I truly cannot resist a summer in New England book! I loved Hannah McKinnon's The Darlings and was excited to get to this one. It was great how we were immersed in the story from multiple perspectives in the family. It brought the whole book together! Pick this one up if you want a summer book set in Massachusets with some family drama mixed in!

A light predictable beach read, but it wasn't very entertaining. The beginning does start slow and then picks up later on, which left me with a better impression then I had at first.

This book is about an exclusive beach club, that is a hidden gem. Darcy is here, and should be having the best summer of her life. Unfortunately, there are quite a few things in the way, namely her stressful family.

Don't let the title fool you. Just because this is about a club that requires membership to belong to, does not mean this is light beach read material. There is drama and heavy themes about belonging, teenage angst in all of its dark ways, autism, racism, superiority complex of rich men and women thinking they can do anything. That being said, this was still a great book to read. It is told in the point of view of multiple characters and captures how tough it is to be in each of those person's shoes. Ned, Darcy and Flick all have support roles at Mayhaven beach club. They are there every day. They know all of the members. Ned and Darcy have essentially spent their whole lives there, while this is Flick's first summer.
This is an important that just because you are part of the club, doesn't mean you are accepted or belong.

This one just wasn’t my cup of tea. I wanted to love it, but it seemed very cliche and not very well thought out.

Hannon McKinnon, is my chick

I literally love this little lady, and I am almost positive, you will to.

How could you not?

The Summer Club

Anything that has to do with Summer, is a book for me.

Someday, I will permanently live beachside and I won't be chasing the 3 summer months I get here in NJ .

This book was just absolutely incredible and I felt, truly felt, every single emotion. McKinnon, poured her soul within the pages and I gobbled it all up.

Check out this teaser :

Mayhaven is the best keep secret in Massachusetts. Tucked between old cedars and a spring-fed lake, the Mayhaven beach club has long been the ultimate escape to understated exclusivity. It’s the place where Darcy Birch is supposed to be experiencing the best summer of her life, but there are a few things standing in her way. Her high-strung mother won’t stop hovering over her, her father is consumed by his job as president of Mayhaven, where she works as a summer camp counselor and things are not as rosy as they seem, and her neurodivergent little brother is struggling to live with a measure of independence not everyone is ready for.

Then there is the matter of the new neighbors. Flick Creevy, his mother, and stepfather have arrived in town, parking their enormous RV, not to mention all-night music and clouds of marijuana, in the Birches’s perfectly landscaped backyard.

Flick is not interested in the perfect summer or the girl next door. Pushed to get a job at Mayhaven by his mother, who has her eyes on a new life for their family, his own eyes have been opened to the ways of the upper crust. Even though Mayhaven prides itself on being an inclusive association of good New England families with good New England values, the fact remains: either you’re on the inside or the outside.

As the heat of summer increases, it’s soon clear that the members of Mayhaven will have to struggle to stay cool in this sharply written and refreshing new novel that is perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Jennifer Weiner.

Everything a summer book should be! Also, bravo to the cover designer because this book cover literally screams summer!
Thank you #atria and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy! This novel did a great job at detailing friend and family conflict, struggles, and issues with work. It was a heavy read!

I loved Hannah McKinnon's first book, so I was so excited to read "The Summer Club". "The Summer Club" was the perfect summer beach read. I couldn't put it down and really enjoyed this story! Add it to your beach bag this summer!

Ned Birch is the president of the island Summer Club. He is a dedicated father, wanting to be for his children the dad his father had never been for him. Until the beginning of summer, he and his daughter Darcy had a tradition of playing golf together daily, until she announced she was through and would teach tennis to the children instead. Ingrid Birch is a successful realtor and juggles her demands to accommodate the needs of their 15-year-old autistic son. They are very likable and they’re almost too good to be true.

The apple cart is upset when an obnoxious couple move into the house next door and teenage boys run amok. It’s a quick summer read and very fun. Enjoy!

This novel did a great job at detailing friend and family conflict, struggles, and issues with work. I really enjoyed hearing from three different POV's, and was not confusing at all. It was a heavy read with lots of tougher topics.

Spoiled rich kids, summer in Massachusetts, new comers to town....this book has all the makings of a GREAT summer read!! I loved it!!

Hannah McKinnon’s The Summer Club is a summer-centric novel set within the prestigious Mayhaven beach club in Massachusetts. While it may initially appear to be a lighthearted beach read, the narrative intricately explores profound themes such as familial relationships, socioeconomic disparities, and the experiences of neurodivergent individuals. The central character, Darcy Birch, grapples with the challenges posed by her domineering mother, her preoccupied father, who serves as the club president, and her younger brother, who is striving for autonomy. As the summer progresses, Darcy's seemingly perfect plans are unsettled by the arrival of new neighbors, Flick Creevy and his family, whose differing lifestyle introduces a novel perspective to the social fabric of Mayhaven.

In contrast to Darcy, Flick expresses little interest in assimilating into the affluent lifestyle characteristic of Mayhaven. His mother encourages him to take a position at the beach club, where he becomes acutely aware of the pronounced divide between the wealthy patrons and the club's staff. Through Flick's perspective, the reader gains insight into the realities of social stratification and the accompanying pressures of conformity. As the season unfolds, the narrative examines how both Darcy and Flick navigate their unique challenges, illuminating the intricacies of their lives against the backdrop of an exclusive community.

Although promoted as a light summer read, The Summer Club addresses weightier themes that may resonate more deeply with a Young Adult audience. The storytelling is engaging, centering on character relationships and personal development; however, there are some shortcomings in character evolution. The narrative's resolution occurs rather swiftly, leaving certain plotlines unresolved. Overall, this is a nuanced exploration of the trials of adolescence and the implications of social class, rendering it a thought-provoking selection for enthusiasts of contemporary fiction.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

It's summer in New England and the Mayhaven beach club is known for being an exclusive retreat for the upper crust. Darcy Birch's father, Ned, is the President of Mayhaven and she works as a camp counselor at the camp. Summer should be an easy breezy time, but this summer is not so easy or breezy. Darcy's mother has been hovering around and her little brother is struggling a bit. Flick Creevy and his mom and stepfather have arrived in town and soon Flick has a job at Mayhaven as well.

It was easy and fast paced story. I did enjoy the setting of a country club over the course of a summer and I always like getting several POVs which you get here but it was predictable and the ending felt a little rushed.

The best beach read for a summer vacation--or any vacation, really! An exclusive beach club is overrun by seemingly undesirable neighbors, an annoying sibling, and overly annoying parents, and this is ruining Darcy's summer. However, Flick, Darcy's seemingly undesirable neighbor, is also not having the greatest time, because his mother has pushed them into this new way of life that they are certainly not used to. Summer temperatures rise, and so do tensions, as they all try to survive the summer. This was a great read to pass the time and would serve the purpose of putting you into the summer spirit on cold winter day.

Summer Club was entertaining and a fun summer read! The characters were endearing and the family unity was price
Less!

Thank you for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.
This book was a great and quick summer read. It felt at times more like a YA book but I still thoroughly enjoyed it! The protagonist was very likeable and the author provided descriptions that allows the reader to feel along with him. The female main character I wanted to "shake" to grow up and speak out but could understand her being a young inexperienced girl.
This book has the vibes of some Elin Hilderbrand books and the scenery I pictured as in Dirty Dancing.

✨ Publication date: July 33, 2024✨

The Summer Club is an adult contemporary fiction by Hannah McKinnon. The Summer Club is set in a small New England town and the Mayhaven Beach Club. This is a three person POV story.

Ned Birch is the General Manager of Mayhaven. After working his way up from head gardener, Ned’s family would never be able to afford the exclusivity of the club. Ned is determined to restore Mayhaven to its former glory and bring his family along for the ride.

Darcy is Ned’s daughter and working at the summer camp at Mayhaven this year. Last summer Darcy spent the entire season on the golf course winning junior titles. At the end of the season she abruptly quits and refuses to step foot on the golf course again.

Flick is Darcy’s age and recently moved next door from New York. Flick knows he doesn’t fit in or belong in the suburbs of New England but after his mom remarries, her new rich husband wants them to settle down there.

The three characters intersect and a story unravels around Ned’s loyalty to the club, Darcy’s secrets from the previous summer and Flick’s view as an outsider.

This was a decent book. Well written but the storyline didn’t fully keep me hooked all of the time. There is some mention of sexual assault so read the trigger warnings before reading! This is a 3 star read for me.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#NetGalley #hannahmckinnon #thesummerclub

I was really hoping this was going to be a light beach read that makes me want to escape to the shores of New England, but it is not. This book covers mature topics that are not at all light and airy. There is very little character development, and therefore, I did not feel connected to the characters at all. I could have let this story go as a did not finish, and I would never wonder what happened to the people of Mayhaven because frankly, none of them were interesting or likeable. There are 20 different directions this story could have gone and many sub-plot lines that could have been greatly developed, but instead it reads like a summary of each with no in-depth digging.

Yet another book that I did not connect with. The characters felt very cliched and the story was not very interesting. Just very blah honestly.