Summer Darlings
By Brooke Lea Foster
Gallery Books, 9781982115029, May 5, 2021, 368pp.
The Short of It:
Everything you want in a summer read, a slow-burn romance, a Martha’s Vineyard setting, a 1960’s backdrop of money and glamour but also a tiny bit of deception to keep you interested.
The Rest of It:
I went into this read with an open mind and it surprised me in a lot of ways. It wasn’t a straight-up beach read, as you’ve come to expect from a cover like the one above. Summer Darlings offered quite a bit more and kept me interested very early on.
After losing her scholarship at Wellesley, Heddy must find a way to earn her tuition money quickly and the easiest way to do that is to be a nanny for one of the wealthiest families on the island. Heddy is great with children but the lifestyle is a stretch for her. She has never been surrounded by so much wealth and opulence, nor has she any experience with how social circles work.
At first she is envious of her boss. She seems to have everything, a beautiful home, an attractive husband but no matter how much money you have, things are never as perfect as they seem. Between the other inhabitants of the island and her keen observations, there is definitely trouble in paradise.
I really loved that this story had a little bit of everything. It had all the glitter and glamour you’d expect from the island rich, but there is a bit of darkness too and honestly, it caught me by surprise. Heddy is young and impressionable but she doesn’t always make good choices, which surprised me given her upbringing. Nonetheless, I found it to be a great summer read and a good kick-off to summer reading. Have you read it?
This is the first book on my 10 Books of Summer list.
Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.
Book Chatter 
This sounds really good. I love Nantucket Island, a favorite place to visit but, we don’t do it often enough these days. I will add this to my list. I think you might like : Family Reunion; Nancy Thayer, also a Nantucket setting and one I liked a lot.
I’ve only visited Nantucket via books. I would love to visit someday. The Thayer book has been on my radar for a couple of weeks. I’ve not read her before but I’ve read many good reviews of Family Reunion.
I have not read it, but I’ve seen it at the library. Putting it on my list.
I typically enjoy “nanny” books. This one had some depth and deception which hit the spot.
I am about to begin People You Meet on Vacation, but this one sounds really good, too!
So it’s Martha’s Vineyard? I might give it to a friend who goes there. I’m curious now … about all the bad Heddy finds out or gets into …
Yes, Martha’s Vineyard and the story gets surprisingly complicated.
This sounds better than I had thought it would be. Summer reads can be so hit or miss for me.
I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve had this book for review for over a year and haven’t gotten to it yet. I don’t know why, because it sounds very good, especially the setting and time period. I’m glad you liked it. It’s on my list for this summer!
That’s the thing with book blogging. There is always a book in the hand, a book waiting to take its place and stacks and stacks waiting for our attention.