Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to review this advance copy.

Shelley Noble writes a historical novel set in the Gilded Age in America about the birth of the Colony Club, a private club like the Princeton Club where women can exchange ideas, have a meal, exercise and stay the night if they wish. Supported financially by their husbands and their donors, these women face many obstacles to their plans by men who do not share their clique's enthusiasm.

The architect for this project is Stanford White who is murdered with the "Trial of the Century" ensuing. Noble has created a fictional character, Nora Bromley, who is a young architect at White's firm and finds herself caught up in the excitement of building the first Women's Club, as well as the publicity and subsequent scandal.

In the character of Nora Bromley, Noble has created a passive woman devoid of personality whose hand is constantly tucked in George Douglas's arm. Never once does she withdraw it. The conflicts between her co-worker Nast and Nora are unconvincing and predictable. He eventually pulls her into the Stanford White murder scandal and she and everyone else seem to have no idea how to extricate her.

Her goal in working is to save money for her mother and sister to live with her but we see no evidence of her achieving that goal. Instead, we are treated to a slice of life during the Gilded Age with a gilded ending.

The Colony Club by Shelley Noble is a great historical fiction that I enjoyed.

This was a great multiple voice, turn of the century, collective narrative that gave the reader a full view of what society, culture, and relationships were like at the beginning of the 20th century. Through the eyes of several women, we can see the struggles, difficulties, and landscapes that women had to endure, overcome, and wade through to have a voice. Through these stories, we can see the obstacles, but we can also see the beauty, strength, passion, and determination of these pioneers.

The author did a great job of painting a realistic picture, giving us images of a life and existence of another time, all the while keeping us engaged and entertained.

I liked this one.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you NG and William Morrow | William Morrow Paperbacks for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 10/1/24.

This is a lovely book about the creation of the Colony Club, the first club for society women. Most of the story is told from the viewpoint of a Nora, a rare female architect at the turn of the century. This is historical fiction based on real events, and two of the main characters, Daisy Harriman and Elsie De Wolfe, were famous historical figures in their time.

What I liked:

It's very readable, with endearing characters and a strong setting. It's a sweet story, with a hint of romance, but the main message is. about the power of women. I teared up a bit at the end.

What could have been better:

The plot is fairly straightforward, so even though it held my interest, it didn't demand it. There were a messages that were hinted at a little too broadly in case the reader didn't get it. But it's not necessary, us readers are a smart bunch :) Finally, the romance was very drawn out and I couldn't understand why, and then the culmination of it was just completely skipped over. I felt a bit cheated there.

Overall, a nice read that historical fiction readers, especially those who enjoy women's fiction, will love.

3.75 rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley, Shelley Noble, and William Morrow for the opportunity to review this advanced copy.

"The Colony Club" has all the hallmarks of women's historical fiction: unnecessary framing device set in a different era from the main story, dialogue that doubles as exposition, flat characters, uninspired and unsurprising romances, prose that never rises above adequate. The setting made up for it, however: the establishment during the end of the Gilded Age of the first women's private club in the States. Real-life figures Elsie de Wolfe and Stanford White play prominent roles, and author Shelley Noble seems to have done her research. All in all, the book was a painless way to pass several hours.

Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow, for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am thankful for the opportunity to have been able to read an ARC of this novel courtesy of William Morris, NetGalley and the author. This was a historical fiction set in the Gilded Age which is one of my favorite time periods so it was an instant hit with me.

This book takes readers on a journey to New York where a group of ladies are are denied access to a club so they form their own. This is a story of standing up for Women’s Rights and not being afraid to call out injustices and standing up for what they feel is right. I loved this book!

I just love reading about the Gilded Age. This is a very interesting Historical Fiction Novel featuring women establishing a club for women only. The characters are real and fictional. Daisy Harriman is a real person who is furious when she is denied a room at the Waldorf because she is an unaccompanied female. She decides to take things in her own hands. She plans on opening her own club just like the men have.
The story begins in 1963 when Daisy is being interviewed after receiving the prestigious President Kennedy citation of merit award. She reflects throughout the book on her life and how The Colony Club was created.
Daisy hires the best architect in New York City, Stanford White. He employs, Nora Bromely to be an architect in his all male firm. Nora is thrilled with the opportunity.
The men treat her badly. They pull pranks and sabotage to discourage her. But they do not win. Nora endures it all. She becomes very disappointed when he reassigns her to be the assistant to the designer on the Colony Club.
This was a captivating story with real and fictional characters. It was very well researched. I just loved reading about Nora and what she was up to next. There was no stopping this woman. She was a very strong willed woman who wanted to be an architect.
A compelling story.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for this advanced readers copy.

This was my 1st book by Shelley Noble, and it won't be my last! The Colony Club was a wonderful book, about the 1st woman' club in New York during the Gilded age and the challenges it faces to become a reality. It was fascinating to see the beginnings of a variety a movements start, with many historical figures brought to life from the Vanderbilt's, Daisy Harriman and many other society titans of that era. It is filled with gorgeous details, from clothing and culture to the breaking the "glass ceiling" particularly in architecture and social norms. There is good character development, intrigue, scandal, prejudice overcome and romance. I definitely recommend reading this book, it was highly entertaining, enriching, and engaging topics and characters. It was a true privilege to have William Morrow and NetGalley gracious allow me a ARC, all the comments and opinions are my own.

This story is based on three real women in New York. They are refused admittance to a club so they decide to start their own. good historical fiction based on fact story.

Whoever would have thought that the issue of women having a club of their own would be so controversial and contentious? Believe it or not, this is what occurred during the Gilded Age, when a large part of the American population believed that a woman’s place was in her home, taking care of the children and the household duties.

The author, Shelley Noble, uses this historical event to create an intriguing novel about the trials and tribulations behind the formation of the Colony Club. The story begins when Florence “Daisy” Harriman, a wealthy socialite, becomes furious when she is refused a room at the Waldorf because they don’t allow unaccompanied women to stay there. She is determined to form a women’s club that would be similar in nature to the men’s clubs that were popular at that time. Not only would it be a place where visiting women can stay overnight and dine with their friends, it would also be where women could discuss politics and social issues, attend concerts and lectures, or just read and relax. There would also be swimming and other athletic activities available at the club to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, the establishment of the Colony Club was met with tremendous opposition and setbacks.

Besides Florence Harriman, some of the other historical characters include Elsie de Wolfe, a well-off but mediocre actress with a knack for innovative decor, Elisabeth Marbury, a theatrical agent and producer who is Elsie’s significant other, Anne Morgan, the daughter of J.P. Morgan, and the brilliant but debauched architect, Stanford White. The author deftly weaves these historical characters with ones of her own creation. One of these creations is my favorite character, the intelligent and tenacious Nora Bromely, a young woman who was raised in a Lower East Side tenement and struggles to assist her family financially. Nora is determined to become an architect during a time when there were very few females in the industry. Nora has to endure hostility and even sabotage from some of her male colleagues who are either jealous of her talent, or believe that women aren’t capable of being architects. At first, she is angry and frustrated when Stanford White assigns her to the women’s club project to assist Elsie who is in charge of the interior design of the club. Nora feels that designing hospitals and other public works are more worthy than a clubhouse for wealthy socialites. But after getting to know Florence and Elsie, she begins to understand them better and sees how these women are committed to making a better society.

One of the unfortunate events that happens is the murder of Stanford White, the famous architect who had been hired to design the clubhouse. The ensuing “Trial of the Century” exposes White’s immoral and decadent personal life. By day, White was a respected, world-famous architect. By night and behind closed doors, White was a heavy drinker with a taste for orgies and underaged girls. White’s name is mud and the reputations of anyone who had been associated with him become tarnished as well. The Colony Club begins to lose some of its supporters and there’s the concern that it’s not going to able survive the terrible scandal.

I especially enjoyed the scenes contrasting the effect of the Stanford White scandal upon the socialites vs what Nora had to endure. Florence and Elsie, while concerned about how White’s murder could thwart the success of the Colony Club, don’t have to worry about their financial security. During the worst of the scandal, both of them are residing far away from NYC and thus don’t have to deal too much with the backlash against White’s associates. Nora, on the other hand, as an employee of Stanford White’s, is right in the thick of things. Not only does she have to worry about her job and reputation, but she has to be concerned with how her whole life is in danger of being uprooted.

The Colony Club is an outstanding historical novel with excellent character development. The author has written an entertaining story about the importance of women’s clubs and their role in progressive movements and the betterment of society.

A great story of women in New York and how they stood up fusser women's rights. A fascinating view of life in the early 1900s and a lesson in how we should all be proud of the women who laid to way for the rights we are trying not to lose today. A must read!!

Fascinating view of wealthy women in the Golden Age. Their lives were glamorous , but they were also determined to have a woman's club, just like their husbands. More interesting to me was Stanford White's story and how women were not allowed to be architects in his firm. A wonderful picture of determined women, rich and poor.

Shelley Nobel’s The Colony Club is a well-written and researched story of three women who took Manhattan by storm in the Gilded Age years of 1905 - 1907. Society woman Daisy Harriman, theatrical and literary agent Elisabeth “Bessie” Marbury and and Elsie de Wolfe were real people. Daisy Harriman relates the story of The Colony Club to a journalist in the 1960’s, after she received the a Citation of Merit Award from President Kennedy. I found this dual timeline perfect for this particular story.

In 1905, Harriman decided women should have their own “club” - similar to the mens’ clubs which women were barred from joining. She envisioned a club where women could meet, hold classes, spend the night, read and discuss issues of the day. To get the ball rolling, she enlisted the support and help of Bessie and Elsie, along with several of her wealthy women friends.

I had never heard of these three incredible women and so I was quickly hooked on learning more about how they managed to create and build The Colony Club, the first all women’s club in Manhattan. Bessie was known as the leading female theatrical agent in America and Europe and Elsie made her fortune as an actress. However, her mediocre acting skills were overshadowed by her incredible taste and vision for interior design. Elsie eventually gained fame as America’s first professional interior designer. They knew people in the arts, the theater, the society world which opened many doors for Harriman's project.

The women were friends with famed architect Stanford White. He was quite a character - a brilliant, sought after architect whose designs included Madison Square Garden. White designed The Colony Club and hired Nora to oversee the construction. You will have to read the book to see how this turned out. And, how White died in what became known as the Trial of the Century.

Nora, the other man character in this story, is a fledging architect who helped make Daisy’s dream of the Colony Club a reality. She is a compilation of the few successful women architects of that time. She was spunky, determined to succeed and talented. At times, her frustration and naivety got to me but, overall, she was a magnificent addition to the story.

The descriptions of high couture, gorgeous homes, travels to Europe for one season and to their “second” mansion in the Hamptons for another, gives the reader an armchair glimpse of how the wealthy lived in the Gilded Age. The luxurious lifestyle was juxtaposed by Nora’s life of poverty, her dedication to her mother and sister, scrimping for every cent so she could advance her career and her loneliness. Women were not easily accepted in the male dominated field of architecture in the 1900's. Nora's experiences, though, echo what some women experience today as they attempt to crash through the glass ceilings in some professions. Yet, when it all came together it was as perfect as a story can be.

There is so much more I’d like to share about this wonderful novel but I don’t want to give too much of the story away. I will close by thanking Shelley Nobel for introducing me to some strong, incredible women who grabbed change by the hands and made it happen. I was so impressed by the positive changes that can attributed to the women of The Colony Club, especially the"Mink Brigade". I was blown away reading about the society women, marching on the outside perimeter during the Shirtwaist Strike of 1909, wearing their mink coats as a shield to protect the women marchers.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for an advanced digital copy of The Colony Club. This is my honest review of a novel I enjoyed from page one through the excellent Author’s Notes at the end.

If you are a fan of the TV show “The Gilded Age”, you will love this book.

I love historical fiction, and Shelley Noble brings these real-life society matrons to life as they forge ahead and open their own women’s club.
Stanford White, notorious and infamous architect of that time, is hired to build “The Colony Club” with the help of his new draftsman, a woman named Nora Bromley. Nora is not part of society and is not even comfortable working in society, but endears herself to the woman, especially Elsie De Wolf, sans actress and new interior designer on record. Nora finds that these ladies have a lot more to offer than frivolity. Noble writes a character that you are rooting to succeed.

When Mr. White is murdered, it seems the club might cease to exist, but never underestimate determined women, whether in or out of society.

The Colony Club
by Shelley Noble
Pub Date: October 1, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
From New York Times bestselling author Shelley Noble comes a thrilling historical novel about the inception of the Colony Club, the first women’s club of its kind, set against the dazzling backdrop of Gilded Age New York.
The thing I like most about historical fiction is the research that goes into providing an enjoyable experience to learn more about something I never knew existed. Great book!
I enjoyed reading about this strong group of women! The creation of the first women’s social club by Daisy Harriman was more than I expected. It seems like the beginning of her lifelong work as an organizer and social reformer for causes such as women’s suffrage, tuberculosis treatment, working and living conditions, child labor laws, food purity and more. I’d love to read more on her!
Elsie de Wolfe, considered the first interior designer, and Stanford White, the architect with a controversial private life were interesting too. But my favorite character was probably Nora, who was fictional. I would love to see this turn into a series so I can read more about these fascinating women.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read The Colony Club by Shelley Noble. Excellent! I loved reading this book and learning about these amazing women and all they accomplished.

I love reading historical novels with feisty female protagonists. Well, THE COLONY CLUB delivered them by the dozen.

It was great fun reading about the planning and building of this New York institution. The founding members were committed to being more than ornaments in high society. As I read the book,it played out in my mind as a season of The Gilded Age TV series, but with female “ movers and shakers,” not robber barons.

The Stanford White scandal was something I was vaguely familiar with, but I enjoyed this fictional look into his life and architectural practice.

This will be a rewarding summer read for fans of historical fiction who have read one too many WW2 era novels.

Excellent story. I loved this book - the characters and the content. Well done research and a fantastic job on women architects. I highly recommend it.

In 1902 New York the Waldorf refused to rent a room to Daisy Harriman because she was an unaccompanied woman. Daisy set out to create a club where women could stay and relax, similar to long-standing clubs for men.

This book is written as a journalist's 1963 interview of the older Daisy as she describes how her idea grew into The Colony Club. It is a fascinating mix of basic historical fact and characters along with supplemental fictional accounts of the process and the characters who made it all happen. The author seems to capture many of the issues faced by women who wanted to travel alone and independent women who were beginning to move into areas such as architecture and interior decoration.

I recommend the book and thank Net Galley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to review it and provide an honest opinion.

I liked the intermingling of real characters and fictional characters; this was a story I was not aware of. The descriptions of place (NYC) added much to the book and even as someone who has only visited the city, I felt I could imagine the scenes being described.

Nora's relationship with and need to continually support her ungrateful family was my least favorite part of the book. It seemed to pop up periodically as a way to keep Nora's innate goodness and perpetual roadblocks to success as key to the story.

I particularly liked the latter portion of the book when she moved in with her coworker and coworker's aunt as it focused less on Nora's problems with the nasty male colleague. Overall, I feel like I need to know more about Stanny's trial, as the fall out revealing his personal perversions seemed a bit overplayed in the story -- maybe it did happen that way 100+ years ago and my 2024 perceptions are off.

I really enjoy Shelby Noble books. They are always well written and engaging. This one was everything I expected.