The East End by Jason Allen is a fast paced thriller set in the Hamptons. It shows the difference between the 'Vacationers' and the locals and then binds them together after a tragic accident.

This book was a fairly easy read, it was set over a very short period of two-three days - Memorial Day weekend. Each character has their own issues and the author delves into each character deeply.

I enjoyed this one!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review this ARC.

I am all for a novel about a life that I cannot relate to with a healthy dose of suspense. That is exactly what East End is. Corey grew up with a drunk mother and is now helping her clean homes of the wealthy. Corey is bored and looking for more in his life so he decides to have a little fun by breaking into his client's homes. One night, he decides he is going to steal something from the Sheffield mansion. He knows the house will be empty and that the family is not due to arrive at their summer home until the following day. He arrives and discovers he is very wrong. He then witnesses Leo in a very compromising situation and has to make a choice on what is right. I was moderately on edge throughout the book, enough to keep me entertained but not enough to keep me up reading at all hours of the night.

Trauma, then lots of drama could easily describe this book, but then you'd miss the intriguing story that Jason Allen has played out on the page just for our entertainment. The typical tourist town with the typical "townies vs tourists" characters, this time a local young man who breaks into the homes of the summer people. But that is where it stops being typical. Events happen that will leave our young man in a unique position but unable to decide what to do with the information. As he takes time to think, the author introduces another character to keep the suspense growing. Good read for anyone who'd like a break from your typical thriller.

Mr. Allen is a masterful storyteller and has given us a tale of secrets, scandal, family drama, and suspense. This book had many elements going on at once but the author was able to weave them into a remarkable story. His writing style is beautiful, the scenes are very descriptive and his words flow on the page. Well done.
Many thanks to Harlequin and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I so wanted to love this book but I really had a hard time believing that these people are that much of a hot mess.
It wasn't the plot I expected which can sometimes be a great thing, but I personally wasn't so into this book.
Thank you for my free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this one. I went into it not knowing what to expect and it was just crazy! I appreciated the issues the author addresses with society itself

I did not like this book. When reading a contemporary book, I like it to feel at least moderately close to my reality, and this book depicted lifestyles that I hope aren't realistic. Everyone in this book seems to be messed up in some way: problems with alcohol, problems with drugs, problems with petty crimes, problems with terrible spouses, etc. The first near quarter of the book just showed a teenager who vandalizing the rich mansions on his Island on the Hamptons (while contemplating actually stealing) and then one of those owners coming back to town from New York City while he just got crazy high and drunk on the way. I actually wondered, Can somebody do that much cocaine as he did on that short drive and still live?! Plus he was drinking scotch after scotch at the same time. This book had a world I just didn't want to live in, even in my imagination. The author did have a good way of describing things and getting you into the characters heads, but at times in the early part, it felt like the description was too much, making the pacing slow to a crawl. After the incident with Henry in the pool, things did speed up. But I still just couldn't get into this world because I just didn't like it or the people in it.

This book was not really my type of reading. It also seemed to go around in circles a lot in the middle. It seemed like it had a lot of things going on and then it didn't really go anywhere until the very end.

The Perfect Summer Read ! This book has it all , fiction , a bit of a thriller and compelling charcters that kept me turning the page. I found it well written with a pleasing plot and likable scenarios. It has intrigue and suspense, a little romance and enough plot twist to please any mystery reader. Very well done.
Thank you for the ARC.
My opinion is my own.

I found this book to be quite an interesting read that had me intrigued from the beginning. A young man named Corey who breaks into homes for kicks. Just because he can. Corey was an interesting character to read about in this book. I enjoyed reading about his sudden friendship with a young girl his age as they accidentally stumble across one another one night when he is in a home he has broken into. The circumstances that cause them to force paths, as they happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Without giving too much away, their timely meeting was curious.

I enjoyed how the novel was told from different view points. It seems Corey wasn’t the only one hiding secrets and had something to hide. In a popular and wealthy place such as the Hamptons, it seems there are several secrets and betrayals around.

I enjoyed reading this story as it unfolded and found myself wanting to know what would happen next. So many secrets and deception, how could you not enjoy such a juicy novel as this one.

The East End was a gripping novel. I enjoyed the way the story was so intense that it was hard to put down. The Sheffield family and their invited friends all spend the summer at their Hampton estate. But the night before everyone is supposed to arrive, there are five people at the estate early. Leo Sheffield is there with his secret lover. Leo's daughter is there as well with her best friend. Corey, who works for the Sheffields as well as his mother, happens to be at the house as well. Something happens this night that turns into a nightmare situation. Leo's lover Henry dies. Leo decides to hide his death from everyone and he hides his body. Corey's mother Gina is involved in her own private battles with her abusive husband and her drinking. The story is about the turmoil that everyone goes through in the few days after that first terrible night.

Throughout the book I found myself intrigued by the juxtaposition between Corey and his mother Gina's financial circumstances and lives versus those of the people who merely flutter in during the summer, vacationing in large expansive homes in their hometown, while Corey and Gina are pulling together all that they have to make ends meet. The facade created by the vacationers each year is one of glamour and extreme affluence, which is not attainable for locals Corey and Gina. However, as opposed to other's in the community they are both immune to this act, brushing away the glitz and glamour and having the ability to see their true selves and the rough edges that surround each person. Corey and Gina have worked for these people for many years to provide for their own family and endure the invasion of these vacationers each year, but they start to find themselves privy to new secrets and even crime as they delve deeper into the lives of the vacationers and of themselves.

For more goodies including an Author Q&A and more, you can check it all out on my blog:
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This book was SO GREAT! So thankful for the chance to read it! I like that this book was set in Hamptons and the characters were such messes. This book was well written and fast paced. I would definitely recommend this to a friend.

My Highly Caffeinated Thought: An addictive and intense snapshot of life for a select group of people who come crashing together because of a tragic incident.

THE EAST END is not a book I will soon forget. In his debut, Allen seems to give his readers a story that shines a light on the haves and have nots in the Hamptons. However, this is only the beginning of what I can call one hell of a ride.

From the beginning until the last page, this book grabbed me. There is emotion, hate, love, passion, secrets, and addiction. Nothing is off limits and though it may seem there are too many things going on, don’t worry. It all works together in a fascinating and gritty look at what happened on Memorial Day weekend in the East End.

As a debut, this book is solid. I loved the author’s voice and couldn’t get enough of his writing. The only negative thing I can say is that I wanted more. I wanted little bits here and there throughout the story, especially at the end. Honestly, I didn’t want it to end.

If you are into darker fiction with carefully crafted relationships, this book is one for you. I cannot wait to see what the author comes up with next.

This book is set over Memorial Day weekend out in the Hamptons. It's told from the perspectives of a rich mansion owner, his housekeeper, the housekeeper's son who has just graduated from college, and initially seems like it is going to be an exploration of the haves vs. have nots/summer people vs. year rounders. But an accidental death and coverup turn it into something a bit darker. It's not really a thriller though. Despite the setting, this is not a summer beach book, and in fact was just a little too relentlessly downbeat for me, plus the characters were all messed up in ways that made them not sympathetic. It was mostly well-written though, I just didn't particularly enjoy reading it. 2.5 stars.

Corey breaks into the houses of the wealthy who summer in the Hamptons, to play pranks on them as a way to vent his frustrations as a local serving these “invaders.” The night he chooses to enter the home of his mother’s employer Mr. Sheffield, he learns a scandalous secret and witnesses a tragedy, and then he falls in love. The weekend brings a multitude of challenges for the Sheffield family and Corey’s mom, who’s fighting a drug addiction and a violent ex, as well as Corey and his new love. Allen brilliantly portrays the blurred lines of integrity and honesty for the haves and have-nots in a scenario that flips dependency from one to the other and exposes everyone’s agenda. No character is truly endearing, nor is any character wholly evil, but all are complex, self-serving and compassionate in turn. Fans of “Somethings in the Water,” “Beautiful Bad,” or “Hunting Annabelle” will appreciate this story. It’s a peek at what we might do if we had the chance, and what happens when we involve ourselves in something that’s not our business. I received a digital copy of this fantastic story from Park Row Books through NetGalley.

At first I was not connecting with this story so I almost put it down. I am glad I stayed with it though because it turned out to be one of the better reads of my year so far. There are events that occur and characters behave in ways that are difficult to fathom, but the story did pull me in. I am a bit tired of the single mother, loser violent boyfriend, wayward kids, rich people are horrible tropes but in this story, they seemed somewhat fresher. I look forward to Allen’s next book.

In exchange for an honest review, I was provided a free eARC by the publisher through NetGalley of The East End by Jason Allen.

Official Description (courtesy of NetGalley)

A tragic accident threatens to unravel two families in this gripping novel of suspense and culture clash set in the Hamptons.

Corey Halpern, a local high schooler with a troubled home life, is desperate to leave the Hamptons and start anew somewhere else. His last summer before college, he settles for the escapism he finds in sneaking into neighboring mansions.

One night just before Memorial Day weekend, he breaks in to the wrong home at the wrong time: the Sheffield estate, where he and his mother, Gina, work. Under the cover of darkness, Leo Sheffield—a billionaire CEO, patriarch and the owner of the vast lakeside manor—arrives unexpectedly with a companion. After a shocking poolside accident, everything depends on Leo burying the truth before his family and friends arrive for the holiday weekend. Unfortunately for him, Corey saw what happened, as did other eyes in the shadows.

Secrecy, obsession and desperation dictate each character’s path in this spectacular debut. In a race against time, each critical moment holds life in the balance as Corey, Gina and Leo approach a common breaking point. With an ending as explosive as the Memorial Day fireworks on the island, The East Endwelcomes a bright new voice in fiction.

My Thoughts

While parts of it were interesting, I just feel like I couldn’t connect to the story and it failed to keep my attention consistently.

The story is told from multiple perspectives, and maybe it would have been better told from one person’s point of view.

Corey comes from a lower class family. His father is dead and his mom is a drunk who is stuck in an abusive marriage and cleans Leo’s vacation home in the Hamptons. Corey has big ambitions to leave the town, but is fearful to leave his brother and mother behind. Because of his resentment for his situation and his need for escape to pass the time, he starts breaking into the vacation homes of the upper class. Which is how he ends up witnessing Henry’s death and Leo’s secret.

Oh, and his love interest is the best friend of Leo’s daughter, who also happened to see Henry dead in the pool and was chased down by a high and maniacal Leo after being spotted.

These are my impressions of the first 13 chapters. I honestly didn’t want to carry on and finish, but I feel like I owe it to the author to see the story through and hope for redemption.

Getting past the first 13 chapters, I can see where the author was going with this story and the ending was a somewhat redeeming. I especially enjoyed how Leo’s descent into his despair and unhappiness was portrayed.

In Conclusion

I feel like I say this often, but this was a potentially interesting storyline for me, but it fell flat and failed to pull me in. I really couldn’t relate to the characters.

Keep in mind, these are my personal opinions. While I may not have enjoyed this story, you might. I give The East End three stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Park Row for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book. I was excited to read this book being from Long Island. This book was a lot darker than I expected it to be. The book really delves into the workings between the classes in a very wealthy area. When I started it there was so much promise, but as I continued to read this one, it sort of lost the momentum for me.

A brilliant, addictive, page turner that kept me glued to the pages from beginning to end! This is a story about obsession, addiction, the privileged and the not so privileged and so much more. I look forward to more books by this author.