As usual, Nina George brings a powerful, deep, and hard-hitting novel with incredibly real, vulnerable, strong, and insightful characters. This book covers some controversial topics - child neglect, mental health issues, bi-sexuality, marital infidelity - but it does so in a way that is both delicate and incredibly open. I think that anyone reading this book will identify with some, or perhaps many, of the characters at one point or another. In typical, nearly magical fashion, the author weaves a story that you find yourself able to relate to even if it doesn't pertain to your life. I'd love to see this part of the Breton coast someday because of the beautiful descriptions in this story. I wanted to rush to the end to see what happens but I also wanted to linger in the story for a while because I had grown so fond of the characters ... that is the sign of a truly wonderful book for me ... the conflict of finishing or drawing out the story. A truly excellent read!

Unfortunately I am giving up on this after about 30%. I kept waiting for more to happen, but it just doesn't.

𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗡𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲 ⠀
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Wow, tres beau. This novel is a remarkable poetic story of love, loss, passion, strength, honesty and family. It is a beautiful look into womanhood from age 9-100. The growth and change you go through all while trying to be true to oneself. ⠀
Claire, her husband, son and his girlfriend (Julie) are going to her family beach house for summer holiday. Claire and Julie are both wait for something to set them on fire to reunite themselves. Over the summer Claire and Julie find something in each other. They are looking to break away from the norm, the routine, and the expectations and become who the𝘆 are meant to be. ⠀
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Nina's writing is gorgeous and lyrical. I think of you read this at 20 then 40 then 60 and so on you will feel connected in different ways. The way 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 will make a great bookclub read.
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if you enjoyed Hᴀʟғ-Bʟᴏᴡɴ Rᴏꜱᴇ you will love this. ⠀
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𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟵, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 ⠀Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine books and Nina Georges for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
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📗𝟮𝟴𝟴 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲

My first Nina George book but definitely not my last! This was the perfect beach read! Beautifully written. The characters were fantastic and had me burning the midnight oil. This one busted right out of societal norms and boundaries.
Thank you NetGalley, Nina George and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Claire's son brings his girlfriend on summer vacation and Claire feels like maybe she she has met her before. Has she, or does the girlfriend reminder her of her at a younger age? This book highlights the feminine experience like I haven't seen in a long time. Good read!

Like others said, I also found this book wordy and hard to get into. The topic of affairs was a lot! Perhaps I am not the target audience for it, but good to get out of my comfort zone.

I had a hard time connecting with the characters and therefor getting invested in the book. It was a slow start and the plot took awhile to get going. By the time the story began to pick up I felt obligated to finish rather then invested. On the other hand, I did really like the writing - I just wish the characters felt more relatable. I think it was a me thing with this book though, rather than the book being poorly written.

Endlessly wordy, nothing happens and none of the characters were very likable or interesting. I really tried to get into this book and find something redeeming or interesting or worthwhile in the writing or the plot or even some character development but even past the 50% mark I couldn’t find anything worth continuing on with.

Know Thyself. This famous Greek inscription is the basis for this book which explores the deep introspection of a married couple.

Claire and Gilles had been together for over 20 years. They seemed pretty happy with their careers in Paris and they were proud parents of a 22-year-old son, Nicholas. Yet, there was so much they didn’t know about each other. When they met Julie, their son’s new girlfriend, they all decided to go to a resort for the summer in beautiful Brittany, France. That’s where hidden secrets were about to bend all the rules.

An eight-week vacation is a great luxury at a place with stunning ocean views, great bottles of wine and delicious food. However, I didn’t care for Claire. She seemed like a cold controlling professor. Her husband, however, was charming and fun. They were both kind of stuck in their relationship.

Watch out as this story has revelations that you won’t expect. It comes fast like waves in the sea and moves forward at a pace that is quick and upsetting at times. It feels like a lot of emotions were transposed into this book about what it’s like being a woman and the fears many have opening their hearts. There were parts that were fascinating about the characteristics of genders.

I would have liked to predict the ending but I didn’t. It was beautifully written with Author Notes that revealed more about her process and personal approach.

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

I didn't love this and honestly DNF. It's very wordy and a lot of things are "told" to the reader rather than figuring them out. Also, some of the writing and descriptions of things like the wine or the music felt very pretentious. None of the characters right off the bat felt likeable.

The characters are two dimensional and the storyline is predictable. I guess a story that starts with sex doesn't really have much to tell.

In Beautiful Nights, Nina George weaves a sensual and provocative story about self-discovery, passion, and the courage to embrace change. Centered on Claire, a distinguished behavioral biologist trapped in a stifling marriage, and Julie, a woman torn between her desires and her fears, the narrative explores what it means to break free from societal and personal expectations. Their intertwined lives, revealed through a shared secret, challenge them to confront their true selves as they stand on the cusp of transformation.
Set against the lush backdrop of Brittany, the novel captures moments of intimacy and revelation—both under the ocean’s tranquil surface and in the stormy intensity of night. George masterfully probes femininity at every stage, illustrating that the path to authenticity often demands letting go of what’s known and daring to ignite a new, brighter chapter.
Beautiful Nights is a beautifully layered tale of awakening, resilience, and the profound beauty that emerges when we allow ourselves to be truly alive, even amid chaos and change.

I had high hopes for this book and was kind of disappointed. The writing is beautiful and the character development is fascinating. However, at one point I asked myself where is this going and why am I reading this.

Claire got pregnant with her son , Nicki against her wish not to have a child. She married Giles, thinking they will get to know each other. The marriage was less than ideal, with Giles having constant affairs. When Nicki’s brings home a girl, Julie, Claire is very surprised to meet someone she knew before. This book was not for me, I couldn’t really get into it

Nina George's Beautiful Nights promises a luminous and daring exploration of desire and self-awakening against the evocative backdrop of the Brittany coast. The premise itself—a respected professor embarking on an affair with her son's girlfriend—is inherently charged, suggesting a narrative that will bravely delve into the complexities of forbidden connections and the yearning for a life more vividly lived. More than just a story of illicit passion, the description hints at two women, Claire and Julie, both at critical junctures, whose shared secret and subsequent bond under the summer sun will force them to confront societal expectations and their own suppressed desires. The novel appears poised to be a sensual and provocative journey into the multifaceted nature of femininity, interrogating the choices that define us and the courage required to dismantle a familiar life in pursuit of one's true, incandescent self

This book is for readers who love books full of imagery, the messiness of close relationships, and the personification of the natural elements.

The book was heavy handed and left nothing for the reader to arrive at an understanding of on their own. I didn’t like the way the internal dialogue was written or the constant overly in your face explanation of womanhood. I think for this to be a more skillful book, it should have left much more up to interpretation.

"Beautiful Nights" by Nina George is a reflective, emotionally resonant novel centered on two women—Claire, a behavioral biologist in midlife, and Julie, her son’s young girlfriend—both of whom are navigating profound turning points in their lives.
Set against the evocative backdrop of Brittany, the novel explores themes of female identity, purpose, generational contrast, and emotional awakening. Claire is intellectually accomplished but emotionally unfulfilled, wrestling with the weight of a life built on expectations rather than desire. Julie, on the other hand, is just beginning her adult journey and is uncertain about following a path that might not be truly hers.
What makes this book stand out, according to early reviewers, is its lyrical prose and deep psychological insight into women’s lives across different ages. The relationships—between mother and son, mentor and protégé, and even between strangers who recognize each other’s inner struggles—create a rich emotional tapestry. Reviewers highlighted how it delves into how women evolve emotionally, spiritually, and sexually through various life stages.
This novel will likely resonate most with readers who appreciate introspective literary fiction with a strong feminist undercurrent and lush, sensory writing.

I was invited by the author to review this book. Claire is a well-known behavioral biologist, but is finding her personal life lacking in many ways. Claire is not happy in her marriage, and is looking for something to ignite her purpose. Her son Nico wants to take the next step with his girlfriend Julie, and wants to bring her along to a family vacation in Brittany. Meanwhile, Julie is not sure if she is on the same wavelength as Nico, and tries to marry her relationship with him compared to her passions. But, things take a different course, because Julie and Claire have met before.

This was beautiful writing about the female experience, and incorporates a lot of topics to explore that can and do make up a person. This is a great book to read to explore our stages in life and how our experiences shape us.

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

I finished Beautiful Nights yesterday and have not stopped thinking about it. The story itself is simple: 2 women at a crossroads in their lives…both wanting something “more” but stuck in roles that were not necessarily chosen by them. The story is engaging and accessible, but the prose is lyrical and the musings on how our lives turn out the way they do, particularly women’s, is intelligent and thought-provoking.

Claire is middle-aged, a professor of behavioral biology, has used her acute intelligence to survive in life, but not necessarily to choose the paths that would give her joy. We learn the backstory of this woman, along with her half-siblings, and see how she was thrust into the role of organizer and mediator at an early age. The other MFC, Julie, is young and the girlfriend of Claire’s son, has dreams and talents but fear freezes her ambitions.

The beautiful setting of Brittany along with the sea are other characters in this novel. As Claire’s family takes their annual holiday in this setting, cracks in Claire’s ordered world occur.

Beautifully written and unique, this is one of the best books I’ve read this year.

This was, without a doubt, the best book about women I have read in years..maybe decades. The author did an exceptional job of writing how women change over the years- spiritually, emotionally and sexually. How we silence ourselves...and so many other things. I am sure its not for everyone but the pure humanity of the story was immaculate. I wish women could read this at 20 then 40 then 60. It was just beautiful