I think I misunderstood this book, and thought it was a thriller rather than a chic lit read. I'm not a chic lit person so this has likely influenced my review.

This book features a cast of rich, misogynistic, racist characters, spending the summer on an island. We're told at the beginning that a woman has died, and throughout the novel I counted 43 characters whose lives we continually dip in and out of, whilst trying to work out 'whodunnit.' Unsurprisingly then, very few of these characters have any sort of development as there is simply so many of them.

Plus, there is the problem that every single one of them is a vile, selfish human being, convinced they should be the centre of attention. There's not a single likeable character, and therefore I spent the majority of the novel simply not caring who died, or who was involved. You do get immersed in the lives of these vile people, as they navigate Polo clubs, Yacht clubs and Tennis Tournaments. From that perspective I'd describe it as a good beach read, and it would probably make an excellent HBO TV series, such as Desperate Housewives (which would also allow the viewer to actually get to know, and like, the characters).

I've read, and enjoyed, a lot of thriller novels, where the setting is somewhere the characters can’t escape from, like an island, or remote place in a storm. And held up against the likes of Lucy Clarke or Lucy Foley, this pales in comparison.

Great summer beach read! Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. The rich open their homes on Fire Island for the summer. Secrets, sex, gossip. This book takes two couples, the lies they tell, and other minor characters that interact with them throughout the summer. Makes me want summer and the beach! If you like beach read, this will be for you!

A great read set on the idyllic Fire Island where the rich spend their summers , centring around core characters Sam Jen Jason and Lauren the book delves into past and current relationship woes and brings about lots of drama and other interesting characters . Overall I loved this book , made me picture long leisurely beach days people watching

The writing was super enjoyable and engaging for me. As the title suggests this book will be great for the summer time.

Vinegar Leaden..
Fire Island, the small town of Salcombe, long time summertime destination of wealthy folk is luxurious, exclusive and very, very private. So private, in fact, that outsiders are most definitely not welcome. Generally speaking of course, as new tennis coach Robert seems to be being made extremely welcome indeed. Perfect lives are about to change in this pretty place - a dead body has a habit of sparking gossip and revealing secrets - and may mean that Fire Island will never be quite the same again. Astutely observed and with a pacy, gossip heavy narrative, an edgy plot, a cast of mostly unlikeable and well drawn characters and a vinegar leaden dialogue laced with sharp edged humour.

I loved this book. It’s a brilliant satire of the rich and dangerous, told in bitchy detail. The story centres around a group of 40 somethings who’ve been coming to an exclusive island for years - to show off, to bitch, to play tennis and be badly behaved. Things get out of hand in the most delicious way and it was just the book I needed for a dark and gloomy January.

I've seen so much advance publicity for Bad Summer People so was thrilled to get the opportunity to read the debut from the author. It's set off the coast of Long Island in the small town of Salcombe on Fire Island, the summer destination for wealthy New Yorkers Lauren and Jason Parker and their friends Jen and Sam Weinstein. Sam and Jason have been friends since childhood and like many of the summer residents have been visiting Salcombe for decades. The novel begins at the end of the summer with the discovery of a body and then rewinds back to June and the arrival of Lauren, Jen and their friends to the island.
This was a wonderful read which I absolutely adored. The characters are, on the whole, unlikeable but I loved the island setting, the characterisation and the gossipy plot full of affairs, scandals and back stabbing. It's a funny, sharp, immersive and compelling read and I'm already missing the Salcombe setting. If like me you love the novels of Elin Hildebrand and Taylor Jenkins Read I'm sure you'll adore Bad Summer People. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.