I sped through this delightful, charming, romantic novel because I couldn't put it down. The characters are well-drawn, and I loved the independent, intelligent heroine. This is historical fiction at its finest and the story was unique, like a breath of fresh air. Highly recommeneded!

Another wonderful historical fiction read from Nicola Harrison. Here, the setting is Laguna Beach, California where the rich history of this beachside artist community plays prominently into the coming-of-age story of Hazel Francis. During WWII, Hazel escapes her own tragic circumstances in Kansas City to become a "Rosie The Riveter" employee working for Douglas Aircraft in El Segundo, CA. When the war ends, she decides to stay on the West Coast, and circumstances - some chosen, some a bit more due to fate - land her in this beautiful beach town. Quirky artists, including one who employs her as his personal assistant, along with the local Hotel Laguna bartender, challenge Hazel to challenge her worldview and think about her future on her own terms. Harrison has layered in meticulous research about the area, and I loved all the detail about the Pageant of the Masters, a unique Laguna Beach art performance tradition that will be a century old this year. A layered story that will keep the reader turning the pages. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for my honest review. Highly recommend!

When I think of WWII books, Laguna Beach, California is not the first location that comes to mind. Ok, not even any location that comes to mind! "Hotel Laguna" is a great historical fiction story with a fantastically described setting and is a thought-provoking story about life for an American woman both during and after the war.

A beautiful rendition of a coming-of-age young woman trying to find her spot in the world, while befriending a grumpy old artist.

I highly recommend this book, and appreciate NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Nicola Harrison for providing an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is based between 1942-1946ish during the War when women were able to work in jobs such as constructing bombers for the military. Hazel moved to CA to help and soon become part of the "Rosie Riveters." Once the war was over, she had no where to go home to, so she set off to Laguna Beach. When she becomes an assistant for a famous artist, everything in her life starts to change for the better. I ADORED Hazel- one of my new favorite characters. She becomes a pillar in the community while making friends along the way. I loved how the book ended- a bit sad (no spoilers), but the perfect ending.

I really enjoyed the story, held my interest. I think it will be a good summer read. read it in two afternoons. was hard to put down/

The story started out brillianatly and kep my interest. However, it bogged down and I had to put the book down.

I'm sure others will love the book. Just not for me.

Really liked this one! Kept me interested and it was a nice refreshing book in between the thrillers I was reading.

After reading both Montauk and The Show Girl I was excited to read Hotel Laguna and was not disappointed. Ms. Harrison has a fantastic way of drawing the reader into the lives of her characters and not letting go until the end. This story is about Hazel who doesn’t give up her dream of working on the airplanes during World War II as a riveter. All too soon, at the end of the war, Hazel lost her job and had to find a new path in life. She then becomes an assistant to a very famous painter. If you enjoy Hotel a Laguna as much as I have, give her other Historic Fiction books a try.
I very much recommend this book and send out my thanks to NETGalley for the joy of reading this book early.

Hazel Francis seizes the opportunity to move west to California after WWII breaks out, finding work building airplanes. But when the war ends, Hazel finds herself in Laguna Beach after the jobs are returned to the soldiers returning from war, with no place for a female to work by their side. On a bit of luck, she finds work with a reclusive, temperamental artist named Hanson. Hanson lost himself in Laguna Beach after a scandal 30 years earlier that revolved around the death of an actress. He hires Hazel as his assistant and provides her with a place to stay. Along the course of the story, we learn about how Hanson is giving back to struggling artists and the community of Laguna Beach without self promoting his role.

Let’s talk characters. Hazel: strong, independent, and doesn’t want the fact that she’s a woman to define her role in life. Hanson: I think he grew on me during the courses of the plot. He struggles with the demons of the past and along comes this girl who stands by him, supports him, doesn’t give up on him, no matter how angry he gets with her. Without giving anything away, about 80% of the way through the book is a pivotal scene at Victoria Beach where you really see how special their relationship has come to both of them.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book is set for publication on June 19, 2023. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#netgalley #arc #nicolaharrison #hotellaguna #stmartinspress

This was a fun and quick read for me. Absolutely love the way the author intertwine the characters in the storyline. I think this will be a great spring/summer book. Highly recommend it to my book, friends in the book community and to my friends and family.

Thank you to St. Martins Press for a ARC on Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Based in Laguna Beach and elsewhere in Southern California during and post-WWII.

This novel follows the life of Hazel Francis, determined to follow a different path in life. First working in an airplane factory during WWII and making her way to Laguna Beach post-WWII, taking a job as an assistant and sometimes portrait model for the famous artist Hanson Radcliff.

Overall this story describes the scenery and events with great detail. A bit of mystery and some romance.

In the early 40’s, Hazel worked at Douglas Aircraft, doing her part for the war effort. But when the war was over, the women lost their jobs so that the men could take back their jobs. The women were expected to put on their skirts and dresses and go back to cleaning and cooking. Hazel was unable to find a job within the aircraft industry, got on a bus, got off at Laguna Beach determined to improve her life
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a really cute, beach read, and I have to thank @netgalley for letting me read this and review it for you guys. It was right up my alley being that it’s a historical fiction, taking place at the cusp of the end of WWII, and about maybe a year afterwards. The main character, Hazel, moves from her hometown in Kansas, to CA (after her mother passes away & she has no other family left) to try & find herself. You know, what she wants to do for the rest of her life, who she’s meant to be, and all that. She settles, eventually, in Laguna Beach and learns there’s an artist living there that is in need of an assistant. And the story takes off from there.

I’m trying to do a bit better with my reviews this year, so with this one, I literally took notes as I’m reading this, so here goes…. 📝😂
* It started out really slow at first, for me at least.
* It was a little unnerving until about the halfway point in that I just did not know exactly where this book was going, or what its heart was, or purpose of the story. If this had been a thriller, I wouldn’t have said anything about this, but since it’s a historical fiction, I’ll let the cards fall where they lay. 😂
* I did love reading about the woman’s role & prospect of jobs they had during the war, as they weren’t necessarily allowed to do said jobs before, so that was a bit refreshing. Hazel went to work in an airplane factory, learning how to build, construct airplanes for use during the war, and she loved it! However, as soon as the war ended, they let her go as well as all of the other women, too. 😭
* The artist that Hazel goes to work for, Hansen Radcliffe — you seem to have a soft spot for. He can be at often times, grouchy, downright cantankerous, but underneath it all, and once you learn his story, he’s not bad at all.
* I struggled with the relationship between Hazel & Jimmy, and I wanted to kick Edward in the balls. You’ll see what I mean when you read it. 😂
* The last half of the book seemed to catch up pretty quickly, and I pretty much binge-read it. You’ll laugh, probably shed a few tears, but in the end, and no spoilers here, but I will say, it’s a happily ever after kind of story.
If you read this, I’d love to know your thoughts.
IG: @sarahbobaras_722

Hotel Laguna by Nicola Harrison is a treat! I love anything historical and lately have enjoyed reading about World War II from a woman's perspective. The main character is Hazel, a very independent and unusual woman for the times. The story takes us back and forth from Hazel's entry into the workforce of World War II to being thrust back into the role of a woman with no job security at the end of the war. But Hazel has no desire to become a housewife and mother. She enjoys what she does and wants to figure out how to continue being an independent woman and supporting herself. She ends up at beautiful Laguna Beach. With the cast of characters that brings such life to the story I think Laguna Beach is going to be a bestseller! Harrison interweaves true history of Laguna Beach and the women's workforce during World War II into the plot. Hazel gave us a true insight into Rosie the riveter and what it felt like to be a woman who was actually seen as something other than a second class citizen. On a fun side note I saw an article about artistic signs being painted in Laguna Beach currently. It was an effort to bring back the historical past of the area. The artist doing the paintings was actually Eve Plumb! That's right, Jan from the Brady Bunch!
I voluntarily received a copy of this book from Netgalley.

I absolutely loved this book. Five stars!!!
The author does an amazing job describing what happens with magical details. It keeps you intrigued and flipping the pages as fast as you can.

After enjoying reading the author's book Montauk, I was looking forward to diving into Hotel Laguna. Set in the early days of World War II, our main character is Hazel, a small-town girl, who leaves her midwestern home for the California coast to become a Rosie the Riveter to support the war effort. She finds that not only is she really good working on the warplanes but it's work that she really enjoys.

After the war ends and the men return to their jobs that the women were temporarily filling, Hazel finds herself jobless and homeless. She ends up in Laguna, California where she finds a friend and finds employment with a famous and very quirky artist, who has a very colorful and mysterious past. In this book, Hazel slowly finds her place in Laguna and finds herself.
I found Hotel Laguna to be equally compelling as I did the book Montauk. I was able to sit down and read the book in a couple of days because it pulled me right in and I wanted to keep reading it until the end.

When WWII ends, Hazel loses her job constructing bombers for the military. She has a hard time finding a job, always being told to get married, have babies. She ends up in Laguna Beach, CA, working for an eccentric artist, but not just being his assistant, as she thought...

This book made me forger everything and I got absorbed into the story. Oh it was so good. I would give it 6 stars if I could.
I just reviewed Hotel Laguna by Nicola Harrison. #HotelLaguna #NetGalley
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I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of this title. I've read a lot of WWII / historical fiction books before, but this was unique in that it focused on the aftermath of the war. It takes place in bohemian southern California and the author does a great job of describing the times and setting the scene. Hazel is a strong feminine heroine & we get to watch her come of age. It's on the lighter side of a WWII book. I highly recommend!

I'll be posting this review to Goodreads & Instagram.

Hotel Laguna by Nicola Harrison
1942 and we find Hazel leaving her Kansas town and heading to CA. She not only saw her boyfriend off to fight in the war but she's looking for a job that will aide them getting back to the states.
She finds a job as riveter in the airplane factories and she feels a great part of all that happens. When the boys do return the women are out of jobs and she heads to Laguna where she is able to get a job as an artist assistant.
She becomes more than an assistant and learns so much of the industry. Appreciate the work done at the shows and getting ready for the artists displays. So many celebratities and like how she falls into the sea to find peace.
Medical issues occur and she heads back to the factory and knows she's made a mistake. She returns in time for the contribute to the artist and all he meant to the community and knows where she's at is really home.
So emotional as she becomes a young woman and then heads west to contribute to the war efforts. She seems so carefree and a wandering spirit...
Like the descriptions and there are not many characters. Easy to keep track of them all as their lives mesh together.
Received this review copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
#HotelLaguna #NetGalley.