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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
Didn’t like the characters
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Under the Stars switches between time periods and points of view. One time period is 1846 and the sinking of the steamship Atlantic as told through the diary or Providence Dare. The other time period is present day where many characters are explored but mainly the mother daughter duo of Meredith and Audrey who are coming back to Winthrop Island.
My favorite part of a Williams’ book is discovering how the two timelines are related and this one had more connections than I was expecting! There’s lot of mystery and drama to be had in Under the Stars.
My main complaint is there are a lot of characters and storylines and some get a little muddy as do the connections between the two timeline.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC
My favorite part of a Williams’ book is discovering how the two timelines are related and this one had more connections than I was expecting! There’s lot of mystery and drama to be had in Under the Stars.
My main complaint is there are a lot of characters and storylines and some get a little muddy as do the connections between the two timeline.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
I love Beatriz Williams, and I especially love returning to her world on Winthrop Island. The way this story overlapped with the characters from Husbands & Lovers, but was still a completely unique and new story, was so entertaining. The myriad ways that these seemingly unrelated stories intertwined – both within this book but also with the previous – had me feeling like I needed a family tree! I was continually drawing connections between the storylines that I didn't see before.
I loved the mystery of this one. The historical shipwreck and unraveling how that would ultimately be tied into the current storyline. The suspicious deaths, both past and present. Questions of paternity and family lineage. There were so many layers to peel back.
I am a huge fan of historical fiction that captures real lived experiences and closely follows true accounts, and this certainly delivered on that! I was even more drawn to the story when I saw the author share that the setting for this book was a real place which could be viewed from the shores of Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford, CT. The grounds overlook both Fishers Island (the inspiration for Winthrop Island) and the actual location of the steamship Atlantic tragedy that sets the scene for the historical piece of this story. In fact, not only did I learn it was a real place, but it was unbelievably a place I had visited. Just two years prior, while wedding venue hunting, we toured the Eolia Mansion on the grounds of the state park, and I stood on that shore and looked out at that spot, having no idea what I was truly seeing. It was extra special to be able to fully immerse myself in this story and picture exactly what the author was writing about, but more than that, it made me really think about all the places I've been (especially throughout my home region of New England) that have so much unseen history; untold stories, just waiting to be brought back to life.
Under the Stars is out July 29th! Thank you to Netgalley, Beatriz Williams, and Ballantine Books for this gifted ARC!
I loved the mystery of this one. The historical shipwreck and unraveling how that would ultimately be tied into the current storyline. The suspicious deaths, both past and present. Questions of paternity and family lineage. There were so many layers to peel back.
I am a huge fan of historical fiction that captures real lived experiences and closely follows true accounts, and this certainly delivered on that! I was even more drawn to the story when I saw the author share that the setting for this book was a real place which could be viewed from the shores of Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford, CT. The grounds overlook both Fishers Island (the inspiration for Winthrop Island) and the actual location of the steamship Atlantic tragedy that sets the scene for the historical piece of this story. In fact, not only did I learn it was a real place, but it was unbelievably a place I had visited. Just two years prior, while wedding venue hunting, we toured the Eolia Mansion on the grounds of the state park, and I stood on that shore and looked out at that spot, having no idea what I was truly seeing. It was extra special to be able to fully immerse myself in this story and picture exactly what the author was writing about, but more than that, it made me really think about all the places I've been (especially throughout my home region of New England) that have so much unseen history; untold stories, just waiting to be brought back to life.
Under the Stars is out July 29th! Thank you to Netgalley, Beatriz Williams, and Ballantine Books for this gifted ARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Suicide, Terminal illness, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Another great opportunity to revisit Winthorp Island. I loved the complex characters, jumping between different timelines, and the exploration of the impact of the past on the present. I appreciate the drama and emotional depth.
Another great dual time line book from Beatriz Williams. I really enjoyed this book and how the characters dealt with difficult life events. It is a great summer read! It is set on the fictional Wintrop Island and has some connections to her previous books, but this is story can be read as a standalone.
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I appreciated the complex relationships between these flawed, but ultimately well-meaning (for the most part) characters.
slow-paced
I enjoy Beatriz Williams. She has become an autoread author for me. She writes multiple timelines and it is neat to see how she weaves them all together. I have not read the other Winthrop Island books, although I bought them and meant to read them before this one, but it was not necessary. I think it would have been nice if I read them before to already know some of the families. This book has a survivor of a ship crash in 1848 telling her story, and then we have a 1994 timeline, and a current day. This book is about Meredith and her daughter Audrey. Meredith is an actress and needs to be sober before her next role so her daughter is going to be in charge of her all summer to make sure of the detox. They go to their home on Winthrop Island for the summer. Audrey's father also lives on the island and their relationship is not much better than her relationship with her mother. I will say that neither of them was likable in my opinion. They both need lots of therapy and I feel like that should definitely have been a part of the story. The book opens with a dead body and then we find out there are other dead bodies in the past so there are some mysteries to this story as well.
-"You only get hurt if you love someone in the first place. Grief is the price we pay for love."
-"Because that's how love works. Love does not keep a balance sheet. Love does not keep score. Love just gives. "
-"You only get hurt if you love someone in the first place. Grief is the price we pay for love."
-"Because that's how love works. Love does not keep a balance sheet. Love does not keep score. Love just gives. "
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes