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The Last Bathing Beauty Kindle Edition

4.2 out of 5 stars 12,652 ratings

A former beauty queen faces the secrets of her past—for herself and the sake of her family’s future—in a heartfelt novel about fate, choices, and second chances.

Everything seemed possible in the summer of 1951. Back then Betty Stern was an eighteen-year-old knockout working at her grandparents’ lakeside resort. The “Catskills of the Midwest” was the perfect place for Betty to prepare for bigger things. She’d head to college in New York City. Her career as a fashion editor would flourish. But first, she’d enjoy a wondrous last summer at the beach falling deeply in love with an irresistible college boy and competing in the annual Miss South Haven pageant. On the precipice of a well-planned life, Betty’s future was limitless.

Decades later, the choices of that long-ago season still reverberate for Betty, now known as Boop. Especially when her granddaughter comes to her with a dilemma that echoes Boop’s memories of first love, broken hearts, and faraway dreams. It’s time to finally face the past—for the sake of her family and her own happiness. Maybe in reconciling the life she once imagined with the life she’s lived, Boop will discover it’s never too late for a second chance.

Popular Highlights in this book

Editorial Reviews

Review

“This novel of first loves and second chances will resonate with fans of historical fiction authors such as Beatriz Williams or Lauren Willig.” Library Journal

“Amy Sue Nathan’s story of love and mishap…pulls at your heart with its dual narratives of young and seasoned love affairs.” —Historical Novel Society

The Last Bathing Beauty is a pitch-perfect summer read, starring Betty ‘Boop’ Stern, a plucky heroine with a tackle box full of secrets and enough regret for a lifetime. Using dual timelines, Nathan expertly unravels the events that derailed Betty’s sparkling future in 1951 and continue to haunt her even as an eighty-four-year-old woman. Full of characters that shine and told with compassion and humor, this is women’s fiction at its best.” —Sonja Yoerg, Washington Post bestselling author of True Places

“Amy Sue Nathan is a true storyteller, and The Last Bathing Beauty is her best book. It’s an epic tale of family, secrets, loss, marriage, betrayal, friendships, laughter, and regrets.” —Cathy Lamb, author of Julia’s Chocolates and All About Evie

The Last Bathing Beauty is a gorgeous story about how life doesn’t always work out the way we want it to, but if we’re willing, we can still make it a great life. This book ripped at my heart in the best possible way, and I won’t forget it. Told across three generations of smart, determined, compassionate women, The Last Bathing Beauty is the loveliest of stories about the sacrifices and triumphs that come from being a daughter, wife, mother, and friend.” —Juliet McDaniel, author of Mr. & Mrs. American Pie

“For those who believe in happily ever after, Amy Sue Nathan’s The Last Bathing Beauty is a real winner. She has spun a heartfelt tale about romance, heartbreaks, friendship, and the wisdom that comes from living a life with no regrets. Told with tenderness and humor, readers will love this journey back in time with Boop and the girls.” —Renée Rosen, bestselling author of Park Avenue Summer

“In this reimagining of Dirty Dancing, Nathan demonstrates expert storytelling when we meet the charismatic Betty ‘Boop’ Stern as a young woman, and also as an eighty-four-year-old as she looks back on a difficult choice that altered the path of her glittering future. Told with empathy and lyrical prose, The Last Bathing Beauty is a winning tale of friendship, regret, and second chances with a ring of endearing and spirited women at its heart.” —Heather Webb, USA Today bestselling coauthor of Meet Me in Monaco

“A thoroughly enjoyable, past-and-present tale of a life-changing summer and its echoes decades later. This story has it all—great characters, sensory-rich settings, and a sweet salute to believing in second chances. The finale will have you cheering.” —Susan Meissner, bestselling author of The Last Year of the War

The Last Bathing Beauty is an emotionally gripping story that captivated me from page one. Amy Sue Nathan knows how to thread the past and present together in a way that readers won’t soon forget. A moving tale about second chances and the fathomless depths of true love.” —Tina Ann Forkner, author of Waking Up Joy

From the Publisher

Dirty Dancing meets How to Make an American Quilt? Sign me up! The Last Bathing Beauty is a pitch-perfect blend of nostalgia and romance—a story of family, friends, and second-chance love.

Amy Sue Nathan has created such a vivid picture of life at a Lake Michigan resort in the 1950s that you’d think she actually lived it. Turns out, Amy is a native Philadelphian, and instead she found much of her inspiration for the book on a visit to South Haven, Michigan. It’s there that she met Charlene Klein, whose grandparents owned a hugely popular resort on the lake in the fifties. Coincidentally, when Amy and Charlene crossed paths, Amy had already started writing a book set in the same era about a young woman whose family owns a resort. How’s that for serendipity? Charlene’s stories about her teenage years and her present life inspired many of the twists and turns in the novel.

Heartwarming, heartbreaking, and brimming with delightful period detail, this is one novel you won’t want to miss!

- Jodi Warshaw, Editor

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07VK749J5
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Lake Union Publishing
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 1, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.8 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 305 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1542007085
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 12,652 ratings

About the author

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Amy Sue Nathan
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Writer of novels, lover of cats, morning coffee, good chocolate, and bold lipstick. Occasional crafter, loyal friend, adequate cook, proud mom to 2 awesome adults.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
12,652 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book to be a fun summer read with a realistic storyline and interesting twists and turns. The writing style is well-executed, with one customer describing it as a wonderful example of painting a picture with words, and the characters are rich and well-developed. Moreover, the book effectively portrays the strength of female friendship throughout life, and customers appreciate its unique beauty with every moment. While some customers love the pace of the book, others find it a bit slow.

380 customers mention "Story quality"355 positive25 negative

Customers find the book's story quality positive, describing it as sweet and realistic with interesting twists and turns. One customer particularly appreciates the time period in which the story is set.

"...The themes throughout this novel are the importance of friendship, family, second chances, acceptance, forgiveness, love, and hope...." Read more

"...The story is told in the past and in 2017 where Betty, now in her 80s and known as Boop, is preparing to leave her home in South Haven and move to..." Read more

"...and enduring about Betty’s summer romance – but while the relationship is appealing, I wasn’t convinced that those feelings would necessarily extend..." Read more

"...The characters were so real to me. I loved the way the author described everything so you got a real good picture of each setting...." Read more

342 customers mention "Enjoyment"342 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable, describing it as a fun summer read and a pitch-perfect summer read.

"...This is an amazing book that puts so many things into perspective...." Read more

"...None of the plot twists were surprising. This was simply a lovely book." Read more

"I enjoyed this book very much. The characters made me think of my own family and friends while I was reading...." Read more

"...This heartfelt novel is such a perfect summer read. Its not light but not on the overemotional side as well...." Read more

141 customers mention "Writing style"128 positive13 negative

Customers praise the writing style of the book, finding it well-crafted and easy to read, with one customer noting how the author paints vivid pictures with words.

"...This story is written in the summer of 1952, and also is written in the present...." Read more

"I loved the setup of this book, and I really enjoyed reading it, but I think it fell short of its potential...." Read more

"...It spans a few generations so it jumps back and forth but very easy to follow...." Read more

"...The book is very well written and describes a culture that I'm not particularly familiar with, so I learned a lot from it...." Read more

130 customers mention "Character development"119 positive11 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, finding them rich and well-developed, with one customer noting the believable dialogue.

"...Amy Sue Nathan is a wonderful storyteller, and the writing in this book vividly describes the characters, the events, and the landscape...." Read more

"...The characters are endearing and you’ll ache along with them thinking of the roads not taken. None of the plot twists were surprising...." Read more

"...The characters were so real to me. I loved the way the author described everything so you got a real good picture of each setting...." Read more

"...I love the pacing of the story and how each character has evolved...." Read more

55 customers mention "Friendship"55 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's portrayal of friendships, noting how it highlights the strength of female bonds and the rarity of lifelong connections.

"...The themes throughout this novel are the importance of friendship, family, second chances, acceptance, forgiveness, love, and hope...." Read more

"...those who've known lost loves and dreams, it is a reminder of the strength of female friendship to create healing and home and the miracle of second..." Read more

"...by the time I finished this beautifully crafted novel about love and friendship, betrayal and loss...." Read more

"...a time in the early 50’s when summer retreats were the norm, summer friends reconnected, summer love was real, though fleeting - or was it?..." Read more

44 customers mention "Beauty"44 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's unique beauty with every moment, describing it as a beautiful novel, with one customer highlighting the attention to detail in fashion and another mentioning the gorgeous sunsets at the beach.

"...and although it was freezing cold, we embraced the unique beauty with every moment...." Read more

"...Lifelong friends are a rare and beautiful treasure! Life is richer when lived in community and serving others...." Read more

"...This is a beautifully woven tale in a very unique place and time period...." Read more

"...I loved the story, the detail to the clothes and the lake. The descriptions of the dining room, the laundry, and the cabins...." Read more

43 customers mention "Insight"43 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful, with several noting it kept them guessing throughout. One customer highlights its great research, while another mentions how it puts things into perspective.

"...This is an amazing book that puts so many things into perspective...." Read more

"...Mostly I loved the main character and felt for her, good and bad, throughout the book. I couldn't wait to see how it ended...." Read more

"...It’s a beautiful story of youth’s secrets and grandmother’s secrets...." Read more

"...made me cry, made me laugh, had me gasping out loud, and kept me guessing till the very end...." Read more

31 customers mention "Pace"16 positive15 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's pace, with some loving it while others find it slow.

"...I love the pacing of the story and how each character has evolved...." Read more

"...The story was a little slow and at times bogged down by too much description and repetition...." Read more

"...I read a lot but mostly psychological thrillers.. This was a very nice change of pace...." Read more

"...Honestly the story didn't grab me right away, it was a little slow to get going, but then it seemed like I was just pulled in and couldn't put it..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2020
    Linda's Book Obsession Reviews "The Last Bathing Beauty" by Amy Sue Nathan, Lake Union Publishing, April 1, 2020

    I loved everything about "The Last Bathing Beauty" by Amy Sue Nathan. Amy Sue Nathan is a wonderful storyteller, and the writing in this book vividly describes the characters, the events, and the landscape. This is an amazing book that puts so many things into perspective. The themes throughout this novel are the importance of friendship, family, second chances, acceptance, forgiveness, love, and hope. This story is written in the summer of 1952, and also is written in the present. The story takes place in the summer of 1951 at a family lake resort and revisits this in the present. The author describes her characters as flawed, loyal, supportive, each with their own set of problems.

    In 1959, Betty Stern is enjoying her last summer, working for her Grandparents at the lovely resort, before she goes to college. Betty even decides to compete in a bathing beauty contest. She has her friends to support her, and there are young men who work and visit the resort that is looking to have a nice summer. Things don't often go as planned.

    In the present Betty, now called Boop, is at the house by the resort, and her former friends are visiting, as well as her granddaughter. Secrets from the past surface creating complex situations and problems. Friendships will be questioned, and so will loyalties.

    I highly recommend this unforgettable and thought-provoking novel. (less)
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2020
    The Last Bathing Beauty takes us back to the summer of 1951 in South Haven, Michigan. Located on Lake Michigan, this area was affectionately regarded as “the Catskills of the Midwest” filled with resorts for the area’s Jewish families. Betty Claire Stern is the granddaughter of the owners of Stern’s Summer Resort and this will be her last summer with her best friends Georgia and Doris before heading to New York City to attend Barnard College hopefully followed by a career at a fashion magazine. Betty quickly finds herself head over heels in love and also gets ready to compete in the annual Miss South Haven beauty pageant. What starts as an idyllic summer becomes one that will change the course of Betty’s life.

    The story is told in the past and in 2017 where Betty, now in her 80s and known as Boop, is preparing to leave her home in South Haven and move to California. She has invited Georgia and Doris to visit when Boop’s granddaughter Hannah shows up unexpectedly and in need of help. Hannah’s crisis is all too familiar to Boop’s past, which has long been kept a secret from her family. Boop can’t help her granddaughter until she makes peace with the decisions she made as well as the decisions that were made for her long ago.

    The Last Bathing Beauty brings back in accurate detail, an era long gone where families spent entire summers together in resorts (think of the movie Dirty Dancing) and everyone was expected to marry “their own kind.” You can visualize the lakeside resort and feel the yearning of young desire. The characters are endearing and you’ll ache along with them thinking of the roads not taken. None of the plot twists were surprising. This was simply a lovely book.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2020
    I loved the setup of this book, and I really enjoyed reading it, but I think it fell short of its potential. In the opening scene, Betty is about to get married, with very mixed feelings. Then we see her in her 80s, after a long marriage, still connected to her lifelong girlfriends. What happened in between? The rest of the book alternates between the summer that led up to Betty’s decision to get married, and her present-day self as she faces those memories. For this to work well, we need to believe there was something strong and enduring about Betty’s summer romance – but while the relationship is appealing, I wasn’t convinced that those feelings would necessarily extend beyond the intensity of the moment. In a similar way, Betty’s lifelong friends are appealing, but not developed enough to be more than two-dimensional (maybe even one-dimensional in Doris’ case). Because the characters are fairly superficial, the resolutions come a little too easily as well. What is drawn richly, however, is the setting: a vacation resort in South Haven, on the shores of Lake Michigan, run by the heroine’s grandparents. Author Amy Sue Nathan does a wonderful job of capturing the lives and culture of the Jewish families who owned or visited resorts like these in the 1950s (think of the Catskills resorts in “Dirty Dancing” or “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”). It’s another place and another time, and we can see how these things would have shaped our heroine – I just would have liked a little more depth.
    7 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2025
    I enjoyed this book very much. The characters made me think of my own family and friends while I was reading. It took me back to my own upbringing in a Jewish family. I was born in 1951 in NY but there was so much I could relate to here. The characters were so real to me. I loved the way the author described everything so you got a real good picture of each setting. I was never bored like I get with some stories. Thanks Amy Sue Nathan.

Top reviews from other countries

  • Nic
    5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely feel good novel!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 23, 2020
    I had to give this book five stars. I really enjoyed reading it!. The story was full of emotion and pent up feelings that made the story so engrossing that I couldn't put the book down. Any is a new author to me but I'm very impressed and will be looking for any other books she's written
  • Sue D
    4.0 out of 5 stars Pure Nostalgia!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 10, 2020
    This tale of teenage Jewish girls preparing for a beauty pageant in 1951 evokes a world I know little about, and yet it feels familiar. Summer resorts in the US are only known from fiction, and the Marvellous Mrs Maisel, but it feels authentic. The story travels between 1951, with Betty, our heroine, standing on the brink of a new life, and her present day existence, still with her best friends visiting the same house and now in their 80s. 1950s Betty becomes Boop in the present day, which makes it easier to see what era the story is in. It’s a lovely romantic story, which stays just the right side of sentimentality. I would recommend this book.
  • Jacky T
    2.0 out of 5 stars Decent story, but the characters ended up falling flat
    Reviewed in Canada on September 23, 2023
    I know that times change and women had far fewer choices 70 years ago, but Ms. Nathan's character of Betty ended up falling very flat in that she just accepted what happened. She barely tried to change her own fate. I could have gone with that if her own inner life wasn't so empty. Marvin was insufferable, but she ended up loving him? He had no respect for her, he just wanted her as his wife. And she acquiesced and was a good little wife. Which happened all the time, but in her inner thoughts she still didn't call him out for what he was, didn't call him out for not recognizing her own humanity. He knew what he was doing and what he wasn't getting when he married her. And not even in her thoughts does she recognize his pompousness. She became shallow and flat to me with that.
  • lily48
    3.0 out of 5 stars Life in American Jewish family
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 12, 2020
    Interesting story revolving around life of American Jewish family and history being repeated.
  • Danielle
    5.0 out of 5 stars Bitter-sweet
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 19, 2020
    A lovely, historically vivid novel which made me cry! I connected deeply to the main character and her story. A beautiful read.

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