The Last Season

by Jenny Judson, Danielle Mahfood

Set in Victorian England, The Last Season is a story of social upheaval, changing fortunes, and an unlikely romance that develops between a well-to-do heiress and a stable boy. When they meet as adolescents at Drayton Manor, the well-to-do Cassandra Drayton and the manor's stable boy, Crispin St. John, seem destined for very different futures. Yet, the two strike up a secret and forbidden friendship. Once discovered, they are forced apart, with Cassandra staying locked in her father's world and Crispin traveling to India to make his own way. Years later, when Cassandra's high-society London lifestyle is shattered by her father's spectacular fall from grace, she is surprised to reunite with her childhood friend, no longer a penniless boy but an enterprising young man who has risen through the ranks of the Indian cotton trade. As they navigate changing circumstances, fickle friendships, and social upheaval, Cassandra and Crispin find that the bond they developed as children is a lasting one.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance, Historical Romance, Fiction, Historical, Audiobook

301 pages, Paperback

Published October 19, 2021

About the author

Jenny Judson is the coauthor of The Last Season. She received a B.A. in English and American Literature from Harvard College and an M.Ed. from Harvard Graduate School of Education. She and coauthor Danielle Mahfood met in high school, where they shared a mutual love of historical fiction and romance novels. Instead of passing notes in class, they would write short excerpts from imaginary novels that featured themselves and their classmates as characters caught up in tales of romance and adventure. Many years later, they came together in New York City to begin writing The Last Season, their first novel.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good debut novel, I highly recommend listening to it and the narrator was excellent. ❤️

[Mary Jackson _TheMaryReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This period novel set in 19th Century England, is a wonderful coming of age story of friendship and love.
It is a good 4 star read for historical fans.
I recommend it. The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

[Susan Ballard (subakkabookstuff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I haven’t read many historical romances. But I love good historical fiction and add romance and drama, and you’ll have me hooked. Set in the Victorian Era of England, when your standing in society was everything, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 is a love story that shows that the heart knows no bounds of wealth, class, or standing.

Cassandra, daughter of Lord Drayton, is well-to-do and lives on beautiful Drayton Manor. But she is motherless and friendless except for her governess, Miss Fairfax. When Cassandra meets the stable boy, Crispin, they develop an unlikely friendship in secret. Once discovered, Crispin is forced off the Manor and sent to Calcutta, India.

As the years pass, Cassandra must enter society, attend balls, entertain, and even travel to America with her father. Crispin, meanwhile, works his way up to a right-standing businessman in the cotton trade. When the two childhood friends finally reunite, they are both pledged to others, but they show their true intentions when circumstances take a hard turn.


Thank you to @suzyapprovedbooktours @getredprbooks and @daniandjenny.authors for an invite to the tour and a gifted copy.

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was like a saga instead of a love story. I was hoping for something different. This is like a BBC movie that is all long and boring and goes no where. The love story did not convince me. I was bored and starting skimming at about 70 percent. Not my thing. This would be a R rated movie.

[Zibby Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in Victorian England, The Last Season is a story of social upheaval, changing fortunes, and an unlikely romance between a well-to-do heiress and a stable boy. It's a historical fiction novel about two people from very different societal levels in life set in the 1860s and 1870s. Cassandra and Crispin St. John are destined for very different futures when they meet. Yet, the two strike up a secret and forbidden friendship. Once discovered, they are forced apart, with Cassandra staying locked in her father's world and Crispin traveling to India to make his own way. Eventually, they reunite and find that the bond they developed as children is a lasting one. A financial investment becomes the center of an economic turn and is what makes the plot pivot. The story revolves around the financial crisis of that time when there were rising and falling fortunes. But at its core, it is a love story.

The authors did a fantastic amount of research and gave us a lot of information on the Victorian era. They give us all the background and the history of that era, but they didn't overly share it, so it doesn't take the reader out of the narrative.

To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/jen...

[Katie Bogdan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

There are so many things that this book contains that I normally do not like - a romance where the main couple doesn't progress beyond kissing on page, tons of exposition and time spent away from the romance, a vignette style timeline taking place over multiple years, and characters that don't necessarily stand out or break free from the society in which they live.

Yet, there is something about this book that I ended up really enjoying! I can't even put my finger on it, but I found myself being really charmed by this book. The experience was very reminiscent of when I read the HR classic Edenbrooke earlier this year - both books just have this simplicity to them that just slowly wins you over as you read.

There were a few things that didn't make this a perfect read for me - the beginning was a bit slow and the ending came rather quickly - but I had a really lovely time with this book and I hope that more people get the chance to experience it!

Thank you to NetGalley and TouchPoint Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

[Robin McKinnon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to read this book set in the Victorian Period as it reminded me of a certain series on Netflix that has the world swooning. However, I didn’t feel a connection to the characters, I didn’t feel that Cassie and Crispin had chemistry. I felt the book jumped around in time, one month passed, 5 months and then years go by with little to no explanation of what happened during those stretches of time. The idea for the story is great, but the characters and their relationship to each other fell flat, which left me wanting more, more romance, more feeling, more depth.

[JP · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant debut novel that was absolutely wonderful! I loved everything about it and hope these two talented authors write another novel. Victorian age is one of my favorite time periods and this story gave me all the feels of a great historical romance.
There was stolen kisses, debtors prison, trips to India and America and many chances to lose your place in society. This really could be made into a BBC Masterpiece Theater series.
I was extremely happy with the ending and I’m not going to give anything else away. Read this book. It’s really good. I highly recommend it.
Thanks TouchPoint Press via Netgalley.

[Annie Mondesir · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story that most of us girls grew up dreaming about when we were reading our “Little Women” or “Jane Eyre” books. I really enjoyed this romp through Victorian-era England. Jenny Judson & Danielle Mahfood nailed the perfect recipe for everything I cherish in a rolling romantic saga. I fell for both character and place!

This is a great world to fall into! I had fancy gloves, a special tea cup, pen, journal and candle from the “Bridgestone” Book Box, and I loved using them while I took a deep dive into “The Last Season”! #FunTimes Great idea for your Book Club!

I received a copy of the book from TouchPoint Press via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

#ZibbyOwens #AnnieMcDonnell #TheWriteReview #AnniesFavorites #NetGalley

[Nursebookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is always that nostalgic feeling reading about a wealthy young woman falling for a stable boy, and then years later finding their fortunes have turned. That is Cassandra and Crispin’s story. What I love about this Victorian era story is the gorgeous writing that is immersive of the British high society and forbidden love. I was truly swept by Judson and Mahfood’s well written and well researched Regency romance - I enjoyed this sweeping gem. Well recommended!

[Jane Gilbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Last Season, a period novel set in 19th Century England, is a tale that is not uncommon for the time period and setting – spoiled little rich girl defies her father and sneaks away each day to see her best friend, the stable boy, and learn to ride horses, which is strictly forbidden because her mother was killed riding a horse.

Forbidden love is a common theme. Anyone who has read Jane Austen is familiar with the balls of the season when the wealthy young ladies are paraded around hoping to catch the eye of the wealthiest bachelor in attendance. Wealthy parents want wealthy sons-in-law in order to increase their wealth – not unlike an auction really.

These authors, however, throw in a stable boy whose father was a gentleman, accepted in social circles, until he gambled away the family’s fortune and ended up in prison due to unpaid debts. Crispin, unfortunately, only has his father, so most of his childhood is spent in prison alongside his father. Crispin will do anything he can to pay off his father’s debt and rebuild what the family once had. His aunt, who works as a governess, gets him a job as a stable boy. That’s when he meets Cassandra. They become best friends, sharing afternoons riding horses and talking about their dreams. That is, until strategy strikes. Cassandra is thrown from her horse.

The book is somewhat slow in developing the story, but this is where the book starts to get more interesting. Crispin, who is only fifteen, is sent to India alone to find work. He is just a child all alone on a boat for almost a month. Fortunately, he meets the Foresters, a nice couple who takes Crispin under their wing, introduces him to other boys working in India, and helps him find a job.

Judson and Mahfood not only take Crispin’s life into a different direction but also use such vivid imagery that the reader experiences the overwhelming sights, smells, and sounds in India as though visiting for the first time. Before Crispin even gets there, Mrs. Forester tries to describe Calcutta to him.

“It is a place of contrasts – crowded and tightly packed bazaars a stone’s throw from open avenues and marble palaces – stifling heat followed cool monsoon rains…The ports are teeming with all manner of people, Indian and British. Some half-dressed and others in finery to rival any aristocrat and everything in between.”

Then, when the boat finally arrives in India, twenty-three days after setting sail, Crispin enters a world so far removed from England, and not just geographically.

“cacophonous sounds…pungent smells…so many people, teeming like a colony of ants…colors…a dazzling kaleidoscope of color.”

What is most interesting about The Last Season is not how the story ends. Rather, it is the journeys Crispin and Cassandra take to get there. As they grow up so far apart, a not-so-chance encounter takes them back to their childhood and the bond they shared as children – best friends. This prompts secret correspondence with each telling the other all about their lives, including significant others and plans for the future.

The Last Season is more than a romance. It is a story about true friendship, love, and what is important in life. Regardless of the period in which it is written or the circumstances in which the reader finds herself or himself, the messages apply. The themes are universal across time periods and geographic locations as well as socioeconomic status. Everyone can relate to love, loss, friendship, sacrifice, and family. The descriptions of everything from the environment to the dresses the young ladies wear are so rich that the readers need only to close their eyes and open their minds to experience it all alongside Crispin and Cassandra. Starting off rather slowly, the deeper one gets into the book, the more difficult it becomes to put down.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I ended up DNFing this book at the 50% mark. I don't think this is a bad book, I just wasn't interested or invested in the characters. I was hoping this was going to be more of a historical romance, but at the 50% mark we hadn't gotten any of that. I found myself zoning out and not engaging with the story. I think if you're looking for a more historical novel set in the mid to late 1800's you may enjoy this.

[Laurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A tolerable romance story but, the narrator almost ruined it - overly dramatic.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a beautiful coming of age story of friendship and the path to love. I was invested in the characters and wanted nothing more than them getting together for their HEA. Crispin and Cassie’s story was refreshing in showing the more realistic way a relationship can develop. They met as children, but due to circumstances, they weren’t tunnel visioned thinking that was the only person for them. They knew the reality and pursued other relationships before finding their way back to each other.
With that said, it was a hard read. It didn’t flow as well as some of the more seasoned authors do. It went into details where it wasn’t necessary, then would abruptly end just as the scene was getting good. At times I loathed the back and forth between chapters and character POV, mostly when the chapter abruptly ended then it would switch people. But, overall I see the necessity in organizing that way, and wouldn’t mind the style if it flowed a little better. Maybe adding location above the date at the beginning of the chapter would help. The abrupt ending so chapter left me feeling I missed out on details that would have been interesting, like the actual proposal and answer, or the wedding, or why it took years for Henry to court Cassie. I was also left wondering how the Middleton situation resolved with Crispin marrying and where did Crisping and Cassie buy a house. I would be a few paragraphs into the next chapter before I figured out the time jump and was guessing what had happened to lead to the circumstances in that chapter that was skipped.
Another thing that would help the book, would be small reminders to who people are throughout the book. In the past with other authors, the constant reworded reminders from chapter to chapter and between books in series drove me nuts, but now reading a book without them, made me really miss them. When introduced to so many side characters, and multiple names starting with the same letter, it’s hard to keep track of who is who. I suspected, but it took me a long time to confirm that May and Archie were siblings. I had to go back and find names to be sure, that took extra time to get through the book.
Spoiler Alert: They do not get married until literally the last chapter. So beware if that type of story is not your style
There is pretty much no sex in this book, so those looking for a romance that skips that, this is your book.
They do leave a cliff hanger in the epilogue making me want to read the next book. Hopefully they wrap up that story in the next book. I would also love to read May and Archie’s stories, hopefully those are coming.

Thank you TouchPoint Press, Jenny Judson, and Danielle Mahfood for the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
#TheLastSeason #NetGalley

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my freely given review for a free preview that I received courtesy of Netgalley.

This was an enjoyable, sweet, nicely written historical romance. It starts out with the meeting of two youths, a young woman, Cassandra Drayton, and Crispin St. John. She is a wealthy young lady of the peerage, who is a bit spoiled, and lonely. He is a youth who has fallen on harsh circumstances. Sounds like his father was a gentleman, and while they were not of the same standing as the peerage, they had some status as land owners and horse breeders. Except, that his father had lost that wealth and because of debt, he and his father were living in a debtor's prison, until his aunt, the governess of Miss Drayton, managed to get him a position working in the stable of her employer.

Crispin and Cassandra meet, and become friends. It sounds like he was taken with her from the beginning and she was able to persuade him to do what she wanted, but going against his employer's wishes, and his own judgement. Ultimately that leads to his disgrace, and banishment from the estate. His aunt manages to get him passage to India to try to find work and build his future there.

Their stories over the next few years are written, some through letters, about their growth and development, including how Crispin succeeds in making his way in the world. But they do not seem to forget each other, despite their different backgrounds, and development of other relationship, and other adventures for each of them. Their paths cross again, and they renew their friendship as adults, and eventually it does lead to an HEA for the both of them.

I found this a very enjoyable read because there was some lovely depth developed with the characters, and the story was written from their two different perspectives growing up. It felt slow at times, but not in a ponderous way, but more like a gently meandering river where you can look and enjoy the scenery. Also, there was a back story romance between two other characters pivotal to Cassandra Drayton's life, that I found very intriguing. That relationship was left without conclusion, but you were left feeling like there was a world of possibility there.

One thing that I found was a loose thread though was what happened with Crispin's father? He was definitely in the background, but he never actually showed up in the story at any point?

[CLorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Season by authors Jenny Judson and Danielle Mahfood is a sweeping and robust historical romance novel. The book is organized in three distinct sections, spanning from 1863 to 1875. The two main characters are Cassandra Drayton, the thirteen year old daughter of a wealthy nobleman, and Crispin St. John, the son of a gentleman who has fallen on hard times. Crispin is working at Drayton Manor as a stable boy in an effort to help get his father out of debtor’s prison; his aunt is Cassandra’s governess. While the story centers around the two young people, the reader is also privy to the intricate relationships of the governess, Emma, Lord Drayton and his snobbish sister. Emma and Lord Drayton are involved in a clandestine love affair which, over the years, becomes hard to maintain. These details give a richness and complexity to the storyline. Cassandra and Crispin, despite the disparity of their stations in life, become loving friends. Against her father’s wishes Crispin teaches Cassandra how to ride a horse. When she is injured, Crispin is banished from the estate and they are separated for several years. Crispin journeys to India and is fortunate enough to be mentored and becomes prosperous. Of course, Cassandra and Crispin reconnect and become correspondents…..keeping in touch through delightful letters. Cassandra enters into an engagement but it is broken off when her father faces financial ruin. In order to recoup his losses, Lord Drayton accepts another marriage offer for Cassandra from an debased, but wealthy, peer. This book is amazingly detailed and I totally enjoyed taking the journey with Crispin and Cassandra. They were both generous with their hearts and were ready to sacrifice for their families. Will this worthy pair be able to escape the plans of others AND their obligations in order to find their own season of love?

I received an ARC of this book for my honest opinion.
#TheLastSeason #NetGalley

[noorthebookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relax. Read. Repeat.

THE LAST SEASON
By
Jenny Judson and Danielle Mahfood. Published by TouchPoint Press.

#justreleased📣

Romance isn’t dead!
Set in Victorian England, The Last Season is a story of social upheaval, changing fortunes, and an unlikely romance that develops between a well-to-do heiress and a stable boy.

The Last Season is a collaboration between Jenny Judson and Danielle Mahfood, who met in high school and shared a mutual love of historical fiction and romance novels.

When they meet as adolescents at Drayton Manor, the well-to-do Cassandra Drayton and the manor's stable boy, Crispin St. John, seem destined for very different futures. Yet, the two strike up a secret and forbidden friendship. Once discovered, they are forced apart, with Cassandra staying locked in her father's world and Crispin traveling to India to make his own way.

Years later, when Cassandra's high-society London lifestyle is shattered by her father's spectacular fall from grace, she is surprised to reunite with her childhood friend, no longer a penniless boy but an enterprising young man who has risen through the ranks of the Indian cotton trade. As they navigate changing circumstances, fickle friendships, and social upheaval, Cassandra and Crispin find that the bond they developed as children is a lasting one.

3 parts
42 chapters
298pgs.

❤️The story begins in October 1863 and ends in October 1875.
What a cozy read perfect for fall..!!
It is about relationships, love, ego, class difference, self love infact self obsession, realisations, apologies, lessons learned & a romantic relationship, a mother daughter bond, a father daughter relation & the ups and down in a relationship, over a period of time..& how true love triumps.

❤️ Are you still in touch with your school/ childhood bestie?
Do you still remember/ cherish their memories?

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Season, I’m happy to say, has been my gateway novel back into reading for leisure sake. Over the last couple of long Covid years, reading has been reduced to touch screen swipes and hastily scanning through unsolicited news feed articles. In retrospect, I was in a reading rut that was beginning to feel like more than just a passing phase.

The Last Season is beautifully written by Judson and Mahfood. I would love to know how these two women went about collaborating their efforts because the end result is seamless. I dare you not to fall in love with the characters in this book or fail to get mentally transported to the many colorful places the authors tempt you to travel.

Reading The Last Season reminded me of the summer I devoured Penny Vincenzi’s No Angel trilogy. The NYTimes, described Vincenzi’s writing in her obituary saying that her novels “fall somewhere between beach reads and prize winners.” Yep, that’s the good stuff. The great stuff really. And, that’s exactly what I experienced with The Last Season. Thanks to the authors for getting me to take a break from the noise of life and enjoy the curled up quiet reads that have been absent for too long.

My only negative comment is that there is no sequel. Hoping that will change. There’s still so much I want to know about many of the characters and I’m not ready to leave the world created in the novel. I’m staying tuned…

[Crystal (the.incandescent.reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Last Season by Jenny Judson and Danielle Mahfood

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The Last Season is a historical romance set in Victorian England. It focuses on the story of Cassandra Drayton and Crispin St John, an entitled heiress and a scrappy stable boy. I found the cast of characters of this novel to be incredibly likable. Cassandra was spoiled without being unlikable and her naivete wasn’t off-putting but instead charming. Crispin was driven in a haunted way, wanting to prove himself in a world where his father had failed. I found his desire to free his father from debtor’s prison and make something of himself to be admirable. The friends and mentors he met along his journey added another interesting dimension to the story. However, while the characters were well written and likable, the plot left much to be desired. The central problem wasn’t new or novel in any way, which could easily be excused if we the reader were given something else to focus on. Instead, there were hints of steamy passion that never came to fruition. We were given slight mentions, enough to think you might get more between the characters later on, but we were never privy to the burning passion that was implied. Thank you to NetGalley and TouchPoint Press for this ARC.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot for this book was really slow for my liking. The main characters, rich girl Cassandra and poor boy Crispin, don't ever really spend a ton of time together, yet we are supposed to believe that they maintain a friendship (that borders on romantic, as they both get jealous when they hear of other people in their lives) and love each other when they don't really know each other. Yes, they correspond, but I still think that it is a stretch. I did admire Crispin's desire to free his father and to make a better life for himself. One of my biggest pet peeves in books is when the author takes characters to a brothel and it really has nothing to do with the story! Why is it even included? It irritates me to no end, and it really made me not enjoy this book. I also didn't really buy Cassandra's financial peril. Yes, they had to live life a bit differently, but she still had everything she needed, food to eat, and fancy clothes to wear. So it was hard for me to feel for her. Overall it was an okay book, but it just was too slow for me to really enjoy.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was mildly intrigued by the description of The Last Season, but I honestly didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did! Judson and Mahfood did an amazing job of creating two sympathetic and fully realized characters in Cassandra and Crispin. I found myself quite invested in the outcome of their respective stories, rooting for them to succeed in spite of the odds. What a truly remarkable story, able to draw one into its depths so you feel like you really know the characters and their struggles.
I also very much enjoyed the various backdrops to the story, which range everywhere from a great country house in rural England, to the busy streets of London, across the continent to the spicy, seething alleys and roads of India, and even across the pond to the wilds of the American frontier. I will definitely be reading this book again and again, to enjoy the story all over again! I'll also be on the lookout for more novels from this outstanding duo of authors. I highly recommend this book for anyone that enjoys historical fiction with a bit of drama and romance thrown in for good measure.

[Candy Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Cassandra Drayton was the daughter of Lord James Drayton, a widower. She was very lonely especially when her father went to London. His grandfather and Great Grandfather had spent all the money that had been inherited. He had to work hard to get things together and make the estate a viable one. He did a lot of investing. Miss Fairfax was a youngest woman about twenty and was kind to her.
Crispin St, John was the new stable boy. She asked him to teach her how to ride. He reluctantly did so. Her father had told her no but she longed to learn even though her mother died from falling off a horse. Crispin's father was in debtor prison and Crispin hoped he could pay his debts for him. He always sent money to his father when he got paid.
This was a traveling story, it went from England to India to England and back again. She got a chance to travel with her father to America and the wild West. She enjoyed traveling. I thought it was a good story, it was interesting, amusing, and entertaining. They kept in touch by letter after he went to India. I know he paid his father's debt but what happened to him after that? The characters were fun but there were some pretty bad guys. Forsythe was one. He was described as oily or greasy. He was not liked. There were a lot of things happening and you could get lost but you could easily find your way back. I thought they did a great job of keeping the events in the story straight.
I received this ARC from Newt Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

[Debbie Rozier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story set mainly in 1870’s England where rich girl meets stable boy as teenagers. Stable boy grows up to be successful and rich girl’s dad makes a really poor business decision.

Rich girl (who becomes not so rich) may have to marry slimy rich middle aged man to save her ancestral home..

This was great romance but what I enjoyed even more was that I felt the story had a sense of substance. This book is way more than the simple plot line I shared with you. I really liked the way the book goes into detail how our main character’s dad lost a chunk of his money.

It also has some fantastic secondary characters. My favorite fun secondary character is Archie. He is a fun loving good hearted friend to our main characters.

This was a book that swept me away back to the era where a society coming out started with a quick trip to see the queen and a single woman could be scandalized just for being in a room alone with a man.

I loved the way the book took us not only to London but also to a variety of locales such as India and America. All of the rich descriptions provided just made the read even more entrancing.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

On a manor, in Victorian England, Cassandra and Crispin first meet. Cassandra is the daughter of Lord Drayton, sheltered and spoiled but longing for more. Crispin St John, the son of a gentleman who is in debtors prison, is a poor hard working boy but ambitious. The two strike up a friendship and became fast friends. Tragedy strikes while out riding one day, leaving Cassandra injured and Crispin sent away. The story starts to unfold from there, when the two are forcefully separated. Crispin is sent to India to work, and Cassandra has to stay under her fathers thumb. When the two meet again, their roles are reversed. Crispin is well off and Cassandras father has fallen in shame. How will the two find their way to back each other? Is it even possible their friendship and feelings from childhood have survived?

I must say, Crispin was my favorite character in this story. He was well developed and easy to like. The author did a good job with her imagery and details. You felt as if you really were in India with him. While this was a slow burn of a romance, I think anyone who is against insta love and cheers for redemption will like this book. Historical fiction fans will enjoy the time period setting as well.

[Gwendalyn Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧⁣ by the very talented authors 𝐉𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐬𝐨𝐧 & 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝

The Last Season is a timeless sweeping historical romance, that was everything I hoped it would be. Set in the Victorian Era, this compelling book is a true love story, expanding the years 1863 to 1875.

The book captivated me from start to finish, with its forbidden romance between Cassandra Drayton and Crispin St. John. The character development and complex relationships, along with the setting were brought to life with unique details that made this saga a highly compulsive read. A superb intimate look at the Victorian society’s class differences that dominated this time period and thought the authors captured it perfectly. A riveting time where fortunes were made and lost.

A memorable coming of age romance, that was both clean, heartwarming. The authors highly accomplished writing ensures that the reader is swept along in this lovely book.

[MauiBeachReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great debut novel! Historical Fiction is my favorite genre, so I was looking forward to this read. While it started out a bit slow, and I initially didn't find Cassie all that likeable as a main character, that changed as she matured (I probably wasn't all that likeable myself as a young teen! ha!). The story really picked up when Crispin left for India and we saw the two friends come of age in dramatically different worlds. In this Victorian romance, we get a story not just about love, but about true friendship. I especially enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the settings - from Calcutta to an English Country Estate - and even the beautiful dresses the ladies wore during the Season. I received a free NetGalley ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, but this is one I definitely would purchase for myself. Recommend to any fans of Historical Fiction / Victorian Romance.

[Patti Wolff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenny Judson and Danielle Mahfood's "The Last Season" chronicles the divergent lives of rich girl Cassandra Drayton and poor boy Crispin St. John. Spanning ten years and sweeping in scope, the action take place in various locales. England, America, India and Scotland are vividly described.

While one gets a real feel for the various locales, I found characterization somewhat lacking. The motives of some were confusing. I didn't love any of the characters, including the h and H, and a couple are repulsive. One's epiphany was too little, too late.

All in all, this book is good for the debut novelists. There are a few grammatical issues, i.e. "pour" for "pore", " reign" for "rein", and "debutant" for "debutante". While there are no graphic sex scenes, I don't consider this novel completely clean. 3.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel.

[Bookish Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars- A very sweet regency romance that is heartwarming and enjoyable. Cassie is very lonely but headstrong as a child and strikes up an unlikely friendship with a fallen gentleman’s son turned stable boy named Crispin. Although they are separated for many years (a large portion of the story) they still return easily to friendship. Even though their lives have gone in different directions their feelings only grow. Lots of ups and downs for Cassie and Crispin. There are definitely parts of the book that seemed to drag. The beginning was difficult to get into and it seems the main characters are apart for most of the book. It’s hard to feel a lot of romance when the people you are routing for hardly interact. But overall it was a heartwarming read and worth sticking through. I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

[Michelle Bibliovino · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s hard to write a Victorian novel without either sounding like a modern novel with a Victorian setting or a Victorian novel with modern affectation. But Judson and Mahfood have tread that line carefully and the result is a novel that reads Victorian and stays true to Victorian sensibilities.

Cassie is a plucky heroine who nonetheless is confined by her societal station, and she knows it cannot be truly escaped. Crispin is even more entrenched in his place, thrown by life into the shoes of a beggar, but with the modest aspirations of one who reaches to reach the highest station available to himself. When they meet, they couldn’t be further apart, but when their paths cross again?

I highly enjoyed this well crafted book and hope you’ll pick it up if you’re a fan of regency or Victorian romance. It’s a winner!

Thank you to Get Red PR for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

[abdulia ortiz-perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I receive this for honest review. Thank you so much!

This is my first time reading from this author and it was a other wonderful amazing read.
What a great read. This novel had everything in it.
This had me all over the place. My heart beating so fast! I couldn't believe what I was reading. If had me in shock. Every page was a page turner. I couldn't believe my eyes what I was reading. I highly recommend everybody get this book and read it. It will surprise you in every way.
4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The storyline was very good!
The theme and setting was well put together. The characters was well put together in the story.
Was so well put in the story.
Everything all in one book.
It was just perfect.