Hotel Laguna

Author: Nicola Harrison
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group, 2023
Pages: 288
Rating: Recommend 

Synopsis: In 1942, Hazel Francis left Wichita, Kansas for California, determined to do her part for the war effort. At Douglas Aircraft, she became one of many "Rosie the Riveters," helping construct bombers for the U.S. military. But now the war is over, men have returned to their factory jobs, and women like Hazel have been dismissed, expected to return home to become wives and mothers.

Unwilling to be forced into a traditional woman's role in the Midwest, Hazel remains on the west coast, and finds herself in the bohemian town of Laguna Beach. Desperate for work, she accepts a job as an assistant to famous artist Hanson Radcliff. Beloved by the locals for his contributions to the art scene and respected by
the critics, Radcliff lives under the shadow of a decades old scandal that haunts him.

Working hard to stay on her cantankerous employer's good side, Hazel becomes a valued member of the community. She never expected to fall in love with the rhythms of life in Laguna, nor did she expect to find a kindred spirit in Jimmy, the hotel bartender whose friendship promises something more. But Hazel still wants to work with airplanes - maybe even learn to fly one someday. Torn between pursuing her dream and the dream life she has been granted, she's unsure if giving herself over to Laguna is what her heart truly wants.

Review:  I love this time period, I love this style of novel, and I loved the cover. The story itself fell a little flat for me. It was the perfect read for me now though since I'm off to California next week.

Also by Nicola Harrison:
Montauk

The Wedding Veil

Author: Kristy Woodson Harvey
Genre: Fiction / Historical Fiction
Publisher: Gallery Books, 2023
Pages: 448
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: Present Day: Julia Baxter's wedding veil, bequeathed to her great-grandmother by a mysterious woman on the train in the 1930s, has passed through generations of her family as a symbol of a happy marriage. But on the morning on her wedding day, something tells her that even the veil's good luck isn't enough to make her marriage last forever. Overwhelmed and panicked, she escapes to the Virgin Islands to clear her head. Meanwhile, her grandmother Babs is also feeling shaken. Still grieving the death of her beloved husband, she decides to move out of the house they once shared and into a retirement community. Though she hopes it's a new beginning, she does not expect to run into an old flame, dredging up some of the same complicated emotions she felt a lifetime ago.

1914: Socialist Edith Vanderbilt is struggling to manage the luxurious Biltmore Estate after the death of her cherished husband. With 250 rooms to oversee and an entire village dependent on her family to stay afloat, Edith is determined to uphold the Vanderbilt legacy - and prepare her free-spirited daughter Cornelia to inherit it - in spite of her family's deteriorating financial situation. But Cornelia has dreams of her own. Asheville, North Carolina has always been her safe haven away from the prying eyes of the press, but as she explores more of the rapidly changing world around her, she's torn between upholding tradition and pursuing the exciting future that lies beyond Biltmore's gilded gates.

Review: As with most dual-timeline novels, I preferred one time period more than another. In this case, it was the present-day story. I don't know if I was more in the mood for a cute / fluffy story, but I wasn't feeling the historical fiction piece of this novel. The "mystery" behind the veil wasn't really a mystery and the Vanderbilt story added pages, not depth. I love this author though and look forward to reading more of her books.

Also by Kristy Woodson Harvey:
The Summer of Songbirds