Summer Lies and Blackberry Pies is a captivating tale of friendship, family, and forbidden love set in a small Mississippi town in 1968. Seventeen-year-old Shelby Montgomery returns to her summer home in Tupelo and falls hopelessly in love with a blues singer named River Martin. Meanwhile, Shelby’s mother organizes her annual summer party, inviting Andrew, the governor’s son, as a potential suitor for Shelby. However, the only boy on Shelby’s mind is River.

Shelby keeps her feelings for River hidden from her mother, knowing she would never approve—River is 22 and far removed from her mother’s elite social circle. With the help of her best friend, Liberty, Shelby conceals her love affair. Liberty, meanwhile, has no problem entertaining Andrew in Shelby’s absence. As Shelby and River steal away to the far side of town, their passionate romance unfolds in the backseat of his Chevy, only to be abruptly interrupted by the police, shattering their idyllic summer fling.

Things take a darker turn when Terry, a local girl River once dated, accuses him of fathering her child. Soon after, Terry’s lifeless body is discovered in Grover’s Pond, and River finds himself defending his innocence as questions swirl around her death. What few people know is that Terry had been hiding a secret—she was involved in an affair with a married, high-society attorney.

Amid the chaos, Liberty wrestles with how to tell her mother that she is dating a white boy—none other than Andrew, Shelby’s supposed love interest. This summer becomes a season of secrets and lies for both girls. Shelby’s mother, while preoccupied with hosting high-society events, is no angel herself. When she discovers Shelby’s true feelings for River, she is unexpectedly forced to confront her own past. In an act of redemption, she ultimately supports her daughter’s first love.

But just as Shelby and River’s love affair is exposed, devastating news breaks: River has been drafted into the Vietnam War. With the whole town watching, Shelby must find the strength to say goodbye. As she kisses River for the last time, she clings to the fragile hope that someday he will return to her.