Summer People is an absorbing story of two couples and their relationships over the course of half a year. Mike and Vee are the Summer people who visit the Unity Island for the Summer and Sterling and Rachel are the local inhabitants who run the store. However, it’s not as straightforward as that because Vee and Sterling are old childhood friends and Rachel is an incomer who has never truly felt accepted on the island.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book but it drew me in and I became completely invested in all four characters. We get the story told from each of the characters in turn and see how their relationships with the other three evolve. The island setting is evocative with a emphasis on the sea and the role it plays in island life.
The book explores many themes including infertility, forbidden love and childhood neglect and it was a more powerful read than I was expecting. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I’m grateful to Net Galley and Orion Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When Vee Harper left Unity Island as a teenager she never looked back and never expected to return, that was until her husband Mike convinces her to go back with him for a visit. In contrast Vee’s childhood best friend Sterling Ames never left Unity; he stayed to run the family business and is happily married to Rachel. Sparks fly when Sterling hears of Vee’s return, but nothing can prepare anybody for what Vee’s return means for the two couples.

This book ticks so many of my boxes - sapphic romance, forbidden love, love square (?), small town/island life - so as soon as I read the synopsis I had to read it!

It didn’t quite reach 5 stars for me for a couple of reasons; firstly the romance seemed somewhat rushed - I didn’t hate it but it felt very insta lovey which it hit or miss with me - and secondly the ending kind of left me wanting more. I’m not sure whether that’s a good or bad thing but it didn’t feel right giving it a full five stars!

CW // alcoholism, infertility, cheating

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

Summer people is about two marriages and, almost equally, about life on Unity Island. Julie Cohen captures the claustrophobic nature of living in an tiny, enclosed community as well as the sense of belonging that comes with it.
Vee and Mike are a golden couple. 'Summer people' who visit the island and bring with them valuable tourist income. Except Vee isn't a summer person, not really. She grew up on the island, running wild with her best friend Sterling. But she left to make a new life for herself and Sterling has never forgiven her for what she did.
Sterling's wife, Rachel, doesn't feel like she fits in on the island. She loves Sterling, but feels like she's not enough.

As always, Julie Cohen does a brilliant job of getting under the skin of these characters. Summer people is immersive and compelling. I started reading on the train and when I got to my destination, I felt like I was resurfacing from being deep under water. It's been a long time since I was so immersed in a story. I enjoyed this story a lot. Ideal summer holiday reading.

I got a free copy from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Content Warnings: infertility, cheating, alcoholism (mentioned), death of a parent (mentioned)

Unity Island, off the coast of Maine, is home to a yearlong community of fewer than 60, but is a big tourist destination every year for 'summer people'. Vee grew up on Unity, but left in a whirlwind 20 years ago, and now she's finally returning with her wealthy husband as one of the 'summer people'. Vee and her husband are on Unity to save their marriage, but Vee ends up having more of a connection with Rachel, the new wife of her estranged childhood best friend.

This book was definitely a more serious read than I was anticipating - it's at its core an exploration of four characters and their relationships with one another. Books with so little plot often tread a very fine line to avoid ending up a bit dull, and unfortunately this book fell ever so slightly short for me, though I can certainly see how this could be a very enjoyable read for someone who likes character study-type stories. I did get invested in the characters by the end of the book - Vee and Rachel in particular I found very interesting - though (SPOILER) I really don't think they should have ended up together. However, cheating as a plot device (especially for queer women) is pretty overdone and a tired trope, and seeing that it was such a central element of this story, this one didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Thanks to Julie Cohen, NetGalley, and Orion Fiction for the ARC of Summer People.

I was gripped from the very first page with this book and engaged all the way through. It is well written with a compelling storyline with a 4 person narrative and well developed characters. A really enjoyable read.

You live and breathe island life alongside the characters in Julie's latest novel. (Even though Unity is a made up island! It feels very real...) The story is about four characters in particular, two who knew each other growing up on the island but have been estranged for a long time, and revolves around what happens when they meet again, and meet each others spouses. I feel like I don't want to say too much about the story - better that you discover it yourself as you read. But it's about love, and who you might find yourself falling in love with. It's about knowing who you are, or perhaps discovering who you could be, as well as being about secrets and lies. Whilst I felt caught up in the main characters' stories, I actually think my favourite character was one of the smaller side characters - Sterling's mum, Brenda. I would love to spend an hour chatting in the garden with Brenda! And I think that's part of what Julie does so well - she creates people I believe in, and I feel like I know them by the end of the book.

Summer People is set on Unity island off the coast of Maine. The title applies to people who come to stay on the island during the summer months between American Independence Day in July and Labour Day in September.

The story is told from four points of view: Vee, who grew up on the island and left with her mother suddenly after her grandfather died; Sterling, her closest childhood friend who owns and runs the only store on the island, just like his father before him; Rachel, Sterling's wife, considered an outsider by the native islanders and Mike, Vee's charming and wealthy husband.

Sterling has never forgiven Vee for leaving Unity at a time when he needed her the most but is drawn into socialising with her and Mike. When he and Rachel arrive at the luxurious home Vee and Mike are renting, their wives are struck by a coup de foudre. So begins a romance between the two women. Their husbands suspect nothing.

Early on a secret is hinted at, to be revealed at the end. I guessed what this was and felt it added nothing to the narrative. It was if someone had suggested to the writer that books with a secret at their heart sell well and it was added as an afterthought. Other than that the writing flowed well and I felt sympathy for both the male characters. Summer People will appeal to readers who enjoy romantic novels, especially ones that focus on gay relationships.

I loved 'Summer People' by Julie Cohen, a story that drew me in and held me captivated from page 1. Told from four different perspectives, it's a novel of love and friendship, how our past doesn't have to define us, and how we can't help who we fall in love with. Julie Cohen writes so tenderly about forbidden love, and so astutely about island life. Beautiful and heartwarming!

This seems like this book was written just for me. It has lots of tropes I love. Summer time. Living on a island. Locals dependent on tourism. Messy people with messy love life’s. Multiple timelines. This is a great summer read