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One Last Dance
For fans of Downton Abbey and My Last Duchess...
'Times change, and sometimes for the better...'
As the twentieth century draws to a close, Esme Reddaway knows that she must uncover the truth. A truth that began during the First World War when Devlin Reddaway fell passionately in love with Esme's elder sister, Camilla, and promised to rebuild his ancestral home, Rosindell, for her.
But the war changes everything and Devlin returns to England to find that Camilla is engaged to someone else. Angry and vengeful, he marries Esme, who has been secretly in love with him for years. Esme tries to win Devlin's heart by reviving the annual summer dance. But as the years pass she fears that Rosindell has a malign influence on those who live there, and the revelation of a shocking secret on the night of the dance at Rosindell tears her life apart. Decades later, it is she who must lay the ghosts of Rosindell to rest.
Spanning the last century, Esme's story of sibling rivalry, heartbreak, betrayal and forgiveness is sure to appeal to fans of Kate Morton, Rachel Hore and Downton Abbey.
'Times change, and sometimes for the better...'
As the twentieth century draws to a close, Esme Reddaway knows that she must uncover the truth. A truth that began during the First World War when Devlin Reddaway fell passionately in love with Esme's elder sister, Camilla, and promised to rebuild his ancestral home, Rosindell, for her.
But the war changes everything and Devlin returns to England to find that Camilla is engaged to someone else. Angry and vengeful, he marries Esme, who has been secretly in love with him for years. Esme tries to win Devlin's heart by reviving the annual summer dance. But as the years pass she fears that Rosindell has a malign influence on those who live there, and the revelation of a shocking secret on the night of the dance at Rosindell tears her life apart. Decades later, it is she who must lay the ghosts of Rosindell to rest.
Spanning the last century, Esme's story of sibling rivalry, heartbreak, betrayal and forgiveness is sure to appeal to fans of Kate Morton, Rachel Hore and Downton Abbey.
514 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 30, 2014
56 people are currently reading
711 people want to read
About the author
Judith Lennox
28 books151 followersAka Judith Lennox-Smith
Judith Lennox lives in Cambridgeshire, England with her husband and three sons.
Judith Lennox lives in Cambridgeshire, England with her husband and three sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
July 3, 2020
3,75 sterren - Nederlandse Paperback. 🌹🦋🌹
Het boek begon erg sterk, meteen werd ik meegesleept. Maar plotseling werden er sprongen gemaakt in de tijd waardoor ik de voeling met de personages verloor. Ook de verhaallijn verliest na een tijd zijn historische betovering. Het verhaal van Devlin en Esme wordt sterk verteld. Maar ineens is er die versnelling en is de tijdslijn in dit boek niet meer duidelijk. Het verstelt niet alleen de relatie tussen de twee hoofdpersonen maar er zijn zoveel vertakkingen dat het het verhaal uiteindelijk te kort doet. Wel van genoten. Dat wel, maar het duidelijk beter geweest als het verdeelt was over meerdere boeken, deze meerdere personages. Een familie saga, die op de helft van het boek in een te hoge versnelling door ging en daardoor geloofwaardigheid voor mij verloor. Jammer. 🦋🌹🦋
Het boek begon erg sterk, meteen werd ik meegesleept. Maar plotseling werden er sprongen gemaakt in de tijd waardoor ik de voeling met de personages verloor. Ook de verhaallijn verliest na een tijd zijn historische betovering. Het verhaal van Devlin en Esme wordt sterk verteld. Maar ineens is er die versnelling en is de tijdslijn in dit boek niet meer duidelijk. Het verstelt niet alleen de relatie tussen de twee hoofdpersonen maar er zijn zoveel vertakkingen dat het het verhaal uiteindelijk te kort doet. Wel van genoten. Dat wel, maar het duidelijk beter geweest als het verdeelt was over meerdere boeken, deze meerdere personages. Een familie saga, die op de helft van het boek in een te hoge versnelling door ging en daardoor geloofwaardigheid voor mij verloor. Jammer. 🦋🌹🦋
September 23, 2022
For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks.wordpress.com/...
This was a very well-written story that spanned several decades. Although a saga, I don’t think this was a dated plot, a feature that I cannot help but define this genre by. Instead, Lennox’s writing is immersive and interesting as readers watch a family evolve over historical, life-changing events and secrecies.
This was a very well-written story that spanned several decades. Although a saga, I don’t think this was a dated plot, a feature that I cannot help but define this genre by. Instead, Lennox’s writing is immersive and interesting as readers watch a family evolve over historical, life-changing events and secrecies.
April 20, 2020
I loved this book so much. It was so lovely to read it started in 1917 and took me all the way through to 1974. It had all the intrigue and twists that I love in a book. I have other Judith Lennox’s books but not many but once things all back to normal I will certainly look for more of hers.
September 21, 2014
I had forgotten how enjoyable a well-written saga can be, that feeling of enormous satisfaction of following a family through their ups and downs, or more usually, downs and further downs, spanning decades isn’t replicated in the same way in any other type of genre and in One Last Dance I felt I’d travelled on a journey with Esme starting at the time of World War I and continuing to the 1970’s.
In 1974 Esme decides she wants her 75 birthday party to be held at Rosindell a somewhat diminished grand house which belongs to the Reddaway family and while we witness a scene where her daughter is somewhat perturbed at this choice of venue the story then switches back to 1917 when Devlin Reddaway visits England while on leave. The story that follows has all the normal components of love, jealousy, secrets and lies that you’d expect from the genre and pleasingly well-executed. The pace is measured and despite there being, as you’d imagine over such a time-span, quite an array of characters, these are well-defined so that there is no confusion. Judith Lennox has created some great characters, which develop well over the course of the book without ever losing their central characteristics thereby allowing the reader to sympathise or react in horror at the actions they choose to take.
The key protagonists are Esme and her elder, more beautiful sister, Camilla and Devlin Reddaway with the relationship between them being central to the story although as the book progresses we get to know the younger generations and understand their lives in context of the past. Much of the setting is the wonderfully described Rosindell, which Devlin’s father had failed to maintain and the house he is determined to restore to its former glory, but there are other settings that Judith Lennox brings to life as far apart as London during World War II and San Francisco in the 1960’s where another house is built by one of Devlin’s children.
The earlier part of the book concentrates on a close time-span depicting the events that will haunt the family for decades to come while later on the sections depict wider ranging dates which avoids slowing down the pace and better still these sections add further nuance and complexity to the story avoiding the feeling that they are included for filling purposes. In fact every one of the 500 plus pages adds a little to the story either in way of place, character or plot.
This is a gentle nostalgic story with enough action to keep the reader engaged with fantastic descriptions of both time and place that add to the richness of this read.
I’d like to thank Bookbridgr along with the publishers Headline Review for allowing me to read a copy of this book which was published in paperback on 11 September 2014.
In 1974 Esme decides she wants her 75 birthday party to be held at Rosindell a somewhat diminished grand house which belongs to the Reddaway family and while we witness a scene where her daughter is somewhat perturbed at this choice of venue the story then switches back to 1917 when Devlin Reddaway visits England while on leave. The story that follows has all the normal components of love, jealousy, secrets and lies that you’d expect from the genre and pleasingly well-executed. The pace is measured and despite there being, as you’d imagine over such a time-span, quite an array of characters, these are well-defined so that there is no confusion. Judith Lennox has created some great characters, which develop well over the course of the book without ever losing their central characteristics thereby allowing the reader to sympathise or react in horror at the actions they choose to take.
The key protagonists are Esme and her elder, more beautiful sister, Camilla and Devlin Reddaway with the relationship between them being central to the story although as the book progresses we get to know the younger generations and understand their lives in context of the past. Much of the setting is the wonderfully described Rosindell, which Devlin’s father had failed to maintain and the house he is determined to restore to its former glory, but there are other settings that Judith Lennox brings to life as far apart as London during World War II and San Francisco in the 1960’s where another house is built by one of Devlin’s children.
The earlier part of the book concentrates on a close time-span depicting the events that will haunt the family for decades to come while later on the sections depict wider ranging dates which avoids slowing down the pace and better still these sections add further nuance and complexity to the story avoiding the feeling that they are included for filling purposes. In fact every one of the 500 plus pages adds a little to the story either in way of place, character or plot.
This is a gentle nostalgic story with enough action to keep the reader engaged with fantastic descriptions of both time and place that add to the richness of this read.
I’d like to thank Bookbridgr along with the publishers Headline Review for allowing me to read a copy of this book which was published in paperback on 11 September 2014.
March 12, 2015
While an entertaining read, I'm going to cut to the chase and call this emotional pornography. I obviously read it to the end, and quite enjoyed it. However, I have major caveats about that. The book could be incredibly repetitive. One might argue that it's to show that humans repeat behavior, sometimes because our behaviour is learned from our parents and those others who influence us. Still, in a mere 500 pages (and had the font been normal, probably closer to about 300+) Lennox detailed the affairs, liaisons, and passions of three generations, from the First World War to the mid-70's. Since some of these affairs were deliberately supposed to remind the reader of earlier affairs of an earlier generation, it sometimes made it seem a bit contrived and monotonous.
Another huge problem with this book (and, I suspect, others of Lennox's) is that men behaving as rakes either disappear into the night or bitterly regret and make up for their actions. "Whores" and "tarts" cause problems for the virtuous women of the book that reverberate for years and make said saintesses miserable but noble martyrs. Had this not been a theme of the last book by Lennox I read (which was shockingly similar to this one) I would be less concerned. But it's absurd when literature written for and by women in this century makes the Brontes (and more grotesquely, Zola) look revolutionarily feminist in comparison.
Lennox is capable of writing an intriguing, interesting book, and I daresay for most readers she is an intense, enjoyable read. But at the end of this book, I think I'm going to look elsewhere for my family tragedies or romances.
The one thing that she left me with, which is actually incredibly positive--and I say this without a hint of irony--is that it is truly incumbent on oneself not to allow one's life to become a tragedy. Do not merely react to what other people around you do to you or the people you love. Continue fighting for the people and the things you love, because you truly only get one life, and to look back at 75 and think you might have wasted thirty years because you relied on other people to come to you, explain themselves to you, make things right with you--that would be true torture.
Another huge problem with this book (and, I suspect, others of Lennox's) is that men behaving as rakes either disappear into the night or bitterly regret and make up for their actions. "Whores" and "tarts" cause problems for the virtuous women of the book that reverberate for years and make said saintesses miserable but noble martyrs. Had this not been a theme of the last book by Lennox I read (which was shockingly similar to this one) I would be less concerned. But it's absurd when literature written for and by women in this century makes the Brontes (and more grotesquely, Zola) look revolutionarily feminist in comparison.
Lennox is capable of writing an intriguing, interesting book, and I daresay for most readers she is an intense, enjoyable read. But at the end of this book, I think I'm going to look elsewhere for my family tragedies or romances.
The one thing that she left me with, which is actually incredibly positive--and I say this without a hint of irony--is that it is truly incumbent on oneself not to allow one's life to become a tragedy. Do not merely react to what other people around you do to you or the people you love. Continue fighting for the people and the things you love, because you truly only get one life, and to look back at 75 and think you might have wasted thirty years because you relied on other people to come to you, explain themselves to you, make things right with you--that would be true torture.
May 27, 2022
3,75 sterren - Nederlandse paperback
Het boek begint erg sterk, meteen werd ik meegesleept. Maar plotseling werden er sprongen gemaakt in de tijd waardoor ik de feeling met de personages verloor. Ook de verhaallijn verliest na een tijd zijn historische betovering. Het verhaal van Devin en Esme wordt sterk verteld. Maar ineens is er die versnelling en is de tijdlijn in dit boek niet meer duidelijk. Het versnelt niet alleen de relatie tussen de twee hoofdpersonen maar er zijn zoveel vertakkingen dat het verhaal uiteindelijk tekort wordt gedaan.
Heb wel van het verhaal genoten. Dat wel, maar het was beter geweest dat de verhaallijnen van meerdere personages verdeeld was over meerdere boeken. Dat had de duidelijkheid ten goede gekomen.
Een familie saga welke op de helft van het boek in een te hoge versnelling doorging waardoor het voor mij aan geloofwaardigheid en leesplezier verloor.
Het boek begint erg sterk, meteen werd ik meegesleept. Maar plotseling werden er sprongen gemaakt in de tijd waardoor ik de feeling met de personages verloor. Ook de verhaallijn verliest na een tijd zijn historische betovering. Het verhaal van Devin en Esme wordt sterk verteld. Maar ineens is er die versnelling en is de tijdlijn in dit boek niet meer duidelijk. Het versnelt niet alleen de relatie tussen de twee hoofdpersonen maar er zijn zoveel vertakkingen dat het verhaal uiteindelijk tekort wordt gedaan.
Heb wel van het verhaal genoten. Dat wel, maar het was beter geweest dat de verhaallijnen van meerdere personages verdeeld was over meerdere boeken. Dat had de duidelijkheid ten goede gekomen.
Een familie saga welke op de helft van het boek in een te hoge versnelling doorging waardoor het voor mij aan geloofwaardigheid en leesplezier verloor.
June 22, 2018
This book has received a Discovering Diamonds Review:
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs
"... isweeps you along at a terrific pace through the first and second world wars and then through the austere fifties and swinging sixties, yet manages to hold your attention"
shortlisted for Book of the Month
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs
"... isweeps you along at a terrific pace through the first and second world wars and then through the austere fifties and swinging sixties, yet manages to hold your attention"
shortlisted for Book of the Month
January 23, 2023
Mir hat dieses Buch sehr gut gefallen mit all seinen geheimen Intrigen und Fehden innerhalb einer Familie über mehrere Generationen hinweg, stark verwoben mit der Geschichte eines alten Adelshauses und den Schicksalen der Menschen zur Zeit beider Weltkriege.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2015
Fantastic book
November 18, 2025
Kupując książkę Judith Lennox „Ostatni taniec” byłam przekonana, że to powieść z XXI wieku. Mimo tego, że opis czytałam kilkukrotnie to zawsze, kiedy sięgałam po tę książkę to o tym zapominałam. Dopiero, gdy zaczęłam czytać to dotarło do mnie, że to powieść obyczajowa osadzona w XX wieku.
Devlin Reddaway podczas I wojny światowej zakochał się bez pamięci w Camilli, ale ukochana, która obiecała wyjść za niego zamąć tuż po zakończeniu wojny składa śluby innemu. Devlin jest zrozpaczony, bo pokochał Camillę całym sercem i chciał dla niej odbudować rodzinną rezydencję Rosindell. Postanawia poślubić młodszą siostrę ukochanej Esmę, która jest zakochana w nim do szaleństwa. Młode małżeństwo żyje spokojnie, aż do momentu jednego z letnich bali, podczas, którego na jaw wychodzi tajemnica, która burzy wszystko, w co Esme wierzyła. W dniu swoich 75 urodzin Esme chce odkryć prawdę czy Rosindell jest nawiedzone czy przez lata ktoś ją po prostu dręczył.
Jestem z osób, które lubię cegiełki. Dla mnie im książka grubsza tym lepiej, ale jak się okazuje czasami można się mocno rozczarować. Dokładnie tak było w przypadku „Ostatniego tańca”. Książka jest ciekawie napisana. Naprawdę dobrze mi się czytało, ale ta cała tajemnica to było jak pompowanie balonika. Pod koniec czułam się tak jakby ktoś po prostu spuścił ze mnie powietrze. Zakończenie było bardzo rozczarowujące i niesatysfakcjonujące. Poczułam się oszukana, bo czy po to brnęłam przez ponad 600 stron, aby przeczytać coś takiego? Uważam, ze zasługiwałam na więcej. Nie tylko ja, ale każdy czytelnik, którego to rozczarowało.
Mamy tu niewykorzystany potencjał. Postaci się proste. Nie potraciłam żadnej polubić, z żadną się zżyć. Brakowało mi iskry w nich i tego czegoś. Kibicowałam Devlinowi i Esme od samego początku do końca, ale nie rozumiem jednego. Dlaczego autorka poszła tak utartym schematem. Camilla, jako starsza siostra jest idealna pod względem wyglądu i obycia, jest oczkiem w głowie matki, ale jednocześnie jest do szpiku kości zepsuta. Czemu tak? To takie oklepane. Wcale to nie było ciekawe.
Poprawne czytadło, do którego już nie wrócę.
"Ale postanowiłam być szczęśliwa. Nie można być szczęśliwym, kiedy nosi się w sobie gniew i urazę." ~ Judith Lennox, Ostatni taniec, Warszawa 2015, s. 461.
Devlin Reddaway podczas I wojny światowej zakochał się bez pamięci w Camilli, ale ukochana, która obiecała wyjść za niego zamąć tuż po zakończeniu wojny składa śluby innemu. Devlin jest zrozpaczony, bo pokochał Camillę całym sercem i chciał dla niej odbudować rodzinną rezydencję Rosindell. Postanawia poślubić młodszą siostrę ukochanej Esmę, która jest zakochana w nim do szaleństwa. Młode małżeństwo żyje spokojnie, aż do momentu jednego z letnich bali, podczas, którego na jaw wychodzi tajemnica, która burzy wszystko, w co Esme wierzyła. W dniu swoich 75 urodzin Esme chce odkryć prawdę czy Rosindell jest nawiedzone czy przez lata ktoś ją po prostu dręczył.
Jestem z osób, które lubię cegiełki. Dla mnie im książka grubsza tym lepiej, ale jak się okazuje czasami można się mocno rozczarować. Dokładnie tak było w przypadku „Ostatniego tańca”. Książka jest ciekawie napisana. Naprawdę dobrze mi się czytało, ale ta cała tajemnica to było jak pompowanie balonika. Pod koniec czułam się tak jakby ktoś po prostu spuścił ze mnie powietrze. Zakończenie było bardzo rozczarowujące i niesatysfakcjonujące. Poczułam się oszukana, bo czy po to brnęłam przez ponad 600 stron, aby przeczytać coś takiego? Uważam, ze zasługiwałam na więcej. Nie tylko ja, ale każdy czytelnik, którego to rozczarowało.
Mamy tu niewykorzystany potencjał. Postaci się proste. Nie potraciłam żadnej polubić, z żadną się zżyć. Brakowało mi iskry w nich i tego czegoś. Kibicowałam Devlinowi i Esme od samego początku do końca, ale nie rozumiem jednego. Dlaczego autorka poszła tak utartym schematem. Camilla, jako starsza siostra jest idealna pod względem wyglądu i obycia, jest oczkiem w głowie matki, ale jednocześnie jest do szpiku kości zepsuta. Czemu tak? To takie oklepane. Wcale to nie było ciekawe.
Poprawne czytadło, do którego już nie wrócę.
"Ale postanowiłam być szczęśliwa. Nie można być szczęśliwym, kiedy nosi się w sobie gniew i urazę." ~ Judith Lennox, Ostatni taniec, Warszawa 2015, s. 461.
July 9, 2023
A mesmerising tale of love, betrayal, and shocking secrets.Family complexity is the confluence of two key concepts: family structure (parental relationships to children and one another) and sibling composition (half, step, and full siblings).
Complex families are families where a child’s biological parents do not reside together, they may or may not have repartnered (forming step or blended families), and/or siblings are present who do not share the same parents. Simple two-biological-parent families (cohabiting or married) are families where all members are biologically related to all other members of the family, with only biological parents and full siblings residing together.
Minor conflicts between family members are normal, and they typically resolve on their own or with some constructive dialogue. But other conflicts can be much more significant. In cases where resentment and toxic patterns arise, family interactions can become lasting sources of frustration and tear relationships apart.Unresolved issues can often crop up during milestone events or times of change within the family. The family unit is a complex social system in which members interact to influence each other's behaviour. Family members interconnect, making it appropriate to view the system as a whole rather than as individual elements.
Some of the most common family betrayals that people experience are:
Unfaithfulness
Backstabbing
Gossip
Theft
Judgement
Lying
Abandonment
Humiliation
When betrayal hits you, it knocks the stuffing out of you and leaves a huge scar. It makes you question yourself and your relationship with others. When love turns against you, it can feel that you don’t have much left to live for. But breakdowns can create break-throughs. Challenges and mistakes can become some of our greatest opportunities to learn, grow, and improve.
Complex families are families where a child’s biological parents do not reside together, they may or may not have repartnered (forming step or blended families), and/or siblings are present who do not share the same parents. Simple two-biological-parent families (cohabiting or married) are families where all members are biologically related to all other members of the family, with only biological parents and full siblings residing together.
Minor conflicts between family members are normal, and they typically resolve on their own or with some constructive dialogue. But other conflicts can be much more significant. In cases where resentment and toxic patterns arise, family interactions can become lasting sources of frustration and tear relationships apart.Unresolved issues can often crop up during milestone events or times of change within the family. The family unit is a complex social system in which members interact to influence each other's behaviour. Family members interconnect, making it appropriate to view the system as a whole rather than as individual elements.
Some of the most common family betrayals that people experience are:
Unfaithfulness
Backstabbing
Gossip
Theft
Judgement
Lying
Abandonment
Humiliation
When betrayal hits you, it knocks the stuffing out of you and leaves a huge scar. It makes you question yourself and your relationship with others. When love turns against you, it can feel that you don’t have much left to live for. But breakdowns can create break-throughs. Challenges and mistakes can become some of our greatest opportunities to learn, grow, and improve.
May 24, 2019
Ik werd erg meegesleept door het sterke begin van het boek, de personnages werden op een fijne manier neergezet, het verhaal sprak me aan, het plaatje klopte. Plots werden er echter (flinke) sprongen in het verhaal gemaakt waardoor ik het wat kwijt was. Ik miste wat tussenin gebeurd was, de betovering was weg voor mij. Het maakt het boek niet 'slecht' maar voor mij was het een gemiste kans. Een ideaal boek voor tussendoor, als je op zoek bent naar ontspanning en niet meer.
January 15, 2018
A good read!
This story which covers two families through two World Wars is exciting and entertaining.I loved the way the author brings her characters alive,using the unexpected to keep the interest of the reader,and the beautiful descriptions of the countryside.This is definitely one of my favorite books!
This story which covers two families through two World Wars is exciting and entertaining.I loved the way the author brings her characters alive,using the unexpected to keep the interest of the reader,and the beautiful descriptions of the countryside.This is definitely one of my favorite books!
October 3, 2025
Very well written characters, but [personally I felt the bok was a bit disjointed and hard to follow. I also was not a big fan of the authors writing style but there were some sweet themes in the book.
Spoiler alert
Two half cousins dating!! sorry that didn't work for me
Spoiler alert
Two half cousins dating!! sorry that didn't work for me
February 25, 2018
Don't miss out on this book
I couldn't put this book down, absolutely absorbing. A big thank you Judith Lennox for another wonderful read. Has every emotion within the pages
I couldn't put this book down, absolutely absorbing. A big thank you Judith Lennox for another wonderful read. Has every emotion within the pages
April 19, 2018
All the characters were extremely boring and the book drags on about 200 pages too long.
September 1, 2020
I just like Judith Lennox writing style. Always heart warming stories. This book is just wonderful as her last books.
April 18, 2022
Unterhaltsam
Read
July 19, 2023A good holiday read
Well written family saga, with a range of believable characters. Accessible holiday read, easy enough to pick up and put down.
Well written family saga, with a range of believable characters. Accessible holiday read, easy enough to pick up and put down.
October 3, 2014
One Last Dance is the gripping new novel from Judith Lennox. This is a family saga spanning three generations beginning during World War One and continuing right up until the early 1970’s. At over 500 pages this is quite a long book but it does give the author ample time to develop most of the characters and for the reader to follow the ups and downs of the family. I love historical fiction novels and this certainly did not disappoint. Judith Lennox writes really well and the story is full of varied characters some you will love and others you will just despise. The plot progresses at just the right pace without the reader becoming bored and the author made the transition from one section to the next appear seamless. Ultimately this is a story of love, betrayal, sibling rivalry, power and forgiveness and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
In the first half of the novel the story focuses on the Langdon sisters- Esme and Camilla they are poles apart in every way and this is reflected throughout the book. Camilla is ruthless and always wants what isn’t hers and is determined to achieve this even though her methods may hurt others. Esme is the younger sister, shy and quiet she yearns for the simple things in life and to be loved by someone special. Onto the scene arrives Devlin Reddaway, he has returned wounded from World War One and soon catches the eye of Camilla, falling deep in love and wanting to marry her. But early on Camilla shows her nasty side and agrees to marry another man despite her promises to Devlin. Needing a woman to help restore and run his crumbling ancestral home Rosindell House, Devlin turns to Esme and soon they are married. Esme’s love and affection for Devlin is never fully returned once they are married, it really frustrated me that Esme would marry knowing full well that her husband to be couldn’t return the love she felt. Surely that is the point of marriage to experience love and a happy relationship together?
Esme’s marriage gets off to a rocky start and doesn’t really get much better even though she goes on to have two children. Everything is built upon a lie and Camilla’s hold is felt for many years to come. I really didn’t like Camilla, she came across as evil, vain, self-centred and basically just out to ensnare a rich man who would keep her in the way she had become accustomed to. Her actions had far reaching consequences for the generations to come and it just highlighted how one lie can change the fortunate of everyone so dramatically.
Rosindell House is a character in itself throughout the novel, it seems to have an unnatural hold over all its occupants and people never really seem happy there. It is the main place where many of the key events are played out during the course of the book, it offers some sort of solace for Esme but also later in the novel a refuge for Coral as she tries to unravel the past and contemplate her future. Later generations always seem drawn to Rosindell House and each new section of the book introduced us to new characters and they all one way or another became interconnected with the house. At one point there were numerous characters being introduced and it did become a bit difficult to remember who was going out with who and how they were all connected. Especially in the final sections of the book it did appear to be slightly rushed as if after 500 pages the author needed to tie up loose ends quickly. We never really got to know enough about Stephen (Esme’s grandson) and Coral ( Camilla’s granddaughter) and therefore I wasn’t too pushed as to how their story ended.
Overall a great read that I would highly recommend. This book is long enough to spend several hours curled up on the couch during cold winter nights as you become lost in the world of Rosindell House and its inhabitants. With such vivid descriptions I felt I was really there with each character and was eager to see how events would unfold and connections would be made. Judith Lennox has produced another terrific novel and I can’t wait to read her next offering.
In the first half of the novel the story focuses on the Langdon sisters- Esme and Camilla they are poles apart in every way and this is reflected throughout the book. Camilla is ruthless and always wants what isn’t hers and is determined to achieve this even though her methods may hurt others. Esme is the younger sister, shy and quiet she yearns for the simple things in life and to be loved by someone special. Onto the scene arrives Devlin Reddaway, he has returned wounded from World War One and soon catches the eye of Camilla, falling deep in love and wanting to marry her. But early on Camilla shows her nasty side and agrees to marry another man despite her promises to Devlin. Needing a woman to help restore and run his crumbling ancestral home Rosindell House, Devlin turns to Esme and soon they are married. Esme’s love and affection for Devlin is never fully returned once they are married, it really frustrated me that Esme would marry knowing full well that her husband to be couldn’t return the love she felt. Surely that is the point of marriage to experience love and a happy relationship together?
Esme’s marriage gets off to a rocky start and doesn’t really get much better even though she goes on to have two children. Everything is built upon a lie and Camilla’s hold is felt for many years to come. I really didn’t like Camilla, she came across as evil, vain, self-centred and basically just out to ensnare a rich man who would keep her in the way she had become accustomed to. Her actions had far reaching consequences for the generations to come and it just highlighted how one lie can change the fortunate of everyone so dramatically.
Rosindell House is a character in itself throughout the novel, it seems to have an unnatural hold over all its occupants and people never really seem happy there. It is the main place where many of the key events are played out during the course of the book, it offers some sort of solace for Esme but also later in the novel a refuge for Coral as she tries to unravel the past and contemplate her future. Later generations always seem drawn to Rosindell House and each new section of the book introduced us to new characters and they all one way or another became interconnected with the house. At one point there were numerous characters being introduced and it did become a bit difficult to remember who was going out with who and how they were all connected. Especially in the final sections of the book it did appear to be slightly rushed as if after 500 pages the author needed to tie up loose ends quickly. We never really got to know enough about Stephen (Esme’s grandson) and Coral ( Camilla’s granddaughter) and therefore I wasn’t too pushed as to how their story ended.
Overall a great read that I would highly recommend. This book is long enough to spend several hours curled up on the couch during cold winter nights as you become lost in the world of Rosindell House and its inhabitants. With such vivid descriptions I felt I was really there with each character and was eager to see how events would unfold and connections would be made. Judith Lennox has produced another terrific novel and I can’t wait to read her next offering.
April 3, 2014
On leave during the First World War, Devlin Reddaway, in love with the beautiful Camilla Langdon, makes her an offer of marriage, and a promise that he will restore his ancient family home Rosindell to all its former glory for her. Thoughts of Camilla and their future together are what get Devlin through the war, yet when he returns home it is to find her engaged to another man. Distraught and finding himself in an awkward compromising position with Camilla's younger sister Esme, who has been in love with him for years, Devlin makes her a practical proposal of marriage, even though his heart still belongs to Camilla. However, Esme is certain she can in time win his love; the key she believes is his beloved Rosindell, and together they set about renovating the house, even restoring the tradition of the annual summer dance. Yet as time goes on Esme comes to believe that Rosindell somehow casts a dark shadow over its inhabitants, a curse almost falling on the family; though years later and now an old woman, she knows she must face up to the past in order to truly lay the ghosts of old to rest.
This is a sprawling family saga, stretching across three generations and covering two world wars, taking us up to the early 1970s. Furthermore, Lennox's writing perfectly captures the changing times that her characters inhabit, the shifts in society and way of living. Her period detail in particular is wonderfully evocative, from the horrors of the World War 1 battlefields of France, to bomb torn London in WW2; the scenes all burst to life from the pages, casting you right back to that other time and place.
There are a vast array of characters, whose paths and connections criss-cross in tangled webs; however, at the story's heart is the relationship between Devlin and Esme. Indeed my favourite part of the book was the first section focusing on the love triangle between Devlin, Camilla and Esme, and the early days of their marriage. I thought that Lennox explored the gradual evolving relationship between them with all its complexities really well; and even later in the book their on-going bittersweet romance had me enthralled. I liked following their children's' lives too, Zoe and Matthew both interesting characters; though I think by the time we reached the third generation I cared less, as I didn't feel there was enough time to really get to know Stephen or Coral and as such felt less invested as to what happened to them.
Perhaps the most central character to the story, however, is Rosindell itself, the Reddaways ancient family home in Devon; which Lennox describes so vividly that I really could imagine it in my mind's eye. I could understand Devlin's obsession with the place, how so many different characters were enticed by it, could feel a nostalgia for what the place had been in its golden age as it later fell into ruin again.
A story of sibling rivalry, jealousy and betrayal, of families and the ties that bind, of forgiveness and mostly of love; One Last Dance is a wonderfully nostalgic and romantic read. A charmingly old-fashioned story that you can lose yourself in, with characters whom you come to care about despite their faults and weaknesses; it's rather like snuggling in to watch a Sunday evening period drama. Perhaps Lennox overstretches it a bit, the very last part not quite sustaining my interest as much, however, overall thoroughly enjoyable.
This is a sprawling family saga, stretching across three generations and covering two world wars, taking us up to the early 1970s. Furthermore, Lennox's writing perfectly captures the changing times that her characters inhabit, the shifts in society and way of living. Her period detail in particular is wonderfully evocative, from the horrors of the World War 1 battlefields of France, to bomb torn London in WW2; the scenes all burst to life from the pages, casting you right back to that other time and place.
There are a vast array of characters, whose paths and connections criss-cross in tangled webs; however, at the story's heart is the relationship between Devlin and Esme. Indeed my favourite part of the book was the first section focusing on the love triangle between Devlin, Camilla and Esme, and the early days of their marriage. I thought that Lennox explored the gradual evolving relationship between them with all its complexities really well; and even later in the book their on-going bittersweet romance had me enthralled. I liked following their children's' lives too, Zoe and Matthew both interesting characters; though I think by the time we reached the third generation I cared less, as I didn't feel there was enough time to really get to know Stephen or Coral and as such felt less invested as to what happened to them.
Perhaps the most central character to the story, however, is Rosindell itself, the Reddaways ancient family home in Devon; which Lennox describes so vividly that I really could imagine it in my mind's eye. I could understand Devlin's obsession with the place, how so many different characters were enticed by it, could feel a nostalgia for what the place had been in its golden age as it later fell into ruin again.
A story of sibling rivalry, jealousy and betrayal, of families and the ties that bind, of forgiveness and mostly of love; One Last Dance is a wonderfully nostalgic and romantic read. A charmingly old-fashioned story that you can lose yourself in, with characters whom you come to care about despite their faults and weaknesses; it's rather like snuggling in to watch a Sunday evening period drama. Perhaps Lennox overstretches it a bit, the very last part not quite sustaining my interest as much, however, overall thoroughly enjoyable.
March 13, 2016
Ich muss hier wirklich aufpassen nicht zu viel zum Inhalt zu sagen, denn es passiert recht viel in diesem Buch. Und zugleich auch recht wenig ...
Meine komplette Rezension/Meinung lest ihr auf www.beautybooks82.blogspot.de
Das Buch steigt in der Situation ein, die auf dem Buchrücken erwähnt ist. (s. Foto)
Esme möchte ihren 75. Geburtstag in dem Herrenhaus "Rosindell" feiern und ihre Familie dort vereinen. Aber was hat es mit Rosindell auf sich?
Dazu springen wir direkt von 1974 in das Jahr 1917.
Ein sehr großer Sprung, aber ich habe das geliebt. Das Buch arbeitet sich Schritt für Schritt von 1917 an durch die Geschichte der Familie bis in das Jahr 1974, wo die Geschichte dann Kapitel 1 wieder aufnimmt und endet.
Und das habe ich so nicht erwartet, denn das Buch beginnt 1917 ganz anders als es endet.
Devlin Reddaway ist ein junger Soldat, der sein Familienanwesen Rosindell verlassen hat um in den Krieg zu ziehen. Er hängt sehr an seiner Heimat, aber er erfüllt auch seine Pflichten sehr gewissenhaft. Seine Beschreibung und sein Auftreten in dem Buch versetzt einen direkt in eine andere Zeit, denn trotz dem sehr jungen Alter lesen wir hier von einem gestandenen Mann. Leider hat die Erfahrung im Krieg zu diesem Mann gemacht und tiefe Spuren hinterlassen.
Kurz bevor er wieder an die Front muss lernt er Camilla kennen und es bahnt sich sehr schnell eine kleine Romanze an.
Und das hat mir beim Lesen richtig gefallen, da es so herzzerreissend und gefühlvoll war. In meinem Kopf hatte ich direkt den Film "Pearl Harbour" und war sehr berührt von dem Leben, das Einzelpersonen und Pärchen damals führen mussten.
Devlin empfindet tiefe Liebe für Camilla und ich direkt für die beiden. Aber das soll nicht so bleiben ...
Als Devlin verletzt von der Front nach Hause kommt ist alles anders als er sich erhofft hat und Camilla hat sich verändert.
Für Devlin bleibt die Liebe bestehen, aber er zieht sich zurück in seine andere Liebe. Rosindell.
Dort verbringt er die Nachkriegsjahre und baut sich ein neues Leben auf. Mit Esme, Camillas Schwester.
Esme würde alles für Devlin tun, aber sie hat immer 2 Konkurrentinnen: Camilla und Rosindell.
March 19, 2016
Ich muss ehrlich sagen, ich dachte die ersten 100 Seiten, ich muss das Buch weglegen, weil es für mich sehr schwer war in diese Geschichte reinzukommen. Auf den ersten Seiten erfährt man vor allem die Geschichte von Devlin und Camilla und wie er in den Krieg geht. Leider funktioniert es nicht, da Devlin in den Krieg muss und Camilla sich anders entscheidet. Er findet aber Esme.
Allerdings braucht es aber bis zum 75. Geburtstag von Esme bis dise, die Tragödie beendet, die das Leben aller Familienmitglieder deutlich beeinträchtigt hat….
Wie bereits gesagt, waren die ersten 100 Seiten sehr zäh zu lesen, kann aber nicht erklären an was das gelegen hat. Danach fand ich die Geschichte sehr interessant. Ich fand die Beschreibungen der Autorin über das gesellschaftliche Leben und dass sich trotzdem einige der Damen für eine Scheidung entschieden haben sehr interessant. Weil zu dieser Zeit hatte man ja einen schlechten Ruf, wenn man geschieden ist.
Aber ich fand dennoch das die Lebensweise gut dem Leser näher gebracht wurde. Auch die Erzählungen über Rosindall und auch die anderen Häuser waren schön und man hatte das Gefühl dabei zu sein.
Die Beschreibungen der Schwestern ist gut gelungen, vor allem Camilla, wurde richtig gut beschrieben, obwohl sie jemand ist, mit dem ich keinen Kontakt wünschen würde, auch das sie gegen Ende alleine war, hat gezeigt, dass sie nicht sehr nett war.
Die Autorin hat auch die Interaktionen der Menschen, die in der Geschichte vorkommen, faszinierend beschrieben, weil wie kann jeder so neidisch und intrigant sein. Auch Devlin und Esme waren sich bei ihrer Hochzeit nicht unbedingt gut gesinnt.
Die Geschichte war aber dennoch, teilweise sehr langatmig, weil wirklich alles sehr detailreich beschrieben wurde und für mich auch sehr viele Menschen vorgekommen sind. Die Zeitsprünge haben mich jetzt nicht gestört.
Das Buch war jetzt das erste der Autorin, welches ich gelesen habe, aber mir hat der Schreibstil gut gefallen.
Das Ende hat mir gut gefallen, dass man diese Art Fluch, doch noch von dem Haus nehmen hatte können.
Zur Covergestaltung kann ich nur sagen, es hat mir gefallen. Ich finde es hat etwas spannendes.
Allerdings braucht es aber bis zum 75. Geburtstag von Esme bis dise, die Tragödie beendet, die das Leben aller Familienmitglieder deutlich beeinträchtigt hat….
Wie bereits gesagt, waren die ersten 100 Seiten sehr zäh zu lesen, kann aber nicht erklären an was das gelegen hat. Danach fand ich die Geschichte sehr interessant. Ich fand die Beschreibungen der Autorin über das gesellschaftliche Leben und dass sich trotzdem einige der Damen für eine Scheidung entschieden haben sehr interessant. Weil zu dieser Zeit hatte man ja einen schlechten Ruf, wenn man geschieden ist.
Aber ich fand dennoch das die Lebensweise gut dem Leser näher gebracht wurde. Auch die Erzählungen über Rosindall und auch die anderen Häuser waren schön und man hatte das Gefühl dabei zu sein.
Die Beschreibungen der Schwestern ist gut gelungen, vor allem Camilla, wurde richtig gut beschrieben, obwohl sie jemand ist, mit dem ich keinen Kontakt wünschen würde, auch das sie gegen Ende alleine war, hat gezeigt, dass sie nicht sehr nett war.
Die Autorin hat auch die Interaktionen der Menschen, die in der Geschichte vorkommen, faszinierend beschrieben, weil wie kann jeder so neidisch und intrigant sein. Auch Devlin und Esme waren sich bei ihrer Hochzeit nicht unbedingt gut gesinnt.
Die Geschichte war aber dennoch, teilweise sehr langatmig, weil wirklich alles sehr detailreich beschrieben wurde und für mich auch sehr viele Menschen vorgekommen sind. Die Zeitsprünge haben mich jetzt nicht gestört.
Das Buch war jetzt das erste der Autorin, welches ich gelesen habe, aber mir hat der Schreibstil gut gefallen.
Das Ende hat mir gut gefallen, dass man diese Art Fluch, doch noch von dem Haus nehmen hatte können.
Zur Covergestaltung kann ich nur sagen, es hat mir gefallen. Ich finde es hat etwas spannendes.
March 26, 2015
Inhalt:
Eine Familiengeschichte über drei Generationen und das sagenumwobene England. Esme muss erst 75 Jahre alt werden um alles zu verstehen und dann kann sie sowie ihre Familie endlich Frieden schließen …
Stil:
Ich habe ein Buch von Judith Lennox im Schrank und kann mich erinnern, dass ich es damals ganz gut gefunden habe – sonst hätte ich es nicht aufgehoben – also freute ich mich über neuen Stoff dieser Autorin. Leider bin ich mit “Ein letzter Tanz” nicht warm geworden. Ich weiß nicht ob es an den gefühlten 300 Personen lag oder daran, dass dieses Hörbuch gekürzt war und ich immer dachte: “oh mist, nun habe ich was verpasst! / bin ich eingeschlafen oder haben die den Teil einfach nicht erwähnt? / was ist da gerade passiert?” Ich konnte der Geschichte zwar irgendwie folgen, aber es war immer so ein fader Beigeschmack und mehr ein zusammen reimen als ein gemütliches zuhören und das fand ich schade. Cathlen Gawlich hat, wie immer, richtig gut gelesen und die Betonung war wieder einmalig!
Charaktere:
Oh man, das waren echt so viele und das hat mir den Einstieg und das gemütliche folgen echt erschwert. Kurz vor Ende des Hörbuches hatte ich die Namen dann aber alle intus ;) Nur schade, dass mir dann auf den letzten Minuten nicht mehr viel blieb um meine Sympathie an die Figuren zu geben :(
Cover:
Das Cover ist so wunderschön und es passt so schön zur Geschichte – die kleine Esme, die vor dem Herrenhaus steht.
Fazit:
Als Buch mag sich “Ein letzter Tanz” sehr gut lesen, aber als gekürztes Hörbuch ist es einfach nicht zu empfehle. Es gibt zu viele Charaktere und die Handlung scheint zu hüpfen, ein folgen während einer langen Autofahrt oder nur so nebenbei erscheint fast unmöglich, daher gibt es von mir auch nur 2 Sterne. Eine Leseempfehlung bekommt aber das Buch, denn die Geschichte war schon recht interessant, gerade wer auf Intrigen, Missgunst und Neid innerhalb von Familien steht – bzw. sowas gerne liest – kommt hier voll auf seine Kosten.
Eine Familiengeschichte über drei Generationen und das sagenumwobene England. Esme muss erst 75 Jahre alt werden um alles zu verstehen und dann kann sie sowie ihre Familie endlich Frieden schließen …
Stil:
Ich habe ein Buch von Judith Lennox im Schrank und kann mich erinnern, dass ich es damals ganz gut gefunden habe – sonst hätte ich es nicht aufgehoben – also freute ich mich über neuen Stoff dieser Autorin. Leider bin ich mit “Ein letzter Tanz” nicht warm geworden. Ich weiß nicht ob es an den gefühlten 300 Personen lag oder daran, dass dieses Hörbuch gekürzt war und ich immer dachte: “oh mist, nun habe ich was verpasst! / bin ich eingeschlafen oder haben die den Teil einfach nicht erwähnt? / was ist da gerade passiert?” Ich konnte der Geschichte zwar irgendwie folgen, aber es war immer so ein fader Beigeschmack und mehr ein zusammen reimen als ein gemütliches zuhören und das fand ich schade. Cathlen Gawlich hat, wie immer, richtig gut gelesen und die Betonung war wieder einmalig!
Charaktere:
Oh man, das waren echt so viele und das hat mir den Einstieg und das gemütliche folgen echt erschwert. Kurz vor Ende des Hörbuches hatte ich die Namen dann aber alle intus ;) Nur schade, dass mir dann auf den letzten Minuten nicht mehr viel blieb um meine Sympathie an die Figuren zu geben :(
Cover:
Das Cover ist so wunderschön und es passt so schön zur Geschichte – die kleine Esme, die vor dem Herrenhaus steht.
Fazit:
Als Buch mag sich “Ein letzter Tanz” sehr gut lesen, aber als gekürztes Hörbuch ist es einfach nicht zu empfehle. Es gibt zu viele Charaktere und die Handlung scheint zu hüpfen, ein folgen während einer langen Autofahrt oder nur so nebenbei erscheint fast unmöglich, daher gibt es von mir auch nur 2 Sterne. Eine Leseempfehlung bekommt aber das Buch, denn die Geschichte war schon recht interessant, gerade wer auf Intrigen, Missgunst und Neid innerhalb von Familien steht – bzw. sowas gerne liest – kommt hier voll auf seine Kosten.
October 27, 2014
Book synopsis-As the twentieth century draws to a close, Esme Reddaway knows that she must uncover the truth. A truth that began during the First World War when Devlin Reddaway fell passionately in love with Esme's elder sister, Camilla, and promised to rebuild his ancestral home, Rosindell, for her.
But the war changes everything and Devlin returns to England to find that Camilla is engaged to someone else. Angry and vengeful, he marries Esme, who has been secretly in love with him for years. Esme tries to win Devlin's heart by reviving the annual summer dance. But as the years pass she fears that Rosindell has a malign influence on those who live there, and the revelation of a shocking secret on the night of the dance at Rosindell tears her life apart. Decades later, it is she who must lay the ghosts of Rosindell to rest.
A charming,pleasant and effortless read. Bitty in places when other characters came in and out fleetingly.
Overall i enjoyed it and there was one little surprise at the end.
But the war changes everything and Devlin returns to England to find that Camilla is engaged to someone else. Angry and vengeful, he marries Esme, who has been secretly in love with him for years. Esme tries to win Devlin's heart by reviving the annual summer dance. But as the years pass she fears that Rosindell has a malign influence on those who live there, and the revelation of a shocking secret on the night of the dance at Rosindell tears her life apart. Decades later, it is she who must lay the ghosts of Rosindell to rest.
A charming,pleasant and effortless read. Bitty in places when other characters came in and out fleetingly.
Overall i enjoyed it and there was one little surprise at the end.
July 18, 2016
This was exactly what I thought it would be. An easy to read book that features an entire cast of unlikeable characters and a twisting, long plot line of ridiculous interweaving, utterly unbelievable stories. It doesn't exactly show British people in the best possible light, in between the adultery, the unpleasant behaviour, the whining and the self pity. But regardless, a pleasant waste of a few days.
February 8, 2023
Improbable plot lines but quite an endearing read in spite of that. A little too long too.
October 2, 2014
I seldom read books, and I am usually a slow reader. But I finished this book in 6 days. Because I simply cannot resist the temptation unfolding the story beneath another story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews