Hotel Laguna: A Novel

Nicola Harrison

Jun 2023 · Sold by St. Martin's Press

About this ebook

In 1942, Hazel Francis left Wichita, Kansas for California, determined to do her part for the war effort. At Douglas Aircraft, she became one of many “Rosie the Riveters,” helping construct bombers for the U. S. military. But now the war is over, men have returned to their factory jobs, and women like Hazel have been dismissed, expected to return home to become wives and mothers.

Unwilling to be forced into a traditional woman’s role in the Midwest, Hazel remains on the west coast, and finds herself in the bohemian town of Laguna Beach. Desperate for work, she accepts a job as an assistant to famous artist Hanson Radcliff. Beloved by the locals for his contributions to the art scene and respected by the critics, Radcliff lives under the shadow of a decades old scandal that haunts him.

Working hard to stay on her cantankerous employer’s good side, Hazel becomes a valued member of the community. She never expected to fall in love with the rhythms of life in Laguna, nor did she expect to find a kindred spirit in Jimmy, the hotel bartender whose friendship promises something more. But Hazel still wants to work with airplanes—maybe even learn to fly one someday. Torn between pursuing her dream and the dream life she has been granted, she is unsure if giving herself over to Laguna is what her heart truly wants.

Ratings and reviews

At the coles of WWII, Hazel Francis finds herself out of a job working on airplane bombers. She travels south from Los Angeles to Laguna Beach almost broke and seeking employment. She becomes the assistant to Hanson Radcliff, a renown California painter. Both Hazel and Hanson have painful pasts. Hazel grows determined to help Hanson overcome his scandalous past by recovering a lost painting he did for an aging actress. The lovely setting of Laguna Beach forms a background to the relationships Hazel forges and to the close knit community of artists that Hazel becomes a part of. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

About the author

Nicola Harrison is the author of two historical fiction novels, Montauk and The Show Girl. Born and raised in England, she moved with her family to Southern California when she was 14. She is a graduate of UCLA and received her MFA from Stony Brook. Prior to writing novels she worked as a fashion journalist in New York City and now lives in Manhattan Beach, California with her husband, two sons and a high-maintenance chihuahua named Lola.