User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Nicola Harrison's debut takes place in 1938, a turbulent time in history, where dark clouds hint of a world war to come, she explores the stifling expectations and roles of women at the time and a story that is revealing of the class inequalities of the period, the differences in the vacuous inconsequential lives of the rich and the more precarious lives of those that are poor, or making more modest livings. It is set in the spectacular natural beauty of the small fishing village of Montauk, Long Island, known for its hurricanes, where for 3 months has the wealthy elite of New York City descend on it. Hoping to rekindle her marriage to Harry, Beatrice Bordeaux is staying amongst the high society wives at The Montauk Manor, a coastal hotel. Beatrice has been desperate for a child in her 5 year marriage, but there has been an increasing distance between the couple. Harry, however, has other plans, he is spending most of his time back in New York.
Beatrice has little in common with the high society women, and they do little to welcome her. Beneath the glamour and fashion, these ghastly rich wives may have children, but have little to do with their care, they are marked by their dissatisfaction, rivalries, bigotry, the propensity to judge, are small minded, gossipy and with an overwhelming arrogance and air of superiority when it comes to the locals. Beatrice feels a sense of dislocation and finds these women of little interest, instead begins to connect with some of the locals, such as Elizabeth, the hotel's laundress, who reminds her of her more modest past life and the person she used to be and Thomas, the lighthouse keeper, the polar opposite of Harry as a man, and to whom she feels drawn. Unsavoury aspects of Harry's life spill out, leaving Beatrice stranded amidst the wreckage of her marriage, a consequence of the life she has chosen, and hopes for a life that is more true to who she is.
Beatrice is pushed to discover just how strong and resilient she can be in her efforts to become a more independent woman. Harrison evokes this historical period beautifully, its fashion, and with its attendant social norms and attitudes, the class inequalities, and its antisemitism. For me, I particularly appreciated the great sense of location, and the depiction of the beauty of Montauk, and the locals that inhabit the place, who share little in common with the rich that flood the village. I found this an enjoyable, light and entertaining read, and I was drawn to the character of Beatrice, the trials she faced, her changing sense of identity and the quandry of facing up to what she desires. Many thanks to St Martin's Press for an ARC.
Rating: really liked it
I'm between 3.5 and 4 stars.
It's 1938, and a large number of New York City's wealthiest residents descend upon Montauk, Long Island to spend the summer in this new East Coast playground. The wives will spend the entire summer there at the luxurious Montauk Manor, a hotel by the sea, while many of their husbands will return to their business interests in the city and then come to Montauk on weekends.
Beatrice Bordeaux is among those wives who will spend their summer in Montauk, but she is surprised to learn that her husband Harry will be leaving her during the week. One of the main purposes of this trip was that the couple could rekindle their marriage and hopefully become pregnant with the baby that has eluded them for five years. Although Bea would like to relax and read, Harry wants her to socialize with the other society matrons, so that he may find a foothold for his investment interests in Montauk.
While Bea is taken by the beauty of Montauk, she quickly grows bored of the women's talk of frivolous things, even charitable activities that seem more self-serving than generous. She befriends Elizabeth, the Manor's laundress, whose down-to-earth nature reminds Bea more of the life she knew before she met Harry, even though such a friendship would be frowned upon.
Bea is also disillusioned by the state of her marriage. Harry seems less and less interested in being with her, only wanting her to help advance his interests and make appearances at his side. When she discovers that Harry is not the devoted husband she thought he was, she begins to do things that interest her, regardless of whether they're appropriate for a married woman (or a woman at all). She also strikes up a friendship with a handsome, sensitive man who is Harry's complete opposite, a man who has a connection to her life before Harry, a time when everything changed.
As she and Harry drift further apart, and she takes her future in her own hands, she is ready to follow her heart for perhaps the first time in her life. But the course of happiness never runs smoothly, and she has to decide whether to do what she wants or do what might be best for everyone, or the risk might be too great.
Montauk is an interesting, beautifully written look at a time in history where a woman was expected to do what she was told, not to ask questions, and simply be happy being cared for by her husband. "Good wives" simply were willing to sit idly by as their husbands did as they wished, and they should be content with filling their days with superficial and social activities. Nicola Harrison did a great job capturing that time, and her descriptions of Montauk and the grandeur of the Manor created vivid images in my mind.
The story was a bit more predictable than I hoped it would be, and as it sped toward its climax things became really melodramatic, but I still found
Montauk an enjoyable read. There are some interesting characters in the book, particularly Bea's friend Dolly, who flouted many of the conventions of her time and was pretty fascinating, and I liked Bea's sass and intelligence.
I was fortunate to be part of the pop-up book tour for
Montauk . Thanks to BookSparks and St. Martin's Press for providing an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2018 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2018.html.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
Rating: really liked it
This is a story of it’s not you, it’s me. I mistakenly thought this would be more historical fiction than romance novel. And it’s definitely not. Montauk tells the story of Beatrice, a young woman who has married into money and is struggling to fit in with the high society crowd summering in Montauk. It’s 1938 and the country is still recovering from the depression, not that these folks have any problems. The book covers the differences between the haves and the have nots, the sexes, gentiles and Jews.
Harrison does a good job setting the time and place. You truly see the beauty of Montauk.
It’s a typical woman realizes she can be more than just a wife story. And also that she’s not happy in her marriage. It’s easy to see where this one was going. It’s an easy read, a beach read (no pun intended).
This wasn’t my cup of tea, but It is well written. Those looking for a love story will probably find this entrancing.
My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book
Rating: really liked it
sᴜɴ. sᴀʟᴛ. sᴀɴᴅ. ᴍᴏɴᴛᴀᴜᴋ.
Nicola Harrison completely captivated me with this dazzling tale set against the backdrop of 1938 Montauk Long Island. The story had a great sense of place and time. You really got a good handle on the role of women and the class divide in the late 1930s. Sometimes a character would do or say something that would make me cringe and I had to put it in perspective and realize this was a different place and time. This was a romance with a historical setting rather than historical fiction with some romance. Beatrice is a strong smart savvy woman who finds herself in a loveless and childless marriage. Excited and a little hesitant to spend her summer on Montauk Beatrice is hopeful to rekindle things with her husband. When she finds out that he will only be spending the weekends with her she is less than thrilled how is she going to pass her time with these women that she has nothing in common with? Fortunately Beatrice befriends Dolly an older and wiser woman and Elizabeth a local who does laundry for the hotel. Beatrice finds herself more drawn to the locals and the natural beauty of Montauk rather than the socialites and the glitz. When she meets Thomas the lighthouse keeper there is an instant attraction. He is kind and caring and authentic the complete opposite of Beatrice‘s husband Harry. As the summer goes on Beatrice realizes that she is going to need to choose between a life of luxury and true love.
Beatrice was such a likable character I really wanted her to find her happily ever after even if she was technically cheating. Her husband was unfaithful, inattentive, and a misogynist, so I guess I gave her a bit of a pass. I could also see why she was drawn to a simpler life in this charming fishing village rather than trying to position herself all the time in society. Her friend Dolly was such a breath of fresh air. She was so spunky, so ahead of her time, and such a great support to Beatrice. And the hats! Oh the hats! Elizabeth was also a great character a little quieter but just as supportive. The romance in the story was so sweet and tender, I could really sense the chemistry between Thomas and Beatrice. The ending to the story really took me by surprise, and I’m still not quite sure what to think. In the audiobook there was an interview with the author at the end and she said that she always knew that was how the book was going to end. This book is the perfect addition to your summer reading plans. A little romance. A little glamour. A little history. And a whole lot of goodness.
🎧🎧🎧 Erin Bennett narrates the audio and really brings life to the story. Bringing a voice to the character of Beatrice who this entire story is told through the eyes of. In the author interview on the audio Nicola Harrison mentions that she hears the characters voices in her head as she is writing. I thought that was so interesting and how exciting it must be for an author to hear their story brought to life through audio.
*** thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for my copy of this book ***
Rating: really liked it
Thank you to St. Martin's Press who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
I received an invitation widget from the publisher to read and review this book. Otherwise, this wouldn't have caught my eye as something I would want to read. I'm not into the historical romance genre, but every once in awhile I travel outside my comfort zone. Technically this is classified as women's fiction. I steer clear of those too.
Beatrice Bordeaux has been married to Harry for five years. It's 1938, she's now thirty and childless. Beatrice came from humble beginnings, but has been living a privileged existence with Harry so successful in the finance field. When they first got married they couldn't keep their hands off each other, such was their ardent hunger for one another. Now Harry is spending more time away on business and it seems like their marriage is on auto-pilot.
The Bordeauxs live in New York City, but like many other well-to-do couples, they are going to Montauk (at the tip of Long Island) for the summer. The wives stay at the opulent hotel "The Manor" flying solo during the week, while their husbands join them on the weekend. The wives just have fun playing tennis, sunbathing, swimming and other indulgent activities while boarding at The Manor. They send the laundry to be done by a young local named Elizabeth, and mothers even send dirty cloth diapers out to be cleaned by someone else. Meals are taken in the hotel and mothers have nannies to tend to their children. They plan charity functions to fundraise for various causes. The ladies wear the finest gowns and jewelry, especially on weekends when their husbands will dine with them.
Beatrice isn't like the other rich ladies that vacation at Montauk. She's more fascinated with the locals. The men have sinewy limbs from working hard at physical jobs. The laundry girl Elizabeth has four young children to take care of while cleaning the rich people's laundry. Beatrice is particularly drawn to a man named Thomas, the island's lighthouse keeper.
This was an OK read. The book was 400 pages and it felt like 400 pages. By the time I got to the end, I felt cheated by the climax.
Rating: really liked it
Nicola Harrison presents her debut novel, Montauk, nestled on the tip of Long Island. It's the summer of 1938 and we, as readers, step into a time period wrapped in social mores, societal webbings, and male/female designated roles.
Not one to be enamored with romance novels, this was a bit of a challenge for me, but through no fault of the writing skills of Nicola Harrison. She sets the tone precisely for the era and her complicated characters reflect that. My backbone arched a bit every time these individuals' actions demonstrated such tunnel vision in their societal roles. Yes, they were dancing fitfully to the beat of the music played on their dance cards. Right as rain.
But I wished for thunderstorms in Montauk. Our main character, Beatrice Bordeaux, has been landlocked on Long Island for the entire summer by her aloof husband, Harry, who has taken up quite the extracurricular activities in New York City. He peppers his trail with lie upon lie and as women it was to be taken with a grain of salt. (Oh, sorry about that!) Beatrice longs for a baby and sits within the ruination of her marriage. Let them see you smile, Sister.
My suggestion would be to take this one out for a spin and see what you think. Romance lovers will be enthralled as other reviewers gifted it with 5 Stars. It may ring the bell for your own sensibilities, but it left mine straining to hear more. We'll just have to see if Nicola Harrison continues in this particular genre or sets sail in a different direction next time around.
I received a copy of Montauk through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to Nicola Harrison for the opportunity.
Rating: really liked it
This debut novel is set in the summer of 1938 in Montauk, Long Island.
Beatrice was a great character and it was interesting to see how she reacted to different situations with some of the wealthy wives. She came from a more middle-class background. Her husband was a truly unlikable guy.
A bit more of a romance than I was expecting. It is well written, but a bit of a slow burn for me. There is quite a lot going on with themes of the class privilege, infidelity, politics and romance. A bit predictable, although I was very surprised at the ending.
Thanks to NG / SMP for my review copy. OUT June 2019
.
Rating: really liked it
Beatrice Bordeaux, born lower/middle class, was college educated and married to wealthy Harry Bordeaux. Her story takes place the summer of 1938, in the fishing village of Montauk, the latest vacation hotspot for the wealthy. Beatrice and Harry's marriage is failing, not helped by the fact that Beatrice has still not gotten pregnant after five years of marriage. Thinking this summer vacation will be a new beginning for the two of them, Beatrice is dismayed to find that her husband plans to spend almost the entire summer back in the city, working, drinking, even conducting numerous affairs with other women, while Beatrice must pretend all is well with their marriage.
Beatrice is bored, unhappy, and has nothing in common with the rich, snobby, summering wives, most who have children, nannies, and want more and more despite all their wealth. Naive Beatrice inserts herself into the lives of the poor, struggling service workers of the village, not realizing that her interference can endanger their jobs, the only thing that brings food on their tables. She even finds herself up on the hill of the lighthouse and ends up very involved in the life of Thomas, the lighthouse keeper. Beatrice has to face what she wants from her life, as the summer draws to a close.
I enjoyed this predictable at times story although I was frustrated with Beatrice's intrusion in the lives of others, not thinking until it was too late, how her interference could hurt people in so many ways. I look forward to reading future books from Nicola Harrison. Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.
Rating: really liked it
Favorite Quotes:
As we drove up the tight and winding road, tree branches reached overhead toward each other like lovers’ hands desperate to connect…
I’d felt paranoid that everyone already knew about Harry’s philandering. How could they not? Women talked and Harry, apparently, was about as discreet with his affairs as a pack of rats going through a dumpster.
Sometimes I yearned for that forever feeling—those hours that stretched into days and days into a week, without a thought for tomorrow. It was simple then. We wore swimsuits all day long and we slept long and deeply at night, eager for it all to start again the next day, never thinking for a second that another day wouldn’t come.
“What’s important in situations like these is that you find a way to relax and nature will most certainly take its course.” … He jotted these thoughts down on a prescription pad, tore off the page and handed it to me. “Take this seriously,” he said. “It’s your duty to your husband and to America.”
As a kid anything seemed possible; in the real world, though, nothing was. Youth gave us an inflated sense of possibility, that you could achieve anything if you really went for it, but it felt as if you’d have to fight your whole life to get there, and most of us just got married and had children.
My Review:
This beautifully written story was taut with tension and kept me on edge while I was mesmerized by the lushly descriptive and enticing writing style. The storylines were wincingly well crafted and easily believable. This emotive tale upended me, I was quickly sucked into a confining and misogynistic 1938 vortex, something I would typically avoid - but not this time - I couldn’t put it down. I am totally in awe; this debut author has major skills and a bright future ahead.
Lies, deceit, rampant infidelities, and the petty dramas of social climbing women marked the days and nights of the betrayed and deeply disappointed Beatrice, and in many ways, she was just as tarnished and culpable as the rest, although she saw the hypocrisy and at least felt some guilt about it. Apparently the entitled wealthy and social elite still existed and lived quite well throughout the Depression. These compelling characters were rather vile yet kept me holding my breath and gripping my kindle from the very beginning to the crescendo finish that nearly broke me and left me in definite need of a spa day.
Rating: really liked it
A masterpiece! A book of sheer beauty and delight. Extremely visual and mesmerizing. This is a book to sit down and get lost in. A book written so beautifully that I felt like I was there in Montauk.
This book deserves and award. The raw emotion and sheer beauty of how this book was written is something that should be loved, cherished and breathed in. Horray for Montauk!!
Thank you NetGalley for my free e-copy of Montauk by Nicola Harrison!
Rating: really liked it
2.5 stars
I was invited by the publisher to read and review this book as part of the blog tour and while I don’t regret accepting the invitation, since the story did appeal to me at the time when I read the summary, I have to admit that this way fell way short of expectations for me. To be honest, when I accepted this one, I actually thought it was historical fiction – since that’s one of my favorite genres, plus I had seen some good reviews for the book, I thought I would really be able to get into this one. It turns out I was wrong, as this one was not historical fiction, but rather historical romance + women’s fiction, with heavier emphasis on the romance part and not that much on the historical. I’m not a fan of romance novels and women’s fiction is usually a hit and miss for me (I’ve read good and not-so-good books in both genres), so reading this book was definitely a struggle for me. It also didn’t help that I didn’t like the main character Beatrice all that much, as I felt she was weak and whiny and I got increasingly annoyed with her as the narrative wore on – unfortunately, the entire story was narrated from her first person point of view, so that made reading this even more frustrating.
Clocking in at 400 pages, this book was WAY.TOO.LONG! The story was super draggy and there really wasn’t much of a plot to speak of to be honest. But what made this a truly tedious read for me was all the “over-describing” of things and events that were not important and at times not even relevant to the story. In other words, there was a lot of what I like to call “fluff” – basically space fillers that did nothing but bog down the story. The biggest sign that this book wasn’t for me though was the fact that, barely a quarter of the way through the book, I had already nodded off 3 times – each time, it took a lot of effort for me to want to pick the book back up and continue with it. I ended up skimming much of the rest of the book and was relieved when I finally got to the end of it. I honestly think that if I hadn’t signed up for the blog tour, I probably would have just abandoned this one altogether.
Overall, I would say this book wasn’t necessarily bad, as the writing was pretty decent and it did flow better than I thought it would, plus the author did a good job when it came to describing the locale (Montauk resort) as well as some of the historical bits – but all of that wasn’t enough to keep me interested in the story unfortunately. Perhaps I just wasn’t the right audience for this book, as I honestly don’t care all that much about wealthy housewives from high-society who spend their time gossiping and being busybodies while their husbands are away on “business” trips doing who-actually-knows-what and who, in their loneliness, end up getting entangled in romantic affairs (yes, that’s pretty much what the book was about). But don’t necessarily take my word for it, as there are quite a few 4 and 5 star reviews for this book, so it obviously has its appeal. If you’re a historical romance fan, I would suggest giving this one a try and see if it works out for you.
Received ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.
Rating: really liked it
Montauk by Nicola Harrison is a historical fiction novel that is set in the very real destination of Montauk, Long Island in 1938. Montauk much like the neighboring area of The Hamptons is/was known for being a vacation destination for the rich even back in 1938.
Beatrice Bordeaux was looking forward to a short summer vacation with her husband, Harry but instead Harry changes up their plans. Harry is looking into investing in Montauk so he arranges for Beatrice to stay for the entire three months while he commutes back to the city during the week and returning only for weekends.
Beatrice quickly feels out of place with the other wives staying at The Montauk Manor but does her best to fit in and take part although she finds herself much more comfortable around the help. Before long Harry is showing up less and less and when Beatrice tries to surprise him she finds things are not as good as they seemed.
I know I have a lower rating on this one but I did still enjoy reading the story and getting engrossed in that era of Montauk. The writing is solid but the particulars of what goes on that summer with Beatrice was not really anything new or overly creative but instead too predictable. I would say this one is entertaining in the moment but probably won’t stick with me long and end up forgettable thus the three stars.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Rating: really liked it
Thanks to Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review. HAPPY PUB DAY3.5 stars
Montauk 1938: This was a bit of a slow burn read about a young wife, Beatrice, childless after 5 years of marriage and taking a break from New York City to summer in Montauk. While her distracted husband, Harry, is busy with his investment career in the city, Beatrice begins to wonder what type of future she can expect. Bored with the trivial pursuits of the other summer people, Beatrice finds herself becoming more and more interested in the lives of Montauk's locals. When a journalist approaches Beatrice to consider writing a column about the comings and goings of the high society, she embarks on a journey that just might rock more than the magazine's readership.
Despite the fact that I knew exactly which road this story was going to eventually lead the main character, I did feel that Nicola Harrison managed to recreate late 1930's America and all the prejudices that existed between people of different social classes. Beatrice's plight that she will never measure up to the other women of her class, the anti-Semitism targeted at a character, the fear of another world war looming, and the lack of freedom that women held in their marriage all created an engaging plot.
I did have to remind myself that Beatrice was a woman who as Nicola Harrison relates in her back story was a woman of her time. So sometimes when she acted with naivete, I had to push down my 21st century impatience. Thank goodness for characters like Elizabeth and Dolly that played the role of reasoning.
I would be very interested in reading more of this author in the future.
Goodreads review published 23/02/ 19
Expected publication 04/06/19
Rating: really liked it
The year is 1938 and the setting is New York City where college educated Beatrice Beaudreaux lives with Harry, her husband of five years. They’ve tried unsuccessfully to have a child and she’s noticed that some of the spark is missing between them. When Harry makes plans for them to spend the summer in nearby Montauk, Beatrice believes this will be their chance to reconnect. Unfortunately, he’s only there on weekends and much of his time when there is spent with his other friends and potential investors. She’s also finding it difficult to connect with the other spouses and soon turns her attention to other attractions on the island.
I initially found Beatrice emblematic of most married women of that era, focused on satisfying her husband’s needs and eager to start a family. Her attention and interests centered around Harry’s with her own identity secondary or nonexistent. The author does a great job of establishing the environment for women, so well that it was jarring to recall the massive journey we’ve made since that time. I had to adjust my mindset as the images were vividly crafted including fashion, vernacular and conversation.
Beatrice wasn’t raised in the society world so her drift away from these shallow women was somewhat predictable even though her friendships with the townspeople and relationship with a certain lighthouse keeper weren’t. The disintegration of her marriage was painful as Harry’s cruelty and disregard was insensitive and rather public. But, at the same time, it was uplifting to see her embrace independence and pursue her own interests, talents and romance.
This was a slow burn as it took some time to create that strong sense of time, place and atmosphere of the era and the author did that so effectively. It was impossible to appreciate Beatrice’s story otherwise and I found myself completely immersed in her environment. I was unprepared for the poignant ending but appreciated the direction taken. I came to really like Beatrice even though at times her liberties with the townspeople felt intrusive. But, her motives were pure and admirable. It’s an interesting story that, through Beatrice, contrasted the world of the wealthy and entitled with those of the people in the surrounding community whose livelihoods depended on them. It had me appreciating simple values and be reminded that privilege sometimes exacts a princely price. I enjoyed this debut novel.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
Rating: really liked it
EXCERPT: Something about the way Harry spoke to me that first night in Montauk gave me hope. We'd been married for five years but the last year or two had been difficult. I'd felt him pull away, distance himself from me, and I'd seen his eyes wander. But that night it was as if he wanted to come back to me fully, as if he wanted me to be an important part of his life again, for us to go back to the way we were when we first married, when it seemed that nothing mattered more than me and him. We were in love again. I felt this so strongly that I agreed to everything he proposed.
I had his undivided attention for the first time in months and was sure that something between us had changed. I slept in his arms that night and convinced myself we had turned a corner. I grasped at the possibility of a transformation, a shift, however small or insignificant, a new place for the summer, a new sense of partnership, something, anything different from our last year of marriage where I'd always felt he was just beyond my reach. A new beginning, I thought. I hoped.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Montauk, Long Island, 1938.
A simple town on the brink of a glamorous future.
A marriage drifting apart.
A life on the edge of what is and what could be...
For three months, this humble fishing village will serve as the playground for New York City’s wealthy elite. Beatrice Bordeaux was looking forward to a summer of reigniting the passion between her and her husband, Harry. Instead, tasked with furthering his investment interest in Montauk as a resort destination, she learns she’ll be spending twelve weeks sequestered with the high society wives at The Montauk Manor—a two-hundred room seaside hotel—while Harry pursues other interests in the city.
College educated, but raised a modest country girl in Pennsylvania, Bea has never felt fully comfortable among these privileged women, whose days are devoted not to their children but to leisure activities and charities that seemingly benefit no one but themselves. She longs to be a mother herself, as well as a loving wife, but after five years of marriage she remains childless while Harry is increasingly remote and distracted. Despite lavish parties at the Manor and the Yacht Club, Bea is lost and lonely and befriends the manor’s laundress whose work ethic and family life stir memories of who she once was.
As she drifts further from the society women and their preoccupations and closer toward Montauk’s natural beauty and community spirit, Bea finds herself drawn to a man nothing like her husband –stoic, plain spoken and enigmatic. Inspiring a strength and courage she had almost forgotten, his presence forces her to face a haunting tragedy of her past and question her future.
Desperate to embrace moments of happiness, no matter how fleeting, she soon discovers that such moments may be all she has, when fates conspire to tear her world apart.
MY THOUGHTS: If this is a debut novel, I am excited to see what Nicola Harrison has in store for us in the future!
Montauk has been described as a cinematic novel, and I have to agree wholeheartedly. I could hear the character's voices, see what they saw, experience their emotions....the whole gamut.
This is a beautifully written, evocative novel that certainly did not have the outcome I was expecting. I loved Bea's character...how many of us have not been swept off our feet into what we thought would be the marriage of our dreams, only to wake up to ourselves and, too late, realise what is really important in life; that it's not money and status, but love and happiness, sharing, contentment.
I have classed this as a coming-of-age novel, because Bea does come of age, like so many of us, rather too late.
Montauk is a lyrical, beautiful and emotional read. I wept, I laughed, I cheered Bea on.
4.5 absolutely brilliant stars!
THE AUTHOR: Originally from Hampshire, England, Nicola Harrison moved to California when she was 14. She studied Literature at UCLA and received an MFA in creative writing at Stony Brook University. She is a member of The Writers Room and has short stories published in The Southampton Review and Glimmer Train as well as articles in Los Angeles Magazine and Orange Coast Magazine. She was the fashion and style staff writer for Forbes and had a weekly column at Lucky Magazine. Nicola is also the founder of a personal styling business, Harrison Style. She has spent many summers in Montauk and currently lives in Greenwich Village, Manhattan. This is her first novel.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to St Martin's Press via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Montauk by Nicole Harrison for review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my profile page on Goodreads.com or the about page on my webpage, sandysbookaday/wordpess.com This review and others also appear on Twitter, Amazon, and my webpage
