I enjoyed this novel set primarily after world war 2, centered on Hazel who during the war worked on airplanes and really enjoyed doing so. But after the men come back she can’t get a job working on airplanes as the men need the work and she should just get married.

Hazel finds herself in Laguna Beach, California and meets a famous artist, Hanson Radcliff and becomes his assistant. She thrives on the work but wants to figure out the mystery of his famous unseen painting.

Hazel also meets handsome bartender, Jimmy at the Hotel Laguna who is a big help to Hazel.

I don’t want to ruin the book but this was such a delight one of my favorite reads in 2023!

An absolutely beautiful and powerful book. I had a hard time putting it down. Thoroughly enjoyable! Thanks to NetGalley for the early read. Highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgally for the arc.

I thought the character of Hazel was interesting. She definitely made a lot of mistakes or blunders but they never dissuaded me from liking the character. She was a human with flaws.

The passages describing artists and their passions and brilliance dragged a little for me. And I thought the scandal wasn't much of a scandal. But I guess in the 1940's it would have made since.

I was heading towards 3 stars but I thought the last few chapters picked things and made the ending enjoyed able. So 4 stars in the end!

Also, the cover is gorgeous!

This was the perfect sunny escape for a long, cold winter! Loved the characters and setting. This definitely is a fun historical fiction read that doubled into a delicious travel fiction.

An enthralling novel that will keep you turning pages and wish there were more. As a work of historical fiction, Nicola Harrison created a beautiful story around a distinctive element of WW2, the women who stayed stateside building airplanes for the war effort.

It’s 1942 and Hazel Francis leaves Kansas and heads to Southern California, leaving behind her childhood memories and the family of her fiancé who has already left for war. She reaches LA and soon finds herself a job working for Douglas Aircraft building planes and loving it. When the war ends and the men return, Hazel finds herself without a job or a place to live and relocates to the beautiful coastal town of Laguna Beach, an enclave for artists. Securing a job as an assistant to a renowned, curmudgeonly artist, Hazel integrates into this new community full of a wonderful cast of characters amid the beautiful Hotel Laguna.

With elements of historical fiction, romance, the creative vibe of Laguna in the 1940’s and a touch of mystery, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. The description and history of Laguna Beach is exquisitely detailed and as a frequent visitor to this seaside city, I can attest that Ms. Harrison captured its essence beautifully! You will want to make your reservation to check into the Hotel Laguna on “opening” day, June 20, 2023.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the opportunity to read this splendid book in exchange for my honest review.

A beautiful view of 1940s Laguna Beach, California, before the beach party movies and Hollywood influences. This book takes place at a time when Laguna Beach was a haven for artists and a community of acceptance for all who chose to call her home. Having lived near Laguna Beach in the 1980s-90s, I had many friends who lived there; some whose families had been there for several generations. I was interesting to read about the ocean beaches, the landscape artists, the trails surrounding the city and "Pageant of the Masters," that is still active today. The story that brought all these attributes together was interesting - a little mystery, a little relationship conflict and a little romance. Overall, a very good read for enjoying a beach of your own.

When Hazel steps off the train at Laguna Beach she has no job, no housing but a chance encounter leads her to Hanson Radcliff. Hanson is a drunk old man with a short temper, who is also a gifted artist. Hazel finds herself willing to do things that take her out of her comfort zone in order to keep the job and stay in the town she has come to love. There is a shadow hanging over Hanson and a decades old mystery that Hazel is determined to uncover.
There was lots to like about this book: the setting, the pageantry, the ocean. Hazel I found frustrating but that is my modern brain wanting more when she is a women in the 1940s. Striking out on her own was really quite brave of her
If you want a beach read that isn’t full on romance than this would suits your needs very well.
Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Press for the ARC..

I would like to thank St Martins Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. I had read a book by the author before and wanted to read her new one. Also, I read a lot of Historical Fiction and the time frame appealed to me. I have read a lot about women during WW2, but not a lot about the "Rosie the Riveter" types. The book started out with a dual time line- Hazel Francis during the war, what brought her to the factory in California, a brief war time romance, and her war time job. The other time lime started after the war ended. The women who had worked in the factories were no longer needed, and many , like Hazel, had no where to go. Hazel wanders into Laguna Beach, a bohemian, artist colony type of place. She takes a job with a reclusive artist, who has a mysterious past. As Hazel gets more involved with the people in Laguna Beach( and the titular hotel), the dual time line ceases and focuses on the beach and the people she meets there. I would almost have rather it been one time line, starting with the war, then moving into the after war section. Hazel has the potential to be a really interesting character. She lets herself get involved with ( and engaged to) a man seemingly without thinking about it. She drifts into Laguna Beach, in to a job there and friendships, in much the same fashion.A few times I wanted to shake her and say" Think Hazel before you talk". The premise is good, but I felt like there was a lot more that could have been done. A lot of the plot lines were rushed, ( in my opinion) and the supporting characters not well developed. And again, some of Hazel's actions just didn't make sense. I liked the reclusive artist, and the mystery, and I liked Hazel. I just felt like there was more to read and then it ended.I think this author shows a lot of promise and I will keep reading her books.

Another beautiful story by Nicola! She had quite the ability to get make the reader feel like they have time-traveled and are living through the story.

I loved Hazel's character. She was fierce, friendly and determined. This story kept me on my toes and immersed the entire time. I didn't want to put it down!

I have a love/hate relationship with historical fiction. I'm either not interested in it at all or I love it. It all depends on the time period and the subject matter. Hotel Laguna takes place post WWII. Hazel Francis had left the Midwest during the war to work for Douglas Aircraft. She was a member of the workforce known as "Rosie the Riveters". For Hazel, it was her dream job, but when the war ended, her dream of working in aviation ended as well. Hazel couldn't bear the thought of heading home to Kansas, so she ended up in the bohemian town of Laguna Beach to try and make a life for herself.

My thoughts:

I loved the descriptions of Laguna Beach and the artists who lived there. The writing really made me feel like I had travelled back in time. I also love reading about places that I visited.

Hazel was a resilient, independent woman and I enjoyed reading her story about wanting a different life for herself.

The story itself started to drag in the middle of the book. It got a bit repetitive and I found myself skipping to the end.

All in all, I found Hotel Laguna to be a solid historical fiction novel. It will be available on June 20th, just in time for summer reading!

I'm a sucker for historical fiction but hadn't ever read a piece taking place in the late 1940s.

Synopsis: WWII breaks out and Hazel Francis, who wants to get involved in the war effort, moves to California to build airplanes. But when the war (and by extension, her employment) ends, she finds herself on the train and taking a random stop at the small bohemian town of Laguna Beach. But a lucky overhearing of a conversation sets her up with a job with local artist Hanson, a depressed man who is so weighed down by guilt over a scandal 30 years earlier. We see strong, independent Hazel find her way as a newbie in this small town, doing whatever it takes to make her own money, meet friends in the community, give back to struggling artists, help Hanson close a painful chapter, and maybe even find a romantic connection along the way.

Hazel Francis was such a joy - you could feel her compassion and genuine nature through the pages, and all I kept thinking was that this woman was such a good friend and addition to the Laguna Beach community. Her relationship with Hanson was adorable and felt so fully evolved from the rocky beginning of their employment together to the deep care they held for each other. Hanson really grew on me - I started the book thinking he'd be a crabby creep, but he also evolved, let down his walls, and opened up his heart, and Hazel was the perfect person to bring that out of him.

There are so many layers to this story, different characters and stories that all come together seamlessly. "Hotel Laguna" is a well-written page-turner with a bit of everything that all readers will love: history, romance, friendship, mystery, and kindness.

Big thank you to NetGalley and St, Martins Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. I highly recommend this book, which will be published in June 2023.

Hotel Laguna transported me to the sun-soaked beaches of Southern California post WWII. I found I really had a feel for the time and place -- the language used by the characters called up decades past ("swell!"). Although there is a romantic sub-plot, the bulk of the story is Hazel Francis coming of age post-WWII and really figuring out for herself what she wants out of life. I enjoyed that it wasn't just another predictable romance novel, and had important themes of friendship and community. I really liked the inter-generational friendship between Hazel and the artist, Hanson Radcliff, and wish that storyline had more time to develop (although that may just have stretched out the length of the book unnecessarily).

I feel like this is the kind of historical fiction book my mother would like -- wholesome, engaging, with a fulfilling ending.

Thank you to Net Galley for the chance to read this story!

This story is California perfection - the reader feels as if they are living in Laguna Beach with Hazel and the cast of characters. It is a feel good post-war story.

While Hazel has her imperfections and still needs to grow quite a bit as a character and person, she recognizes those flaws and wants to work on them. This is a love story, but not just in the main context; this is more of a love story between Hazel and Hanson and their friendship.

It ends a bit predictably, but definitely worth the read. It’s a setting to get lost in, and would make a fun movie. The writing really encourages such visualization along the way.

This is my second Nicola Harrison book, and what I love is the women she centers in her books. They have unique stories you often don't read, and I find I'm so captivated by how she builds their worlds and adventures. This story focuses on Hazel. Following her time as a "Rosie the Riveter" in Wichita, she heads to California to figure out what's next for her. She finds her way to Laguna Beach working for an artist surrounded with secrets. The book is about Hazel trying to figure out the truth behind his life, but more so, it's about her finding her place in the world. I will say an added special part of this book for me was that my grandma (who I lost this year) worked at an aircraft plant in Wichita. It was special to read a story of someone (even though she was fictional) who could have been right there beside her. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this June 2023 release.

Hazel was one of the "Rosie the Riveters" and was quite successful at it- moving up the ranks. But when the war ended, she lost that job and was cast adrift. Living in Wichita, Kansas wasn't what she wanted either, so on a whim she took the train out to California. Desperate to find work, she takes on an assistant job under a very eccentric artist, Hanson Radcliff. He has a past that he is hiding from and little by little Hazel is able to help him unearth the tragedy and heal from it.

This one was just okay for me. I overall did enjoy the characters and the story was mostly engaging. I just overall wasn't a fan of Hazel, so it was hard to fully invest in her story. I liked the adjoining characters more than her.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Very interesting read about Post WWII in southern California. I had heard about the role women played in airplane manufacturing during the war and learned a lot in this book about the impact on their lives once the men returned and they lost their jobs. The characters are very well drawn and the focus on the artist community in Laguna Beach was very enlightening. Highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

The setting is beautifully depicted by the author: WWII and hot, sultry California with its breeze. The salty wind blows on my face and cools me off from the scorching heat.
Hazel wanted to help her country and find her place in life outside the kitchen, which was a woman’s place. She did her job fairly well. But she was a woman.
A woman's life is well portrayed, when she suddenly becomes an unnecessary part of a society's production and is forced back to her "female" duties after being a major player. However, Hazel didn't want to give up. Therefore, she moved to Laguna Beach where she could try and achieve her dreams of flying planes, and maybe she would meet her love? Is it Jimmy? This book is the book of many topics: hard work, dreams, friendship and love. There is a wonderful combination of history, characters with emotions, and a delightful plot in this book. I enjoyed this book. It was very delightful.
Maybe she will be able to fly someday?

“Hotel Laguna” is the latest historical novel by Nicola Harrison.

We meet Hazel who moved to California to work for Douglas Aircraft during the second world war. Unfortunately, after the war as men returned, Hazel, like many women during this time, lost her job. But instead of returning to her Kansas home to marry and raise a family as was expected, she travels to Laguna Beach and finds work as an assistant for a painter.

Hazel is a plucky character with plenty. She isn’t perfect, but it’s because of her flaws that readers will love her. This is a fantastic coming of age story set in an intriguing slice of history where the protagonist goes through ups (and many downs) as she struggles to find herself in a world where women had a very limited voice. I used to live in Southern California but knew nothing about Laguna Beach’s bohemian past as told through the author's colorful narration. .

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced copy.

Hotel Laguna is a delightful story scattered with some lovable, quirky characters. I have spent some time in picturesque Laguna Beach, and it's one of my favorite towns. The author captures its essence. At the conclusion of this well-written story, I was sorry to say goodbye to all the sweet characters and especially Hazel.

A young single woman moves to Calfornia to move on from a job helping build new airplanes from World War II. She finds a help wanted article for an artist needing an assistant. She's hesitant at first to do what he asks, I loved the toughness of her character and her "Girls can do it too, but better" attitude. This is an overall good historical read with it's share of villains, coming of age, finding new relationships, and finding a sense of belonging for a girl who at first has no home and no one.