MANSION BEACH by Meg Mitchell Moore is first and foremost a modern, beach read version of The Great Gatsby — gender swapped, modernized, and finished with an ending with some interesting changes.

I was sooo curious about a fresh take on the classic but for the most part, it was kinda distracting. The names, for instance, were kinda funny takes? Nicola instead of Nick, Juliana George instead of Jay Gatsby, and the Buchanans are the same lol. There’s also the green light at the end of the dock, lots of parties, and more — somethings that made sense, some that felt just like an obvious Easter egg.

I do really wonder if I would have liked it more if I didn’t know it was a Gatsby retelling (I probably would have figured it out lol) but it was an interesting beach read so I’m not trying to be that critical. And it got me to revisit thinking about the classic book (which I read and loved in high school).

Thank you to the publisher for the review copies — the audio is great, btw! I might recommend it that way!

Thank you so much to Harper Audio for the gifted audiobook!

Love the full cast! I was so eager to get into this one because I love rich people drama and that cover absolutely stole the show!

Overall, it didn't hook me as much as I hoped it would, but the audiobook production itself was perfect!

Audiobook rating: 5/5
Story rating 3/5
Overall rating 4/5

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

5 STARS⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mansion Beach delivers a truly unique and captivating story, reminiscent of The Great Gatsby in its exploration of wealth and longing, yet forging its own unforgettable path. The characters are richly drawn and utterly compelling, each with their own secrets and desires that pull you deeper into the narrative. Set in Block Island, the story unfolds with a masterful, twisty plot that keeps you guessing until the final, satisfying reveal. I could not put this one down, it was an easy 5 stars for me because of its originality fascinating story. I think this will be a favorite this summer!

Happy pub day to Mansion Beach by Meg Mitchell Moore! I’m so grateful to @williammorrowbooks for an ARC of this one and to HarperAudio for an ALC.

I didn’t realize when I started reading Mansion Beach that it was modern day, gender swapped reimagining of The Great Gatsby. But I think we can all imagine how smart I felt when I figured it out!! Nicola Carr has just moved to Block Island, RI for a complete life refresh. She gave up her long-term boyfriend and job to try her hand at studying marine life as an intern—she’s pretty sure the oldest one on record. She’s planning a peaceful summer staying at her cousin, David Buchanan (see, you would have gotten there too!) very wealthy wife Taylor’s cottage. But her next-door neighbor, CEO and founder of a high-tech fashion company, Juliana George (okay, this one wasn’t as obvious, but the initials were the same; I guess so were Nicola Carr’s!) keeps throwing loud, lavish parties. Eventually Nicola attends one and gets entangled in Juliana’s plan to reconnect with her one-that-got-away, David.

I really enjoyed this retelling. I may get slapped down by the gods of English teachers everywhere, but I found it much easier to relate to these characters than the ones in the original book, and I think—although I may be remembering incorrectly—that we get more backstory, at least about Juliana, a complex, fraught character who I really, really felt for. Mansion Beach does a fabulous job showing off the class divide, but the plot also circles around another line that I found even more interesting. The division between people who grew up with a lot of people who loved them, and those who didn’t. I hadn’t ever thought about it in exactly the terms the book spells out and I found the distinction fascinating.

The audiobook has a full cast recording and they do a fabulous job bringing the reader into this world of excess and locals who want their beach town to stay the same. There are a few POVs—Nicola and Juliana are the main two—along with commentary from the community about a tragedy that happens at the end of the summer.

This is a hard book to rate. I liked the main character the most, but felt like none of the characters were likeable. I assume that the book was written this way, but it made it hard to read when I could not relate to any of the main characters.

This is an enjoyable audio book with outstanding full cast narration. Kudos to the narrators for their beautiful performances.

The setting on Block Island is lovely and I appreciate the nod to several characters from the author’s previous books.

It’s not my favorite by Meg Mitchell Moore but it’s a good beach read with interesting characters and a bit of mystery.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the cover for this new summer beach read from a fav author but for some reason I just couldn't get invested in either the characters, the setting or the actual story. Maybe it was because I listened to most of it and it might work better as a print read or that it was about mostly rich people problems but aside for a decent reveal at the end, it won't be a memorable book for me this year. Still likely to entertain beach goers this summer who get lured in by the fab cover. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book, full of allusions to The Great Gatsby (green light at the end of the pier, wealth, parties), tells the story of Minnesota cousins who end up on Block Island one summer. David is married to a woman whose wealthy family is developing the island, to the dismay of some full-time residents. His cousin Nicola is working at a marine facility, staying in a property owned by David's wife. Parties at the huge house next door, Juliana's home, eventually entice Nicola over and she befriends Juliana. Juliana, who grew up poor and in the foster system, has developed a big online sales company and is preparing to go public.

David, who is a house husband, caring for his and Taylor's three year old daughter has a history with Juliana. She is trying to reconnect and he has mixed feelings about it. Each of the central characters is struggling with a life changing decision over the summer. None of the characters are particularly appealing and none seem to have explicit goals beyond their own gratification.

When an old 'friend' of Juliana dies, the question of if it was an accident or murder gets some attention, but not a lot.

If one is searching for a quick but unmemorable beach read, this is a pick, this one will hold your interest for a short time.

A biting satirical feminist re-telling of The Great Gatsby w/ a dead body thrown in! Very entertaining. However, the end fell a little flat. Good summer read.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and HarperAudio for this digital audio e-arc.*

I loved Meg Mitchell Moore’s Vacationland, so I was excited to receive her latest book.

I’m not sure how to classify this book. It gives off summer, beachy vibes as it’s set on Block Island. But there’s a lot of scandal and drama, with old loves reuniting, secret identities, business dealings, and even some legal drama.

This was an intriguing retake of The Great Gatsby, centering around three women. While it is an observation on self-ambition, greed, and wealth, the story takes some unexpected twists and turns, causing the women to make hard choices.

Initially, I was hoping for a breezy summer romance or a light beach read. However, the book took a more serious turn than I anticipated, even involving a death, as in The Great Gatsby.

Dive into this one ready for drama and scandal, along with some ritzy beach parties, and I think you’ll enjoy it.


🎧I was grateful to have the audiobook to turn to when I had to put the book down. Narrated by a full cast: Jaime Lamchick, John Pirhalla, Petrea Burchard, Charlie Thurston, Stacey Gonzalez, and Mike Ortego, listening along with reading helped me stay engaged when the narrative got a bit confusing.


Thank you @williammorrowbooks for this gifted book. #epictastemakers
Thank you @harperaudio @hapercollins for the gifted audiobook via #NetGalley.

I think it’s partly my own fault that I didn’t enjoy "Mansion Beach" as much as I hoped. I went into the novel expecting something in the vein of Elin Hilderbrand—sun-soaked drama, complex characters, and emotional payoffs—but that’s not quite what this is. While there are familiar elements, the storytelling style felt quite different.

One aspect I did enjoy was the podcast framing device. It added a fresh, modern twist and allowed each narrator a moment in the spotlight—especially John Pirhalla, who continues to be a standout for me. However, despite the interesting structure and high-quality narration, I struggled to connect with the characters and found myself not fully invested in their stories.

Thank you to Meg Mitchell Moore, Harper Audio, and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, Mansion Beach was a miss for me. The pacing was too slow, and the plot was lacking - nothing really happens in this book aside from extremely unlikeable characters behaving badly. There is a podcast element in the book that adds no value to the story at all.

The narration was okay but really didn't help me connect with the characters at all.