Thank you NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advanced copy of Under the Stars. I really enjoyed another book by Beatriz Williams, so my expectations going into this one might have been a little too high. I had to force myself to read this book for the first 40-50%. If this wasn’t an ARC, I probably would have DNF’d it at that point. However, the story did eventually pick up and become more interesting. I enjoyed the mystery and I always love a story with multiple POVs and timelines that intertwine. However, I did not enjoy the dialogue or how the characters interacted. I wasn’t rooting for any of them in the end besides Sedge and that was for him to run far far away. 3 stars for the mystery and intertwining storylines.

Beatriz Williams has written another winner. Back to Winthrop Island we go. Fascinating story that switches from present day to the mid 1800s. Fascinating story and I couldn’t put it down. Thanks to NetGalley for this Arc.

Beatriz Williams’ novels are always captivating, romantic, and intricate. Under the Stars is the newest in her incredible collection!

As another Winthrop Island novel, it had big shoes to fill after last summer’s Husbands & Lovers. Four stars from me because there were quite a few story lines and puzzle pieces that seemed to stretch and then come to a quick conclusion before I knew what was happening! But as always, you can expect lovable, complicated characters and interesting historical storylines.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first Beatriz Williams book that I am not head over heels in love with. I felt the story dragged on a bit in places and could've been brought to conclusion without some of the filler. And, some of the twists were not completely resolved or clearly explained 🫤 My rating 3.5⭐

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. Audrey has spent a lot of energy distancing herself from her mother, Meredith, an actress. The duo have a major trauma between them, yet go to Winthrop Island to convalesce over the summer. It is then that Audrey finds an old chest belonging to her dad, and its contents of paintings draws them into the history of the island. They, along with neighbor Sedge, begin to question who the woman is in every painting, and how did this famous artist's paintings wind up in this chest. Readers then get to go back to 1846, to follow Providence boarding a ship in the hopes of getting ahead of the detective investigating the mysterious death of her employer, the painter Henry Irving. The ship gets caught in a storm, however, and Providence has to figure out how to escape the detective and the ship.

This is another solid book from this author, who manages to write historical fiction in a very captivating and interesting manner, always weaving together storylines in a very accessible and interesting way. I really enjoyed learning how the three women were connected, and appreciated all of the hints the author provided throughout the book - it really made for an exciting read. And in typical fashion, this author also created a few other layers to her book outside of the storyline itself, and I thought the connection of mother and daughter and survival was very well written.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beatrice Williams has done it again. I would be hard pressed to pick my favorite book of hers. In Under the Stars, Ms. Williams again introduces us to people in conflict. This time Ms. Williams has added the adventure of a shipwreck. Mother and daughter, Meredith and Audrey, have chosen paths which lead them away from happiness. Meredith’s determination to get out of her hometown caused her to leave someone she loved behind. Audrey’s belief that she cannot find true love causes her to lead a solidary life after a disastrous marriage. Both ladies have made some wrong choices. As they find themselves thrown together on Winthrop Island, they start to realize that they are both capable of happiness, deserve it and should pursue it. Great character growth for the ladies, as well as the secondary characters. Added to this is how the wreck of a steamship in 1846 will impact their lives. I loved this book. A must read.

I generally love Beatriz Williams’ books. However, with three separate timelines and far too many dots to connect, UNDER THE STARS is less satisfying than others I have read.

The main story focuses on a mother and daughter, Meredith and Audrey in 2024. Meredith is a film star just out of her latest stint in rehab, and Audrey is charged with keeping her sober until filming can begin on a big project They spend the summer on Winthrop Island, a frequent setting in Williams’ novels. We also go back to Meredith’s late adolescence on Winthrop in 1993. In addition, there is the 1846 account of a nearby shipwreck written by a survivor named Prudence Dare. All the threads eventually are tied together, but it takes quite a while to get there. In addition, there is the distraction of characters from previous novels appearing in this one. When I recognize the names, ( Monk Adams in this case) I get sidetracked trying to remember what I learned about this character previously. Perhaps other readers enjoy this familiarity, but I find it distracting. The book is fine, but just not as successful as previous titles.

Under the Stars by Beatriz Williams is a story set on Winthrop Island in New England. Audrey is a chef in California whose life has recently imploded. Her husband ran off with all their money and her dog died. Her mother Meredith is a famous actress who has just come out of rehab. Audrey brings her to their summer home out East to stay sober until filming begins on her next movie, as required by the production company. While on the island, Audrey finds a love interest, reunites with her dad Mike, and together they find some old paintings in the cellar that end up being long lost treasures while Meredith deals with a lot of history from her youth and has a reunion with Mike as well. Chapters from the present flip flop with chapters from the 1800’s when a ship wrecked off the coast of Winthrop Island. The historical chapters tell the story of Providence Dare, a servant for the Irving family, who is trying to evade arrest for suspected murder of her employer. We get a deep history of what the real story is there and learn where the paintings came from.
Williams does a great job of interweaving the two stories of present and past and both storylines kept my interest equally.
Readers who enjoyed Husbands and Lovers will likely enjoy Under the Stars because they are written in a similar fashion and we even get reintroduced to a few characters (Mallory & Monk Adams, Sedgewick Peabody) which makes for a familiar read.
I loved the small island setting and the mystery that unfolded about the paintings. There is a lot of connecting the dots by the end of the book. I also loved the tell it like it is attitudes of Meredith and Audrey. Their big personalities are fun to read about. Fans of romance will enjoy the relationships between Audrey and Sedge and Meredith and Mike, though they do not delve really deep and seem to be a bit of fluff to me. Overall, I think this will be a great summer or beach read for many readers and is worth giving a try.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Ballantine Books for my ARC.

Can I give a novel more than 5 stars? This is another very special Beatriz Williams novel. The setting is a small, island , located between NY and Connecticut. There are 2 stories intertwined, Prudence Dare, shipwrecked on the island and Audrey Fisher whose glamorous celebrity mother has deep roots on the island.

Williams reminds her readers about previous novels that took place on Winthrop Island (think Fisher’s Island). This is a rich, beautifully written story about this mother and daughter who find rebirth on an island that had previously proven very complicated in their lives.

Every character is well constructed and likable.

It is a romance, historical fiction and a lovely continuation of the Williams novels I have loved in the past. Yet, it works fine as stand-alone novel. I highly recommend this to her fans and I urge those not familiar with her writing to read her.

I thank Netgalley and the editor for allowing me to read and review this terrific novel.

Another fabulous Beatriz William’s book that takes place on Winthrop Island with a new historical fiction story, and overlapping characters from past books! A fun summer read from one of my favorite authors!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for making my entire year for giving me an early copy of this soon to be summer smash.

Every July I always look forward to the new Beatriz Williams book. Under the Stars deserves all the stars. I loved all three storylines; the Atlantic Crossing, young Meredith and present day with Audrey and an older Meredith.

I seriously need a map of who’s who from previous books. Sedge, Monk and Mallory are from Husbands and Lovers. Isobel is from Summer Wives. I feel like I missed one.

Cannot wait until next one. No spoilers, Just dive in and enjoy this Beatriz binge!

I thoroughly enjoy Beatriz Williams' books and Under the Stars is no exception. I also love books with a dual timeline and twists to keep me guessing. This book, about a mother and daughter duo, discover paintings that connect them to a woman that vanished 200 years ago on a steamship. I also enjoyed and appreciated the easter eggs from Husbands & Lovers scattered throughout the book. Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine Books for the advanced copy!

Fans of Beatriz Williams will recognize the setting of this story, which is mostly on the fictional Winthrop Island, New York. Present day: Audrey Fisher, daughter of famous actress Meredith Fisher, finds herself babysitting her recovering alcoholic mother on the island for the summer. The present narrative alternates with the 1846 diary of Providence Dare, a young woman escaping the law who is on the luxury steamship Atlantic when it sinks off the shore of the island. What ensues is the relationship between Audrey, her parents, and Sedge Peabody (the love interest). As the story progresses, a mystery connected to the past is unraveled, forever changing the lives of the present-day characters.

In Under the Stars, Ms. Williams has created an interesting dual timeline with a likable cast of characters. She keeps the readers on their toes with a few twists and mysteries scattered throughout. It is a very enjoyable read for historical fiction fans, lovers of strong female characters, and fans of the author. This would be a great beach read!

Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an advance e-reader copy of this book!

Wow! I just finished Beatriz Williams’ Under the Stars, and I am completely blown away by the quality of the writing and the very interesting multiple plot lines.

The book grabbed me from the get-go, with the discovery of a dead body off the New England coast. We then move on to an account of the wreck of the Steamship Atlantic in 1846, written by a former servant on the doomed ship that crashed in the same area. Finally, we get to the story of Audrey, still reeling from the desertion of her husband, who must babysit her movie star mother so that the actress can maintain her sobriety. All of these are riveting stories and may seem convoluted, but in Williams’ skilled storytelling, they weave together in a logical way and eventually come together.

Most of the book moves between three points of view, daughter Audrey, movie star mother Meredith, and 1846 steamship passenger Providence. All the voices are distinct, and I was so impressed by how Providence wrote in the style of 19th century prose. All of these women face adversity, but are survivors, and the reader cannot help but rejoice how they all conquer their challenges.

This probably is my favorite Beatriz Williams book, and I’ve loved all of them.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the early ebook of “Under The Stars” by Beatriz Williams! This is another winner by Ms. Williams, revisiting the location and some of her characters from “Husbands and Lovers”. Audrey Fisher is dealing with a lot … her husband has disappeared, sabotaging the restaurant they opened together and their finances in one fell swoop. And on top of that, her celeb mom - with whom she has a difficult relationship - needs her to “hide her away” while she dries out awaiting her next movie role! There are multiple storylines and characters, and also a historical timeline interwoven with the story, making for a complex and engrossing plot! I wish could read more about all of these characters! This was a 4-star read for me and one of my favorite Beatriz Williams novel to date! I would highly recommend!! Thank you to NetGalley for the advance ebook! #UnderTheStars #NetGalley

I enjoy books across timelines that intersect in some way to the reader's surprise. Williams has mastered this storytelling with Under the Stars. I was into the book immediately. The writing is classic Williams. I was captivated throughout. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Audrey, Meredith, and Providence are three women telling their stories, 200 years apart.


Audrey and her mother, Meredith are returning to the place they never wanted to return to. But Meredith needs to sober up before she loses her career so they head to Winthrop Island off the coast of New England.


As they confront what happened in the past, they also find a treasure trove of paintings that lead to Providence.


This was so well done, and nothing less than I would expect from Williams. Beautiful story of mothers, daughters and survival.


NetGalley/ Random House/Ballantine July 29, 2025

In Under the Stars, Beatriz Williams weaves a lush, dual-timeline story of hidden art, lost love, and family secrets. As Meredith and her daughter uncover a mystery from 1846, past and present collide in a beautifully crafted tale full of heart and intrigue.

I received an Advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review. I was interested in Under the Stars, as I had recently enjoyed Husbands and Lovers, also by Beatriz Williams. Similarly, Under the Stars is solid historical fiction that meets modern women’s fiction via multiple timelines. Unfortunately, the three separate timelines in this book made it hard to get fully pulled in until I was halfway through the book. Luckily, once I got the there, the story had me hooked. Although, I initially missed the connections to her previous book, Williams has some nice continuation of Husbands and Lovers included in Under the Stars. The summer in New England setting will make this a great summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing | Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read Under the Stars by Beartriz Williams. This is another fascinating book by obe of the best!