I loved Clancy's debut 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘰𝘮𝘦 so I was really looking forward to this book set at the Playboy Resorts in the 1980s. While I really enjoyed the author's writing, I disliked Sherri, the protagonist, and the decisions she made which made it difficult for me to connect with this coming-of-age story the way I hoped I would. I would have preferred the story include some stories of some the other bunnies who worked there but I'll still be the first in line for whatever Clancy writes next.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a copy to review.

I'll admit something most people never would, when I was young I dreamed of being a bunny. Not like the bunnies of the 2000s we all saw on TV, but the old classic bunnies. I'd been a bit too young, but had heard all about the resorts and had seen the photos. It was glamorous, old fashioned, something I loved as a kid and a teen. I never did go that route, but I so loved taking an adventure into the past and into that world in Shoulder Season. Christina Clancy brings the desires of youth and glamour to life with this historical-fiction based in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

2019 Sherrie has received a call to return home, a place she ran from in the 80's. She's built a steady life in Palm Springs, CA and she's a far cry from the Bunny she was at the resort. Sherrie never felt like she fit in, but when she leaves East Troy behind for the resort in 1981 she finds a place she belongs. With an entirely realistic plot and setting, Clancy takes readers on a coming-of-age journey filled with sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Sherrie never turns a good time down and it's in those fast-paced moments that she finds herself, loses herself, and finds herself once again. She learns about love, loss, and life, taking lessons from the school of hard knocks.

Shoulder Season is a slower-paced women's fiction that I absolutely loved reading. When I caught myself skimming, I set it down, it's a book best not read in one go in my opinion, but I enjoyed every page when I returned to it. I was a big fan of how the story was told, with Clancy beginning in the future and taking us into the past, giving readers a glimpse into what Sherrie saw and felt in her youth and how her perspective was shaped by it and how it changed with time. In Shoulder Season, insecurity wreaks havoc on young Sherrie, but shapes her into an independent, smart woman.

I was excited to read Shoulder Season. The author excels at setting the scene and created a contrast between the present Sherri and Sherri of the past. The playboy bunny aspects were quite interesting, and I found the pages turning. Where I struggled was with liking Sherri. I didn’t get the character growth or understanding that would have made me root for her. I didn’t completely despise her, but I wouldn’t want to be friends with her.

I think Shoulder Season would be a great book club book.

"What have you got to lose?“

Christina Clancy’s Shoulder Season is the tale of how one young, morally adrift young woman overcomes tragedy and evolves into a mature, successful woman. Shoulder Season opens in 2019 with Sherri, a special events manager at the Palm Springs Art Museum who lives an organized life “with everything she’s ever wanted.” At almost 60, she’s beautifully, tastefully dressed, her make-up is “perfect” and her nails “gleam.” To Sherri, it’s a perfect life, a life she’s worked hard to achieve, with weekly dates with friends for pinochle, golf and tennis. There’s a boyfriend too, an affluent widower. Looking at Sherri, who knows just how to smooth over egos and deftly handle wrinkles in events, you would never guess that almost forty years earlier, Sherri began her career as a playboy bunny. An email from her hometown of Troy, Wisconsin, calls her back to make a visit, and the novel slides back into the past.

Sherri, the child of a quiet watchmaker who died years before, nurses her mother through a long terminal illness. And at 18, Sherri is at loose ends in the small town of Troy, when her bolder friend, Roberta, suggests that they try out as playboy bunnies at the fairly new Lake Geneva resort. A very nervous Sherri applies, and while she needs persuading to try out for the job, Sherri is surprised to find that she really does want the job. Sherri, who’s desperate for change, gets the job while Roberta does not. Many of the bunnies live in the dorm, the work is hard, and the rules are strict, but that doesn’t stop most of the bunnies from partying hard, and Sherri joins in. She becomes the life of the party, dancing on bars, drinking heavily, experimenting with drugs, and experimenting with sex. It’s a giddying world in a way: men want to have sex with Sherri but they never see beyond the trophy aspect. And Sherri, who’s a virgin when she becomes a bunny, has no moral compass to guide her through the temptations she faces.


Sherri accepted every invitation to go out–it didn’t matter how tired she was after her shift, Now she had a reputation to manage, a persona to craft that would be different from the one she was saddled with in high school. She wanted to be not just fun but reliably fun. She was the first to shoot back a shot of Rumple Minze or Jim Beam, and the last person to step down from dancing on the bar until closing time.

As Sherri becomes swept up in being a Bunny, she forgets who she was before she put those fluffy ears on her head, but it’s easy to understand, after years of nursing her mother, why Sherri wants to become another person and lose herself in this new “tribe.” Unfortunately, Sherri is naïve and she’s also susceptible to pressure from the other bunnies. This leads to trouble, but even more it leads to tragedy.

Shoulder Season takes us on the entertaining journey that is Sherri’s life, and along the way she meets many people she’ll never forget and someone who surprises her with his kindness. People who need to ‘find themselves’ are often troubled and trouble; this is true of Sherri. Living in a world full of temptations, she makes a lot of mistakes–mostly with men. Too much too soon. As a reader, I frequently became annoyed with Sherri, and I had to remind myself she was only 19 and adrift in the world. Lots of teenagers go astray, but the Bunny aspect adds dimension to the book (as well as a lot more problems for Sherri). Many of the locals are appalled at Sherri’s decision to become a bunny, but Sherri defends her choices even though she has yet to grasp the far-reaching consequences. She doesn’t see the job as having a short shelf life or a dead end and there’s the shimmering mention of Hugh Hefner who might swoop in, or the magazines who might court bunnies for soft porn spreads.

“Stand there, against the wall, so your knees and ankles touch.” Gloria said without looking up. Gloria got up and shut the door so it was just the two of them in the room. She bent down and inspected Sherri’s kegs; Sherri realized that she was counting to see if she could see three triangles of light shining between her feet and ankles, between her ankles and knees, and between her thighs.

I listened to the audible version which was read by Karissa Vacker. The reader’s voice and style were perfect for this book.

review copy

I am conflicted about this book. Rarely do I not finish a book, but I was quite tempted to with <u>Shoulder Season</u> because the main character of Sherri is not easy to like and the author never truly turns that around in any believable way. Sure, we get to see an older, kinder Sherri who seems to have changed somewhat and surrounded herself with better people... but nothing in the Sherri that was presented for the majority of the book showed me that she would have been in any way capable of wanting or making those types of changes.

On the plus side, Christina Clancy did a wonderful job of giving the reader a sense of time and place. I felt I was experiencing this Playboy resort in Wisconsin (which I did not know existed) back in its glory days and could easily visualize the clothes, the atmosphere, etc.

Maybe 3 1/4 stars for this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Shoulder Season has an interesting premise, following the life of Sherri as she navigates the transition from insecure small town girl to Playboy Bunny. It's an interesting look at a culture that, even though this is considered a historical book, is not too distant. I think it would make an interesting book club pick for all the discussion it can prompt about women in society, the 80s, ambition and mysoginy; there's a lot to unpack. The thing is I didn't care much for Sherri, her character was not bad enough to hate, not good enough to root for, so I felt kind of neutral about her and her destiny. Since it was not a character driven book, I fast-paced plot would have drawn me in more, but I also didn't feel that need to know what would happen next. It was an interesting book thematically, a good food for thought/conversation starter type of book, but not one that affected me much.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn't really get into this one I think it was the voice, I will hopefully come back to it again and if I feel differently I will update my review.

So I finished SHOULDER SEASON by Christina Clancy a few days ago, and I'm still processing exactly how I feel about it. It is honestly how I felt after reading Clancy's debut novel last year, THE SECOND HOME. While her books are easily digestible, and often page-turning, I think at the end of the day her writing just isn't for me. In SHOULDER SEASON, we follow Sherri, a naive 19 year old in Wisconsin who ends up becoming a Playboy Bunny at the local resort in 1981 (who knew they had Playboy resorts all over the country at one point??) It's a coming of age story, as she goes from being a quiet, organ playing and church going girl to getting caught up In a love triangle, getting hooked on diet pills, and meeting rock stars. It's a bit of a whiplash, but it ends up affecting the rest of her life (and we do get a satisfying time jump towards the end of the book).

I think my issue is that Clancy's writing can be very dense and over-explanatory at times. There is a lot of exposition, without a lot of action or character development. I definitely felt more concerned about speeding to the end to find out what happens instead of enjoying the journey of getting there. Sherri ends up being not very likable, and while I don't mind that in fiction, I still wanted something to root for since we follow her throughout her entire life (and I do believe she's supposed to come off as somewhat of a heroine). There is also no true reckoning with the idea of the Playboy bunny and the ripples this label has affected the women it has been bestowed upon, or our culture as a whole.

I received both the ebook and audiobook of the Shoulder Season NetGalley so I could go between the two when I was doing different things. Thank you NetGalley.
This was a fascinating read for me for the reasons listed below:

First of all, I am from southeastern Wisconsin so I have been to Lake Beulah, Lake Geneva and many of the other places in the books. I even golfed at the defunct golf course in the late 80's that Arthur was buying. The description of the small towns and lakes was spot on.

Secondly, in 1981,I was only a few years older than Sherri was at that time. All the angst and insecurities she has about herself is spot on for her age during that time period. The author did a great job showing that with Sherri although at times I wanted Sherri to become more self assured as the story progressed.

Third, I grew up in a very conservative family so there was a lot of stories about the Playboy Club in Lake Geneva that circulated during that time and it was considered a depraved, dangerous place because of the Playboy Club reputation so reading about all the rules and regulations the Bunnies had to follow was a real revelation for me. I found that to probably be the most interesting part of the book.

There were times when I had to stop reading this book because Sherri would start to annoy me. She wasn't a very good friend yet her lack of self esteem had her act out in ways we would not want her to do but being boy crazy during this period of time was pretty common. Ditching your girlfriend for a boy who was interested in you happened fairly often in those days.

The revelations she finds out at the end of this book is a great twist and would lead to a some great discussions in a book club. I will definitely recommend this to my book club this fall.

The audiobook could have been better. I thought the voices the narrator used for the men all sounded the same.

I read Shoulder Season in one day on vacation. I loved learning about the fictionalized culture and “behind-the-scenes” of a Playboy resort. I found the contrast between Sherri’s life as a PlayBoy bunny and life as an event planner fascinating. This book was surprising in many ways, and I think everyone should pick it up for something different on their reading lists!

Thank you to Christina Clancy, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When sheltered Sherri loses both her parents, she finds herself leaving her small-town life behind to become a Playboy Bunny.

Told in the vein of a Taylor Jenkins Reid novel, I felt the premise of <u>Shoulder Season</u> was strong but the delivery disappointed. The concept was interesting-an inside look at the life of a Playboy Bunny during the height of Playboy history and fame, the early 80s. However, Sherri's story of her experience fell flat for me. Most everyone in this story was an unlikable character. Sherri herself was very difficult to like at times. It was an interesting read but a little slow paced by around the halfway point. I see this being another typical Summer Book Club pick, but at the end of the day it wasn't very memorable.

Shoulder Season captured my attention -- I liked the descriptive writing and I really feel the author was able to transport me to the scenes and locations in the book. The book moves into flashback after starting in the present day. It is interesting because the expression "shoulder season" is the travel period between high and low season. This title has a great double meaning (shoulders from the cover drawing and highs and lows in the life of the main character. For the first half, the book was hard to put down. It reminded me of Rona Jaffe's writing which I really like. At some point, a couple of the plot twists made me not like the book as much and I pushed to keep reading and in the end, was glad I read this book. I am giving it 4 stars instead of 5 due to some of the plot turns I felt were a bit contrived, but still worth a read.

I recommend this book.

This was a good story, I enjoyed reading about some of the history behind the Playboy bunnies. This story showed how everyone who comes into our lives affect how we live our lives. Friendships can be paused due to circumstances and then they can be revisited. The story of Sherrie and her ups and downs was very believable. The characters in this story were mostly like able. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @stmartinspress for sending Shoulder Season by Christina Clancy my way.

Shoulder Season is a historical fiction based in a Playboy Resort in the 1980s, and it was hit and miss for me. I loved parts of it, but Sherri was a bit of a hot mess so watching her make bad decisions page after a page made my mom come out. I definitely wanted to talk some sense into the lady. CW for drug use, lots of sexual assault, and lots of discussion of diets/bodies/beauty.

Overall, I think this one was a great summer read. Sherri is the most trusting character and she gets herself into some crazy situations because of it. Also getting an inside look at the peek of the Playboy Bunny era was so interesting. I loved those aspects a lot.

I really enjoyed Christina Clancy's writing and the setting she invoked in rural Wisconsin. I lived in WI for 3 years and found her descriptions to be incredibly accurate and nostalgic. I also enjoyed most of the characters and that we got some amount of closure on what happened to all of them. I would have liked more character development out of Mitch seeing as Sherri ends up marrying him and having a child together. I also would have liked a little more on Violet as it was so cursory I couldn't get a clear idea of her personality. While I thought that Sherri getting her closure and learning the truth over 40 years later was rather unrealistic, I was happy she did have closure, learn what really happened and reconnect with everyone.

I really enjoyed Christina Clancy's second book! This is the story of Sherri Taylor's life - growing up, the loss of innocence (and the fact that it often happens several times), finding herself, facing tragedy, and learning what she really wanted. Her time as a Playboy resort Bunny was fascinating to read about, and I really appreciated her rebirth as an adult on the other side of the country. There was a major twist at the end of the this book that I definitely didn't expect and it made me want to rethink much of what I had spent the rest of the story believing. Sherri is a character you want to shake and make her rethink her often terrible decisions, but she will definitely find a place in your heart.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for a honest review. All opinions are my own.

Beach Read Alert!

It's the dawn of the 1980's and Sherri is a bit stuck in a rut in her small town Wisconsin life. She is 19, her parents have just died, she plays the organ at her local church and she lives in the shadow of her more vivacious friend. Then her friend drags her along for an interview at the new Playboy Resort in the neighboring town. Sherri lands the job, moves into the "bunny hutch" and begins her new life as a sexy cocktail waitress. The bunnies live by strict rules, but Sherri loves her new life. She makes new friends, parties hard and meets exciting people. But after one tragic event, Sherri's life changes forever.

This was a story of the heady days of youth and a girl discovering herself and going past her own limits and learning how to regain control. I enjoyed this one and it is a great beach read. I listened to it on audio and it was excellent.

What to listen to while you read...
Kids in America by Kim Wilde
Shake it Up by The Cars
Let's Groove by Earth Wind and Fire
Do Do Do De Da Da Da by The Police
Midnight Rider by Greg Allman

This book was not for me. It was extremely hard to get into and the characters were not relatable or likable. I found the main character's naivete to be annoying. I understand that a small town girl would be naive in that situation, but it started to see as if she was being actively obtuse.

I also found the plot to be slow. There just didn't seem to be a lot going on, and I had a very hard time staying interested. I'm sure that this book would appeal to some, but it just wasn't for me.

It’s the 80’s and Sherri, at the age of 19, impulsively applies for a job as a Bunny at the Playboy Resort. She’s recently lost her mother and needed to support herself somehow. With no one to guide her, she is thrown into parties, money, sex and drugs. Soon she forgets who she is and her goals and gets swept up in the chaos.

A good summer read where you can’t help but shake your head at some of the decisions Sherri makes. You get a tiny glimpse of life as a Bunny and I found that very interesting.

3.5 Stars. I was really intrigued by this story and had no idea that there was a Playboy resort in Lake Geneva, even though I didn't grow up all that far from there. I liked the book overall, but for some reason the main character Sherri felt so completely unrelatable to me and I felt so bothered by her for most of the book because of that. I loved the coming of age aspect of the story, what Sherri went through growing up could not have been easy and it makes sense why it took her awhile to find herself and get everything together. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.