Flight of the Monarchs

by M. H. Reardon

An evocative, coming-of-age tale about the cost of love, sex, and loyalty for five childhood friends in 1960s America.

When Jeremy Hill volunteers for war in the summer of 1967, he must first return to his hometown of Pacific Grove, California to repair his father's beachfront home. Upon his arrival, the small beach town is filled with both fear and intrigue. Since disappearing eleven years earlier, after he was found standing over his father’s dead body, Jeremy has been known as the boy who got away with murder, and it's made him the talk of the town.

But for Celia Lynch, Jeremy's boyhood crush, his unexpected return sparks only a rush of memories, regrets, and longing for the boy she claims saved her life, and for the grown, handsome man who now seems to hate her guts and refuses to tell her why. With the help of her often spaced-out and distracted friends, Celia makes it her mission to uncover what happened that fateful night and to win back Jeremy's love before he leaves for Vietnam. But she's not the only one with plans for him . . .

What follows is a summer of self-discovery, heartbreak, and obsession amid the cultural revolution of a changing America.

What they'll call it is the Summer of Love.



⚠️ Content the full trilogy contains explicit sex scenes and depictions that may be disturbing for some readers, including sexual assault, hate slurs, homophobia, racism, explicit physical violence, child abuse, drug use, addiction, smoking, bullying, death of a parent, war, mental illness, self-harm, and PTSD.



This is Book One in the Flight of the Monarchs trilogy.Book Two, Catch the Wind, is available now.Book Three is coming soon!

“Reardon's evocative prose and well-drawn characters make this novel a captivating journey through a pivotal period in American history that is as realistic as it is transportive.” —Readers’ Favorite

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Coming Of Age, Historical, Amazon, Queer, LGBT

425 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 25, 2024

About the author

Born and raised in Southern California, M. H. Reardon got her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and works as a writer and freelance editor. She currently lives with her family in North Carolina. When she’s not writing, she can be found poolside with a spicy romance, on a trail of some kind, or on her couch bingeing Marvel movies with her youngest child.

Reviews

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Goodreads for this giveaway! I wasn't sure they were actually real until this.

I liked this more than I thought I would with a rather rough opening chapter and a pretty unlikable cast of characters. They were never great people but they were interesting to follow along with and their relationships were engaging. It was surprisingly easy to read for so little to happen in it when I tend to be plot driven. The drama was really good to follow though.

This probably would have been four stars if not for the ending which just didn't resolve basically anything and I needed a little ending! Even if just the side drama! I needed more!

I think the first chapter with baby Celia should have been dropped. I don't think I got anything from it other than false impressions of events and an early deep dislike of Celia. I think it could have all been looked back and revealed through the story naturally. But once they aged up it was more interesting especially with the different characters. The real stars of the story were Fletcher, Angie and Moose who really carried a lot of the engagement for me.

[Amanda K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book was excellent! The handling of shifting POV chapters is done very well. Each character has their own unique voice and you really feel so connected to the five friends. While Celia and Jeremy feel like the two protagonists, I was very invested in Fletcher, Angie, and Moose's stories too and it's clear to see how they all became so close. Celia and Jeremy's romance is well written and each progression in their relationship is an intense push and pull of building tension which makes it feel earned. It's clear that the locations and history behind the story is well researched and the experiences of the characters are authentic. My favorite part of this book is the central focus is a love story but there is so much more going on with the friendships, themes around grief, youth, and identity - that it really fills out the world around the central story in a way you don't encounter in a lot of books that attempt something similar.

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I was excited to read Flight of the Monarchs, billed as a coming of age story set in 1960s America. Jeremy left home at the age of 10 under unusual circumstances and returns home in young adulthood to sell his father’s home in Pacific Grove, CA. Reconnecting with the group of friends he grew up with, they spend the summer together each going through their own private struggles.

The setting of the 1960s counterculture movement with hippies who opposed the Vietnam War, commercialism, and societal norms was very unique and done well. I enjoyed the themes of feminism vs sexual freedom and gay liberation.

The book alternates between the five characters’ perspectives and this is done smoothly. Celia is the focus of the book though and I found her to be the least interesting of the group of friends. Her obsession with Jeremy and her stalker behavior made me very uncomfortable. I didn’t understand her obsession and needed more backstory on her childhood and her mental health treatment. I preferred reading about the secondary characters Moose, Fletcher, and Angie who were far more interesting than Celia.

The book is largely a very dysfunctional romance between Jeremy and Celia which isn’t my cup of tea. There is also a portion of the book where the friends go on a trip to San Francisco and experience many drug-induced trips. I felt like I had bugs crawling on me while reading it.

I loved the title and googled to learn more about the flight of monarchs.

I was a Goodreads giveaway winner.

[Daniella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cumming of age

[Janell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel, set in the 1960s in California. The story is centered on Jeremy Hill, who grew up with an abusive father, and Celia, the girl next door who always knew she loved him, but because he was poor as a child, failed to acknowledge how much she cared about him until the two were in their late teens.

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful and heart wrenching all at once. A coming of age story of five friends in the 60s during a time of new ideas, war, and experimentation. I loved seeing each character grow throughout the book. Truly beautiful story.

[Sheila Kidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. Flight of the Monarchs is an extremely well written book that kept me interested and wanting to continue reading. With the author’s exceptional style of writing, I found myself sharing emotions with the characters in their point of view chapters. Each of the friends in the main group which the book centers around has an interesting storyline and I found myself both sad to end their chapter while simultaneously being excited to start the next narrative. I’m invested in all of them and this first book of the trilogy has left me excited for the release of book 2!

[WHITNEY MCEUEN · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review and I couldn’t be more pleased. Flight of the Monarchs is a beautifully written coming of age story of five lifelong friends who have lived very different lives. The way the author blends their stories into one amazing summer adventure full of love, growth, lust, freedom, fun and loss was done seamlessly. I will not be going into any details about the book because there are so many twists I don’t want to ruin the read for anyone. All I will say is, if you’re looking for an escape from this crazy world we currently live in this is definitely the book for you.

[Farah G · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love coming of age stories, and this one was billed as that, so I was happy to have the opportunity to read it. To me though, it was more a combination of different genres. It starts off like a coming of age story, and that was the part I found most interesting.

Jeremy is a young boy who lives with his violent, alcoholic father and has a crush on his neighbour Celia, a little girl with a nice family and a father who is very kind to his daughters and their friends, like Jeremy.

Though Celia only actually acknowledges Jeremy as her friend outside of school. Because at school he is often bullied and taunted for being poor and different. Yet it's Jeremy who ends up accidentally killing his father in an attempt to defend Celia.

Jeremy's mother then returns to whisk him off to live with her at his maternal grandfather's home. Celia pines for the closure she doesn't get, and the boy she didn't know she loved.

When things subsequently go wrong in her life, everyone assumes it is because of the tragedy involving Jeremy. That is not the whole story though. And Fletcher is the only one who knows the truth of what really happened to her. Of course, Celia is the only one who knows the truth about Fletcher, too - because this is America in the '60s, and being gay is considered a mental illness.

Years later, when Jeremy has to return to renovate his father's house which he inherited, before heading off to Vietnam, Celia and her friends Fletcher, Moose and Angie find they are dealing with a very different version of that once-neglected boy.

But Celia's attraction towards Jeremy remains a constant at a time when very little else is - on again and off again as that relationship is. The Summer of Love is underway, but it's far from simple for some of those caught up in those changing times...

I had mixed feelings about the book. It was largely a love story rather than a coming of age story for me, which reduced its appeal for me, but one set in times of enormous social upheaval, which made it more interesting.

And I found some of the supporting characters more interesting than Celia and Jeremy. But the book does work well as a chronicle of the times, so if you are looking for a dose of sixties nostalgia, this could well do the trick!

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Tini · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

This book started out wonderful, a tender story set on the California coast in the 1950s and late 1960s that follows a group of friends - though mainly two of them, Celia and Jeremy - who spent their childhoods together until one fateful event tore them apart, only to cross paths again as adults. They childhood chapters are superb, the characters leap of the page, and the story moves along seamlessly and beautifully. The environment of the 1960s - sexual liberation and, in particular, music festivals - was described equally vividly and in a very atmospheric way.

But as much as I adored them as kids, grown-up Celia and Jeremy are a different story, and I found myself growing more and more disenchanted with them. Celia is needy, clingy, and pretty much stalking Jeremy, who, for his part, has unexplained anger issues towards her and treats her abysmally. While their friends and their stories stories shine, Moose in particular, even though he gets the least amount of story time - and although Angie‘s story in particular never gets resolved - Celia and Jeremy go down a troubling and honestly fairly abusive path (his „tempered sadism“ and emotional abuse is neither cute nor understandable). The more I read about them, the less I liked both of them, and I found myself wishing them apart, which I‘m guessing wasn‘t the author‘s intention.

One single drug-fueled day and night in San Francisco also took up way too much storytime that could have been used better (on Moose‘s backstory! Fletcher! Angie‘s future and her brother! Bianca! Why exactly Celia thinks her dad’s death was her fault! Literally anything but a few too many LSD trips). Finally, things got unnecessarily crude towards the end.

I wanted to love this book, and did when I first started out, but was left disappointed by the turns in the story, the character development (I refuse to call it growth on Celia and Jeremy’s parts, as they are both more annoying in the end than they ever were in the beginning), and the ultimate non-resolution - for all those chapters spent on a few hours in San Francisco, and the detailed descriptions of physical contact, the actual ending felt rushed and unsatisfying.

Thank you to the author, Greenleaf Book Group Press, and NetGalley for an advanced reader‘s copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Brenda Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flight of the Monarchs is a poignant and elegiac portrayal of the lasting impacts of abuse and the power of love and friendship to heal it. Told through in-depth characterizations from the points of view of five lifelong friends, the story shifts back and forth from tragic events that happened in 1956 and onto 1967, when these events are still ever-present in the minds and hearts of those who experienced them. There are heady and frightening scenes from the groundbreaking Monterrey Pop Festival to the streets and psychedelic drugs of San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury and Golden Gate Park. Having participated in these times myself, I can attest that M.H. Reardon has captured them in their full beauty, warts and all.

What I love most about the book is the skill with which the point-of-view characters are brought to life, each with his or her own set of challenges and strengths. Their bonds of friendship, including the inherent resentments, come off as very authentic, all while giving us deep insight into the days when gays began to come out after being closeted throughout history, when abuse was tolerated and misunderstood, and when women quit settling for having their needs disregarded. And one of the friends must report for duty in the Vietnam War, the ultimate fear of our generation.

These friends aren’t full-time hippies or denizens of the Haight, but are regular American young folks from down the California coast who drive up to check out the scene. Yet still, they are shaped, even buffeted, but the changing times. The story also includes a violent bully getting his comeuppance, sexual exploration, gripping and realistic acid trips, intrigue and discovery in a gay night club, and an old love lost but reignited.

Beautiful prose, lovely imagery, engaging characters, and an iconoclastic setting in time and place, all wrapped into a compelling story—what could be better? I highly recommend M.H. Reardon’s Flight of the Monarchs, and I cannot wait for the other two novels in the series. I give the novel five enthusiastic stars and all the good feels.

Brenda Marie Smith, author of
If Darkness Takes Us, If the Light Escapes, and the
soon-to-come If the Sun Spares Us

[Ronda Danner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. The book takes place in the late 1960s and follows the story of 5 friends in a coming of age tale. The beginning is a back story of two friends, Jeremy and Celia. Jeremy lives with his abusive alcoholic father and one night something happens and his father dies. Jeremy is sent away and Celia grows up without her best friend/ boy she loved.

Years later and into their 20s he comes back to fix up and sell his father's house and Celia is determined to get Jeremy back into her life. Their relationship then and now is toxic. They are constantly arguing and being mean to one another, red flags everywhere.

I think the book should've come with trigger warnings for child abuse, alcoholism and DV. I know things were different back then and it fits with what went on back then but a warning maybe.

I didn't like that plots were left unfinished. What came of Angie finding out about her brother? What came of moose and fletcher's relationship? Did Jeremy come back for Celia? Did he write? Did she wait for him?

Having said all of that I liked the relationship that all the friends had, the love they had for one another was heartwarming. I personally loved fletcher's story. The gay man growing up in a time when it was frowned upon and finding himself and happiness.

Overall the book was good and I'm glad I read it and finished it. I just wish the story was finished. Or maybe one more chapter for Jeremy in the end to get his perspective.

[Steph Elias · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flight of the Monarchs is a coming-of-age story about a group of young adults living in California in 1967. The main characters Jermey and Celia are very well-written, and while they sometimes fought like cats and dogs, I did hope that they would end up fixing their messed-up relationship. The others were also very well done, Moose, Fletcher, and Angie all were strong characters. The story is not exciting, there are no thrills, there are mysteries, It is just a book about a group of people growing up. With that in mind, the story is slow. It constantly circles back to the Jermey and Celia mess of a relationship with very little change. Of course, there is a bit, otherwise, the story would have two people not speaking to each other, but it felt like nothing was ever truly resolved. In all the situations there was little resolution, most were left open-ended with the reader deciding for themselves how the story ends. Some of the hippie stereotypes were cringe-worthy, especially the park and the tripping scenes. All in all, even with the frustrating ending, I did enjoy this, it was a nice read with great characters.

[Krista Marriott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!! This is a definite must-read for historical and literary fiction lovers!

Flight of the Monarchs is the first novel in a trilogy. This coming of age story follows a group of friends as they navigate young adulthood in the early 1970’s, and is set in a small coastal town outside of Monterey, California.

Each chapter is narrated by a different character and the author does a fantastic job of giving each a distinct voice. All are grappling with childhood trauma, who they want to become as adults, sexuality, and much more (no spoilers here!). The characters are exquisitely developed as the novel progresses, causing the reader fall in love with each through the story, and the pace is well-executed. Each chapter is vividly detailed, but has exciting events that keep readers wanting more.

Also, the author excels at getting the 1970’s lingo just right. There is a noticeable verbal shift in one character’s embrace of the hippie movement from one chapter to the next while the other’s voices remain constant.

Lastly—I applaud the author for not shying away from using intelligent vocabulary! Their language choices are refreshing and invigorating, which deeply enhance both the plot and character development.

I definitely recommend this book for anyone who loves a coming of age novel with richly-drawn characters!

[♏ Gina☽ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeremy Hill is that one kid in school that people tend to avoid. He's always dirty, he smells bad, his dad is abusive, and his clothes are tattered. However, Celia, doesn't avoid him. Going against the "rules" of their class, she becomes his best friend and confidante.

When, one day, his father takes things too far, Jeremy takes care of the situation and is then gone for a long period of time. That split second decision will alter the lives of not only Celia, but quite a number of others as well.

Forced to return home after his father dies and leaves him the shack he was raised in, Jeremy tries to stay hidden from everyone who knew him as a child. He plans to rehab the shack and sell it, thereby cutting ties from the town forever and ever.

However, the universe has other ideas, and when Celia finds out Jeremy is back and wants nothing to do with her, the universe will work harder to thaw his icy facade.

Very well written and characters that are so well developed, I highly recommend this book which takes place in the 1960's.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a digital copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

I don't usually pick up a lot of historical fiction, but I enjoyed the late-1960s setting of this story. Once I started reading, it was hard to stop, and the pages kept flying by. The five main characters felt very real, relatable, and distinct from one another, and I found myself rooting for all of them. Reardon is great at evoking emotion from the reader, and that was one of my favorite things about this book. I was fully invested in the fate of each character. My only complaint is that the book ended a bit abruptly, and I would have liked it if certain characters were given more of an ending (namely Fletcher and Angie). Overall it was a well-written and enjoyable book.

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of Flight of the Monarchs. This story pulled me in immediately. The characters come alive so vividly and it was impossible not to feel what they are feeling. Flight of the Monarchs is beautifully written. The interwoven relationships seamlessly integrate the characters’ stories and their connection to one another, each struggling with their own adversity. The attention to detail is evident in the language, descriptions of time and place, and the accuracy of small details. The book takes you on a journey both in time and through the lives of the characters. It definitely left me wanting more from M.H. Reardon.

[Mollie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book in Giveaways. For that, thank you!

I was hesitant to read this at first, thinking it is slow, the history, coming of age, it’s not something I am accustomed to. I am glad I pushed through.

I enjoyed the different POV of the characters and how they have developed overtime. Celia and Jeremy’s story left a bittersweet feeling in my heart. Sure, I could think of what happened after, I wish there was more (another book, maybe?) for me to hold to. They grew on me. It was hard going through with them what they went through. The struggles, giving in, I still have so many questions.

I want to ‘see’ the butterfly come home!

[Rachel Arwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but didn’t love it. The first half was engaging but I got bored of the main storyline by the end. The potential was there but the plot fell
short. The main romance storyline was uncomfortable. I can appreciate a dysfunctional relationship if I like the characters, but I found these two insufferable. The book did alternate POVS between five friends, and the other three characters had amazing storylines that deserved more development. A good first read of 2025 but I hope to go up from here☺️

[Lisa Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not your typical coming of age story.
Lifelong friends navigate their history of traumatic events, loss, and societal expectations with the backdrop of the Viet Nam war, the sexual revolution, and drug influenced hippie lifestyles. The friends grow and change while facing the realities of their world.
At the end of the book, not all of the mysteries have been revealed. Not all of the issues have been resolved. Just like real life.

[Pennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always said that I wanted to live during the 60s, now I feel like I somewhat have. This author is simply amazing. The story makes you dive in so much that you feel like you are a part of the story. Such a great story of friendship but many other things. I beg you to dive into this whole heartedly.

I received this ebook through a Goodreads giveaway. My review is my own honest opinion.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this title as a goodreads giveaway...

I loved the writing style and the strong group of characters in this coming of age story. It started off really strong and lost it's focus and dragged by 50% through. I had so much more hope for where the story could go in a book that was nearly 500 pages long.

Definite promise, but ultimately disappointing.

[Evie Highlander · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed being immersed in the lives of these five friends. The depth of their relationships, the challenges they face, and the way their bonds evolve… kept me hooked from start to finish. The author did a fantastic job bringing each character to life, making me feel like I was right there with them on their journey. I can't wait to see how their stories continue to unfold.

[Bree · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a compelling story about love, friendship, and identity. I found myself fully invested not only in the love story between Celia and Jeremy but also invested in the side characters as well. A beautifully written , engrossing page turner. Highly recommend!

[Miriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautiful coming of age story. This is about 5 friends in the 70’s who live through a time touched by war, love and new ideas. Beautifully written and surely a fan fave for lovers of historical fiction.

[Jeanelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flight of the Monarchs is such a fun, great read. There are heavy topics mentioned and the way they were handled were *chefs kiss*.
I came away with a huge crush on Jeremy and his callused hands.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

[Mimsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of messy people, unreliable narrators, and returning home.

[Taylor Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m only going to read to page 100…150…300… well I’m only 50 pages from the end…

Absolutely beautiful brought me to tears!

[Jackie Simons]

Read 12/25