I enjoyed this fast paced family drama. The characters and their storylines were easy to follow along. I thought the ending was a bit quick, but otherwise I enjoyed reading.

For fans of Red Oak, the Flamingo Kid or even Dirty Dancing!

The Summer Club is a multi-POV story of one summer at a WASPy country club in Massachusetts. It's told from the POVs of Ned, the club manager, his daughter Darcy, who has inexplicably given up golf, and the newcomer, a Latino guy from Queens whose mom remarried and who is inexplicably named Flick Creevy.

Slower paced and gently humorous, this book had a cinematic feel as all the different subplots and narratives gradually converge.

Thank you for a copy of this book that was a good summer read, obviously with the title. Its summer in New England and the Mayhaven beach club is a hot spot for the rich in the neighborhood. Ned runs the club and his daughter Darcy works as a counselor at the camp. The book is mainly focused on Ned and his issues with running the club, and other complications with Darcy and some other characters. It was a fairly light summer read, nothing amazing happening overall but it held my interest as a light summer book.

In a style not dissimilar to Elin Hilderbrand and Nancy Thayer, Hannah McKinnon takes us to a Mayhaven, a country club in Massachusetts. Darcy Birch is a teenage golf star, who suddenly quits without giving her parents, or her brother who is on the ASD a reason. Flick is uprooted by his mother and new stepfather from Queens, New York to a suburban landscape he has to learn to navigate. And then there is Ned Birch, the man who runs the country club, always striving to make it the best he can while dealing with the members and his family. Told in alternating viewpoints, we get a glimpse into country club life and all it is - or isn’t - cracked up to be.


Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t know about you guys, but I like it when I read a book set in my state. So, when I saw that The Summer Club was set in Massachusetts (where I grew up and lived until my late 30s), it was a given that I was going to read it. I didn’t even read that blurb-which I don’t recommend doing. Always read the blurb!!

The main storylines of The Summer Club are centered around three people: Ned, Flick, and Darcy. Ned is the manager of an exclusive lakeside country club. Darcy is Ned’s teenage daughter, who is harboring some pretty dark secrets. Flick moved in next door to Ned and Darcy. The storylines with the teenagers were well-written and well-paced.

I liked Flick. He was a good kid who didn’t ask to be moved from Flushing, New York, to rural Massachusetts. His sense of right and wrong came across strongly in the book. And that sense of right and wrong was heightened around Darcy. He could tell that something was wrong, and when he found out what happened to her, he did what any normal human being would do: he punched the idiot in the face. So yes, Flick was my favorite out of the three.

I also liked Darcy, but I pitied her. From the start, I knew that there was something hugely wrong with her. For her to give up a game (golf) that she loved and excelled at on a dime was a huge red flag. Add in all of her risky behaviors, and it was screaming that something traumatic happened. But I was surprised when the author revealed what had happened.

I liked Ned, but he was too wrapped up in work to even see the cracks going through his family. I did like seeing how his life was at work. He had to deal with some of the most moronic, idiotic, self-centered people that I have read to date. He rises to hero status towards the end of the book when he does what any father would have done once he finds out what happened to Darcy.

The end of The Summer Club was almost anticlimactic after everything went down. But, if things had ended differently, I wouldn’t have liked the book as much as I did. I enjoyed the epilogue from Ned, Flick, and Darcy’s perspectives.

Many thanks to Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books, NetGalley, and Hannah McKinnon for allowing me to read and review North Side Of The Grass. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

I requested this book because I mistook this author for a thriller author I really like. Well, this is obviously not a thriller, nor the author I was hoping for, either, but I am glad I read this book! Every once in a while, it is good to take a lighter break and it is Summer, sooo........ here we go! Ned and his teen daughter Darcy work at an exclusive Country Club. Darcy used to play golf but quit with no reason why. New teen neighbor Flick gets a job at the club. Cue the teen angst and drama. It was nice to take a walk wayyyy back to those days! We also have Ned feeling under-appreciated at his job. I really related to that one. The story is told from several POV's and I stayed engaged with it the entire time. I sort of feel like I had a little mini vacation! Next time I need a break from my murder-thrillers I just might look this author up again!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Hannah McKinnon and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for this ARC.

I will post my review to Amazon, Instagram and other social media and retail sites upon publication of July 23rd.

I do wish GR would allow half stars. I kept going back and forth between 3 and 4 stars so this is a solid 3.5 star story for me. It is absolutely not the light summer read you may be expecting. Told through 3 points of view: Ned (the dad), Darcy (the daughter), and Flick (the neighbor), the story is about a country club that they all work at but are not members of. In the space of a summer, everything will change for these characters and relationships will be broken and strengthened in turn. It was a decent read. I feel like there were a few loose ends that were never tied up and while that part wasn't as important as what was revealed, it still felt unfinished.

This book is by far a traditional summer read. We are invited to this exclusive beach club, a workaholic dad Ned, his daughter Darcy who is going through something that has been slowly changing her. Then there is this new neighbor Flick, who makes this summer very memorable for Darcy. Overall, it was a speedy read, it got straight to the point, and some were heartfelt, some made me pissed because teens are shitty humans lol, but also it made me love these characters even more. The little surprise we get from Ned at the end of the book made me seriously love him more. His relationship with his daughter is seriously one that he cherishes, I loved that.

Not my favorite HM summer story. With Darcy and Flick being two of the 3 POVs, this read more YA than adult. Perhaps that was the point and I missed it. I was bored through most.

It's summer in New England and the Mayhaven beach club is known for being an exclusive retreat for the upper crust. Darcy Birch's father, Ned, is the President of Mayhaven and she works as a camp counselor at the camp. Summer should be an easy breezy time, but this summer is not so easy or breezy. Darcy's mother has been hovering around and her neurodivergent little brother is struggling a bit. Flick Creevy and his mom and stepfather have arrived in town and soon Flick has a job at Mayhaven as well.

The book mainly focuses on Ned and his struggles and need to resolve issues while running Mayhaven; Darcy who once played golf but stopped with no explanation; and Flick who came from New York City to Massachusetts. is getting an eye full working at the beach club.

Although this was an enjoyable well written book, it didn't knock my socks off as I had hoped. The author does a fine job of showing the struggles, POV's, friendships, family issues, and work issues/employment of the main characters.

This was a very good summer read - that could have been great.

A good story of family dynamics, of becoming a young woman and an adult focused on a job where he is unappreciated and under valued.

The book took to long to "reveal" Darcy's secret - and the results didn't get enough time. The book was too rushed at the end.

Summer beach read season is my favorite time of the year., and this book falls right into that genre. This book actually brought back childhood memories of going to the country club, I could just picture everything about this club in mind because the author really did such a great job painting that scene. I enjoyed the book, but I felt some parts were a little predictable. I figured out Hannah’s secret pretty early on in the book, and to be honest, I was a bit frustrated by how long it took for her parents to figure it out. Overall, I think this is a good book, just somewhat predictable for me.

✨𝐑 𝐄 𝐕 𝐈 𝐄 𝐖✨

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛 𝐛𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐡 𝐌𝐜𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐧

Thanks so much to @atriabooks #atriapartner for the gifted copy of this one! Happy pub day to @hannahmckinnonwrites - this one is out today 👏🏼 It was the perfect summer read!

👍🏼: The plot of this story felt familiar and nostalgic focusing on the Mayhaven beach country club & told from the perspective of multiple characters both old and young who belong to the country club, and a new family to the neighborhood who are trying to fit in. As I spent one summer working at a local country club, I felt for the main character, Flick, who is new to the area and starts the tough job of working the kitchen at the country club. I loved all the silly drama popping up for the club manager as well as the deep underlying issues that arose as the story progressed. This was honestly such an enjoyable read with lovable characters & a light, but moving storyline too 🥹☀️

👎🏼: The story ended sort of abruptly for me, with lots of build up to a climactic moment and some short epilogues to wrap up the story. I also kept feeling like things were familiar about the story and I have no idea why 😂

Overall, I definitely recommend reading this one this summer. Such a great beach read with lovable characters, drama & some heartwarming and heartbreaking moments too!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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#thesummerclub #hannahmckinnon #atriabooks #bookreview #summerbooks #beachreads

Hannah McKinnon does it again!
The Summer Club by Hannah McKinnon is an exciting beach read about a group of outsiders threatening the status quo. I loved being in Mayhaven Massachusetts.
A summertime read that navigates the complex of family and social class.
From the first page, McKinnon’s setting was beautifully incorporated, and it was a very moving story that started with a bang.

Thank You NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This story revolves around two places: the Mayhaven Beach Club, and the street where Ned Birch & his family lives. Ned is the president of Mayhaven and loves it there. His teenage daughter Darcy used to golf at the club, and has a plethora of trophies to show for her talent at it. But this summer she is refusing to set foot on the course, so he has her a job working at their day camp. Adam, who is on the spectrum, keeps getting shuffled from job to job, never finding his niche. Ned's wife Ingrid is a successful real estate agent. The house next door to the Birches gets sold and when they meet their new neighbors, it doesn't go over so great. Stan, the Dry Cleaning Man Crenshaw takes immediate offense when Ned asks him to move their oversized RV away from his prized rose garden, and to please keep the music down at night because it is disrupting his sleep. It just goes downhill from there. The only bright spot is Stan's stepson, Flick Creevy, who Darcy & Ned meet when Flick visits the Beach Club looking for a summer job. He is nothing like his step-father, thank goodness. However, when things begin going missing at the club, Flick, being the newest face around there, makes the easiest scapegoat. Ned keeps getting worrisome notes in the suggestion box that hint at women not feeling safe at the club. And the reason for Darcy quitting golf may come out, no matter how bad she wants to keep that secret hidden.

This was a combination of rich people behaving badly, and the tv show Atypical. Ned seemed to perpetually wear rose-colored glasses, which was good in a way, but it also meant he couldn't see what was going on right under his nose with his own family. I couldn't stand Stan, the Dry Cleaning Man Crenshaw, but I loved how his wife would stand up to him and not put up with his crap, and I really loved Flick. Overall, this was a good read, that would make a nice addition to your beach bag this summer.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Hannah McKinnon, and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This was a fun summer read! Truly a beach read, which is not a bad thing, given that there were fun moments, heart-warming moments, and plenty of drama. I love anything with the premise of a country club, and I think McKinnon did a great job with the setting descriptions and building a picture of Mayhaven. I thought the multiple POVs worked well here too, and I found myself charmed by Darcy and Flick, as well as rooting for Ned. I really wish this book would have contained the perspectives of Adam and Ingrid as well because I think they would have truly elevated this book into a mostly forgettable read into something unique. They were two of the most interesting characters and yet relegated to the background for most of the book, which was really disappointing. I did enjoy it as a summer read enough that I might pick up other works of McKinnon's in the way I do Elin Hilderbrand's books: whenever I want a summer read perfect for the pool or beach. Other than that, this wasn't very memorable for me personally.

The summer Club is a story of Mayhaven, a club for residents that is run by Ned Birch, someone who dreamed of being a member there as he learned to play golf. His daughter, Darcy, is a summer camp counsellor at Mayhaven, where she discovers that things are not what they seem. Darcy thought she would have a great and easy summer, but instead finds herself struggling with an over bearing mother and a challenging job. A new family moves in next door with a young son, Flick who becomes infatuated with Darcy.

The Summer Club is a story that seems unsure of what it is trying to be. It is a little bit more than a beach read, but still only skims the surface of possibility. There are some important themes of growing up and recognizing one's place in the world, and good characterization of the interpersonal relationships between teenagers and their parents. However, everyone seems to have an opportunity to have been written more in depth. It was a fun quick read, but not something I will return to.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Summer Club
By: Hannah McKinnon
Publisher: Atria Books
Pub Date: 7/23/24
This was a slow start. A stuffy country club, Mayheven with more problems than the director Ned knows. He has a lot going on. His daughter Darcy who used to love golf and was good at it has quit. His son is on the spectrum and has his own struggles too. A new neighbor has just moved in next door and there are issues there too. Flick is the neighbor's teenage son who comes into the club looking for a job. This too will add more to his plate. But when it comes to the club he has a blind spot. Expensive equipment is missing and so is alcohol from the bar. There are multiple points of view telling this story but I felt like the characters needed more substance than they had. Darcy’s storyline felt very unresolved. I felt like I needed more back story on her character. Maybe that could have been achieved by Darcy telling the story. Thanks to Atria, NetGalley and Hannah McKinnon for this galley copy.

A quick summery read. McKinnon’s The Summer Club offers up a few hours of entertainment, but the story just didn’t work well for me. More to the point, I found it challenging to stay engaged in this particular tale. And while I did finish reading this novel, it ultimately proved not to be memorable.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria for a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

2.5⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an early release of The Summer Club.

This book follows members and staff of a New England country club. This book touches on some serious topics and does it with great care.

I will say that this book read as more young adult than adult to me. There were certain parts that I enjoyed but overall not my favorite read. I will say it is definitely not a light hearted summer book. I just feel like this book would resonate better with a younger audience.