I thought this book was so fun! Evocative and captivating, I was hooked the whole way through. Would recommend.

Mansion Beach is a page-turner that you are going to want to put in your beach/pool bag stat.

This modern-day take on The Great Gatsby is “complete with lavish summer parties, ill-advised love affairs, a dead body, and obscene wealth.”
Set on Block Island, it explores the depth of human relationships, our cruelly classist society, and the price of secrets that refuse to stay buried.

This one’s for you if:
* You loved The Wedding People (my favorite book from last year) or Pineapple Street.
* You are looking for a replacement for your annual Elin Hilderbrand summer read. (ICYMI, Swan Song was her actual swan song.)
* You went to BC. Go Eagles!

Loved this book! The depiction of Block Island was spot on and I loved seeing local businesses named checked. The Gatsby references were also super fun!

Nicola is starting over on Block Island. Looking forward to a relaxing summer close to her cousin and his family, Nicola is disappointed when she is living next to a part house owned by fashion-tech mogul Juliana George. As Nicola and Juliana grow closer, secrets are uncovered that could ruin lives...and then a body washes up on the beach.

I was really excited for another Block Island story but this one was a miss for me. Too soap opera-y with very little depth or development.

I really enjoyed this modern retelling of The Great Gatsby. I’m going to make a confession, though…I didn’t read Gatsby until last year. It wasn’t one I had to read in high school and I never taught it in my short teaching career. I finally made myself read it last year and I liked it, but I’ll be SO interested to know if anyone that’s a Gatsby aficionado feels the same way or if they feel like Moore ruined it! Chime in if that’s you!

This was a great summer book! Set on the coast with charming cottages (mansions), summer parties, and plenty of drama! It’s perfect for a beach read!

Thanks so much to @netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my review!

DNF'd at 32%. I didn't feel compelled to reach for it sadly, as this is a favorite author of mine. I might come back to it later this Summer but it just wasn't calling to me at the time. I wish I could refrain from a star rating, as this was a DNF, but NetGalley requires it. I love this author and will definitely continue to read her work as it publishes.

Nicola moves to Block Island to study marine biology after leaving a law career. Her cousin David is married to a wealthy woman, Taylor, who lets Nicola stay at their cottage. The cottage is next door to Juliana, a successful entrepreneur awaiting an IPO. The characters are intertwined as a love story unfolds, but the focus on wealth and class, new and old money, was a turn off for me. The characters were all not particularly likable, and the mystery of a body hinted at early on was a bit anticlimactic. Not one of my favorites, just okay.. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Mansion Beach by Meg Mitchell Moore is the perfect poolside summer read. It’s light and breezy enough to enjoy with a drink in hand, but has just the right amount of plot to keep you turning the pages to see what happens next.

This fun, modern retelling of The Great Gatsby is set on Block Island, where Nicola Carr hopes to spend a quiet summer recovering from a tough year. But her plans are quickly derailed when the house next door hosts lavish parties that stir up more than curiosity. Juliana George, a fashion-tech CEO preparing for a major IPO, is behind the glamorous chaos, and she’s chasing more than business success. She’s hoping to reconnect with a lost love… who happens to be tied to Nicola.

Throw in Taylor Buchanan, Nicola’s cousin’s wife and a real estate powerhouse whose picture-perfect life starts unraveling, and you’ve got a delicious mix of secrets, betrayals, a love triangle, and even a dead body.

With its witty tone, layered characters, and glossy setting, Mansion Beach is a sharp, satisfying summer escape perfect for fans of scandal, social satire, and sun-soaked drama.

I really wanted to love this book—the premise is so intriguing, and I loved the gender reversal of having a female Gatsby-ish character. I do think my opinion was swayed because I am a massive fan of the original Gatsby, and it was hard for me to separate the two stories in my mind as I read. If you’re not as familiar with The Great Gatsby or it’s been a long time since you read the original, I think you will have a much more pleasant reading experience and really enjoy the book. It’s an ideal beach read, and I would say that if it sounds interesting to you, read it! I enjoyed the cast of characters, the setting, the modern-day updates to the story, and the underlying mystery that runs through the book. Also, the cover is stunning!

What a great summer novel. Mansion Beach is a modern day retelling of The Great Gatsby. The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite books, so I was really excited to pick this up. I liked that this book really deep dived into Juliana George's life which is more detail than we got about Gatsby. I thought that it was unique in that sense. Mansion Beach takes place in Rhode Island where the rich spend their summers. Our main character, Nicola, gets caught up in her cousin's lifestyle and caught up in a love triangle as a witness. I thought this was a good retelling, but I did find myself comparing this book to the details of the original novel way too much. That is probably a personal issue but it was SO similar with the detailing that it was really messing with my attention to this book. Overall, this was a light summer read! Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this eARC.

As a New Englander fan of Meg Mitchell Moore’s books (all of her books take place in New England), I was thrilled to dive into MANSION BEACH set in Block Island, Rhode Island. This book is not only a perfect summer read but also a modern nod to The Great Gatsby, my all-time favorite classics. Told through the alternating perspectives of three women, this book is rich in drama, emotional depth, and complex relationships. The setting adds the charm and captures the beauty and isolation of coastal summer life. It’s a fun and entertaining beach read that you must pick up this summer! Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

3.5 Stars! This was my first Meg Mitchell Moore book and her setting and character work was my favorite part of the book! The atmosphere was perfect for summer, a great beach read! I also enjoyed the way her characters were interwoven into each other lives. There is drama, along with mystery and romance. The only thing I didn't love is the chapters were long and the podcast that was placed in-between chapters took me out of the story and didn't really add value to the story line in my opinion. Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for the ARC Copy. #MansionBeach #NetGalley.

Meg’s books always scream summer to me. They are set in a beachy town with lots of drama and secrets.

Mansion Beach is told from multiple POV over the course of a summer. As the book opens, we know there has been a mysterious death but we don’t know who or why.

Juliana George has reinvented herself into a fashion star and is staying on Block Island for the summer where she meets her neighbor Nicola. Nicola is staying in her house thanks to her cousin and his rich developer wife, Taylor. We follow Juliana, Nicola, and Taylor as their worlds collide over the summer.

This has murder, secrets, rich people behaving badly, the beach, all the best elements for a summer read. If you’re a fan of suspense and family secrets along the lines of Sally Hepworth then check out Mansion Beach.

I liked this a lot more than The Islanders (which is one of Meg Mitchell Moore’s other stories taking place on Block Island).

The page one introduction of the fact that a body washed ashore at the end of the summer added a level of mystery and suspense to what would otherwise be a basic beach read. It worked, I was invested.

Also, it was clear that since her first book set on the island, Meg Mitchell Moore has gained significantly more knowledge of Block Island. Thank you to the islanders listed in the acknowledgments who I’m sure are to credit for this. The setting in this one added to the story in that it felt nostalgic and familiar, if not perfect. (Though it was hilarious to picture it as an influencer/B-list celebrity hub)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First I want to say thank you for allowing me an early edition. Unfortunately, I did not finish this book. I could not get behind the writing, it seemed very juvenile to me and I really really wanted to love this book. I may pick it up in the future and give it a try but the writing was not for me...

With some loose tie-ins to a The Great Gatsby theme, Mansion Beach is a summer story of wealth, privilege, and trying to fit in. The setting is Block Island, a location Moore returns to from her previous work, and Nicola is new to town. She knows her cousin, David, and his wife, Taylor, and is staying at Taylor’s cottage for the summer while working at an aquarium.

As Nicola settles in, she learns all isn’t as it seems. Block Island is full of secrets, past and present. Nicola felt immature for most of this story and I didn’t like her as much as I hoped to. Though I felt for what they were going through, I didn’t find most of the other characters likable either.

I’ve now read 5 summer books by Meg Mitchell Moore and she sets the seasonal scene well. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy Mansion Beach as much as her other books I’ve read.

This was a quick read for me, but it did not blow me away like I was expecting. Nicola was kinda annoying and Juliana was my favorite. I wish she had been honest about how she got her start, cause there is nothing wrong with having help. I wouldn't say this is a fun beach read as the plot was a little more confusing to follow, but I did like the mystery aspect of wondering whose body had washed up.

3.5/5

Don't let the title & cover fool you, this book is more mystery/thriller than beach read. It's an easy read -- if at times a bit slow and meandering -- but ultimately an enjoyable one!

Mansion Beach is the perfect summer read—smart, a little bit juicy, and full of coastal New England vibes. The characters felt real, and I loved the mix of family drama, secrets, and second chances. It’s the kind of book that’s easy to get into but still has depth. Great for beach days or lazy weekends!

I really enjoyed reading this book. I love rich people behaving badly. I dropped a star because I didn't think the book needed to be as long as it was, and the chapters were super long. I'm glad Meg wrapped everything up in the end. Overall a good summer read. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!