The Golden Hour audiobook

Williams always writes solid commercial historical fiction and this is not an exception. It’s a bit slow to start and I became weary of “Believe me” and “Let me tell you” but mercifully those particular repetitions tapered off. Consisting of two timelines, one during WWI and the other during WWII, the period details are rich. I preferred Elfriede’s story to Lulu’s although one hinges upon the other. Be aware that while the Bahamian years of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor during WWII are a clever and glitzy premise, they actually play secondary roles within the novel.

3.5 starsI had read and enjoyed a book by this author awhile back and when I saw the gorgeous cover for this one, I immediately put it on my to be read list without even bothering to look at the synopsis. When I started reading this historical fiction book I was excited to learn Wallis Simpson and her husband, the former king of England who gave up the throne, were going to be a characters in the story. I read a biography on her not that long ago and they are both fascinating people although not so much in a good way.The story is told by using alternating timelines and with different characters. Obviously the more you read, the more you see how everything is tied in to one another. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor live in the Bahamas back in the 1940s as he has been appointed governor of the island. Reporter Leonora “Lulu” Randolph will be covering the couple for an American magazine. Once she is able to get into their social circle, Lulu soon realizes this royal couple are up to no good. In fact there is a whole lot of horrible stuff happening on the island. In the middle of all this, Lulu might have some romantic feelings towards the mysterious Benedict Thorpe. The story will follow Lulu both in the Bahamas and when she arrives in Europe searching for a missing Benedict as well as a woman named Elfriede who is a patient at a Swiss sanatorium in the early 1900s. Unfortunately, the part of the story I expected to enjoy the most, anything involving the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, was actually the weakest part. The writing for the storyline taking place in the Bahamas felt disjointed at times. Key plot points felt glossed over, almost like it was jumping from point A to point C, with nothing really linking the two things together. I did however enjoy reading Lulu's storyline after she left the Bahamas. But by far the best parts of the story involved Elfriede. That character and her storyline are what saved the book for me. That's where you really find the heart and soul of the story as there are some good emotional moments.Even though the book fell a little flat when it came down to some of the historical fiction elements of the story, I still would recommend reading this if you have enjoyed other books by the author.

4 .5 Stars!The Golden Hour is my first Beatriz Williams read and it will not be my last. I've always been interested in her books, but for some reason or another I never took the plunge until now. The draw for me was the Duke and Duchess of Windsor being cast, along with the setting of the Bahamas during WWII. I'm hesitant to pick up a traditional WWII book these days (I've read so many) and this took the topic that I love, but gave it a new spin. I couldn't wait to pick it back up again (and that's always the sign of a good one)!I will not trouble you with regurgitating the summary, but if you like a good love story and some mystery and intrigue all wrapped up into one (with the setting of WWI & WWII), then this book is absolutely for you. I will readily admit that this may seem slow to start for some, but it worked perfectly for me. As others have mentioned, the Duke and Duchess only appear peripherally, but I was so enthralled with what would happen to Elfriede and Lulu that I didn't even care. I thought the ending was clever and done just right. With a less experienced author, a book of this scale could have been 600+ pages long, but the book was paced and plotted perfectly - leaving just enough left to think about long after. I'll be sure to recommend this for years to come.Thanks to the Buffalo Library for providing a copy to loan. They always come through for me when I'm declined for an e-arc. :)Review Date: 7/28/19Publication Date: 7/9/19

4.5 stars. Leonora "Lulu" Randolph, a newly widowed and newly minted reporter for an American magazine, arrives in June 1941 to Nassau to write about the latest gossip of the Bahamian governor and his wife, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. On the plane she meets a mysterious Englishman, Benedict Thorpe. She ingratiates herself into Wallis and Edward's social circle and enters into a mutual arrangement with the Duchess and her New York publisher to write the Lady of Nassau column. Clever and observant she learns who are the players in Nassau from the rich and infamous from the watering holes, the Windsor's functions, and to the Red Cross events. Thoroughly researched, I felt as if I was in the Bahamas in the 1940s and traveling along with Lulu as she biked, volunteered, and bantered with the locals. However, all is not golden in this sunshine paradise. Nassau is filled with swindlers, spies, racists, traitors, and the power hungry culminating in treason and murder. "Memory, it turns out, is unreliable. All on its own, your memory gathers up helpful details that match your recollection of an event, whether or not those details actually existed at the time. But does it matter?" In 1900, Baroness Elfriede von Kleist, who has been confined for a couple of years to a Swiss clinic after suffering from depression after the birth of her son, meets Wilfred Thorpe, who is recovering from an illness. When asked if she minded if Wilfred smoked, "'N-no.' Elfriede thinks she should probably have said yes, because tobacco smoke is possibly the last substance on earth that should fill the passages of Mr. Thorpe's ravaged lungs at the moment, short of poisoned gas. But his pleasure, his anticipation is so obvious, she doesn't have the heart to deny him. A pattern that will shape all the days they spend together." In December 1943, Lulu is in London determined to find her missing husband, who was arrested by the Germans as a spy.Alternating, among these lives and times, we learn of love, sorrow, betrayal, affairs, wars, and a family's history. Ms. Williams thoroughly captured the atmosphere of the 1900s to 1916 and the 1940s in London, Switzerland, Scotland, the Bahamas, and Florida. She expanded my vocabulary with mountebank, devoirs, burgher, soporific (been a while since I had heard this one), and obbroprium. I thoroughly enjoyed this historical novel.

3.5 starsI received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. “Was yours ever hit?”“No. Not a scratch. I suppose even bombs have a sense of irony.”“Not really,” I say. “That's just human illusion. We imagine there's an order to things, because it's too awful to consider the randomness of fate.” The Golden Hour is historical fiction that mainly follows two women decades apart while slowly but surely weaving their stories together. We first meet Elfriede in a Swiss clinic where she was sent after she can't feel anything for her newborn and talks about a darkness that dwells in her. Today we would call it postpartum depression but in the early 1900s, no one quite knows what to do with her. There she meets an Englishman recouping from pneumonia and they have a soulmates connection but with Elfriede still married, they can't really act on anything.The other woman we follow is Lulu in 1941 just as she is arriving in the Bahamas to cover gossip about the scandalous Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Edward and Wallis Simpson. There she gets caught up in possible treasonous acts and meets Benedict Thorpe, a man she thinks is more than he is letting on. It's so easy and so safe to fall in love when the universe is against you. While Elfriede's story is relayed from the beginning, chronologically, we start more towards the end with Lulu's story and are constantly backtracking and shooting forward to gain information on how she ends up in London with Benedict's sister, which is where we first meet her and the mysterious government agent, Mr. B. The pov changes also include first person and third person different narratives; it works to keep the two women drivers of their own stories but I can see how this could affect the flow of the story for some.While Lulu and Elfriede are fictional characters, they are surrounded by real events and real historical figures of their times. World War I plays a part in Elfriede's story, affecting her life's course and World War II obviously plays a big part in Lulu's story. For the most part though, the gravitas of the Wars are kept to the outside, Pearl Harbor is discussed but being in the Bahamas during the time and lack of Internet keeps the news to feeling surreal. The focus is more microcosm and how the Wars are personally affecting these two women and how it will connect them.I thought it was intriguing how the author made the Windsors, somewhat, central and key, along with the real murder mystery of Henry Oakes; little moments in history that aren't completely solved are fun to read different takes on. “Life is made up of these little crossroads, after all,” he said. “A million daily forks in the road.” The slow weaving of Elfriede and Lulu may feel meandering for a while, I thought the latter half started to drag a bit but it was still curiously interesting to see how the author ultimately ended up placing all the characters to culminate in the ending. The ending was rushed and key emotional moments were crammed, taking away from the reader from getting time to digest and deliver a bigger impact on key moments. However, if looking to disappear for a few hours, The Golden Hour will keep you intrigued about how all these characters touch and impact each other's lives and how it could feel so helpless and hopeful all at the same time during World War I and II.

DID IT AGAIN!Oh how I adore this author, her gorgeous writing, compulsively readable plots, stunning covers, and I wondered, “Can she do it again?” Indeed she can and she did with THE GOLDEN HOUR, set inventively in Nassau, WWII intrigue swirling ‘round the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, multilayered plot lines also weaving in the War to End All Wars. Plus this stunning publisher’s note, best I’ve ever read, whose writer must write his or her own novel!HOTBED OF SPIES“The New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Wives and A Certain Age creates a dazzling epic of World War II-era Nassau—a hotbed of spies, traitors, and the most infamous couple of the age, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.DUKE AND DUCHESS“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?BENEATH THE GLISTER“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.NOTORIOUS MURDER “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.ESPIONAGE EPIC“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.”5/5 for the entrancing book and the pub note! Pub Date 09 Jul 2019.Thanks to the author, HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine. #TheGoldenHour #NetGalley

The Golden Hour is our favourite novel from Beatriz and one of our most favourite read of the Year, she is really professional and an amazing writer, the way that she crafts the different times is fascinating and the topics elaborated within the book will keep you in suspense throughout the story!Beatriz is really the present Queen of Historical Fiction, she can merge such a mindful plot with intriguing characters and bring us masterpieces, I've loved all of the books I've read from her and I'm so excited for the new ones!.War, betrayals, family drama and politics are very difficult to be written within a book without a lot of researches so Williams has managed to bring us a very rich and powerful novel that will make you tear lots of times! The main character of the book is Lulu, who heads to the Bahamas in the early 1940s! Royalty, murder investigation, romance is so well crafted in the Lulu parts of the book! These moments are really suspenseful and in the meantime romantic!.Also another main character was Elfriede a German Baroness who suffers from depression! The connections between the two characters is a really amazing mystery to be solved and I can say that the book is merged into different genres which will blow your mind! Williams has written very complexed concepts within the book, lots of shocks and lots of drama going in which you'll love it so much!.Reading books set in WW2 is always fascinating because you can see always different perspectives from great characters, the feelings and the moments are really interesting to read so THE GOLDEN HOUR is a must read! The lyrical style of the writings was so profound to read, very edgy and so amazing!.The Bahamian background was really rare and beautiful, the first pages are a bit slow but by the ending you'll understand every page of the book which will delight every suspense moment, you will get to know every character who they are, and the ending will totally be unforgettable for every reader! This is a 10/5 book for me, TGH is definitely my new book recommendation for all of my friends and I can't wait to hear what you think of this masterpiece!

4.5 ☆ This is my third book and favorite so far of Beatriz Williams!! I loved the historical settings of WWl and WWll, including the Duke and Duchess of Windsor with their quite interesting and highly decadent lifestyle, and it’s two main characters that alternated between Elfriede during the turn of the 19th century undergoing dark turmoil after giving birth (postpartum depression now); and in the 1940’s there’s Lulu a NYC writer currently living in Nassau to catch the latest gossip on the scandalous Duke and Duchess (the Duke was banished to the Bahamas to serve as it’s governor.) A marriage, a murder, and a disappearance sets Lulu’s story off in a new direction regarding secrets, government spies and a slight nod of deception. I was engaged from start to finish with its intriguing dual storylines and wasn’t quite ready for it to end. Is a great read for historical fiction readers and fans of BW. I enjoyed it so much I’m adding her Schuyler Sisters book trio to my fall reading line up!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5The 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 BrooksFinal 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.

One of my favorite books by Beatriz Williams is ALONG THE INFINITE SEA. Now, I have to admit that I love plenty of her books, but that one just rocked my world as I listened to the audio version. One thing one has to know is that William's books often are connected in some way or another. You can even visit Beatriz Williams' home page to get the Schuyler family tree and the books they each appear in. Anyhow the reason I mention all this is that THE GOLDEN HOUR has connections to ALONG THE INFINITE SEA. I actually had a jaw-dropping moment when I realized towards the end of the book the connection. But, enough about that. What about the story you may wonder?READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!

Beatriz Williams is always a go-to favorite of mine and this one did not disappoint! Spanning several eras of a family, I found each narrative equally intriguing. I'll be eagerly awaiting her next one!

The Golden Hour spans from 1900 to 1951. It includes historical moments from the Bahamas, Germany, Switzerland, United States and London/Scotland. "The stories of two unforgettable women thread together in this extraordinary epic of espionage, sacrifice, love and courage, set against a shocking true crime and the rise and fall of a legendary royal couple." (from jacket)This book turns the pages all by itself.. or so it seems, right up until close to the end, when you don't want it to end so you slow down to enjoy.. a great read.. Loved it

I won this book in exchange for an honest review...Holy cow! Talk about a lot going on! I really enjoyed this book! I have found that I actually tend to enjoy historical fiction books way more than I think I will prior to starting the book. At least that has been the case with the last few of them that I have read anyways. This book is literally packed with relationships. I liked how it constantly made me think! I found myself closing the book just to remind myself silently in my head who was who and what character was related to what character and how and why and so on...I’m not going to lie, I did get confused a few times throughout the book, but each time I was able to figure out whatever it was that I was confused about. It was usually about remembering how different people or plots were connected. With that being said though, I wouldn’t say it is a bad thing. I like books that make you think like that. As long as they explain it in a way that doesn’t leave you with a bunch of unanswered questions, which this book nicely avoids. I would recommend this book to any historical fiction fans out there, but I would also recommend it to everyone else aw well! It is definitely a worthy read!