An endearing novel about three women in the 1950s, the struggles they face, and the power of female friendships. An intriguing and quick read set in idyllic Balboa Island that tennis fans will enjoy.

This is one of those books where you can’t wait to see how it ends, but you don’t want it to end. Beautifully crafted, with believably flawed characters I enjoyed getting to know. Highly recommended! I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next in the series. I received a complimentary copy of this book and chose to write a voluntary, unbiased review.

The Island Club takes us back to 1956 on Balboa Island, just off the California coast. Honestly, the beginning felt pretty negative and I almost put the book down—but I’m glad I didn’t. Once I got to know Milly, Sylvia, and Adele, I found myself rooting for them and wanting them to do better.

Each woman is facing her own mess—marriage troubles, money problems, anger and secrets—but the way they slowly come together and support each other was really rewarding to watch. I loved how different their voices were, and how the multiple perspectives made the story feel layered and real.

Even though it’s set in the 50s, the pressures these women face still feel really current. By the end, I was completely invested in their friendship and cheering them on.

Thank NetGalley for my eARC.

Have we been sold a fairytale of flawlessness? Are we unwilling to look for the beauty and meaning in anything less than perfection? Do the three women see that the chaos, confusion, and struggles of Balboa Island life aren’t signs of failure, but signs of life? You’ll have to read to find out!

Two things are a given: (1) life in paradise isn’t any easier than life anywhere else. Just different. (2) Life on the court in the 1950s wasn’t any less stressful than it is today. Just different.

Milly, Sylvia, and Adele are diverse in their personalities and temperaments, but they discover that they share more similarities than just a love of tennis. You’ll love the sisterhood, the bonding moments, and the secrets. You may even shake your head! Perhaps you’ll be left thinking like I did, thankful for reminders that the error isn’t in my life but in my expectations and that I wasn’t built for perfection but for experience.

I love that this was inspired by French tennis champion Suzanne Lenglen. I was reaching out to Google her as soon as the narrative was finished!

I was gifted this copy and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This book drew me in from just the description! It was a page turner and now I cannot wait to check other work by this author

Having read two of Nicola Harrison's other books, I knew I was going to like the Island Club. Her characters and descriptions are spot on and I could just see the women going about their daily lives in the 1950s. Set in Balboa Island off the coast of California, it was a great summer read. I wasn't sure if I was going to like the tennis aspect of the storyline as I know nothing about tennis, but it was very interesting to see how the women came together over the sport. Lies, secrets, female bonding, it was all in there. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

After growing up near Balboa Island and visiting it often as a child, I was excited to read this historical fiction that takes place there. I quickly got sucked into this book and did not want to put it down!

The story follows the lives of three women-Milly,Sylvia and Adele, and the hardships they encounter in the late 1950’s. The book touches on what women were going through during that time period and the pressure to precent a certain image to society. I found all of the characters to be likable and loved how supportive they were of one another.

This book surprised me in such a good way and was definitely 5 stars for me! If you loved The Book Club for Troublesome Women, you’ll really enjoy this book too! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

First off, thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the free arc in exchange for an honest review.

"The Island Club" will be a great, summer beach read that dives into the lives of 3 women in the 1950s. Each is dealing with their own drama and secrets on Balboa Island, however, I don't think that any of these stories were that interesting, or shining light on any new experience that we haven't heard about time and time again from this period of time.

Would recommend if you want a quick, summery potato chip read, would not recommend if you like a little bit more meat in a historical fiction/women's fiction novel.

Welcome to Balboa Island, where the sun is bright, gentle ocean breezes sprinkle the air with its salty perfume, and secrets abound. The novel brings us to the 1950s, where we meet three women wrestling with their own struggles, pain, and haunted by ghosts from the past. However, the secrets become the tissue that binds the women together, allowing them the opportunity for redemption, healing, and emerging stronger than ever.
Thank you to NetGalley for the privilege of reading a remarkable book.

Title: The Island Club
Author: Nicola Harrison
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Three women - Sylvia, Milly, and Adele - each have their own story that landed them on Balboa Island. Set in 1956 when television was in the midst of taking over American households, each lady was trying to live her own life while dealing with the day to day challenges of life in the 50s. Milly wanted the women of the island to accept her, but craved a present husband who was often an hour away at work. Sylvia presented an extravagant lifestyle since her husband owned the Island Club, but is trying to hold onto her status after learning her husband’s secret. Adele was hiding in plain sight from a scandal she was involved in years earlier. Set on a charming California island that makes you want to stroll down its streets, The Island Club will be a great escape when it’s published.

Takeaways:
1. I really liked Hotel Laguna, so I was excited to get the ARC for Harrison’s upcoming book. Harrison paints an idyllic world with her words that present vivid colors and characters.
2. Milly is depicted as what you would consider a stereotypical 1950s housewife - dressed, heels, makeup, apron tied around her waist as she prepares dinner for her husband with a smile on her face and a drink to hand him when he walks in the door.
3. Strong female characters who really come into themselves as the story progresses. A true transformation that bleeds the 1950s out and into a modern woman.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book will be published on April 27, 2026.

#netgalley #arc #bookstagram @nicolaharrisonauthor #theislandclub #stmartinspress

Set in 1956 on Balboa Island, California, The Island Club is a richly layered novel about three women—Milly, Sylvia, and Adele—whose lives unravel in unexpected ways. Each woman faces personal crises: a failing marriage, financial betrayal, and a long-buried scandal. Their paths converge through an unlikely friendship and the game of tennis, which becomes a symbol of resilience and renewal.

Nicola Harrison masterfully captures the prim facade of 1950s coastal life, revealing the emotional turmoil beneath. The novel explores themes of female friendship, identity, secrets, and the courage to confront the past.

absolute perfection.

I picked this one up on netgalley on a whim and have been forever changed by it.

truly so well executed I will be recommending it to everyone!!

The Island Club by Nicola Harrison
This story starts with the womeans' names and you learn a bit about each of them from how they got to the island, to what they are doing today.
Each has their own secrets that come to light over time. Like the island as it's a cool place, something for everyone to do. Sylvia and her spouse own the club house and run the tennis courts also. When she learns what her spouse did she takes things into her own hands to recoup and to be able to stay on the island.
Adele is the new female tennis instructor and she brings so many into the club. She takes matters into her hands after losing her job at the Ferris wheel amusement park.
Milly is married and has two young children. When her spouse decides he's not coming back to the island every night, and gets an apartment in the city, she takes matters into her own hands and rents out the guest house.
Love how they each have each others backs and pitch in to help.
Lots of twists and turns in this one, really enjoyed reading this and learning about the island and the womens lives.
Received this review copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

I am so thankful to have been sent an ARC of this book! It was a true romance with characters that you grew to love. Each woman has their own secrets and in the 1950s, this was scandalous!
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to those who love a good cozy romance!

This book took me awhile to get into, but I always love a story about female athletes. Once the story got going I was hooked, and the last 30% had me locked in.

I loved the friendships formed between the 3 main characters and the unfolding of their individual struggles as well as the resolutions. Everything was tied up in a nest little bow in the end, and while it’s not how I saw it ending it was perfect.

I enjoyed the themes about women in the 50s and “finding their own” and how as they were able to provide for themselves and find their own identity their storyline strengthened.

A story of secrets, friendship, and liberation from the life you think you’re supposed to live. Loved.

This is a beautifully written novel about female friendships in the 1950's. Each woman is dealing with their own secrets and crisis, but the game of tennis brings them together in a lovely way. This is the perfect summer read!

Genre: Women’s Fiction
Publisher: St. Martin’s Publishing Group
Pub. Date: April 28, 2026

“The Island Club is set in the 1950s, where three women’s lives are intertwined on glamorous Balboa Island, off Southern California. We meet Milly, Sylvia, and Adele, who are each facing their own personal struggles. Through their shared love of tennis, they develop a strong and unexpected friendship that becomes the heart of the story, highlighting the power of female friendship. “Club” is a sunny, juicy, escapist read. I usually enjoy a beach read; however, this one was too predictable for me. I am not usually a fan of women’s fiction, meaning others may enjoy the novel more than I did.

I am a huge fan of Nicola Harrison having read every book she has written, and The Island Club coming out in April of 2026 does not disappoint.

Three women—Milly Kinkaid, Sylvia Johnson, and Adele Lambert—form a powerful bond as they become friends who share embarrassing secrets from each of their lives.

Set on Balboa Island, just off the California coast in 1956, the idyllic setting forms the background of a community that seems to be open and welcoming, but if their secrets are revealed, all three women feel they would be shunned by that very community. Will the shared love of the game of tennis be the only thing that can cement their friendship?

Milly’s marriage is on the rocks, and the shock of why is devastating. She moved her family from Hollywood to the island thinking that a distance from her workaholic husband’s place of business would give more balance to their lives. But he finds more and more reasons to come home late, if at all, and the relationship is eroding her love for him.

Sylvia and her husband are true pillars of the community and have been since she won a beauty contest, Miss Balboa, in 1938, and married the judge. They are the backbone of The Island Club, an investment they made for members to enjoy a tennis club and also to swim and enjoy fine dining. But a grave mistake on his part risks their financial security and their future, something she would be embarrassed by if their community finds out.

Adele has long shut the world out as she hides from a scandal that happened 20 years ago. She has been guarding her privacy for years, but slowly Milly and Sylvia work to break down the barriers and return Adele to the sport she once excelled at: tennis. She rejoins the world as a tennis pro in Sylvia’s club, teaching both Milly and Sylvia how to play.

The Island Club is a novel about love, secrets, and the power of female friendship. Readers will not want to put the book down until they reach the conclusion when all their secrets are revealed.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting August 25, 2025.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

I absolutely adored this book, as I grew up on THE Balboa Island in Southern California. And this precious book was spot on - all about the 50's when our high school's dream was to spend Easter week on Balboa - or "Bal week". Loved this book, couldn't put it down.
Thanks NetGalley.

I absolutely could not put this book down! This ensemble of characters were so easy to fall in love with and really brought the plot to life. I think this a great one for those wanting to work their way into historical fiction but don't want anything too heavy or previous-knowledge reliant. I found the pacing to be a bit off at times. The beginning moved pretty slow, yet I wish we would have spent more time learning about these characters' backgrounds. However, overall I loved the premise and the characters and I'm looking forward to reading more from Nicola Harrison!