"Under the Stars" by Beatriz Williams is a beautifully woven tapestry of mystery, romance, and tragedy that grips you from the very first page. Williams, known for her skillful storytelling, once again delivers a captivating narrative that seamlessly blends fiction with historical elements.

Set on a quaint island steeped in history, the novel explores the intricacies of its past while introducing us to relatable characters who draw you into their lives. The protagonist, Audrey, is a wonderfully crafted character whose resilience and likability make her an easy one to root for. I found myself genuinely invested in her journey, feeling her joys and sorrows as if they were my own.

Williams's writing style is both poetic and engaging, with vivid descriptions that create a strong sense of place and atmosphere. The small-town island setting becomes a character in its own right, filled with secrets and the weight of history that adds layers to the story.

What I particularly appreciated about this novel is how it tackles complex themes, blending them seamlessly into an engaging narrative. The mix of romance and mystery keeps the plot moving at a satisfying pace, making it difficult to put down.

Overall, "Under the Stars" is a remarkable read that showcases Williams's talent for crafting rich, emotional stories. Whether you’re a longtime fan of her work or new to her novels, this book is a must-read that will leave you enchanted and eager for more. I thoroughly enjoyed this literary journey and highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, Random House-Ballentine and the author, Beatriz Williams for this ARC. The novel has been out in the world for a few weeks now, so run don't walk to your local bookstore for a copy.

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This was a sweet and fun story that ties several generations together. There were several lines that made me laugh out loud. It was a combination of romance, mystery, and historical fiction. Thank you Ballantine Books.

This book is told in 3 points of view. This book was a struggle there wasn’t some big revel at the end, I couldn’t follow the real story. Idk I just felt like this wasn’t her best work

I loved One Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams back in 2018 so I was excited to see her newest book out. Under the Stars is quite different than that one. First of all, I was getting confused with all the story lines going on at once and I could not connect with the characters. I couldn’t help but notice all the “f” bombs being thrown around and This is an unpopular opinion but it’s a DNF for me.

I really liked this book. I was a little confused at first with the switch between historical and current times, but the author does a great job of make the two collide. I liked the characters and the setting. I was surprised for some supporting characters to show up in this book from her book 'Husbands and Lovers' (which I also really liked).

I'm looking forward to more books from Beatriz Williams and going back to read more of her previous books. I highly recommend her books!

Beatriz Williams is on my list of must read authors and Under the Stars did not disappoint. Williams is the queen of the multi-timeline romance/historical fiction work and Under the Stars also had a bit of suspense and mystery sprinkled in.

When Audrey Fischer is called upon to help her celebrity mother Meredith Fischer, stay sober, they retreat to Winthrop Island in order to stay out of the public eye. With nothing but time and her family's history staring her in the face, Audrey begrudgingly dips back into her father's life and tries to figure it all out. Multiple timelines including present day, Meredith's earlier experience on Winthrop Island, and a famous ship wreck that happened near Winthrop Island, we findo ut this small island is MUCH smaller than they already knew.

Thank you Random House Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this amazing book in exchange for my honest review.

I have had a mixed experience with Beatriz Williams' books. I love historical fiction and I usually love the periods and situations that she includes in her books. However, some I have loved and some leave me a little lukewarm. This was one of the latter. I never actually hate anything she writes. Sometimes, I really connect with her characters and the plot is active, imbued with historical nuance. Others, the plot is a bit too slow and the characters or relationships do not thrill me.
This is one of those.
As in her other books, there are two timelines. In this book, however, the stories are very different and so disparate that they do not really come together for me. There is Meredith, a has been actress with a drinking problem and her daughter, Audrey, who comes back to take care of her mother (for reasons not really clear to me in the novel since their relationship was never great). They are both wrestling with demons and they come to find their answers on Winthrop Island, where Meredith is drying out. It is this place that connects to the other story of a woman who drowned there a long time ago.
As it turns out, this connection is rather tenuous and does not feel genuine. I think that this sometimes happens when the connection is the place and not so much the characters or the lives of the characters. As a result, even by the end, I feel like I am reading two different stories, neither of which are enthralling. Moreover, just when I start to engage with one, the other returns.
I also think that Williams is at her best when there is real history involved. Yes, this was historical in the sense that the woman that drowned, drowned in 1846. But we are not talking about the Lusitania here. This was an event that may have happened but did not feel important except that people perished. Williams' novels are best when the historical events are significant and this missed the mark. Two and a half stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for providing me with access to this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was so happy to be back on Winthrop Island with a new set of characters. Technically there were two timelines in this book but to me it felt like there were three. The present with Meredith and Audrey figuring out life after many rough bumps along the way. I loved Meredith's spicy character. She would say and do things I could never imagine. Then there was the story of Providence Dare and the sinking ship in the 1800s. I wasn’t quite sure where this was going but it made sense in the end. The other part of the story that felt like a different timeline was Meredith in her younger years and some of love and loss she went through when she was younger. I know some of the characters made appearances in other Beatriz Williams books and I kind of wish I could go back and refresh how they all related. I was so happy to have a little Monk and Mallory back from Husbands & Lovers. Thank you Ballentine Books and NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.25⭐
Multi-generational story of Meredith, a fading actress, detoxing on her home island with her daughter, Audrey, who's dealing with the disastrous end of her marriage and her restaurant. So you have current day, around the time of Audrey's birth and the story of Prudence Dare, escaping on the Atlantic steamship before the shipwreck at Thanksgiving in the mid-1800s. Each story has it's own pull, but I was most drawn to the current day one. The relationships, the psychological patterns passed from generation to generations make for an engrossing and fascinating story.

great! loved the alternating timelines and different personalities of each of the women. didn’t absolutely love the mad husband ending, just not my thing. but overall enjoyed the book and would recommend it

This story had 3 timelines, the oldest timeline was 1846, which dealt with the real-life sinking of the steamship "Atlantic". This was a blend of historical fiction & mystery with a little bit of romance on the side. Two of the leading women (a mother & daughter) characters were rather prickly and sometimes I found them to be insufferable. They softened up a bit when two male characters entered the mix, one of them I especially grew fond of. I started enjoying the book more towards the 50% mark, as it started to become more clear the point of the early timeline. There was just a lot to muddle through in the beginning, that at times I wasn't sure if this book was for me. All in all, it wrapped up to my satisfaction.

Many thanks to NetGalley & Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read an advanced eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Beatriz Williams’ latest alternates between three characters in three different time periods. In the present day, Audrey’s marriage and restaurant have failed, and her famous actress mother Meredith is in rehab - so Audrey has no excuse when her mother’s manager asks her to take her mother somewhere to keep her from drinking for the next few months. So they return to Winthrop Island, where Meredith still has a family house but she and Audrey haven’t been since her mon took her away as a little girl. In the 1990s, we see things from Meredith’s perspective as a bored young woman growing up on Winthrop Island. And interspersed throughout are journal entries from Providence Dare from the 1840s as she describes leaving Boston suspected of a crime and taking a ferry that we know from the start is going to wreck.

Beatriz Williams is one of my favorite authors, and I’ve read all of her many previous books. This one is interestingly a bit different as on the one hand it contains the historical time period farthest from our own with the 1840s, but on the other hand is the most modern of all her books with the bulk of the action taking place in the present and 1990s. However, it also has her customary blend of a little history, a little mystery, and a little romance, and an enjoyable story as well! It can certainly be read as a standalone, but it also has her customary weaving through of characters/families from other books - here, the other three books of hers set all or part on Winthrop Island (The Summer Wives, The Beach at Summerly, and Husbands and Lovers), plus some fun non-character Easter eggs for other super fans.

I've really enjoyed Beatriz Williams' previous novels, so I was excited to dive into this one, and it did not disappoint! I was instantly hooked and found myself constantly thinking about the story, even when I wasn't reading. The dual timelines were one of my favorite parts. I loved how the past and present storylines intertwined so seamlessly, slowly revealing the connections between characters and events.

Give me shipwrecks, small-town mysteries, lost loves, and long-buried secrets, and I’m all in. Under the Stars had all of that and more. It was beautifully written, emotionally layered, and full of twists that kept me turning the pages. Definitely one of my favorites from her!

I went into this book blind and came out completely enamored with the story within. We first meet Audrey as she is riding the ferry to Winthrop Island with her mother. (Yes...that Winthrop Island from her previous novel, Husbands and Lovers). Her task is to return with her to her mother's childhood home for 3 months while her mother sobers up to prepare for her next Hollywood role. While there, she ends up working with her estranged father in his restaurant. The family dynamic between the three of them was compelling. All three of them have past hurts and yet love each other so much. Then Williams adds in Sedge as he starts showing up at the restaurant and getting to know Audrey. I instantly fell for him and his casual attraction, charm, and good nature. In all of this romance and drama is a bit of history and mystery woven in through the story of a sinking of a ship nearby in the 1800s. This is told through journal entries and flawlessly ties in to our modern-day characters in the end. What's so great about this book is that it has a little bit for everyone. There is drama, romance, mystery, suspense, history, and even a bit of thrills. All is portrayed through Williams's fantastic storytelling. You can definitely read this one without reading Husbands and Lovers; however, there are some fun surprises in this book if you read that one first. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it without hesitation.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this!
I love Beatriz Williams, and going back to the world of Husbands and Lovers, even tangentially, was great. This is again a multi POV, multi timeline story: following Providence (a woman on a sinking ship with a secret), Meredith (a young woman who makes a costly decision), and Audrey (Meredith's daughter in the current timeline, trying to help her mother and find a way in the world).
It was a really rich, beautiful blend of storytelling that really focuses on motherhood, self discovery, and self worth. While the backstory with Providence helps to set the stage for some big mysteries in the present day, I really connected with Meredith/Audrey more. Meredith's relationship with Mike, her mistakes that haunt her, her drinking/need for attention: it all just WORKs. She's written so beautifully, both past and present, and in particular her view on motherhood I found very relatable. With Audrey, coming out of a rocky divorce and struggling with dealing with her alcoholic mother and her growing feelings for Sedge but simultaneous need for independence: THIS spoke volumes to me. I've been this girl, so every piece of interiority just hit home.
I loved seeing Monk/Mallory again, I loved the blend of contemporary and historical fiction. I wish we spent less time with Providence, and some of the art stuff just isn't quite up my alley, but the overall storylines of these women completely deliver.

Beatriz Williams is an auto read author for me. I have loved everything I've read by her, and this book was in the top for me. This story had multiple POVs and dual timelines, which I love about her storytelling. There is such a mystery throughout the book that I loved trying to uncover. She does a wonderful job weaving timelines together, and connecting them through a really satisfying ending, and this book is no exception. I found myself on the edge of my seat with each chapter. The twists and turns in this book were perfectly placed. I can't say enough good things about this book!


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

Having enjoyed many of Beatriz William’s previous books I was so looking forward to this read and it did not disappoint. There were actually three storylines and each added dimension to this mix of history and fiction. The most compelling storyline for me personally was that of Providence Dare from the mid 1800’s. Her harrowing survival of the sinking of the ship Atlantic had me biting my nails. Her back story of her life before the disaster brought tears to my eyes.
Meredith is a descendant of Providence, with a lucrative film career, seemingly at the end of her career. She was not a very likable character for me but after some relevations I found myself cutting her some slack.
Audrey, Meredith’s adult daughter, held my attention throughout. Her relationship with her mother was definitively thought provoking.
The blend of family drama, relationships, history, and those incredible paintings created a compelling read that was totally satisfying.
Many thanks to Beatriz Williams, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for affording me the pleasure of reading an arc of this enjoyable read, published on July 29th.

The novel’s early timeline involves Providence Dare, who is escapes from the Boston during the 1840s and finds herself on the ill fated luxury steamship Atlantic that crashes on the Winthrop Island rocks. The other timeline is the present, where actress Meredith Fisher and her daughter Audrey are to spend the summer on Winthrop Island to try and repair Meridith’s acting career by laying low. Although Audrey was brought up by her mother, her father owns a local bar on Winthrop Island. Audrey has very complicated relationships with both her mother and father and Meredith must face her past that includes a horrible accident. Audrey finds an old wooden chest in the attic of her father’s bar and the paintings included within the chest leave questions into Winthrop Island’s past secrets. As Audrey tries to unravel all the secrets and her mother faces the demons in her past, the destiny of Providence Dare is revealed. The novel is well paced and characters are developed. The history of the doomed Atlantic steamship that was retold in the novel was very well done. It was a compelling read and I thank Random House/Ballantine Books for allowing me to read the ARC.

4 out of 5 Stars!

Audrey Fisher has struggled all of her life to emerge from the shadows of her mother, by creating a new life as a world-class chef. Her mother, Meredith Fisher, disguises herself from the trauma of a tragic accident. Neither one of these women wants to return to their lives in New England, but Meredith needs to sober up before the biggest role of her career. So, why not Winthrop Island, where they can hide from the paparazzi? That is, until Audrey discovers an old wooden chest in the belongings of her estranged bartender father, Mike Kennedy. When they open it up, they are thrown into Winthrop’s history and secrets. How did a trove of paintings by one of America’s greatest artists wind up in the cellar of the Mohegan Inn? And, who is the woman portrayed on every canvas?

Back in 1846, on a stormy night, Providence Dare flees Boston and boards the luxury steamship Atlantic to run away from the past. But when the steamship gets into an accident in the water and leaves the ship at mercy, Providence finds herself trapped. Not only by the sea, but with a detective investigating the suspicious death of her employer, the painter Henry Irving. As the Atlantic fights for her life, Providence fights for hers. Before the sea swallows them both up.

“Husbands & Lovers” by Beatriz Williams was one of my favorite books of 2025. I was constantly recommending it to friends and fellow readers, and I was ecstatic to find they loved the book just as much as I did. So, I was so excited to see “Under the Stars” by Beatriz Williams be published! I love Beatriz Williams and her ability to write books that intertwine historical fiction, romance, and women’s fiction. If you are a fan of “Husbands & Lovers”, you will absolutely love “Under the Stars” for its complex plot line and multiple genres.

I loved our main character, Audrey. I think she has some great qualities and excellent character development throughout the story. Her mother, Meredith, was entertaining and humorous. Our other main character is Providence, and, honestly, I was confused by her story line throughout this book. In “Husbands & Lovers”, I was enchanted by both storylines and how they connected over time. But in “Under the Stars”, I just felt like I knew where Providence’s story was heading. I wasn’t into it as much as I was listening to Audrey and Meredith.

There were a lot of twists and turns in this book, some I had an inkling I knew what was going on and some were a total surprise. You really don’t know how much these stories are interconnected until you start to unravel what Williams tied up. Overall, I would still highly recommend this book because I think it is so refreshing. There is just so much going on, and I believe that everyone can find something they enjoy.

“Under the Stars” by Beatriz Williams was published on August 29th, 2025! Go pick up your copy right now!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books, Beatriz Williams, and Netgalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

We're back on Wintrop Island, this time a woman named Audrey takes her famous actress mother there post-rehab to hide from the paparazzi in order to stay sober. Her mother grew up on the island. Audrey is reeling from her own life experiences- her husband and co-restaurant owner cleaned her out and disappeared. Both women are looking to rebuild in a safe place. When Audrey has the opportunity to turn the local dive bar and grill around, she partners with her somewhat estranged father, Mike, and businessman, Sedge.

I really like most of Beatriz Williams books- she is the historical fiction author that got me into the genre, and I've been reading all of her books for over fifteen years. I liked this one, although it's not my favorite. I really liked the timelines with Audrey and of her mother Meredith as a younger woman, but there was a third timeline on a ship that sank off the coast and that whole storyline was weak and way less interesting and I found myself not wanting to stick with the book in those parts. I ultimately liked what the author did with the connections, but I just didn't love that storyline at all.

Overall, I would recommend this book but maybe also read Williams' other books instead.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.