Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for the #AdvanceReviewCopy

Release Date: June 2023
Genre: Drama

Summary: After Rachel and her husband revisit the island where she and friends spent time when she was 17, she’s consumed by the man who stole her heart and got away. It’s 16 years later and Allister has once again made Rachel rethink everything, including her marriage to Tom. But as the truth becomes clearer to all, Rachel still refuses to opens her mind to what really happened.

My Thoughts: I’m extremely conflicted about this book. I loved the overall story, the concept, the message and all it was intended to do. I loved the dual timelines alternating between Then and Now and the writing was descriptive and beautiful. However the execution of the events and main character, Rachel, is what I struggled with. A character does not have to be likeable by any means for them to allow for a five star read, not at all. But Rachel’s character was just way over the top naive for me. I understand she was just turning 18 that summer and I would have believed she was in denial then, but as she got older, she continued to live in a fantasy world. A more convincing approach would have been for her to have recognized what had happened and work toward finding out the truth rather than hide from it and ignore all the red flags. Rachel also didn’t change much towards the end. I got the feeling that she would easily fall back into the same web of deceit and that showed weakened and not growth.

Having said all this, I still could not put this down and read it quickly, fuming and yelling at times. It made me feel a lot of hatred and other emotions. I’ve said before if a book can move me like that, it’s one to remember; I will remember this one! Therefore I’ve landed on 4 stars but I do not recommend this to the faint of heart as there some sensitive topics: triggers of rape, sexual exploitation, and drug abuse, to name some.

3.5 Stars

The Girls of Summer sounds like a lighthearted novel about teenage girls in the months of summer vacation… and that it is not. Bishop takes the reader on a dark journey through Rachel’s past, with past and present narratives combining to create a sense of confusion and mystery surrounding what and who draws Rachel to this Greek island. There are portions of the book where the pacing is slower than others, but the story keeps you interested, nonetheless. Trigger warnings should be adhered, there are dark and difficult topics discussed throughout. This is a compelling debut novel, I can’t wait to see what else Bishop publishes!

Thank you Netgalley for this great debut ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.75 – 5 STARS

Wow! What a riveting and timely story! I couldn’t put “The Girls of Summer” down!! Perception is such an elusive and interesting thing… how shared experiences are construed in such a uniquely personal way, sometimes differing vastly from what is essentially true.

Alternating between past and present, there are so many threads to pull at in this dark and cautionary story, all of which I found quite fascinating. But fundamentally, “The Girls of Summer” strives to push societal boundaries by shining a spotlight on how the rich and powerful can so easily exploit young women by preying on their innocence, insecurities and overwhelming desire for love and acceptance.

Truthfully, though, it was the sequences from the past that truly drew me in, as “present-day” Rachel was not half the sympathetic character that her younger self was. In fact, I found her to be a bit off-putting. That aside, this was one of the best books I have read in a very long time! I give “The Girls of Summer” a resounding two thumbs up!!

I received an advanced copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.

Rachel has been in love with Alistair for fifteen years. Even though she’s now married to someone else. Even though she was a teenager when they met. Even though he is twenty years older than her. She still cannot forget about the summer they shared or what happened at the end of it. Now memories are flooding back but those memories are not exactly the perfect ones she has been holding onto.

I usually love a very fun past and present books, but this one seemed a little out of place and drawn out. Rachel is the most naïve character that I’ve read in a long time, I didn’t understand her personality, and I don’t understand how she could ignore everything that was going on around her for so long. It was hard to read Rachel's perspective sometimes. It really felt like what was she doing sometimes, was so obvious what was going on.

Another #metoo reckoning, this one is fresh and a bit different-nuanced and told through the filter of memory, leaves you guessing and a bit uncertain

It was okay. Different from what I normally read. I would probably pick up another book by this author just to see if I really do like the author’s books or not.

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Seventeen-year-old Rachel Evans, vacationing on a Greek island, meets and falls in love with an enigmatic older man. Consumed by her relationship with Alistair, her life becomes one of late-night parties, too much alcohol, and promiscuity.

Sixteen years later, Rachel remains consumed by her love for Alistair even though she is now married. But her marriage is far from stable and Rachel is keeping secrets from her husband, Tom.

What is the truth about that summer on the island? And why does it continue to haunt Rachel?

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Divided into two sections . . . Then and Now . . . this is Rachel’s story to tell. It’s a formidable story and the telling of this tale is truly difficult reading. It’s gripping and captivating; it’s ominous and dark.

Rachel’s idyllic memories are at odds with the true story, but now, sixteen years later, she still finds herself drawn to Alistair. Early on, readers will recognize the truth of what is happening on the island; the undercurrent of foreboding keeps the reader’s uneasiness at the forefront of the “Then” story while the “Now” story is more frustrating.

Well-developed characters and a strong sense of place work together to anchor this narrative. Readers are likely to find that Rachel, the central character in the telling of this horrific tale, is largely unlikeable. It is almost incomprehensible that any seventeen-year-old young woman could possibly be as naïve as she is throughout the telling of the “Then” story, but her obsession with Alistair and her lies to her husband in the “Now” story are likely to leave readers feeling divided between frustration at her choices and sympathy for her difficulties in working through the past trauma.

Highly recommended, with the caveat that readers should be aware that the story is unsettling and burdensome.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley
#TheGirlsofSummer #NetGalley

Rachel spends an exciting teenage summer on a Greek Island at the young age of 17. At the time, she viewed the summer as an adventure with a once in a life time romance; however, as the book jumps between the "then" and the "now" Rachel begins to reframe her view of that time. Was it as romantic and adventurous as she thought or was something more sinister occurring?

The author writes two timelines in an intricate manner that will keep you guessing and wanting more until the very end. She writes in a way that will have you feeling the pain of Rachel's self-discovery right along with her until you are cheering her on at the very end.

In Girls of Summer Katie Bishop takes you on a dark and traumatic journey. Then: Rachel is 17 and travelling through Europe with a girlfriend. They end up on a beautiful Greek island and get jobs in a bar and live with a bunch of other travellers. They all work for a mysterious rich man who travels often and is rarely around. Another employee of his, Alister is their main contact. Rachel falls for him instantly and becomes obsessed with her first relationship.

Now it's 18 years later and after reconnecting with her past Rachel begins to understand that what she thought was romance was really something much darker. She now has to process this sudden change in perception and what exactly it all means for her.

Girls of Summer is captivating, as it slowly gets darker as the story progresses. I did find it dragged a bit in the second half of the book but overall was very well done. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Every time she thinks back to that summer, she revels in all her special moments with Alistair, he was her first love, her only true love. Or so she thinks. As she returns to that Greek island with her husband Tom she begins to slip back into old thoughts, and starts to obsess over the man who owns her heart. Then she runs into an old friend from her time there years ago, and it becomes clear to her that maybe she isn't as happy with her life as she thought she was...

The Girls of Summer is an captivating and well written suspense novel that is bound to rattle you in all the best of ways. It's story line is a little on the darker side and some readers should read with caution as it deals with some tough subject matter. I quickly found myself enamored by the main character Rachel, as the story unfolds you will see that the man she has spent half of her life loving isn't quite the man she thought he was, and that their story book romance wasn't so sweet either. This young woman was used and mistreated and it's taken an emotional toll on her, one she didn't realize was happening... it was impossible not to feel for her.

As I was reading this one I had trouble believing it was a debut novel, as it was so well written and believable. Bravo to the author, definitely one of the best new reads I have settled down with this year!! Highly recommend!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.

Wow. This had me hooked from the beginning all the way through to the end! This was so good! I was absorbed into this story!
I just reviewed The Girls of Summer by Katie Bishop. #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

Thank you to Net Galley for this free copy of Girls of Summer in exchange for a honest review. This is a very powerful book told in the past ,when Rachel the main character was 17 and instead of returning to England decides to stay in Greece after her vacation is over and in the present when Rachel is in a comfortable marriage to Tom but still longing for the love of her life , Alastairsn older man who she hasn’t seen in 16 years after a terrible tragedy happened in Greece. When Rachel is confronted with the blatant facts that she was part of a harem for an older man and not just partying with wealthy friends, Rachel has to decide how she will proceed and what she will have to sacrifice when she confronts her painful past.. Definitely reminiscent of Jeffrey Epstein.

4/5

This debut novel by Kate Bishop was beautifully told. Influenced by the #MeToo movement, a story about how easily it is to fall into sex trafficking and not even realize you’re a victim.

Told in 2 tense, before and now, Rachel found herself back in the Greek island she spent a summer in 16 years ago. Flooding with memories, she runs into an old friend now barely an acquaintance, Helena.

An interesting tale albeit bit predictable.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Katie Bishop for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am giving this one 3 stars. I wanted to like it, but to me it dragged. I couldn't get into it. I couldn't connect with the main characters. I did enjoy the writing, and will read the authors other books.

I was really intrigued by the premise of this book. I'm around the same age as Rachel, and I also spent some impactful time abroad when I was younger - thankfully not at all similar to hers, but I can relate to the nostalgia!

I found myself drawn in by the first third, and again towards the ending, but the middle lagged for me. Without sharing spoilers, I felt it strained credulity that Rachel didn't pick up on *any* of the very many elements of the horror of that summer, especially in retrospect. (And especially considering that her best friend was there too - less involved, but involved enough to know something was wrong! It just...never came up...in the 10+ years since...especially since it's very clearly still impacting her?) I'm guessing this was sheer psychological self-protection, but I feel like as readers, we were asked to accept this unquestioningly - and regardless of her initial naiveté, I didn't quite buy it.

That said, I was compelled by the tensions in Rachel's adult life - and by the dynamic between her and Alistair in spite of myself. (It reminded me a bit of the dynamic between Lucy and Stephen in Carola Lovering's Tell Me Lies.) And there were certainly moments that gave me chills - what you want in a thriller! Overall, I'd give it 3.5 stars.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a decent read for me, though I thought the story dragged a bit and didn’t really provide any major twists. It centers on Rachel, who in her mid 30s is trying to reclaim what she remembers as a perfect summer in Greece as a teenager. When she reconnects with the girls she hung out with that summer, she is forced to rethink the memories from that summer, especially her love affair with the much older Alistair.

I struggled a little bit with Rachel’s character. It should have been very obvious what was really going on that summer even to someone her age, not to mention when she reflected on it as an adult. I also thought she treated her husband horribly and never really explained why she made some of the decisions she made. I didn’t think that she really grew throughout the novel and got the impression that even when she did the right thing at the end, she didn’t really believe it.

I liked the way the story alternated between past and present, though I didn’t think there were many surprising reveals. Either way it kept me reading as the author weaved together the story from the 2 timelines.

Overall, it was a well written novel but just an ok read for me- not enough surprises and I was impatient with Rachel’s naïveté and overall character. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When Rachel was a teenager, she spent a magical summer on a beautiful Greek island, where she made lots of friends and fell in love with Alistair, an older man working for a wealthy businessman. Years later, Rachel has a devoted husband and fulfilling job, but her sun-drenched memories from that time continue to define her and even consume her. A chance encounter with an old friend forces Rachel to defend her past and her relationship with Alistair, but at what cost? Was the magic of that summer just an illusion?

I wouldn’t typically seek out this topic to read about, but I am glad that I did. I appreciated Rachel’s story even though I didn’t really like her character. The book was a little slow, with some suspenseful and very disturbing parts, and I felt it dragged a little toward the end, but I think Bishop provided necessary closure for Rachel’s experiences. 3.5 stars.

Wow!! It’s hard to believe that Katie Bishop is a debut author. The Girls of Summer was a gripping, suspenseful and a very important read. This book is well written and deals with some very real issues. Honestly, I could not stand Alistair and the fact that he preyed on young, innocent teenage/adult girls whose brains are not mature enough to realize what Alistair was really doing. Unfortunately, there are so many Alistairs in our world. I think that The Girls of Summer could be eye opening to parents of young girls. I know that it was for me. I highly recommend this book to everyone!

Thank you to St. Martins Press, Netgalley and Katie Bishop for the opportunity to read and review The Girls of Summer. I look forward to reading more Katie Bishop books in the future.

Very well-written but I am going to go with 3 stars because I just didnt like the main character Rachel. I don't mind a "messy" protagonist but I couldn't find any way to connect with this character. She was so stuck in the past, never seeming to want to get help to move on. And in the end, I don't think she really believed anything wrong was ever truly done to her. She just finally gave in to what the others were telling her.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Sadly I can't leave a review because I couldn't finish the book. I though girls trip right up my alley, but I didn't like the girls or the flashbacks. and the story just could't grab my attention. Given this 2 stars.