely good or completely bad. Archie? A drunken man whore, but a good friend. Emma? Sleeping with her boss, but loyal to the end to those she loved.

Would I recommend it? Probably not. Aside from the letters there was no *wow* factor for me.

Was this review helpful?

This is such a lovely book! The authors do a great job of transporting the reader back to the mid 19th century in England, where class and society is so very important and there are so many rules. We meet Crispin and Cassandra, who are fast friends from a young age, but worlds apart in society and would never be allowed to be together. Life continues on and it is a good story.

Was this review helpful?

This is a story set mainly in 1870’s England where rich girl meets stable boy as teenagers. Stable boy grows up to be successful and rich girl’s dad makes a really poor business decision.

Rich girl (who becomes not so rich) may have to marry slimy rich middle aged man to save her ancestral home..

This was great romance but what I enjoyed even more was that I felt the story had a sense of substance. This book is way more than the simple plot line I shared with you. I really liked the way the book goes into detail how our main character’s dad lost a chunk of his money.

It also has some fantastic secondary characters. My favorite fun secondary character is Archie. He is a fun loving good hearted friend to our main characters.

This was a book that swept me away back to the era where a society coming out started with a quick trip to see the queen and a single woman could be scandalized just for being in a room alone with a man.

I loved the way the book took us not only to London but also to a variety of locales such as India and America. All of the rich descriptions provided just made the read even more entrancing.

Was this review helpful?

To all the historical romance fans, you're going to want to buy this book. It's a friends to lovers closed door love story that captures your heart and makes you feel whole. I love when authors can bring so much depth and feeling without relying on steamy scenes to cement the attraction. I read it in one sitting and I'm still a little sad that it's over. All the stars for this well-written novel that is now one of my favorites.

Was this review helpful?

A brilliant debut novel that was absolutely wonderful! I loved everything about it and hope these two talented authors write another novel. Victorian age is one of my favorite time periods and this story gave me all the feels of a great historical romance.
There was stolen kisses, debtors prison, trips to India and America and many chances to lose your place in society. This really could be made into a BBC Masterpiece Theater series.
I was extremely happy with the ending and I’m not going to give anything else away. Read this book. It’s really good. I highly recommend it.
Thanks TouchPoint Press via Netgalley.

Was this review helpful?

I liked the idea of this story of a rich girl and a poor boy who becomes wealthy but unfortunately the pace was too slow for me. I did enjoy the descriptions of life in India and the characters were likeable. This has so much potential for a good read that I feel quite disappointed. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?