I can hear the waves splashing and feel the warm sun of this beautiful novel! The descriptive writing is rich in detail and draws me completely in to the life of the rich and the locals. The gossips and intrigued were entertaining! This is a lovely debut and a new author to follow and love!

I really enjoyed this book. It was 5 star read for me up until the last 30 or so pages. I have a problem discussing the book the way I really want to without giving away spoilers. So, for this book I am going to try something a little different. This review is going to be spoiler free, but once you have read the book, go to the SPOILER page so we so we can chat about this book in the comments without ruining it for everyone else. I NEED to talk about the parts of this novel that left me totally broken... it has been a month since reading and I am still a little broken.

1938: I am a sucker for a good historical fiction book. I tend to go more towards the romance side of things but this novel did a great job at putting me right into the middle of life in 1938 and made me feel at times wistful and other times so angry I wanted to throw the book against the wall (but of course this was an eBook so that would have been quite disastrous). I was not angry because the author was not giving an accurate depiction of 1938 life. I was angry because she was. As a woman I do not think I have ever truly realized how hard it must have been at that time. We live in a world with feminism and women are (mostly) treated equal to men. If a man says or does something we do not like, we can call him out. We work and make money and raise families and there is not limit to how high we can go. Back then, not so much. The woman's job was to please her man and so many women did not feel comfortable speaking out when they were mistreated. It wasn't like they could just up and walk away. For one thing, few women had their own money or resources. There was also the shame aspect. The fear of shame for herself or her family was too much for many women so they stayed chose instead to stay in a life they did not want.

Bea: I love this character so much. At the beginning of the book I really felt for her and mostly I felt with her. She was blissfully unaware of what was going on right in front of her. He husband sent her off to spend the summer in Montauk while he spent most of his time in the city working. At first this did give her pause (as it should) but all he had to do was explain that she was "helping" him by befriending the women at the resort and she was all in. That was her place right? To stand by and support her husband? During the initial parts of the book you get to see little glimmers of the spunk and independence inside her, but once the first big twist is revealed, she starts to change. That spark inside of her is awakened and takes her on a beautiful path. I cant say much because this is a spoiler free review, so all I can say is that I loved this character and her arc is well done, realistic, and makes me have all the feelings.

Thomas: Can I go back in time and go to Montauk and make him my boyfriend please? Enough said. Just read the book.

The Women: What I truly did not expect about this book was the other wives staying at the resort. It very much felt like Gossip Girl meets The Great Gatsby. They were conniving and catty and not afraid to back stab or talk about one anther (or Bea) behind their backs. I loved it. It gave Bea something more to have to go up against and overcome and was also just good fun. It also helped to make her two friends shine.

Dolly, another wife at the resort is everything Bea was not. She was bold and independent and Bea was drawn to her instantly. Dolly would say and do whatever she wanted. If I am being totally honest, I kind of wish she was my bestie too.

Elizabeth is the exact opposite of Dolly. She was a poor working woman from the village. After they met on day, Bea went out of her way to seek her out. Bea had grown up a simple country girl and Elizabeth reminded her of who she used to be. She showed Bea through her actions and how she lived her life what it meant to have real love and a family. Bea was able to that she does not need money or parties, she just needs a husband that supports her and was her partner in life. Bea in turn, showed her how to be stronger too. Even though she was poor and Bea was rich, they formed a real and lasting friendship. It was beautiful. I love good friendships in my stories, especially ones that are easy to believe in.

This was one of the best books I have read in a very long time and I loved it so much. However, it did go down a pretty dark and surprising path that left me feeling lost and broken. I had to drop it a star simply because I was wanting and needing something a little different from the ending. That is me though. I still highly recommend this book. As far as the ending I have a feeling that is exactly what Nicola Harrison was going for.

MONTAUK tells the tale of young wife Beatrice and her life changing summer in Montauk in 1938. Lonely and lacking purpose in her life, she does not quite fit in with the other society wives enjoying their summer playground, waiting for their husbands to come down from New York City each weekend. Bea soon befriends Elizabeth, a local who takes care of the Manor’s laundry, which leads to Bea meeting lighthouse keeper Thomas with whom she shares an unexpected connection.

I expected MONTAUK to be historical fiction, but it is really romance with a touch of women’s fiction thrown in so I might not be the target audience for Harrison’s debut. That said, it is a diverting, if predictable, snapshot of the contrast between the “haves and the have nots” in the late nineteen thirties. The ending, though a bit of a surprise, left me wanting more. Bea is interesting and kind, but, even though she did not grow up wealthy, she is a bit naive concerning her own actions and their consequences. At times, I want to shake her, but I do acknowledge that she is representative of a young woman of her era. Most of the characters, the society ladies, are unpleasant, shallow, and myopic, but I really admire Dolly and enjoy Thomas.

MONTAUK is a good summer read, especially for readers drawn to weightier romances.

I received a generous ARC of this title through NetGalley from St. Martin’s Press. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved everything about this book, starting on page one! I loved following along with Beatrice during her summer in Montauk. I could really feel how she felt, being torn between high society with her husband, and her more modest roots. I can't wait for the next one from Nicola Harrison!

Thanks #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for an early review copy of #Montauk

I thought this was a very tender kind of historical fiction. Beatrice is such an easy character to love with her wounded soul, blue collar roots, and having lost her way in the world. She was exactly the kind of heroine you see going down a path to ruin and you get it, you understand why she has to put the life she has on the line because though she thought she was living, she wasn't. I adored her and watching her grow. I also am such a huge fan of Dolly. Don't we all need a friend like her?

I thought all the characters were wonderfully complex which really suited the social climbing, high society vibe of life in the Manor at Montauk. Even the 'help' are well-rounded and I loved seeing the other side of Montauk through Beatrice's unique point of view of being a working class girl who married into high society because she has a pull in both directions.

The plot carries well as it centers around Beatrice and her rediscovery of herself. Though there were times the story was a bit predictable, the ending was a huge surprise. It took me a couple days to recover from it but in the end I think it's the best ending for the characters, if not the one I would've chosen to make myself happy.

I would categorize this as a 50/50 romance/historical fiction because while it offers a really great picture of both the haves and have nots of American society right before WWII, the time period was less a focus than Beatrice's own personal story. I'm not displeased with that though; usually I'm not a fan of mixed genre stories but I think it really works here. I couldn't put it down. It's such a sweeping, beautiful story, if a bit heartbreaking. Definitely would recommend it to both historical fiction and romance fans. I'm really looking forward to more from this author!


Note: I received a free Kindle edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank them, the publisher St. Martin's Press, and the author Nicola Harrison for the opportunity to do so.

Montauk
By
Nicola Harrison

What it's all about...

Beatrice finds herself in Montauk at an amazing hotel for the summer. Wealth, privilege and a husband are all that is required. Unfortunately she finds out that during the week...when her husband is supposed to be working in the city...he is entertaining women at their NYC apartment. Beatrice also discovers that she has more of a bond with the townspeople than she does with the wealthy ladies she is supposed to be spending her time with. This is the era of the 30’s and during the week at this hotel there are only women, children and their nannies. Beatrice is childless and this also puts her at loose ends. That is until she develops a friendship with Elizabeth...the laundry lady and Thomas...the lighthouse keeper. Beatrice is an admirable person...much different from the other idle women. She also writes and through a friendship with a newspaper writer submits a weekly column about life in Montauk. This is published anonymously.


My thoughts after reading this book...

I really enjoyed the early history of Montauk. The writing was fluid and clear. I loved reading about this period of time in our country’s history.


What I loved best...

I couldn’t help but love Beatrice and her baby steps into a real life. She stood up for what she believed in.


What potential readers might want to know...

This is a long slow simmering story. It’s an incredible look into the lives of the wealthy and the not so wealthy during this period of time. Readers who love this king of book should truly enjoy this one.


I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. It was my choice to read and review it.

Really enjoyed the beautiful setting (so many lighthouses in literature these last couple of summers) of a luxury hotel on Montauk, LI, NY. The romances became somewhat sentimentalized, but that's ok. Just not my particular genre.

Montauk, Long Island, 1938. Once a humble fishing village and now it is serving as a playground for the New York City wealthy elite. When her husband approached her with the plan to summer in Montauk, Beatrice Bordeaux was delighted thinking it would be just the ticket to help reignite the passion in her and Harry’s marriage – that is until she understood that he would not be spending the weeks with her - just the weekends. But, soon Harry had excuses that he wouldn’t be able to make the weekends because of being so busy pursuing other interests in the city.

Raised as a country girl in Pennsylvania, Bea has never felt fully comfortable among these privileged women, whose days were devoted not to their children but to leisure activities and charities that seemingly benefit no one but themselves. Beatrice longs to be a mother herself, as well as a loving wife, but after five years of marriage she still remains childless while Harry is increasingly remote and distracted. In spite of the lavish parties at the Manor and the Yacht Club, Bea is lost and lonely and befriends the manor’s laundress whose work ethic and family life stir memories of who she once was.

Exploring the town rather than joining the society women at the Manor Beatrice drifts further from the them and their preoccupations and closer toward Montauk’s natural beauty and community spirit. Along the way, Bea finds herself drawn to a man nothing like her husband –stoic, plain spoken and enigmatic. He inspired her to face a haunting tragedy of her past and take a good look at what her future might hold.

Time was racing and as the summer was coming to an end, Beatrice knew she had to make a choice to grasp what happiness she could. However with a major hurricane blasting out to Long Island, would anyone survive to have a future.

Marilyn Rondeau

I loved Bea's character and personality. I felt sorry for her many times, but love how she created friendships with others. I wish that her marriage to Harry had been better but it helped her grow as an individual which didn't always match up to what other women were doing in that time period. I enjoyed the summer setting and felt like I was also on Montauk at times!

Well-written romance set in 1938 New York. I had hoped for historical fiction with a romantic subtext. The writing was good enough that it kept my attention but there is nothing very unique about this tale. Wealthy, bored wives spend their summers at the beach while their husbands work in the city, joining them on weekends. Life in the Big City without wives is filled with illicit behavior. The ending is mildly surprising. This book is best for lovers of romance tales who yearn for poor girls to find pots of gold one way or another. I received my copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley.

This one was just a little too slow for me... I usually like HF but had trouble getting into this one. Won't be recommending.

Bea’s husband, as many others in their circle go to Montauk for the summer. The women have activites during the day and the men come for the weekends. Bea was not brought up in the same environment as many of the other wives and sees some of the activities and personalities as quite frivolous. She’s more of a modern woman than she realizes. In an escape from these women, she often takes off for nature walks and spends some time reading and relaxing. As she makes friends with some of the employees of the resort, they seem to be more relatable to her than her contemporaries. Although she doesn’t realize it at the time, what Bea is actually looking for is herself. An interesting and enjoyable read – I’m looking forward to more from this author! This book gives a realistic view of women in the thirties era. They were often thought of as accessories to their husbands and their careers.


Also reviewed at B&N and Kobo under the name IrishEyes430

I loved this historical-fiction look at Montauk. I have not read many books set here despite spending time in Montauk. I enjoyed the look at the time period and the love story woven around it.

This is about Montauk, A small fishing town in New York that becomes the summer destination for the rich of New York City. This area has just been discovered as the place to be! Beatrice finds herself emmerced in the nonstop activities that are planned by all the other wives living in Montauk while their husbands work in the city during the week. Although most of the wives love the social climbing that comes with the summer in Montauk, Beatrice wants more. This book is more of a personal journey for Beatrice.

I struggled to get into this book. It has a slow start and kind of drags on a bit. Overall I really liked Beatrice and her journey though the book. She is kind and thoughtful. She is interested in those around her and not so self absorbed as the other women she encounters at Montauk. The story felt realistic for the time period. The second half of the book was much better as the story took a turn into more of a romance.

"You can only go so long pretending, acting as if you're someone you're not" (Montauk)

Montauk sweeps you into a world in 1938 where the Depression isn't affecting their lives in Montauk or New York City, the summer visitors continuing to live the same life of lavish extravagance they led before. Your social standing is what matters, and the only "regular" people you interact with are the shopkeepers and staff who serve you. Beatrice Bordeaux, the book's main character, doesn't come from this world but her marriage to Harry has catapulted her into it. Her background leads her to make decisions that change her life during that summer in Montauk. What began as a desire to improve her marriage and finally have a child ends up leading down a path she didn't expect. Here's where the book took a turn into more romance than I expected from the description, but I did see what could have led her to make the decisions she did. Her friendships were a nice addition to the main story line, and some of my favorite characters. The writing really set the scene, and made me desperate to find out what happened. I really enjoyed this book, though I have to give it 3.5-4 stars because of some frustrations with the story line during the last bit of the book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has everything; glamour, drama, romance. It is so well written and immersive. If I didn't have adult responsibilities, I would have finished in a day.

The characters in this book have so much personality, you as the reader get attached right away. I related to Bea in ways I didn't think I would when I first started the book. She is so well written she seems like an old friend.

The story is paced well and keeps you interested. There are a ton of moments where I felt like I was living the story. I was so emotionally invested in these characters and their lives, that this read was a great escape and an excellent experience. I totally recommend this book. It's a great summer read!

What I thought was going to be historical fiction ended up being more of a women’s fiction/romance novel, but I’m okay with that. This book starts out slow, as you’re introduced to the characters and the setting. It felt like the setting became a character, and that was very enjoyable.

Montauk gives insight into 1930s upper class society, and I can confidently say I am SO happy I was not growing up in the 1930s. I felt so bad for Bea and the fact that her husband was her controller and she did nothing without him. I think her character showed amazing strength through the last third of the book. I think the author did a wonderful job at writing the “high society” crowd, and wrote some very unlikeable characters into this mix. When an author makes you hate an imaginary person, that’s true talent.

I wish the book would have ended differently, as I felt it was a bit rushed and didn’t follow the path the rest of the book had made for it. I’m sure the author has good reason for this, and that’s all we can ask for.

I received an advance copy; all thoughts are my own.

*I was gifted an advanced copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. *

Ahh, summer. It's the time of year most people dream of (Not me. I hate to fucking sweat.) so when I saw the ARC for Nicola Harrison's "Montauk" come across my NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to pretend I am cool enough to go summering in Montauk. (Growing up we would weekend in Lake Placid. Year round. It's a beautiful place, don't get me wrong. But, damn, there was something so alluring about the idea of Montauk... taking the train out to the farthest reaches of the state of New York and just RELAX. You know, as opposed to driving to one of the highest peaks in the state of New York and, also, relaxing.)
I was thrilled with how ensconced in the atmosphere I was from the very first pages. Set in the summer of 1938, the aristocracy of New York City are still living in their Waterford Crystal bubble of bliss, ignoring the mounting troubles in Europe and championing FDR's decision to let them sort their own business out. The women packed up their children, and their nannies, and their maids, and full wardrobes and whatever else you might possibly find yourself wanting for, and lumber along the rails to fresh, pure bliss: Montauk. Recently "discovered", it is in the infancy of its development, and the men spend their weekdays toiling away in the city, then glide out on the weekends for some "family time" (read: playing golf while their wives watch their nannies watch their children on the beach.)

But our narrator doesn't have that same, idyllic happy scene. She and her husband haven't been able to have children yet. In fact, their marriage has seen better days. Beatrice heads out to the shore in the hope that this relaxing summer will turn the tide. She doesn't expect just what turn it will take, however...

I have a hard time writing this review because this was a good book. It was technically well written, the setting and atmosphere were created perfectly, the characters were well fleshed out, the story was beautiful and the ending was moving. But...
But I kept finding myself forgetting about this book. Could that be because I'm a moody reader, and a sweeping historical fiction wasn't what I was in the frame of mind for? Perhaps.
I have already recommended this book to several people who enjoy the genre, and I feel very certain that someone looking for a good time period romance will love it, it just wasn't for me at this moment in time.
The final breakdown:
The Book
🌹🌹🌹
I don't want my lackluster response to this book to take away from what an enjoyable read it could be. Maybe the fact that it was still cold and snowy when I started it made it difficult to latch onto? I don't know. But I strongly feel that if you think you might enjoy it you should give it a try!
The Writing
🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️
Harrison's writing is fantastic, her descriptions of the location and the time were enough to immerse you without being overbearing (you know that feeling when you're reading Les Mis and Hugo is going on and on for pages about the color red the bishop is wearing? It's the opposite of that.)
Readability
🕰️🕰️
Again, I hate to penalize a book because I wasn't in the mood for it. Please, give this book a try!

“𝙽𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚊 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎, 𝚜𝚘 𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕 𝚘𝚏 𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚋𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚎, 𝚠𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎.”

I thought that Nicola Harrison did a great job on this debut novel! It was lyrical and I loved the writing style. Of course I am a fan of all things Historical Fiction, but I loved the romantic feel to this story that takes place over the summer in the small fishing town of Montauk, Long Island.

1938 was a difficult time in history, with the upcoming war, the roles women played, as well as inequalities in class, from the affluent to the poor, and Harrison does a great job of taking notice of these factors.

Beatrice doesn’t feel part of the high society women who summer in Montauk. What with their glamour and privilege, she she longs to be an independent woman. I thought she was such a strong, fierce woman, yet held down by the times she was in.

Montauk is the perfect summer read by the lake or the beach. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars!!

*Thank you so much to Netgalley, St Martin’s Press and BookSparks for this free copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own

The year is 1938 and Manhatten's elite are summering in a luxurious resort hotel that was built in the humble fishing village of Montauk, Long Island. Beatrice Bordeaux was raised modestly but educated at Vasser. She is the young wife of Harry Bordeaux and she is the central character of Nicola Harrison's novel Montauk. Beatrice and Harry have been married five years and are childless. Their marriage is unhappy and Beatrice hopes that summering in Montauk will bring them closer together. Harry, like most of the other wealthy husbands, visits Montauk only on the weekends. This arrangement leaves Harry available for other pursuits. Beatrice becomes increasingly unhappy with her husband and most of the pampered women she is surrounded with at the resort. She decides to pursue her own happiness. Montauk is an entertaining story of deception and discovery, and a wonderful summer escape.