I was really excited for this one based on the Greece setting and summer-y girl power vibes. But unfortunately this title was a DNF for me. The story was too slow burn and I didn’t feel invested in the characters so I wasn’t getting into it at all. Nothing was wrong with the writing or the audiobook narrator, just not the right book content for me right now. Maybe I’ll try again in the future! Thanks for the copy anyways Katie and Mac Audio!

Seventeen-year-old Rachel travels to a Greek island for a summer getaway, where she enters into a relationship with Alistair, a man twenty years her senior. Charmed by his allure, Rachel becomes entangled in a romance that profoundly affects her, lingering long after their sudden separation. Now in her thirties and married, Rachel returns to the island with her husband, prompting a journey into her past and an unraveling of concealed truths. "The Girls of Summer" explores complex themes of manipulation and exploitation, blending suspense with a deep exploration of Rachel's inner world. Despite the book's sunny cover, its narrative delves into darker, thought-provoking themes, illuminating how easily young women can be targeted by older, influential men. Katie Bishop adeptly navigates between Rachel's youth and adulthood, vividly capturing the island's ambiance and the dynamics that ensnare her. While pacing may slow at times, the novel contributes significantly to conversations about issues like #MeToo.

This one was not exactly what I expected, but it was interesting, twisty, and full of lots of the struggles and complications of being a woman. It was not necessarily a fun read but a thoughtful one.

I am impressed this was a debut novel! I thought the writing was beautiful. I loved how much attention to detail there were to the different characters. This story has multiple timelines which I thought flowed seamlessly throughout the story and kept me entertained as well. The story was hard to read at times as it deals with a younger women being controlled / manipulated by a much older man. This is a story of a teenager believing she has found true love, but later realizes what exactly it was. It was not love.

𝙉𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧: Annabel Scholey
𝙇𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝: 10h 26m

I thought the audiobook was done really well. I love the narrator and the way she told things really drew me into the story. I really felt for the main character and felt like I was right there with her at times. Great job!

Ready if you enjoy:
• dual timelines
• coming of-age
• multiple POVs
• character driven

" I thought I knew what love was, what did I know? Those days are gone forever. I should just let them go"

Check trigger warnings for this one as it deals with many sensitive topics.

This is a well written novel which is full of intrigue, suspense and tension and as you read on you feel a sense of dread at the callous disregard of lives. The growing menace is palpable with manipulation, control and ultimately betrayal which is heartbreaking and moving in places. The character of Rachel is very well portrayed, she’s not as confident or as worldly wise as some of the other girls she meets on the island which of course makes her “perfect“ in the eyes of some. This means it’s a disturbing read at times although the author is careful and sensitive in her treatment of the characters and the situation but it is inevitably uncomfortable on occasions. You see very clearly how the past impacts and informs the present leading to bad decisions and affecting current relationships.

17 year old Rachel and her best friend Caroline decide to travel to a Greek island the summer before college begins. There Rachel meets an older man named Alistair that she instantly feels drawn to. 15 years later, she returns to the island with her husband Tom, which stirs up memories that she has been keeping buried.

The story is told in multiple timelines of the present, 15 years ago and flashbacks of Rachel's past, which I think really enhanced the story. It's a very slow burn read, and I think that the pacing worked very well for the overall vibes of the story. The book focuses heavily on trauma, predatory behaviour, manipulation and the #metoo movement. I wouldn't say this is a particularly plot driven novel, definitely more character driven story. I was so invested in Rachel and all the trauma she had endured, and how she couldn't move past what happened on the island. I wasn't the biggest fan of Rachel overall, and the choices she was making as an adult... but I do understand that her trauma played a big part in those decisions. I also really disliked the way she treated Tom, he was so nice and loving to her and she was nothing but cold and rude. It just rubbed me the wrong way, and I don't think she really had much character development in the end either. I did read this debut all in one sitting, as the writing is easy to read and I did find the story to be addictive.

"The Girls of Summer" by Katie Bishop is a charming novel that celebrates friendship and self-discovery. Bishop crafts relatable characters, and the story unfolds with warmth and humor. While the narrative's heartwarming elements shine through, there are moments where the plot may feel somewhat predictable. However, the overall positive and uplifting atmosphere, combined with Bishop's engaging writing style, contributes to an enjoyable reading experience. "The Girls of Summer" deserves a commendable 3.5-star rating for its feel-good qualities and relatable themes.

This was an extraordinary book that will haunt me for a long time to come. I connected to it on a very personal level since I backpacked overseas in the same way the protagonist did, and I nearly got caught up in similar types of situations. They are far more common than people realize, and the author did a fantastic job of capturing the uncertainty and naïveté and self-delusion and denial and all the rest of those mixed-up feelings that come with first loves and manipulation and strange but exciting and titillating-because-they're-dangerous situations that we can so often encounter in our 20s. The author's craft in gradually revealing what happened, through different perspectives but especially through the haze of unreliable memory from an unreliable narrator, and showing the ways we can deceive ourselves and create our own reality, were so incredibly on point and emotionally salient. I cringed at several times in the book and felt my gut clenching with what I knew was either happening or going to happen, and I wanted to reach out to the character to stop her or shake her or SOMETHING. The protagonist's naïveté and ignorance is painful, but her lack of awareness felt realistic and well developed even as it was literally nauseating. My body tensed and the violation feels real to the reader. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, but I do offer caution with those who have a history of being the victim of manipulation, gaslighting, and/or sexual assault.

I have to say, from the cover, I felt like I was getting a summer thriller right off the gorgeous backdrop in Greece, but this was more of a slow burn grooming story that was similar to My Dark Vanessa.

I paired the book and the audio together, and it definitely helped to have both formats so I could r was on the go. I liked the narration, but the characters were unlikeable which made it a tough read for me.

*many thanks to St Martins Press, Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick. Our library purchased and our patrons have been checking out and and enjoying the book. I see it is a popular book club choice as well we hope to have more oppurtinies to support authors like them

This book deals with some hard things. It was captivating from the beginning. The flashbacks to the main character's first time on the island, caused me to think about my college years and how free and young you feel. Then it caused me to think about things that happened that changed me in ways I didn't realize at the time.

The narrator did a phenomenal job of pulling you into the story.

The Girls of Summer switches point of view from Rachel spending a time abroad as a very impressionable 17 year old and Rachel as an adult romanticizing that time until she realizes that it might not have been the epic summer she remembers.

I almost feel like this book should come with a trigger warning for females and those raising daughters, especially those that want their daughters to grow up strong and independent. The fear that takes place about older men grooming young girls. Rachel is written in such a way that as a teenager, you can feel her longing to be desired and the ease at which she accepts that the attention from an older man, although might make her feel powerful but unknowingly allows her to be controlled and manipulated. Even older Rachel still feels that pull.

This book is not for the faint of heart but it is completely eye opening. At what point can the desire to want to have fun turn into the point of no return.

Thank you to @netgalley and @Stmartinspress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @macmillian.audio for a free download of the audiobook.

I really wanted to like this book more. The mystery of a secret past was intriguing and who wouldn’t want to read about Greece. Older men taking advantage of younger, vulnerable women just didn’t play for me. Also, the threat of infidelity is not something that I enjoy.

Thanks to the audio, I did finish the book. I see lots of 4-5 star reviews, just not for me.

3 stars

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #stmartinspress #macmillianaudio #ltbreaderteam #thegirlsofsummer #katiebishop #smpinfluencers

“The weight of words can be astounding sometimes. You can never really know the power they have, how long they will follow you for.”

“You can be whoever you like when nobody is looking at you particularly closely.”

The Girls of Summer, told in dual timelines, Then and Now, follows Rachel, who has been in love with Alistair for 15 years -- even though he's twenty years older than her, even though they they were only together for one sun-drenched summer on a remote Greek island, even though she's now married to someone else. As she becomes increasingly obsessed with the events from that summer, she reconnects with the other women who were there, and the dark secrets about what really happened with Alistair and the enigmatic and wealthy man who employed them all.

3.5 stars rounded up! I went into this debut novel expecting a beachy read..but it was NOT that. This book has a heavy and dark subject matter. It is a slow burn and I’ll admit I was a little skeptical for about the first 1/3 of the book because I wasn’t sure where the storyline was going. But once it took off it was quite a ride! I was feeling some My Dark Vanessa vibes, which is one of my favorite books ever.

If you have ever wondered how young girls are groomed, how men sometimes use their power to manipulate, and how memory can skew the truth…read this book. I listened to most of this book on audio and really enjoyed it. The narrator has a dreamy accent which just added to the enjoyment of the story for me.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

The Girls of Summer
by Katie Bishop
Narrated by
The Girls of Summer
A Novel
by Katie Bishop
Narrated by Annabel Scholey

**Trigger Warning** There is a bit of grooming, trafficking, sexual abuse, etc., in this story. It may be triggering to some.

The Girls of Summer by Katie Bishop was a story full of beautiful imagery, making me want to visit Greece. It also reminded me of the carefree days before marriage and children. Conversely, The Girls of Summer is reminiscent of trauma, power, and sexual grooming.

Rachel and her husband, Tom, visit a Greek island she had spent some time on years earlier. A chance encounter with a former friend brings so many things that happened in the past back to the surface for Rachel. Tom doesn't know anything about what happened. Rachel had an "affair" with a much older man, Alistair, who was 20 years her senior. She can't leave well enough alone. She becomes obsessed with the past.

Though this novel had some slow spots where the story could have moved along a bit quicker, overall this was a beautifully written debut novel about some heavy topics. Annabel Scholey did a terrific job bringing Rachel to life, adding to the audiobook. I'll be on the lookout for both the author and narrator, as this was a well-written, compelling tale.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the chance to listen to and review this ARC!

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! The narration was a large part in why I finished this book at all.
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 Macmillan Audio for the copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve seen so many great reviews for this book, but I just couldn’t really get into it. It was too slow for me.

Katie Bishop’s “The Girls of Summer" is a thought-provoking audiobook that combines a gripping mystery with an exploration of coercion, consent, and the impact of trauma. Bishop's skillful use of dual timelines and shifting perspectives kept me on the edge of my seat, while the shocking revelations added to the suspense. With Annabel Scholey’s expert narration and Bishop’s evocative prose, this audiobook published by Macmillan Audio is a must-listen for those seeking an engrossing audio experience.

With meticulous attention to detail and an unwavering commitment to an exceptional listening experience, Macmillan Audio consistently produces remarkable audiobooks, and “The Girls of Summer” is no exception.

A huge thank you to @MacmillanAudio and @Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this ALC. All opinions expressed are my own.

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.