- I loved the dual plot lines in 2024 and 1846, and the pot line about the sinking of The Atlantic was unique and intriguing!
-There were many subplots-- a famous actress sobering up, a famous painter having an affair, a chef revamping a kitchen, a con artist abandoning his wife, a teenage death, a famous singer and his art historian wife. . . Sometimes I wondered how it all fit together.
- Mother-daughter tension was woven all throughout the present-day storyline. As both a mom and a daughter, I understand this dynamic! But this duo is on another level, in the most entertaining way.
-Prudence Dare-- loved her! Her character was full of spunk and heart. Some of my favorite chapters were her retelling of the sinking of The Atlantic!
-This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you @netgalley and @Ballantinebooks, an imprint of Random House, for this advanced reader copy! Under The Stars will be available July 29!
Em

Under the Stars is an amazing mix of family drama, romance and historical fiction- tied together by mysterious ancestry and coastal island community. I was so excited when I realized the ties between this story and Husbands and Lovers, and now have no choice but to go back and read the first 2 Winthrop Island books. Highly recommend this for fans of almost any genre since it hits all the right notes and is so well written.

Another beautiful novel by Williams. This one involves a shipwreck, and a complex mother/daughter relationship. Audrey’s mother Meredith was a screen legend who is haunted by a tragic accident.
She could make a comeback but she must be at her best and dry out. They decide to return to Winthrop Island because she won’t be interrogated by fans.
Secrets, tragedies and a complicated relationship makes this another one for readers to get their hands on. Thank you Beatriz for always delivering books that engage us readers.

I’m a long time fan of Williams’ work, and this did not disappoint. I have found that as her career as progressed, the depth of history in the historical fiction has increased, and I’m not mad about it! I find her relationships authentically developed, and the setting is exceptional.

Well done!

Beatriz Williams does it again! This dual-timeline historical fiction was a joy to read. I didn’t know anything about the wreck of the Atlantic even though I’ve read a few other books featuring Winthrop Island, so that story reeled me in. The contemporary storyline had enough tendrils reaching back into the past to tie the two stories together well. Interesting and enjoyable characters and an engaging plotline. Also, no one ends a chapter better than Ms. Williams, she keeps you reading!

3.5⭐️s.

First— how fun to see that a few characters from husbands and lovers make a cameo in this book.

Like most of William’s books, I was pretty “eh” about it until about the 70% mark when I finally became invested in the storyline and characters.

This book follows three separate timelines, but all intertwined and related. What I didn’t love was that the majority of the book alternated between those three timelines, with the same POV each time- but near the end, there were suddenly more POVs introduced- wait, what?

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ahhh, the 19th Beatriz Williams read in my arsenal. I have conflicting thoughts about this book. True to Williams’ style, there is a love story that ends happily ever after and that is tied to a story of the past somehow. I love the stories of the past as usually I learn about some piece of history I’ve never heard of, in this case the shipwreck of the Atlantic. However, I’m conflicted because I grow a little tired of the dialogue used. I don’t mind the swear words, in fact I’d rather there be some, but the constant bickering back and forth between some of the characters gets old because I’ve seen it in many of her stories now. Another thing I couldn’t decide if I found grating or endearing is that Meredith was featured in movies that were all other Williams’ books. Which I guess if this were the first Beatriz Williams book you’d ever picked up it’d probably seem pretty creative and interesting. Since I have read 19 of her books now- and some multiple times- I found myself rolling my eyes a little bit.
While I did find it a little repetitive and cheesy in those aspects, I did love this book and I love how there are multiple ties to her characters in other books, specifically the Winthrop Island connections. It only took me a few days to read and I’d definitely recommend picking up Under the Stars (or any of the other Williams’ books) to readers!

I always enjoy Beatriz Williams books. She's great with the dual timeline and her historic research is top-notch.. If you're a fan, you'll enjoy how she weaves characters and location throughout her novels. It's always fun to see a familiar person pop-up. This is a fun and captivating summer read.

I found the premise intriguing, and I usually enjoy dual-timeline narratives, but something about this one didn’t fully click for me. I struggled to stay engaged with both storylines, and I felt like the pacing was uneven, making it hard to stay invested. I had a tough time connecting with the characters, especially Audrey. I wanted to feel more for her journey, but I found myself frustrated with her choices rather than rooting for her. The historical sections had moments that intrigued me, but they didn’t feel as compelling as I had hoped. That being said, I still appreciated the atmospheric writing and the intriguing mystery surrounding the paintings. Some sections kept me interested, and I could see flashes of what I love about this author’s work.

Even though this book didn’t fully work for me, I know others might enjoy its themes of family, legacy, and uncovering the past.

3.5 stars

I devoured Beatriz Williams’ latest - Under the Stars. With superb pacing and prose, Williams has expertly crafted a compelling, propulsive tale braiding a fascinating tale across three timelines. While I did not find the primary characters quite as relatable or lovable as Mallory and Monk in Husbands and Lovers, this book is not to be missed by Williams’ legion of fans or others who love fine historical fiction.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the privilege of a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

I know it is just me, because the author has written so many books and is so popular but I could not get into this story. I didn’t find the characters interesting or the storyline compelling. I tried to go back to it several times but could not finish. I appreciate the opportunity to read this book, but because I did not finish I will not post a review on any social media.

beautifully written historical novel that blends glamour, secrets, and heartache beneath a glittering facade. With her signature lush prose and complex characters, Williams delivers a captivating tale of love and resilience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC! This is the second book I’ve read by this author, and I really enjoyed it. She’s officially an auto-buy author for me now. It took a little time to get into the story, but once I connected with the characters and the plotlines started coming together, it picked up quickly. Definitely recommend!

Beatriz Williams is an auto read author for me. Her latest, Under The Stars was amazing! I loved it!

Good dual timelines tale, with both equally compelling. Likeable characters I enjoyed spending time with. At times I struggled to connect all the dots, especially during the conclusion of the historical fiction tying up with the present day. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc! I wanted to love this book as much as I did Husbands and Lovers, but I didn’t. The premise is super cookie cutter to the last book, which I DO love the tie in to historical fiction and how small choices in the past affect the present/future, but it was so similar. Spoilers.

The history portion involves a woman who has a tragic backstory who marries someone because of convenience has a horrific story event happen (several in Pru’s case) and had kids and settled. Generations later some thing (art in this case) leads to several discoveries about people and events while the main female character falls in love with a rich guy in the present day. She tries to push the mmc away, third act break up, then he confesses his undying love and we all live happily ever after. Audrey has a mother who isn’t a great mother, is selfish and self indulgent, and Audrey demonstrates much of those characteristics too.
Now sedge, yes the most golden retriever boyfriend I ever did see. He’s sweet and lovely and good, though there’s no real excitement there. He’s the constant in the book and I love the tie ins to monk and Mallory.

Mike is the comic relief and probably favorite character for me in this book.

I wish we would have SEEN more of Audrey and sedge’s relationship development instead of being told about it in flashbacks and memories. I’d have loved to see more about sailing and her cooking for him and stuff to see why they felt the way that they did. It wasn’t enough.

Meredith- she was exhausting, but the ending redeemed her a bit with Mike and making Harlon feel better about his son’s death. And the whole thing with coop on the boat and never actually knowing Audrey’s paternity was a little frustrating.

David was the worse, and that’s all we need today about him.

Pru’s story was so interesting and I liked that the ship sinking is based on the actual ship that went down, but pru wasn’t super likeable and her story wasn’t as engaging as the Egyptian backstory in the first novel.

So all in all, it was a good book, but not one I’d need to read again. A solid 3.5 stars. I was a little disappointed since I loved. h and l so much, but this one fell a little flat for me.

Wow, wow, wow! Love Beatriz Williams and this book did not disappoint. Under the Stars gave me all the Husband and Lovers vibes I could ask for and more. I couldn't put the book down, laughing and crying with the characters. NOTE: Please read Husband and Lovers first!!! While Under the Stars is not a sequel, it will add to the world building of Winthrop Island in Under the Stars.

The book follows three women: Audrey, Meredith, and Providence. Audrey and Meredith are a daughter / mother duo on Winthrop Island for the summer. Meredith is a famous actress, and her daughter, Audrey, is a heartbroken chef. Meanwhile, Providence, a mysterious maid, is aboard the Steamship Atlantic in 1846 headed towards New York City (and yes, I did find myself Googling to see if this was fact or fiction).

Each storyline is a compelling and complex puzzle piece that gives clues as to why the women are they way they are adding to the climax of the book- how they are all connected. Additional perspectives at the end of the book were *chef's kiss* to get the holistic view and leave with all the emotions.


**Spoilers below**
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I was squealing as MONK ADAMS and MALLORY ADAMS walked in!! Also, I couldn't believe I didn't put together our Sedge was also Mallory's previous Sedge sooner! Thrilled we got to see Monk and Malloy's HEA (I would have read the book just for this, had I known!!!). I can only hope our next Beatriz Williams' book is a continuation of the Winthrop Island we've grown to know and love!

Another intriguing love story from Queen Beatriz! She is so good at historical fiction and weaving storylines together over generations. Very similar to Husbands and Lovers, which I also enjoyed.

I wish we could have seen more between Audrey and Sedge. I don’t feel like their story was developed enough for me to care towards the end. However, I loved the storyline with Meredith and Mike. I was engaged from start to finish.

A solid 4.5 stars!

It took me a little while to get into this book, but once I really began to get to know the characters and connect the story lines, I actually liked it a lot. At first, the story of the shipwreck in the 1800s did not draw me in, and I had difficulty connecting it to the present-day stories of Meredith and Audrey. Also, in the beginning, I did not like the character of Meredith much, and her story was not compelling. As I continued to read and the dual time lines started to line up more, I began to really get invested in the stories of all the characters, and by the end, I was rooting for Meredith and Mike, and Audrey and Sedge. I wanted them to all stay on the island and have their happy ever afters. I do recommend this book for fans of Beatriz Williams, or if you have not tried one of her books before, this might be the one to start with. Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the e-arc.

Wow, where do I even begin with Under the Stars? Beatriz Williams has once again crafted a mesmerizing tapestry of mystery, history, and heart that kept me hooked from the first page to the very last. This book is a glorious blend of glamorous glamour, sweeping adventure, and juicy secrets—think Downton Abbey meets Titanic with a dash of modern-day intrigue! The story effortlessly splits between three incredible women across different eras—Audrey, the legendary chef battling her mother's shadow; Meredith, the glamorous actress hiding her scars behind diamonds and fame; and Providence, who’s fleeing her own dark past aboard a doomed steamship in 1846. Williams skillfully weaves their stories together across centuries, revealing how secrets buried deep can resurface in the most unexpected ways. I loved uncovering the clues hidden in the old wooden chest, exploring Winthrop Island’s mysterious past, and trying to piece together how those stunning paintings ended up tucked away in the cellar. The characters are richly drawn, with flaws, fears, and fierce love stories that made my heart swell. Sedge Peabody, the charming neighbor, adds just the right dash of swoon-worthy romance to the mix. The historical details are as lush and vivid as the Maine coast, and the layers of mystery kept me guessing until the final revelation. Plus, the way Williams captures the enduring bond between mothers and daughters, along with the ripple effects of long-buried family secrets, made this a truly unforgettable read. In short, Under the Stars is a shining masterpiece—perfect for anyone who loves a blend of history, suspense, romance, and a dash of island magic. It’s a story that will stay with you long after the last page is turned. Highly recommended!