When Charlie and husband Dev move to New England, Charlie finds herself trying to fit in with the cool Moms that are part of the preppy town they now live in.

WHAT TO EXPECT
-coastal New England setting
-relatable moments
-a marriage with cracks

🎧I listened to the audio format and enjoyed the narration, which was a fun performance.

*many thanks to Brilliance Audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

Charlie is looking forward to a change, and the move to a new New England coastal town, is just what she's hoping will allow for her family to become closer yet again. Its a new start, and an opportunity to finally break into her husband, Dev's, new found quietness and secretiveness. However, the new town is not exactly as they imagined...there are so many MONOGRAMS... and so MUCH money! So when Charlie is accepted into a group of preppy moms that "Summer" in her new town, she clings to what she hopes will become new friendships, but there are certainly some dynamics she has to navigate first!

This is a great summer read for anyone looking for an interesting novel of working through difficulties with your spouse, and children. Then go ahead and add some comedic scenes at the rich new Englander's expense, and you have this novel. I found it to be enjoyable for what it was, and would recommend to those looking for a fun beach read.

The audio quality was good, and enjoyable to listen.

Pink Whales is an enjoyable summer read and I liked listening to it for the most part. It's not the kind of book that totally blew my mind or that's going to be super memorable to me, but sometimes you just want a light-hearted book that's enjoyable enough and this fits the bill.

I'm a sucker for books that take place in coastal New England towns and in Pink Whales, Charlie and her husband Dev and their kids move from the South to New England. Charlie immediately feels like she's going to have a little trouble fitting in with the other moms in town seeing that she's a bit younger than them and they all seem to have a lot of money and extremely preppy lifestyles. Dev is working a ton and rarely around and Charlie is also very insecure about his female co-worker.

I loved Charlie's unhinged social awkwardness and the things she blurted out for absolutely no reason. But for the most part, the book is a little bit slow and not overly exciting. Things do happen to move the plot around, but they didn't feel totally realistic. I should also mention the book talks a lot about addiction, but in a more lighthearted way.

Overall, Pink Whales makes a good beach read, but it isn't going to stick with me for the long-term!

Pink Whales is a fun beach read about finding yourself, trying to fit in, and marriage. I was instantly drawn to this book because of the New England setting. The characters fell a bit flat for me. I had a difficult time connecting with them. Overall, it was a fun beach read.

Thank you, Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio for this advance copy in exchange for my review.

If I'm being honest, I went into this book completely blind sold purely on the simple beautiful cover, and to my delight I was not disappointed.
Pink Whales is character driven with a fantastic cast. The descriptions of coastal New England were amazing and I could picture the scenery beautifully in my mind. The story is satiric and heartfelt.
If you're a fan of Jennifer Weiner, I think you'd also really enjoy Sara Shukla.

🎧📖 note: Whitney Dykhouse did an amazing job navigating the cast.

Charlie and Dev's escapade takes them to a swanky coastal retreat in New England, where the rich and fabulous summer. Dev, the good doctor, finds himself entangled with his former colleague, sending Charlie into a tailspin of professional paranoia. Juggling twins and anxiety, Charlie seeks refuge among the posh moms of the neighborhood, only to uncover more drama than a soap opera. As secrets spill and the truth behind their lavish lifestyle unfolds, Charlie realizes she's in for a wild ride.

Listening to the audiobook, narrated by the fabulous Whitney Dykhouse, I was in stitches. Who knew a tale about rich people could be this entertaining? And let's not forget Charlie's parents, the YouTube sensations! Their intermittent appearances provided a hilarious break from the chaos. As a New Englander, I couldn't help but chuckle at the exaggerated glamor. This book had me rolling with laughter, even if it veered into the realm of the absurd at times!

Thank you @brilliancepublishing and @netgalley for the ALC of Pink Whales by @sarashukla and narrated by @whitneydykhouse in exchange for an honest review!

Pink Whales by Sara Shukla
Narrated by Whitney Dykhouse
Publication Day: June 4, 2024
Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio

🎧🎧 Book Review 🎧🎧 One of the favorite seasons in my life was when I got to be a New England transplant for a year. Though we were anchored down in Beacon Hill by Mass General Hospital, we took advantage of this exciting adventure and spent time visiting my husband’s family and friends all along the coastline. Sara Shukla’s debut novel is an account of a millennial mom’s similar account but with a far more gripping account than my own; a beautifully written, wonderful ride! Behind the perfect cedar shingles and khakis adorned with pink whales, are daily trials and tribulations, insecurities, and the constant pressure to fit in with the coastal New England Joneses. Pink Whales is a delightful summer read, exquisitely written and narrated, that definitely makes the must-read summer list!

Review is posted on Goodreads and the final review will be posted on instagram ahead of the publication date!

let me begin with the good:
-it was a quick listen
-it takes place in coastal New England
-our MMC is a doctor with a slight British accent
-lots of relatable mom moments

the bad:
-preppy white-collar characters stereotypes
-FMC has no real agency, and very low self-esteem, which is a huge pet peeve of mine in characters
-it didn’t feel realistic that someone who grew up in the South was so unaware of preppy-ness. A lot of places in the South are extremely preppy, and old money runs deep. So, some of the FMC’s confusion or lack of knowledge felt more like she was just sheltered, or just not a realistic character device.
-overall the FMC is a frustrating character, and I struggled to empathize
-disjointed sub-plot/commentary on opioids which felt out of place, then became a major plot point, but I wasn’t invested

This setup really needed more development for me. I don’t mind “glimpse into a life” style books, but there is something missing here. A big twist or shift in expectations. It wasn’t it for me. 2 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley, and Brilliance Audio for this advanced copy in exchange for my unbiased review!

Overall, this audiobook was just okay. A little bit of drama here and there but nothing that kept you on the edge of your seat. I wasn't really connecting to the main character, Charlie. She was very one dimensional and dull. The narrator was excellent. She had distinct voices for each character so you always knew who was talking.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the publisher, Brilliance Audio, for this advanced copy of the audiobook. #netgalley #pinkwhales

Pink Wales was a fun audiobook. A regular millennial mom gets dropped in with stepford moms in an exclusive seaside town and chaos unfolds.

A satiric, character-driven beach read novel that dives into sense discovery and resilience. Charlie is a stay-at-home mother of twins who tries to “fit in”in her new preppy, affluent New England town. She hardly sees her doctor husband, Dev and harbors jealousy towards his female clinic partner. Secrets are revealed about the town, its residents and even her personal life as she befriends the social elites. The writing style was full of amazing one-liners such as “I felt like a mismatched accessory in a marble kitchen”. The female narrator did a great job portraying the different characters and their emotions, making the experience of listening an enjoyable one.
My graphic design trained heart really appreciates the simplistic, emotive cover design!

A novel about rich people behaving badly is what I thought this book was going to be about, but it was so much more! A very enjoyable read with lessons in morals taught throughout.

Charlie and her husband, Dev, move to an affluent seaside New England town, where the very well-to-do “summer”. Dev is a doctor and has joined a practice with his ex-girlfriend and it leaves Charlie with anxiety and worry that there is more going on than work. As Charlie is struggling with never seeing Dev and raising her twins by herself, she is befriended by the rich mom group of the neighborhood. As secrets are revealed and this luxury lifestyle is shared with Charlie, she begins to find out who are her true friends and who are not.

I was surprised that there was so much depth in this novel and I really enjoyed listening to it in an audiobook. The narrator was Whitney Dykhouse and she did a fantastic job. I also thoroughly enjoyed Charlie’s parents, who were YouTube travel influencers, and there were little check-ins with them throughout the book. I found that very humorous because I watch those types of travel vlogs.

Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for allowing me to read this Advanced Readers Copy. It has my full recommendation when it is published on June 4, 2024. #NetGalley #PinkWhales