*3.5 stars rounded up. A tale of young, naive girls on the cusp of adulthood who get groomed and manipulated by older men into doing things they wouldn't normally do. The setting is a Greek island where girls come to vacation before the new school year begins again. Seventeen-year-old Rachel Evans arrives with her friend Caroline and is thrilled to be singled out by a handsome older man named Alistair at a local bar that night. Usually she is the wallflower so she's basking in the new found glory of this attention. Alistair invites Rachel and her friends to a party the next night at the home of his wealthy employer, Henry Taylor. 'Those parties are a big deal. I can't believe you got an invite already!' enthuses one of the other girls. Once Rachel falls in love, it's so easy to be drawn into a web of evilness.

The story is told in Rachel's first person narrative in two timelines: Then and Now (16 years later). In the present, Rachel is living in London, married and working at one of the museums. But still she clings to memories of her first love, her island romance, and what might have been. What will it take for her to finally see and accept the truth of what really was going on that summer?

One can't help but picture Jeffery Epstein's little island and what went on there as one reads this novel. I kept wanting to shake some sense into Rachel, even as an adult. 'There are none so blind as those who will not see.'

I received an arc of this debut novel from the author and publisher via NetGalley. Many thanks! My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

I don't think I really knew what I was getting into with this one. I'm STILL thinking about it.

Rachel spends the summer before her 6th term in Greece - working and boarding for free with other young women. However, when Rachel befriends some girls from the village, she hears murmurs that living at Henry Taylor's house, and working for Henry Taylor, may not be everything it is lauded to be. Blurry nights, lost memories, secret trysts...it's all normal for a 17 year old, right?

Ten years later, Rachel confronts memories of her summer there when she re-establishes contact with some of her friends from the island. As more stories are told, Rachel must confront the truth of both her memory and her trauma.

*I couldn't stop making connections between Epstein and his cronies with Henry Taylor. The author's note did not address this connection, so this is merely my own connection. The author did address the #metoo movement, and how many, MANY women realized that nonconsensual incidences (and manipulation) are not what men may play them off as: they're sexual assault.

I loved this book. I can't stop thinking about it. I can't recommend it enough. However, there are some serious content warnings: sexual assault and grooming.

The author’s note explains what this is about perfectly….”The girls of Summer explores the gray area of consent.” The author did exactly that.

It missed the mark a little for me because it was incredibly wordy and was a bit slow. The characters were a bit flat and I wasn’t a fan of any of them.

However, the story served its purpose in showing how the MC, Rachel, was so pliable at her young age and mistaking what she was doing for having power when she was really being used and manipulated by an older man.

It’s def got some Epstein vibes, if ya know what I mean. It’s like a fictionalized book about him and his private island residence. I could totally see this happening in real life…oh wait it did…well to be accurate it DOES still happen, which is terrifying. So many young people are exploited while they are thinking they are in control.

This one could be very triggering for some so please check trigger warnings. It’s a #metoo book.

Overall it was a decent read, the premise is memorable, the story not so much. It’s sort of like the Epstein documentary just more dramatized (not that it needed to be because it was already so awful).

Def worth checking out especially if you like a slow burn.

This was a slow, atmospheric, mysterious read that I unfortunately stopped reading at about 40% in. I tried to like this book but between the very unlikeable main character and the huge age difference I couldn’t get past I decided to not finish reading.

Wow! I read this book in one sitting! The Girls of Summer by Katie Bishop is a great dark summer read.

The dual timeline follows Rachel now and summer seventeen years ago in Greece. After going to Greece on holiday she decides to extend her trip and work in a bar with the friends she’s made on the island.

There are a lot of trigger warnings for this book, akin to Tell Me Lies meets Jeffrey Epstein.

The Girls of Summer is addictive from the first page. If you’re looking for a darker summer read with summer vibes don’t miss this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

"I was never good at being loved."

The timeline jumps back and forth between then and now.  "Then" is Rachel as a teenager backpacking through parts of Euopre with her friends when she comes across a lesser known island in Greece and meets the mysterious and alluring Alistair. "Now" Rachel is married and living in London, reflecting on her time in Greece. 

I wasn't sure if I was going to like Rachel.  She seems obsessed with youth to an alarming extent.  In fact, most of her comments and thoughts hinge off of that. She also never seems happy about anything.  She lies to her husband but says she loves him and often has very unflattering thoughts about him when he's caring and attentive to her.  But, the story is a slow, suspenseful burn, and as it unfolds, you find out exactly why she's that way.  This story gets very dark at times.  As a teenager, she was unsure of herself and, therefore, an easy mark to be manipulated and abused.  Her self-worth was tied to a person who only used her.  She never seemed to be able to get past that.  The person was older than her, which also explains her obsession with age and the fact she doesn't think she has any value. There was a twist at the end that I did see coming, but overall, this was enjoyable, and I didn't want to put it down. If you're looking for a light read, this isn't it. This was dark and had quite a few triggering situations. Definitely pick it up if you don't shy away from darker stories.
 
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Girls of Summer is very reminiscent of a few other books released around the same period this year. Told through a dual timeline, both focused on the main character Rachel. In present day, Rachel is married to Tom, and they are visiting Greece. In the past Rachel is seventeen years old and off on a girls trip to Greece with her best friend Caroline. The girls stayed in hostels and reveled in the party scene. Rachel falls hard for Alistair, who is twenty yers her senior. In the present day, while on her vacation in Greece, Rachel meets a woman from her past, that makes her confront what really happened when she was a teenager. Reminiscent of Before We Were Innocent and My Last Innocent Year, The Girls of Summer is a well told story that touches on some uncomfortable topics. Overall it was well done and I look forward to see what Bishop comes out with next.

This is a deeply poignant story told in the past and present. It is reflective of a group of young girls who are preyed on. Rachel is conflicted by an event that happened to her as a teenager. Now she is dealing with how it has affected her life and trying to figure out the truth. The story pulls at the heartstrings as the life she has carefully constructed begins to fall apart. It is easy to read and entertaining.

Well written. Definitely gave me Jeffery Epstein vibes. A Me Too book written for anyone. I throughly enjoyed this read and the way it was written.

Rachel never really moved on from that summer. She was 18 and traveling Greece with her friend Caroline. They truly thought they were invincible. Then Rachel meets Alistair. Alistair is a grown up, a real man, and he is interested in Rachel. Usually the wallflower type, Rachel eats up the attention and finds herself staying on to work at the island, even after Caroline returns home. But life on the island isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, nor is Alistair, and now remembering it as an adult, Rachel must confront some brutal truths and unearth some secrets she’s kept.

Whew. “The Girls of Summer” by Katie Bishop was heavy. Rachel is a young girl who is basically traveling alone. She has been overprotected by her parents and minimally exposed to the life beyond her world, so this island feels like a no rules paradise to her. She is naive and immature. It basically spelled out danger from the beginning.

The plot was fairly predictable. Although I won’t give any spoilers, I’m sure you can guess. As you watch Rachel’s current life implode because of things coming back from the past, you almost want to scream- WAKE UP! Rachel does begin to piece things together, but the denial is strong.

Overall, this book leaned more drama than a mystery or thriller. I felt like it was a solid 3 star read, based on the pacing and overall plot. If you like duel timeline plots and reminiscent vibes, this is a great pick.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was a very well-written book that definitely hit close to home with my own personal experience. Travelling abroad and being faced with situations and experiences that are not ok, but are glazed over with the sheen of vacationing and other worldliness. The author did a fantastic job of setting up both the past and present with believability and really stellar character development. Only not a five because the premise was so heavy that I found myself not necessarily wanting to read it - I just wanted it to be finished.

This debut is atmospheric and dark. It showcases how teenage girls can be manipulated and taken advantage of.

Rachel and Caroline decide to go traveling the summer after high school. They end up on a small island in Greece. The author does a fabulous job describing the setting that it almost makes you feel as if you are there, too. Rachel meets Alastair in a dive bar. An older man who pays her lots of attention. They end up forming a relationship and Rachel stays on the island to work, while Caroline goes back home to go to Uni as planned. Rachel gets a job at this dumpy bar, and makes friends with the other girls who work there. They also work at parties for a powerful man named Henry Taylor, that Alastair works for. They are provided unlimited alcohol and drugs at this party, and their sole job is to entertain the men and make sure they are happy.

Unfortunately, this book became repetitive and it felt like there was a lot of repetition, not a lot going on at points in the plot. I felt slightly bored throughout it. All this said, I felt angry at the men in this book and how they took advantage of the girls. There were a few interesting parts that I had to see how they played out. It was an okay debut.

If you like atmospheric, contemporary fiction, this one would be a good one for you to pick up.

'The Girls of Summer' by Katie Bishop is hard to rate. It is well-written and timely (there is a very Epstein-esque situation happening in Greece). However, I don't love the main character. You just want to shake her sometimes! But, is that just he naivety so common in young adult hood well captured on the pages? There is a lot going on in this story and it isn't all comfortable. It is well-explored and definitely leaves you thinking about it long after you close the cover.

I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this one upon finishing. I don’t think this is really a thriller, but more of a contemporary fiction with a little mystery thrown in. The ending felt a little anti-climactic and I found myself skimming a lot towards the end. I do see how this may be a good beach read this summer.

The Girls of Summer by Katie Bishop is much more than a thriller. It definitely has the psychological side to it but it also hits on so many hot topics. Consent and the power dynamic in sex are a major theme. We get to see Rachel’s perspective from then and now and how the events of the past have affected her future. I found myself constantly wanting to find out more from the past and enjoyed finding out what happened, piece by piece. I really felt for Rachel and the innocence of what once was. Another thing that stood out was the backdrop of Greece. I don’t think I’ve read any other books that take place there and it was such an appealing place!

DNF @ 43% But this is a case of it's not the book, it's me.

If you like twisty, suspenseful thriller/dramas, this would be perfect as a summer beach read. But for me, cheating is a no-go, and when the wife decides to cheat on her husband with an old flame, and doesn't feel any remorse, it took me out of the story completely and I decided it wasn't worth the emotional energy to finish it. I was already on the fence because the wife was taking birth control and hiding it from her husband, while he was thinking they were trying to conceive. The cheating was just the nail in the coffin.

It was a good reminder as to why I mostly read romance. I love those happy endings.

The writing was good! I liked the dual timelines. The format of the story was interesting, and the plot was well-paced. The audiobook narrator's performance was fantastic. There were enough hints and foreshadowing to keep me interested and guessing as to what would happen next, but I just didn't care enough about the ending to put up with the infidelity.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rachel and Caroline are off on a summer adventure. When they arrive at one of the Greek islands, Rachel quickly falls in love with Alistair, who is considerably older than her.

Told in a then and now format with the details of "that summer" slowly being revealed. What really happened that summer depends on who's point of view you listen to. All of the characters views of that summer are not the same. The book makes you realize that your memories of a certain time may be different than other people who were there at the time.

I didn't agree with the girls choices, but felt for the young and naive teenagers.

The title The Girls of Summer may sound like a fun summer read, but it is not. It is interesting but not what I would call a fun and relaxing read. There are many important topics discussed at length throughout. I was very interested to see how it would all play out and was satisfied with the ending.

Thanks to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc.

A great beach read for the summer. Loved the story and fished it in an afternoon. Thanks for the opportunity to read.

This is the story of Rachel and several others girls who start off taking a fun summer abroad in Greece which then turns into them being pulled into a horrible life of prostitution, human trafficking, and drugs. This was an easy read that I was able to finish in 2 days. It was a dark topic but it was eye-opening (and scary) to see how easily these girls are drawn in by people they love and trust. I'm sure it was a difficult book to write but it is something that people should be aware of to warn the young people in their lives.

🇬🇷 A summer in the Greek Islands, a whirlwind love affair and tarnished experiences that will stick with you FOREVER, “The Girls of Summer” by Katie Bishop is a completely engrossing story of manipulation, twisted secrets and cruel intentions!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Two 17 year best friends, Rachel and Caroline, go to Greece for their summer break before entering college. During their travels they meet a group of girls who have taken jobs on the island at a bar with a reputation. One night at the bar, Rachel meets Alistar who is 20 years older than her and falls into complete infatuation with.

When Rachel and Caroline’s trip has come to an end, Alistar invites Rachel to stay and offers her a job at the bar and a place to live nearby. The thought of leaving him at this moment is nonexistent and Rachel stays behind on the island. This decision and the events that follow will haunt her forever.

15 years later, Rachel is happily married and visits Greece with her husband. They visit the bar she once worked at and all sorts of memories flood her. She cannot stop thinking about THAT summer and of Alistar. She runs into one of the girls she met that summer and asks for Alistar’s contact information. Now that Rachel knows where to find him … what does this mean for her, her marriage and the new life she has created for herself?

This book is HAUNTING, uncomfortable and twisted. There are a lot of triggers in this book. If you have read My Dark Vanessa then you will understand what I mean. This book is important to read as it covers topics of grooming, manipulation, being a victim of sexual assault, mind control and much more! I will be thinking about this one for a long time … 🤯

Thank you kindly to @katiebishopwrites @stmartinspress @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on June 6, 2023!