A great summer read and debut novel.
This was fast paced and so hard to put down. A perfect blend of romance and mystery to keep you engaged and guessing throughout. I cannot wait to see what is next from Diane.

Royal Coconut Beach Lunch Club is a pleasant novel around a couple who ends up moving to Royal Coconut Beach after Julia wants to change career. The Legal path is not really her thing. Instead she starts working for the Addison Center, a fundraising performing arts center. Author Diane Bergner touches different interesting and mature themes which I don't want to divulge because they all ate kinda spoilery. It was interesting to read about the super wealthy, how and why they are spending insane amounts of money on causes, galas, charities, and such, how one get to rub elbows with the people you never would have talked to otherwise, it was a fun and easy book to read, it's just too bad that it was so superficial. We never had the chance to dig deeper. As a result, I didn't feel attached to the characters.

While I don't typically read "chick-lit" and summer beach reads, I was pleasantly surprised by this novel. Set in the fictional city of Royal Coconut Beach, Florida, "The Addison Center" follows the lives of four women managing donor relations at a performance venue. Each chapter, aptly titled, delves into the glamour and scandal behind the scenes, focusing on protagonist Julia Wild's journey from a New York attorney to navigating the complexities of her new role.

Authored by debut novelist Diane Bergner, the novel captures the essence of the genre with its blend of love, gossip, and workplace drama. While the plot is engaging, the one negative I found is the excessive focus on clothing descriptions. It detracts from the overall narrative flow and slows down the pacing considerably. Despite this, Bergner's storytelling shows promise, leaving readers anticipating her future works.

The timing of reading this one was off. So unfortunately it wasn’t one I finished. But thank you for the early release.

I liked this. It was a cute mix of women's lit and mystery. It would make a great summer beach read. A quick breezy book with decent characters.

I began reading this book with an open mind and you could say even a kind of positive bias, however the more I delved into the plot and world of our protagonist; the more I found myself disappointed and frustrated with her actions. Both love interests were extremely unlikeable and the whole plot of her marriage was ended quite badly, with the problem and issues between the characters not being discussed, this lack of communication was a blemish in the supposedly better pairing. As for JJ, our other love interest; while I appreciated that he was Latino and U think we should have more characters like that, I couldn’t help but feel creeped out by his actions and age gap. As a summary this was a book that had the characteristics and the chance to be a great one but it was poorly executed

I was interested in the premise, but couldn't even make it to the main plot points. This was not for me. The writing needed improvement, the characters were lackluster, and I couldn't bring myself to finish it.

After reading a succession of mysteries and psychological thrillers, I was ready for a “lighter” read.
Julia Wilde is a happily married former lawyer who now works as a fundraiser for a performing arts center. High society at its highest level and the money to prove it are Julia’s donors and all the gossip that goes with it.
With “The Rich and Famous” and a little bit of “Peyton Place,” Julia is drawn into their world, especially when her workaholic husband fails to give her the attention she needs.
A lighthearted novel and a good debut book by Diane Berger with a little mystery, the power of strong relationships between women friends and a second chance at love was enjoyable. Thank you Netgalley and Meryl Moss Media Group for an early copy. This review is my own opinion.

I really loved this book! I found myself identifying with the main character. Some intrigue, some romance, some decisions to be made. Several very charismatic characters. This compelling story pushes you to discover what each character is going to do next. The stories are expertly intertwined. This storyline takes you behind closed doors into the world of the rich and philanthropic in the fascinating setting of what goes on in one of the largest performing arts centers in the country.

A drama filled fun book about a woman who goes through a career change and all the life changes that come with it. A cute read.

I was not a fan of this one. The storyline was pretty cliche and not particularly interesting. The writing itself was also lacking. Overall, this title was disappointing.

This book is pure escapism at its finest! There is office intrigue, glitzy events, posh settings and struggles of the heart. This book could be read on vacation, while soaking in the tub or crammed in a room waiting in a jury pool. It will sweep you up and take you away!

Royal Coconut Beach Lunch Club is simply not well written. Such a disappointment.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

A gentle reminder of valuing what is important and meaningful in a marriage… reconciliation and rediscovering the meaning of a relationship worth fighting for long term.

It was a good read and fast-paced. The addition of greed, infidelity, and ego was a great way to add to the suspense when the mystery unfolded later in the story.

I ready 20% of the way into the book and still hadn't hit much that piqued my interest. I expected far more mystery and secrecy this far in. I don't think I'll finish this, as it moves extremely slowly and is very dry.

I've never seen the rarefied, well-to-do world in Diane Bergner's ROYAL COCONUT BEACH LUNCH CLUB, but I feel like I've had a seat at the table. The twists and turns and strange turnabouts are familiar to anyone in fundraising and to chasing the big donors -- or paid attention to the savage, tricky, occasionally happy surprises in the torrent of that world. It took me awhile to get into it, but when I did, it read fast -- well done, Ms. Berger! For me, I deeply enjoy reading about women in business -- whatever the business -- and how they cope with the inevitable disasters. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
After struggling to get through this book for months, I decided to finally push through and give it a go. I must say, if it wasn't a Netgalley copy it would have been a dnf for me.
Having read the author's accomplishments, I expected a lot more substance from her. She is a very well educated, successful woman, but her debut novel seems to be written by someone else. I'm not sure what she was going for, but it wasn't a mystery nor a literary fiction novel.
It contained lots of fluff, and the characters lacked depth. For intelligent, independent, career-oriented women, their dialogue was very superficial. I guess if you're looking to lose yourself in a book without getting too involved, give it a go. But otherwise, you can probably skip this one.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of the Royal Coconut Beach Lunch Club by Diane Bergner from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I enjoyed this book by the debut author and thought she had a great writing style. I loved the high society references and "mystery". I am excited to read more by her in the future.

I wouldn’t call this a mystery/suspense but there is sure a ton of drama when it comes to the world of fundraising!!!! The women are a mess and the drama just kept on coming. Even though it was a slow burn and main character goes through it at times, I can say I enjoyed this book. I loved the ending even though I felt it was a little rushed…..