Shoulder Season by Christina Clancy is a captivating read for anyone who loves nostalgic and evocative stories about self-discovery, sexual awakening, and the thrill of coming of age, set against the backdrop of a bygone era, with a strong and relatable heroine at its center.

I absolutely devoured this book like a big bowl of ripe cherries. I've suggested and recommended it to many friends many times.

I was so new to Netgalley that I messed up finishing this book.
What I did see of it was really good.

Thanks so much for the review copy. I learned a lot about the playboy resort in Wisconsin. I liked Sherri and rooted for her. I also want to read The Second Home now.

This book, I thought, was going to be an insider's look at the Playboy bunny lifestyle in its heyday, but actually was kind of a soap opera. That being said it had some interesting characters and Sherry was a resilient heroine who like the Energizer Bunny just kept on going in spite of all the slings and arrows that were thrown at her (and there were many). I especially appreciated the end--it left the reader to fill in the blanks and to realize how far Sherry came in the intervening years and to imagine the ending to Sherry's story.

Insiders look into a play boy bunny resort in Wisconsin. Which I never new there was more than one “play boy” mansion/resort/house. Sherri went to the resort as support for her friend but left with a job since she has never made that much in her small town. It was a very easy read and I learned some things too.

I love Christina Clancy! This was such a refreshing read, and so well researched and thought out. I was very intrigued right from the beginning. Highly recommend!

*Thank you @stmartinspress for the copy in exchange for an honest review.*

I received this book complimentary from NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

I just couldn’t get into this. It was detailed which I usually like but just felt like information overload. I loved the second home by Christina Clancy which is why I requested this one so maybe I’ll try again with another book by her because this one just wasn’t my vibe.

The story of what life might have been like for a Playboy Bunny in 1981 middle America. I don't know that I ever thought about what life "behind the curtain" would be like for those bunnies that did not make a big name for themselves. Very few of these women would be life long members of the Playboy family.

Young, naive, curious and in desperate need of earning her own living, Sherri Taylor will quickly become an adult when she moves into the dorms set up just for the "bunnies". Christina Clancy does an excellent job of building the characters and their back stories into a look at the 1980's as the Playboy culture exploded. It was definitely a good read and I'm recommending it to the women I know who always thought a bunny's life was glamourous.

This is a case where I somehow initially missed that one big component of Shoulder Season was going to be: bored woman embarks on Playboy Bunny lifestyle. Had I known this, I probably wouldn't have requested it. I feel like I already know too much about the Playboy empire (hello too much 80s tv) and I really wish I did not! I honestly think the title and maybe even Clancy's previous novel (which I totally enjoyed!) kind of threw me. That said, Christina Clancy takes the reader on a bit of a fun journey here, followed by the general disappointments of life as main character Sherri Taylor crosses the threshold of young adult to actual adult. We see the ramifications of her life choices and much of the story is driven for me by an older Sherri as she sees how her younger choices shape and take hold of her older life.

This novel has a bit of Joan Didion's Play it as it Lays meets Taylor Jenkins Reid vibes. If you're into coming of age novels, certainly do check out Shoulder Season. Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press for this ARC of Christina Clancy's book.

3.5 stars

I’ve had this one sitting on my shelf for awhile and life kept getting in the way of reading it. When I finally sat down and read it I can’t help but feel disappointed that I waited so long! A coming-of-age story set outside a small town made me full in love with the characters. They are all flawed and they know it, making them that much more real. Clancy writes in a compelling way, making her characters lovable despite their flaws, and touches on a number of sensitive topics many women experience as they venture into adulthood.
Shoulder Season wasn’t what I expected, but would be a perfect beach read!

I received an advanced copy of this ebook from the publisher for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. This book is set in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. This is a slow paced Women's Fiction. I enjoyed Roberta's character. I did like this book and I would recommend reading this book to anyone and everyone. This book is in stores for $27.99 (USD).

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. An interesting book that left me wanting more.

Shoulder Season: A Novel by Christina Clancy was a well-done novel. It's always fascinating to read about the Playboy empire in some way. Honestly, this one was way more interesting because it was about a bunny herself, and not the company per se. Playboy itself does still give me a bit of an ick feeling, especially with what has come out about Hugh Hefner since his death, but that feeling didn't really transfer over to this one.

Such an interesting book around a unique setting. I emjoyed reading about Sherri’s progression from timid church organ player to playboy bunny at the playboy resort in WI. Loved the era, the setting, the bunnies, everything.

Ooh time goes by and if i don't write the review right away...sigh. I'm trying to be better. The best i can do right now is give a star count...oh, but this would make an excellent film or min series!!

A bit too much of a slow burn for me. It took almost 80% for anything to happen and then it was rapid fire happenings.

A lighthearted summer read about a woman who becomes a Playboy bunny (a surefire way to get me to pick up a book). I really enjoyed the character development throughout!

Definitely different from my normal genre but it was an ok read. The character certainly made some dumb decisions and was a bit frustrating but the story was an easy beach read.

WOW! This was a face paced novel that had my attention from the first few pages. The description of this era made me feel like I was transported in time. This book was well researched and extremely detailed. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in this era.