I really enjoyed last year's The Hunting Wives even though it was a little fantastical and insane, it was a fun ride. My Summer Darlings just didn't do it for me. First, about half the book is just porn. Not what folks are calling steamy these days, but outright porn. It was too over the top and too unnecessary to the plot. We could have had the same build of drama without it being so graphic. A few times I wanted to DNF but I was interested in figuring out who the girl in the woods was so instead, I skimmed *those* scenes and some of the catty bickering. I'd say now that I've finished it, it wasn't worth it. I didn't get the explanation I wanted in the end.

Just because I didn't love this one, doesn't mean you won't but go in knowing what to expect. Lots of gratuitous sex and violence.

Thanks to Netgalley for advanced access to this novel. All opinions above are my own.

I just don’t think this author is one for me. DNF’d her previous book because of inappropriate relationships between an adult and a teenager. This one is a DNF from sheer boredom.

I really liked The Hunting Wives but this was just so far fetched - one guy everyone lusted after who turned out to be a psycho. And they continued to lust after him when he was gone. The women were shallow, entitled, and were childhood friends, I wouldn’t want any of them for my friend. This almost was a DNF but I wanted to find out who was in the forest. Not a book I’ll recommend.

I loved the Hunting Wives and just could not get into this book. With multiple POVs and then no warning on the pedophilia I truly struggled with this book.

Told in multiple POVs this novel follows a group of women whose friendship becomes unraveled when a Hot Stranger moves into town.

When all is said and done, five - F I V E - women (three married, one a 15-year-old; yes, a surprise!pedophilia plot was thrown in at the 11th hour) literally throw themselves at this man. Even during the climax when *several* of the ladies have been kidnapped and beaten (one is even DEAD at this point), they still pause during their escape and think about how hot he is and how they still want to be with this guy and what could he have possibly seen in the other women. I..I don’t get it. This was so, so comically bad.

Mary Cobb’s newest thriller is an easy, fun summer read that’s filled with a lot of steam and mystery. The vibe is definitely “Real Housewives” style! The three main women in this book (Jen, Kittie, and Cynthia) are friends you never want… EVER!! These three Texans have their eyes on one man, Will. Totally unlikable characters, crazy drama, and a lot of spice sums this book up. It isn’t your typical thriller. Cobb’s first novel, The Hunting Wives, had a lot of the same vibe but I think it’s the craziness of it all that’s so entertaining. I’ll definitely read her next novel despite her books being a little outside of my norm. She knows how to entertain her readers!

Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleypub for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was kind of a disappointment for me. I really enjoyed The Hunting Wives by this author but this one a little all over the place and I found the characters to annoying. Almost DNFd at the 50% mark.

This was just not good. I tend to judge a book by the cover and was immediately drawn in, but this didn’t work.

Normally neighborhood dramas about catty rich women are right up my alley, but My Summer Darlings wasn’t quite for me. However, it was less problematic than the author’s first novel! I figured the age gap trope just wasn’t for me in The Hunting Wives and that I would give her another shot, but number two didn’t do too much to change my opinion. What can I say, though, I was drawn in by this colorful cover!

I can definitely see this book being someone’s poolside guilty pleasure this summer. It is full of secrets, lies, and catty, backstabbing frenemies. The love triangle trope doesn’t do it for me though, and I especially don’t care for the rampant cheating.

May Cobb can certainly weave a deceptive tale, though! Read this if you enjoy love-to-hate characters making constant bad decisions.

I loved The Hunting Wives and was eagerly anticipating this one and unfortunately it fell a bit flat. It was a quick read with multiple POV’s and short chapters but the storyline was just a bit too unbelievable for me to get behind this one. There is a lot of drama, don’t get me wrong, and there is a hot guy that moves to town, but the way he was able to work his way in when most of these women are married was a lot. Most of the characters are unlikable which does not bother me at all, but I know it does some, so just an FYI. All the elements are here for me to love this one which is why I am super disappointed I did not which is too bad.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Pub for the digital copy to review. This one is available now.

I LOVED May Cobb’s previous book. I wound up reading both her books with a book club. One, I hosted through bookstagram and it led to an excellent discussion. The other I read with an in person one. Both books had many aspects to discuss. The drama, suspense, romance… however with My Summer Darlings, I wasn’t as impressed. The first half of the book flew by, but second half became a bit unrealistic and repetitive. I love the drama elements in her books and the steam, but the ending of this one missed the mark for me. I liked it and will 100% continue to read her books right when they come out, but this one wasn’t my favorite!

This was wacky! I love the cover and premise but the story itself didn’t wow me. I thought the women were extremely unlikable and almost couldn’t finish. I missing the fun of the hunting wives. What kept me reading was to see how it would all come crashing down, and that was satisfying/

**3.5-stars rounded up**

My Summer Darlings begins in a very intriguing way. You get the perspective of a woman lying in the woods, bleeding profusely, contemplating her death. You don't know who she is or who has harmed her, but it is clear she ended up in her predicament by nefarious means.

You are then sent 6-weeks back in time to follow the perspectives of Jen, Kittie and Cynthia. The trio have been best friends since childhood and even though Jen moved away for a bit, once she returned to their East Texas town after a messy divorce, they picked up right where they left off. They're thick as thieves through all the ups and downs of their bougie lifestyles.

The women each have their own personal concerns of course, Jen for example, post-divorce is actually really struggling financially. Luckily her friends and parents never mind helping her out. They're just happy she is finally away from him. Cynthia and Kittie are both very well off and their husbands are great, but you know life.

When Will Harding moves to town, a drop-dead gorgeous man who ends up in the most luxurious home in the neighborhood, the three women are intrigued. Will could be exactly the type of man Jen needs to move past her divorce. Will's presence in town however stirs things up for the trio more than they ever could have expected. We're talking secrets, lies and shady alibis.

There is no denying that May Cobb has a knack for writing rich people drama. With this novel, as with The Hunting Wives, once I started, I could not put it down. I loved the set-up; the way it began and then going back to piece together what had lead that mystery woman to that point, it was so engaging.

While I was addicted to the drama, however, there were a few things toward the end that I found to be a touch too convenient for my tastes. Hence the 3.5-stars rounded up. Regardless, that is still a great rating and it's undeniable that I really enjoyed this. It was a ton of fun. If you enjoy over-the-top, reality show-levels of ridiculously entertaining drama, you have to check this one out.

I think if you go into this expecting a strict to the genre Thriller, you may be disappointed. Just know this is more of a Domestic Drama centering around the friend group, with a touch of mystery running throughout. At this point, I am sold on May Cobb. I love the risqué drama she's serving up. I'm here for it and will continuing coming back.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate it and look forward to seeing what crazy hijinks

With friends like these, who needs enemies? Backstabbers. Cheaters. Liars. My Summer Darlings has them all. It is a quick read about three friends who gather weekly for a wine night to gossip and commiserate about their husbands and teenagers. Then Will Harding moves to town and the book narrates each woman’s personal story with the handsome stranger. I thought it was just…Meh. The characters weren’t likable and seemed just desperate to throw themselves at a new male in town. Their behavior was so pathetic that I couldn’t enjoy the story.

The Hunting Wives was one of my top favorite thrillers last year. I absolutely loved it!!

My Summer Darlings. I had high expectations going into this one due to her first debut. I actually just wrote a recent review about this. I really can't stand when authors portray women to be weak. I'm tired of seeing the "gaslighting" theme with women using drugs/alcohol because they're viewed as "crazy".

All three of these women were weak. This was hard for me to get past. None of them had any redeeming qualities and were an absolute mess. These women were backstabbing, liars, and only care about themselves.

I just really felt like this one hit the mark for me which is so sad to say. I loved her debut. I'm hoping the next book that she writes is more on the lines of her debut.

Ugh.... on the next!

2.75/5 stars

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

Don’t let this sweet cover fool you. This book is full of surprises. That old saying keep your friends close and your enemies closer… whew! New strangers, back stabbing friends, and.. murder. Spicy spice and twisted turns made this an amazing read! I hope you all enjoy as much as I did!!

Dnf at 30%. Having loved her last book and expecting a fun poolside read I just could not continue with this over the top ridiculousness. The women all seemed pathetic and desperate and I needed someone to see the light of day. I’m bummed because I figured this would be my favorite summer recommendation.

A thank you to Netgalley for sharing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I admit that I the cover and plethora of positive reviews were factors in my anticipation of this novel. Unfortunately, I didn't find it particularly interesting or thrilling and I couldn't stand the characters. The way the women were portrayed was downright dementing, and dare I sexist. Not for me.

I read The Hunting Wives as well and safe to say, May Cobb is not an author for me. The characters are all so unlikable, entitled, bored Desperate Housewives style. The new man that comes to town ends up with multiple women in the same friend group and all of this just felt so icky and gross to me. Do not recommend.

This book is the perfect summer read! The story of 3 friends who all fall for the same man and the drama that ensues. There are lots of steamy scenes but also lots of intrigue in trying to figure out the end game. I liked the characters and liked how May Cobb wrote their stories. Overall, this was a fun read and I can see a lot of our library patrons enjoying this one!