A review by linesiunderline
Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland

emotional funny reflective relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

When I saw this one compared to Mrs. Maisel, my expectations shot WAY up. And immediately I figured that it couldn’t possibly be anywhere near as satisfying. I was happily mistaken. It has a similar mix of neurotic family drama, humour, gentle life lessons and ambiance.

This is one of those messy family sagas that you can enjoy getting lost in, with a few laughs along the way, a little heartbreak, and a feeling of nostalgia.

The sense of place is outstanding. The Golden Hotel takes on the role of another character in the novel, and I totally fell in love with the Golden.

I thought the author managed the full cast very well. Most of the characters felt well realized, interesting, and entertaining.

I was curious to see how it would all wrap up, and I can’t decide if it was too neat for my liking or if the end was right after all.

The pacing was a little slow to start, but very soon I was invested in the future of the Golden and the people who love it.

I listened to this and the narration was stellar!
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