** spoiler alert **

I requested this on a whim and wasn't sure what to expect, and after finishing it I'm still unsure what I thought of it. But I did like it! Though I'm not sure this would qualify as literary fiction to most it did feel like it to me.

While I know little about the subject to speak on its accuracy, it felt like an immersive look at life in San Francisco in 2007, particularly within the tech scene and more specifically what it was like for queer women during this time.

I really wasn't sure what to make of Laurie or Mal and found them both to be sort of elusive. This is particularly the case for Mal, I could never get a good read on her but from the synopsis, it was clear that Mal did have an attachment to Laurie even if it didn't always seem like it. I do just think we could have had a little more romance between these two, we had to sit through them both being with annoying men so It would've been nice to enjoy them as a couple for a little longer.

I really liked the relationship that they built with Tara, it was a nice addition to see how Mal and Laurie would unite for her even when things were strained between them.

All in all, this was a really pleasant surprise and I will be curious to see what kind of book Anat writes next.

Thank you to Netgalley, Anat Deracine and Mayavin Publishing for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was okay, the writing and characters were just okay. I am not a big fan of romance, so this was just decent for me. Overall, It was decent, I like the lqbtq and south asian representation. I thought iit was just fine

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC!!!

I by chance had an opportunity to read this book prior to mainstream publication (out on the 15th Aug) thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this. Not knowing the author but I liked the premise of the book so started this and absolutely enjoyed this. I would say that I was unsure if this was for me for likely the first 30% of the book however I am glad I continued. Laurie the main character at first seems at stages very detached, almost emotionless, just like she is on the outside all the time. We go through the stages of relationships, work and elements of the mid 2000 to early 2010s including presidents, pride, health and tech. Don’t let the tech element put you off it is more a sidestep not a front aspect of the tale. As the story progresses Laurie becomes so much more self assured, still hesitant but knows to a degree what or I should say who she wants. This is a slow burn of epic proportions which turns into something very worth while, it maybe frustrating as communication and fear do play a factor but honestly refreshing for a queer story that is not focused on the coming out journey or being scared of acceptance, but much more focused on an grown women living and breathing her story naturally. Do read and I hope you enjoy as much as I did.

This is my first book by Amat Deracine. It was well written. Starting off in 2008 in San Francisco, we go forward through the times. At times, it was confusing, not knowing how far ahead it jumped. there was little diagolgue. It was difficult to feel the chemistry between the MCs. I feel it glossed over the primary MCs history, where it could have expanded. I found this to be a difficult read.
I enjoyed the tender moments between characters and secondary characters. I am happy about the happy ever after that's implied. I may give Deracine another chance again in the future.

The book started of a bit slow but after a while I was hooked and wanted to finish reading to see when Lauren and Mal finally see each other not only as room mates but also as the one. It takes years but the ride to get there captivating to read.

I know Anat in real-life and I had read her previous book and loved it so when I saw this was available, I knew I wanted to read it.

And I am so glad I did.

This book takes place over the 2000s in Silicon Valley. The main characters work at a start-up. As the years unfold, so does a lot of moments that end up impacting their work and lives: the housing bust, and tech recession, the election of Obama and the conversations around marriage equality, the insanity of the VCs and tech companies buying each other and of course the toxic bro culture are all the background in which this story takes place. And it's a strong and honest depiction of the industry and the time.

And our main characters come from two very different worlds, do two different jobs in a similar environment, showing the reader the dichotomy of roles and the respect they each have in these companies. The book doesn't shy away from tough topics like classism, sexuality and sexism, as all of these are real everyday experiences of our characters.

But at its heart, this book is about friendship and love. It's about two people who are trying to find their way in a world that isn't being really kind to them. They are trying to navigate growing up, finding their place in their work and in the world. Finding their people and understanding how to be who they are in a world that really makes it hard to do so. And the kind of love that comes from sharing so much life together and being there for each other again and again.

I couldn't help but fall in love with each of the main characters and found myself rooting for them. And, for me, the books I love are filled with characters who are real and characters who grow. This wonderful book delivered on both counts.

with gratitude to netgalley and Mayavin Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Her Golden Coast by Anat Deracine painted a realistic portrait of important points in recent US history, particularly within the tech sector in San Francisco during the 2000s. This slice of life spanned several years and gave us insight into the bro-culture of tech giants and the bleakness of women's roles in the male-dominated field.
The account covered several things I have had the privilege of forgetting about, such as pre-marriage equality in California, the election of President Obama, the recession, the housing bust, the rise and fall of toxic tech culture, the Occupy Movement, and more. Our two mains were from very different worlds that converged at a technology company called Unicorn, aptly named for the times.
Laurie came from an abusive father and poverty. Mal came from a strict family with cultural expectations. Both seemed to have given up on their artistic pursuits while trying to overcome their respective personal struggles. They had very different personalities but became friends and roommates.
This was the slowest of slow burns, with very little romance, but it was a very compelling story. Over time they learned significant things about themselves and each other and realized what they meant to each other.
I enjoyed this look back at our country and how these two navigated the times and the differences that made them both secretly feel like they didn't belong.
One main eventually self-identified as neurodivergent, when the term came to light.
The writing was engaging and clean. 4.5 stars rounded up. I recommend this book. I am also interested in reading more from Anat Deracine.
#neurodivergent #birep #HEA #dysfunctionalfamily #tech #SanFrancisco #California

I liked the setting and characters. The pacing and plot development fell short for me. The writing was fine. This is one of those books that was good enough while reading but I won't necessarily be thinking about it several weeks from now or at the end of the year.

Very much appreciate the queer and South Asian rep.

Ratings
Quality of Writing 3/5
Pacing 2/5
Plot Development 3/5
Character Development 4/5
Overall Enjoyability 3/5

Her Golden Coast is a quick and engaging read, interestingly, not quick but engaging in its romance and characterisation.
The context and the setting appealed to me plenty. The diversity and inclusivity were the other highlights, and I appreciated Deracine’s vibrant descriptions. In terms of the romance element, there were both good tropes and slight cliches.
3.5 stars rounded up.

This is a slow-burn romance set in the tech industry during the years around the 2008 financial crisis. Recent history is interwoven with the lives of Laurie and Mal, creating story arcs based on common tropes like women in a mainly male professional environment, poor girl/rich girl or race. Despite this does not sound very exciting, this novel works extremely well. The writing is engaging and funny and the pacing is just about right. Easily one of the best books I read this year!

(based on an ARC from NetGalley)

Good book with a great romance but the stream of consciousness narrative was quite unappealing at times! I loved the main characters, their friendship and how comphet affected them as a unit.

1.5/5⭐️(rounded up on the scale) 1/5🌶️

This sapphic romance begins in 2007 (this being classified as 'historical fiction' broke my millennial heart) during the silicon valley boom of the early 2000's. Laurie and Mal are polar opposites that eventually become friends and then lovers.

From the very beginning of the book, I struggled to navigate the storyline. Laurie was not likeable, like at all. I hail from similar beginnings as Laurie, but found her hard to relate to. She read as bitter and having a proverbial chip. Mal was so closed off and aloof that she read as robotic and rude. The lack of chemistry between Mal and Laurie was maddening, "What do you want from me Mal? A declaration?" Yes. Please. Good Gravy. Gimme something. I wanted so badly to love their love story. It just wasn't there for me. This was a slowwwwww burn. To the degree that I didn't find the romance aspect believable when it finally occurred. Did I believe they were best friends, yes. Did I think it was a soulmate match, absolutely not.

Things that I felt the novel did well:
-The depiction of the 2007-2009 economic recession and the culture. Having lived in this time around the same age as the FMCs, I found the descriptions of the events familiar and accurate to my lived experience. The parties and the tech bros in the beginning of the book were humorously accurate.
-The concept of found family, particularly when there are strained biological familial ties.
-The cover is pretty!
-Exploration of how socioeconomic background and cultural differences can positively and negatively shift relationships.
-The themes of comphet and the lesbian experience (through the lense of community.) I felt like Mal and Laurie were more of a family/sisterhood and that the exploration of Laurie's terrible dating history was very comphet based. (The boyfriends gave me the ick.)


Expected Publish Date: August 15, 2024

A big thank you to NetGalley and Mayavin Publishing for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was sold when I discovered this book is a sapphic romance set in late 2000s (and onwards) and set in Techlandia, aka San Francisco. And it did not disappoint. Despite not working in that industry or that location, I was the same age as the main characters at that time and so felt very nostalgic about many elements and references. If readers are expecting a traditional contemporary romance, this is not it, although there are tropes tucked away - strangers to friends to lovers, workplace romance(ish), mutual pining - but really the majority of the book reads like contemporary fiction dancing around topics such as misogyny, classism, sexuality and more. This was not a bad thing for me but for others expecting more of a linear, uncomplicated romance, this may not deliver. Greatly appreciated the representation in this book - queer, trans, fibroids, neurodivergence - and will be keeping my eye on this author. 4.5 stars.

Set in San Francisco between 2007 and 2012, Her Golden Coast captures the feel of living as a 20-something woman in a specific time and place: Mortgage Crisis/Great Recession era Silicon Valley. The tale centers around two main characters: Laurie, an artistic soul and whip smart admin assistant who never went to college, and Mal, equally smart, equally artistic, but with the qualifications, promotions, and self-assurance that Laurie can only dream of.

Amidst a sea of our modern take on young adulthood and romance, this one stands out. Told in a style approaching stream-of-consciousness, it's a no-holds-bar exploration of the inner workings of young women with none of the fluff that would warrant a cartoon book cover. But what you trade for a feel-good beach read is real emotion, and really complicated relationships rife with the tumult that comes from being a young person forced to decide between a plethora of bad options.

The writing was sharp, the emotional beats gratifying earned, the characters were so realistic, I felt I saw in them not only myself, but so many of the types of people I've met in real life. As to the time and place: setting felt real, and the callbacks to that era were accurate and added texture to the tale. If you lived through the era, if you are or once were a young woman struggling to find your place in the world, if you're a perpetual underdog or just want a cathartic cry, Her Golden Coast should definitely wind up on your TBR list.

Her Golden Coast takes us through the early days of Silicon Valley's tech boom, set against the backdrop of 2007 SFC.

What made this novel a very engaging read was the depiction of a time when startups were finding their footing, and the people working for them were too. It's a tale of love woven with self-discovery.

Both our protagonists - Laurie & Malini (Mal) - come from somewhat dysfunctional families, and while they don't reveal much of their pasts to each other, the fact that we readers know about it makes their romance genuine and poignant.

The writing is straightforward yet powerful. While some moments felt Bollywood-esque - especially the part with Mal's family towards the end - I can't complain.

In the beginning I had a bit of a hard time to get into the plot and the characters but the struggle was absolutely worth it!

I liked the side infos about things that happened along the timeline, reminding me of moments I had already forgotten.

The chemistry between the main characters and the development from roommates to friendship to love was very enjoyable to read.

It was exciting to see how they learn about and see each others struggles and how to help and support in a suitable way.

Her Golden Coast is one of the best books I have read in a while. It is a contemporary narrative which perfectly captures the life of two women in the Silicone Valley. Laurie is organised, self-sufficient and kind to the bone. Mal is unapologetically herself, loud, direct and seemingly certain. Although Mal is incredibly wealthy, she moves in with Laurie to help her stay in her rented flat. The two are polar opposites but Laurie falls for Mal’s extraordinary strength, and Mal falls for Laurie’s unwavering kindness. The book follows their lives through Laurie’s lens as they navigate the terror and beauty that come with accepting your sexuality.

The book itself is beautifully written, with the societal implications of being a woman and queer (and also a person of colour for Mal) covered accurately and realistically. The writing itself is stunning, almost poetic. These things, and so much more I cannot put into words, made this an incredibly enjoyable read.

I enjoyed how this book was set in many years but I was often confused what year it was or what month it was. Besides that I had a few quotes I really enjoyed and overall the book was a light and easy read.
Thank you Netgalley for the arc of Her Golden Coast.

Not knowing the author, I did not expect much from this. I was blown away all the more once I got into it. I do not want to spoil anything, so let me just say that I loved the storytelling, writing and the complex, authentic characters. It is one of my favorite reads of the year so far! :)

Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC via NetGalley.

Set in San Francisco before the 2008 Great Recession and moving through the next few years, the novel, ostensibly a Sapphic romance, uses the tech industry and anti-capitalist organizing made visible by Occupy Wall Street, as a backdrop and a metaphor.

Laurie, who comes from a poor family in upstate NY, moved to San Francisco to escape the dysfunction she grew up with. She takes a job at a dot com startup as the admin assistant to the founder. When the book opens she's dating a man who insists on bringing along his male college friend on some of their dinner dates. One evening, the friend brings his own date, Mal, a female tech engineer, who speaks an unacknowledged truth the the two men are in love with one another.

Laurie is forced to deal with the truth, breaks up with her boyfriend, and slowly befriends Mal, taking her in as a roommate. Most of the book then chronicles their growing friendship and closeness as well as Laurie's short affair with a woman and two relationships with men. All the while she refuses to acknowledge that she is falling in love with Mal.

Mal comes from a family of immigrants from India, a family that has expressed their disappointment in her her whole life. But Mal expresses little emotion, even when it comes to her friendship and growing feelings for Laurie.

Trope-wise, this is a slow-burn, friends to lovers romance written entirely from Laurie's POV, almost in places as a stream of consciousness. But it is so much more. The writing is strong and the metaphorical backdrop is so well done. The author writes Laurie's character arc beautifully while including a portrait of Mal's neurodiverse personality.

Highly recommended.