I really enjoyed Mansion Beach. The story revolves around a death on Block Island, and all the events leading up to it. The deceased is not revealed until close to the end, so it could be anyone. Nicola Carr comes to work an internship over the summer on Block Island. She just finished college, but isn't sure if she wants to continue her chosen career path. She is staying at her cousin David's cottage, which is actually owned by his father-in- law's business, a real estate development company. David's wife Taylor works for her father, David has no occupation.
Nicola's cottage is next door to the CEO of the originator of a fashion app, Juliana George, that is all the rage, and about to go public. Juliana throws elaborate parties and invites influencers, to improve the visibility of her brand. The real story is that Juliana has an ulterior motive for the parties, and for buying the house on Block Island.
The author mentions that this book is influenced by the Great Gatsby, but it is different enough and modern enough to not really be the same. I was hooked and really couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this for fun summer reading. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an ebook galley to review.

Thanks to William Morrow for an advanced copy of Mansion Beach by Meg Mitchell Moore. The Great Gatsby inspires this summer book set on Block Island, so it was fun seeing all of the little nods to the book with a modern twist.

I thought this book was fun and this would be a perfect book for the pool or beach. It's not a retelling of The Great Gatsby but I liked how she used the story as inspiration for the opulence, scandal, and secrets.

Mansion Beach comes out May 27th.

1⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced copy of Mansion Beach.

Nicola arrives on Block Island for rest and relaxation but the parties next door peak her interest. The lives of the rich get messy in this neighborhood.

This is basically a retelling of The Great Gatsby and I am not really a fan of retellings. All of the characters were bad people and the story really drug on.

If you're looking for the perfect summer read...this hit the spot! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Absolutely love a twist on a classic, and this was a perfect one on The Great Gatsby. There were aspects that I liked in this book that distinguished it from the classic, including the choices of the characters, struggles of women in business/entrepreneurship throughout the book, as well as the twists/mystery along the way. Overall, I enjoyed the writing style, and the multiple viewpoint narrative. Thanks to the NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to receive an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Another Moore book to usher in summer? Pinch me!
This was exactly what I want in a MMM book and start to the summer beach read season!

I enjoyed this Gatsby retelling a lot but the end was just as sad as the original! Just in terms of the fact that I kept hoping for a happy ending. Definitely a good beach read -- rich people being rich and bad on a beautiful island. Meg Mitchell Moore does not disappoint!!

Mansion Beach comes out next week on May 27, 2025 and you can purchase HERE.

Someday soon this whole summer will seem like nothing but a fever dream.

Jack pulls up to Nicola's cottage.

"Goodbye, Jack," she says. Almost, almost, she allows herself to see this as a romantic scene from a movie. Or at least from a Hulu limited series. Two lovers from different backgrounds and circumstances, with two different futures ahead of them, saying goodbye. She imagines that the stars in the sky might weep, watching them.

2.5🌟 I wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't get into it. The characters were very unlikeable. Nicola was the most relatable one. She got sucked into the world of power and wealth, but just as a bystander. The book felt slow, but then the mystery and ending happened quickly and it felt unsatisfying. I liked the Great Gatsby vibes, but it didn't flow well to me and there wasn't enough mystery to keep it interesting.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the cover for this new summer beach read from a fav author but for some reason I just couldn't get invested in either the characters, the setting or the actual story. Maybe it was because I listened to most of it and it might work better as a print read or that it was about mostly rich people problems but aside for a decent reveal at the end, it won't be a memorable book for me this year. Still likely to entertain beach goers this summer who get lured in by the fab cover. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I went into this expecting a light, dramatic beach read, but I came away with so much more.

First off, the island setting was fun and summery and as someone who lives in a summer tourist town, I found parts of it very relatable. I loved that the plot had a little bit of everything: romance, mystery, and dramatic character dynamics - all of which make for a good beach read in my opinion.

I was pulled into the lives of the three main characters, and each one felt fully-developed and multifaceted. The way their stories intertwined over the course of the book kept me engaged and wanting to know more. I also liked the sections that were transcripts of the town council interviews, and I had all sorts of theories on who could’ve drowned. The Great Gatsby references were a fun nod, but maybe a bit heavy handed at times.

This slice-of-life kind of story will be great for summer reading.

Prepare to cancel your plans and clear your calendar, because Meg Mitchell Moore's Mansion Beach, releasing May 27, 2025, is poised to be the undisputed queen of your summer reading list. This is not just a book; it's an immersive, glittering dive into the hidden currents beneath the surface of an opulent seaside community, teeming with secrets, ambition, and the kind of sharp, insightful social commentary that Moore delivers with masterful finesse. Trust me, you will be utterly captivated.

From the very first page, Moore transports you to Block Island, where the air is thick with the scent of salt and possibility, and the grand estates hum with untold stories. The setting itself becomes a vibrant character, drawing you into its exclusive world of lavish parties, intricate social hierarchies, and the simmering tension that comes with tightly held secrets. Moore's descriptive prose is so vivid, you can practically feel the ocean breeze and taste the champagne.

At the heart of Mansion Beach are three unforgettable women whose lives intertwine with unexpected consequences: Nicola Carr, seeking a fresh start and finding herself drawn into a world she never anticipated; Juliana George, the enigmatic entrepreneur whose past is as meticulously curated as her fashion empire; and Taylor Buchanan, the seemingly perfect pillar of the island's elite, whose carefully constructed life is poised on the brink. Moore crafts these characters with such depth and nuance that they feel remarkably real – flawed, ambitious, and utterly compelling. Their individual journeys of self-discovery, betrayal, and resilience form the intricate web that makes this novel so absorbing.

What truly elevates Mansion Beach beyond a typical beach read is Moore's keen eye for the complexities of human relationships and the often-cruel realities of class and society. She peels back the layers of privilege and ambition, exposing the vulnerabilities and hidden costs beneath. The narrative is infused with a perfect blend of light humor and surprising observations, making you laugh out loud one moment and ponder the deeper truths of human nature the next.

The plot itself is a marvel of expert pacing and escalating tension. Moore keeps you guessing with every turn of the page, as revelations unfold and the intertwined destinies of her characters hurtle towards an inevitable collision. The promise of secrets, a compelling love triangle, and, yes, even a dead body, are skillfully woven into the fabric of the story, ensuring you're utterly gripped from start to finish. It’s a sophisticated escapist novel that delivers on every front – intrigue, drama, and a profound exploration of what we're willing to do to protect our carefully constructed lives.

Meg Mitchell Moore has outdone herself with Mansion Beach. It’s a glittering, unputdownable saga that combines the atmospheric charm of a summer read with the gripping suspense of a psychological thriller. If you're looking for a novel that will transport you, challenge you, and keep you utterly absorbed, then mark May 27, 2025, on your calendar. Mansion Beach is not just a highly anticipated release; it's a triumph of storytelling that will undoubtedly be the talk of the summer. Don't miss it!

This was my first Meg Mitchell Moore book! I regret not adding it to my summer reading list Substack post, because it is a masterpiece of beachy fun and family drammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmma! I loved it, read it in 1 day because I couldn't put it down-- I NEEDED ANSWERS!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
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It’s the beginning of the summer, and Nicola Carr has just arrived on Block Island, RI, eager for a fresh start and some R&R. But her plans for a tranquil summer are derailed as the extravagant parties from the grand home next door pique her curiosity. She soon discovers the home belongs to Juliana George, an enigmatic entrepreneur with a past shrouded in mystery.

Juliana George, CEO and founder of a hot fashion-tech company, is at the top of her game. She’s spending the summer on Block Island preparing for a major IPO. But she’s chasing her dreams in more ways than one. This summer she hopes to rekindle a flame with a man from her past—a man who has a surprising connection to her neighbor Nicola.

Taylor Buchanan, the wife of Nicola’s cousin, is second-in-command of a real estate empire. Her life is exactly the way she planned it: she has the wealth, the family, the prestige, and the power. And there’s nothing she’ll let get in her way of Having It All. But when everything suddenly verges on the edge of collapse, she has no choice but to take matters into her own hands.

As Nicola, Juliana, and Taylor’s summers unfold, the three women are set on a collision course that leads to inevitable self-discovery, unforgivable betrayal, an unavoidable love triangle—and, most unexpectedly, a dead body.

A sophisticated escapist novel filled with light humor and surprising observations, Mansion Beach explores the depth of human relationships, our cruelly classist society, and the price of secrets that refuse to stay buried.
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I believe that this is the first novel I have read by Meg Mitchell Moore, which is surprising because she writes the kind of books I like to read. After previously overlooking them, I know have a nice back catalog to make my way through because I really enjoyed this journey to Block Island and the characters and goings on I found there. It is always fun to take a look at how the "other half" lives (à la the trips I have so enjoyed to Nantucket, if only in my mind, compliments of Elin Hilderbrand), and I got the same vibe from this author's upcoming offering.

While some of the characters were unlikeable, there was some redemption in the end. There were enough twists and turns to keep it interesting without things becoming overwrought or silly. I have to confess that I have not read Gatsby, so the comparisons to that classic work of literature were lost on me. The flipping between the various timelines was initially a little hard to follow, but I pretty quickly got into the rhythm and enjoyed the characters' backstories, which is not always true for me in books...I am not a huge fan of multiple timelines. There were clips from podcast transcripts inserted throughout to break up sections, and that lent a fun gossipy feel to parts of the story that was in keeping with some of the themes of the book. All in all, it was a fun, escapist beach read that went just a little bit deeper...there were some messages here that are meant to stay with the reader long after the last page is read.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of Mansion Beach by Meg Mitchell Moore!

Mansion Beach is a drama-filled summer escape that gives The Great Gatsby a 21st-century glow-up. Set against the backdrop of Block Island, this novel follows three women whose lives collide over one summer. There’s Nicola, freshly unmoored and hoping to find herself via marine biology and quiet island days—but quickly pulled into the chaos next door. That chaos? Juliana George: glamorous and dripping with secrets. She's here to stage the ultimate comeback—professionally and romantically. Then there's Taylor, a buttoned-up real estate princess who has built her life around control, only to watch it unravel in ways she never expected.

The magic of Mansion Beach lies in its ability to balance escapism with deeper commentary. Class divides, ambition, and the cost of reinvention all simmer just beneath the parties and real estate deals.

The pacing is super slow, and I didn't find that the podcast transcripts added anything to the plot— in fact, it distracted from the story. Do the characters make perfect choices? Absolutely not. But watching them spiral, scheme, and sometimes stumble toward self-awareness is half the fun. And while not all threads tie up neatly (one plot reveal in particular could’ve used more runway) this book was still an undeniably compelling ride.

It might just be a me issue but this book was WAY to wordy. It read very chaotic to me, sentences jumping all over the place. Random flashbacks to the past. Random inserts of the podcast, which in my opinion didn't do anything to further the story.

Nicola, Shelley, David, Jack were all super insufferable to me. Nicola's character seemed like 18 not 29. Juliana was the only one that I enjoyed reading about her backstory but with the authors writing it was super difficult for me to become invested in it.

I definitely saw all the Gatsby references, it seemed like the was the driving force behind the book and the author added little things to make it her own twist on the story. So wasn't super original.

It normally takes me maybe 4 day's to start and finish a book and this one took me 7 days.... reading this felt like homework.

Thank you @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for the eARC of Mansion Beach by Meg Mitchell Moore. The queen of beach reads, @elinhilderbrand named this book THE beach read of the summer and I couldn’t get to @netgalley fast enough to request it. Being described as a modern day retelling of The Great Gatsby, I was ecstatic to check this one out!

This is the story of Nicola who leaves her relationship and previous life behind and moves to Block Island for the summer, where her cousin David lives and is married to the wealthy Taylor Buchanan. Nicola is living across the island in a cottage owned by Taylor’s family, right next door to Juliana, a tech start-up CEO who is throwing lavish parties nightly in advance of her IPO. Juliana met David years ago and had an instant connection, prior to his marriage, and she still pines after him after all this time and enlists Nicola to help bring them closer together again. As summer unfolds, a love triangle takes life…and a dead body is found.

I really loved all the nods to Gatsby such as Nicola as “Nick”, the Buchanans, and the infamous green light at the end of the dock. I also loved all the descriptions of the gorgeous Block Island, the entertaining side characters, and the humor throughout. This was definitely more observational and character-driven than plot-driven, which I enjoy, but definitely would be viewed as slower to those who don’t enjoy a mainly character-driven novel. I’d recommend for an entertaining summer read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A biting satirical feminist re-telling of The Great Gatsby w/ a dead body thrown in! Very entertaining. However, the end fell a little flat. Good summer read.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this digital e-arc.*

This was an ARC I received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is at least the third book of Meg Mitchell Moore’s and probably my least favorite of them. There were definitely many stories interwoven with in each other that kept me interested in the book throughout as it follows two main female leads and how their different upbringings have brought them to this particular summer where wealth now seems to control all. However, the ending seems to be very abrupt and vaguely clarified only in a couple of chapters many of these story lines. It left me feeling like”that’s it?” That being said, if you want a pretty easy to keep track of multi storyline book that’s easy to read without any expectations on the ending, then give this a read. If having a book with multiple storylines come together in a big way is important to you, then maybe skip this one.

2.5/5. I liked the beginning and the end, but the middle dragged a bit. This is a Gatsby retelling if Gatsby was a girlboss millennial. Fans of Elin Hildebrand might like this. An easy beach read. I liked the setting of Block Island.

Perfect summer beach read! For anyone who is a fan of Elin Hilderbrand you will like this. The setting and dynamic is spot on! Thanks to the publisher a d netgalley for this copy for read and review

For fans of Elin Hilderbrand, Meg Mitchell Moore’s latest summer read, “Mansion Beach”, is a modern day retelling of “The Great Gatsby”.

Nicola (aka Nick) is staying in her cousin David’s cottage on Block Island when she meets Juliana (Jay), an entrepreneur with a penchant for throwing loud, flashy parties. When Nicola meets Juliana, she learns he already knows David (Daisy) who is also on the island for the summer with his wife Taylor (Tom). We know that the summer ends with a dead body but will have to read along to find out who is dead and what happened to them.

The story plays out as a slow moving character driven suspense story. It felt long, and not as compelling as some of Moore’s past work, but I think it’s worth a read for fans of Elin Hilderbrand, Emma Rosenblum’s “Bad Summer People”, or anyone who is intrigued by the idea of a modern summer beach read retelling of “The Great Gatsby”.