This was such a fun surprise! Last Call at the Savoy blends romance, nostalgia, and just the right amount of drama. I loved the setting, it felt glamorous and a little bittersweet, like the end of an era. The characters were charming, and while some moments felt a little predictable, the overall vibe totally worked for me. It’s a great escape read with heart and style. I flew through it in just a couple sittings. Not perfect, but super enjoyable. Would definitely recommend if you’re in the mood for something cozy and romantic with a touch of old-school charm. 4 stars!

ARC in exchange for an honest review for Net Galley and Grand Central Publishing.

The Last Call at the Savoy intertwines the story of current day Cinnamon and the history of the first female bartender Ada.

Cinnamon travels to London when her sister Rosemary is put on bed rest and her husband just can’t seem to be there to support her. Rosemary has taken residence in the Savoy while her London flat is being remodeled. It happens to be the very one their deceased parent used to stay in on family vacation.

Cinnamon has been a lost soul since the devastating incident with her ex followed by her parent’s death 10 years ago. She has become a party girl and left her intense passion for writing behind due to tragedy.

She decided to have a night cap at The American Bar after sister goes to sleep. She starts to learn the history of the bar and meets a very charming historical writer Christopher (Kit).

Each night she is drawn back to the bar to learn about Ada Coleman (Coley). Her passion for writing starts to trickle back. She sees parallels between her writing being stolen and Ada’s recipes being stolen without proper recognition.

She has to tell her story. She has to help Kit tell her story… but there is something missing…

This is an unusually long review for me but this book covers so much. Grief, loss, finding your purpose, finding love and yourself worth.

My only request…. I want more Cinnamon and Kit!

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this glorious story.

There are few points that I would like to touch base on. One mainly being this is truly how you can forget where you came from if you don’t actually look at yourself because people can always tear you down to nothing and leave you feeling like nothing. You think so much about yourself that you forget about how everyone else is feeling about what’s going on to. Cinnamon and Rosemary lost their parents in the light of getting to Cinnamon in a big need that she needed them in. All the while she was blaming herself about the way they died, she never thought to really look at how everyone else was affected in the equation. I find the growth of her mindset in the end and learning about the female bartender is how she found herself again and proceeded to write again in the future because she needed that for herself.

Six years ago, Cinnamon Scott was an up-and-coming writer in New York City, but the sudden loss of her parents sent her into a spiral of partying and avoidance, funded by her sizable inheritance. Though she’s always had her sister Rosemary for support, Rosie now lives in London and is expecting twins, leaving Cinnamon feeling more adrift than ever. When Rosie is put on bedrest, Cinnamon joins her at The Savoy, where she becomes enchanted by the hotel’s rich history, especially the story of Ada Coleman, a pioneering bartender whose legacy has been largely forgotten. As Cinnamon bonds with a charming historian and dives into Ada’s overlooked contributions, she finds herself inspired to confront her own struggles and perhaps reclaim her own story in the process.

I do wish there had been a little more depth or detail in certain parts, but the story ties up in a way that leaves most of the plotlines feeling satisfyingly complete. Thank you NetGalley!

Cinnamon Scott is well on her way to being a member of the literati when she is suddenly derailed by a tragic accident and heartbreaking betrayal. Years later she’s coasting through life in an endless stream of parties and cocktails until duty calls. Her pregnant sister summons her from New York to London to help her through bedrest and they settle into the Savoy.
This book was fascinating with its historic details and lush descriptions of the people and decor within the world famous hotel. I’ve stared up at the entrance to the hotel more than once on holiday and wondered what it was like inside and Carleton offers us a glimpse.

Carleton weaves together a riveting tale of messy lives and forgotten personas. It held my attention to the very last page. It paid homage to the cocktails that made the American bar famous, giving a taste of a forgotten time.

Taste being the operative word though. The book only gives a taste of Ada’s story. She appears fully formed and disappears after a few witty vignettes. We only get a taste of Cinnamon’s journey towards healing. She’s broken one moment and stable in the next. We have only a taste of Rosie. How did she end up with Everett? How did she come to terms with a completely new life than the one she expected? We get a taste of Kit. He appears almost one dimensional and never fully gets fleshed out. What was his life like when he wasn’t wandering the halls looking for Cinnamon? And we get only a taste of Joe. Which honestly is perfect. Like a good drink we savor and then finish, the taste we get of Joe is exactly as it should be.

This book had intriguing stories and at times they outshine the characters they belong to but that’s what makes it a great book in my opinion. I do wish we had more to go on but it wrapped up in a way that most of the stories felt complete. This is the kind of book you keep on your shelf and pull out every year for a comfortable reread or that sends you down a rabbit hole of checking out hotel history. Or the kind of book you read with a good drink.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book was absolutely wonderful! The story was very interesting and full of plot twists and so many moments full of tension. I highly recommend this book!

Cinnamon Scott was at one time considered to be a rising star as a writer. Due to a tragic accident that rise was put on hold. With her sister put on bedrest while pregnant with twins, Cinnamon flies to London to stay with her sister at the Savoy Hotel, one of London's (if not the word's) most legendary hotels among the elite and celebrities. While there she frequents the bar late at night where she learns of the history of a female "mixologist" Ada Coleman. Hearing stories from the bartender, Joe, she becomes obsessed with "Coley" as she was called. During her time at the bar, Coley served from before WWI until 1925 when she retired. After meeting Christopher (Kit) Clarke who is doing his own research about the Savoy, Cinnamon doesn't understand why there is no mention of Ada in his research. Can Cinnamon overcome her own problems and eventually regain her strength to capture Ada Coleman's story? The book was well written and one I enjoyed. Actually, to be honest, for me I was more involved with Cinnamon's life than that of the historical side of the book. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was so pleasantly surprised to read such an enjoyable story form a debut author. I already cannot wait until her next novel comes out! It was heartwarming reading about the bind between sisters. Knowing that someone else will always be there for you and even the very strong sometimes need someone to lean on. The history of a female bartender in a time when it was unheard of for such a thing to occur was inspiring. The vivid pictures brought to mind of the opulent Savoy is a credit to the authors talent. Hearing some of the history associated with the grand hotel was thoroughly entertaining. I will be thinking about this story for a long time to come simply because of the warmth and emotions it evoked!

I want to sincerely thank NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for allowing me to read an early copy of this amazing story. Most of all I want to thank Brisa Carleton for bringing this story into the world.

I will post my full review on GoodReads closer to publication and I will also be encouraging my local Indie bookstores in NJ to make sure to stock this upon publication. Thank you again.

I was literally transported to The Savoy in this “history meets fiction” page turner. I found myself waiting impatiently for Cinnamon's next late night run in with the mysterious bartender Joe, as he brought Ada’s story to life. I was sad for this to end!!