“The Golden Hour is pure golden delight Beatriz Williams is at the top of her game.” —Kate Quinn, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Alice NetworkBeatriz Williams, the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Wives, is back with another hot summer read; a dazzling epic of World War II in which a beautiful young “society reporter” is sent to the Bahamas, a haven of spies, traitors, … young “society reporter” is sent to the Bahamas, a haven of spies, traitors, and the infamous Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
The Bahamas, 1941. Newly-widowed Leonora “Lulu” Randolph arrives in the Bahamas to investigate the Governor and his wife for a New York society magazine. After all, American readers have an insatiable appetite for news of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, that glamorous couple whose love affair nearly brought the British monarchy to its knees five years earlier. What more intriguing backdrop for their romance than a wartime Caribbean paradise, a colonial playground for kingpins of ill-gotten empires?
Or so Lulu imagines. But as she infiltrates the Duke and Duchess’s social circle, and the powerful cabal that controls the islands’ political and financial affairs, she uncovers evidence that beneath the glister of Wallis and Edward’s marriage lies an ugly—and even treasonous—reality. In fact, Windsor-era Nassau seethes with spies, financial swindles, and racial tension, and in the middle of it all stands Benedict Thorpe: a scientist of tremendous charm and murky national loyalties. Inevitably, the willful and wounded Lulu falls in love.
Then Nassau’s wealthiest man is murdered in one of the most notorious cases of the century, and the resulting coverup reeks of royal privilege. Benedict Thorpe disappears without a trace, and Lulu embarks on a journey to London and beyond to unpick Thorpe’s complicated family history: a fateful love affair, a wartime tragedy, and a mother from whom all joy is stolen.
The stories of two unforgettable women thread together in this extraordinary epic of espionage, sacrifice, human love, and human courage, set against a shocking true crime . . . and the rise and fall of a legendary royal couple.
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Fantastic! I did not want it to end. Another great novel by the author and perfect narration by my favorite narrators. (Listened on audio). Such great characters! I will definitely listen to this one again!!
I have loved This author, but I had trouble following this book. I wanted to love it.
I listen to the audio performed by two of my favorites! I love the lush detail and the history made alive in this book! Absolutely loved the time split and how it all came together! Beatriz Williams is a must read gifted author!!!
Good research on locales. Don’t understand need for such an emphasis on characters sexual activities. Left little for the imagination!
/ 5
The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams is one of those books that takes a long time to read, but one that you want to savor forever.
What it’s about: I recommend reading the synopsis because it is too hard for me to explain this book in just a few sentences!
The Golden Hour took me ages to read (almost 7.5 hours) and is the type of book that you definitely want to take your time with. So if you are looking for a quick read, this isn’t it. But if you are looking for a book that you can really sink your teeth into and take your time with – this is the book for you! It’s also a bit of a beast at 462 pages.
This was my first time reading a book by Beatriz and I can definitely tell why people love her writing. It is very eloquent and detailed, and it really helps you picture what you are reading. The book mostly switches between Lulu in the early to mid-1940s and a woman named Elfriede in the early 1900s. In both time periods I really got a sense for the landscape and what these women were seeing and going through.
I will admit that The Golden Hour wasn’t exactly what I was looking for at this time, so that may have influenced my rating a bit. I am just coming off a bunch of very speedy reads and wasn’t entirely in the mood for a long book. However, I didn’t want that to take away from my whole experience which is why it’s still getting a 4 from me. It really is a beautiful, heartbreaking story even if I wasn’t really able to connect to any of the characters.
Song/s the book brought to mind: We Shall Be Free by Garth Brooks
Final Thought: The Golden Hour was giving me pretty major The Clockmaker’s Daughter vibes, just with fewer characters, and that is something I loved. I also loved how Beatriz tied everything up at the end. There were many points in this book where it brought tears to my eyes so be warned this is a very emotional tale, but it was also so funny and surprising. I am definitely looking forward to reading more from this author and will recommend this to lovers of historical fiction!
I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Lulu is sent to the Bahamas to learn more about Edward and Wallis, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Lulu ends up investigating a murder which takes her to London. This leads her down a path of espionage and and crime she never expected.
This is not my favorite Beatriz Williams book. This story starts slow and I stayed confused during most of it. It is told in two voices, Lulu and Elfriede. And Elfriede’s tale is the one that kept me reading this book. Her part of this novel is a better story than Lulu’s. I found the characters a little flat and I felt like I didn’t know enough about them. They sort of do things “out of character”. And as I was reading, I was questioning. “What the devil did I miss!?”
I did enjoy the historical aspect. It is very well researched. All of her novels are! This story just left me confused and a little bored. But, if you have not read Beatriz, I would start with one of her other books and pick this one up later.
I really enjoyed this book. I was gifted a prerelease issue from a friend and it was definitely one that I didn’t want to put down. It has multiple story lines, which I love, and really was an overall great read. If you are a fan of historic fiction with strong female characters, I really think you’ll love it.
I was excited to start The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams. I love dual time period stories and WW II is my favorited genre. Add English royalty and this looked to be a great read. However, it was Elfriede’s story I was drawn to more than Lulu’s story. I felt the story moved too slowly and too much description…..sometimes it was difficult to keep the characters straight. Make sure to keep a character list.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and William Morrow in exchange for an honest review.
Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “The Golden Hour” by Beatriz Williams, William Morrow, July 2019
WOW! Beatriz Williams, Author of “The Golden Hour” has beautifully written and vividly described this intriguing, captivating, intense, riveting, suspenseful and page-turning novel. The Genres for this novel are Fiction and Historical Fiction. There are basically two timelines in this story that do connect. One is in Switzerland in 1900, and the other is in 1941 in the Bahamas. Both do involve a ginger-haired Mr. Thorpe. The author describes her colorful cast of characters as complex and complicated. In this amazing novel, there are twists and turns, loyalty and betrayal, good and evil, danger and murder.
When Leonora “Lulu” Randolph, who has some secrets of her own, arrives in the Bahamas in 1941, she is determined to get all the information that she can on the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. As a journalist, it appears that American Readers love to see the Royal family and their life. To get this information, it appears that “Lulu” will have to become part of the social group and circle. This is during World War Two, and there are spies, diversity in the classes, and possible treason. When there is a murder, there are all sorts of speculation. As Lulu investigates, there is more danger and suspense.
I would highly recommend this intriguing and intense novel for readers who enjoy historical fiction.
Beatriz Williams is an author that I will read any books she writes. I love her characters, she makes you feel like you are part of the story with the descriptions, and she makes me lose sleep every single book as I can not put them down! The Golden Hour tells the story of two incredibly strong women, Lulu during WW2 and Elfriede during WW1. Both ladies our strong, brave, and face horrible circumstances due to the wars. I love how the dual time lines resolve at the end of the book. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.
I have read and enjoyed every book Beatriz Williams has written. This one kept me up until the wee hours of the night, made me shed tears, made we feel this is quite possibly her best and my new favorite, and will forever make me see the golden hour with memories of this beautiful book. Definitely a 5 star read with memorable characters and fast paced story line.