Whether you are planning to soak up the summer sun on your patio or on a beach, we’ve got your reading list covered. Warning: These page-turners might not last more than a day.
Elin Hilderbrand is back with another brilliant tale of love, loss and friendship in The Perfect Couple (Little, Brown and Company) — a book that will also make you want to hop the ferry to Nantucket ASAP. A wedding is supposed to be the best day of a woman’s life, but for Celeste Otis, it turns out to be one of the worst when her best friend and maid of honor is found dead the morning of the nuptials. Celeste, a quirky and quiet zoologist from a humble background, is set to wed Benji, a member of the well-respected and wealthy Winbury family, of whom the matriarch is a famous mystery writer. The Winburys are the perfect family, and Celeste and Benji are the perfect couple, but as it usually goes, nothing is as it seems. While local police attempt to solve the mystery behind the shocking death, they inadvertently unravel the web of lies and deceit in which Celeste, Benji and the rest of the Winbury family are tangled.
In her new book, When Life Gives You Lululemons (Simon & Schuster), Lauren Weisberger reunites readers with Emily Charlton, Miranda Priestly’s bitchy assistant (played by Emily Blunt in the movie) from The Devil Wears Prada. Emily is now a successful image consultant to the stars, living a luxurious life with her husband in Hollywood. When Emily’s professional world begins to crumble — she is losing clients to a new, younger version of herself who is social media savvy — she heads to the Connecticut suburbs to help a friend and reboot her own career. Emily hates everything about the suburbs, where her good friend Miriam, a high-powered New York City attorney turned stay-at-home mom, lives among an elite and eccentric group of women. Together, they help Karolina, a former supermodel married to a sitting New York senator, get her life back after a scandal destroys it. Though years have passed, Emily has maintained her blunt and biting personality, as well as her insane diets and love for vodka. Even if you hated Emily in Prada, you’ll warm up to her in Lululemons.
Mary Kay Andrews’ new book, The High Tide Club (St. Martin’s Press), is one of those books where the plot thickens with every page. When local lawyer Brooke Trappnell gets a call from the recluse Josephine Bettendorf Warrick, a 99-year-old heiress from the remote island of Talisa, she is curious about her cryptic request for assistance. Though hesitant, Brooke agrees to help Josephine with her last request — to gather the kin of her childhood best friends. When the group of women convene at the crumbling mansion, stories of friendship, regrets and long-kept secrets are revealed. The women are left to put together the pieces of Josephine’s puzzle, which when complete, will change the lives of each of the women forever.
Kimberly Dunbar