For fantastic behind-the-book details, the acknowledgements section of Foster’s latest release is not to be missed! The author reveals the intriguing inspiration behind her idea for a storyline that was rooted in the historical origins of Chicago’s famous Palmer House hotel. The millionaire Potter Palmer had gifted the hotel to his young new bride Bertha Honoré as a wedding gift in 1871, only to have it burn down in The Great Chicago Fire 13 days after its grand opening. Undeterred, the businessman took out the largest individual loan to date to rebuild the extravagant hotel. However, the author never having been to this famed hotel before, instead set her character Roland’s new hotel he gifted to protagonist fiancé Everleigh in Southampton near where she herself had grown up. She also set her timeline in the Hamptons of the 1950s - almost unrecognizable to the Hamptons we know of today - where a mix of small town potato farmers, traveling bohemian artists, and summering wealthy multigenerational families coexisted. A central mystery threads throughout the novel searching for who set fire to the newly built Everleigh Beach Club Hotel on its grand opening party weekend, with a cast of suspect characters.

Yet, although the mysterious fire investigation is a central theme, Foster also tackles the myriad of issues and injustices that women confronted during this time period. Among the outdated restrictions tackled was women not being allowed to have their own access to their money or trusts, having to hold joint accounts with first their fathers then their husbands. Women were also confined to the domestic home or to socialite/philanthropic calendars depending on their status, not encouraged to follow their dreams or careers. Many women were trapped into staying in their marriages without having the financial means and access to be independent if they left. Some women could even be falsely committed to mental institutions by their family or husband solely on their reports and requests, regardless of the actual sanity of the woman.

Set in summer amidst the country club pools, sandy beaches, and glitzy parties of the wealthy in the Hamptons, this book has the makings for your first summer read! With cameo appearances from Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller and splashy art gallery shows featuring photography portraits of the likes of Nat King Cole, Lucille Ball, and Paul Newman, fun intriguing embellishments also enhance and add to this latest read from author Foster. The new paperback version also just came out this month making it easy to throw in your pool or beach bag, as well as perfect to read by the water.

On Gin Lane by Brooke Lea Foster is not the relaxing summer beach read you might expect. Everleigh, a poor little rich girl, at 25, is experiencing a challenging coming of age. She finds herself in the middle of a suspense-singed mystery. This is an intriguing read.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Brooke a few years ago for my lifestyle blog and was so excited to read her most recent novel. The storyline features stunning descriptions of the Southhampton area. Definitely a good read!

I started this one and it just felt very slow to me - I wanted to love the summer vibes, but unfortunately it just didn't work for me!

This was an amazing and completely engaging. I was invested from the very first chapter. The characters were complex. The plot was original.

So after taking a very looooooong time to get into this book, I flew through the rest of it. The first 30% seemed to drag to me, and I felt I was going to have to DNF it, but then at 31% it all changed. At around 67% I literally couldn't put the book down and just had to find out what happened! I'm so glad I stuck with it!

I love love love the setting of this story. It is so fun to read about high society. I would have picked this book on the cover alone. It was fitting with the story. I really liked the main character, and the journey with words that the story takes you on. Historical Fiction win. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I feel very indifferent about this book. I didn't love it, and I didn't hate it. Nothing in it got me excited. In fact, many character arcs were predicted early in the story. But I kept reading to the end. I kept searching for something to grab my attention and give me a firm stance on my feelings toward the book. While reading it one night my husband asked how it was going, and my response was "I've read worse, and I've read better." I'm not sure why I decided to push to the end; I wasn't satisfied with the ending, but I don't know how I would have wanted it to change. If mid-century socialites are your jam, then you'll probably enjoy this one.

An effervescent, nostalgic look at The Hamptons in the '50's. Centers mainly on solving the mystery around a fire. And of a young woman trying to find her way in life.

Not too heavy handed in the tired "I want to be more and feel held back by men" vein, so that is good.
A couple of fun celebrity character cameos.

It bothers me that there that the cover art shows a blonde, when our main character Everleigh (love that name!) is a brunette.

Overall, a good summer read, with happy endings for most.

Really good book. The plot was well-written and engaging. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Really good book. The plot was well-written and engrossing. I look forward to reading more from this author.

This book definitely brings old Hampton's money and glamour to life. The writing is so descriptive that it brings the story to life. It was a very fun, quick read and the characters were relatable and sympathetic, even with their money and flaws, in a surprising way.

This was a perfect summer read- an atmospheric escape to the Hamptons. I loved the old timey feel of this book and the hints of historical fiction mixed with non fiction mentions (including Marilyn Monroe). Everleigh was a likable main character. I rooted for her. She is just a girl in her late twenties trying to figure life out while also hindered by the time period she lives in. She wants to be more than a socialite "do as your told" housewife but in the 1950 this is nearly unheard of. And her fiance does not understand. She is stuck between following her passion and societal expectations.
This was a captivating coming of age story with hints of mystery and romance. There was a certain level of depth to this story which I didn't originally expect for a story about assumed "stuck up rich people". While at points, it was slow story building it didn't deter me from reading. Brooke Lea Foster is such a great historical fiction summer book writer!

Everleigh (Lee), a beautiful New York debutante, has had one disappointing failure of an engagement because she rebuffed her fiancé. Worried his malicious gossip would forever mark her as an undesirable, she is relieved when she meets Roland who sweeps her off her feet in a whirlwind romance. During the summer before their wedding, Roland whisks Lee away to Nantucket and surprises her with a hotel named after her. Lee, slightly horrified, changes her attitude so the engagement will not falter and tries to love the lavish gift. The night of a huge pre-opening party, the hotel catches fire and burns. Lee and Roland move into the caretaker's cottage and Lee begins to discover her future husband's true colors and begins learning a little more about herself.

This was a great historical fiction book! I loved how the treatment of women was dealt in this novel; the expectations they were to be married, not work, submit to any male's authority, and make their husband's life the most comfortable at all costs. I also appreciated the risks Lee took to become independent.

Set in the Hamptons in the late 1957, this is a great summer read. Lee Farrows is a young woman on the cusp of attaining everything she could ever want. Wealth, a spectacular marriage, a beautiful home. It doesn't take too long, though, until the cracks in the façade begin to appear. In this period of rapid social change, Lee also has to change as she grows beyond the expectations of her family and friends.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A look at the Hamptons is a nostalgic read taking you back to the 1950's. The story concentrates on a mystery surrounding a fire and a young girl trying to find herself. Enjoyable.

Women had it difficult in the 50s and Everleigh was one of those women. She preserved in her desires and finally found happiness and true love. The historical aspect and setting of the Hamptons was interesting but I felt the story dragged at times and I found myself skipping ahead. I’m sure others will find this a good beach read, I just thought it predictable.

This was my first time to read this author and I was not disappointed! I love a beach setting and a mystery, so this was definitely my type of book! I enjoyed the glimpse into 1950’s "high society." Women in Lee’s position were given very little freedom to make choices and expected to support the men in their lives at all costs.. What we find with Everleigh though is a journey of self-discovery and what it means to follow her passions despite what society expects. The characters were well developed and engaging I really thought that the mystery element of the story made it all the more entertaining. I adored the Hamptons setting, the time period, and the mystery kept me flipping the pages. I was also rooting for Everleigh to find her place and gain the courage and the confidence to live the live she wants, not the life her parents want for her, etc. If you like historical beach reads, this one shouldn't be missed!

Looking back at the 1950s, life seems so great--people had parties, dressed up, men went to work and women didn't--it was a simpler time. But the book On Gin Lane points out that there was a darker side to the 50s--men controlled their wives and women were not expected to be creative, they were really just an extension of their is husbands and Ms. Foster tells that story. This book is a statement on women in the 50s, but also a mystery., a love story, and a history lesson on the Hamptons 70 years ago. I loved Everleigh, who realizes she has baggage and is handling it-, determined to not be her mother., but to forge her way forward with her life in her own way. Although, of course this book can be a powerful read anytime, it especially is fun in the summer--the food, the ocean, and the beach parties makes it a special summer read.

The setting is Southampton, Long Island in the 1950’s, and the story outlines the social changes happening as women begin to want more for themselves. Everleigh is from a wealthy family, and at 23, is feared to be an old maid. When she meets Roland, and quickly gets engaged, she does not foresee how their relationship will sour, as she learns the truth about him. At the same time, she is rediscovering her love for photography and meets a famous photographer who becomes her mentor. I recommend this piece of historical fiction and thank NetGalley for the ARC.