A fun beach read with intrigue and romance with a twist.
The book took a while to pull me in. For the first third or so, I wasn’t entirely sure where the story was headed, and I found myself waiting for the various plot threads to connect. Once they finally did, however, I became much more invested in the characters and the secrets tying them together.
If you’re expecting a thriller, I would adjust those expectations. While there are mysteries to uncover and plenty of hidden agendas, this felt much more like a character-driven summer drama than a suspense novel. The real focus is on relationships, social status, family secrets, and the pressure of maintaining appearances.
The country club setting was one of the highlights for me. I enjoyed the contrast between the wealthy members and the employees working behind the scenes, and there was plenty of gossip, jealousy, and bad decision-making to keep things interesting.
I listened to the audiobook and thought the narration was excellent. Each female lead had their own narrato, and their excellent performances helped me stay engaged during some of the slower sections and made it easy to follow the multiple perspectives.
In the end, I liked this book more than I expected to after the slow start. I do wish the pacing had been tighter and that some of the bigger reveals had carried a little more emotional weight, but I was satisfied with where the story ended up. Readers looking for a drama-filled summer read full of secrets, complicated relationships, and country club politics will likely find plenty to enjoy here.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for providing an advance listening copy in exchange for my honest review.
Recommended for a fun summer read. 4 out of 5 stars.
