Suspenseful, dreamy, and emotional, Katie Bishop puts it all in these pages! I don’t know how to tease the premise without giving it all away, so here is just a snippet:

As protagonist Rachel struggles to find balance in her real life, she becomes consumed by her past; specifically one fleeting summer that changed her life forever. As the story unfolds, so does the illusion she calls her memories.

Within the first third of the book, I fell deep into the story and I couldn’t put it down. Bishop created such an immersive universe between the Greek islands and the UK. I felt like I was Rachel, realizing my teenage whirlwind vacation wasn’t the magical fantasy I was remembering. Bishop invokes the unsettling feelings of her characters in her readers. You can read between the lines and it’s frustrating not being able to yell into the pages!

The chapters go back and forth between present and past format and Katie Bishop illustrates the different perspectives so well. It was intense and heavy, but tinted pink.

I really enjoyed this, and if you’re looking for a suspenseful story to keep you hooked as the summer rolls in, The Girls of Summer is exactly what you’re looking for.

As a mother of daughters, this book was SO hard to read.

We have teenage young women living in Greece, thinking they've found an amazing situation. But from my side you see that they are being manipulated and groomed. There is sexual assault and definitely gaslighting and mental abuse.

Alistair is SO good at his manipulation, that even 15 years later, married Rachel still fancies herself in love him.

It was a heartbreaking read, and not for everyone. But watching the women come together years later and see the men held accountable was satisfying.

Well written even though it was a difficult topic.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press for an ARC and MacMillan Audio for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a slow-burn thriller set in Greece. Rachel and her best friend are off to Greece for a summer break. What could go wrong? Rachel meets an older man and plans are changed.
I love the dual timeline storytelling--it works well with this story. Each chapter is headed with “then” and “now”, putting the reader in the correct time frame. The entire story is narrated by Rachel, the reverse order keeps the reader on their toes. This title turns out to be a darker story than the title implies, but it's well-told and refreshing,

Thank you to NetGalley for a digital copy of this title.

Unfortunately the story didn’t pull me in. It’s told in dual timelines and I was hoping eventually it would be engaging but for me it was a very slow pace read.
There are very well descriptions of the location and smells that can whisk anyone away but it just didn’t work for me.
The narrator, Annabel Scholey did a good job portraying the MC and other characters in the story. I enjoyed the tones and accent she used.

A very special thanks to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio for the ALC and St. Martin’s Press for the gifted book.

The Girls of Summer is a debut novel by Katie Bishop. Told from duel timelines from one characters point of view, this story was very slow to unfold.

Rachel, now in her thirties remembers her one summer in Greece, as a seventeen year old, as a crazy time in her life. It is one she never forgot mainly because she fell in love. But now, older and faced with new information, she now has a new lens to see that summer through, the one she held onto so fondly for so many years.

The Girls of Summer didn’t have many twists and turns, but I was intrigued the whole time while reading. It didn’t take long for me to see pieces of the puzzle started to click together. But even having an idea, I dreaded as the story unfold, to see what was going to happen with these young girls. I didn’t really love any of the characters, but the writing was very good. I can’t wait to see what Bishop writes next.

Thank you to St Martins Press for the ARC copy to read and provide an honest review.

The Girls of Summer is a debut novel by Katie Bishop. Told from duel timelines from one characters point of view, this story was very slow to unfold.

Rachel, now in her thirties remembers her one summer in Greece, as a seventeen year old, as a crazy time in her life. It is one she never forgot mainly because she fell in love. But now, older and faced with new information, she now has a new lens to see that summer through, the one she held onto so fondly for so many years.

The Girls of Summer didn’t have many twists and turns, but I was intrigued the whole time while reading. It didn’t take long for me to see pieces of the puzzle started to click together. But even having an idea, I dreaded as the story unfold, to see what was going to happen with these young girls. I didn’t really love any of the characters, but the writing was very good. I can’t wait to see what Bishop writes next.

Thank you to St Martins Press for the ARC copy to read and provide an honest review.

I was looking forward to a mystery/suspense (as this is marketed) set in Greece. Perfect for summer, right?

Nope, it’s all about the main character being groomed and then perpetually being in love with said groomer.

No thank you- I am not about lifting up this gross behavior.

This was a very interesting book dealing with a tough subject and at times it was tough to read. The writing was good, but I don’t know if it was the style or what but I had hard time really getting into the story and I didn’t really care about any of the characters. The story is told in two perspectives past and present. Rachel has never truly recovered from the summer when she was 17 taking a vacation on a small island. But she doesn’t even truly understand what happened that summer and she is still struggling to manage the trauma she can’t even acknowledge. This book definitely made me think and I think it did accurately capture how easy it is for a young and vulnerable girl to slide in commercial exploitation of children.

Thank you to the author and publisher, as well as NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this book ahead of its publication date in exchange for a fair and honest review.

MAJOR trigger warning for sexual assault and suicide in this novel, some of the contents left me feeling a little unsettled, as well as unsatisfied with how everything played out.

I have enjoyed novels like this in the past, but I will say that it felt entirely too predictable with the way Rachel seeks out Alistar from almost the first moment. I hated to read through the novel and see that she hadn't really learned anything from such a toxic relationship and continued those behaviors throughout the book. She was very self sabotaging, and at times, I think she got a weird thrill out of doing what was bad for her.

I am a huge champion of seeing female characters champion their own self growth and discovery, in a way, Rachel did that, but it didn't come without plenty of cringey moments and her own toxic behavior toward other people who genuinely loved her.

The sections from Rachel's past, when she was staying in Italy, left me feeling incredibly sad. Some of the scenes are hard to read, so again, use your best discretion when choosing to pick up this book.

That being said, the novel does have resolution related to the #MeToo movement at the end, which was uplifting and left me with an overall positive view of the book.

I give this novel 3 of 5 stars.

The Girls of Summer tells the story of Rachel, a teenage summer that changed her life, and the impact it has on her life some 15 years later.
The story is told in parallel timelines of when Rachel was a teenager, taking a gap year on a Greek island, and when she is in her 30's, struggling to decide if she should have a child with her husband. Struggling to decide if she can ever get over that summer, the man she fell in love with. And by man, I truly mean someone twice her age. I think a lot of people can relate to the coming-of-age Rachel storyline - she thinks she knows it all and
In the present-day storyline, Rachel needs to confront that summer and determine if it really was everything she thought it was at the time.
The Girls of Summer was a good book. It was more intense than I anticipated. It is an impressive book for the author's first, but I did feel a few times like I had missed a plot point (although that may have been intentional).
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This was like a 3.4-4 star book for me. I thought the story and characters was compelling, but at times the story dragged a bit, for me personally.

As with many books with two timelines, one of these was the clear winner and that was the story from Rachel's time on the island. The author perfectly captured that age when you're coming into your own, eager to make your own decisions even when you have a sinking sensation that they may be bad ones. The descriptions of the island were beautiful and the friendships between the girls well-described.

I thought the plot line from the past was well done, though a touch vague --I think that probably runs true to Rachel's experience though, when we're in a dangerous situation, we're often not able to recognize the clues around us. But she's SO clueless that the stakes aren't quite as high as they should be (for instance, I never felt like she was in any sort of danger.)

If felt like the present day storyline was a little weaker, with Rachel having not gained a whole lot of self awareness over time (unlike seemingly every other character around her.) It's hard to root for such a self destructive streak. )I suppose that makes for a better book though.)

Overall, this was fine read, and I would recommend it. It just wasn't a slam dunk with me, personally. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a tough book since as a reader and adult, you see it for what it is. Grooming, manipulation, sexual assault and rape. Not to say that this doesn’t or couldn’t happen to a person of any age. It’s a story about an impressionable and lonely young girl who is an easy target for a predator. So overall I liked the book but it was a tad slow moving and failed to completely immerse me and give me the emotional punch I craved. Obviously with the subject matter this will not be for everyone and there were a lot of TW which will be hard to stomach for some. It was a good debut and I’m looking forward to see where the author takes us next. 3.5⭐️

Read if you like:
🔥 Slow Burn Plots
🔪 Thrillers
🇬🇷 Books set in Greece
🖤 Dark Romance Vibes

This book definitely starts with a slower pace but then picks up with suspense once Rachel has a chance meeting with a girl that she met 16 years ago when in Greece.

Then she was in love and obsessed with Alistar and these feelings have loomed over her for the last 16 years. Now she is married to Tom and this increases the suspenseful vibes as the past comes back and is shaping and looming over the present for Rachel.

I loved the moment from past to present as this really worked for this book and plot.

Thanks so much to the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my review!

Rachel is difficult to like, but I breezed through the book anyway. A solid debut for Bishop and inspires you to think on how memory actually operates

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

"The Girls of Summer" is a depressing book. The story alternates between the summer when Rachel was seventeen/eighteen and visiting Greek islands with her best friend, and the present day sixteen years later. During the summer in Greece, Rachel attracts the attention of an older man, Alistair, who manages a bar and other interests for an older man, Henry Taylor, including providing female companions for Henry and his business associates. Rachel is not used to the attention, as her male peers tend to gravitate to her more attractive, confident, and outgoing best friend, Caroline. Rachel becomes infatuated with Alistair and her infatuation combined with her naivety and obliviousness to what is happening around her presents ideal opportunities for Alistair to take advantage of her emotionally and sexually, and place in her situations where she is sexually abused by others, as are her friends and coworkers (as she extends her stay on the island to work at the bar that Alistair manages).

Present day, Rachel has a job she enjoys and a husband, Tom, who loves her and treats her well. However, she has become complacent in the marriage and does not appreciate what she has. She will discover that Alistair is living in London, just like her, and will arrange to see him, hoping to rekindle what she had with him, as well as the feelings of freedom and desirability from that summer. However, that will also bring to the foreground memories of the events that tainted the summer, and the aftermath of her return to England, forcing her to confront what really happened back then.

This was a well written book. Very interesting and suspenseful. There were parts where it was a bit slow, but I still enjoyed this!

This is an intense read and deals with very a very difficult situation and trauma. I was unprepared for the depth of the story when I started reading and it took me a while to get though it as a result. This is told in a dual time line with Rachel telling her story in the past and present. I was frustrated with Rachel for a lot of the book but I am sure I was as naive to what occurred on the island in the past. If you are looking for a heavy story that will evoke a lot of emotions, then this is a good recommendation.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

DNF @ 50%

I had a tepid interest in this story until about the 50% mark. The writing was pretty good, but I wasn’t a fan of Rachel, the main character. In the past chapters, she’s a bit selfish and naïve, which is fine considering her age. But in the present timeline, she is plainly unlikable. I could have done without all the lying and cheating.

And there is a depressing feeling throughout most of the story. The descriptions of summer and summer nostalgia maintained my interest for a while. But when a non-consensual sex scene occurred in detail, I decided I had read enough.

Thanks to the publisher for providing a widget via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story about long after the girls of summer have gone.

I think it’s important to acknowledge that I went into this with entirely the wrong mindset- I definitely thought it was a mystery/thriller. It was not. As a contemporary exploration of consent & trauma bonding, it functions well & did a good job examining nuance…. And that made it really hard to read at points. I think if you’re looking to read something heavy, but with a beautiful backdrop and a satisfying conclusion this is a good choice.

Thank you so much @stmartinspress & @macmillan.audio for the e & audio copies, and the GORGEOUS box!

I would have killed to go on an island-hopping adventure with my best school friend before I finished sixth form. Enjoying the summer, taking in the sites, soaking in the intense hot sun, and discovering new places and people. It sounds like a dream come true. Rachel and Caroline have been traveling through the Greek Islands since summer hit. When they decide to venture out to one of the lesser known, harder to reach islands. As soon as they step off the boat, they knew they have uncovered something special. They bump into some other girls that are already working at a bar to one of the richest men on the island. Caroline decides to go home to finish her last year. Rachel decides to stay on and work at the bar. Since she has fallen in love with Alister an older man. Who makes her feel seen and heard. There are always girls around, being driven up to her boss's mansion for parties, and to help keep his friends entertained. Rachel is oblivious to what is going on around her. Her eyes only on Alister, a crush, which turns into an obsession, that turns into a love that she cannot forget about. Even sixteen years later, when she comes back to the same island on holiday with her husband.

She cannot get Alister out of her mind, he is always there like a shadow. Following her every move and decision. He is the one that disappeared that night. Never contacting her again. Leaving her no closure or explanation as to what happened. When she bumps into one of the girls from that summer at the same bar, it all comes rushing back. She cannot get any of it out of her mind. You travel between Then to Now, rediscovering what occurred on that island years ago. Rachel just a piece of the puzzle. Which she is forced to face and to understand what truly happened that summer. There are many triggers found in the book, men praying on young girls for money.

This is a crazy, intense read that you know what is occurring. But you want to doubt it, you want to live in denial like Rachel. To only see the good in the man that she loved. Trying to decipher between lies and the truth. Thank you to Katie Bishop and St. Martin Press for my gifted copy of this fantastically written book.