A lovely book, with many many characters. An interesting read!

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC

Thank you for the opportunity to read this title. Unfortunately, I was not able to get into it. Therefore I will not be posting a review on Goodreads.

The cover advertises an easy beach read, but there are so many characters to keep track of and so few of them are remotely relatable, this was not my favorite summer read.

I have to beg forgiveness of the publisher and author, for somehow "misplacing" this on my NetGalley shelf. I don't know how I missed it, or why I didn't read it until now, but the punishment is all mine, because this is a lovely, sink-into-it, summery, beguiling rush of words and images, and I'm so annoyed that I just now got to enjoy its beauty.

That <i>cover</i>, though.

[book:The High Season|36723241] is about rich people and less-rich people, about class divides and beach houses, about museums and their Boards, about things lost and found, about divorce and first loves and lesbians. It's <i>not</i> as I've seen it described, just about "wealthy people frolicking in the Hamptons". In fact, the main character is in danger of losing her house and livelihood for much of the novel, and what [author:Judy Blundell|171517] does brilliantly, is capture how the truly rich live in a stratosphere all their own. One that mere mortals could never imagine, where the toothpaste never runs out, and fresh flowers just appear in vases, as if by magic. Where the petty realities just don't <i>exist</i>.

Where you're free to do so many things, because so much is just taken care of for you. Money may not buy happiness, but it buys freedom.

[book:The High Season|36723241] is about Ruthie, who lives on the North Fork of Long Island, near the fabled Hamptons, and every summer, packs up her family and moves them to a guest house, so she can rent her own home to wealthy people fleeing Manhattan. It's the only way that Ruthie can keep her house, and her house is her treasure, her pot of gold at the end of the map, her reason for being. It's what she's worked her life to protect. It's why she gives it up for the best months of the year ("the summer bummer" as her daughter Jem calls it).

The book takes Ruthie on a journey, and she will lose everything, and regain some, and confront her past and her own reflection in the mirror. A lot of what Blundell does in terms of the plot is maddening, but it's realistic - and as much as I wanted <spoiler>Ruthie to keep the damn house because it was HERS not Adeline's</spoiler>, I realized very quickly that this wasn't fantasyland, it was what <i>actually happens on earth</i> and so, things don't work out quite how you thought they would.

I finished the book with a real sense of having been taken somewhere, and that's all I can ask for. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to the characters, or to North Fork. Scented with salt and ridden with the silliness of the rich, there was also that hidden core of steel, that base of people who know the truth, that entitlement reeks, that money buys almost everything, but that in the end, finding happiness can be as simple as realizing what truly matters - love, home, good wine, good friends, peace.

<b>Thank you sincerely to the publisher, Random House, and to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I apologize for the delay in reviewing, and am so sorry I didn't read this closer to publication date - but hope this tremendous novel will continue to build its readership. It deserves all of that and more.</b>

Amazon title: A fun summer read

I recently checked this book out from my local library and realized that I had read it before but was not sure when or where. Sure enough, as I looked through my NetGalley list, I realized that I had been graciously provided with an ARC back in 2018. (Thank you, NetGalley and Random House!)

I enjoyed this lively tale of middle-aged Ruthie Beamish, successful director of a local museum in a small town on Long Island, though not so successful at love or keeping up with the changes her teen-age daughter is experiencing. Ruthie and her almost-ex-husband inherited a home near the Hamptons, fixed it up and now need to rent it out each summer season to be able to afford to live there.

The subsequent story of how the rich and privileged board of directors, instigated by a new member who conspires to get rid of Ruthie, the famous rich woman renting the home and her attraction to Ruthie’s ex, and the issues the fifteen-year-old daughter is dealing with, kept my interest fairly well. I cringed a little at Ruthie’s intial lack of self-esteem and emotional holding out for a possible happy ending of getting back together with her ex, who was ‘bored’ with marriage and now, this summer, falls for the entitled rich woman renting their home.

I found the text-entries and emails a bit boring to read (though I did feel a fondness for daughter, Jenn as she navigated and refined her identity) and got tired of the references to all of the high-end clothing and other accoutrements of the rich lifestyle. I kept reading because I wanted to find out what happened to Ruthie and Jenn, and to a lesser extent, to the ex & his new woman. Ruthie’s new-found sass in the face of the back-stabbing snarky rich women around here and a new love interest were interesting plot lines that also kept me going.

All in all, it’s a light fun summer read and well-written (aside from the confusing and boring emails and texts) that I am sure were meant to add a note of authenticity) but, once I realized that I had read it before, I wasn’t really interested in reading it again and, so, returned the hard copy to the library. But, I still recommend it as an amusing and informative read, for those interested in a quirky, spunky heroine amidst the rich summer folks on Long Island, New York.

Full of characters and character a great story of all of the things it takes to keep it together while just getting by.

The protagonist of this novel wants badly to keep a house in a resort town, but the only way to do that is to rent her house out all summer. This summer she is recovering from a divorce and her husband has a new girlfriend; her daughter is up to various shenanigans and she getting removed from her position on the board of directors of a local museum. Summer is not looking promising.

You know Judy Blundell from her award-winning young adult novel What I Saw and How I Lied. This summer she’s back with her first novel for adults. The setting is a tiny town in the “uncool” northern fork of the Hamptons, two ferries away from the summer society scene. Ruthie loves her life there, but can only afford it if she moves out during the summer high season to rent her house to the ultra-rich. Her daughter resents the annual move, but that’s the least of her worries. She’s about to lose it all: her ex-husband unexpectedly falls for someone, her art gallery employees revolt, and she’s driven to take drastic action with unthinkable consequences. This would be an excellent companion to Anna Quindlen’s spring release Alternate Side or Tom Rachman’s The Italian Teacher.

I LOVED chatting about this book with Judy Blundell for our Modern Mrs Darcy book club, with our 1600 members!

This book is a fun summer read!!!!! The writing has a Elin Hildebrand style to it but aa little lighter and more hollywood drama filled. Not too much to be awful. Just enough to keep the reader interested. Ruthie lives in Orient. Similar to the Hamptons but not as glitzy. She is going through a divorce and has the bset summer of her life. Every year she rents out her house to make ends meat. This summer she rents to a woman who in turn steals her soon to be ex husband. Told from 3 different narratives this book is definitely a summer must read. Thank you to Netgalley for my honest review.

High Season you’ve probably seen touted all over the place as The Book of the Summer. And it’s just what you’d expect it to be (which is not a bad thing at all). Set in a small town that is not the Hamptons but is nearby, a little less high society and a little more laid back. One summer a wealthy NYC celeb rents out a house on the island and stirs everything up. There is way more to this, but if you want a beach read this definitely fits the bill. 4 stars

(I'm sorry this is so late - I forgot to come back and add the review and link when it posted in June.)

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Ruthie Beamish and her daughter Jem live in a beachfront house on the North Fork of Long Island, a house she and her (now ex-)husband inherited from his great-aunt. The only catch is that to afford it, they have to rent the house out in the summers. This summer, she is renting out her house to Adeline Clay, widow of a famous painter Ruthie used to work for. Ruthie loves her job working as curator at the Belfry, the local art museum, but lately, her assistant and a board member seem to be trying to push her out. As the summer progresses, Ruthie feels like she is losing everything she loves about her life.

This book felt like Ruthie versus the wealthy and privileged, but neither side was one you wanted to root for. I just didn't get into this book; I had to force myself to sit down and read it.

An enjoyable novel set on the North Fork of Long Island where the regular folks deal with the influx of nouveau riche summer people. A quick and fun read; I read it in the fall but would make a perfect beach read.

I love reading books that take place in vacation towns. This is a light read, but it was also easy to put down. I do have to give props to Ms. Blundell for her character development. Her writing reminded me somewhat of the author Maeve Binchy. You delve into the character's lives without having a major storyline. It also reminded me of watching a reality tv show.

The main character, Ruthie, has to deal with an ex-husband that has moved on, a rebellious teenager, and a workplace that feels she isn't needed anymore. The reader moves through the transformations with the characters.

I wouldn't recommend this book to my students, but I would recommend it if you want a light read that is full of drama.

I was given this book for my honest review.

I'm sure this is the type of book that lots of people will devour but it's just not for me. Way too many characters and a story line that I didn't care about at all.

Great beach read, perfect for summer. Themes include divorce, art, raising a teenager, working with millennials, wealth and power, and career pitfalls. A surprising amount of depth packed into "chick lit."

<I>The High Season</I> certainly brought about a number of emotions, along with moral dilemmas. As much as I was rooting for Ruthie to face her fears and pull herself out of the depression she was slowly and dangerously slipping into, I also cringed at many of her decisions. Dealing with a husband who is moving on, a teenage daughter going through teenage drama, potential for her career and maybe even her beautiful beachside home slipping through her fingers meant for a tumultuous story. I kept my fingers crossed that everything would work out right in the end, because lies and deceit are never really the answer, right?

I went into this thinking that it was a beach read, but it wasn't fluff. There were real situations going in here set in a beach town.

Long Island North Fork is definitely the place to be in the summer. Full of excitement and drama. Delightful characters who are so funny to watch in that they are self-absorbed social climbers. Obsessed with designer labels and impressing others. The world of celebrity, art and social events. Witty and fun to read. I read a reader copy via Net Galley and voluntarily chose to write a review.

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for a review. The story is about a woman, Ruthie, and others involved in her life and the problems they face over a years time regarding changes in their lives, their relationships and themselves. It seemed to have a focus on rich people problems, somewhat the haves vs. the have-nots and how money can influence in both positive and negative ways. I really enjoyed the writing style of the author and I thought the book was beautifully written but I had a hard time getting invested in the story and liking the characters. I was drawn in to the story fast and I really enjoyed the first half and then it started to loose my interest though I did end up finishing the book.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for my review. Ruthie Beamish and her estranged huband have the home of their dreams. It's not quite the Hamptons, but close enough to be a highly desired property. So why are they boxing up their belongings? Because in order to afford the mortgage, the Beamish's have to rent it out for the summer.

This summer's renter is Adeline Clay, someone too famous, too rich and too connected to be staying at this quiet spot out-of-the-limelight. Adeline immediately falls in love with the house, but does she want to acquire more than just the house this summer?

Ruthie also has more on her plate that just finding a place to wait out the summer. Her job is at risk, her daughter is making dangerous choices and her ex lover has also stepped back into her life. All of these plot twists make a delicious summer read! Lots of intrigue, well developed characters and a satisfying ending. Great story!

Judy Blundell has a reputation as a top-notch storyteller. Her latest novel, "The High Season," is another example of her ability to translate feelings into words. The struggles of Ruthie Beamish seem so real! Can you imagine having to rent out your home just to make the payments? Letting the rich and famous into your home as you and your daughter move into a friend's pool house for the summer? While it seems so foreign, Blundell makes it seem believable. Ruthie's job at a local art museum puts her smack into the oncoming traffic of those who live in excess. Those extravagant lives cost Ruthie dearly in more ways than one. Kick back with a glass or two of wine and enjoy Blundell's pages filled with quirkiness, gossip, romance and excitement.

ARC provided by NetGalley