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110th out of 323 books
—
398 voters
Monarch Beach
by
Anita Hughes (Goodreads Author)
Anita Hughes' Monarch Beach is an absorbing debut novel about one woman’s journey back to happiness after an affair splinters her perfect marriage and life—what it means to be loved, betrayed and to love again.
When Amanda Blick, a young mother and kindhearted San Francisco heiress, finds her gorgeous French chef husband wrapped around his sous-chef, she knows she must flee...more
When Amanda Blick, a young mother and kindhearted San Francisco heiress, finds her gorgeous French chef husband wrapped around his sous-chef, she knows she must flee...more
Paperback, 288 pages
Published
June 19th 2012
by St. Martin's Griffin
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Monarch Beach is the debut book from author Anita Hughes. Amanda Blick is a middle aged wife and mom who has a great life--until one Tuesday morning. Tuesday morning she finds her gorgeous husband, "enjoying" the restaurants sous chef.
Now, what you need to know about Amanda is she is loaded! So after finding another woman's legs wrapped around her husband, her mother suggests a getaway. A getaway for the super wealthy, complete with pool waiters-a stay in...more
Monarch Beach is the debut book from author Anita Hughes. Amanda Blick is a middle aged wife and mom who has a great life--until one Tuesday morning. Tuesday morning she finds her gorgeous husband, "enjoying" the restaurants sous chef.
Now, what you need to know about Amanda is she is loaded! So after finding another woman's legs wrapped around her husband, her mother suggests a getaway. A getaway for the super wealthy, complete with pool waiters-a stay in...more
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I loved this book because it's written very well and a great escape to another lifestyle that I will never know and lots of fabulous scenery too. Amanda finds her chef husband has been having an affair and struggles with what to do with her life. Not knowing what to do next, she decided to take off for the summer to St Regis Resort in Laguna with her mother and her son. She meets Edward, a divorced man who helps her through her tough days. This is one of those must read books. I can't wait to re...more
I really wanted to like this book and it started out very promising. But somehow, as the story progressed I couldn't wait to be finished. Why? Well here goes:
(WARNING: SPOILERS TO FOLLOW)
1. Amanda Blick - the main character - flat out annoyed the living daylights out of me. Naive, spoiled, confused, lazy...she highlights everything that I am and don't want to be (Joke. Kind of). She isn't the first person to be cheated on and won't be the last. She isn't the first person who has to pull it toget...more
(WARNING: SPOILERS TO FOLLOW)
1. Amanda Blick - the main character - flat out annoyed the living daylights out of me. Naive, spoiled, confused, lazy...she highlights everything that I am and don't want to be (Joke. Kind of). She isn't the first person to be cheated on and won't be the last. She isn't the first person who has to pull it toget...more
Amanda Blick grew up as an only child in a wealthy San Francisco family. She had dreams of going to the prestigious Parsons School of Technology in New York City to study fashion design, but her dream was placed on hold when her beloved father was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. Putting her dreams of NY on hold, she attended her father's alma mater, UC Berkeley to be close to her parents. Her father passed away two weeks before her college graduation. Once again Amanda planned to go to NY...more
As the beautiful cover suggests, Monarch Beach is about beautiful people who live in beautiful places. The book takes place in San Francisco (my favorite city, so the author won me over right there) and Laguna Beach (a.k.a Monarch Beach). It’s been a while since I’ve read a fiction book about people who live so affluently. It’s was fun escaping into the world of extreme wealth and luxury, even if I was sometimes very envious!
Amanda is an affable heroine, who’s life took a drastic turn at eighte...more
Amanda is an affable heroine, who’s life took a drastic turn at eighte...more
I received a copy of Monarch Beach from a Goodreads giveaway.
I realized while reading this one that unless there is a zany main character, or a unique situation, chick lit isn't really for me. (I really enjoyed The Devil Wears Prada and The Nanny Diaries, for example.) If it's mainly just about real-life struggles women go through, I start to get antsy. Maybe because these types of books are too realistic and not enough of an escape for me.
So take this review with a grain of salt.
When Amanda Bli...more
I realized while reading this one that unless there is a zany main character, or a unique situation, chick lit isn't really for me. (I really enjoyed The Devil Wears Prada and The Nanny Diaries, for example.) If it's mainly just about real-life struggles women go through, I start to get antsy. Maybe because these types of books are too realistic and not enough of an escape for me.
So take this review with a grain of salt.
When Amanda Bli...more
What if you thought your entire marriage was a sham? What if you found out you've been betrayed by the person you loved the most for years? What would you do to change it? All those questions and more come about in Monarch Beach by Anita Hughes.
Heiress Amanda Blick thought her life was perfect. She's been married for 10 years and has an adorable eight-year-old son. She's made a nice life for herself in the quiet town of Ross, California. But in one moment Amanda will call into question her entir...more
Heiress Amanda Blick thought her life was perfect. She's been married for 10 years and has an adorable eight-year-old son. She's made a nice life for herself in the quiet town of Ross, California. But in one moment Amanda will call into question her entir...more
Monarch Beach by Anita Hughes is one of those beach reads that barely scratches the surface about what divorce can do to a family, especially when one spouse cheats on the other and more than once. To Amanda Blick’s credit she doesn’t go postal and take out her husband’s (Andre) French fondue restaurant in Ross, an exclusive, elite neighborhood, and she doesn’t have a nervous breakdown. Rather, Blick takers their son, Max, out of the San Francisco area to St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort with her...more
*Author Provided a free copy in exchange for an honest review*
Honestly... I wanted to whack the main character in the face with a broom. More reviewing to come(: oh but I loved her mom and kid... Just not any of her man choices. I don't believe in second chances when a guy cheats... No no no no no
Okay so she caught her man in the action of cheating on her. And apparently it's been happening for the whole time they were married. And he blames it on his Frenchness??? Uhmm, I don't think so. You do...more
Honestly... I wanted to whack the main character in the face with a broom. More reviewing to come(: oh but I loved her mom and kid... Just not any of her man choices. I don't believe in second chances when a guy cheats... No no no no no
Okay so she caught her man in the action of cheating on her. And apparently it's been happening for the whole time they were married. And he blames it on his Frenchness??? Uhmm, I don't think so. You do...more
I work in a profession where I see the results of the utter devastation that occurs when a life is shattered overnight. Prior to starting my career, I’d carefully considered how people reacted when their lives changed overnight due to death, job loss or infidelity and Monarch Beach by Anita Hughes covers the latter. I received Monarch Beach as a free book from Librarything to read and review and it appeared like just another summer novel where the woman prevails after the man does her wrong, at...more
When a mom, Amanda Blick sees her sexy French chef husband, Andre, wrapped around his sous-chef, she’s heartbroken. When her mother urges Amanda and her son, Max, to get a change of scenery with her at St. Regis Resort in Laguna Beach, she agrees to go to Laguna Beach. She needed to get away from him for the summer and think about her future. Instead of simply relaxing, doing her best to keep her mind off of Andre, Amanda meets a handsome older man who sweeps her away. Also divorced, Edward teac...more
Monarch Beach is Anita Hughes debut. I am so glad that I have the opportunity to share this author with you. Thank you Anita and Saint Martins for sending me this great read!
Synopsis:
Amanda has the life of her dreams. Her husband Andre works as the chef; and is part owner of a restaurant in Ross California. Then there is Max their child. One morning Amanda decides to visit the restaurant for breakfast and finds a little more than she bargained for. Will she forgive Andre? Amanda receives an offe...more
Synopsis:
Amanda has the life of her dreams. Her husband Andre works as the chef; and is part owner of a restaurant in Ross California. Then there is Max their child. One morning Amanda decides to visit the restaurant for breakfast and finds a little more than she bargained for. Will she forgive Andre? Amanda receives an offe...more
Written in first person, Monarch Beach is chick-lit rather than romance fiction; thus, no one should be surprised that conventions of the romance genre are ignored here. Readers who consider adultery taboo may be turned off by Amanda’s affair with Edward while she is still legally the wife of Andre Blick. Frankly, I was less bothered by her unfaithfulness than by her shallowness. I quickly grew weary of the endless details of couture and cuisine, and I found nothing to admire or like in Amanda’s...more
2.0 out of 5 stars -- A total chick lit fashion and romance novel that is not my typical genre. This would make a good beach read or would be fine for any occasion where you want mindless escape.
Amanda Blick is married with a young son, Max, when she discovers her gorgeous French chef husband, Andre, cheating on her with his sous-chef. She, her wealthy widowed mother, and Max escape to the luxurious St. Regis Reesort in Laguna Beach where Amanda tries to overcome the betrayal with all the nice t...more
Amanda Blick is married with a young son, Max, when she discovers her gorgeous French chef husband, Andre, cheating on her with his sous-chef. She, her wealthy widowed mother, and Max escape to the luxurious St. Regis Reesort in Laguna Beach where Amanda tries to overcome the betrayal with all the nice t...more
What a great read!! Perfect for the summertime!!
The story starts out super fast as the main character, Amanda, finds her beautiful French chef husband "doing" his sous chef. What would you do? Amanda is lucky enough to escape to one of the most beautiful places in the world, The St. Regis Resort in Laguna Beach, CA. Here, she enjoys the good life (and a "good" man) while pondering her choices.
Even though Amanda is going through a horrible, terrible time, this story is never a downer. Rather it...more
The story starts out super fast as the main character, Amanda, finds her beautiful French chef husband "doing" his sous chef. What would you do? Amanda is lucky enough to escape to one of the most beautiful places in the world, The St. Regis Resort in Laguna Beach, CA. Here, she enjoys the good life (and a "good" man) while pondering her choices.
Even though Amanda is going through a horrible, terrible time, this story is never a downer. Rather it...more
Amanda Blick is a wealthy socialite that falls in love and marries a French chef, who doesn’t want a penny of her inheritance but wants to do it all on his own. He starts a restaurant, they have a child and all is well in Amanda’s world until she catches her husband with his pants below his knees with another woman. She leaves him and trying to decide what to do with her life; she spends it with her mother at a resort on Laguna Beach. And what happens, she meets another man.
This book was quick r...more
This book was quick r...more
I loved this book and it was a fast read. I was hooked after the first couple of pages all the way to the end. Loved the romance in the story and the life of a mother -- so relatable for me. The main character Amanda struggles with her life, decisions, and questions her judgement. The author makes the story seem so real. The author has a exceptional attention to detail especially when describing the setting and scenes. I have spent time in both San Francisco and Laguna Beach and it was just as I...more
I'm not normally a sucker for chick-lit fiction but I do enjoy a story set on a beach. While this could easily have been a cliche novel -- main character discovers her gorgeous hubby, a French chef, is having an affair and promptly leaves him -- instead, Amanda (main character) shows a lot of grace and strength to the point where you truly feel empathetic. There were a few minor flaws but nothing that distracted from the plot (such as, Amanda's mother vowing to give up chain-smoking but we never...more
I loved this book because it's written very well and a great escape to another lifestyle that I will never know and lots of fabulous scenery too. Amanda finds her chef husband has been having an affair and struggles with what to do with her life. Not knowing what to do next, she decided to take off for the summer to St Regis Resort in Laguna with her mother and her son. She meets Edward, a divorced man who helps her through her tough days. This is one of those must read books. I can't wait to re...more
On 2/29/12 Goodreads First Reads notified me that I had won Monarch Beach by Anita Hughes. Six weeks later on 4/11/12, and I just received the book today.
Even though I had to wait six weeks for the book, let me just say it was worth the wait. This book and author are great, be careful starting it you will not want to put it down. When reading this book, I can so imagine myself at the St. Regis, the way this writer just brings everything to life is amazing. I love the characters of Amanda, her m...more
Even though I had to wait six weeks for the book, let me just say it was worth the wait. This book and author are great, be careful starting it you will not want to put it down. When reading this book, I can so imagine myself at the St. Regis, the way this writer just brings everything to life is amazing. I love the characters of Amanda, her m...more
This book was just odd to me. I get why Amanda left Andre because of the cheating. Then, when she met Edward ......can't put my finger on it, but, he was just weird. Too good to be true and somewhat fake. Then , she finds out he cheated on her too. Amanda confides in her mother and she convinces her to follow her dreams of going to Parsons School of Design in NYC. Now, on the last day, Amanda is having a cocktail at the hotel bar and Edward pops in to join her. He tells her how sorry he is about...more
Why I chose this book: It’s summertime, so what could be better than soaking up the rays on my hot-pink beach towel with a romantic beach read? I really enjoyed living vicariously in the St. Regis presidential suite, drinking the fruity cocktails, digging my toes in the soft sand, and riding along the Pacific Coast Highway in a sweet Bentley!
What I liked most: The ending. I was preparing myself for a predictable conclusion, but the author threw a major curve ball. Amanda’s got another big journe...more
What I liked most: The ending. I was preparing myself for a predictable conclusion, but the author threw a major curve ball. Amanda’s got another big journe...more
Monarch Beach is the perfect beach read of the summer. I spent my Saturday laying out in the sun just enjoying this book. Enjoying the story, enjoying the characters and enjoying the writing. It's just one of those books you read, it's a great diversion for an afternoon yet you still think about it when it's over. Amanda is a character I will remember as well as her mother and her son.
Amanda has found her husband cheating on her and has no idea how to proceed. Her life has fallen apart in the s...more
Amanda has found her husband cheating on her and has no idea how to proceed. Her life has fallen apart in the s...more
This book is definitely chick lit, but it was good, surprisingly good since I don't read too many romance, beachy novels. But I was hooked within the first few pages. The writer does a great job making her characters likeable and very real.
The book is mainly about Amanda Blick. She is a young, 30 something mother who also happens to be a rich California heiress. One day she walks into her husbands restaurant to find him literally wrapped around his sous chef in the kitchen. He's French and trie...more
The book is mainly about Amanda Blick. She is a young, 30 something mother who also happens to be a rich California heiress. One day she walks into her husbands restaurant to find him literally wrapped around his sous chef in the kitchen. He's French and trie...more
(I would actually give this three and a half stars.)
I received this book as a First Reads book.
The best part about this book was how Amanda didn't quickly forget about Andre. I liked how Amanda kept wishing from time to time that things could go back to the way they were; how she sexually craved her soon-to-be-ex-husband, how she wanted Max to have his father in his life, and how she wondering how she just couldn't see Andre's true colors.
Everything else in the book was a little more predictabl...more
I received this book as a First Reads book.
The best part about this book was how Amanda didn't quickly forget about Andre. I liked how Amanda kept wishing from time to time that things could go back to the way they were; how she sexually craved her soon-to-be-ex-husband, how she wanted Max to have his father in his life, and how she wondering how she just couldn't see Andre's true colors.
Everything else in the book was a little more predictabl...more
Hands down Monarch Beach is a fantastic summer read.
I couldn't put this book down and found myself 'burning the midnight oil' trying to finish it.
The story is told from Amanda's POV and the way the story is told, I really picked up on her emotions. It really had me thinking 'What would I do in her shoes?'
I felt like I needed a stiff drink reading it.
I didn't find is as predictable as I had originally assumed.
All in all, a great read. Check out my blog (website posted on my profile) for a la...more
I couldn't put this book down and found myself 'burning the midnight oil' trying to finish it.
The story is told from Amanda's POV and the way the story is told, I really picked up on her emotions. It really had me thinking 'What would I do in her shoes?'
I felt like I needed a stiff drink reading it.
I didn't find is as predictable as I had originally assumed.
All in all, a great read. Check out my blog (website posted on my profile) for a la...more
3.5 stars for Monarch Beach... generally I "like" chick lit. Normally it's light and fun without much substance. This was pretty much just that but I liked it more than I thought I would, I think because there were things I wasn't expecting.
The story is about a woman, Amanda, who catches her husband cheating on her, only to find out that he's been cheating on her throughout their entire marriage. Her mother books a getaway for them so they can spend their summer at a 5-star hotel and 'heal' at t...more
The story is about a woman, Amanda, who catches her husband cheating on her, only to find out that he's been cheating on her throughout their entire marriage. Her mother books a getaway for them so they can spend their summer at a 5-star hotel and 'heal' at t...more
Oh wow another new favorite author! Had me hooked from page one. Very well written description of Boss, CA... Will have to go visit. Loved the scenic images, history of Monarch Beach. For once a story makes me want to go visit the place. Nicely done with the storyline and the characters are all described visually. I hated for the story to end but going to go read all her other books!
What a great job Anita Hughes did on her first novel. I really enjoyed reading a book where the setting was on the west coast. I am from the east coast and have never been to California. While reading this book I felt like I was actually there. Now, I'm going to add visit St. Regis Monarch Beach resort to my bucket list. Thnak you, Anita for creating such a wonderful story with great ambiance, and a surprise ending.
For those of you looking for a riveting, sassy, sexy beach read, look no further than MONARCH BEACH. I previewed the book by reading chapter one, and couldn't put it down for three days. Unfaithful husbands, mothers and daughters, mothers and sons, friendship, and new love are explored in MONARCH BEACH. It is a delicious debut in women's fiction.
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Anita Hughes was born in Sydney, Australia. She received a B.A. in English from Bard College and attended UC Berkeley's Masters in English and Creative Writing program. Her debut novel, MONARCH BEACH, will be published by St. Martin's Press in June 2012. A second novel, MARKET STREET, will be released in early 2013.
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