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.

The Summer Club makes for a great beach read. It is centered around a private club for the elite. During the course of one summer, we see life upended for the club president Ned and his family including his children Darcy and adam. When a new family moves to town, they upset the status quo of the neighborhood and the club. But there are more secrets at the club that will be revealed, adding to the nuances of the story and making it very enjoyable.

📚 PRE-PUBLICATION BOOK REVIEW 📚

The Summer Club By Hannah McKinnon
Publication Date: July 23, 2024
Publisher: Atria | Emily Bestler Books

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐✨
(Rounded up to 4⭐)

📚MY REVIEW:

Summer Club was a beautiful story about the importance of family, the mistakes we make in life, and the comfort of realizing the love of family remains through it all.

This was a fairly fast read that flowed easily in one sitting. I knew pretty quickly what was going to happen in the story, but it was still enjoyable to watch it as it all unfolded.

I appreciated the underlying messages about choosing authenticity instead of being overly concerned about how others view us. And while I enjoyed the book, it kinda felt like there wasn't really much that happened in the story. It was just an enjoyable story about a family and its connection to an older country club in the community. There were a couple things that happened toward the end of the book, which I can't share about without spoilers, but even that was just...okay. The conclusion of the story happened fast and I had to re-read some of the last few pages to to be sure I understood how it was all being tied up in the end.

A lot of the perspective of the story seemed to focus on the interactions of the teenagers in the town. With that consideration, this book might be something that would be a decent young adult read. Overall, it was just a beautifully-written story that was a nice, easy read. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria | Emily Bestler Books for this advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review!

#TheSummerClub #HannahMcKinnon #NetGalley #ARC #bookreviews #bookrecommendations #booklover #booknerd #bookcommunity

Darcy and her Dad, Ned Birch, both work at the lavish Mayhaven beach club. A country club of sorts for the rich in their small Massachusetts town. Ned grew up at Mayhaven, going with his father to learn how to play golf. As an adult, Ned is now the President of Mayhaven and has passed on his love for golf to his daughter. But, suddenly Darcy doesn't want to play golf anymore even after winning many tournaments and getting scouted for college. Why doesn't Darcy want to play anymore and why doesn't she want to talk about it? Enter, the boy next door. Flick is new to town. His Mom and step-father moved him to the small town much to his dismay. Now, his Mom wants him to work at Mayhaven to meet people during the summer months before school starts. But, Flick doesn't feel like he fits in at the exclusive club. He is however, drawn to Darcy and together they embark on a summer no one will forget at Mayhaven.
Review:
3.75 stars.
The Summer Club is written in 3 POVs (Darcy, Ned, and Flick). I liked getting to read from each of their POVs. I did feel like this was more YA because of the two younger POVs, but I didn't mind it. There is a lot of rich people talk, their drama, and unethical behavior which I really enjoy in story lines! And there is an important message in this book that ties up nicely at the end. The Summer Club is a quick and easy read and I overall really enjoyed it. The Summer Club publishes on 7/23 and I definitely recommend picking up this drama packed easy read!
Thank you to NetGalley, Hannah McKinnon, and Atria for this ARC of The Summer Club in exchange for an honest review!!

I enjoyed this book. However, it felt more young adult to me. The main characters were young and in high school. The adults in the novel had less prominent roles therefore it just felt young. Cute story about summer at a country club and the drama that can often come along with it.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Atria Books eGalley via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review - thank you to both! The art on the book jacket conveyed to me that this isn't just a fluffy, light read, and I agree with that tone. TW body issues, sexual harm

That said, this was a fast read that I read in one sitting while floating on a pool raft! I enjoyed the writing and character development - the descriptions of the summer community reminded me of my own summer traditions and memories! It felt well-paced until the end when it wrapped up very quickly. This was my first read by Hannah McKinnon, and I'm excited to read more!

A great summer read but maybe not if you are considering buying a membership to a summer club! Full of privileged snobs, quirky seniors and teenage brats, this book also has over wrought parents, emotionally breaking kids and a mystery of who is stealing the silver. It is written in a light manner from many different perspectives. All comes good in the end. Which is how I like my novels. Happy Summer reading.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

This story is a fun summer read in a Dirty Dancing kind of way. Having been born and bred in Queens, I find the characterizations for some of the characters a little dated, stereotypical and very King of Queens, but I still enjoyed getting to know the characters. The interpersonal relationships are great, the story moves really well and I found myself rooting for more than one character. The setting was satisfying, I felt connected and could relate to the family layers that were well written and from a clear perspective of teens, neurodivergent and blended families. Thanks for the opportunity to read in advance of publication.

I loved The enter intertwining of upper and lower class throughout the book.. in life, it doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, the color of your skin, or if you have a disability. Everyone is trying to get by and live the best life they are able to. Just one glance and someone doesn’t tell you their whole life story. .. So as you enter the club for the summer He prepared for the secrets to be revealed not everything is always as it seems.