3.5*
A trio of plotlines connects a shabby mansion that’s getting a makeover in current time and the owners in 1958 who are descendants of the original owners from the Gilded Age. Nestled between the more opulent summer “cottages” along the coast of Newport is Sprague Hall. It is next to the sumptuous Vanderbilt’s Marble House.

The timelines start in 1899 with the Sprague family who can’t match the pedigree of their neighbors with their modest mansion, so they plan to secure an Italian prince as spouse for their niece which will bring increased standing through a royal connection. Later, during WWII, one of the Italian descendants of the family returned to Sprague Hall, fleeing Mussolini. She has been back living at the mansion for a time and ultimately marries another member of the Sprague family. The final timeline brings Andie, a producer of a reality TV show, to the mansion. Her love of historic architecture and her desire to refurbish the home encounters its own obstacles when the producers demand the focus be more salacious and titillating than just a remodel story.

All of the timelines are centered on the mansion. There are machinations and family dynamics that cause turmoil and chaos. As the story progresses, mysteries arise that need to be resolved. But the story strains a bit when it comes to the final revelations.

Still, this should be read because of the setting – the magnificent summer cottages of the obscenely rich - and the upstairs/downstairs stories of those who are connected to the mansion. It is an engaging and intriguing read with characters who are memorable.

This book had wonderful characters and storyline. Told from three different pespectives in three different time periods, this one was a page turner! I was turning the pages almost faster than I could read. These authors collaborate so well, and this book is the best historidal fiction I have read in a while.

THE LOST SUMMERS OF NEWPORT by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White tells three intertwined stories spanning several generations: 1899 where Ellen who is fleeing for her life pretends to be a music teacher for a newly wealthy family in Newport, Rhode Island; 1957 centers on Lucky, trapped in an unhappy society marriage; and 2019 involves Andie, an architectural historian stuck in a host role on a reality TV show that is renovating the family mansion. Similar to an earlier collaborative effort titled All the Ways We Said Goodbye, this new novel explores the roles of women at various points in time and raises questions about the limited choices women often face. Lucky tells Andie, "You have a rare fighting spirit not seen in ordinary people. It allows you to pursue your dreams against enormous odds while at the same time being generous with your love and time to those who need you." Early reader reviews for this combination of history and mystery are quite positive, indicating a definite appetite for more from this trio of talented writers. THE LOST SUMMERS OF NEWPORT received a starred review from Publishers Weekly.

After just visiting Newport, RI, reading this book was a perfect follow up. The collaboration between these three excellent authors works well, with three timelines and three main characters. All set amongst the mansions in Newport, the time periods are 1899, 1957 and 2019. The most historical timeline takes place in the Gilded Age, as Ellen becomes a music tutor to Maybelle, an heiress in line to inherit a fortune. Ellen becomes attached to Maybelle, trying to keep her from being taken advantage of for her money, when a Prince from Italy enters the picture. In 1957, Lucky is married to a womanizer, Stuy, and is unhappy with her marriage. As she becomes close to Teddy, her situation becomes even more precarious. Andie is a filmmaker at the Sprague mansion, looking to record the renovation of three rooms of the mansion while telling its story. Complications arise as the network wants salacious details of the family ‘s history, rather than the makeover. I highly recommend this novel. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

From my blog: Always With a Book

Team W, as this group of three authors has been dubbed when writing together, has become one of my favorite author groups to read and I get so excited when I see a new book coming out by them. I’m not quite sure how they do it, but when they put their heads together, magic happens. You don’t get three separate stories but rather one seamless story that if you didn’t know better you would think one author had penned. Once again, we have another fantastic read that is sure to be a hit.

I have always been a fan of the dual narrative, but here we have a triple narrative and I absolutely loved it and loved how it was all connected by one common thing – a Gilded Age mansion in Newport, Rhode Island. Moving effortlessly back and forth between the different time periods, I loved that we would learn something that would tie in to the next piece, always leaving you wanting more. These clues just beg you to keep reading to see how everything all ties together. It isn’t necessary to try to work it out yourself – just trust that it will and enjoy the ride! It is such a captivating story and once I started it, I found myself completely swept up, unable to put it down until I finished it, which is why I was able to get this one done in one day!

This book is full of secrets and intrigue, a possible murder and scandal. I loved how we come to learn all that through the initial set-up of the present day story-line of the make-over show coming to the Sprague Hall and from there, going back to the two other time periods to then fill in the history of the Sprague family. Almost right from the start we learn that there are secrets surrounding the family and the property. Why can’t the crew of the make-over team have access to the third floor or the grandmother? Why must they stay away from the boat house? This is what hooked me and I couldn’t rest until I learned these answers.

Of course, what really makes this book shine are the characters. They are all so richly drawn and whether you grow to really like them or to despise them, and believe me there are some unlikeable characters here, they are all quite dynamic. I love when authors can make me feel so strongly about characters – that’s when I know they are written really well.

I also very much appreciated the little Easter eggs thrown in throughout the book. If you are a long-time reader of these authors, you will know what I am talking about. There are nods to previous Team W books and nods to Beatriz’s books, of who I am most familiar with as I have read all her books. There might be nods to Lauren and Karen’s books but I am not as familiar with their individuals books.

As I expected, this was an engaging, entertaining read with a little mystery, a little scandal and a little romance and I think it will be a perfect book to add to your summer reading list. I’m looking forward to discussing it with my online bookclub tonight – I can’t wait to see what everyone thought of it!

This is a historical novel set in Newport, Rhode Island, in three different time frames. The three authors make it very clear in which era the action is taking place: 1899, 1957, 2019. The story focuses on an estate in Newport, relatively new in 1899, but falling apart in 2019. Some characters appear throughout the entire story, and others come and go, depending on the era. There are some mysteries that are not solved until present day, and romances that are both short-lived and long-lasting. I am assuming that each of the three authors wrote a different era, but the writing is so seamless and flows so effortlessly that if feels like it was written by a single person. This was a very enjoyable read. Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing an ARC.

This historical fiction novel takes three women, two connected to the same family, all three connected to the same house in Newport, and tells their stories in a way that connects them all at the end. We have Andie in present day, Lucky in the 1950’s, and Ellen at the turn of the century 1899. When I read books about the past, I am always reminded of how fortunate I am to be a women today and not then. The lack of opportunities for Ellen controls her and is almost crushing her as she flees Boston in search of a better and safer life. All her luck is at the hands of a man’s whims. Lucky is in a tormented marriage- with her daughter suffering due to the dysfunctional relationship of her parents. Lastly, Andie is trying to make ends meet and raise her child. And life doesn’t seem to want to give her any breaks.
If you like history or a well told story- with intrigue, secrets, high society, love, and of course, gorgeous old mansions- then this is the summer read for you! I was able to read this as an ARC via Netgalley!

I’ve great enjoyed the collaboration of these three authors in the past, but this was…disappointing, to say the least.

Because I’m not big on romance, the real draw for these books for me has always been the setting and historical content, of which this book has almost none. For me the entire appeal of a book like this is the immersion in Newport history. This particular book, sadly, could have been set anywhere with a body of water and a large house nearby. There are only cursory mentions of other historical homes in the area, and little historical descriptive information.

This was not the case in the authors’ previous collaborations, so I expected far better. Without any atmosphere or historical content, this is just badly plotted, overwrought romance. It feels lazy, especially considering that the period in history and location supposedly being featured are well-documented and easy to research, not to mention filled with the kind of sumptuous objects, clothing, and events that fill out a novel’s sense of place beautifully.

The basics of the plot for the two earlier timelines (though atmospherically thin) aren’t terrible. But the modern plot line is so bad that it’s almost unreadable.

All of this is just a bummer, because I loved The Glass Ocean and have enjoyed other books by these three authors together. Unfortunately this was bad enough that it probably put me off of these collaborations in the future as well. Which is shame, because the setting chosen here could easily have made for a terrific novel.

Team W has done it again; with another multi-generational, big hearted 3 timeline story, this time set in Newport, Rhode Island at the marvelous Sprague family mansion; where you get to delve into the GIlded Age, the 1950s, and a modern makeover reality TV show in the present day timeline. This book has a little bit of everything in it for every reader, and Williams, Willig, and White never disappoint with their collaborations.

I really enjoy reading books about places I’ve been and coastal communities are a favorite! This is slow paced historical fiction that takes place during the lives of three different people at three separate times. It was difficult at first to keep track of the separate storylines, but as you get to know the characters it becomes easier. Great summer beach read.

I don't always love multiple timelines but I really liked all three stories here. I wished this could have gone on longer!

3.5 Stars.
Written from the perspective of three different women in different time periods, The Lost Summers of Newport tells the story of the inhabitants of a Newport mansion of the Gilded Age that, due to the nouveau riche nature of the mansion’s second owners, was never quite as shiny as it’s neighbors. After the first couple of chapters, loose connections between the characters are revealed and readers are left to try to determine how all of the pieces fit together. The ending is a satisfying conclusion for characters who didn’t always have the happiest of lives.
I was not overly fond of any of the main characters, and downright detested most of the supporting characters, so I think this affected my overall rating of the book. Readers with an interest in The Gilded Age will enjoy this book.
I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance ecopy of this book. This is a sweeping story of one family who has inhabited one of the mansions of Newport for over 100 years.. Andie, an historian has landed a reality TV job that will allow her to renovate 3 rooms in a Newport mansion. There are still members of a family who has lived there for 100 years living in the mansion, but Andie has been told to give them a wide berth.. As Andie discovers more about the property, the authors take us back in time to 2 other eras of the house's and family's occupation of it. We meet a young music teacher, an Italian prince, and a sheltered daughter who holds the key to the family fortune. We discover the history of the house and its people along with Andie, and are well rewarded with a (slightly) surprising conclusion.

Thank you so so much to the publisher and Netgalley! I do not think this is my time to read this book, unfortunately I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. I was very much looking forward to this book as I recently went to Newport and love the history of the mansions. Maybe I will try this book again later this summer!

Team W has done it again - and again I was just transported. The authors are so expert at weaving their voices, their stories and creating an atmospheric, compelling, complex tale that sweeps you up and carries you, breathless to the conclusion. Bravo!

Three separate women, three separate timelines, all connected through one mansion one family mystery in Newport. Williams, Willig and White have created the perfect summer read for anyone who loves the Gilded Age, Newport, or just historical fiction with some kickass heroines.

Another fascinating time-shift novel from the trio of Williams, Willig, and White. Switching between Newport's Gilded Age splendor, the postwar glamour of the 50's and 60's, and present, the lives, loves and intrigues of past and present coalesce in a Newport mansion's aging splendor. Filled with rich detail and an absorbing mystery, this is a fantastic summer read!

2019: Andie Figuero has just landed her dream job as a producer of Mansion Makeover, a popular reality show about restoring America’s most lavish historic houses. Andie has high hopes for her latest project: the once glorious but gently crumbling Sprague Hall in Newport, Rhode Island, summer resort of America’s gilded class. But Andie does not count on the reclusive heiress who still lives in the mansion, Lucia “Lucky” Sprague, will only allow the show to go forward on two conditions: One, nobody speaks to her. Two, nobody touches the mansion’s ruined boathouse.

1899: Ellen Daniels has been hired to give singing lessons to Miss Maybelle Sprague, a naive young Colorado mining heiress whose stepbrother John has poured their new money into buying a place among Newport’s elite. John is determined to see Maybelle married off to a fortune-hunting Italian prince, and Ellen is supposed to polish up the girl for her launch into society. But the deceptively demure Ellen has her own checkered past, and she’s hiding in plain sight at Sprague Hall.

1958: Lucia “Lucky” Sprague has always felt like an outsider at Sprague Hall. When she and her grandmother—the American-born Princess di Conti—fled Mussolini’s Italy, it seemed natural to go back to the imposing Newport house her grandmother owned but hadn’t seen since her marriage in 1899. Over the years, Lucky's lost her Italian accent and found a place for herself among the yachting set by marrying Stuyvesant Sprague, the alcoholic scion of her Sprague stepfamily. But one fateful night in the mansion’s old boathouse will uncover a devastating truth...and change everything she thought she knew about her past.

"Team W", as the author's call themselves, have done it again with a three era story that all manages to intertwine at the end. I have read a couple other books by Team W which have been outstanding as well as books by each individual author. This story has a lot of surprises in the plot that I did not see coming. Anyone who likes historical fiction will love this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting my request to read this newest book by the authors.

There are three stories going on from three different time periods. Each story is a compelling read in it's own right. Each chapter switches to the new narrator and their story.
I had some difficulty keeping track of everyone. I kept getting confused about the characters because they overlapped in the three stories.
A friend suggested reading the first story and then read the second and finally the third. I wish I had done that because I think I would have enjoyed it even more. It also would have made sense with the time period. However, with the way the plot unfolded it may not work in this case.
Anyway, I really enjoyed the book and I will read more from all three authors.

The Lost Summers of Newport is the perfect escape read for summer--I loved this dual-narrative, historical romance with a touch of suspense! There are three timelines (1899, 1957, and 2019) that center around a gilded-age mansion in Newport, Rhode Island and the women who are connected to Sprague House. The Sprague family definitely has its share of secrets, and I enjoyed the slow unraveling of the mystery across the different narratives. Highly recommended reading for fans of historical fiction! Thank you to the authors, Netgalley, and William Morrow & Company for the librarian preview.