Last Summer at the Golden Hotel ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland


G👀dreads: 

A family reunion for the ages when two clans convene for the summer at their beloved getaway in the Catskills--perfect for fans of Dirty Dancing and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel--from the acclaimed author of The Floating Feldmans.

In its heyday, The Golden Hotel was the crown jewel of the hotter-than-hot Catskills vacation scene. For more than sixty years, the Goldman and Weingold families - best friends and business partners - have presided over this glamorous resort which served as a second home for well-heeled guests and celebrities. But the Catskills are not what they used to be - and neither is the relationship between the Goldmans and the Weingolds. As the facilities and management begin to fall apart, a tempting offer to sell forces the two families together again to make a heart-wrenching decision. Can they save their beloved Golden or is it too late?

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Chick Lit

Just what the doctor ordered, if he would have ordered a chic flick (book).
I'm about 3/4 of the way through and it's an adorable palette cleanser. Especially for anyone who enjoys nostalgia and Jewish humor with a side of Jewish guilt. It definitely has Mrs. Maisel vibes. It's narrated by Julia (we're on a first name basis now) and she really makes all the characters come to life. No surprise there. 
In the beginning there is a quote about someone asking if The Golden Hotel was the inspiration for the movie Dirty Dancing. The owner says "No, if it was it would have been called Dirtier Dancing". Ya, there were a lot of shenanigans going on in the Catskills back in the day. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overall Enjoyment 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

Did it grab and keep my attention? 🎣🎣🎣🎣🎣

Would I recommend it to anyone? Yes ➕

Would I want a sequel 🕮 Yes ➕ Even though there aren't any lose ends or cliff hangers, I enjoyed the characters and think she could pull off a book about the younger generation moving forward.

Would I want to read more books by this author 📚  Yes ➕

Trigger Warnings 💣💥 None

Spice 🌶 Not really. You know there are shenanigans going on but no intimate details.

Plot twist 🌪🌪🌪 A few minor twisters. 

Tidbits: This was a fun one. This was very much like Mrs. Maisel goes to Kellerman's (Dirty Dancing) except its owned by two Jewish families and no focus on dancers. The focus is on the owners and their families more so than on the guests.
The 60's are long gone and the "kids" aren't interested in family vacations with non-stop activities of the era long gone. But do they want to save it or let investors bulldoze and turn it into a casino? 
Of course, Julia Whelan brought EVERY character to life in the audio version. She is amazing and I especially enjoy when she reads the grandma's.  

🎧Julia Whelan

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