“Filled with 1960s nostalgia and a host of deftly drawn characters” (Renée Rosen, author of Park Avenue Summer), Summer Darlings pulls back the curtain on one mysterious and wealthy family as seen through the eyes of their nanny–a college student who, while falling in love on Martha’s Vineyard, is also forced to reckon with the dark side of privilege. In 1962, coed Heddy Winsome leaves her … 1962, coed Heddy Winsome leaves her hardscrabble Irish Brooklyn neighborhood behind and ferries to glamorous Martha’s Vineyard to nanny for one of the wealthiest families on the island. But as she grows enamored with the alluring and seemingly perfect young couple and chases after their two mischievous children, Heddy discovers that her academic scholarship at Wellesley has been revoked, putting her entire future at risk.
Determined to find her place in the couple’s wealthy social circles, Heddy nurtures a romance with the hip surfer down the beach while wondering if the better man for her might be a quiet, studious college boy instead. But no one she meets on the summer island–socialite, starlet, or housekeeper–is as picture-perfect as they seem, and she quickly learns that the right last name and a house in a tony zip code may guarantee privilege, but that rarely equals happiness.
Praised as “a perfect summer book packed with posh people, glamor, mystery, and one clever, brave, young nanny” by New York Times bestselling author Nancy Thayer, Summer Darlings promises entrance to a rarefied world, for anyone who enjoyed Tigers in Red Weather or The Summer Wives.
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Not everything is as it seems in the rarified air of Martha’s Vineyard. The characters and story were well written and the breath of summer was just what I needed while physically distancing right now. Some parts of the book were a bit slow for me, otherwise it would have been 5 stars. I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.
3 stars
I do love the cover of this book. As a teenager in the 60’s, I was looking forward to reading a historical fiction piece set on Martha’s Vineyard. The book started out with promise. Heddy, a Wellesley College student, has lost her scholarship over a stupid mistake of not being on time for a final. My main problem is that I really do not feel that this is a good example of historical fiction and it could have been. I would classify this as a summer read which just did not find its direction. There were good ideas but I don’t think the author strayed on too many paths with the plot. I almost gave up several times. Then, the ending was hurried, and I don’t think believable, My thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Historical Fiction set in 1962 in Martha’s Vineyard. Heddy has taken a job as a nanny to one of the wealthiest families. As a rising senior at Wellesley College, she has just found out that her scholarship has been revoked. Her mom is a hard working woman barely able to keep their apartment and she doesn’t know her father. Heddy thinks money makes you happy, solves every problem. Yes, even though it does make life easier, it doesn’t solve everything. As Heddy finds out, what looks perfect from the outside, isn’t always the true picture. She comes for the summer needing to find ways to get money to go back to school. She gets a different education for sure.
Enjoyable debut novel. A realistic look at the rich in their summer element. Lies, back stabbing, social status and bigotry, jealousy and most of all secrets! Characters are well developed and story line plays out nicely. Found this book well written and easy to lose yourself in. There is a lot going on in this book, but it’s easy to follow. I was slightly disappointed in parts of the ending. I do look forward to reading this Author’s next book.
Thanks to Ms. Foster, Gallery Books and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.
Heddy is both strong and naive. A summer spent as a babysitter on Martha’s Vineyard will change her in ways she could never have expected.
Heddy arrives for her summer job with stars in her eyes. She looks forward to babysitting and boarding with the perfect family; rubbing elbows with the rich and famous; and meeting and becoming engaged with a wealthy man – for love, of course. As she becomes more comfortable working in service, she finds it surprising that some accept her as an equal. Her dream is to be like those around her until their secrets and traits begin to emerge.
Over the summer, Heddy is educated in life. She learns the good, the bad and the horrible from the wealthiest of the summer of ’62. I wish I could read her journal!
Heddy and Ruth became friends. I am not sure about Gigi, maybe because I am callous and wonder about ulterior motives. Naturally, along with all the other readers, fell in love with Ash at first glimpse. I cannot express the emotions other characters evoked without spoilers.
I was able to experience a touch of what it was like to spend the summer on Martha’s Vineyard in 1962. What a treat!
I received an ARC from Gallery Books through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under no obligation to do so.
1962
Heddy Winsome is the daughter of a single mother who has worked hard to support her daughter. In turn, Heddy has studied hard to make good grades. Thus, she landed an entry into Wellesley on a scholarship. However, at the end of her third year, she overslept for an exam and essentially failed it which meant she was not accepted for the following year. But Heddy is tough and hopes to find a way to make the money she needs for tuition and a way to be accepted.
Thus, Heddy has taken a summer job as a nanny for Jean-Rose and Ted Williams and their children Anna, 4, and Teddy, 6. They have a summer home in Martha’s Vineyard. When Heddy arrives, the family is friendly and she is pleased with her job. Another gal her age, Ruth, works as the housekeeper. Ruth lives in the area in a run-down home with her alcoholic father and ailing mother. They depend on the money that Ruth makes.
Anna is an easy child, but Teddy can be headstrong which means Heddy must be creative when working with him. Jean-Rose is outgoing and invites people over often. Ted owns a huge business and is generous in investing money in the local area. Although the couple appears to be quite loving, there seems to be trouble in paradise.
We meet some of the close neighbors and see how Heddy is quite taken with their fame and fortune which is what Heddy herself strives for in her own future. The persona that many of the wealthy adopt shows itself to be false. Heddy listens to conversations, but makes the mistake of wanting to be a part of this crowd. While I liked the well-written plot, I did not like how Heddy inserted herself as she did. She had been hired to be a nanny for the summer and I felt that she simply should have stuck with that. I also did not like how Heddy ended up being a “Bonnie” at the end. To understand that comment, you must read the book. But I really liked Ruth and felt she deserved everything.
Copy provided by NetGalley and Edelweiss in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Brooke Lea Foster’s Summer Darlings is a trip down memory lane for baby boomers. This historical fiction is set in 1962, and it has all the trappings of that decade of change.
Heddy’s backstory is sad, and it could be very easy to see her as sympathetic. However, when she chose the more glamorous summer job with the hopes of introduction to better society/connections or even a high-society suitor, I knew trouble was brewing. I found her efforts to fit in as an equal instead of quietly accepting her role as the summer babysitter uncomfortable. With every new insight into this character, she seemed more and more of a schemer.
But Heddy has nothing on the wealthy summer inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard. Apparently, with privilege comes secrets, scandals and an incredible amount of gossip. It’s all about appearances, dahlings.
I didn’t find any of the characters likable, but they were all intriguing. Between trying too hard and making one bad choice after another, Heddy’s coming-of-age story is very entertaining. It wasn’t the fairytale ending she had hoped for, but she probably learned more about people that summer than she did in her years at university.
The plot is a bit slow at the start as the characters are introduced and the scene is set, and then the plot is somewhat of a whirlwind at the end. From zenith to denouement, the plot points become pretty far-fetched. Overall, it was an entertaining read with great fashion, music and culture references to the 1950s and 1960s. The story provides a nighttime-TV-drama-like escape filled with rich drama queens and conniving betrayals.
Summer Darlings by Brooke Lea Foster is a novel set in the 1960’s. College student Heddy accepts a summer live-in job with a wealthy family in luxurious Hyannis Port. Without giving away any spoilers, Heddy is fascinated by the lifestyle and perfect, fairytale like lives the very rich live. She soon discovers that all that glitters is not necessarily gold and things are not always as they appear to be. The readers will be both shocked and surprised at the ending which you will never see coming. This is the author’s debut novel and, in my opinion, she knocked it out of the park with the storyline, the characters and the ending. I received an ARC of this book and these are my opinions only. I rated it a five.
Rich in its descriptions and character development. I could hear the sax, the jazzy blues. I could smell the salt air and feel the breeze in my hair, the sun on my skin. I could taste the metalic pineapple juice drunk straight out of the triangular shaped opening in the can and I was humming the American Band Stand theme song. I was transported back to being a young child in the sixties. In Summer Darlings You can sense the wonder, the excitement, the awe, the fear, the betrayal, the understanding, the power, and finally, the power shift. This book was rich and powerful! Summer Darlings will be THE darling summer book this year!
The 60s were transitional time in our history and this new book has captured the fun and flirty atmosphere perfectly.
Young college student from an innercity background spends an impressionable summer in Martha’s Vineyard. On the outside we see the glamour and prestige, but behind closed doors Heddy finds life is so different.
The story is so addicting because of the fact the author captures the young innocence so perfectly. The awe-inspiring homes and grounds, the beaches and sun, glitz and glamour, even crushes and young love.
But we soon see behind the scenes and how the affluent people are not what they seem. Beautifully developed and highly detailed, this story will suck you in and not let go. Plus, the ending caught me off guard and surprised me. A startling development that completely changed the story but yet gives us hope.
Foster nails her debut novel with an amazing story full of flair and flirtation where growing up is not an option but knowing who you are is critical.
Fun and addicting with a startling ending you never saw coming. A must read!
Summer Darlings by Brooke Lea Foster is an excellent historical fiction that definitely transports the reader to a different generation. This story takes us to the early 1960s. It is summertime on the New England coast and the the promise of a relaxing few months of sun and sand give promise to young undergraduate Heddy as she makes her way from her first year at Wellesley to a nanny for a privileged family for the summer. Heddy is from Brooklyn and has had to work hard for what she has, has only been given the opportunity to go to school because of a scholarship (that now has been potentially revoked), and now gets to experience what she thinks is the land of the amazing, glitz, glamour, and perfection. As she enters this alternate universe, she find that all this shininess actually tarnishes with time. She finds that things are not as they seem, and that every person has their imperfections and problems in life.
This is a coming of age story, a learn-as-you grow story, and we get to see Heddy learn and mature as she infiltrates this privileged community. I like Heddy. She is smart, flawed, but strong, and learns a lot.
This is one of my favorite periods to read about. I love the 1940s-early 1960s and to top it off, I love anything remotely Kennedy. This book definitely gives off that Martha’s Vineyard/Cape Cod vibe.
This is a great read from a very talented author. I expect great things to come.
5/5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.