Summer Darlings is a captivating read! Historical perceptions of Jackie Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe and their wealthy, lavish lifestyles are portrayed through the characters the heroine encounters. As a poor college student who learned how the “wealthy” class lives while on scholarship at a prestigious college, she is thrilled to be recommended and accepted to be a live-in nanny to two young children in this wealthy group for the summer. Through her eyes, readers are carried through the excitement and hope to be a part of the upper class she feels as she steps into this new summer life as a nanny. Her perceptions are wonderfully portrayed through her emotional assessments of each character. As reality cracks the beautiful facade that money and the pretty material things it buys, the main character interacts with many different people. She examines her own life as she observes the dynamics among her employers, their children, the housekeeper, a movie star, and two young men. In the midst of days at the beach and fancy “by invitation only”parties, she remains grounded through phone calls with her single mother who, though working two jobs and still having difficulty making ends meet, reminds her daughter of college, a job and a suitable young man waiting for her at home. The yearnings of a young adult for more is realistically developed. The additions of a rivalry and a mystery along with the main character’s growing attachment to the two children in her care are skillfully woven into the threads of a very satisfying resolution. Definitely a great beach read with surprising twists!

Wellesley student Heddy Winsome becomes the nanny for the Williams family and spends the Summer of ‘62 on Martha’s Vineyard. Unlike her college friends, Heddy desperately needs the money. In order to keep the job, and potentially land herself a respectable suitor, she must navigate the world of her wealthy employers and the chasm between her social class and theirs. Heddy witnesses the contrast between the Williams’ public and private lives, and learns the secrets of the people who inhabit the insular community. Is she using others, or being used? Will she come out on the other end unscathed?

While reading this novel, I felt like I parachuted into Heddy’s life at the precise moment she lands at Martha’s Vineyard, surrounded by the people, the sights, the smells, the sensations of life on the island. The vivid descriptions, well-developed characters, and pointed dialog keep the plot moving. The summer of 1962 goes by in the blink of an eye. A satisfying read.

I am reading a lot due to the threat of the coronvirus. This seemed to be a light beachy read that would let me escape. I enjoyed reading about the time period and location, sixties, Kennedy's etc. I think that this will probably catch on in the summer as people want to have a beach read.

Get ready for this May release; I couldn’t put it down! You’ll definitely want this one by the pool. Just remember to reapply sunscreen because you’re going to get sucked into the drama of Martha’s Vineyard and could end up getting burned like Heddy.