After following Mary Adkins's writing advice for some time, I finally decided to read one of her novels to see how she put her sound advice into practice in her own work. Unfortunately this wasn't the story I was hoping for. While I enjoyed vicariously visiting the world of the ultra-rich in Palm Beach, I was dismayed at the turn the story took. I felt a little bit hoodwinked as a reader, and I felt the ultimate happy ending was unearned.

I always love books with NYC settings. A good book with great character development! I look forward to more books by this author.

Some fun, some stressful possible baby/child illness but overall, an interesting outsiders look at the very rich with some vaguely interesting marriage insight and moving insight.

I know it’s too late to say that the cover doesn’t fit the story, but it doesn’t! This was way more than just a beachy-sort of read. I really enjoyed it and think the cover makes it seem fluffier than it is.

Couldn't get into it. The couple was trying soooo hard to the opposite of the families they were trying to work for.

What does it do to a persons psyche to suddenly be thrust from economically struggling to having expendable resources? This book tackles that question. It examines class in new ways, by thinking through the situation of those who serve the upper crust while gaining wealth themselves. Worth the read.

I read about 70% of the book before taking a break from it, and couldn’t remember anything when I jumped back in a couple weeks later to finish it. Not memorable. At first, it seemed like the point was showing the disparity between the wealthy and the non-wealthy, but then in the end, the values didn’t matter because a human would do anything for their child. The min characters were boring and flat.

2020 was a tough year. I get it.

This novel is character driven, which I’ve found is not something I enjoy.

It had a good premise, but I wanted more movement in the plot aspect.

Palm Beach
A Novel
by Mary Adkins
Listen to an Audio Excerpt
Harper
You Like Them You Are Auto-Approved
General Fiction (Adult) | Women's Fiction
Pub Date 03 Aug 2021 | Archive Date 28 Sep 2021
Wow! Not my typical genre... but I highly recommend it for a Summer/Beach Read. The allure of the American dream is a dangerous slope to travel. I really enjoyed this book and it addressed a great question. What are you willing to do for the "all American dollar."

5 star

This literary fiction novel captures the divide between the haves and the have nots in the wealthy enclave of Palm Beach. From the start, it has such engaging language and strong storytelling that pulls me in and compels me to keep reading. Then, the big twist reveal gets soooo juicy and I just *have* to keep reading. However, there's a ton of exposition and background that feels a touch too long in parts. But overall, it's compelling and intriguing.

This isn't my typical read, but once I got started, I couldn't put Palm Beach down. I compulsive book that kept me interested to the very end!

Another GREAT summer/beach read to put on your list this year!!! I couldn't put this book down! Rebecca, her husband Mickey and baby son Bash move to Palm Beach so Mickey can start a new job. They soon must decide how far will they go to get the money they need and that money can't "buy" everything.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!
Mickey and Rebecca have just moved from NYC to Palm Beach with their infant son Bash, and their lives will never be the same. Rebecca is a freelance journalist and has a column about wealth inequality that she writes for a New York magazine (something she can do remotely). Mickey is a former Broadway singer unable to perform due to a recent injury to his vocal cords. He now works for a billionaire as a manager for his household; the boss offered him an amazing salary to relocate to Florida, so the couple eagerly does so. Within two weeks, Mickey is offered double the pay to work for an even richer employer, venture capitalist Cecil Stone. Soon Rebecca is joining Mickey at the sumptuous estate when she is hired to ghostwrite Mrs. Stone's memoirs, which gives her opportunities to cover the lifestyles of the ridiculously wealthy. The couple's life seem to be on an unbelievably promising trajectory, until events coalesce and bring them to a critical point of decision-making.
Interesting read that begins leisurely and crescendos to a quick pace near the end.
Recommended

Rebecca and Mickey loved living in New York, but when Mickey loses his voice and is no longer able to act they pick up their lives and baby Sebastian and move to Palm Beach so that Mickey can work as an estate manager for a wealthy couple. Rebecca is very conscientious about wealth disparities and writes about it as a freelance writer, so her husband's new job is irksome while also giving her all sorts of writing content. Rebecca gets an opportunity to write for Mrs. Stone, the wife of Mickey's employer and is further thrust into the world of the super wealthy. But when life doesn't go as planned, will Rebecca still view the wealthy as the terrible people she's always seen?
At first I wasn't sure that as a capitalist I would enjoy this book. I was afraid the author would be too liberal in her writing and turn me away. But I actually enjoyed this book. It was so interesting to see into the world of the wealthy and those who work for them. Mickey gets paid so much money to do what I basically do every day for my family- haha. The middle of the book gets a little slow and there isn't much action. But the last 25% of the book is the best. It is quick moving and definitely makes you question what you would be willing to do in Rebecca's shoes.

It's easy to judge others for what they have...until what they have benefits you.

I enjoyed this book for the more surface topics, such as the glimpses into how the uber wealthy live - the dinners, the shopping, just the sheer ability to have multiple people working in your house every day, taking care of the mundane tasks that the rest of us have to do ourselves. What I did not enjoy was self-righteous Rebecca and her opinions that left no room for anyone else.

I took off a star simply because my goodness Rebecca, we GET it. You don't agree with the wealth and how it was acquired. (But you surely didn't have any qualms about paying your bills with your husband's paycheck, did you?)

I quite enjoyed the book from start to finish and I'll be reading more of Mary Adkins' novels.

I liked this book and didn't think I would. I live in Florida and the depiction of Palm Beach is spot on. and it show show quickly we can be swayed by money.

Book Review for Palm Beach by Mary Adkins
Full review for this title will be posted at: @fyebooks on Instagram!

Rebecca, a freelance writer, and her husband, Mickey, a musical theatre actor, make the life-changing decision to leave New York City with their new baby when Mickey is offered a job as a house manager for a wealthy family in Palm Beach, Florida. In just a few days, Mickey is offered another house manager/butler job at double the salary by a billionaire hedge fund manager and his socialite wife. There is so much here about class and income inequality in our country, handled in an interesting and sensitive way by this author. The couple is soon drawn into financial intrigue and scandal. Things get even more complicated when they learn that their baby has a frightening neurological disease. This is a great read, and I look forward to recommending it.

This is an arresting novel. Once I was captured by the plot, I couldn’t put it down. It might be one of the least predictable books I’ve read. Rebecca and Mickey find themselves in Palm Beach after a series of crazy events find Mickey in need of an immediate career change and a job. As a struggling actor, he put his catering skills to work and took a job as an estate manager. Ultimately, Mickey winds up in the home of the ultra-rich Stones.

Rebecca, a journalist, finds herself working with the Stones as well. Her career takes off and it would seem that their lives were on a smooth glide path. Fate was not initially kind, their infant son Bash is diagnosed with an unexpected, rare, life threatening problem.

Yet, this odd relationship becomes their salvation on many levels.

I really enjoyed this book and I think it will be a book club favorite. Thank you Netgalley fir this great read.

Living in a tiny Queens apartment, Rebecca and her husband Mickey typify struggling, 30-something New Yorkers—he’s an actor, and she’s a freelance journalist. But after the arrival of their baby son, the couple decides to pack up and head for sunny, comfortable Palm Beach, where Mickey’s been offered a sweet deal managing the household of a multimillionaire Democratic donor.
Soon they both become dependent on these people. And Rebecca becomes a ghost writer for Mickey's bosses wife.
Then when she discovers a shocking secret about the Stones, Rebecca then has some tough decisions to make.

I enjoyed this book. It was a really good story. The characters I enjoyed learning more about!
The book was quick, interesting and a fun read!