Author: Nicola Harrison
Pages: 400
Publisher: St Martin Press
Release Date: 4th June 2019
Genre: Romance, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction
Format: Kindle
This is what you read during a weekend at the beach or when you want something very light.
The first half of the novel dragged a bit. You expect there to be romance outside marriage, but it was postponed for so long that when it did happen it was almost too sudden. The main character, Beatrice, seems to be mercy and understanding worthy, but now I have second guesses.
It's the late 1938s, women have proven during WWI that they can stand on their own two feet, so Beatrice could very well have left her egocentric and adulterous husband - so I don't understand this part of her dilemma. Not to mention, she was from a middle-class family, had worked before marriage, it's not like she wouldn't have survived. As for her affair with Thomas, the lighthouse keeper, she created the stairway to that, so don't act all surprised when you find yourself with that man in bed, Beatrice. Also, interesting how she falls in love with him so quickly. It read quite unrealistic. Their relationship doesn't feel very sustainable for the future, if you ask me.
The two characters I liked the most were Elizabeth and Dolly. Elizabeth is the laundress whose services are hired by the wealthy of New York during the three summer months spent in Montauk. Dolly is part of the ritz elite, she has her own business, but she is still rational and can see beyond the veil of glamour. Both of them are the constant voices of reason, a voice Beatrice lacks, unfortunately.
The author did a good job of presenting the 1930s the vacationing wealthy lived in. I don't know how accurate everything is, but I enjoyed glimpsing into their lives and the summer spent in Montauk, the fishing village.
As for the ending - I totally understand it. The main character needs to be someone on her own, and possibly the only way to do this is to be independent for a while, away from the strings of high society and romance. I liked that she is now a mother, after longing for that for such a long time. Having no lover by the end of the novel was a nice touch. And how cool that a historically accurate natural disaster fixed all her romantic problems?
It was a good novel, kept me interested. Some dry-ish patches, but for a first novel, Nicola Harrison did a fine job.
I received a free advanced e-book copy from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.
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