I received an invitation widget from the publisher to read and review this book. Otherwise, this wouldn't have caught my eye as something I would want to read. I'm not into the historical romance genre, but every once in awhile I travel outside my comfort zone. Technically this is classified as women's fiction. I steer clear of those too.

Beatrice Bordeaux has been married to Harry for five years. It's 1938, she's now thirty and childless. Beatrice came from humble beginnings, but has been living a privileged existence with Harry so successful in the finance field. When they first got married they couldn't keep their hands off each other, such was their ardent hunger for one another. Now Harry is spending more time away on business and it seems like their marriage is on auto-pilot.

The Bordeauxs live in New York City, but like many other well-to-do couples, they are going to Montauk (at the tip of Long Island) for the summer. The wives stay at the opulent hotel "The Manor" flying solo during the week, while their husbands join them on the weekend. The wives just have fun playing tennis, sunbathing, swimming and other indulgent activities while boarding at The Manor. They send the laundry to be done by a young local named Elizabeth, and mothers even send dirty cloth diapers out to be cleaned by someone else. Meals are taken in the hotel and mothers have nannies to tend to their children. They plan charity functions to fundraise for various causes. The ladies wear the finest gowns and jewelry, especially on weekends when their husbands will dine with them.

Beatrice isn't like the other rich ladies that vacation at Montauk. She's more fascinated with the locals. The men have sinewy limbs from working hard at physical jobs. The laundry girl Elizabeth has four young children to take care of while cleaning the rich people's laundry. Beatrice is particularly drawn to a man named Thomas, the island's lighthouse keeper.

This was an OK read. The book was 400 pages and it felt like 400 pages. By the time I got to the end, I felt cheated by the climax.

A big squishy romantic novel I read in no time flat thanks to Harrison's storytelling skills and the sweep of the story. Set in Montauk (duh) in 1938, it's the story of Bea who is married to Harry, a businessman older than herself who is, shall be say, occupied in the city while she spends the summer alone on Long Island. Harrison has a great touch with characters and the situational environment- the women on the charity committee, Jeannie the queen bee, Dolly the good egg. Then there's Elizabeth and Thomas. Especially Thomas. He's the lighthouse keeper and he's got a secret he's keeping from Bea, even as they become very very close. This is one that unfolds naturally. You get a good sense of time and place (there's a wonderful and sad scene where Bea is snubbed when she is with Mr. Rosen) but even better you get a good read. Thanks to the publisher for the ArC. This will make an excellent beach or travel book. And omgoodness- the last scene!

This debut novel is set in the summer of 1938 in Montauk, Long Island. 

Beatrice was a great character and it was interesting to see how she reacted to different situations with some of the wealthy wives. She came from a more middle-class background.  Her husband was a truly unlikable guy. 

A bit more of a romance than I was expecting. It is well written, but a bit of a slow burn for me. There is quite a lot going on with themes of the class privilege, infidelity, politics and romance. A bit predictable, although I was very surprised at the ending.

Thanks to NG / SMP for my review copy. OUT June 2019

This debut novel is rich with a sense of place. We can see, smell and hear Montauk in the narrative of Beatrice Bordeaux's summer. It is 1938 and Montauk is a newly discovered playground for the rich. The iconic lighthouse beckons from the top of the hill and it is just a matter of time until lonely Beatrice climbs that hill and makes a connection that will change her life forever. The story was compelling enough, but in the end there are too many questionable choices and too many plot threads left to unravel on their own.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of this new historical fiction title in exchange for an honest review.

It is the summer of 1938 and the city people escape the heat by going to Montauk, Long Island. Like most resort towns, there is always the underlying friction between the wealthy summer folks and the poor locals who provide the services.

This is Beatrice Bordeaux’s first summer in Montauk. She was hoping to get her marriage back on track. After five years of marriage they are still childless. Her husband Harry seems more and more distant. But Beatrice quickly learns that her husband will only be spending weekends with her as he returns to his work – and other interests - in the city during the week. Having married into money and now left on her own she feels out of place among the social-climbing wives. She much prefers exploring the local fishing village and soon makes friends with Elizabeth, the local laundress. Beatrice finds herself drawn to the local lighthouse keeper who is everything her husband is not. Caught between the two worlds and two men Beatrice finds the courage to determine her own future.

Beautifully written, she transported me to Montauk where I could see and feel the beauty. I could hear the sea gulls and the crashing waves and smell the salty air of the little fishing village. Harrison captures the era perfectly with her descriptions of what was expected of the wives of the social elite. So glad I did not live in that era! The characters came to life as she took me on an emotional ride of real life situations and real emotions.

The perfect summer escape with passion and suspense. If you enjoyed Beatriz Williams’ THE SUMMER WIVES, you will love Nicola Harrison’s debut novel MONTAUK.

Many thanks to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC

Montauk by Nicola Harrison was an interesting read. We entered the glittering world of money in New York society with Beatrice and Harry Harrison. They are young, glittering, wealthy and summering at Montauk (out on Long Island). Harry is always off doing “business” and Beatrice is left alone a lot. Harry wants her to make friends and be a good partner. Beatrice just wants to feel like she belongs and to be a mother.

Changing for every meal and spending time doing useless things is not how Beatrice thought she would spend her life. Roosevelt with his fireside chats shares the precarious nature of the nation, ugly talk of going to war and she is playing tennis and planning the entertainment. Until one day, when she meets Thomas, the Lighthouse Keeper.

Suddenly, she is in a whole new world, one that she feels comfortable in and wants to help people, not hang out with the idle rich. Harry is coming out less and less and he is obviously having an affair (s). The cattiness and desire to be most important shows up more and more as the summer heats up as does the heat between Beatrice and Thomas.

And it all comes down to one fateful night and day...a masquerade, a hurricane and a gun. None of the participants are ready to deal with the reality and the truth. Montauk was a wonderful read, the story, the riches and the time and place help you feel like you are part of everything happening. Nicola Harrison, the author of Montauk has written a great book to enjoy.

This is a phenomenal debut novel. I was hooked from page one. Harrison does an expert job crafting her characters ( Beatrice, Dolly and Elizabeth especially), their motivations and creating the world they live in. I felt like I was experiencing summer in Montauk with Beatrice, falling in love with the city and living the ups and downs of her relationship with Harry and her journey to find true love. This is the perfect beach read and highly recommend it for fans of Beatriz Williams and Amor Towles.

4.5 stars!

The thing that drew me to this book was its cover! Admittedly, I am one of those judge-a-book-by-its-cover people. But the bright blue accents against the muted gray background caught my eye immediately.

Montauk is set in 1938. Beatrice and Harry are a married couple living in New York City. Harry is working his way up the business ladder and Beatrice is expected to be the trophy wife on his arm, keeping up appearances at social events. But behind closed doors, their marriage is anything but perfect. When all of the social elite descend on the tiny town of Montauk for the summer, the men will travel back to the city during the week to work while the women plan and engage in social events, waiting for the men to return every weekend. But Beatrice quickly learns that she finds herself more comfortable in the company of the Montauk locals than in her fancy social circles.

I adored this story. Nicola Harrison wrote a story that was extremely captivating. I fell in love with Beatrice right away and was rooting for her from start to finish. I felt like the story was completely authentic and the characters could have leaped off the pages.

At around 400 pages, this book was on the longer side. And let me tell you.... I'm not usually a fan of long books. But that's because I feel like sometimes they are just long for the sake of being long even if the book would have been just as good if it were 100 pages shorter. Montauk is the exception. All 400 pages contributed to the overall story and added value. I adored how the story unfolded.

I was a tad surprised by the ending. It wasn't what I was expecting and seemed a little rushed for how long the rest of the story was, but I appreciated that Nicola Harrison gave the reader an ending that wasn't predictable.

I would highly recommend this one to anybody who enjoys historical fiction or is a fan of women's fiction. It's kind of a mixture of the two. I'm honestly a little sad it is over.

-I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Nicola Harrison, and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review.-

In 1938 Montauk, at the eastern tip of Long Island, NY was just at its infancy as a vacation destination for the set that looks for somewhere to ‘summer.’ Its primary function was a fishing village until Mr. Carl G. Fisher, the man who developed Miami Beach from a tangled mangrove jungle to America’s summer playground, noticed its natural beauty and easy distance from Manhattan. The two-hundred room, Montauk Manor was built in 1926, in the English Tudor style. When Beatrice Bordeaux and her husband Harry, first saw it as they emerged from the train, she thought it looked, “more like an English Castle than a beach town hotel.” She was duly impressed.
Harry’s task was to impress serious investors in The Manor, bring them in from Manhattan and surrounding states, to visit The Manor and enjoy its amenities: fishing, golf, archery, swimming, tennis, horseback riding and such. Perhaps stop into the Yacht Club for a drink or lunch; maybe run into others they may know or want to know.
Most of the Society women there had children, not that they themselves took care of them, they had nannies for that role. They were too busy with their leisure activities, charity functions and planning luncheons. Beatrice didn’t think men realized that the social circles that existed for women in college, still existed in their adult lives even after marriage. The gossip: who knew who, who’s husband worked where, what school did their children attend, on and on. Beatrice wanted no part of it, and the other women didn’t trust her because it, so she wasn’t IN the inner circle. Harry had no clue.
As the story continues, we observe all the little cat and mouse games that go on while the rats go off on the Sunday night train every week. The claws barely recoil as the train brings the men back on Friday evening. Beatrice and Harry play their parts as husband and wife to impress Harry’s clients but they’re growing apart, as they are both aware.
Harry doesn’t have time to deal with it and Beatrice just takes to herself and spends more time away from the Manor and in the village with the friendly people who live there year-round. As she discovers more of the island’s natural beauty, she reminisces about her family and childhood in PA. Unfortunately, some of these memories are sad, but she must confront them. She meets someone who helps her through this regressed pain, but someone who will unlikely not fit in her current life situation.
The novel gets interesting here, but also more dramatic. I am not a spoiler revealer! Some readers will love this book, and some, not so much. If you are a fan of lovely, romance novels then this might be for you. I did enjoy reading it, although I wish it included a bit more historical info.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Nicola Harrison

Set during a time when rich men's wives and families left the city for the entire summer and traveled in packs to "see and be seen", this story follows a country girl turned married woman who grows up in the course of a summer and learns about real friends and real life.

This is the author's debut novel, and I am impressed. Historical romance is not my usual genre and when this book came up on my TBR I couldn't remember why I had selected it, but I was not disappointed. The story is rich with well developed and colorful characters and the setting is spectacular. I've never been to Montauk but with the author's descriptions I was able to develop a beautiful picture in my mind. Of course, I do like history so the timeframe of 1938 was interesting to me. The author painted a vivid picture of "high society" at the time with its post-Depression excesses and lavish lifestyles. What makes the story more compelling is how the lives of the inhabitants of the fishing village were incorporated into the drama and played a critical role in Beatrice's narrative. I found Beatrice to complicated, haunted, and lost, but even more she is a very caring person who wants to improve the lives of those around her. She's educated but doesn't seem to know herself very well as the story opens. She can also be just a little too impulsive at times, which only adds to her charm. The story is told by Beatrice and I really enjoyed the first-person narrative. Bottom line: this book was an enjoyable departure from my usual mysteries and true crime. Well done!

Summering in Montauk in 1938 is the place to be. All of the women spend their weeks at Montauk Manor, having luncheons, playing tennis, swimming, and most importantly....gossiping. The men come down on the weekends to presumably see their wives, but mainly spend their time drinking, playing cards and hunting. Beatrice Bordeaux went on the hopes that she and her husband Harry could reconnect and get back some of the romance they had before they had tried unsuccessfully to have a baby for the past several years. Beatrice finds however, that she is lonelier than ever, and her marriage is in more jeopardy than she realized. She is forced to make decisions that will change the path of her life forever.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was so descriptive I felt like I were really there watching it all unfold. Beatrice was a character that I really rooted for. I highly recommend this one It will make an excellent beach read!

An epic and cinematic novel by debut author Nicola Harrison, Montauk captures the glamour and extravagance of a summer by the sea with the story of a woman torn between the life she chose and the life she desires.
I enjoyed this book so much and will be looking forward to more from this author. I leave the setting and very good character development. It kept me turning page after page and up late at night to finish.

There are two sides to Montauk, and the author portrays them in mesmerizing detail. There are the humble hard working families who struggle to make ends meet all year long, and the wealthy summer tourists who come to while away the summer days in The Montauk Manor, a swanky upscale seaside hotel. Most people will see one side or the other, but Beatrice Bordeax will see both. Never quite fitting in with the other wives and their trivial interests Bea finds herself befriending the laundry lady as her lonely days drag on. Her summer at the hotel was meant to rekindle her marriage, but with her husband away on "business" more days than not she begins to accompany Elizabeth the laundry lady into the village and discovers she feels more at home there than with the snobs at the hotel. It is through Elizabeth that she meets a man who seems oddly familiar and begins to imagine a more fulfilling life for herself. I could almost smell the salt air and feel the breeze off the ocean as I was swept into the story.

New Yorkers love to escape the summers and head for the relatively more tranquil areas along the shore, from Newport to Long Island, and Montauk, the quiet fishing village for most of the year plays host to the ‘see and be seen’ crowd for three months of summer. Filled with parties, lunches, events and relaxation, anyone who is hoping to be seen as “Anyone in the city” is there. Beatrix has gone there with her husband Harry: their life of late has hit a samey-vibe, and she’s hoping that getting away and relaxing will allow them to reconnect and help her to feel more ‘a part’ of this world that has never quite fitted in with her upbringing. Of course, there are twists and turns, and a man who is the polar opposite of Bea’s husband, involved with people who are also far different to Bea’s current companions – the ‘doyennes’ of society who focus on committees for charity, luncheons, who’s who and looking their best at all times.

To the good, the descriptions and even the sense of ‘who’ everyone that Bea encounters were solid and easy to picture. The story felt very much tied to the ‘time’ and with some of the associated social constraints that came through quite clearly. But Bea – oh Bea. Naïve to the point of stupidity and disbelief. We’re told she’s college educated and kind-hearted, but frankly her inability to navigate some of the simpler interactions – and to always be surprised when things are unexpected was tiring and wore on my patience. Part of that was Bea herself, it just didn’t seem as if she learned anything from her own experiences as the story went on, and was always ‘taken aback’ by reactions or thoughts. The naivete thing was carried a bit too far with her….I expect some seeing as she was very much a woman of her time -but enough is enough. Even in the Tudor court people were aware of hypocrisy and self-serving agendas -but not Bea.

Starting with lots of promise, it was difficult to get past the up and down relationship that I had to Bea, she wasn’t endearing due to her naivete, it was annoying – and the transitions between narrative, conversations and point of view asides were choppy and frequently abrupt – several sentences could go by before it became clear what had happened, and often the why went by unnoticed. Most certainly this could have been cleaned up a bit with editing, as Harrison’s descriptions are solid and evocative, while the character of Bea needed to show some actual growth and recognition of having “experienced’ things that repeatedly surprised her. There’s promise in the overall impression of her work, however, and this means that I’ll be certain to be watching for more.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-ars/”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

1938, Montauk, Long Island. The Montauk Manor is where the wealthy go to escape the heat of New York City. The women and children summer there while the men travel back on weekends to escape work. But, all is not as it seems. The females are tucked away while the males enjoy other pursuits in the city. They can have their cake and eat it too. This book explores the class differences of the elite vs the working class, money can’t buy you happiness. It’s about finding your place and not being pigeon-holed into what other people or society say we belong. It’s about love....finding it in places outside the norm, and opening your heart. It’s about friendship in unexpected places. It’s about struggles that go on even now. It’s about finding yourself and being true to who you are and who you want to be.

The book started a little slow, then took off. Beautifully written characters, some you loved, quite a few you wanted to smack, some you wanted to cheer for! I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline and the writing. The ending wasn’t what I was thinking, but enjoyed it, even though it seemed rushed. I could have used another chapter or two.

Take this book to the beach or a lounge chair, it’s a little heavier than a normal beach read, but very enjoyable! I look forward to reading this author again.

I received an ARC of this book. Opinion is my own!

Harry Bordeaux installs his wife in Montauk for the summer, while he spends his weeks working in the city, and vacationing at the beach on the weekends. The only problem is that he is spending his weeknights sleeping with other women, and his wife is not being a social success in Montauk. She is making the wrong friends, and making enemies of the wrong people. While her new friend Dolly is overtly “bad”, Beatrice is subversive. She doesn’t belong in her husband’s society crowd, and every choice she makes takes her further and further from being able to “fit in”.

Set in the seaside village in the run-up to World War II, this novel delivers a period atmosphere, and had enough plotting to keep me involved.

Montauk is a small fishing town recently discovered by the elite from New York City. The wealthy flock to this seaside town for an extravagant summer of excess. Among them is Beatrice Bordeaux and her husband Harry, a young married couple. What follows is a summer of leisure that leaves Beatrice going some major soul searching.⁣
⁣
I initially thought this was a historical fiction book about the beginning of Montauk. This is actually a coming of age story with an unlikely love story. I enjoyed learning more about Montauk in 1938 and how this town came to be. I was pleasantly surprised when the story took a turn, as I thought I had it mapped out. The ending was completely unexpected. I’m impressed with this debut author and look forward to more from her in the future. For me, Montauk was ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Thank you @stmartinspress for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

It is hard to believe that this is a debut novel, it is so engaging and beautifully written!

Montauk by Nicola Harrison takes place in 1938 when America is fighting to come back from the depression and World War II is yet a rumble on the horizon. New York City’s elite summer at Montauk, Long Island, the new “in” summer resort for the wealthy. The wives and children spend the summer, while the men work in the city during the week and come to the island for weekends. In contrast, the year-round locals live in a fishing village, full of shanty-like homes, doing whatever they can to get by.

Beatrice, the main character, grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania. Her beginnings were quite humble. Following the death of her brother, she moves to NYC, and meets Harry, a man of privilege. They marry and Bea is thrown into a social scene that she is ill-prepared for. She has a hard time fitting in with the socialites at Montauk and doesn’t understand (or agree with) their vacuous interests and values. Nor does she understand why Harry seems to find reasons not to come on the weekends and avoids spending time with her when he does. She expects more from marriage and is at a loss as to how to make things better, when Harry seems so uninterested in their relationship. More and more uncomfortable at Montauk Manor, Bea befriends Elizabeth, the local laundress. This is somewhat scandalous for the time and Bea doesn’t realize that her need for a friend could cause problems for Elizabeth. The more Bea explores the island, the more she falls in love with its natural beauty. She walks many fine lines all summer, trying to meet her “obligation” to curry the favor of the wealthy, pretending that all is well in her train-wreck of a marriage, and keeping her growing involvement with the townspeople a secret. It is a summer of great inner conflict and growth for Bea.

The author stays true to the social mores of the day when the roles and expectations of men and women are strictly defined and the differences between the social and economic classes are great and not meant to be breached. Her characters are fully complex and relatable (even the irritating ones!), and she is skilled at setting the scene with her descriptions.

An entertaining read from an author I look forward to reading again. This gets a 4-star rating from me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

I cannot believe this is Nicola Harrison’s debut book! The writing flowed beautifully and every word just drew me and I felt I was right there breathing in the ocean air. This book takes place in 1938 in Montauk which is at the tip of Long Island. Beatrice Bordeaux who was born into the lower/ middle class went to college but did not finish when her brother died unexpectedly in an accident. She married Harry Bordeaux a wealthy businessman after meeting him while she worked as a secretary. Beau and Henry are spending the summer in Montauk a hotspot for the wealthy. Beatrice and Henry’s marriage is failing after man failed pregnancy’s and she’s hoping this vacation will fix their marriage and possibly lead to a pregnancy. She’s soon shocked when she finds that Henry plans on spending most of his time in the city drinking, working and carrying on with numerous affairs while Beatrice is left on her own acting like everything is fine in Montauk. Beatrice finds herself bored and unhappy and she doesn’t get along with the other wealthy wives at the resort in Montauk. She soon finds a friend with the laundry woman Elizabeth and finds a friend in the lighthouse keeper Thomas and finds herself falling for him. Beatrice soon discovers more about herself the more Henry is away, and she knows she needs to come to some conclusion as the end of summer draws near. Beatrice’s story pulled at my heart and I so wanted her to find happiness. I loved this book I found myself getting lost in her story and I was amazed with each character. I give this four stars I didn’t want this book to end! It’s a perfect summer read!