There was a lot I liked about Pink Whales. Sara Shukla creates interesting characters, and I liked that the women characters (with one or two exceptions) were supportive of each other despite their flaws. I thought both Poppy and Heidi were a lot of fun and that Presley deserves her own book.

What keeps me from rating this book higher is my total disdain for Dev. I thought he was really horrible to Charlie and the embodiment of a 1950s husband who completely neglects his wife and children. By the end of the book, a lot of his terrible behavior gets excused in an unsatisfying way.

Despite that, I really liked the book, and look forward to reading more by her. Shukla's style reminds me a lot of Elin Hilderbrand, and with Hilderbrand retiring from writing soon, I think Shukla has the potential to fill that niche.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC of this book.

Let me start this by saying that I haven't even read the entire synopsis of this book. When I knew this book would be setting at a coastal town, I immediately picked it up, because I love this kind of setting and I've really enjoyed other books before with the same ambience.
Well, I now wish I did have read the entire synopsis.
I'm not gonna speak badly about this book. I'm just gonna say this is not for me.
Even though I thought the main character, Charlie, was...decent and well written, I just couldn't relate to her story or her struggles. I could empathise with her, sure. But not relate. And for me to truly enjoy a book, I need to relate to at least one one of the characters.
I won't blame the author's writing style, either.
I've read and enjoyed other "rich family drama/gossip" stories before. This one just isn't for me.
Thanks, anyway, NetGalley for providing me with a free eARC of this book. I'm sure other readers will enjoy it much more than I did.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance of "Pink Whales."
When Charlie, her husband Dev, and their children start anew in a wealthy, seaside town in New England, Charlie navigates fitting in with the country clubbing, designer wearing upper-crust residents. Amidst beach club gatherings and neighborhood parties, Charlie grapples with her identity in her marriage and social circle, making "Pink Whales" a delightful beach read.

I started out enjoying this novel of a family being moved to a small, posh town on the Atlantic coast of Massachusetts, but before long Charlie, her husband and adorable twins led me into an endless rabbit hole of plots, sub-plots and characters. I found the book was all over the place. It has romance, humor, mystery, eccentric family, drug addicts, blackmail, snobbery, endless emergencies. If you want to wade through endless twists and turns, you can take this on, but I found myself wondering where this was going and why the author was moving on this zig-zag path.

So, ultimately, I was disappointed by the lack of coherence which made this difficult to finish. I found myself losing interest in this overly complex trip.

Thank you Netgalley for this opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced copy of pink whales. The book takes place in a small town called Rumford, Rhode Island. ‘ (the same name of the town that I live in) The book takes you through the lives of a young couple with two young children, a doctor, aspiring to help others and work his ex girlfriend and a mother who wants to be part of the in crowd. As Charlie (mother) searches for who she truly is, she gets roped into being part of the it group where days consist of hanging at the yacht clubs, drinking, and socializing. I truthfully found the book all over the place and lacking substance. It could make a nice beach read if you just wanted to sit in the sun and see how the others live. Thank you again NetGalley

Cover is a 10/10
Story premise was a 10/10

The story itself just fell flat for me. I enjoyed it, but this wasn't anything that will stick with me long term.

Thank you net galley for this copy .I have never heard of this author .The title caught my eye and so did the cover .It is a good beach read .I could actually related to the character for being a stay at home wife .This was fast paced and such a cute story.

i am so thankful that i got to read this book early! thank you so much to the publishers and to netgalley. what a lovely story this was!! it was fantastic and sweet and precious and lovely in every single way!!!

In this story, a family moves to an elite coastal town where they attempt to fit in in the midst of secrets and excess. I did not care for the characters or plot, and I dislike lack of communication in books, so this book was not for me. I did enjoy reading about what the ladies were wearing. This is a nice quick beach read.

Thank you NetGalley and Little A for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I loved the title, cover and the description of the book, and the setting should've sold it for me, but ultimately this one fell flat for me. No rea character development really stood out to me, and while I love books with little to no plot, I felt like this one didn't move along.

Still, appreciate the opportunity to read and review.

Thanks for the review copy. I wanted to like this one more than I did. It took me almost a month to read it. I feel like the book picks up halfway though until the end.

As anticipated, this was a fun, light, summer beach read. Additionally, I would say a book set in a new england vacation town centred on (mostly) frivolous rich people drama is also a good late-february-haven't-seen-the-sun-in-weeks read.

Busy mother of oopsie twins, Charlie has just moved to New England from North Carolina with her sweet physician husband, Dev. The child of nomadic parents, Charlie longs for a sense of home. But the level of privilege, arcane preppy traditions, and the importance of a pristine pair of white jeans when going to the yacht club --!

And frankly, things aren't going great with Dev. He's working late at the drug-treatment clinic (alongside his attractive former flame) and he's growing less emotionally available as each summery day passes, so when the glamorous set around town picks her up and plunks her into their snooty midst, Charlie is (mostly) enthusiastic.

Still, it's not in her nature to fall into this casual flirtation with a charming stranger, and even when bartending, she NEVER drank like this...

Appealing and cute as a madras skirt, this breezy beach read offers plenty of heart and humor. Extra credit for not ignoring the social ills on the other side of the social scale! The novel calls to mind early Susan Isaacs for giving us a smart, flawed hero who finds her way while being -– ultimately––superior to her zip code in all the important ways.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little A for the eARC in exchange for my unfettered opinion.

US pub date: 6/4/24
Genre: beach read, rich people behaving badly
Quick summary: Charlie and her doctor husband Dev move to a small coastal town to start fresh - can Charlie learn to swim in this sea of very well-dressed sharks?

I love books about rich people behaving badly, and I visit Cape Cod each summer, so this book was a great fit topic-wise. I loved seeing Charlie fall into the moneyed world and start doing things she never thought she would do. Shukla created a fun cast of characters to befriend/antagonize Charlie, and I enjoyed their interactions. Unfortunately, I feel like the book tried to do a bit too much - there are multiple plotlines around Dev and his attractive fellow doctor, and I felt like they were distractions from the main narrative. However, this was still a fun summer read, and it made me want to buy more madras clothing. #preppy

Thank you to Little A for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a light beachy read. I couldn't really relate to the main character because there is nothing that has ever interested me less than fitting in much less with an "in crowd" as a grown adult. I felt sad for Charlie that she wanted to live her life this way and thought these women were the answer. Maybe if I was a people pleaser I'd relate more? I did enjoy the New England setting, It was cute, I was just hoping for a tiny bit more.

This is a fun, breezy read that I just flew through. The main character is a stay at home mom who moves to a tony New England beach town following her doctor husband’s career. Over the course of the summer, she gets embroiled in the local mom gossip and intrigue. But are there more sinister forces under the vapid mom drama?

This main character is the self deprecating type usually gets under my skin. You know the klutzy, self-doubting mom with out of control kids? When there’s nuance I find this relatable, But done wrong, it simply grates on me. That’s this main character. And yet, I could not stop turning the pages.

This has everything for a breezy beach read. Armchair travel, check. Marriage problems that are troubling but not insurmountable, check. A dash of fish out of water, check. Fast-paced story, check.

Life changing, no, but enjoyable read.

In Sara Shukla's "Pink Whales," Charlie embarks on a journey of self-discovery and resilience as she navigates her new life in an exclusive coastal town. Uprooted from her familiar surroundings, she yearns to revitalize her marriage and provide a sense of belonging for her young twins. As she grapples with feelings of isolation and displacement, a trio of seemingly perfect power moms offers a glimmer of hope. However, as Charlie delves deeper into their world of social events and rivalries, she begins to question if this newfound acceptance is worth the cost of neglecting her true self and the issues within her family. Shukla's writing is sharp and observant, capturing the complexities of relationships, the nuances of social dynamics, and the longing for a place to belong. Through Charlie's eyes, readers are immersed in a world of wealth and privilege, where appearances and social status hold sway. The story deftly explores the themes of identity, belonging, and the sacrifices we make in pursuit of acceptance. Charlie's character is both relatable and compelling. Her struggles to connect with her husband, her desire to be a good mother, and her search for her own identity will resonate with readers. Shukla also skillfully portrays the power dynamics at play within the community of wealthy families, highlighting the often-hidden tensions and rivalries that lie beneath the surface of perfection. "Pink Whales" is a thought-provoking and entertaining read that delves into the complexities of human relationships and the search for fulfillment. Shukla's writing is insightful and engaging, weaving a tale that will stay with readers long after they finish the final page.

I had a lot of fun with this light read about a family that moves to a beach town where many rich folks summer and while the mom, Charlie, gets to know all the wealthy women and their secrets and gossip, her husband who works at a local medical center is struggling and they are talking to each other less and less.

There are a lot of funny moments in this book, and a lot of not-so-funny moments too. It is told with humor and doesn't take itself too seriously but there are some serious topics tackled in this book. Some of the characters are over the top and not as three-dimensional as they could have been.

But I still found this book to be very enjoyable and read it all in one sitting. I think it will be a lovely and fun beach read!

with gratitude to netgalley and Little A for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Pink Whales by debut author, Sara Shukla will be a fun beach read this summer. Charlie moves with her physician husband Dev and their two small children to a traditional New England beach town near Boston. Charlie tries desperately to fit in and hilarity ensues. Charlie is a very likable character with a self-deprecating sense of humor. I loved all of the beach town descriptions and the over the top behavior of the people who live there. This was a fast and light read. I liked the summertime vibe of this story, making it a perfect beach read. Three and half stars rounded up to four. Thanks to #netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a bit messy though entertaining. I enjoyed Charlie's awkwardness, ability to constantly say the wrong thing, and her quest to fit in with a group of polished, moneyed women. Over the course of one summer, a lot of themes are covered including suspected infidelity, burnout, addiction, ambition, and desire.

Thank you to Little A and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.