It’s 1962 and Heddy Winsome is heading to Martha’s Vineyard for a summer that will forever change her life. Having been raised in Brooklyn by a single mother struggling to pay each month’s rent, Heddy is striving for something more. Everything was looking bright but after losing her scholarship to Wellesley, her future is in jeopardy. A summer working as a nanny for one of Martha’s Vineyard’s wealthiest families offers her some hope. Will being surrounded by the rich and privileged enable Heddy to enter this world and help her get closer to the life she believes she deserves?

Summer Darlings is a fun book filled with people who are not what they seem. From the perfect couple, Ted and Jean-Rose Williams, who hire Heddy, to the fun-loving and very famous actress Gigi who lives next door, to two possible love interests. You can visualize the impeccable, tasteful homes, the private beaches and the early 60s styles. And there’s some fun nostalgic references of people and places from the period.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Gallery Books and Brooke Lea Foster for an advance copy of this impressive debut effort. The publication date is May 5 and I so hope Summer Darlings gets the attention it deserves.

Review will be posted on MicheleReader.com closer to the publication date.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Loved this book- in these topsy turvy times where we are all huddled in our homes, this book was like a cold lemonade on hot day. This is the beach vacation we all need. I can smell the coppertone right now.
The story of poor girl Heddy, who spends the summer as a nanny with the uber wealthy in 1960s Martha’s Vineyard. This coming of age has everything - drama, intrigue, movie stars, and romance.
LOVE LOVE Heddy. As a young adult- she wavers back and forth between bravado, and insecurity. Shes bright , funny and kind, and starts her journey looking for a husband to give her the financial security she and her single mom never had. Her sense of right and wrong is constantly challenged . She gets to peek behind the vail of a seemingly perfect marriage, and finds that things are more complicated than she expected. Each woman has to decide how much of herself is she willing to give up to be safe. In the end she realizes the only person she can depend on is herself.
In addition to detailed descriptions of the beauty of the island, there are a number of 1960 Marthas Vinyard cameos, wont spoil the surprise. Enjoy
Highly reccomend

Set during the splendid summer days of 1960's Martha’s Vineyard, this novel pulls back the curtain on one mysterious and wealthy family as seen through the eyes of their nanny, Heddy.

Heddy, a college student who, while falling in love on the island, is also forced to face the darker side of privilege, judgement, and wealth.

I really enjoyed this book. It had some history, some romance, and some definite life lessons throughout its entirety. While the romance kept me reading it was the development of the characters that enthralled me.

I will not spoil it for future readers but I loved the twist at the end of the book. It was very unexpected which pleases me as a reader and makes me look forward to what author, Brooke Lea Foster will do next.

I thought since we were in the middle of a pandemic I might expand my normal book preferences to other genres. This was labeled historical fiction. It was set in the 1960’s! 1960’s! I absolutely loved the book. Modern (!) version of an Upstairs Downstairs. Heddy is a college junior on scholarship at a prestigious college. She makes a stupid mistake one evening and loses her scholarship. She takes a nanny job for a wealthy family.on Marthas Vineyard over the summer. She is exposed to the country club life where you are judged by your place settings and social standings. The author did an amazing job of defining Heddy in her own right. She observes but holds her own self worth in check. It’s a fun ride with well placed fun references of Young James Taylor and Carly Simon as well as the Kennedy’s.. it’s still a stretch to call this historical but what a great read! I highly recommend you grabbing this book on its May 5th pub date! #netgalley #gallerybooks #siminschuster.

Really enjoyable!!! (but I do agree with other reviewers that some of the dialogue felt a little too current rather than set in the 60s). But overall, I really enjoyed this book. It will make a great summer read for the beach- if we're ever allowed to leave our houses again. sigh.

Thank you NetGalley, Simon, and Shuster and Brooke lea Foster for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Summer Darlings is a compelling historical debut novel--I loved every page! Brooke Lea Foster's description of Martha's Vineyard in the 1960's transports you to the point you can feel, hear and smell her descriptions directly off the page! Summer Darlings reveals that the lives of the rich and privileged aren't always what they seem. Foster develops all the characters in a way that keeps you turning the pages to reach the conclusion of each of their journeys.

Heddy Winsome grew up poor (like water added to ketchup to make tomato soup poor) but she worked hard and earned a scholarship to Wellesley. Now with her scholarship is in jeopardy, Heddy accepts a position as a nanny to a seemingly lovely family summering on Martha's Vineyard. At first, Heddy is overwhelmed by the glamour of the Vineyard, feeling her modest background with every breath. But soon she finds her sea legs and learns that beneath the glamour lies cruelty and subterfuge. Once she discovers that money does not buy happiness, Heddy starts to see what is truly valuable. A wonderfully written story with descriptions so vivid I could feel the sand between my toes and hear the waves crashing on the shore. A truly lovely read.

Heddy is a Wellesley student from a working-class Brooklyn family who has landed a summer job as a nanny for an affluent family on Nantucket in 1962. From the moment the ferry docks, she is transported into a world she quickly realizes is not the rosy picture that is seems. Trying to wade through the illusions is further complicated by the loss of her scholarship and she fears her dreams of becoming a writer will be permanently crushed.

As the book progressed, the characters came to life--with all of their flaws, secrets, motives and schemes exposed against the façade created. Heddy's background serves her well in trusting her instincts. Gigi the actress mocked and flaunted the social morays, but even she had her own selfish reasons for befriending the co-ed. By keeping true to her values, Heddy is able to survive in a world sorely lacking them

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery for an ARC of this book. My review is voluntary.

Summer Darlings, the debut novel by Brooke Lea Foster, is magnificent. Taking place in Martha’s Vineyard in 1962 (apropos for a delectable read by the waves), Summer Darlings reveals that the lives of the privileged aren’t always what they seem. However, those chomping at the bit for a blatant “Hang the rich” screed might be disappointed, as there are plenty of secrets to go around in this juicy book.
Much gratitude to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster, Gallery Books, and Brooke Lea Foster for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

College student Heddy is spending the summer of 1962 in Martha’s Vineyard, as a nanny for a wealthy family. Heddy lives in Brooklyn with her single mother and has had a lifetime of struggles, so this summer is definitely something new for her. After losing her college scholarship, Heddy is sure that she needs to find a way to change her life, and her future, on Martha’s Vineyard. After a whirlwind summer, Heddy finds out that nobody is who they seem to be, and the rich really don’t have it all.
The ending was quite unexpected and a little unbelievable, but all in all,’it was a great read.

Summer Darlings by Brooke Lea Foster embraces some of my favorite elements in historical fiction like Irish families in Brooklyn, coming of age, secrets, and flawed and relatable characters.

In 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.

This is a good book that’s entertaining and enjoyable. Its also a quick read and I absolutely loved the setting and reading about Martha’s Vineyard. I want to go now!

Summer Darlings will be available on May 5th. You can pre-order here!

The year is 1962 and all the world is in love with JFK and Jackie. Every girls' dream is to dress like Jackie and snag a handsome, wealthy husband. Heddy, who hails from a poor neighborhood in Brooklyn manages to win a scholarship to Wellesley, only to lose it after one careless evening. The long, empty summer looms ahead, when suddenly Heddy is offered a chance to work as a nanny in glamorous Martha's Vineyard. Not only will Heddy grab a front-row seat to the activities of the rich and beautiful, but maybe, just maybe she'll find a rich husband to solve all of her problems. Will Hedddy find a husband, or will she find herself instead? Read Summer Darlings to find out!

Set in the 1960s on Martha’s Vineyard, Summer Darlings follows a new nanny as she becomes engrossed with her wealthy family’s personal lives for the summer. The main narrator Heddy is a college aged girl from humble beginnings trying to find a foothold in this new rich society. While nannying, Heddy becomes involved with deep seeded family drama, a potential love triangle, and demons from her own past.

There is very serious character development for not only Heddy but everyone she comes in contact with during the summer. By the end of the novel I felt like I knew all the characters and their backgrounds very well and could empathize with each of them.

I really enjoyed this debut novel which comes off as a bit of a beach read with a thread of mystery. It reminds me of some early Elin Hilderbrand novels.

Brooke Lea Foster’s debut novel will be one of the best beach reads of the summer! Set on Martha’s Vineyard during the early 1960s, Summer Darlings transports us into the lives of the rich and wealthy (with cameo appearances by James Taylor and Carly Simon!). Heddy, an upcoming senior at Wellesley College, finds herself as the nanny of two young children to a well-to-do family. During her summer on the Vineyard, she gets a first-hand look at what wealth and privilege on the island is really about. This coming-of-age novel is light on historical fiction and heavy on the gossip. I enjoyed Heddy and Ruth’s relationship, and loved the character of Gigi. This was a fun read that was hard to put down. Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books, a division of Simon & Shuster, for an early copy. #SummerDarlings #NetGalley #BrookeLeaFoster #GalleryBooks #SimonandShuster

Foster is a talented writer. She takes readers back to 1962 on Martha's Vinyard. Heddy is hired to be a nnny for one summer. She lost her scholarship and wants to fit in with the rich set. Slowly she realizes how superficial and shallow the beautiful people are. She discovers some truths about herself as well. The author captured the tone and environment very well. My favorites were Ruth and Gigi. Some of he characters were quite repulsive. It had a crazy ending, but one that was suitable.

Summer Darlings by Brooke Lee Foster thanks to netgalley and gallery books for the e-arc

Heddie has just lost her scholarship at Wesley, and with that her dreams of supporting herself and her mother. Raised in poverty by a single mother, she’s always had plans to be more than she is. Heddie takes a summer job as a nanny for a wealthy old name family on Martha’s Vineyard, while she plans what to do in the fall and how to pay for school.

I sped through this book in a day. It was definitely a page turner! I loved the family drama and Heddie’s growth throughout the summer. The romance aspect of the story felt a bit forced and had me rolling my eyes at times. If you’re a romance fan and a thriller fan, this is the book for you. While the ending was very exciting, it was definitely over the top. I prefer my drama with a bit more subtlety, but I can see this being a big hit

“A hunger had always been been in her- to live a plum life, yes, but also a genuine belief that something better lay just around the corner”.

SUMMER DARLINGS fell a bit flat for me, which is disappointing given that I love historical fiction. Based on the cover, you'd expect a stylish, smart read -- and the novel does have style, I'll grant that. You get to see how the wealthy spend their summer on Martha's Vineyard. Some of the details in terms of houses and clothes are lovely. But overall, the story didn't quite find its way for me. The dialogue was dull and plodding and the main character, Heddy, failed to win me over. It was as though the author kept telling us that she was witty and smart and a catch, whereas we didn't necessarily see that in action. Toward the ending the story picked up and I thought the conclusion was well done.

Brooke Lea Foster’s debut novel is a gem! Set in Martha's Vineyard in 1960, 21 year old Heddy embarks on a roller coast summer filled with love, adventure and intrigue.

I picked up this book because I was drawn to the idea of a retro tale set in Martha's Vineyard. And I definitely got what I wanted in that respect. But there were some aspects of this book that hindered my enjoyment, the biggest one being when I was jolted out of the past by modern words and phrases like--freaking, stoppit, and "You're so, so right."
I also felt like there's just something missing about Heddy to make her likable enough for the reader. For me, she seemed somewhat vapid... I kept asking why were these two men falling for her? It's a classic case of the author saying the character has the traits of being whip-smart or attractive, but I never actually felt like she did anything really noteworthy. The reader is not privvy to any sparkling conversation or really profound things Heddy does that make her so desirable. And that made the storyline feel a bit contrived.
Overall, it's a good beach read. I liked the descriptions of the Vineyard. And I knew the gun was going to make another appearance at some point, but can honestly say I was surprised by the ending.

You won't be able to put this one down! Reading this story is like being on the receiving end of
THE BEST SUMMER gossip... Summer Darlings transports us to Martha's Vineyard in the early 1960's.. home to the rich, famous, and spoiled. The story centers on Heddy, a college girl who dreams of a better life for herself and longs to be a part of the jet set on Martha's Vineyard. She takes a job there as a summer nanny to a privileged rich family and in doing so... finds out what life is REALLY like for those who live lives of wealth and privilege on this island. This could be considered a coming of age story as Heddy soon comes to realize what is truly important in life. This book was provided to me as an advanced copy before production. This review is my own and is in no way required by the publisher.