It was at the turn of the century during the Gilded Age when Daisy Harriman became furious when she was turned away from making a reservation at the Waldorf because she was an unaccompanied woman. She had wanted to visit for a day or two and meet with some friends. That’s when she gathered some of her wealthy friends together and they came up with the idea to build a place just for women. It will be called The Colony Club and women can stay overnight or simply meet to relax, have tea, lunch, or even exercise and swim in their own pool. If men can have their own private clubs, so can women! They decided to hire the well-known architect, Stanford White, and they knew it would take 2 years for it to be completed.

Nora Bromley attends the New York School of Applied Design for Women. In her brother’s memory, she strives to be an architect. Her goal will be difficult as she is a woman and the field is not open to women during this time period. But she enters a competition to draw and design a sanatorium for TB patients. Happily, she wins the contest which nets her a bit of money but also an introduction to Stanford White. He is so impressed with her, that he offers her a job. She is not well received by the other men in the office as she is a woman. So, she has a difficult time settling in. But soon, she gets a chance to work with Elsie de Wolfe, an actress who has an amazing eye for decorating and who will be the buyer for furnishing The Colony Club. The work is hard and Nora has to do everything she can to prove herself.

Stanford White is murdered and labeled a womanizer and the press gets a picture of Nora coming out of the office and assumes she is one of his play toys. She has to run from the press who hound her.

This is an interesting book and the time frame in which it occurs shows the inequality of women. I felt bad that Nora was never given the recognition she deserved for all of her hard work as an architect. In addition, her job for Elsie was demeaning. We do see how hard Nora worked and strived to care for her mother and sister. How cruel her older sister is! The descriptions are nice and I enjoyed the story.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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.

This book goes on to illustrate through her character the options available for a career woman during the Gilded Age.

An interesting read.

I received a copy for review purposes; all opinions are honest and mine alone.


Taking place during the Guilded Age, THE COLONY CLUB, by Shelley Noble, is an historical fiction novel that’s a deft blend of real people and events supported by characters from the mind of this talented writer. Noble employees dual timelines but I found them difficult. Fortunately, the two time periods are not a critical factor for the telling of this story.

Much of the story focuses on building the actual COLONY CLUB - the first social club completely dedicated to women. It’s a real building still in existence today and still used as a women’s club, altho’ men can visit now. The key characters are a blend of real and fictional women who are strong, resilient and supportive of each other. It was impressive to watch their interactions over the vast divide between their social statuses. Men are split into antagonists or mild love interests/mentors. Their roles are minor, compared to the women.

My favorite group was of characters was the secretaries at the architecture office. Diverse in backgrounds and skills, these girls all rallied together and provided support in a male dominated environment. This was a tough time period for women and Noble does an admirable job presenting the challenges without being snarky.

Architecture, Interior Design, Healthcare, Women’s Rights & Roles, Integrity, Reputation, Family, Education - these are key themes in this book. Add in a murder, trial and an unstable, unreliable class that usually narrates life and you’ve got the makings of an important historical snapshot in time📚


Read and Reviewed from a NetGalley eARC with thanks

A haunting reminder of how far we've come as women. Based upon a true story beginning in 1903 when the Waldorf Hotel refuses to rent rooms to unaccompanied women, young society matron Daisy Harriman decides to create a club exclusively for women. Modeled after traditional men's clubs, they will be able to gather to debate, socialize and stay when visiting New York City. The newly formed Colony Club hires the Stanford White, the most illustrious architect in New York, to design their clubhouse. The story revolves around the building and finishing of the club house but focuses ultimately on the story of the times when even tangential association with a scandal can ruin a woman's reputation forever.

I couldn't have asked for a better introduction to Shelley Noble. Her novel is filled with hope, determination and perseverance in the face of misogynistic men and prejudices about women, wealth and poverty, as well as fear of change. The author's notes following the book led me to more reading about the key personalities who banded together to create the club and build it a home. Empowering and fascinating, I am delighted that NetGalley and the Morrow Group at HarperCollins provided me with an advance reviewer's copy of The Colony Club.

This is historical fiction focused on the development of the Colony Cub, the first women’s club of its kind opened in 1903. Within the book are three female characters who were true pioneers in a man’s world. Norma Bromley is a fictitious character representing all the female architects of her time. She is brilliant but continues to run into barriers and roadblocks created by the male dominated profession. Daisy Harmen, who played a key role in the creation of the Colony Club, was well before her time. Imagine traveling during this time by yourself and not being able to stay in a hotel if you weren’t accompanied by a male. In addition to overnight lodging, the club had dining facilities, areas to exercise and social spaces, where women were discussing major social injustices of the time period. The third character was Elsie de Wolfe and she was pivotal in the interior design of the Colony Club. Her focus moved away from the dark furnishing of the Victorian era to more light, airy spaces.

Beyond the creation of the Colony Club was also a focus on issues such as Women’s Rights, Gender Inequality and creating more progressive attitudes towards male and female roles in society.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this book and its focus on strong, resilient characters from this era. It provided insight into the world during the early 1900s. It is because of the strength of women like these characters that we have many of the freedoms we have today.

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.

#NetGalley #TheColonyClub #ShelleyNoble

The Colony Club by Shelley Noble is a wonderful 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.
This was a fascinating, well-written historical story about the women of the Colony Club.
This book brilliantly highlighted the lives of several fictional young women against this historical time period.
The characters were engaging and their stories were compelling.
A remarkable historical fiction that is female-character driven.
I truly enjoyed it!

Thank You NetGalley and William Morrow for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

The Colony Club is a great look at strong women making their place in the world. Nora breaks into the man’s world of architect and works with the women of New York to build a women’s club in New York during the Gilded Age. I love how these women came together to make their own places, some against the wishes of their husband, so that they had a place to escape their lives and make plans to take on the world. I enjoyed that this building was not only a place for them to dine and relax but also a place for them to become activists for what is important to them and their communities.

The story did not move fast. There was a lot of talk about the scandal and also of the barriers that the women had to get through to build their club. I would have loved more descriptions of the building and a quicker pace of the story. There were a couple side stories that I would have loved to know more of and I would have really liked a little more talk of the women’s relationships. I did not feel the need to pick up the book and see what would happen next, I enjoyed the story but there was something missing for me.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. It was really wonderful!

Imagine you want to travel out of town to visit New York City. You’re a wife, mother and a wealthy socialite but you’re refused a room at the Waldorf because you’re traveling alone. What?! But Daisy Harriman our Gilded Age heroine isn’t going to stand for it! Daisy decides to start a social club for women in the heart of Manhattan. A place for women to gather socially, share a meal, attend meetings on some of the days most important topics, and spend the night when visting from out of town. She won’t do it alone however and brings in many of her wealthy and well connected friends to plan and execute her ideas. Daisy isn’t the only woman who is taking a stand and challenging the male dominated society of that age though. We also meet Nora Bromley, a young female architect fresh out of school. Nora is talented and is offered a job as a draftsman at one of New York’s most well established firms. She is the only female in the department. She must fight discrimination and bullying daily from the men that she works with, and even fight off a scandal she is drawn into thru no fault of her own which causes her to lose her apartment, and draw the ire of some of her friends and family. Nora rises to the challenges and soon she is working on the Colony Club project. Nora is assigned to work with Elsie de Wolfe, an actress in NYC whose acting career is faltering, but whose artistic flair in decorating is attracting admirers. Elsie will design the interior of the Colony Club with Nora by her side. This job was usually left to the male architects who designed the buildings so Elsie becomes a pioneer in interior design!
This is a wonderfully written and engaging historical fiction. The characters are full of life and inspiring as they challenge many of the norms of their day, paving the way for the women in their own era and for those who will follow in the future. Truly a delightful read! Be sure to read the author’s note at the end!
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced reader copy!

Historical Fiction about the Gilded Age in America as become a bit of an obsession for me lately and this book definitely fit this trope. One of the main reasons I love historical fiction so much is because we can fall in love with fictional characters and story lines that run right along real events and people throughout real history that actually happened. It is almost like being able to step back into events that interest us with storylines that are relatable. Throw in some feminism and I am there!

That was exactly what The Colony Club was for me. Learning more about the strong willed women that built the first women's club in NY set amidst the glitz and glamour of the Astor's and Vanderbilt's will always interest me. The strong female characters were so perfectly fleshed out and detailed. It was clear the author did her research and did it VERY well when writing this novel.

This book is perfect for fans of HBO's The Gilded Age.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced reader copy of the eBook in exchange for an honest review.

We’ve come a long way, baby! What a perfect line to describe The Colony Club by Shelley Noble. In 1902 Daisy Harriman is planning a trip from her Washington, DC home to New York for a few days of shopping. She is both surprised and angered when the Waldorf refuses to reserve a room for her because the hotel does not allow unaccompanied women. Daisy then decides that it is time for the ladies to have a “club” of their own. She enlisted the aid of her good friends, Elsie de Wolfe and Bessie Marbury, together with many high society ladies. There is also the story of Nora Bromly. Nora is helping to support her family after the death of her father and brother. She is also going to school to become architect. When she wins a major competition, her work comes to the attention of Sanford White, the best-known architect of the time. He gives Nora an opportunity to do some work at his firm, one of which is to help design the Colony Club. All of these ladies were ahead of their time, and they all contributed to the advance of women.

From this book, I was expecting more female friendship bonding, more murder mystery, and less misogynistic bullying. I usually love Shelley Noble’s books. This one isn’t for me. I’m sure others will enjoy it.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

If you're looking for a historical fiction that is female-character driven, this is for you. Set in the early 1900's in New York City, we follow three women in this fictionalized version of the founding of The Colony Club, the first private women's club. Daisy Harriman is the socialite who comes up with the idea and the execution. Elsie de Wolfe, an actress turned to one of the first woman interior decorator in the US. And Nora Bromley, a young architecture student who gets to assist on the design of the Colony Club's building. These women are all from different walks of life, but are thrown into each other's orbits as they work to make the club become a reality.
I really enjoyed this! Based on the real events surrounding the creation of the Colony Club, this story had me intrigued and invested all the way through. I will definitely be doing a deep dive into the real life characters, and will be reading more from this author. A must read for historical fiction fans!

When young Gilded Age society matron Daisy Harriman is refused a room at the Waldorf because they don’t cater to unaccompanied females, she takes matters into her own hands. She establishes the Colony Club, the first women’s club in Manhattan, where visiting women can stay overnight and dine with their friends; where they can discuss new ideas, take on social issues, and make their voices heard. She hires the most sought-after architect in New York, Stanford White, to design the clubhouse. As “the best dressed actress on the Rialto” Elsie de Wolfe has an eye for décor, but her career is stagnating. So when White asks her to design the clubhouse interiors, she jumps at the chance and the opportunity to add a woman’s touch. He promises to send her an assistant, a young woman he’s hired as a draftsman. Raised in the Lower East Side tenements, Nora Bromely is determined to become an architect in spite of hostility and sabotage from her male colleagues. She is disappointed and angry when White “foists” her off on this new women’s club project. But when White is murdered and the ensuing Trial of the Century discloses the architect’s scandalous personal life, fearful backers begin to withdraw their support. It’s questionable whether the club will survive long enough to open. Daisy, Elsie, and Nora have nothing in common but their determination to carry on. But to do so, they must overcome not only society’s mores but their own prejudices about women, wealth, and each other. Together they strive to transform Daisy’s dream of the Colony Club into a reality, a place that will nurture social justice and ensure the work of the women who earned the nickname “Mink Brigade” far into the future

I had never heard of the Colony Club prior to reading this book, and found this story fascinating. This came at a time when women had so little agency over their lives - they were finally able open bank accounts, but had a separate "women's" section, they weren't allowed to take a room at a hotel without a husband present, women weren't allowed to vote. When Daisy Harriman made the bold decision to start a women's club, so that they could be afforded some of the same basic rights as men, it created chaos. Pastors railed against it in their sermons, men forbade their wives from getting involved. However, Daisy & the rest of the women persevered, and even though it took years, they managed to get it done, and it was successful. Even though Nora's character was fictional, the other characters in the story were real. This book was empowering, and something that anyone with a love of historical fiction will want to put at the top of their TBR pile. You are going to love it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a pretty enjoyable book, however for whatever reason I did get bored in certain parts of the story. I think this book may be a good one to listen to the audiobook version of so the reader is completely immersed in the story. I will try the audio when the book is released. In the meantime, the story of the Colony Club was one I was excited to read because I had never heard of it, and I love reading historical fiction. I just found my mind wandering while reading though. I don't believe the book was awful in any means though.

Many thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

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In turn of the 20th century New York City, Daisy Harriman is refused a room at the Waldorf because she is without a male chaperone which makes her realize that there is a need for a club for women (there are many for men). Daisy brings in her other wealthy female friends (like Alva Vanderbilt) and the Colony Club is born. The Colony Club will be a place where a (wealthy) woman can meet and discuss the social issues of the day, use the gym and pool, read a book or play cards - amazingly (or not) Daisy is met with derision by the men of the era who do not understand why women would want a place outside of their home to congregate. Stanford White, the most prominent architect in NYC at the time, is the only architect they want for the job and he allows Nora Bromley, a young architectural student from the lower east side to help him with the work, including helping with the decorating. Nora, as one of the only female architects has to deal with the hostility of the male architects in the office and is insulted that she has to work on the female club. This historical novel looks at the building of the Colony Club from these multiple lenses.

This was a great novel steeped in NYC history. The story takes place at the end of the gilded age of NYC, tells about the scandal Stanford White and delves into the sexism of the age and how it affected both the very wealthy and the lower class. I enjoyed this one so much, partially because I love historical NYC novels but also because I thought the author did a great a job telling the story of the different women of the age. I’ve had her novel The Tiffany Girls on my TBR for a while but it will be put higher up now.

4.25 stars

I adore historical fiction, and this book was fantastic. It tells the story of the Colony Club's creation, the first women's club in New York City, and what strong women in 1905 can accomplish when standing together. The narrative is presented from the viewpoint of a fictional character, Nora Bromley, a newly minted female architect.

I loved this book. I was captivated by Nora’s story and the creation of the club. It’s a compelling tale and great historical fiction! I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the early read in exchange for a fair review.

During the Gilded Age, a society woman is refused a hotel room because she is alone, so she decides to open a woman's club and hires an architect to design and build it. Similar to men's clubs, this woman's club will have members who pay to stay there or visit there.

I love historical fiction and this book made me think a bit of the fabulous show The Gilded Age. The setting was well crafted and the characters intriguing. It did move a bit slowly, but overall, an enjoyable read!

I’m always on the lookout for more books set in the Gilded Age and thereabouts, and I’ve seen Shelley Noble recommended a few times before, so I was excited to try The Colony Club. The concept intrigued me, particularly the establishment of the first women’s social club. And Noble did her research into the era, capturing how the Colony Club helped open women up to a world beyond the domestic sphere which had previously been considered their primary (sometimes only) domain.
Various historical people populate the pages, and while I didn’t know a ton about them prior to reading the book, Noble does a solid job bringing them to like, from Florence “Daisy” Harriman to Elsie de Wolfe to , and more, not to mention other major figures of the Gilded Age, like JP Morgan. But she also weaves in some of her own fictional characters, particularly Nora Bromley, who fits right in among the other brilliant women.
I enjoyed the narrative overall, covering the establishment of the club and some of their early achievements, and it was fairly engaging overall. But my one issue comes from the timeline and how it impacts pacing. On the one hand, there’s a framing narrative set in 1963, largely following older Daisy telling the story, and I found the times that it would dart back to this framing narrative rather jarring. And as is the case with historical fiction that covers several years, the story felt rather disorienting, with all the skipping around, instead of feeling more fluid and like a more cohesive narrative.
But in spite of these subjective issues, I mostly enjoyed this book, and am interested in reading more from Shelley Noble in the future. I’d recommend this to readers looking for women-centric historical fiction.