The idea of this book is interesting. A murder takes place in the idyllic summer setting of a resort island and we find out the main players, the victim, and of course the killer. But the first 75% of the book is building up these various characters, none of whom are likable, before any action happens. It's just such a slow burn and the payoff isn't really worth it. It ends up just being a bit boring, even if it gives you that wonderful sense of being somewhere beautiful and wealthy all summer. It's okay, just nothing particularly compelling.

3.5 stars

Gosh, I really enjoy reading some summer centric books! This was such a fun one to kick off my summer reading. As a competitive person, I really appreciated how seriously the women took the end of summer tennis match. The ending left me wanting a little more but I had so much fun listening to this one. The narration was fantastic and she really captured the nature of all the characters. You can be sure that this book is aptly named because it is full of "bad" people!

4.25 stars - I enjoyed it! This was such a fun summer book to kick off the season with! This is the epitome of rich people problems, and I ate it up! This one should be read on the beach with a drink in hand because it is full of gossip, juicy secrets, and adults behaving badly. I loved the atmosphere of Fire Island of a summer escape for Manhattan's elite. There were a lot of stories to keep up with, but it felt manageable and I was able to keep tabs on the drama unfolding easily. The narration was done especially well if you're looking for a sharp and sizzling debut to sink into this summer!

Wasn't the best book but I did finish it. Reminded me of reality TV which I really am not a fan of.

I loved the concept, I hated the characters. I’m not one that enjoys being wrapped up in the 1%s vapid mind games, and honestly that’s exactly what this entire book was. Everyone hated everyone, backstabbing and treating everyone like garbage. My absolute number one most hated “plot point” in a book is cheating, and this book had it in spades. Everyone was cheating on each other and they were all so dang proud of it!
I did not see the actual death coming. We start the book by finding a body, and the entire story from there is filling in the blanks of how that came to pass. So, 1) I didn’t figure out who the body was, and 2) I didn’t figure out who it was that did the deed to get the body there. That piece gains the book some points.
The writing was good, the storyline was okay, the characters were dreadful (for me personally) but they were put together well. Every piece of description brought the story into even more vivid detail, so there’s another plus point.
I give it a 3/5, and I’m sure others will really enjoy this one if they don’t have the same hang ups I do. Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Get ready to add this to your summer reading list, Bad Summer People is set on Fire Island, full of people behaving badly, and a dead body. Jen and Lauren run the Island every summer, and are good at manipulating folks to get what they want. Their husbands Sam and Jason are longtime childhood friends but all is not as it seems here either, as they have plenty of secrets and grudges. This summer starts off just like any other, until the body is discovered, and then it all starts to come undone.

Y’all know books like this are right up my alley, and I loved all of the creeping and hiding and manipulating that ensues once the body is found. This is a quick read and the audio is fantastic as well, narrated by one of my favorites, January LaVoy, you can’t go wrong listening to this one either. This is more of a drama than a thriller, however I thoroughly enjoyed this one and the ending did not disappoint.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC to review.

𝐁𝐚𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞
𝐁𝐲 𝐄𝐦𝐦𝐚 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐦
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝟓.𝟐𝟑.𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 ​​𝒪𝓊𝓉 𝒮𝑜𝑜𝓃!

Thank you @booksparks and @emma.rosenblum for a tour spot and a gifted book. #SRC2023 #BooksAndRec

Escape to Fire Island and get lost in the lives of these wealthy friends behaving very badly.

Sam and Jason are childhood friends whose families have summered on Fire Island for years. Now they bring their wives and kids to the island. And their friend Rachel hopes that this summer is the season she lands someone -even if he’s already got a ring on his finger. Everyone has brought their baggage to the island - and I’m not talking suitcases!

It first appears that this is a story of betrayal, infidelity, lying, and backstabbing, in the first degree. Seriously, you have to keep up with who is bedding who. But then someone winds up dead!

This is a decadent summer read! I love reading about other people’s drama and missteps - (just don’t want that nastiness in my life) - and 𝐁𝐚𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 delivered.


🎧Thank you @macmillan.audio for the complimentary audiobook which was fantastic.

Emma Rosenblum sets the summer reading bar high with her novel "Bad Summer People." I've been recommending this book to everyone I know.

With an electric opening and a cast of entertaining characters, readers will get swept up in the salacious details of this disastrous summer in affluent Fire Island.

Even with just one narrator for the audiobook, instead of a whole cast, Rosenblum made sure to give each character their own voice.

When I first started read Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum I could not get into the story. I did not care for the characters and their way of living and being. Their problems seemed trivial and problems occurred because of what they did to themselves. However, I stepped back from the novel for a little and returned with a different frame of mind. I then began to just enjoy the story as a fun, summer beach read and enjoyed it much more. While I still did not like the characters exactly, I enjoyed the summer vibes that came with reading this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum is a lot to take in. As others have said, there are a lot of characters to keep track of. I take notes when reading, but still, there are over 10 people that we hear from, and almost 20 mentioned throughout. After some time, I was able to (mostly) discern who each person is but had to reference my notes often.

The first chapter is Lauren, and she almost ruined the book for me. I am not a person who needs to like the characters I read about, but there is something about how pretentious and vapid she is initially that made me dislike her. I was scared everyone would be like her, and while they weren't that much different from her, none got under my skin as much. I couldn't stand how everyone was bragging about their money and/or tennis game, nor hearing about it every chapter.

I rate Bad Summer People 4 stars. I enjoyed the mystery and relationships but could do without the excessive details about insignificant things.

January LaVoy did her best to have a distinct voice for all of the main characters. She is very enjoyable to listen to.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ALC.

Fire Island is the exclusive summer island for the rich and dramatic. But nothing can top this summer’s drama… a mysterious death. No one on the island can claim being a good person but who among them is capable of murder?

If you need a break from the beachy rom coms this summer, this might just do the trick. Lots of secrets, infidelity, and well just rich people behaving badly in general. It reminded me of The Hunting Wives. I did get lost a few times with all the characters. But about halfway through I finally got everyone straight.

Spice level: 🌶️🌶️/5
Audiobook: 🎧🎧🎧🎧/5

This book was just not for me. It was slow paced and about rich people and their problems. I just can't get invested in people who are fueding and cheating over their second homes and private schools.

Bad Summer People is a delicious story of secrets and deceit among a group of rich people, who are summer “friends”. The story follows the different characters within this group, showing points of views from each to allow insight into the secrets that’s are otherwise unseen. It was cleverly brought together, allowing the reader insight while simultaneously trying to “solve” the “what next” pull of the story.

If you are a suspense, mystery, thriller reader, who loves reading stories about rich people behaving badly, this book is for you! I really enjoyed this one.

I listened to the audiobook, which had a narrator who did a fantastic job. I listened at 1.75x speed, which is my normal speed.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this advanced audio copy.

A great debut and summer read. Rosenblum hits a home run in this ultimate beach-read thriller. Bad people doing lots of bad things---it's such fun for the reader!

The wealthy people in New York who are tired of The Hamptons (or can't afford the summer house they want there) flee to Fire Island in the summers. In particular, they go to Salcombe. And it is ruled every summer by two women-=Jen & Lauren. Jen and Lauren seem to have perfect lives, but the surface is very thin.

One summer a dead boy is washed ashore and the reader is treated to a look back upon the events that lead up to the discovery of said body.

The audiobook was excellent and made for a perfect escape while driving and doing day-to-day chores--January LaVoy was a perfect choice as a narrator.

I hope to read more wicked reads from Ms. Rosenblum. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced listening copy of this audiobook.

The elite residents of Salcombe, Fire Island are often up to no good - and Bad Summer People dishes the TEA! There's infidelity, scandal, unhealthy competition, backstabbing... even murder. Who dies? And which one of these snobs is the murderer? It appears they all have motive. 👀

Wildly entertaining from start to finish! January Lavoy's narration is extraordinary, as always. I am such a sucker for the "rich people behaving badly" trope and this beyond delivered! 👏🏻

Part drama, part mystery/thriller.

Highly recommend, especially in audiobook format. Great debut! Can't wait to see what Rosenblum writes next.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC. This was a riot! Loved every second.

Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum
Narrated by: January LaVoy
Rating: 4 stars
Pub Date: 5/23


Bad Summer People by Lee Mandel is a riveting debut about the lives of wealthy families vacationing on Fire Island. The story follows Jen Weinstein, Lauren Parker, and their husbands, Sam and Jason, as they navigate the ups and downs of summer life in an exclusive beach town.

What starts out as a typical summer season quickly takes a dark turn when a body is discovered off the side of the boardwalk. This sets off a chain of events that left me guessing until the very end!

I was initially drawn to this book expecting a thriller but was pleasantly surprised to find it was so much more. It was intriguing and dramatic, full of dark humor and salacious details about every person on the island. Rosenblum's writing is gripping, and she expertly weaves together a complex web of infidelity, backstabbing, and murder that is both engaging and entertaining.

One of the things I enjoyed most was the cast of nuanced characters, each with their own secrets and motivations. Rosenblum doesn't shy away from exploring the darker sides of human nature, and there are a lot of villains here.

I listened to the audiobook, and January LaVoy did an amazing job bringing the different characters to life with distinct voices and personalities. Overall, I highly recommend Bad Summer People to anyone looking for their new guilty pleasure.
Read if you like:
*Summer vibes
*Big Little Lies
*Rich people problems
*Multiple POV
*Tennis

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for my gifted ALC.

Emma Rosenblum's debut, BAD SUMMER PEOPLE, shines with flawed adults behaving badly—full of summer scandal, island gossip, lots of drama, backstabbing friendships, infidelity, intrigue, mystery, and MURDER.

Think Red Oaks (Loved-TV Series 2014-2017 available on Prime Video) Tennis: A coming-of-age comedy set in the 80s in summer at the Red Oaks Country Club —Except in BAD SUMMER PEOPLE, it is a new fresh, and contemporary set of 30s and 40s elite New Yorkers misbehaving on Fire Island. Still full of laughs!

AUDIOBOOK: Fun and frothy, a perfect beach read! I highly recommend the audiobook, narrated by the fabulous January LaVoy! (a favorite). The performance was highly entertaining, with distinctive voices for all characters, and easy to keep them separated—a 5-Star performance.

Grab a favorite cocktail and dive in!

Fire Island, NY, is known for the gay set; however, the town of Salcombe is an enclave of wealthy families spending their summers with the elite, playing tennis, golfing, drinking, competing, and attending the many annual events— plus lots of gossip, scandal, and affairs.

The novel opens with a tantalizing Prologue when eight-year-old Danny discovers a body. His mom is a B-lister. The author does not reveal the identity until the end, keeping you in suspense— deciding who may be capable of murder. Everyone is suspicious— the motives are endless.

We hear from each main character over the summer, from Memorial Day through Labor Day, told from multiple perspectives.

Arrival by ferry, trouble starts the minute they embark. There are camps and nannies—to keep the kids busy. Cars are not allowed, so everyone owns a bike or golf cart to ride around the boardwalks that serve as pathways.

Main Characters:
Lauren Parker, the ice queen.
Jason Parker, her cheating husband. Private equity investor.
Sam Weinstein, lawyer, Jason's best friend, and rival.
Jen Weinstein, his cheating wife.
There is a bitter rivalry over Sam's wife, Jen, whom Jason dated first.

A handsome, down-on-his-luck tennis pro and a lonely, unmarried gossip lady are also part of the cast that offers plenty to keep you entertained!

The single friend, Rachel Woolf, is the gossip queen (42) and is looking to meet her match, whether the tennis pro or someone's husband. The tennis pro is also up to no good. The events are overseen by a 70-something widow, Susan.

Jen Weinstein and Lauren Parker rule the town of Salcombe, Fire Island, every summer. They are fierce—in tennis, they manipulate to get what they want. The men measure themselves by their net worth and women by their tennis games.

In alternating POV, we get the down and dirty and everyone seems to know everyone's business. Envy and greed. Some derive pleasure from misfortunes.

The boardwalks are raised three feet and can often be dangerous if someone goes over the edge. But who is capable of MURDER? Did someone find out a secret that was to be kept hidden?

Everyone has secrets, and their lives are not as perfect as these characters would like you to believe. Darkness lurks below the surface—everyone is deceiving someone.

BAD SUMMER PEOPLE is a scandalous whodunit, fun, wickedly entertaining, darkly comic, and razor-sharp— summer sizzler! Hilarious, with a White Lotus, Big Little Lies vibe.

A smashing debut and guilty pleasure of big-time secrets —#CoverCrush! Rosenblum's book is under contract for screen adaptation, and she's been signed for an additional two books. Can't wait for more.

If you enjoyed BAD SUMMER PEOPLE, you may like The Block Party by Jamie Day (July 18, 2023).

Thanks to #MacmillanAudio for a gifted ALC via #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Review Posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: May 23, 2023
My Rating: Audiobook: 5 🎾 Stars
May 2023 Must-Read Books

White Lotus meets a Hampton’s Tennis Club.

Marked as a thriller but this reads more like a drama with a murder thrown in for good fun. Incredibly rich deceitful people summer in Fire Island and everyone is deliciously horrible. Jen and Sam, Lauren and Jason, new to the scene tennis pro Robert, perpetually singly Susan. So many scandals, so much doubles tennis, and a main character named Susan Steinhagen.

Very entertaining summer read and I want to highly suggest the narrated version by January LaVoy. She’s phenomenal and you can tell has a blast with it all.

I really enjoyed the audiobook of this book. The plot for this book was great and kept me wanting to listen more.

This book went by so fast! I absolutely love the “rich people” drama. This is told through several POVs (with just the one narrator ugh) and we find out ALLLLLL of the tea from every possible angle and it is spectacular.

It starts with a kid finding a body and then we get a rewind until we find out exactly how that body ended up there. We learn all the drama of the different groups (really they’re cliques, it’s like adult high school) and how all this drama converges into an outcome of dead body.

I really couldn’t put this down. I didn’t even want to once. I was sucked in to the drama and just wanted to listen to it.

With the single narrator it was more difficult to remember who we were following at that moment, but it was doable and not too hard to follow. Thanks to NetGalley for the copy!