Review: The Last Debutantes by Georgie Blalock

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

Published: August 24, 2021

Source: Publisher

Summary:

Fans of The Kennedy Debutante and Last Year in Havana will love Georgie Blalock’s new novel of a world on the cusp of change…set on the eve of World War II in the glittering world of English society and one of the last debutante seasons. 

They danced the night away, knowing their world was about to change forever. They were the debutantes of 1939, laughing on the outside, but knowing tragedy— and a war—was just around the corner.

When Valerie de Vere Cole, the niece of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, makes her deep curtsey to the King and Queen of England, she knows she’s part of a world about to end. The daughter of a debt-ridden father and a neglectful mother, Valerie sees firsthand that war is imminent.

Nevertheless, Valerie reinvents herself as a carefree and glittering young society woman, befriending other debutantes from England’s aristocracy as well as the vivacious Eunice Kennedy, daughter of the U.S. Ambassador. Despite her social success, the world’s troubles and Valerie’s fear of loss and loneliness prove impossible to ignore.

How will she navigate her new life when everything in her past has taught her that happiness and stability are as fragile as peace in our time? For the moment she will forget her cares in too much champagne and waltzes. Because very soon, Valerie knows that she must find the inner strength to stand strong and carry on through the challenges of life and love and war.

My thoughts:

I am not ashamed to admit I was drawn to this book because of the cover…this is one of the most stunning covers I’ve seen in a while. And it totally fits the book in every way.

I have always been intrigued by the whole debutante lifestyle over in England, so this one definitely caught my attention. Having it set on the eve of WWII adds a tension to the book as we see the country on the brink of change and I think the author addresses that quite well here. The change did not happen overnight and that is so evident here in this story.

The author balances the book in terms of the life of high society with that of the political climate. As Valerie navigates the coming out season and all that that entails, talk of war is escalating and because she lives at 10 Downing Street with her uncle, the Prime Minister, she is privy to a lot of information. She even ends up befriending one of the typists that works at 10 Downing Street.

As a historical fiction fan, this is a must-read. I loved being transported to this time and felt it was well-researched and well-written. This is the second book I’ve read by Georgie Blalock and I cannot wait to see what she writes next!