Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing, January 4, 2022

Format: Paperback 

Pages: 336

Rating: 4/5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

The author of the “sweeping, stirring, and heartrending” (Kristin Harmel, author of The Room on Rue Amélie) The Light Over London returns with a masterful, glittering novel that whisks you to midcentury Britain as it follows three of the last debutantes to be presented to Queen Elizabeth II.

When it’s announced that 1958 will be the last year debutantes are to be presented at court, thousands of eager mothers and hopeful daughters flood the palace with letters seeking the year’s most coveted invitation: a chance for their daughters to curtsey to the young Queen Elizabeth and officially come out into society.

In an effort to appease her traditional mother, aspiring university student Lily Nichols agrees to become a debutante and do the Season, a glittering and grueling string of countless balls and cocktail parties. In doing so, she befriends two very different women: the cool and aloof Leana Hartford whose apparent perfection hides a darker side and the ambitious Katherine Norman who dreams of a career once she helps her parents find their place among the elite.

But the glorious effervescence of the Season evaporates once Lily learns a devastating secret that threatens to destroy her entire family. Faced with a dark past, she’s forced to ask herself what really matters: her family legacy or her own happiness.

With her signature “intricate, tender, and convincing” (Publishers Weekly) storytelling, Julia Kelly weaves an unforgettable tale of female friendship amid the twilight days of Britain’s grand coming out balls.

My Review:

Thanks Simon and Schuster Canada for the copy of the book!
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Read if you like: post WW2 British history, high society.
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Lily is pushed to become a debutante by her mother and grandmother because this year will be the last year. Lily wants to continue to continue her studies and has no desire to be a debutante but she agrees to to please her family.
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Lily gets swept up into the upper levels of British society and she begins to learn the role she wants to play in society. Loved the descriptions of the parties and the events. Also loved the level of mystery and the reveal at the end!
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Lily was a great protagonist as she wouldn’t change who she is in order to fit in!
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CW: death of a friend, emotional abuse, sexual harassment, alcohol use, giving up a child.