Rachel thinks her trip to Greece was a love story... but years later, now married, she discovers that what she thought was a romantic summer may not have all that romantic. This is a story about how a young girl gets caught up in a situation where she feels like she has the love and appreciation over an older man and therefore his requests are done out of love. After a trip back to the place where she had her "summer of love" with her husband makes her reminisce about that time and all that happened. She works through her memories and discovers that she was manipulated by a man that only pretended to love her.

I love when a debut comes out with a bang!!

Synopsis:
Rachel has been in love with Alistair for fifteen years. Even though she’s now married to someone else. Even though she was a teenager when they met. Even though he is twenty years older than her.
Rachel and Alistair’s summer love affair on a remote, sun-trapped Greek island has consumed her since she was seventeen, obliterating everything in its wake. But as Rachel becomes increasingly obsessed with reliving the events of so long ago, she reconnects with the other girls who were similarly drawn to life on the island, where the nights were long, the alcohol was free-flowing and everyone acted in ways they never would at home. And as she does so, dark and deeply suppressed secrets about her first love affair begin to rise to the surface, as well as the truth about her time working for an enigmatic and wealthy man, who controlled so much more than she could have ever realized.

Please note before going into this book that this does deal with some darker subject matter as it explores exploitation of women, grooming, and manipulation.

Overall I really enjoyed this one. This book may not be your typical beach read but it was definitely powerful. I was hooked the entire time.

I also want to give a big thank you to Netgalley for the audio and e-book copy, as well as St. Martins Press for the super fun PR box! This one was a great summer thriller and I can't wait to see what Katie Bishop comes up with next!!

The Girls of Summer deals with #MeToo themes, as we follow Rachel's summer love affair with Alistair, a man 20 years her senior, in the idyllic Greek Islands. In the present day, Rachel is still obsessed and struggling with the events of her past.
I found this novel to be slow moving, without any real character development or revelations. Katie Bishop's writing was easy to follow and continue through the book (I loved the imagery), but the overall plot fell flat for me. I didn't feel any tension, or the thrilling aspect. I struggled with the main character, because in the past scenes, her naivety makes sense because she is young, but when it continues throughout the book, it felt like come on Rachel!
Overall, I would check out Katie Bishop again as I believe it could have just been this storyline that wasn't for me and not necessarily her writing.
Thank you St. Martin's Press for the copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️

𝙅𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙩 #𝙈𝙚𝙏𝙤𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧, 𝙨𝙚𝙭, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙪𝙢𝙖––𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙢, 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮.

I struggled so much getting into this book and caring for the story. This is definitely a great summer read, but I don’t think I would consider it a thriller.

I haven’t read Dark Vanessa yet, but I’ve heard it’s quite similar to this (in a way). I can’t confirm the similarities, but this one definitely did have some difficult topics discussed.

There’s no doubt this book is beautifully written, but it was so slow and I just couldn’t get into it. I liked the duel timelines, but I didn’t personally care for any of the characters.

I do think the setting was my favorite part of the book. I loved that the past took place on a Greek island.

I did enjoy the second half of the book a lot more, that’s when the suspense was starting to kick in. However, there was never a time when I actually cared for the story.

Overall, this book wasn’t for me. It would definitely be a great summer read for certain readers but don’t expect this to be too much of a thriller. It’s definitely more character-driven. I can see why others will enjoy this one, but it wasn’t for me, unfortunately.

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the review eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Honestly this book was just a little too slow for me. I have adhd and I just couldn’t pay attention like I should have.

I was so frustrated with Rachel throughout the whole book. I was more frustrated with adult Rachel than I was with youth Rachel because adult Rachel knew better and she just made bad decision after bad decision even after everything she went through. I understand that the mind plays tricks on you and lets you remember things through rose colored lenses when in reality, horrible things were happening and that’s exactly what Rachel went through.

I did appreciate the alternating timeline but I just wish it didn’t alternate every chapter. I would have liked a little more from each timeline at a time before switching. I do think this is a very poignant novel dealing with some heavy topics so please make sure to read the trigger warnings before starting.


Thank you publishers and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

When Rachel was 17 she spent a summer in Greece with some friends and met an older wealthy man who she fell for. Years later, she revisits the past and finds some dark secrets about that time and that man who she thought she loved. Things are not what they seem, and there are some tough truths revealed.

"I've never smoked much before, but it feels easier out here to simply do the things you are offered than to say no."

This is an incredibly well-written book, about an incredibly horrible subject.

"There is a discordance in the realization that we can never know when we meet somebody exactly what part they will play in our lives."

Rachel is backpacking through Greece with a friend when they stumble upon a small Greek island. At 17 Rachel feels awkward and lonely and lost. And then she meets Alistair, a much older man who works for the wealthiest man on the island. She becomes wraps up in his world of parties and drugs and alcohol and falls in love. From the outsider's perspective we can all the see the writing on the wall and how bad this situation actually is. The story is told by Rachel both in the past on the island, and in the present in London, and neither Rachel gets what happened to her that summer was bad.

I really loved My Dark Vanessa, and even though this story occupies some of the space, it didn't feel as impactful to me. I had a hard time connecting with Rachel and overall the story just didn't make the same kind of impression. I will say that the writing was excellent though, so I will 100% be picking up whatever Katie Bishop writes next.

Thematically similar to My Dark Vanessa, a teenage girl is seduced into a summer love affair with a much older man. Years later, still remembering the episode as the love of her life, she finds other girls had the same experience. A satisfactory but unexceptional beach read.

3 stars

This book was kind of dark, a little slow-paced, and definitely intense, I am not sure I could actually fit this into the thriller category probably because there isn't really many mystery or suspenseful moments that hold this story together.

it has a dual timeline at the beginning that goes back and forth between the past and the present showing Kate's state of mind at the moment and during that summer.

This book covers topics like predatory behaviors, grooming, and the sexual exploitation of girls. The descriptions in the book are well done it made me want to go visit Greece and see the sites the girls were seeing.

I docked stars because I had a hard time finding where it was actually a thriller which is kind of what it was pitched to me as.

"The Girls of Summer" by Katie Bishop is a captivating and emotionally resonant novel that celebrates the power of friendship and the enduring bonds of sisterhood. Set against the backdrop of a charming coastal town, the story follows a group of friends who reunite after many years apart.

Katie Bishop's writing is beautifully evocative, painting a vivid picture of the idyllic seaside setting and bringing the characters to life with depth and authenticity. The narrative effortlessly weaves between the past and the present, unraveling the secrets and memories that have shaped the women's lives.

The heart of the novel lies in the strong and complex relationships between the characters. Each woman has her struggles and vulnerabilities, making them relatable and endearing. As they navigate their personal challenges and confront past regrets, the bonds between the friends strengthen, proving that true friendship stands the test of time.

The themes explored in "The Girls of Summer" go beyond friendship, touching on love, loss, forgiveness, and the pursuit of dreams. The emotional journey of the characters is powerful and moving, leaving a profound impact on the reader.

The novel's pacing is well-crafted, keeping the reader engaged and invested in the characters' lives. It skillfully balances heartwarming moments with moments of heartache, creating a rich and compelling reading experience.

"The Girls of Summer" is a heartfelt and beautifully written novel that will resonate with readers who appreciate stories of friendship and personal growth. Katie Bishop has crafted a touching and memorable tale that reminds us of the importance of cherishing our connections with others and the strength we find in each other during life's highs and lows. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone seeking a poignant and emotionally satisfying read.

Character-driven, reflective, thought-provoking and cautionary, this story told in alternating timelines was not what I was expecting but I was transfixed by it nonetheless. The writing is fantastic and intoxicating, it’s easy to be consumed by it the same way Rachel was by Alistair and feel transported to an alluring, transformative summer in Greece. Rachel, as a main character, is infuriating at times but you can’t help but root for her as she confronts her traumatic past. Highly recommend, though it does explore heavy topics so you may want to check trigger warnings beforehand. I alternated between the audio and e-book and enjoyed both formats.

A fun, exciting and disturbing read! I saw the comparison to White lotus and was sold. A total summer, beachy, thrilling time.

I... did not like this. And I expected a lot with the way this book was promoted. But it fell super flat for me and was incredibly predictable.

This book really had my emotions all over the place. It deals with alot of issues you find really going on in the world. Rachel was groomed by Alistair at 17 while he was so much older than her. The book bounces back and forth between past and present with an ending that just left me speechless. You can easily tell how appealing Alistar is to Rebecca, and how much he used her. Rebecca being so young was in love with love. Her summer ended in tragedy, but her present self is not fully over it all. Rebecca comes face to face with things she blocked out. What a great read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!

This book was definitely not what I was expecting! I was expecting a light, easy read to dive into. Instead I found a deep, though provoking story.
The story takes place on a beautiful Greek island, a popular destination for young travellers that want a little fun and excitement before returning home and to a school and other responsibilities.
Rachel, a naive 17 year old girl, travels with her friend Caroline out to this island. Their last stop before heading home. There they meet other young women working in a bar and sharing their experiences. To Rachel, it all sounds so exciting and exhilarating, especially when an older gentleman named Alistair takes a special interest in her.
For years she hangs onto this great love of her life even when you fast forward 16 years when Rachel is a married to Tom and he is wanting to start a family with her.

This story discusses sensitive topics such as predatory behavior, grooming, drugs, alcohol and sexual exploitation of vulnerable young women.

After Rachel insists on taking a vacation to the same island with Tom, Rachel meets someone from her past and her version of that summer is slowly chipped away.

This story was an eye opener as it touched upon those sensitive topics and I felt for the women in the story. I had hoped that Rachel would come to the realization that things weren't as they seemed to be, especially when her eyes were opened, but a part of her continued to hold onto the past as the naive girl she was.

“The Girls of Summer” by Katie Bishop was not what I was expecting but I couldn’t put it down. I was attracted to the beach vibes and the beautiful cover and got much more than a “beach read.” I really enjoyed the plot even though the main character bugged me at times however, that is completely my opinion and not a reflection of the writing.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed The Girls of Summer by Katie Bishop! In this novel, Rachel relives the time she spent on a Greek Island with the "love of her life." This book deals with some dark content, but the author does an excellent job of covering it. This is a great summer read!

I enjoyed this story, especially the different timelines and the setting. Greece is definitely a bucket list travel place for me. Although the relationship was hard to read about at times, I enjoyed the flow of the writing and found it easy to stay engaged in the story. Although I didn't think the story was perfect, I will look to pick up more Katie Bishop stories in the future.

Wow. This was such a moving read! With plenty of comparisons to the real life Jeffery Epstein saga, The Girls of Summer truly shines light on what young girls in similar situations possibly go through - both mentally and physically.

What I thought the author did really well, was how she described the difficult scenarios within the plot. It seemed like she chose her words very carefully as not to cause triggers for the reader, while still getting her her points across. There are definitely a few moments within this book that are not the easiest to read scenario wise, however it casts a realistic view on a very real world problem. Kudos to Katie Bishop for finding such an elegant way write this story.

As for the main character Rachel - not particularly a fan. She definitely went through some traumas during her time in Greece when she was young, however not much she does during her adult life makes her likable to the reader. She certainly made her fair share of questionable choices both in the past and present, however I still can’t get behind her.

Overall, I did really enjoy reading this book and think it is worth the read! I would recommend it to anyone who wants a bit of a mystery/thriller read, and who also would be okay reading content similar to the Jeffrey Epstein case.

Thank you to and Netgalley for providing me with an electronic copy of the ARC, in return for an honest review.

*Content Warnings - dm me if you have any questions*