On Gin Lane Paperback – Import, 2 May 2023

Okay, true confessions. I’m a Hamptons girl from the old money days. This book captures that time so beautifully, that all theses years later I am transported back to the golden summer light of a long ago time on the tip of Long Island. Everleigh is poised on the cusp of the women’s movement, in a time when women were groomed to be the perfect wife, existing only as an extension of their husband. How she navigates that makes for an epic tale, most satisfying in its twists and turns. I could not put it down.

This is my first time reading this author. I absolutely loved this book. Loved the characters even the ones that I hated. I loved the story of friendships old and new. So much we learn from relationships bad and good. An author I will watch for in the future.

Having never heard of this author or novel, I was quite pleased with this hidden treasure. From Everleigh's growth as a meek debutante to independent working woman, the long summer's search to find purpose and passion begins on Gin Lane in the Hamptons. Highly recommend this fast-paced, suspenseful story of heartbreak and renewed self-worth.

Wonderful storyline with good descriptions of the Southhampton area. A little slow at first but once I got into it, the book took off and kept me wanting to read more and more. A definite good read!

I felt I knew what I was getting myself into with this book. I thought it might be clichéd and not necessarily Pulitzer worthy, but was lured in by the promise of the exploration of the art scene of mid 1950s and early 60s Hamptons. But it's just not here. I don't know if it's that it's poorly written, or if it's extremely poorly edited. Perhaps both?Who is supposed to catch things that are so historically out of context as the use of the term "blush" instead of "rouge," (as it was still called then ... or perhaps "Blush-on" but not blush) a reference to two women doing "water aerobics (while it was created by Jack LaLane in the 1950s it didn't become popular or offered in classes until really the 70s or 80s) or a reference to drinking a Paloma which was not a drink that upper class Wasps in the Hamptons would have been drinking at that time as it was just gaining popularity in Mexico among the workers there in the 50s. (By the way, those are just three things I googled and verified as they struck me as a bit odd in the context of the setting. I'm sure I missed scads more). One character is described as having her hair in two ponytails repeatedly, in the same scene, even on the same page. Pieces of jewelry are described over and over, and for some reason woman are constantly twirling their earrings. I started to feel like no one really bothered to read this book before it was published.And that's just the little details. I cannot even go into the flat, one dimensional characters, the gaping plot holes, or the endless repetitions of dialogue or descriptions. There have to be better beach reads out there.