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The Island Club
Not yet published
Expected 28 Apr 26An unputdownable novel of loves lost and found, shocking secrets―and the power of female friendship.
1956: On idyllic Balboa Island, just off the California coast, life seems peaceful and welcoming. But when the lives of three women begin to unravel in shockingly different ways, an unlikely friendship―and the game of tennis―may be the only thing that can save them.
Milly Kinkaid's plan to fix her crumbling marriage seems to be falling apart before it even begins. She believed that moving her young family from Hollywood to Balboa Island might entice her increasingly distant husband to come home earlier after work. Instead, he's barely coming home at all.
Society matriarch Sylvia Johnson and her husband have been pillars of their community for decades, and have just recently begun a new business venture: The Island Club, a place for members to swim, play tennis and dine in style. But when she learns that he has been risking their financial security and putting their family's future in grave danger, she's not only poised to lose the club, but the entire community she holds dear.
Meanwhile, standoffish loner Adele Lambert's entire world is on the brink of being destroyed if the dark secrets of her past and her hidden identity is revealed. Twenty years ago, she ran from a shameful scandal and left behind the only thing she ever loved. Now, terrified that the anonymity she's spent decades guarding will be exposed, but desperate to stay afloat, she risks everything to return to the game that brought her to her knees all those years before.
Set against the sun-drenched beaches of Balboa Island, with its prim and proper 1950s facade, The Island Club is a story of love, loneliness and the lies we tell ourselves―and what can be gained when the truth is finally revealed.
1956: On idyllic Balboa Island, just off the California coast, life seems peaceful and welcoming. But when the lives of three women begin to unravel in shockingly different ways, an unlikely friendship―and the game of tennis―may be the only thing that can save them.
Milly Kinkaid's plan to fix her crumbling marriage seems to be falling apart before it even begins. She believed that moving her young family from Hollywood to Balboa Island might entice her increasingly distant husband to come home earlier after work. Instead, he's barely coming home at all.
Society matriarch Sylvia Johnson and her husband have been pillars of their community for decades, and have just recently begun a new business venture: The Island Club, a place for members to swim, play tennis and dine in style. But when she learns that he has been risking their financial security and putting their family's future in grave danger, she's not only poised to lose the club, but the entire community she holds dear.
Meanwhile, standoffish loner Adele Lambert's entire world is on the brink of being destroyed if the dark secrets of her past and her hidden identity is revealed. Twenty years ago, she ran from a shameful scandal and left behind the only thing she ever loved. Now, terrified that the anonymity she's spent decades guarding will be exposed, but desperate to stay afloat, she risks everything to return to the game that brought her to her knees all those years before.
Set against the sun-drenched beaches of Balboa Island, with its prim and proper 1950s facade, The Island Club is a story of love, loneliness and the lies we tell ourselves―and what can be gained when the truth is finally revealed.
304 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication April 28, 2026
13 people are currently reading
13017 people want to read
About the author
Nicola Harrison
4 books530 followersHi, Thanks for stopping by to visit. I'm the author of three works of historical fiction, HOTEL LAGUNA (June, 2023) MONTAUK and THE SHOW GIRL. I'm originally from Hampshire, England, and moved to California when I was 14. I studied Literature at UCLA and received an MFA in creative writing at Stony Brook University. Soon after college I moved to NYC and worked in magazine publishing. I was the fashion and style staff writer for Forbes and had a weekly column at Lucky Magazine. I spent many summers in Montauk, which inspired my first novel, but after 17 years in the Big Apple I recently moved back to California and have settled in Manhattan Beach with my husband, two sons and two chihuahuas. When I'm not writing I love to paddle board, do yoga and get outside with my boys.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
June 12, 2025
at first I wasn’t sure if I would care about the characters, but they won me over. a poignant story of misogyny in the 1950s that lets you walk alongside women who defy the norms <3
December 5, 2025
For fans of Elin Hildenbrand, Mary Kay Andrews, and Nancy Thayer. It’s 1956 historical fiction of three women whose lives intersect on Balboa Island in Southern California, at the tennis courts of The Island Club.
Milly, the young mother of 2, feels abandoned by her husband because he always works in Hollywood so late. She was hoping that he would spend more time with the family when they moved out to Balboa, but it seems to have made things worse. The best way for her to fit in is to join the island club and learn to play tennis.
Sylvia has a lot to live up to as one of the islands, richest families and owners of the island Club. But her husband has a dark secret that she is trying to overcome and keep the family together.
Adele is making some extra money as a tennis coach. Once one of the best tennis players in the world, she is now hiding from it with a changed name.
A female centered novel, this is nostalgic for the time period, while still showing the downsides. The book reminds the reader about wistfully looking back, and makes us remember that the idealized past never existed. The men in the book aren’t monsters, they are just as much victims of the patriarchal system that shackles them into the roles they are supposed to play.
I found this to be a very enjoyable read, spending time in character building and engaging me completely in the setting. It was a great escape and rang true to the mid-twentieth century. I loved the characters, particularly Milly, as time went on we felt more connected to their stories. The character arcs are wholesome while being satisfying, and I found the ending to be quite heartwarming. I wish I had friends like Sylvia, Milly and Adele!
Thanks to St Martin’s Press for the ARC. Book to be published April 2026.
#smpearlyreaders
Milly, the young mother of 2, feels abandoned by her husband because he always works in Hollywood so late. She was hoping that he would spend more time with the family when they moved out to Balboa, but it seems to have made things worse. The best way for her to fit in is to join the island club and learn to play tennis.
Sylvia has a lot to live up to as one of the islands, richest families and owners of the island Club. But her husband has a dark secret that she is trying to overcome and keep the family together.
Adele is making some extra money as a tennis coach. Once one of the best tennis players in the world, she is now hiding from it with a changed name.
A female centered novel, this is nostalgic for the time period, while still showing the downsides. The book reminds the reader about wistfully looking back, and makes us remember that the idealized past never existed. The men in the book aren’t monsters, they are just as much victims of the patriarchal system that shackles them into the roles they are supposed to play.
I found this to be a very enjoyable read, spending time in character building and engaging me completely in the setting. It was a great escape and rang true to the mid-twentieth century. I loved the characters, particularly Milly, as time went on we felt more connected to their stories. The character arcs are wholesome while being satisfying, and I found the ending to be quite heartwarming. I wish I had friends like Sylvia, Milly and Adele!
Thanks to St Martin’s Press for the ARC. Book to be published April 2026.
#smpearlyreaders
August 25, 2025
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Publisher: St. Martin’s Publishing Group
Pub. Date: April 28, 2026
Martie's rating: 2 1/2 stars
“The Island Club is set in the 1950s, where three women’s lives are intertwined on glamorous Balboa Island, off Southern California. We meet Milly, Sylvia, and Adele, who are each facing their own personal struggles. Through their shared love of tennis, they develop a strong and unexpected friendship that becomes the heart of the story, highlighting the power of female friendship. “Club” is a sunny, juicy, escapist read. I usually enjoy a beach read; however, this one was too predictable for me. I am not usually a fan of women’s fiction, meaning others may enjoy the novel more than I did.
Publisher: St. Martin’s Publishing Group
Pub. Date: April 28, 2026
Martie's rating: 2 1/2 stars
“The Island Club is set in the 1950s, where three women’s lives are intertwined on glamorous Balboa Island, off Southern California. We meet Milly, Sylvia, and Adele, who are each facing their own personal struggles. Through their shared love of tennis, they develop a strong and unexpected friendship that becomes the heart of the story, highlighting the power of female friendship. “Club” is a sunny, juicy, escapist read. I usually enjoy a beach read; however, this one was too predictable for me. I am not usually a fan of women’s fiction, meaning others may enjoy the novel more than I did.
July 28, 2025
I’ve spent a good amount of time on Balboa Island so I was so excited to read this! I really enjoyed The Island Club and the way Nicola Harrison wove multiple perspectives and narrators throughout the story. Each voice added depth and nuance, making the book feel immersive. Each character had a distinct storyline and challenge they were going through.
Set in the 1950s, the time period itself was fascinating and portrayed well—I loved getting a glimpse into that era and the unique social dynamics that came with it. The novel also explores a strong “keeping up with the Joneses” theme, highlighting the pressures of status and appearances, adding an extra layer.
Overall, The Island Club was an engaging, enjoyable read that kept me interested from start to finish.
Set in the 1950s, the time period itself was fascinating and portrayed well—I loved getting a glimpse into that era and the unique social dynamics that came with it. The novel also explores a strong “keeping up with the Joneses” theme, highlighting the pressures of status and appearances, adding an extra layer.
Overall, The Island Club was an engaging, enjoyable read that kept me interested from start to finish.
July 24, 2025
Tennis and sun on Balboa Island in California.
More later.
More later.
September 18, 2025
3.5/5⭐️
Set on Balboa Island, California in the 1950s, this novel traces the lives of three women as they face unraveling marriages, hidden pasts, and uncertain futures. Through unexpected friendship and the game of tennis, their stories intersect in surprising ways.
This is a character-driven story with a drifting narrative, and at first I wasn’t sure where it was headed or how it would unfold. It took me a while to feel connected to the story and the characters, but once I did, I was hooked.
The character development is great, I grew to feel as though I truly knew these women, and it felt like a glimpse into life on Balboa Island in the 1950s. The novel touches on drama, friendship, misogyny, marital struggles, and motherhood.
The storyline itself wasn’t especially compelling, but it was enough to keep me interested because I was intrigued by each woman’s journey and how their stories came together in friendship and in the shared experience of womanhood and supporting one another.
A light, easy read that would be a perfect beach read or palette cleanser.
Set on Balboa Island, California in the 1950s, this novel traces the lives of three women as they face unraveling marriages, hidden pasts, and uncertain futures. Through unexpected friendship and the game of tennis, their stories intersect in surprising ways.
This is a character-driven story with a drifting narrative, and at first I wasn’t sure where it was headed or how it would unfold. It took me a while to feel connected to the story and the characters, but once I did, I was hooked.
The character development is great, I grew to feel as though I truly knew these women, and it felt like a glimpse into life on Balboa Island in the 1950s. The novel touches on drama, friendship, misogyny, marital struggles, and motherhood.
The storyline itself wasn’t especially compelling, but it was enough to keep me interested because I was intrigued by each woman’s journey and how their stories came together in friendship and in the shared experience of womanhood and supporting one another.
A light, easy read that would be a perfect beach read or palette cleanser.
August 19, 2025
The Island Club
By: Nicola Harrison
Three women living on the California cost in 1956 bond over tennis. Each one is dealing with secrets. If you can’t tell secrets to your friends and your life is a facade, things can get entangled in a web of lies.
Harrison is a auto-by for me. Her books always have me engaged throughout the entire plot and this one does as well.
The saying the grass is always greener or at least looks that way fits this story.
By: Nicola Harrison
Three women living on the California cost in 1956 bond over tennis. Each one is dealing with secrets. If you can’t tell secrets to your friends and your life is a facade, things can get entangled in a web of lies.
Harrison is a auto-by for me. Her books always have me engaged throughout the entire plot and this one does as well.
The saying the grass is always greener or at least looks that way fits this story.
September 9, 2025
The Island Club was a quick, engaging read and the perfect choice for a summer beach bag. As an East Coast girl who’s spent very little time out West (and none on the California coast), I loved how Harrison transported me right to Balboa Island. Her descriptions painted a portrait of a sunny, polished utopia, while peeling back the layers to reveal the characters’ more complicated realities.
The three central women, each at slightly different stages of life, are all trying to keep up appearances while navigating suburban intrigue and marital struggles. What struck me most was how their tentative bond becomes a safe space, and a place where they can finally tell the truth without fear of judgment.
My only critique, and the reason for the four stars instead of five, is that the friendship between the three women felt a bit rushed. I felt connected to each of them individually, but I wanted more of them together on the page, because when they were, their interactions were heartfelt and compelling.
Overall, The Island Club is a warm, layered story about friendship, appearances, and the lives women lead behind closed doors. I highly recommend it for fans of contemporary fiction, women’s stories, and anyone looking for a quick but thoughtful summer read.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The three central women, each at slightly different stages of life, are all trying to keep up appearances while navigating suburban intrigue and marital struggles. What struck me most was how their tentative bond becomes a safe space, and a place where they can finally tell the truth without fear of judgment.
My only critique, and the reason for the four stars instead of five, is that the friendship between the three women felt a bit rushed. I felt connected to each of them individually, but I wanted more of them together on the page, because when they were, their interactions were heartfelt and compelling.
Overall, The Island Club is a warm, layered story about friendship, appearances, and the lives women lead behind closed doors. I highly recommend it for fans of contemporary fiction, women’s stories, and anyone looking for a quick but thoughtful summer read.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 19, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. 5/5!!!!!
I absolutely loved The Island Club; historical fiction is always a favorite, but this one will definitely leave a lasting impression on me. This was my first Nicola Harrison novel and it was engaging and atmospheric from the start.
All three women, Milly, Sylvia, and Adele, were beautifully written and had their own unique stories of triumphs, and turbulations, to tell. As women living in the late 1950’s, their challenges are vastly different, yet strangely the same to the ones we face today. The characters are multi-layered; I appreciated how introspective each of the women were in terms of how to step into, and navigate, a man’s world.
Overall, The Island Club is a captivating story about getting what you deserve out of life. The power of female friendships, and loves lost and found were palpable themes throughout the entire book. I loved the truly shocking twists (my jaw literally dropped… I won’t give it away here :)), and the end was truly satisfying and full circle.
Read for: class + privilege, female friendship, secrets + betrayal, love x desire, identity, reinvention, empowerment, what you want & deserve in life
I absolutely loved The Island Club; historical fiction is always a favorite, but this one will definitely leave a lasting impression on me. This was my first Nicola Harrison novel and it was engaging and atmospheric from the start.
All three women, Milly, Sylvia, and Adele, were beautifully written and had their own unique stories of triumphs, and turbulations, to tell. As women living in the late 1950’s, their challenges are vastly different, yet strangely the same to the ones we face today. The characters are multi-layered; I appreciated how introspective each of the women were in terms of how to step into, and navigate, a man’s world.
Overall, The Island Club is a captivating story about getting what you deserve out of life. The power of female friendships, and loves lost and found were palpable themes throughout the entire book. I loved the truly shocking twists (my jaw literally dropped… I won’t give it away here :)), and the end was truly satisfying and full circle.
Read for: class + privilege, female friendship, secrets + betrayal, love x desire, identity, reinvention, empowerment, what you want & deserve in life
August 19, 2025
I loved this book so much as I grew up close to Newport Beach and remember going to Balboa Island for frozen yogurt every summer. In this novel, we see the island in all its glory as movie stars buy beachfront property and several wealthy couples join The Island Club which features the famed ferris wheel and tennis courts. But there are secrets and lies among the wealthy as they vie for attention and try to "outdo" the others. And of course this often leads to tragic consequences that come to light after years of silence.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
July 31, 2025
“The Island Club” by Nicola Harrison is an entertaining novel that takes place in the 1950s on Balboa Island just off the California coast. The story revolves around three women whose picture perfect lives begin to unravel unexpectedly. They are each hiding secrets and facing a devastating crisis, but a game of tennis brings them together in a courageous and surprising way.
Even though the story takes place in the 50s the pressures women faced at that time still feels very current. This is a story about survival, independence, and friendship and should be on everyone’s summer reading list.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Matins Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Want to read
June 10, 2025Just won this book through the goodreads giveaway page- thanks for picking me!
October 14, 2025
Thank you to a NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
I have been to Balboa Island several times which is what initially drew me to this book. I love the area and am curious about the history there. This book felt like it could be a fictional retelling of history but it is entirely fictional as far as I know. This book is set in the 50’s which is obviously a very different but also exciting time in its own way for women just beginning to think about independence as a verb.
The storyline focuses on several women. Milly, who is new to the area - her handsome husband works in Hollywood and moved her out to the island with the kids so they could grow up in an idyllic community that he could escape to on the weekends. If you watched Madmen, he could be Don Draper in my mind. Milly met him in college and left after her freshman year to marry him leaving her own ideas and identity behind. She quickly becomes a housewife and mother of two.
Sylvia has lived on the island for many years, married to a successful but older local businessman who lead the community. At the outset they own a beautiful home and have just built an elite tennis club for the islanders.
Adele is a reclusive and ornery woman living quietly and unknown on the island after a wildly successful tennis career went belly up in the most dramatic fashion.
It’s fair to say the facade created by the community is crumbling behind the scenes. Milly’s husband seems to be disengaged at home and is suspected of an affair, Sylvia’s husband is taking great financial risks that lead to very dramatic changes. Adele just wants to be left alone. Yet women supporting women becomes somewhat of the glue and them that keeps them going. What could be a shallow story of the have’s has more depth as they struggle to stay afloat and maintain their dignity together.
I have been to Balboa Island several times which is what initially drew me to this book. I love the area and am curious about the history there. This book felt like it could be a fictional retelling of history but it is entirely fictional as far as I know. This book is set in the 50’s which is obviously a very different but also exciting time in its own way for women just beginning to think about independence as a verb.
The storyline focuses on several women. Milly, who is new to the area - her handsome husband works in Hollywood and moved her out to the island with the kids so they could grow up in an idyllic community that he could escape to on the weekends. If you watched Madmen, he could be Don Draper in my mind. Milly met him in college and left after her freshman year to marry him leaving her own ideas and identity behind. She quickly becomes a housewife and mother of two.
Sylvia has lived on the island for many years, married to a successful but older local businessman who lead the community. At the outset they own a beautiful home and have just built an elite tennis club for the islanders.
Adele is a reclusive and ornery woman living quietly and unknown on the island after a wildly successful tennis career went belly up in the most dramatic fashion.
It’s fair to say the facade created by the community is crumbling behind the scenes. Milly’s husband seems to be disengaged at home and is suspected of an affair, Sylvia’s husband is taking great financial risks that lead to very dramatic changes. Adele just wants to be left alone. Yet women supporting women becomes somewhat of the glue and them that keeps them going. What could be a shallow story of the have’s has more depth as they struggle to stay afloat and maintain their dignity together.
August 28, 2025
Title: The Island Club
Author: Nicola Harrison
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Three women - Sylvia, Milly, and Adele - each have their own story that landed them on Balboa Island. Set in 1956 when television was in the midst of taking over American households, each lady was trying to live her own life while dealing with the day to day challenges of life in the 50s. Milly wanted the women of the island to accept her, but craved a present husband who was often an hour away at work. Sylvia presented an extravagant lifestyle since her husband owned the Island Club, but is trying to hold onto her status after learning her husband’s secret. Adele was hiding in plain sight from a scandal she was involved in years earlier. Set on a charming California island that makes you want to stroll down its streets, The Island Club will be a great escape when it’s published.
Takeaways:
1. I really liked Hotel Laguna, so I was excited to get the ARC for Harrison’s upcoming book. Harrison paints an idyllic world with her words that present vivid colors and characters.
2. Milly is depicted as what you would consider a stereotypical 1950s housewife - dressed, heels, makeup, apron tied around her waist as she prepares dinner for her husband with a smile on her face and a drink to hand him when he walks in the door.
3. Strong female characters who really come into themselves as the story progresses. A true transformation that bleeds the 1950s out and into a modern woman.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book will be published on April 27, 2026.
#netgalley #arc #bookstagram @nicolaharrisonauthor #theislandclub #stmartinspress
Author: Nicola Harrison
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Three women - Sylvia, Milly, and Adele - each have their own story that landed them on Balboa Island. Set in 1956 when television was in the midst of taking over American households, each lady was trying to live her own life while dealing with the day to day challenges of life in the 50s. Milly wanted the women of the island to accept her, but craved a present husband who was often an hour away at work. Sylvia presented an extravagant lifestyle since her husband owned the Island Club, but is trying to hold onto her status after learning her husband’s secret. Adele was hiding in plain sight from a scandal she was involved in years earlier. Set on a charming California island that makes you want to stroll down its streets, The Island Club will be a great escape when it’s published.
Takeaways:
1. I really liked Hotel Laguna, so I was excited to get the ARC for Harrison’s upcoming book. Harrison paints an idyllic world with her words that present vivid colors and characters.
2. Milly is depicted as what you would consider a stereotypical 1950s housewife - dressed, heels, makeup, apron tied around her waist as she prepares dinner for her husband with a smile on her face and a drink to hand him when he walks in the door.
3. Strong female characters who really come into themselves as the story progresses. A true transformation that bleeds the 1950s out and into a modern woman.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book will be published on April 27, 2026.
#netgalley #arc #bookstagram @nicolaharrisonauthor #theislandclub #stmartinspress
September 28, 2025
On picturesque Balboa Island, just off the California coast, life appears tranquil, almost charmed. But in 1956, beneath the island’s sunlit allure, unfolds a story of secrets, resilience, and the fragile bonds of female friendship. Nicola Harrison sets the postcard beauty of the island in deliberate contrast with the quiet unraveling of three female protagonists, whose lives, shaped by tennis and circumstance, gradually intertwine. Through their journeys, she explores the weight of 1950s expectations placed on women: burdens that still echo today. Milly Kinkaid hopes that relocating from Hollywood’s chaos to Balboa’s calm will salvage her crumbling marriage, but her husband grows more distant by the day. Sylvia Johnson, a respected society figure, finds her reputation and social standing at risk when her husband’s recklessness jeopardizes both their finances and their new venture, The Island Club. Adele Lambert, long in hiding after a past scandal, must decide whether to confront her history by returning to the very game that once broke her. Set against the nostalgic, sun soaked backdrop of 1950s California, The Island Club is a slow burn exploration of identity, the connective power of tennis, and the strength of female solidarity. When long buried truths surface, these women discover that what they've needed most has been beside them all along. A heartfelt summer read I look forward to discussing with my book club. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this advance copy in exchange for my honest review. ★★★★☆ (3.5/5)
August 18, 2025
I was drawn to this after another empowering historical fiction novel that gave me some insight into the treatment of women at the time.
The Island Club starts off getting you introduced to the three main protagonists, and the way they face the pressures and perceptions at the time. From the perfect and rich Sylvia, to the up and coming, reputation building Milly, and the reclusive Adele, we are taken across different perspectives of the expectations and challenges they face.
A happy ending and based loosely on tennis champion Suzanne Lenglen's life, The Island Club shows how women, when working together, can achieve things that seem impossible, and buck the trends of the time, while coming into their own.
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Island Club starts off getting you introduced to the three main protagonists, and the way they face the pressures and perceptions at the time. From the perfect and rich Sylvia, to the up and coming, reputation building Milly, and the reclusive Adele, we are taken across different perspectives of the expectations and challenges they face.
A happy ending and based loosely on tennis champion Suzanne Lenglen's life, The Island Club shows how women, when working together, can achieve things that seem impossible, and buck the trends of the time, while coming into their own.
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 19, 2025
The Island Club is a fun summer read set in the 1950s on Balboa Island. The story revolves around three women—Milly, Sylvia, and Adele—who each have their own secrets, but their shared love of tennis brings them together.
It was interesting to see the differences of life in the 1950s, especially the social dynamics of that era. This story highlights the pressures women faced in maintaining appearances and status in high society, along with their struggles to provide for themselves and discover their identities.
The story's pacing sometimes felt slow, while the ending felt rushed. I wish the epilogue was longer to tie the story together. Overall, I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to everyone!
Publication Date: April 28, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
It was interesting to see the differences of life in the 1950s, especially the social dynamics of that era. This story highlights the pressures women faced in maintaining appearances and status in high society, along with their struggles to provide for themselves and discover their identities.
The story's pacing sometimes felt slow, while the ending felt rushed. I wish the epilogue was longer to tie the story together. Overall, I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to everyone!
Publication Date: April 28, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
August 19, 2025
The Island Club by Nicola Harrison takes place on Balboa Island in the 1950s. Three women varying in ages, each face their own life-changing problems. Sylvia, mother and wife, faces challenges with a husband who, unknown to her is caught up in major debt. Milly, also a wife and mom of two, faces marital issues related to fidelity. (and boy did she drop a bomb at the end of chapter 28). Adele, based loosely on a retired star tennis player, faces challenges related to a past that she's ashamed of.
Each woman opens up about their challenges and work together to build the confidence to address the challenges. I'm not a girl's girl but I SO wish I was. The amount of caring and assurance Sylvia and Milly found so quickly in a friendship is refreshing. As a forty-something wife and mother, I was really pulling for things to work out for these three, and I really loved reading how despite their age differences and different backgrounds, they became friends. As adults that can be hard!
What I liked best about the book was the small details that help the reader really picture what life was like in the 1950s. Harrison touches on things like what many young woman aspired to in the 50’s, what being a wife was like, and even fun events surrounding what Bal Fest (spring break) was like. This book had me looking things up like ‘Rangoon Ruby, Bathing Beauty Contest, the evolution of ferry boats, pink and cream Dodge La Femme, and Jean Patou cardigans.’
This is the first book by Harrison that I've read and I look forward to reading her other titles!
Each woman opens up about their challenges and work together to build the confidence to address the challenges. I'm not a girl's girl but I SO wish I was. The amount of caring and assurance Sylvia and Milly found so quickly in a friendship is refreshing. As a forty-something wife and mother, I was really pulling for things to work out for these three, and I really loved reading how despite their age differences and different backgrounds, they became friends. As adults that can be hard!
What I liked best about the book was the small details that help the reader really picture what life was like in the 1950s. Harrison touches on things like what many young woman aspired to in the 50’s, what being a wife was like, and even fun events surrounding what Bal Fest (spring break) was like. This book had me looking things up like ‘Rangoon Ruby, Bathing Beauty Contest, the evolution of ferry boats, pink and cream Dodge La Femme, and Jean Patou cardigans.’
This is the first book by Harrison that I've read and I look forward to reading her other titles!
August 24, 2025
3.75⭐️ rounded up.
The Island Club by Nicola Harrison is an enjoying novel based in California in the 1950’s. We follow 3 different women as they face personal challenges and form an unlikely friendship. I appreciated how different these women are and how they faced society and the pressures placed on them. Appearances are and have always been everything.
I liked that the novel focused most on Milly. I feel like the emphasis on Milly really doing everything she could to be The Perfect Wife. After years of doing everything she can, she begins to have an identity crisis and question everything she knows. I think this crisis portrays what a lot of women might have experienced in the 1950’s.
Overall this was a really nice read.
The Island Club by Nicola Harrison is an enjoying novel based in California in the 1950’s. We follow 3 different women as they face personal challenges and form an unlikely friendship. I appreciated how different these women are and how they faced society and the pressures placed on them. Appearances are and have always been everything.
I liked that the novel focused most on Milly. I feel like the emphasis on Milly really doing everything she could to be The Perfect Wife. After years of doing everything she can, she begins to have an identity crisis and question everything she knows. I think this crisis portrays what a lot of women might have experienced in the 1950’s.
Overall this was a really nice read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2025
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Nicola Harrison (via NetGalley) for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This was an inspirational novel about female empowerment and friendship. Each character faced challenges that led them to lean into their friendships with one another. The author developed the characters throughout the novel, and I found myself rooting for each of them to succeed. Milly and Sylvia showed up for Adele even when she had given up on herself. I found myself wanting to be in their friend group! I also enjoyed seeing the women break out of their traditional gender roles of the 1950s housewife.
One point of critique is the relationship between Wes and Milly. The relationship was not explored to its full potential. I would have enjoyed an epilogue that wrapped up their relationship instead of the one sentence at the end of the novel informing the reader that they were still seeing each other.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book! Bonus points for the beautiful cover!
This was an inspirational novel about female empowerment and friendship. Each character faced challenges that led them to lean into their friendships with one another. The author developed the characters throughout the novel, and I found myself rooting for each of them to succeed. Milly and Sylvia showed up for Adele even when she had given up on herself. I found myself wanting to be in their friend group! I also enjoyed seeing the women break out of their traditional gender roles of the 1950s housewife.
One point of critique is the relationship between Wes and Milly. The relationship was not explored to its full potential. I would have enjoyed an epilogue that wrapped up their relationship instead of the one sentence at the end of the novel informing the reader that they were still seeing each other.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book! Bonus points for the beautiful cover!
October 30, 2025
This is my 10th ARC I’ve received through Goodreads and it is by far my favorite. This book was good. Like, I hope a celebrity book club picks it up good. It had drama, friendship, secrets, and best of all…tennis. The author did a nice job of weaving in some difficult themes: the perils of motherhood and women wanting more for themselves; not giving up on a relationship (also giving up on a relationship); a life-altering mistake/choice…and so many more.
The only part I thought could have been better was the conclusion to Adele’s storyline. Her tv interview in which she gets to “tell her side of the story” was rushed and lacked the depth it deserved. It didn’t take much for Adele to drop her truth bomb, seemingly unsolicited. There could have been more time spent on this entire scene.
The only part I thought could have been better was the conclusion to Adele’s storyline. Her tv interview in which she gets to “tell her side of the story” was rushed and lacked the depth it deserved. It didn’t take much for Adele to drop her truth bomb, seemingly unsolicited. There could have been more time spent on this entire scene.
September 5, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book! The Island Club is a story about three women living on Balboa Island in the 1950s whose lives are not quite as perfect (or as simple) as they seem. I enjoyed the format of alternating POVs each chapter. If you’re looking for a light beach read, this fits the bill. It was a bit heavy handed with the topical references to hammer home that this was set in the 1950s (Elvis is so handsome, isn’t he??) and I don’t think it would pass the Bechdel test if it wasn’t for Adele’s storyline at the end. Milly and Sylvia try to break out of their roles as stereotypical white privileged housewives, but their character growth fell flat for me.
October 26, 2025
This light historical fiction story is just the break I needed from all my dark thrillers. I loved the found family, empowered women, tennis club, happily ever after story. I also loved the 1950’s California setting.
Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review
Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review
August 9, 2025
Really enjoyed the setting and time period—Balboa Island in the 1950s was such a fun backdrop. Loved getting the different perspectives and the peek into the social pressures of the era. It was a little slow in spots, but overall an engaging, well-told story that kept me interested.
August 20, 2025
5 stars
5 stars
5 stars
5 stars
5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I had read a previous book by Nicola Harrison
“ Hotel Leguna” and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I knew I would be in for an enjoyable read with this book, I certainly was not disappointed. The story focuses on three women living in the community of Balboa Beach in California in the 1950’s, it was enlightening to read about women in he 1950’s, what was expected, the shattered hopes and aspirations that women gave up to fit in the “ norm”. Adele, Sylvia, and Milly against all odds formed a friendship, that helped them all in the end, each of these women had a potential devastating secret that could impact not only their life but other people. I would highly recommend this story for a light, breezy read, I enjoyed all of these women and I enjoyed the ending.
5 stars
5 stars
5 stars
5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I had read a previous book by Nicola Harrison
“ Hotel Leguna” and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I knew I would be in for an enjoyable read with this book, I certainly was not disappointed. The story focuses on three women living in the community of Balboa Beach in California in the 1950’s, it was enlightening to read about women in he 1950’s, what was expected, the shattered hopes and aspirations that women gave up to fit in the “ norm”. Adele, Sylvia, and Milly against all odds formed a friendship, that helped them all in the end, each of these women had a potential devastating secret that could impact not only their life but other people. I would highly recommend this story for a light, breezy read, I enjoyed all of these women and I enjoyed the ending.
August 25, 2025
This is a beautifully written novel about female friendships in the 1950's. Each woman is dealing with their own secrets and crisis, but the game of tennis brings them together in a lovely way. This is the perfect summer read!
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
October 10, 2025
So good!!! The perfect read if you liked Carrie Soto Is Back😄
August 7, 2025
This is a sweet captivating story about friendship - a perfect read for anytime of year. I read it in one day too because I became involved in the lives of the three women who make up this story: Sylvia, Milly and Adele - and had to know what happened. Each is different and really don’t have much in common, but then events bring them together in which when they share their hearts and souls, they realize they are kindred spirits. Don’t pass this one by. It’s a keeper. I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.
August 11, 2025
I loved it! The Island Club was an absolute page-turner— Tennis matches, love stories, family secrets, and strong friendships—The Island Club had it all.
August 3, 2025
Three women, all with a huge secret of their own come together through the love of tennis. They learn the power of true friendship and how important family is even in the most trailing times.
Milly, Sylvia, and Adele not only took the term friendship, they made it in to something more. The Island Club shows readers what it means to turn hard times into a positive aspect and realize that it always gets better.
A true 5/5 star read! This book not only had me on the edge of my seat the entire way of trying to figure out certain aspects and details, it also warmed my heart because of how much these three women grew together through their own issues. Nicola Harrison proves that with women uplifting women in a men ruled world, anything can be conquered. I throughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to everyone!
Milly, Sylvia, and Adele not only took the term friendship, they made it in to something more. The Island Club shows readers what it means to turn hard times into a positive aspect and realize that it always gets better.
A true 5/5 star read! This book not only had me on the edge of my seat the entire way of trying to figure out certain aspects and details, it also warmed my heart because of how much these three women grew together through their own issues. Nicola Harrison proves that with women uplifting women in a men ruled world, anything can be conquered. I throughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to everyone!
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