Shoulder Season by Christina Clancy

One of my favourite historical time periods for books to be set in is the 1970’s and 1980’s. So I was delighted to see that Christina Clancy’s newest release, Shoulder Season, was set 1981 Wisconsin at a Playboy Resort.  This was an entertaining read that would be perfect to read next to a pool or at the beach.

Plot Summary

19 year old Sherri Taylor has experienced a lot of loss in her young life.  Her parents recently died within a short time of one another, and she feels lost and disconnected.  When a girlfriend talks to her about the two of them applying to be Playboy bunnies at the nearby resort, Sherri is reluctant.  Upon entering the resort, however, she feels the excitement and glamour of the resort.  With a little help from a bunny, she nails down a position and is moves to the college dorm-like environment aptly called the “bunny hutch”.

Sherri’s new life at the resort is one filled with rules and expectations but she loves being part of a group. She finds herself accepting invitations to party every night and celebrates her new found confidence.  Sherri’s introduced to sex, drugs and rock and roll and soon becomes unrecognizable to those around her.  A tragic event changes everything and Sherri finds herself still contemplating the tragedy 40 years later.

Book Review

This is a well written and interesting coming of age story.  Initially, Sherri presented as a lost soul trying to find her place in the world without her family.  I can only imagine how difficult this would be at a point in life where we start to develop our own identity. It was nice to see Sherri gain confidence and feel connected to others as she began working at the resort. Over a short length of time, however, her choices became self-destructive, egocentric and manipulative and she became unrecognizable to those around her.   The theme to this book highlights how our actions and choices not only impact us, but also those around us.

Audiobook Review

I listened to the audiobook version of Shoulder Season which was narrated by Karissa Vacker.   Her expression and enthusiasm were highly enjoyable and easy to listen to.    I would not hesitate to recommend this audiobook version of this book to those that appreciate this format.

What I Liked About Shoulder Season:

• The descriptions of life as a bunny and the resort itself
• The evolution of Sherri’s character throughout the book
• The theme of how our actions impact others

I Recommend This Book To:

Those readers who enjoy historical fiction set in the 1980’s or a good coming of age story.

Add Shoulder Season to your Goodreads shelf

Acknowledgments:

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for the honest review provided here.

My Rating:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Similar Books I’ve Reviewed:

Summer Darlings by Brooke Lea Foster

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand

Thanks for reading and supporting my blog.  Does Shoulder Season sound like a book you’d like to read?  Let me know in the comments.  I hope you have a wonderful day.