I’ve become a big fan of Beatriz Williams over the past year and was delighted to receive this ARC (thanks netgalley and the publisher!). Set back on Winthrop island, this story is told in dual timelines, much like Husbands and Lovers & with multiple POVs (but primarily two). I enjoyed the guest appearances from other Winthrop Island residents and really enjoyed the love story between Audrey and (redacted for spoilers). Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read!

Under the Stars by Beatriz Williams was an absolute delight for me, living up to all the high expectations I've come to have for her work. Williams truly shines in crafting immersive and captivating historical fiction, and this novel is no exception. The dual timelines are a particular strength, weaving together past and present narratives with a skilled hand, blending elements of mystery and romance seamlessly. I found myself completely drawn into the lives of the engaging characters, and the detailed New England setting felt incredibly vivid and authentic, adding so much atmosphere to the story. For fans of Beatriz Williams, this book definitely feels like a culmination of her strengths, with some even calling it her best yet.

What I especially appreciated was the emotional depth Williams brings to her characters and their intertwined stories. There's a subtle complexity that makes you really connect with their journeys and the secrets they hold. While I personally enjoy dual timelines, I can see how for some readers, it might occasionally interrupt the flow of emotional involvement if they prefer a linear narrative. However, for me, the way the different eras spoke to each other only enriched the experience, especially with the subtle connections to her previous works that long-time fans will certainly pick up on. Overall, Under the Stars is a wonderfully written and compelling read that I highly recommend for anyone who loves rich historical settings, intriguing mysteries, and heartfelt romance.

I really enjoyed this book but I had the same problem I did with her other book (husbands and lovers). The historical plot is just so incredibly boring to start off with and doesn’t get interesting until like 50% of book.

I was absolutely thrilled to receive an advanced read of Beatriz Williams’ new novel, Under the Stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this opportunity!

Fans of Beatriz Williams will be excited to learn that this book returns to Winthrop Island, home to a few of Williams’ books. I love when authors bring in characters from previous books, and it was so fun to already “know” some that popped up in this story.

Under the Stars is written in a dual timeline focusing on two stories that eventually intertwine, despite almost two centuries between them. In 1846, Providence Dare is a servant who finds herself on the run after an affair with her boss, who happens to be a famous artist, and who also happens to fall to his death. When the authorities suspect Providence, she decides to flee and finds herself on the historically-real steamship Atlantic which finds itself stranded in rough waters off of Winthrop Island. Following the sinking of the ship, she writes a memoir outlining her story with and the fate of her lover, and her terrifying time upon the sinking ship.

In 2024, Audrey finds herself recently and surprisingly divorced, and sent to Winthrop Island alongside her famous actress mother, who has been sent into hiding to sober up and reclaim her reputation. As Audrey processes her grief over her marriage, she finds herself elbows deep in updating her father’s bar, which leads to a bit more than Audrey, her father, and her mother could have ever imagined.

I loved this book. It did take me a little time to get into it. I really enjoyed each story, but for a while they were so separate, and written differently enough that it was a bit jarring to jump between the two. Williams does a wonderful job of writing in the voice of Providence in the 1800’s and because the difference was so stark, I think it took me a little longer to settle in. But once it became more clear how the two storylines would collide, I couldn’t put it down. I so enjoyed reading the sad tale of the steamship Atlantic and the lighthearted yet complicated tale of Audrey, her parents, and her handsome love interest. I certainly hope to see some of these characters in another Williams tale in the future. 😊

Beatriz Williams knows how to write a gosh darn good story! Because this book gave me every single feel. It was fantastic. Loved the characters

Another fantastic novel by Ms. Williams. An epic novel covering two stories-one of a shipwreck in the 1700s and the second of the difficult relationship of an actress mother and her daughter. The creative tying together of the stories is wonderful. The colors of the story are breathtaking, making it hard to put down. A definite novel not to miss.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

As a new reader of Beatriz Williams I'm now convinced to seek out her backlist. I found this to be really original and well written, In particular, I was really surprised with how these three timelines wove together and especially found the characters to be intriguing. For me, this was 4 stars instead of 5 because it was a little slow to start, but once I was invested I was in all the way.

Full review to be shared on TikTok upon publication.

"When a daughter and her famous mother return to Winthrop Island to confront their complicated past, they discover a secret trove of paintings that connect them to a mysterious woman who vanished on a luxury steamship two centuries earlier.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Husbands and Lovers comes an epic tale of family legacy, love, and truths that echo down generations.

Audrey Fisher has struggled all her life to emerge from the shadow of her famous mother by forging a career as a world-class chef. Meredith Fisher's glamorous screen persona disguises the trauma of the tragic accident that haunts her dreams. Neither woman wants to return to the New England island they left behind and its complicated emotional ties, but Meredith has one last chance to sober up and salvage her big comeback, and where else but discreet, moneyed Winthrop Island can a famous actress spend the summer without the intrusion of other people? Until Audrey discovers an old wooden chest among the belongings of her estranged bartender father, Mike Kennedy, and the astonishing contents draw the women deep into Winthrop's past and its many secrets…attracting the interest of their handsome neighbor, Sedge Peabody. How did a trove of paintings from one of America's greatest artists wind up in the cellar of the Mohegan Inn? And who is the mysterious woman portrayed on every canvas?

On a stormy November night in 1846, Providence Dare flees Boston and boards the luxury steamship Atlantic one step ahead of the law...or so she believes. But when a catastrophic accident leaves the ship at the mercy of a mighty gale, Providence finds herself trapped in a deadly game of cat and mouse with the one man who knows her real identity - the detective investigating the suspicious death of her employer, the painter Henry Irving. As the Atlantic fights for her life and the rocky shore of Winthrop Island edges closer, a desperate Providence searches for her chance to escape...before the sea swallows her without a trace.

In Under the Stars, the destinies of three women converge across centuries, as a harrowing true disaster at the dawn of the steamship era evokes a complex legacy of family secrets in modern-day New England. Williams has written a timeless epic of mothers and daughters, of love lost and found, and of the truths that echo down generations."

It never feels like it's summer until there's a new Beatriz Williams book to read on the beach.

I enjoyed this read and definitely found the story intriguing. I LOVED Beatriz Williams’ older books, but her newer ones (including this) just haven’t been as good. I wish I could give it 3.5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC in exchange for a review.

Too many timelines.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy in exchange for a review - the opinions here stated are my own.
I loved the premise and was really excited to read this novel! There is a shipwreck which is based on a true story. There is a mother daughter connection. There's some romance. There is definite drama. But it's all too much.
The story is told in what is billed as dual timeline - the grounding of the steamship Atlantic, and 'present day' with a movie star and her equally messed up daughter trying to get away to an island to rehab and get better before the next film. What happens though is a lot of flashbacks. The reader already has the dual storytime and all of the characters to follow there, but then (and oftentimes mid chapter) we get a flashback to see what has brought the character to this point. This in of itself is fine, but when its every character having flashbacks and some mid-sentence, the reader is left with a lot of 'wait, what now?' Read in a sitting with full concentration would be glorious, but having to put the book down to work, sleep and make dinner makes for a harder read.
Ill give it three stars because I believe there is a reader for every book. Ultimately, it got too back and forth for me. This could have been two distinct books and I wish that it were two - one about the ship sinking and one about the mother and daughter on Winthrop Island.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing for an early copy of Under the Stars by Beatriz Williams

"Are we off the hook for murder?"
"Yes. Harlan Walker died of an acute overdose of opioids, which was determined to be self-inflicted."
"Good," she says. "Now I can get out of this dump and start filming."

This passage pretty much sums up the negative characters and their actions in Under the Stars. Far from the world of Monk Adams and Mallory Dunne, other than Sledge Peabody, there is no character in this book worth cheering for. So many poor decisions, so much narcissism and so much of a disconnect among the people who should care for each other. There are a number of unlikely coincidences such as Audrey's estranged husband showing up just at the moment that she has a rare painting in her hand along with the unlikely event that her current boyfriend Sledge just happened to be on the scene when Audrey enters her husband's car and follows them.

Three timelines exist in Under the Stars, and the overall story loses focus because the reader has a difficult time remembering what has occurred. For example, the shipwreck story is paused for such a length of time that one forgets about an injury onboard the ship and must go back to reread.

Some of the facts of the shipwreck off Fishers Island in 1846 make for an interesting read and might have made an intriguing novel on their own merits.

In Under the Stars, Beatriz Williams introduces us to three women of Winthrop Island (situated in the Long Island Sound) at a crossroads in their lives:, albeit in different centuries: Meredith, the aging actress sobering up for her next role; Audrey, the daughter supervising the sobriety while struggling with the disappearance of her husband; and Prudence, the survivor of an 1846 shipwreck who is wanted for murder. As the story unfolds from these three women's perspectives we learn their backstories and how they are ultimately intertwined. Williams once again has delivered a combination contemporary/ historical fiction that tugs on the heart strings. Also-- fans of Beatriz Williams will notice that the plot of Meredith's next film is another of Beatriz William's books: Our Woman in Moscow. (Another great novel!)

When Beatriz Williams writes about Winthrop Island, I am there. She hasn’t done many books on the island but because we have visited a few times, I feel like we are old friends. You never have to read the other books, they aren’t a series but a few books that happen to be set in the same location.


This story has a few timelines, Audrey is the one we will follow most. Audrey is running from something but also helping her movie star mom get sober.. The Meredith (mom) timeline will show Audrey’s birth and Meredith’s past. We have a third timeline sent many years back that features a ship wreck and a woman on the run (it took me longer to like this timeline, but when I did, everything connected).

The book ends exactly how I wanted it to.

This is a beautiful love story – the kind that rarely shows up in a book and makes you close off the world so you can keep reading. When you reach the last page, you just sit there savoring a moment of peaceful indulgence.

The first part actually had two stories. One was historical about a famous artist, Henry Irving, who died after falling down the stairs. Providence, his one and only servant, was the last to see him and was now under arrest. She tried to escape and then ended up on a steamship disaster, the Atlantic, in 1846 (true event).

The other story took place on Winthrop Island, NY in 2024 with a famous actress, Meredith, her daughter, Audrey, and a few other characters intertwined in their lives. It involved all sorts of drama with relationships…the kind you want to run from and then some that are good and welcoming. Audrey was a chef and my guess is that anyone who loves juicy burgers would want a bite of hers.

I knew both parts would eventually come together and some of it was predictable but it worked out remarkably well. It had an easy flow with a dialogue that popped. There were lines that I had to jot down -- people that were religious praying their hearts out hoping to survive from a ship wreck. It’s history that I’m guessing few of us have ever heard about.

The writing is what I loved most with the descriptions of the people and places past and present. It was an experience of laughter with the artsy folks enjoying music and food and then sadness with heart-stopping moments. It involved a famous mother actress, a famous artist, a wealthy boyfriend and many others who had lives that needed readjusting. Don’t we all at times?

My thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of July 29, 2025.

Summary:
Audrey Fisher heads to Winthrop Island with her mother for the summer. Her mother is the famous movie star Meredith Fisher, and also a newly recovering alcoholic. Audrey has not been back to Winthrop for a long time and is herself reeling from her recent separation. In the historical timeline, we learn about the shipwreck of the steamship Atlantic from Providence Dare, who is fleeing a murder investigation.

What I liked:
Being back on Winthrop with familiar characters.
Triple timeline: 1800s, 1990s, and current day.
Historical fiction timeline: I loved learning about the real ship that ran aground on Fishers Island (rather than Winthrop Island).
Mike and Meredith’s ending.

What I didn’t like:
The second-person voice wasn’t consistent throughout the book.
Too many POVs.
The overall tone of the book was more flippant than Williams’ other Winthrop Island books. It also felt more open-door romance than her others.
Emojis in a book. Ever.

Content Warnings:
Alcoholism, teenage pregnancy, abortion, divorce, gun violence

Overall, I enjoyed this book - three stars. It was not my favorite Winthrop Island installment (that spot is reserved for Husbands and Lovers), but I was into it for the entire book.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and Ballantine Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I always enjoy returning to Winthrop Island, and Under the Stars felt like a reunion, with familiar characters, old mysteries, and the layered storytelling I've come to love from Beatriz Williams. This one weaves together three timelines: Prudence Dare fleeing a murder charge in 1846 aboard the doomed steamship Atlantic, actress Meredith Fisher trying to sober up in 1993, and her daughter Audrey navigating personal ruin in 2024.

The trunk of old paintings found at Grey Friars ties it all together, with questions about art, memory, and legacy running through it. I loved the nods to Meredith’s film career and how the titles referenced other Williams novels. Providence’s historical storyline was the strongest for me. I only wish we got more of the shipwreck and less of Audrey’s side characters. Still, a satisfying read that blends family drama, history, and a touch of romance.

Whenever I read a Beatriz Williams' book, I know that it is summer, and her latest, Under the Stars was no exception. I absolutely love the way that Williams immerses her readers into her imaginary world of Winthrop Island, the setting of this book and several of her other books. This book, though unlike her others, took a bit for me to get into because of all the shifting between different time periods and perspectives. The hardest for me to get invested into was the story of Providence Dare that seemed a bit forced until I understood the connection between the her and the modern-day characters. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

4 🌟

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read Under the Stars in exchange for an honest review.

I am such a fan of Beatriz Williams. I was completely hooked since husband and lovers.

Beatriz has an intriguing and captivating way of intertwining historical fiction with current day romance.

Under the Stars was a bit of a slow burn until the back 25%, but I was so invested in the story I just kept trudging along.

We are following a woman, Audrey, who trained at the CIA (culinary institute). She marries a man and they open a restaurant together only for him to completely abandon her leaving their accounts wiped clean and looming bills on the horizon.

Around this same time, she gets a call from her famous mother’s, Meredith, contact that informs her she will need to keep her mother sober for the next 3 months before her new movie starts shooting as she is in financial demise and any other slip ups could end in disaster for Meredith’s career.

This book swings back and forth between snippets of the sinking of the Atlantic featuring Providence Dare and Starkweather along with captain Dustan. What an absolutely horrific experience that must have been.
I loved how these two stories converged towards the end.

I won’t give away the ending, but I hope every woman finds her Sedgwick Peabody. 💖

I also love how Beatriz enter-tangles characters, locations and relationships from her previous books while they are also standalone.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this early!

After Husbands and Lovers (an easy 4 star read for me), I was genuinely excited to dive into Under the Stars. Sadly, this one didn’t hit quite the same.

One of the things I love most about historical fiction is a good dual (or in this case, triple) timeline that weaves together in a meaningful way. Unfortunately, the three storylines here felt a bit disjointed and, at times, hard to follow. Some parts dragged, and I found myself struggling to stay fully engaged.

Providence Dare’s timeline, told through excerpts from the doomed ship, was especially difficult to stay connected to. It took most of the book to deliver any real payoff, and even then, it felt overly drawn out.

Audrey’s storyline was the strongest for me—I was invested in her relationships with Meredith, Mike, and Sedge. However, there’s a late reveal in her arc that felt completely out of left field and didn’t seem to fit with the rest of the narrative.

By the end, the way the timelines and characters connected left me confused. I’m still not entirely sure I understood it all. While there were moments where I was pulled into the story, overall it was a bit of a challenge to get through.

Dual timelines, with three characters all connected on the Winthrop Island. The threads between past and present come together with elegance, and while some reveals felt a touch predictable, the emotional payoff was still worth it. The exploration of legacy, artistry, and the complicated bonds between mothers and daughters gave the book real heart.

My only issue is there are a few loose ends not completed.