Beatrice Bordeaux is excited to learn that her husband has booked a summer of fun in Montauk, Long Island for her. She’ll spend the summer with the other high society wives in Montauk while her husband continues working in New York City during the week. The weekends, however, will be theirs, but it doesn't quite turn out as planned.

Bea wasn’t always part of a high society lifestyle. Growing up she did not live with the wealthy. So, she doesn’t quite feel comfortable socializing with the other wives. Instead, she begins to feel lonely while her husband grows further apart from her and cancels weekend trips. She had hoped she would have a child which would bring the couple closer, but that hasn’t happened yet.

She tries to fill her time with different activities but it hasn’t turned out the way she hoped. Loneliness envelopes her to the point where she finds herself drawn to another man. Someone very different than her husband.

Ohhhh…I couldn’t resist this one as the setting is very close to my home. Plus, I’ve been loving the 1930’s era lately. This book is no exception.

This is a well written, emotionally charged book that swept me back to another time. It’s filled with characters who are larger-than-life. The author paints a vivid picture of the time, the setting and the people.

I will definitely be looking for more books by this author.

Montauk, by Nicola Harrison, is a surprisingly captivating novel about class differences in 1938. Beatrice, raised on a Pennsylvania farm, is now married to an ambitious businessman from a socially elite New York family. The summer of 1938 is to be spent at the Montauk Manor, the current popular summer “camp” for the wealthy elite of New York. Over the course of the summer, Beatrice learns disturbing truths about her husband, her marriage, and the social crowd to which she seems destined. In many ways, this is a coming of age novel as Beatrice also learns much about who she is and wants to be, and the kind of life she wants to live.
Harrison deftly weaves into this story the social mores of the time, class differences, and the expectations of a women’s role in society. She is amazingly underhanded in her treatment of these issues, letting character and plot propel the tale forward. Montauk is on the ocean. and you will hear the waves roll in, smell the salt water, and feel the breeze.

Although this has all of the elements of the prototypical beach novel, it is much more penetrating. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an electronic ARC. It was a pleasure!

This was an engrossing well written book that kept me up late into the night to finish it. Reminiscent of other great writers, the story practically shone.

You guys, this book was BEAUTIFUL! I LOVED Nicola’s style of writing. I am now a huge fan! I felt like I was catapulted into the late 1930’s and was sitting right along with Bea the entire time. The character development was truly exceptional and I pretty much want to be best friends with Bea and Dolly. I always felt like I should’ve been born in the 1940s and this book truly confirmed that for me, haha. ALL THE STARS!

Montauk was a story of a woman, Beatrice, who lived a life of luxury, but with an inattentive, and unfaithful husband. This story, set in the time period after the depression, takes place on Montauk, a town where the rich have gone to vacation for the summer. While wives and children enjoy the seaside luxury hotel/manor and activities, their husbands commute in for the weekends. As this story unfolds, Bea begins to clearly see the vast difference in the way she and her “social” friends live, verses the lives of the locals. Since Bea herself had been raised in the country, she is more attuned to the harsh realties of the villagers’ day-to-day struggles to provide for their families.

Bea eventually finds herself drawn to the light keeper. He is a man of great strength, both physically and morally. He is likewise attracted to Bea and together they decide they want a future with each other. So this story becomes their struggle to find a way to be together and Bea to break the bonds of her marriage. It is a story of Bea realizing who she is and what she wants in life, and fighting to attain that. As sometimes is the case in life, this story was not without its tragedy and heartbreak. This was an engrossing story and I liked the way the author developed both the storyline and its characters. (I was given a copy of this book for my honest review.)

ORMAT READ: eBook (Adobe Digital Editions)
SIMILAR VIBES: The Thousandth Floor (if it were NA and without the sci fi part), The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
READ FOR: high class 1930s society vibe
*All my reviews are spoiler-free unless stated otherwise*

OVERALL: 3.7/5

I really liked the setting and overall vibe of the book. But I was not engaged and interested enough in the story.

I don’t think this was the book but me as the plot was not something that I could particularly relate to. Nevertheless, the characters were interesting to get to know and I was curious to see what would happen to them in the duration of the story.

This feels like one of those classic historical fiction stories.

There’s not much else to say but I would recommend this book to those who enjoy reading historical fiction and would want that classic historical feel with an added touch of class.

PLOT: ★★★☆☆
WRITING STYLE: ★★★★☆
CHARACTERS: ★★★★☆
THEMES: ★★★★☆
PACING: ★★★☆☆
PAGE TURNER: ★★★★☆

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Nicola Harrison for the ARC to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Title: Montauk
Author: Nicola Harrison
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5

In 1938, Beatrice Bordeaux is looking forward to spending some time during the summer trying to repair her marriage with her husband, Harry. Instead, she realizes she’ll be spending the summer at Montauk, a fishing village turned playground for the wealthy where Harry wants her to foster relationships with the wives of wealthy men than can further his business dealings.

She wants to fix their marriage, but Harry is staying in the summer—pursing other interests. And women. Beatrice has never felt at home with the other society wives. She was raised simply and has never gotten over the death of her brother. She just wants a baby, but after five years of marriage, it seems like she’s missed her chance at motherhood.
Bea befriends a laundress who works at the hotel and is drawn to her simple life and the community of the island. Then she meets a man who is her husband’s opposite in every way, and connected to her past, and realizes the life she has is not the life she wants.

Bea’s emotions come through so clearly in this novel. Her fears, her grief, her hopes and dreams. I loved her as a character and wanted a happy ending for her so badly. The society she lives in is so foreign it’s almost impossible for me to imagine, and Montauk is vividly realized, as are most of the characters. This was an engrossing read.

Nicola Harrison is from England but moved to California when she was 14. Montauk is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

"I closed my eyes in the darkness and listened to the faint sound of the ocean waves rolling in and crashing, rolling in and crashing, one after the other like the ticking of a clock whose hands keep moving forward even when you want time to stand still".

Montauk by Nicola Harrison is a beautiful debut set in a fishing village in the 1930s where social elitists from the city are visiting for the summer months. While the women relax in Montauk during the week, their husbands are back in the city working, only coming back to the beach on the weekends. This leaves Beatrice quite a bit of time to think: is she really happy with Harry?

I loved Montauk. Harrison did such a wonderful job capturing the imagery of the ocean, the lighthouse, and the Manor that I felt present. There was so much drama packed into the story that I never felt bored or wondered when the chapter would end.

It didn't take long for me to become invested in our heroine. Once Bea realizes she's worth more than what her husband is giving her, she finds a newfound confidence that allows her to speak her mind and stand up for herself. The character development was beautifully done. I absolutely loved Thomas and Bea & I wholeheartedly believe Harrison did the story justice with Harry's fate.

The ending had me floored. The way a book ends tells you a lot about how you feel about the whole of the story, and by the way Bea, Thomas, and Harry's stories were left, I knew I had loved every bit of what I read.

Read it, savor it, love it.

Content disclaimers:

This premise of this novel is primarily based on infidelity, but I felt it was justified (and I don't take this topic lightly whatsoever).

There is also a case of spousal rape towards the 3/4 mark of the novel.

Montauk is a remarkable cinematic historical romance from debut author, Nicola Harrison. Set in 1938 Montauk, Long Island, this is a self-discovery journey of Beatrice Bordeaux, through a crumbling marriage, a family loss, a community that she thought she belongs to, a search for her true purpose, an unexpected friendship, and a slow-burn romance.

QUICK THOUGHTS
I recommend this book if you're into:
⇾ Historical romance, lighter on the history and heavier on the romance
⇾ Detailed and full description narrative
⇾ Women empowerment issue
⇾ Character-oriented story
⇾ Slow-paced story

Things to be considered before picking up this book:
⇾ Few explicit and triggering contents. Check out trigger warnings at the end of this review.
⇾ Constantly slow-paced for 400 pages.
⇾ Sad ending.

MORE THOUGHTS
I 👏 love 👏 this 👏 When I first requested Montauk on NetGalley, my initial intention was because I wanted to read something outside of my comfort zone, in this case, a historical and women fiction. And before I started reading it, I didn't have any expectation toward this book. I knew this genre is fairly a new territory to me, and therefore I don't want this book to be the case of "it's not the book, it's me". I just wanted to roll with it and see how it goes, y'know? But man oh man, did I underestimated it?! It turns out to be one of the most enjoyable reads that I have this year!

To sum up the story, Beatrice Bordeaux was a wife of Harry, a businessman from a wealthy family and elite society. Meanwhile, she was a small town girl who born and grew up in Pensylvania. She was bright and went to university, an extraordinary and uncommon thing to do for a woman during this time. But ever since her brother, Charlie, died in a car accident, she decided to left university and closed herself from everyone. And this is when she met Harry. Long story short, they're married but even after five years, they still got no baby. Beatrice started to feel the tension in her marriage and the pressure from Harry's family because they expected them to carry on the family name. A three months summer vacation in Montauk, Long Island was seen as a getaway to rekindle their marriage and make the chemistry between them sparks again.

At least that's what Beatrice hoped for. But that was before she found out about her husband's affair. That was before she tried to fit in the community of elitists' wives who seem connected and supported each other but threw gossips and hurtful commentaries behind the closed door. That was before she met Dolly, a candid, quirky and talented hatter who gave no shit about the elitists' wives. That was before she met Elizabeth, a local laundry woman from the manor who introduced Beatrice to her big family and to the real Montauk. That was before she met Thomas, a lighthouse keeper who appreciated her for being her true self and gave the affection that she longed for, something that has been long missing from her marriage.

”I'm your wife, God damn it. You should want to see me, but instead you use up all your free times dallying around with other women in the city while I'm out here.”

The thing about Montauk is that it focused on the main character development and how she faced the struggles in her life. However, Harrison still managed to deliver an unforgettable plot too. It was slow at times, sure, but it worth the waits. I personally not a fan of a slow-paced story, but thanks to Harrison's magic hand, she crafted each word carefully and delivered such a pleasing and wonderful narrative. Montauk was truly cinematic. I got to imagine each scene vividly, despite not being the most imaginative person in the room.

”Sometimes I yearned for that forever feeling—those hours that stretched into days and days into week, without a thought of tomorrow.”

My other favorite thing about this book is the ending. It was not the perfect ending, but hell, it was close to one. It was unexpected and truly caught me off guard. The plot twists left me wondering with multiple 'what if?'. In conclusion, I truly enjoyed Montauk and I'm looking forward to read more works from Harrison in the future.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Final Rating — 4.5/5
Trigger Warnings — Classism, emotional abuse, rape.

Favorite Quotes:

As we drove up the tight and winding road, tree branches reached overhead toward each other like lovers’ hands desperate to connect…

I’d felt paranoid that everyone already knew about Harry’s philandering. How could they not? Women talked and Harry, apparently, was about as discreet with his affairs as a pack of rats going through a dumpster.

Sometimes I yearned for that forever feeling—those hours that stretched into days and days into a week, without a thought for tomorrow. It was simple then. We wore swimsuits all day long and we slept long and deeply at night, eager for it all to start again the next day, never thinking for a second that another day wouldn’t come.

“What’s important in situations like these is that you find a way to relax and nature will most certainly take its course.” … He jotted these thoughts down on a prescription pad, tore off the page and handed it to me. “Take this seriously,” he said. “It’s your duty to your husband and to America.”

As a kid anything seemed possible; in the real world, though, nothing was. Youth gave us an inflated sense of possibility, that you could achieve anything if you really went for it, but it felt as if you’d have to fight your whole life to get there, and most of us just got married and had children.


My Review:

This beautifully written story was taut with tension and kept me on edge while I was mesmerized by the lushly descriptive and enticing writing style. The storylines were wincingly well crafted and easily believable. This emotive tale upended me, I was quickly sucked into a confining and misogynistic 1938 vortex, something I would typically avoid - but not this time - I couldn’t put it down. I am totally in awe; this debut author has major skills and a bright future ahead.

Lies, deceit, rampant infidelities, and the petty dramas of social climbing women marked the days and nights of the betrayed and deeply disappointed Beatrice, and in many ways, she was just as tarnished and culpable as the rest, although she saw the hypocrisy and at least felt some guilt about it. Apparently the entitled wealthy and social elite still existed and lived quite well throughout the Depression. These compelling characters were rather vile yet kept me holding my breath and gripping my kindle from the very beginning to the crescendo finish that nearly broke me and left me in definite need of a spa day.

Montauk by Nicola Harrison uses the backdrop of Montauk, New York, in 1939, to explore the lifestyles of wealthy New Yorkers and the locals who inhabit the fishing village all year. Beatrice Bordeaux. married to Harry, struggled for five years to have a child and the lack of one has put a strain on the marriage. She hopes to reconnect romantically with her husband, but finds Harry is more interested in making investment deals, hunting, playing cards and drinking. So when Harry visits on the weekend, she hardly sees him. Beatrice tries to join the women per Harry’s request, but finds them gossipy, shallow, and prejudiced. Something is lacking in Beatrice’s life, and when she finds herself drawn to a local man, she begins to long for the simplicity of a different kind of life. The novel’s strength is its strong sense of place and time. It follows Beatrice as she realizes her marriage and her life does not suit her, and she must grow in a different direction to change. But her decisions (and several decisions did not seem realistic to me) come with consequences. It is a fast read, a good beach book.

I received an advanced copy via St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley for an honest review.

Nicola Harrison’s debut novel takes us to Montauk, on Long Island, in 1938. The small village is starting to be transformed into a destination for New York’s rich and elite families to summer at beautiful Montauk Manor. The wives will spend their days with activities, while nannies take care of the children, and the husbands return from the city on weekends. Beatrice’s husband has decided that Montauk is the place to be, and Beatrice should spend her summer cultivating relationships with the other wives. Disappointed to find that they won’t be spending much-needed time together strengthening their relationship, Beatrice tries to fit in, hoping to show Harry she can be a partner and an asset in their marriage. Too soon, she realizes that she isn’t satisfied with her role. Her background as a lower-middle class girl, who went to college, has her seeking out friends that are more like her and a purpose that has her on a career-path that could ruin her socially if she’s found out. Her quest leads her to explore Montauk, and a friendship with the lighthouse keeper, and the realization that Harry has other plans while he is alone in the city, have Beatrice wondering whether this is the life for her or if there is more out there for her.
Harrison’s descriptions and writing made me feel as if I was in Montauk in 1938. The characters were interesting, and I found myself taken by Beatrice and her musings. It was enlightening to read about the differences between the privileged and the villagers, as well as the attitudes of the each toward the other. It was also eye-opening to see how they treated Jewish people during the time.
This book was a good one for me to find a cozy spot and get lost in; I found myself hurrying back to it. I enjoyed the read, and was even surprised by a couple twists that I didn’t see coming. This is a good one to add to your beach or travel bag.
#StMartinsPress #Montauk #NicolaHarrison

A first for me from this author! Thank you Net Galley and St.Martin's Press for this ARC in Exchange for my honest review! Wow! Absolutely delightful and amazingly written historical read! I found the characters were a true delight! So well crafted I felt the time it was written in, which for historical lovers is a delight! A must read! Well done to the author for covering so much history in this book! I look forward to reading more from her very soon!

In 1938 Beatrice Bordeaux and her husband Harry begin a summer of adventure in Montauk, a new and developing seaside area the rich are flocking to near Long Island in New York. They are spending the summer, Beatrice there full-time and Harry taking the train there for weekends. Harry is deciding if he should invest in the beautiful seaport all his friends with money are investing in. Beatrice will spend the summer relaxing, attending parties, shopping and going to the beach.

Beatrice and Harry have been unable to conceive a child during their 5 year marriage, something which has been an embarrassment for her, but also something she wishes for desperately. She also hopes the summer will bring her relationship with Harry back to what is was. They seem to be drifting apart. But when Beatrice discovers some unsettling information about her husband, she must accept some harsh realities about their relationship.

While in Montauk, Beatrice meets and befriends Elizabeth, a laundry worker for the resort they are staying in. She begins to feel her life of fancy dresses, parties and shopping are nothing compared to the tireless work ethic of the locals. And although there is all this talk about investing, she realizes the locals are the ones who are truly in need of some money.

And then she meets someone who will change her life forever. A man she never dreamed she would be interested in. Someone she becomes attracted to for so many reasons. Perhaps even her soulmate.

Now Beatrice must make some decisions. Decisions that were unheard of in those days. What should she do...what CAN she do?

This is a beautifully written love story with believable characters and incredibly written majestic scenic passages with imagery that makes you feel you are there. It was quite the page turner with my heart leaping for joy and pounding from suspense. It possibly could be one of the best love stories I have read in quite awhile. Although I have yet to go to Montauk, with this book I feel like I have finally been!

Thank you #NetGalley #St. Martin's Press #Nicola Harrison #Montauk for this incredible advanced copy.
Montauk is on sale right now.

I can't be the only one that wants to visit Montauk after reading this book? Nicola did such a wonderful job of transporting the reader back in time and onto the shores of Montauk. This book had me feeling a wide variety of emotions. I laughed, I cried, and I wanted to strangle Harry. 😂 I would say this book is both a romance and a historical fiction, which essentially means it's the perfect book for me. I loved reading about the fashion of the era, the fancy parties they attended, and the more simplistic life style of the locals.

As you follow Beatrice throughout her summer in Montauk, you see her character mature. She's a college educated farm girl that finds herself wrapped up in the big city, high society life. Five years into her marriage to Harry and she's now use to the fancy clothes and gourmet meals. When she realizes her marriage isn't what she thought it would be, she starts to prioritize what's important in life and concludes that money may not be everything she needs. The book takes place in an era where people are recovering from the Depression and there are rumors of the US joining WWII. With all the uncertainty, she's trying to figure out what is best for her. She's quickly realizing that she doesn't fit in well with the high society crowd in Montauk. Even though most of the women are mothers (and Bea wants nothing more than to become a mother), they all have nannies to care for their children. The women spend their time gossiping, judging each other, and making sure everyone knows just how important and superior they are to everyone else. Beatrice rather spend her time with the natural beauty that Montauk has to offer instead of trying to fit in with a group of snooty ladies who have no interest in making friends with her (besides Dolly). By the end of the summer her life is completely different than when she first boarded the train to Montauk.

I started this book on the train into NYC 2 weeks ago headed to BEA and I only put the book down because I had to get off the train... I spent my first evening there at an author and blogger event mingling with some amazing people and was still thinking in the back of my mind, about how I couldn't wait to get back to the story. Imagine my surprise when I start talking with a woman and she introduces herself... "I wrote Montauk!" So surreal!

I, of course, had to tell her how much I was enjoying it so far, and where I was in the story - it was a huge turning point and she just smiled - not wanting to give anything away. I read the second half on the train ride home and what a great debut novel!

Living in NJ, I'm definitely familiar with the high society life that goes on in Montauk. But there's just something so magical and dreamy about the start of this exclusive, beachside resort town back in the 1930's and how it started as a small fishing town, and bloomed into a glamorous, extravagant vacation spot filled with NYC elite and lavish parties and gatherings.

Beatrice is new to the privileged life and excited to spend the summer in Montauk at the Manor with her husband. Hoping to reignite some passion in their marriage and finally become pregnant, she's got high expectations for the season. But very quickly, she realizes that she doesn't really fit in here. And she doesn't really want to. She's all but abandoned by her husband as he spends more and more time in the city working and begins to find comfort, friendship and familiarity with the locals - much more than with the high society wives she's expected to spend her days with.

And along the way she meets a man that changes everything she knows about life. There is romance, and drama, and lots of secrets - both long buried and newly formed ones that Beatrice struggles to protect and hide from so many people. But although so many conflicts seem inevitable due to her circumstances, she emerges as a strong, sassy and confident character that I LOVED. Her stance on women's rights and respect for everyone, no matter what social or economic class they belong to, is especially admirable.

I read this one fast - there's a broadness of themes and a wonderful mixture of characters that made it a quite enjoyable read. The writing was dreamy and lyrical and transports you to the beach, smelling the salt air and hearing the waves crashing. And the ending will knock the breath out of you.

I love the era between the Great Depression and World War II. Watching our country rise up out of the ashes and gain the strength to fight another world war never ceases to amaze me. It was during this time that the divide between social classes deepened and became crystal clear as the wealthy continued to live their lavish lifestyles while the lower classes struggled to survive. It is this divide that is the foundation of Montauk.

Montauk is a small costal town on Long Island that has become a glamorous summer retreat, with a stunning manor that many Manhattanites flocked to the summer of 1938. Beatrice Bordeaux is one of the privledged wives who found herself enjoying the beauty of Montauk that summer, but Beatrice feels discontented with her life, this displeasure deepening as the days of summer flutter by.

Beatrice's fight for empowerment, to find her true self, to break social barriers and fight for women's rights in this male-dominated society was by far my favorite part of this novel. I loved watching Beatrice blossom into a strong woman with a voice all her own, breaking away from her shy, people-pleasing ways, and standing up for herself and what she believed in.

Reading about the beautiful details of Montauk, the writing capturing my imagination, was also pleasurable, but the novel does have a slow start, some of the characters weren't well developed, and much of the plot and language was highly offensive to me since I prefer cleaner reads. It was these faults that had me torn, wanting to like this debut novel but the flaws overpowered it for me personally. If things like language, affairs, and steamy romances do not bother you I believe you will enjoy Montauk.

Montauk by Nicola Harrison is an interesting view of the lives of young professionals and their wives in 1938. The wife of Harry Bordeaux, Beatrice, writes Montauk in first person. Beatrice has been married for several years and is totally out of her social sphere with this marriage. Montauk is just getting off the ground as a vacation spot on Long Island where she is to spend the summer, with her husband joining her only on weekends, like so many of the husbands of the women around her.

Montauk is a heart-wrenching window into a time when women's lives were much more regimented than they are now. Expectations were high. Rewards were few. Men could do as they pleased. Women could not. a place in society was everything. Not every woman's place was the same as Beatrice's but the principal remains in place. Beatrice was a wonderful character who reached out for life and grabbed it where she could. Her life is a lesson, even today, for those women who strive to be what they are not. I loved it. I highly recommend Montauk.

I received a free ARC of Montauk. All opinions expressed herein are my own. #netgalley #montauk

Montauk by Nicola Harrison is a historical fiction novel that is set in the very real destination of Montauk, Long Island in 1938. Montauk much like the neighboring area of The Hamptons is/was known for being a vacation destination for the rich even back in 1938.

Beatrice Bordeaux was looking forward to a short summer vacation with her husband, Harry but instead Harry changes up their plans. Harry is looking into investing in Montauk so he arranges for Beatrice to stay for the entire three months while he commutes back to the city during the week and returning only for weekends.

Beatrice quickly feels out of place with the other wives staying at The Montauk Manor but does her best to fit in and take part although she finds herself much more comfortable around the help. Before long Harry is showing up less and less and when Beatrice tries to surprise him she finds things are not as good as they seemed.

I know I have a lower rating on this one but I did still enjoy reading the story and getting engrossed in that era of Montauk. The writing is solid but the particulars of what goes on that summer with Beatrice was not really anything new or overly creative but instead too predictable. I would say this one is entertaining in the moment but probably won’t stick with me long and end up forgettable thus the three stars.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Bea has everything a 1930’s girl could want. A rich successful husband and an opportunity to spend the summer in a tourist destination outside of New York City. The beautiful town of Montauk thrives on the summer tourist season. The trouble is Bea does not have everything she could want. She has been unable to have a baby despite years of trying. She is not comfortable around the rest of the summer visitors to Montauk. Bea was raised by middle class parents and was expected to work for what she wanted. She was not used to nannies, being waited on, and was bored not working. She sees this summer as a chance to rekindle her marriage but her husband spends his weeks in the City and only the weekends at Montauk. Bea befriends a local, Elizabeth, who does laundry for the summer visitors. Bea feels more comfortable with the locals and builds additional relationships. As the summer winds down, Bea has to decide how she wants to live her life and what her future holds.

I was wrapped up in this book from the very first page. I loved watching Bea grow and develop throughout the summer. She finds what is important to her and what makes her happy. The story takes place in the late 1930’s and the author did a great job incorporating details from the time period without make the book all about the 1930’s. Bea’s story could happen to anyone in any time period. Ai thought this was an amazing book and highly recommend it.