A review by tracey1981
Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland

tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

It started off kinda fun, Julia Whelan’s audio narration was great, and I was feeling the Dirty Dancing hotel references which I guess is why I stayed with it even when I started to really dislike it.   It’s a bunch of rich people whining and behaving badly and having to face basically no consequences for their actions which I guess is true-to life but still annoying to read about in fiction.   A random moment that kind of epitomizes the character development in this book is when a guy reflects on how he might be able to be a good father (to the baby he’s expecting with a much younger woman who works as a server in the hotel he owns) because he was “such a great uncle” when his nieces and nephews were small. For example, he was the only one that could get the babies to burp…and he never let the parents in on his secret. Huh?! Being a good uncle means making sure you lord your skills over the actual parents?! Yeesh!  There’s also a bunch of fat-phobia/body commentary and ableism.   I was barely listening by the end. Not recommended.
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