The Girls of Summer is about the group of teenage girls who go on vacation to a Greek Island. While there they meet this guy who invites them to a party. One thing leads to another and soon these girls are being used by these older men. This story takes place years later with Rachel, the main character, still obsessed with the man who used her. Her friends have all realized what really happened to them, but Rachel still believes they were in love.

While I didn't enjoy this book as a story itself, I can't deny what it does. This shows how easily it is to get caught up in situations without realizing what exactly is going on. Other than that point, I really don't have anymore opinions on this book one way or the other.

I did receive this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to author, publisher, and NetGalley for giving me this arc in exchange for my honest review. The girls of summer was a captivating read that hooked from me start to finish. I had to find out what happened from chapter to chapter. It also left me wanting to vacation to the Greek islands! Highly recommend.

🏝️For my first book of 2024, I hit a summer release from my Netgalley backlist. The Girls of Summer is a story of Rachel, a British girl who ends up vacationing before her A-levels on a secluded island. She decides to stay when she meets a group of girls who live together in a house and work at a local bar. The girls also work parties for the bar’s owner, Henry James who is rich and shady. Working parties means partying, getting drunk, sometimes doing drugs (not always by choice) and sleeping with Henry’s friends. Rachel is in love with Alastair, who is Henry’s fixer/ organizer. A tragedy happens on the island and Rachel’s bubble bursts.

The book switches back and forth between Rachel’s time on the island 15 years earlier and her present day — getting a divorce and reconnecting with Alastair.

This book has Jeffrey Epstein vibes mixed with a metoo revenge plot. It didn’t really work for me because I didn’t care about Rachel and the present day storyline was all over the place. Take this with a grain of salt, though, because my pal @onyourmarkgetreading has this one on her top 10 list of 2023!


Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was a slow burn and very atmospheric. I had a really hard time getting into it. I loved the Greece setting, but this one is definitely not a light, beach read. It’s full of tension and at times uncomfortable and disturbing. I wasn’t a fan of Rachel and by the end I completely lost interest.

What first sold me was the cover for this book, as I had the opportunity to visit Greece and it took me back there. This was a fun and quick read, although it was pretty straightforward and the few twists I was able to guess right away. It was a great debut, and I am looking forward to read future books by this author.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

I didn't quite get what I was hoping for with this one. I knew it would be a bit of a difficult read, since the premise is about a 17 year old who falls in love with someone 20 years her senior. It takes place in present day, as Rachel is forced to reckon with, and rediscover, what really happened all those years ago when Alistair became her lover. But it fell between the lines of genres for me, not quite a thriller and not quite literary fiction. So I found it a bit muddied and not quite as sharp as I was hoping.

Well written but hard to connect with the main character. I did finish the book because the plot was interesting but I wasn't fully invested. I think I will keep an eye out for more from this author.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Rachel is seventeen and has decided to take time off from school to island hop with her BFF in Greece. When they land on a remote island, Rachel embarks on a love affair with Alistair even though he is much older than she is. She is head over heels in love and does not see the flags that are all around. Then, one day, everything crashes down and Rachel is left alone and confused. Years later, by chance, Rachel runs into one of the girls from the island and then memories, not rose-colored ones, start resurfacing and Rachel needs to reconcile what happened that summer.

The Girls of Summer feels like you are getting a look into what happened in the Jeffrey Epstein's island. There are a lot of difficult themes in this story, please take care of yourself.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC of The Girls of Summer! All opinions in this review are my own.

While I loved the setting and usage of time to hide secrets, the secrets that were hidden just made me sad. I thought this book would be more mysterious but you are able to pick up on what is happening way before the main character does. It's heartbreaking to see her fall back to it years later. Even though I didn't love The Girls of Summer, I would be curious to read the author's next book.

This was a very interesting book dealing with a tough subject and at times it was tough to read. The writing was good, but I don’t know if it was the style or what but I had hard time really getting into the story and I didn’t really care about any of the characters. The story is told in two perspectives past and present. Rachel has never truly recovered from the summer when she was 17 taking a vacation on a small island. But she doesn’t even truly understand what happened that summer and she is still struggling to manage the trauma she can’t even acknowledge. This book definitely made me think and I think it did accurately capture how easy it is for a young and vulnerable girl to slide in commercial exploitation of children.

Despite how well it was written, I could not connect to the main character as I hoped I would. The plotline was intriguing and kept me wanting to uncover more secrets. However, the difference between the main character as a young teen and her current age as almost non existent. I wished there was a little more growth in the character as she realizes her past as this book was publicized as a #MeToo movement story. As a debut novel, it was not awful and I would still be interested to see if the author writes more and how she will improve. Thank you for the ARC.

"The Girls of Summer" by Katie Bishop is a potent exploration of the complex and sensitive MeToo issue, skillfully navigating dark territories with compassion & understanding. The narrative follows Rachel's tumultuous first love with an older man, leaving her emotionally scarred for decades. The vivid portrayal of young women on a summer holiday, reveling in the illusion of maturity, creates an intense atmosphere. The lasting impact of their choices unfolds gradually, making the book difficult to put down. Despite their naivety, the characters are likable, and the author's adept storytelling ensures a compelling read. As a first encounter with Katie Bishop's work, this book promises not to be the last. A sincere thank you to NetGalley for providing the ARC; my review is willingly offered.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of The Girls of Summer by Katie Bishop in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was sad to finish it. This is the book that grabs you from the first sentence and will keep you engrossed until the very end. There were lots of twists and turns that will make you question how you missed them. Loved it and can't wait to read more by this author.

This book was nothing like I thought it was going to be, and it caught me by surprise.. one of the perks of going I to a book blindly, sometimes you find those unknown gems. The book had a lot more feeling, heart, drama and hot topics than I was anticipating. It was well written and handled subject matter tastefully.

I cannot believe that I have waited this long to read more by this author. I thought the plot and the characters were done so well. This setting was so well done. I cannot even believe it.

The book goes back and forth from the summer when Rachel is 17, turning 18 before she is about to go to college to the present day. She visits an island with the intention of staying for a bit before heading home but instead stays the summer and defers going to college. She has a relationship with an older man, which consumes her. She reconnects with him 15 years later. However, the relationship she remembers through rose-colored glasses is not what happened during that summer.

Y'all, I really friggin' enjoyed this book. The pace was steady throughout the whole book. It wasn't fast, but it definitely kept my interest the entire time. I enjoyed the single POV but dual timeline. Rachel grows as a woman and heals so much from that summer. I wasn't sure for a minute, but she came through in the end. I'm sure there are TW for this book, so make sure you check them out before reading this book.

If you read and liked My Dark Vanessa, definitely check this book out.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel and Alistair have an affair years ago in secret because Alistair is 15 years older than Rachel. No one would understand. This book alternates between the past in which their affair is ongoing. vs present where Rachel is married to Tom. She hasn't had any contact with Alistair for 16 years but she gets his number and finds out he lives nearby.

This is a take on the MeToo movement and a great debut!

Fifteen years ago, Rachel spent a summer in the Greek islands, and even now she continues to think about the sunny days and partying nights. She fell in love with Allistair all those years ago and still thinks of him even though she’s now married to Tom. When history comes knocking, Rachel is forced to confront the fact that summer wasn’t all fun and games - girls were taken advantage of and someone even died.

Thank you to @netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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A startling coming-of-age tale with a pertinent warning for any young girl's growth into womanhood.
Rachel and her friend decide to take some time off from school and travel instead. They find themselves on a beautiful Greek isle and decide to stay a while. They get a job at the local bar and the partying starts. When Rachel meets an older man, Alistair, who takes her under his wing, her feelings quickly turn to love. Alistair just happens to work for a powerful man that likes things his way. Alistair professes his love for Rachel but says they must keep their relationship private and not let his boss know about it. When the boss throws a party at his mansion, Rachel invites her newly found co-workers and friends to go with her. There are dark forces at play though and soon they are expected to entertain the other guests and friends of Alistair and his boss. All the while, Rachel is naive and in love and blind to what's going on around her. From here things get interesting as a friend dies and things start to go sideways. Will Rachel ever acknowledge the truth or will her unwaivering love for Alistair prevail?

I found this one to be an intriguing read. Rachel is an easy character to have empathy for. Her innocence and feelings are easy to understand. The rest of the diverse cast of characters are well fleshed out as well. The writing style is easy going and the relatively quick pace kept me engaged and curious. All in all, this is an insightful journey and one that I highly recommend.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for granting me an early copy to read, review and enjoy.

This was a difficult book to read. Lots of hard topics in this book so props to the author for tackling this kind of novel.
This novel follows Rachel in the past and in the present. In the past, it was when Rachel spent a summer on a Greek Island and fell for a much older man, Alistair. In the present, she is married to a different man and he is pushing for a baby. However, it seems like Allistar still holds a special place in Rachel's heart and she feels stuck. Rachel's mind keeps returning to that summer and the events that unfolded and she still reminisces about it. I went blind in this book, and it was a good thing because I was definitely not expecting what happened to happen. If you are looking for clues on how teenage girls are groomed then this one might give you a hint. It's dark, twisted, and a compelling story. I had to put the book down a few times because it was so intense at times. I definitely recommend it if you are looking for a dark and twisty thriller that touches on some hard topics!