Reviewed by Jaymie Reynolds

It is December of 1913 in Vienna and Amalia Faulhaber is surrounded by the
whirlwind that is the life of a nineteen-year-old socialite. She is
comfortable and confident in her wealth, her heritage, and most of all, in
her engagement to the Prussian baron, Eberhard von Waldburg. All this comes
crashing to a halt the day that her fiance informs her that their engagement
is off since he is returning to Prussia to fight in what he is sure will be
a glorious war.

In her distress upon hearing her former fiance’s plans, Amalia wanders
aimlessly and finally ends up in a small coffee house where she meets the
handsome but flippant Andrzej. Although she does not yet know it, her life
will be interwoven with his in the long, hard years to come. During this
same time period, Amalia is introduced to the Austrian Baron, Rudolf von
Schoenenburg.

As Amalia comes to know these three very different men, she is forced to
choose between them and the varying futures that each will offer her. Adding
to the chaos surrounding her, Amalia’s beloved Uncle dies, leaving her in
charge of his many charities and the funds he runs them with. Round out the
picture with the two World Wars that her story is sandwiched between and you
have a rough idea of the background for Amalia’s life. Throughout her story,
it is often sheer grit that pulls her through.

G.G. Vandagriff completes her story using vivid word pictures. Once the
reader adjusts to the richness of her descriptions, the story of The Last
Waltz draws the reader in. This book is a very rapid read but requires an
investment of some time due to its length. Ms. Vandagriff’s latest offering
is very appropriately titled. Like the waltz, the storyline picks the
readers up and twirls them from plot twist to plot twist in what is, at
times, almost a dizzying rate of speed.

Although the tenor of The Last Waltz is somewhat different than this
author’s previous books, it does have one trait similar to the author’s
previous writings. For those readers who like to “cheat” by peeking at the
end of the book, it is almost a guarantee that they will put two and two
together and come up with nine. With many authors, one can skim through the
final pages of a book and sum up a story. One thing that seems to be common
throughout Ms. Vandagriff’s books is her ability to weave so many elements
so tightly that one cannot arrive at the proper conclusions without actually
reading her books from cover to cover.

The Last Waltz illustrates the value of so many different kinds of
love…companionship, empathetic love, protective and secure love, and of
course, that vibrant first love. This book is not necessarily the happily
ever after type of love story that causes teen hearts to flutter. Although
the sheer determination of the heroine makes one feel that the endings
scattered throughout this book are not necessarily tragic, this is truly a
romance more of the star struck lover variety.

This book is one that mothers and daughters alike may enjoy. It is not
frilly as many romances can be. This opens the door for male readers to find
enjoyment in this book as well. While teenagers might enjoy this book, they
also may not have the life experience necessary to find true understanding
of the characters and their choices.

The plot line of this book is set mainly in Vienna, Austria and begins at
nearly the same time as the first World War. It encompasses World War I and
the beginnings of World War II. The historical setting of this book serves
to show the clash in cultures, views, and even individual personalities.
This masterful story has an ending that does leave it open to a sequel.
Nonetheless, the author does a good job of pulling in all the loose ends to
give readers the closure that is necessary in a good book. In the end, The
Last Waltz is well worth the time that one will put into the dance.