Thank you Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was another disappointing read from a usually really good author. I have enjoyed Meg's books in the past, but there was nothing in this story that I was drawn to. There were a lot of characters and I didn't like any of them. I felt like I had nothing to root for and I felt the plot was lacking. I do want to visit Block Island or somewhere similar. I wish I had a better experience reading this novel but overall I was bored.

i enjoyed meg mitchell moore’s latest book, mansion beach, so much!
first and foremost, block island as the setting is an automatic win in my book. journeying around the island with nicola, juliana, taylor, jack, and daniel is like being there in the best way a book can transport you. i can taste the mudslides, the sushi at the oar, the drinks at the spring house. i can feel the crisp breeze coming off great salt pond and the wind whipping my hair at the bottom of the mohegan bluffs. meg takes you right to the island with her writing.
second, this book has a bit of a mystery involved. someone winds up dead! it was fun to try and figure out who (and who’d done it) while learning more about each character’s background.
third, juliana’s relationship with george. it just takes one person to love and believe in you!
last but not least, the mentions of eben horton’s glass float project! be still my heart. they say you’ll find a float when you least expect it…same could be said for true friendship, success, and love, all of which mansion beach explores.
i’d say mansion beach is the perfect vacation book, but it’s much more than a typical “summer read”!

thank you to william morrow for providing this book for review consideration via netgalley. all opinions are my own.

I'm a big fan of Meg Mitchell Moore's books - they are quintessential summer reads. Mansion Beach is set on Block Island, a favorite setting for Moore, deals with class, privilege, with a mystery at its core. Much thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this eArc. 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I've read all of Meg Mitchell Moore's books, and this is her best, by far. It follows a cast of characters from all walks of life during a summer on Block Island. The characters are messy and complicated, as are their relationships. There's old romance, new loves, secrets, and oodles of drama, including a mysterious death. The way the three main characters' stories overlap and intersect has a real authenticity to it. Everything about this book just oozes summer - the New England setting, the lavish parties on the lawn of the mansion, the islanders coming to terms with the "summer people" in their midst - it's truly the perfect beach read.

This is a good beach read, with various mysteries thrown in. Very Gatsby-esque vibes, set in modern day on Block Island. Perfect for your next vacation or poolside read!

Here’s the thing: I actually loved the overwhelming majority of this. It’s a near-perfect beach read.

For bookish 30-somethings, if you ever read the It Girl series by Cecily von Ziegesar, this novel felt like the grown up version of that and I ate it up. Throw in some White Lotus vibes and it’s truly unputdownable.

Wealthy 20-30 somethings summering on Block Island comes with all of the drama and gossip you expect, with messy, reckless characters that develop deep into their origin stories.

That’s where this lost me. One character in particular is depicted as being a former foster child from Lawrence, Ma. If you know me, you know I’m a proud Lawrence kid. It’s a small city - 7 square miles. The bakery the author references in this novel was my first job when I was 14. While one facet of her Lawrence depiction is statistically correct (Lawrence is a city that has many residents living at or below the poverty level), the way Lawrence is written into this novel is dated, and it reinforces a narrative that the people in this community have been battling for a LONG time.

Reminiscent of elin hildebrand at times given the island and descriptive setting. Unfortunately found the characters unlikable and at 50% still did not understand the point of the book.

3.5, rounded up. I enjoyed this retelling of The Great Gatsby! The drama hooked me: affairs, secrets, wealth, and parties; the mystery kept me coming back for more. The only thing I didn’t like was the podcast element. It seemed odd and disjointed from the story. Despite that, this will be a great summer read! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I hadn’t known that it was a modern take on The Great Gatsby, especially since it wasn’t until the end of the book in the Author’s Note that she explained it was not a retelling of Gatsby, just inspired by it. Thinking it was a full retelling had me a bit distracted from the plot and thinking that I knew how the story was going to end.

However, I enjoyed the backstories given on a lot of the reimagined characters. I thought it gave more depth and understanding to the actions and motives of everyone involved.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins Publishing for an advanced reader’s copy.

I want to go to Block Island! The imagery and scene-setting crafted by the author are effective and engaging. The descriptions create a clear sense of place, and I appreciated the steady pace of the story, which kept my interest throughout. Additionally, the twist at the end was a nice surprise that added depth to the plot and made me wish I'd seen it coming sooner. Overall, the book was an easy binge-read and left me wanting more from Meg Mitchell Moore.

Captivating storytelling, nuanced characters, plenty of relationship drama—all set against an idyllic backdrop.
I am a longtime MMM fan, but think this might be my favorite of hers yet!

With thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for this e-ARC!

Mansion Beach by Meg Mitchell Moore

3.75 / 4 Stars Rounded Up ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If Queen Elin Hildebrand says read it, I read it 🫡 Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher and the author for the ARC!

I was super excited to read this one—
✔️stunning coastal setting
✔️modernized Gatsby take
✔️secrets grave enough to ruin reputations
✔️class disparities

I’m not sure if it’s because I’m watching it right now but in a way this book gave White Lotus vibes? And I loved it. The book revolves around the people of Block Island—their drama, their love lives, their work, etc—and all the while we know someone ends up dead. By the end of the book all the secrets are on the table and the mystery death is revealed.

I had so much fun getting to know all of these characters and watching how their summers evolved. The author does an incredible job at capturing each of their stories and making you understand them on a personal level. All of the Great Gatsby references were an unexpected surprise too that I really enjoyed. One small gripe I had were two of the main characters names—Juliana and Nicola—I honestly got the two confused so much in the beginning because of their names both ending in -a. Probably just a me thing but with a lot of characters thrust on you at once it would’ve made it easier to distinguish had it been different. I wish the ending was a bit more dramatic to match the characters but overall I’d definitely recommend. This is a great beach read to add to your list if you’re a fan of coastal settings with rich people and even richer drama.

A slow burn romance with a thread of mystery. Interesting characters, although I don’t know how much the townspeople mini-chapters add to the book. I could do without them. That said, I really enjoyed the writing and felt invested in the storyline throughout- loved the little biological parent ? at the end. Overall, the setting of Block Island in the summer adds to the summer reading appeal.

Meg Mitchell Moore's Mansion Beach returns us to Block Island. If you've reads her previous books set here you will recognize the Island and some characters. However, this is a standalone book. Nicola an attorney by training needs a new career. Law was not for her but the ocean and the environment are her passion. Her cousin David has married into money and just happens to have a cottage she can use on Block Island. She enters into a world new money and old money and often wonders if any of them know what they are doing. Next door is Julianne a soon to be very wealthy entrepreneur after her IPO and across the pond is her cousin David and his wife. All become entangled.

Mansion Beach is a great summer beach read. Light enough to read on the beach yet enough depth to make you think. .

This has so many plot elements of a juicy summer read: romance, mysterious death, rich people behaving badly! The Great Gatsby allusions throughout this book were fun and fit the overall plot and vibe of the novel. I also enjoyed that the story is told from multiple perspectives along with the podcast transcripts interspersed. Would recommend!

Set during the summer on Block Island, Rhode Island, Mansion Beach offers a Gatsby-esque experience. While the plot differs in key ways, it explores similar themes of old money versus new money, carelessness, love affairs, extravagant parties, and "foolish girls."

When I got approved to read it on NetGalley, I couldn't wait to dive in, especially because Elin Hilderbrand wrote about how amazing this book is on her instagram story the other day. Unfortunately, that's where my enthusiasm pretty much ended. The novel was fine—just fine. As someone who isn't particularly fond of The Great Gatsby, perhaps I should have managed my expectations. Like Gatsby, many of the characters were hard to like, and while their backstories (unfolded slowly for dramatic effect) added some depth, I was mostly left thinking, "So what?"
I’d recommend this to fans of The Great Gatsby or anyone looking for a slow-burn summer read. But I was left feeling meh about it.

Meg Mitchell Moore's "Mansion Beach" offers an engrossing warm-weather narrative situated on Block Island. The story centers on Nicola, a one-time legal professional now engaged in marine research; Juliana, a successful technology executive with a complex romantic history; and Taylor, a privileged real estate successor dealing with significant development pressures. As their paths converge, long-buried truths and current desires clash, culminating in a perplexing aquatic death. Recounted from various characters' perspectives and through a local audio program, the book adeptly harmonizes intricate character development, vivid location depiction, and rising tension. An ideal selection for those who enjoy seasonal dramas with an unexpected twist!

Enjoyable genre mashup - romance and mystery and rich people being careless. Contemporary Gatsby retelling set on Block Island with genders switched that largely succeeds.

I love The Great Gatsby, so I was really excited about this book. It has a lot of the same storyline, but by changing genders, setting it in modern times, and making even the villains a little more likable, this is a great adaption that every literature fan will love. I love the idea of giving this to college students or older high school students to compare with Gatsby.

I really liked this book - it would be the perfect summer beach read. It reminded me of reading an Elon Hildebrand novel, but instead of Nantucket it’s about Block Island!