Hotel Laguna does a wonderful job of showcasing the unfortunate ways Americans treated women after the men came home from WWII. I enjoyed reading about Hazel's story, from building planes in WWII to working in the art world after the war. It's a shame that women were so easily replaced after their hard work to keep the military, and the country, moving, but I was glad to see Hazel land on her feet.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I eat up any historical fiction set during WWII, so I jumped at the chance to read this. I thought Harrison did a wonderful job immersing you in the story. The setting was so vivid; I felt like I was watching it all play out like a movie in my head. I enjoyed following Hazel. She was tenacious, and I loved her determination to live on her terms. I liked her relationship with Hanson. It started rocky, but the respect and love that grew between them was so sweet. Hazel's romance with Jimmy didn't wow me, but I thought it was cute. There were also some moments where I thought the plot felt clunky, but overall I enjoyed this, and I think it would make a great summer read.

This book turned out to be something I had not expected. According to the cover, I was expecting a beachy, fluffy story. Wrong! You cannot judge a book by its cover. (though it's something I often do!) It is a truly interesting historical novel.

Hazel Francis is a young woman who works at the Douglas Aircraft plant during the war. When the war ends, she is jobless and goes to California, hoping to find a life and a purpose for herself. She ends up in an artist community, working for a crusty old artist as an assistant/model.

I love the setting, it exists. The town is full of quirky characters. Hazel soon finds her place in the town. The artist she works with, Hanson, comes complete with an interesting backstory. I learned about The Pageant of Masters. It is an “art festival” where the townspeople recreate famous paintings with real people. It still happens to this day, going on for 90 years!

The plot is a bit of a slow burner but it is interesting. I like watching the relationship between Hazel and Hanson evolve. There is a bit of a mystery, which unravels throughout. There is a small Hollywood element. It all comes together nicely. It's an even balance between a character-driven and plot-driven tale.

I have mentioned many times, I love historical novels for the fact that I always learn something. Rather than learning by reading historical facts, it's learning by storyline. This book does not disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

Hotel Laguna tells the story of a brave young woman looking to make a fresh start in Laguna Beach after working in an airplane factory during WWII. Once there, she secures a job as an assistant to a well known artist setting her life on an interesting ride.

This book had a really fun set of characters. The plot was strong and the writing was so vividly descriptive you felt as if you were on the beach right along side them. This was my first book by this author and it won’t be my last.

This was on the lighter side of historical fiction so I think it will appeal to more readers. If you’re not into historical fiction, just know you are still in for some humour, interesting friendships and of course, a little romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC!

I really enjoyed this book. It was somewhat predictable, but I didn't mind. Like the main character, I'm from Kansas and ended up in California. I'm very familiar with Laguna Beach which made the story that much more enjoyable for me. I could easily visualize all the places as they were described and it was interesting to 'see' the town in 1946.

This is a great beach read!

3.5 stars
Leaving her small town in Kansas, Hazel Francis wanted to find her way in California after losing her riveter job after the war ended. She winds up in Laguna Beach, where fate put into the employ of a famous artist Harrison Radcliff, who has a deep secret hanging over his head. There she meets Jimmy, a bartender and finds her heart is being tugged by love.

AS she and Harrison become closer, she learns his secret and becomes instrumental in clearing his name after Harrison passes away. Her dreams of working on aircraft disappears as her love deepens for Jimmy and the bucolic community she lives in.

A lovely ending brings this sweet book to a satisfying ending.

Thank you to Nicole Harrison, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the ability to listen to this story, due out June 20, 2023.

I really enjoyed this historical fiction book. This was a total page turner for me. I was so engaged in Hazel and Hanson that I didn't want to put the book down once I started reading. Hazel is working at an airplane manufacturing company, as she wanted to make an impact with the war effort. When the war ends and the men return home she ends up out of a job. She ends up in Laguna Beach, California. A small town and a community of artists. She is determined to find a job to make money.
She gets a job with a local artist as his assistant.
Hazel is strong and definitely has a mind of her own, although she starts to rethink her ideas about love and art.
History, friendship, mystery, romance.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book.

1942: Hazel Francis is wanting to make an impact with the war effort. Things don’t seem to be going her way until she leaves Kansas and ends up in Laguna Beach, California. The job entails 7 days a weekend is labor intensive, but Hazel is determined.
I love a book about a heroine and she moves forward after she is fired from her airplane factory work, when the men come home. She now must find a new direction. She ends up working as a model and assistant to a powerful man.
A wonderful story with a little bit of mystery, romance and Hazel finding herself. Its amazing how one can reinvent themselves in a world that they never dreamed of.
This was a fun novel with rich details. I have enjoyed all of Harrision’s books. I highly recommend this one as well as Montauk and The Show Girl.
This novel is due out June 20, 2023

I did not enjoy this book at all, I barely finished it because it dragged on in my opinion. It made numerous references to the main character's body and what she looked like compared to others. That was only a part of the things I did not enjoy, but I couldn't list the rest as there are many.
However, I will say that this has an interesting plot and recommend it to people who love good historical fiction about women and their roles after WWII. I will say this though the main character is insufferable.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Publication: June 20, 2023

Rating: 3.5 stars

I was really torn with how I wanted to rate this. This is my first book by Harrison and it won't be my last. I loved her writing because I felt that I could easily slip into the past with how she described things. I enjoyed that it didn't focus solely on WW2 but focused on life after the war. I found that Hazel was before her time but found myself rooting for her as a fellow woman.

The biggest thing that I disliked is that around the 30% mark of the book, it started to drag and go in circles. I wish there was more to the plot or more about the "Rosie the Riveters".

Overall, perfect for fans of historical fiction, woman's fiction, beach reads, character driven stories, limited plot

DNF'd at 9% -- I struggled to connect with this story due to stilted language and didn't have enough patience to keep pushing through to see if it got better. Here's hoping this book finds its audience, which does not include me.

This was a good take on a historical fiction book. I loved the setting and time period and admired the courage of women like the main character.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review book.

In 1942, Hazel Francis leaves Kansas for California to do her part in the war effort. When the war is over, all female employees are released from their positions. Unable to go home for various reasons, she heads to Laguna Beach, a place she heard others speak so fondly of. With nowhere to go and no way to earn a living, she is introduced to artist Hanson Radcliff and begins working as his model and assistant. As Radcliffe ends his life, Hazel does all she can to fulfill his last wishes.

I enjoyed this story and the neat way it ended. Hazel was relatable as she was always concerned about her next step. She, like other girls of the era, felt the guilt of dating a boy who was going away to war only to break his heart. Hazel fit into the Laguna Beach crowd seamlessly and it was fun to watch her get to know herself. Nicola Harrison always tells a complete story that leaves no unfinished endings - there is always a resolution. It is always nice to see side characters fully developed with backstories and personalities of their own. I will always be up to reading any novel Nicola Harrison writes.

During WWII women were called to work and help the men across the seas, Rosie Riveter and support the war effort. At the end of the war women were again displaced by men returning home from the war and expected to go back to fulfill the woman role in the home. Many could not do this and looked for something else to fulfill that feeling of becoming something more. This novel follows Hazel on her journey from helping to becoming something more for herself in the world. Hazel Francis finds herself at loose ends, when she loses her job building airplanes, as WWII comes to an end. Out of work and with no family to return to, she makes her way to Laguna Beach and finds a job with an elderly broken artist. She has to learn to deal with his eccentric personality, but finds comfort in the people she meets in the small beach town. As she slowly learns his story, she tries to help this broken man and finds it very difficult not to feel affection with him. She’s young a naïve and gets herself into more than one mess, but slowly adapts to the lifestyle and involves herself in the community, falling for a local young man, Jimmy. Really enjoyed the characters, setting and the role of Hazel in going after what she wants.

Thank you to netgalley, the author and publisher.

Hotel Laguna was my 3rd novel by Nicola Harrison. I love how Harrison drops you right into historical fiction and you immediately feel as though you are living in the same time period and you are part of the story! I can see myself on the boardwalk and having a drink at Hotel Laguna!

While I did enjoy this novel, it was not my favorite of hers. I had a little bit of a hard time keeping up with where the story was actually going and what was important to keep track of. Fun, easy beach read that makes me want to jet off to my next adventure!

3.5 stars.

This was a slow burn of a book that gained momentum as it went on. I personally love historical fiction in more creative settings and this one is the art world. With a likeable protagonist, a beautiful grumpy/sunshine mentor/mentee relationship, and a dash of romance, I was hooked by the end.

4.5 stars

Thank you to Nicola Harrison, St. Martin's Press, and NetGallery for the opportunity to read this book!

This is the second book that I have read by Nicola Harrison and it will not be the last! I so loved this book as it beautifully depicted Laguna Beach the way that I understand it was in the 1940s. It was a bit of a slight mystery to figure out a huge secret having to do with a famous author. I did NOT figure out the solution correctly. Not even close.

I love the descriptions of the beauty of Laguna Beach, Laguna Canyon, and the various local beaches. In my younger days, I frequently traveled to the beautiful city of Laguna Beach. I could picture how Laguna Beach USED to look and it is still as gorgeous now!!

It was fascinating to learn about the Pageant of the Masters as well as the huge art scene that blossomed there after WWII.

It was a lovely, lovely book and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

The story has good tension, character development, and a cast of characters. Hazel, the main character, is ambitious and doe-eyed. Her arc elevates her from naive to new experiences and possibilities.

The writing, in parts, reads as unfulfilling. I remembered that I am in someone else's story. This is a slow-burn story. Hazel has experiences where she has to think quickly, which aids in the story moving quicker.

The setting of the era creates a true tapestry that provides mystery, romance, and history. Body agency and female empowerment are prevalent.

Hazel Francis agreed to marry a boy going off to fight in the war and she regrets it from the moment she said yes to being his wife. To escape living with his family while he is away at war, she decides to sneak away and go to California to work at Douglas Aircraft and do her part for the war effort. While working there, she realizes that she loves what she is doing and knows that she can never go back to her original life and be just a wife and mother.

However, once the war is finally over, women are no longer needed in the workforce and the jobs are being given to the "boys" returning from war. No matter where she turns, she is told to go home and be a wife and mother. Hazel decides she is going to try her luck in Laguna Beach. Through a strange set 0f circumstances, she ends up working for Hanson Radcliff, a famous artist. Although Hanson is loved by his community, he is extremely difficult to work for and Hazel finds herself on the outs or in trouble numerous times.

As the story unfolds, we watch Hazel become engrained in the Laguna community and developing relationships. However, despites the best intentions, Hazel keeps getting herself into difficult situations.

Hazel is a strong, female character who is struggling to find her "what's next" in a world that expects her to behave a certain way. Maybe Hazel will end up in Laguna Beach or maybe she won't, but whatever Hazel does, you know she is in charge of her destiny.

If you love strong female characters, historical fiction, complicated relationships and some mystery, you will love Laguna Beach.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I read this as an ArC from the publisher and Netgalley. I really enjoyed this novel and this spin on historical fiction! It includes a bit of romance, friendship and mystery! Would definitely recommend to historical fiction fans!