MY SUMMER DARLINGS was such a fun thriller, perfect for your beach and/or pool bag! I read this one over the summer, but I highlight recommend it for any season! The core friendship between the three women at the center of this story was delightful.

The book starts with an unknown character beaten and tied up in the woods. One of the infamous three? Who is this guy and how can he get away with all his lies?

Three lifelong friends plus a dangerous, sexy new stranger in town add up to a scorching summer of manipulation, obsession, and murder, from the acclaimed author of The Hunting Wives.

Lots of guilty pleasure vibes, which I loved! Women focused on a steamy young man. Rich of catty behavior, alcohol consumption. A fun beach read!

#MySummerDarlings:

Thank you @berkley for my gifted copy.

I mean, I guess I should review this before the whole television series starts, right? Is this who I have become? The one who girl bossed to close to the sun and forgets to do a review almost three years late? Yes, yes it is.

Regardless, I loved it. Sassy, sophisticated, deathly. It was like desperate housewives but better. Whatever May Cobb puts in her books, I need in my veins. Must be a Texas thing, I reckon.

Three lifelong friends plus a dangerous, sexy new stranger in town add up to a scorching summer of manipulation, obsession, and murder, from the acclaimed author of The Hunting Wives.

A woman in the forest thinks she’s going to die. I know he’s coming back for me.

Thanks again Berkley!

Smutty, snooty, and truly entertaining. This is a story of three friends from childhood who reconnected when one moved back after a divorce.

Kittie, Jen, and Cynthia all fall hard for the new hunky guy who moves into an estate in the luxurious neighborhood they all live in. Jen the only single one and Will - said hunk - begin a relationship. He wants to take it slow, but in the meantime, he’s screwing the other two women and none are the wiser.

The book starts with an unknown character beaten and tied up in the woods. One of the infamous three? Who is this guy and how can he get away with all his lies?

Juicy fun in a Housewives type of way.

Calling all fans of pretty much any reality show, this one is for you! It is sassy, sexy and suspenseful. It was such an addictive read, with writing just as juicy as her first book. I totally did not see that twist at the end coming and was absolutely mortified of the outcome in the best possible way.

After trying her newest book, I came to read one of her backlist and I came to the conclusion that her books just might not be for me. It’s an easy read, could probably be categorized as a popcorn thriller. It was a bit predictable and I felt like there were things missing in the storyline. It kept me wanting more and wondering how certain things fit together. Overall, it was ok, but nothing that makes me want to go read more from this author.

I was hoping for more from this story but it was mostly lonely housewives. Ok for a little while but not enough to keep my attention for an entire book.

Grab the ice cold beverage of your choice and get yourself to your nearest pool or beachside lounger because May Cobb has delivered another salacious summer read! This book is wild and totally over-the-top, featuring a sexy new neighbor and a trio of friends (not to mention their other neighbors) who are hot and bothered and ready to let this man ruin their lives. A spicy thriller to heat up your day!

Ladies—I beg you keep your head straight, your eyes above shoulder height, and your panties on around mysterious new neighbor Will Harding! I don’t know that I’ve ever experienced quite this level of hot-and-bothered attraction, but it sure made for a fun read! These friends seem so close but they are certainly willing to wreck their lives and their friendships for Will Harding.

Set in a small town in East Texas, My Summer Darlings is told through multiple narrators and centers largely around three friends who live in the same suburban community and have been friends since high school. They spend their days drinking wine, gossiping about their neighbors, and sitting poolside to beat the Texas heat.

The book begins when Jen Hansen has just moved back locally in the wake of a devastating divorce. Jen is barely scraping by for herself and her teenage son, helped in large part by her parents who live nearby and have given her their home while she regroups. Jen’s teenage son isn’t so happy to leave Austin for smalltown life, but the promise of a car for his sixteenth birthday (as well as the attractive teenage daughter of Kitty who lives nearby) soften the move.

Kitty Spear is the queen bee of the friend group (and of their high school back in the day) and she loves to be the center of attention. Kitty is always happy to supply wine and gourmet appetizers (which financially-struggling Jen appreciates) in exchange for a gossipy girls night where they can catch up on their neighbors and Jen’s desolate love life. Kitty has a husband who adores her and a teenage daughter who inherited her unique combination of magnetism and crushing need for attention.

Cynthia Nichols has been Kitty’s righthand gal, especially when Jen was living away from Cedartown for many years, and she thinks of herself as the brains of the trio. Cynthia is in therapy and working through how to be more assertive with what she’s looking for in terms of intimacy with her husband. Cynthia also is richer than sin, and lives a seemingly happy life, grateful to have Jen back.

When sexy stranger with a mysterious and hard-to-place accent Will Harding moves to town, all of the women in Cedartown are hot and bothered to learn more about the new snack around the block. Jen is particularly entranced. Perhaps Will could be just what she needs to get over her ex and have some fun. But Jen isn’t the only one who seems to be interested in Will. In fact, happily married Cynthia and Kitty (among other neighborhood women) can’t seem to stay away from him. And Will certainly plays into their desires!

There is something strange about Will, though. He is very hot and cold with each interaction we see him in. Even though he seems interested in Jen, including spending time with her teenage son working on his car, he still seems to enjoy flirting (and maybe more) with other women. Even stranger, why does he claim to not have a cell phone? And where exactly did he come from?

Meanwhile a mysterious fourth narrator speaking from a time in the near future is in a bad way—captured and fighting for her life. Who is this woman, and who is responsible for the situation she is trapped in? Will she survive?

The first half of the book was like Desperate Housewives in a totally fun way. As the second half begins, the tension gets higher and higher as these women cannot get a grip on themselves around Will. As their lives and friendships speed on a collision course that is sure to end in catastrophic emotional turmoil, the tension from the fourth narrator increases. And by the last 30% of the book the twists and turns will have you glued to the book, unable to stop (except maybe to refill your drink).

No one in the book other than maybe Jen is particularly likable, and even she has some erratic and over-the-top scenes that will make you either like her more or question her life choices (or both!). It’s hard to feel badly for Kitty, Cynthia, or most of the neighbors with their posh lifestyles which they treat flippantly. Will is so mysterious it is almost as infuriating for the reader as it is for the women in the town. It does help you see why he might be such a draw for these women, though. Nothing can draw the eye like a tall, dark, handsome, mystery man who seems wounded.

But none of this really detracts from the book in my opinion because we are not here for the characters arcs and growth, we are here for the drama. And let me tell you, these ladies bring the drama!

Addictive and compulsively readable—this is a perfect summer thriller!

Review will be posted on 6/1/23

Jen Hansen moves back home with her teenage son after a nasty divorce. She hopes to start over in her hometown in Texas and it will be great to have the support of her best friends Kittie and Cynthia. They love to spend the evenings sipping wine on each other's patios and discussing the latest gossip. A recent hot topic is the new neighbor Will Harding. He is good-looking, single, and has caught the eye of Jen. Of course, her best friends support Jen and want her to put herself out there with Will; what better way to get over her cheating ex-husband? Except things aren't as they seem at all. As Kittie and Cynthia get closer to Will (under the guise that they want to get Jen with him) they start to have feelings for him, too. Before we know it, all three women are obsessed with him and things get dangerous in more ways than one. May Cobb's My Summer Darlings is a juicy beach read of a novel that is part thriller, romance, and mystery. While it is absurdly far-fetched at times, I needed to know how this novel was going to end for these highly dysfunctional women.


You know when you read a novel and you hate all the characters? Like not one character has redeeming qualities? That was My Summer Darlings for me. It was a train wreck. If Desperate Housewives had a love child with a soap opera, it would be this novel. The catty behavior was next level from full-grown women who are all pining for this guy. I didn't buy it. I mean who is he? Even if he was Henry Cavill's look-alike brother, I still don't buy it. So, if you can suspend your disbelief and just go along for this crazy ride, then you'll enjoy My Summer Darlings, which was probably the most absurd beach read/summer thriller I've read in years.

Late to the train with this one. I can see why everyone loved it so much. What a great addictive read!

I did not enjoy this book at all. To the point where I'm not sure that I would read anything else by this author. This is the second book I've read by her and I've realized the writing just isn't for me. 😬😅

I really liked this book a lot. I'm a big fan of May Cobb books! Her books always gives me Housewives vibes and I'm here for it.

May Cobbs has fast become an amazing author! Just another great one to add to her ever growing list of winners. Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for review

This was not my favorite May Cobb. It was just not for me. I found it to be very unbelievable. All of the characters were just plain dumb. It felt like a bad lifetime movie.

After being disturbed by The Hunting Wives I knew I needed to try Cobb's new story.

My Summer Darlings brings you more suburban housewife drama in Texas. Jen Hansen, Kittie Spears, and Cynthia Nichols have been friends for years - kids, marriages, divorces but they keep coming back to each other. My Summer Darlings gives you multiple POVs as a newcomer comes to town and stirs up drama.

Unfortunately this one just did not suck me in and I grew bored with the story. I'll still try her books but this one was a pass for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my this woman can write some twisted, raunchy, preposterous (but in the best way) books!

Jen Hansen has just moved back to her childhood town with her son Kasey and is looking forward to catching up with her two best friends, Kittie and Cynthia, whom she’s known since she was a child and grew up in the same town with her. Then Will Harding moves to town and immediately draws the eyes of all the women, single or not. He’s sexy, charming, but also a little mysterious. Maybe too mysterious as each woman develops a relationship with him that quickly turns into obsessions that will turn sinister and possibly deadly.

After reading May Cobb’s first book I was a little offset by the topics but I really enjoyed her writing style. Now after reading this one she has quickly become one of my favorite authors. She writes thrillers that aren’t just about gasps and plot twists, she intertwines relationships and secrets in a way that should be disgusting and hard to read at times but I devour them. All of her details in this book set the tone and atmosphere perfectly and I honestly couldn’t put this book down.

I’m really looking forward to reading what she comes up with next!

Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group for the copy for my review.

Jen, Kittie, and Cynthia lives in the same neighborhood and have been friends for years. A new man moves into town, and has caught all their attention. There goes the neighborhood.

My Summer Darlings is told through alternating points of view – Jen, Kittie, Cynthia, and an unknown person. The POVs are all distinct, though none of them are very likable.

Jen is recently divorced, and is immediately drawn to the new neighbor, Will. Her besties, Kittie and Cynthia, are both married, but they are also attracted to Will. This must be the world’s most charming man. Anyway, the women all fall for this new stranger, and are absolutely ridiculous trying to win him over. It should be no surprise that things do not end well.

My Summer Darlings is a guilty pleasure book. A steamy and dramatic story of rich people behaving badly, with a little mystery thrown in.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is another one of those books you can finish in one sitting while sitting under a beach umbrella with some kind of frozen drink. An escapist thriller perfect for summer!

Another perfect summer Texas book by May Cobb. I could NOT put this down. I loved the setting, the over the top wealthy neighborhood, and the wild relationships. It was SO good (and so spicy!) I will read anything May Cobb writes!