I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

I’ve been diving into a lot of historical fiction lately, and *Her Golden Coast* really stood out. It’s set in 2007 San Francisco, right in the middle of the early tech boom and a time when same-sex marriage wasn’t yet legal.

Laurie and Mal are such opposites, and their dynamic is what makes the story so compelling. Laurie’s all about stability—home, husband, and healthcare—while Mal’s fiercely independent and unapologetic, trying to break free from her family’s expectations. Their connection is both tender and transformative, and you can’t help but root for them as they navigate a world that doesn’t make it easy.

What I loved most was how Anat Deracine’s writing pulls you in. It’s lyrical without being overdone and captures both the intimacy of Laurie and Mal’s relationship and the bigger challenges of that time—like toxic tech culture and LGBTQ+ rights. If you’re into character-driven stories with strong queer representation and a unique setting, I think you’ll really enjoy this one.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for supplying an ARC!

I struggled a bit with getting into this, I found the writing style hard to understand at first. However, I started growing to understand and enjoying the story after about five chapters.

As someone born in the early 2000s and currently studying in the tech industry, I found the historical background this was set in to be very interesting. I enjoyed seeing the progression of Mal and Laurie’s relationship and their character growth. I liked that both characters had flaws and were kind of unlikable in some ways. I would have loved to see more romance between Mal and Laurie, the slow burn’s payoff was so short! I also really liked Tara’s character and how Mal and Laurie supported her, it was very sweet.

I'm always a fan of slice-of-life LGBTQIA+ novels and those with a romance that is not overly corny and unrealistic and Her Golden Coast delivered - 4.5 stars. A sharp and witty read with relatable, well-written characters and a very slow burn sapphic romance of the 'friends to lovers' and 'opposites attract' tropes. Set in the Silicon Valley, some of the pertinent themes include being female in male dominated fields, navigating expectations of others at odds with your own, socioeconomic disparity, exploring and becoming comfortable with one’s sexuality.

As a side note the fact that this is classed as historical fiction sent me in a bit of a tailspin until I realised that 2007 is almost 20 years ago. How time flies! It was interesting to revisit events like The Great Recession, the election of Obama as president and I was also reminded that same sex marriage was not yet completely legalised in the US at the time.

To end with, I appreciated the poignant dedication: “for every woman who ever thought she was in it alone and who is still learning to ask for help”.

***
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the author's story telling and style.

At the start I didn't know what to make of this book. The writing style almost reminded me of Sally Rooney, and it took me a moment to adapt. With the writing style being more poetic than I anticipated. After finishing the book I can genuinely say I really enjoyed it.

The book is set in San Francisco during the financial highs and lows of the tech boom. A time period which I lived through but never experienced in this way. It felt realistic and immersive without being dramatic or hard to understand.

I also loved the cast of characters, both the leads Laurie and Mal grew on me more and more as they developed and their history emerged. It felt like a grown up coming of age story.

I'm really interested to see what the author does next and will definitely be in line to read the next one.

A high 4*

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and published for the ARC.

I really enjoyed Her Golden Coast. I'm not usually a fan of romance, but I like how Deracine stays away from sloppiness and clichés and instead crafts a love story interwoven with angst, repressed feelings, misconstrued actions that feels fresh and vibrant. Laurie's slow-dawning realisation of her feelings for Mal feels realistic and, at times, painful- I wanted to shout at her, "Just tell Mal how you feel!" I felt incredibly invested in their trajectory.

Deracine has a talent for crafting well-realised explorations of female relationships, whether romantic, platonic or familial. I look forward to reading more from her.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the digital ARC.

Set in San Fran in the late 2000s, this felt pretty realistic to timelines if you remember back to then. It may even give you a little bit of a nostalgic feel as you read on.

If you like a friends to lovers slow burn, this really is likely to be for you. Given that its not all about the romance i felt like it gave a super realistic insight into their lives and feelings as well. A really great read.

This was a soft slow burn that paid off in a really satisfying way by the end of the book. The romance took a long time to build, but it felt believable and quietly intimate. This is the first time in a long time I haven't gotten bored by a romance plot. Laurie's feelings towards Mal journey from jealous, to resentful, to friendship, and then suddenly the shock of realising she was in love with Mal. It all felt true and painful at times. The pining after that point hurt just the right amount, and the miscommunication trope wasn't overdone to the point of my rolling my eyes in frustration! At first I was thrown off by the simplicity of the writing, but then I realised Anat just wasn't wasting any words -she was capturing really specific feelings I have never articulated before.

It was super fun reading a book set in the early 2000's. Its nostalgic in a way for me that I was young enough to not fully understand the global events that were happening at the time - the tech bubble, the 2008 crash etc, pre -marriage equality in the US. It made me glad I wasn't an adult at the time to be frank.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mayavin Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

I really enjoyed this book! It was very very well written, and the characters were great, they were so genuine and I enjoyed reading all about them. I liked the themes that came up throughout the book, and how everything tied in together.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

I liked the premise of this book, but the way it was written was jarring to me. I found myself re-reading portions just to make sure of who said what. The two leads, Mal and Laurie, didn't have any recognizable chemistry so it wasn't very satisfying when they got together.

Maybe part of the issue was that it recalls the tech boom in Silicon Valley and I am far removed from that industry and community. There are some books that I read that I think I'm just too old for the target audience, and this was one of those books, unfortunately.

** 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.

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.