It Happens in the Hamptons audiobook

This is the very best kind of beach/warm weather reading.Katie moved to the Hamptons on a whim to try out a new life and a possible relationship with George Potter, a guy she met at a lengthy conference back home. He lives in Manhattan during the week and comes out to see her when he can, which isn't as often as she thought it would be, if she is being honest. Which is fine, really. Katie never planned to become ultra-attached to a man, and anyway it gives her a chance to get to know the area. She can check out the beaches, windsurf a little bit, and meet some of the people that live nearby. Speaking of the people, they are very interesting.Katie notices that there is a huge divide in the people in the area: there are the ultra-rich: the ones that always dress in khaki and bright colors, and pack their kids' summers full of activities so they can spend all day doing Pilates or yoga classes and lunching with their friends. She notices that these kids are rushed from activity to activity by the house staff and that the parents never miss these exercise classes. What gives? And the cars that they drive and homes they live in? Wow. Then there are the locals, like that guy Luke: the ones that dress in jeans and tees, the ones that are laid back. The ones that seem more like the people back home. The ones that are hosting and working all of these activities that these rich people are attending. The landscapers. The cafe workers. When Katie met George, he seemed more like one of the locals; now that she can see him in his own environment, he really seems to fit in more with the khaki-wearing group. It's a little disappointing, actually.So this book? This is exactly what I like in a summer read. There is the beach and there is some summer drama. But not too much! All of the characters in this story are connected in some way. Some are more obviously connected, and we find that out within the first few chapters. But there are some connections that don't come out until later in the book and WHAT! I really didn't see these things coming. It's so great. I just loved every word.I loved Katie. Her sense of wonder at the Atlantic Ocean made me so happy because I feel the same way, having lived close to it my entire life. It feels good to see someone from far off come and love on something that I love. It's interesting to see her perspective on the Hamptons, though. This is a place that I've never been - I've only read about. I loved reading her thoughts on the locals vs. the vacationers. I love how she enmeshed herself into both worlds right away. Katie is a teacher so in order to afford this life in this expensive place, she began freelance private-tutoring lessons for children during the vacationers during the summer. She couldn't believe what people paid for those lessons versus what people paid for lessons where she came from, but that was indicative of life in that area versus other areas of the country. Katie didn't necessarily love it and didn't necessarily want to become part of it, but she accepted it and that was that.She planned to take her time on her relationship with George, and her patience allowed her listen to the intuition and opinion of her child, which I loved. She also paid attention to how other people on the island reacted to George, which was important, I thought. Aside from being one of the things I loved about Katie as a character, this is also part of how all of the characters connected.I have to tell you, I'm here for these local characters. They were my favorite characters in the book, especially Luke. They are a group of friends that grew up in one of the Hampton towns and worked there year-round. Early in the story, some of the rich vacationers target their very popular beach camp business because they don't like the way it looks. I mean, like, the way it actually looks, to their eyes, sitting on the sand. This is one of the best parts of the book because this is where we get to know the best characters in the story (the rich and the local). And I love Luke's entire story.Here is where I'll be honest and say that: in the beginning of the book, with all of the descriptions of clothes and cars and homes, I painted a picture of these rich characters in my mind. I felt like it was a pretty good one, too. And throughout the story, it held up. But towards the end, I realized that there was more to a few of these characters, and I LOVE THAT. I love that I had a few of them wrong. When I started this book, I never ever could have called how this book would have ended. Loved! So much fun.This is a book that I'll certainly read again, particularly during the warm weather. It'll probably be one I throw in my beach bag or my pool bag. I just loved it. It felt adventurous to me, but this is because I've never been to the Hamptons and can only live this life through stories like these. I loved the sense of the salty air and the beach that it invoked - I just love the beach that much and think others will like that part of the story too. But it's these quirky, nutty characters that did it all for me. Selfishly, I wish I knew more about what happened after the end of the book because I really love the way it all ended. I love that it is a standalone, but if the author decided to write more, I would be all over it like white on rice. I'm just saying. -----*I received this book for free from William Morrow in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book, my rating, or the content of my review. -----You can see my review in its entirety here at my blog Into the Hall of Books. I rated this book 4.5 stars out of 5, but rounded up on Goodreads.

Favorite Quotes:As the moonlight bore down on the abandoned town, the conversation between the Tide Runners instructors bounced between topics big and small: the height of the waves heading in (measured by buoys far out at sea that could predict)… and, most animatedly, who would be paying the thirty-dollar June fee for the Porn Hub password they all shared.She’d had a fitful night; the worry fairies kept sprinkling their persuasive spell on her.Julia, who sensed she wouldn’t get her way, suddenly decided to save her arguing capital for another fight. It was easier to let the kids and husband believe they were in charge so she could squash their demands like insects when it really counted.The gloomy, preteen boy posse at her side were mortified to be anywhere near this woman, let alone in her care. They all wore surf trunks, flip-flops, and towels wrapped around their necks. Margaux Carroll’s son, Tyler, age nine, was a few years older than the other kids, and looked like he was weighing the pros and cons of matricide.My Review:I thoroughly enjoyed this engaging, intriguing, and cleverly amusing story. Holly Peterson has deft word skills and a wicked sense of humor - which are at the top of my list of favorite traits. The plot was well-paced and artfully crafted and the characters were delightfully complex, uniquely quirky, colorfully described, and lushly detailed. A wealthy and highly skilled sexual predator was on the loose and plying his wiles on young girls and women of all socio-economic groups across the country. I established and discarded several of my own theories and while I had figured out the perpetrator, I certainly did not foresee the entangling plot twists coming. The interesting storyline was smartly written, witty, irresistibly intriguing, and held my rapt attention throughout.

I really enjoyed this book. I like to read a good gossipy book every now and then and this was sure a good one. I'm going to need to check out more of this authors books.

It Happens in the Hamptons is the perfect summer read. It was also the perfect palate cleanser for me (I read mainly thrillers and horror). I wasn't entirely sure what to expect going into it, but I loved the cover and it was something I don't typically read. "In the Hamptons, the everyday people are as complicated and fascinating as the millionaires.."We follow Katie in her quest for something new. She leaves for the Hamptons, a cross country trip for her and her young son, in search of a new job, a new life, and her budding relationship with a wealthy investor, George Porter. After being in the Hamptons, she soon discovers there's a mix of classes - the incredibly wealthy "one-percenters" who use this spot for their vacation homes, and then the hardworking locals that have been there for generations. Being in a completely new environment of country clubs, couture, lavish parties, and beautiful homes, Katie quickly discovers the secret lives of the Southamptoners. Even the elite have secrets. She witnesses affairs, the purchasing of friendships and relationships, impulsiveness on extreme levels, and behavior that she isn't accustomed to.Throw in class drama and clashing, betrayals of all kinds, a sexual predator on the loose, and a missing person, you have the perfect mixture for a summer of drama and accusations. I definitely wasn't expecting the ending! Such a twist and so out of nowhere. I loved it! It's always fun when a book can keep you guessing.The characters were extremely well-developed and unique. So many personalities and they were all relatable and human. The author did a great job in describing the people and showing their wealth (clothing, cars, homes, etc). You were painted a vivid picture as to how life was for the different classes in this city. Katie was a great character and you become attached to her. How is she adjusting? What is she learning?I give this book a solid 4/5 stars! If you need a good beach and quick read, then I highly recommend this one for your summer TBR!Thanks to William Morrow for the copy in exchange for my honest review.

Grieving the death of her mom, single mom Katie is convinced by a man she met at a conference to move across the country with her son, Huck, to the Hamptons. They have spent some wild weekends together and George has been so nice and kind to her. His family has the perfect cottage that she can live in and he says that he will help her find some tutoring students so that she can support herself while she is there for the summer and if things work out, beyond. Katie finds the Hamptons to be very different from her home in Hood River, Oregon and it is not just the difference between the fresh water of the lake and the salty water of the Atlantic. She sees people who have unlimited money and feel that that entitles them to special treatment. Katie also meets some down-to-earth people living in the town and working in the stores and restaurants. Each group seems to know their place in this world and there are not too many major clashes - usually. Katie meets Luke, who is a local who with friends runs a camp for kids on the waterfront and George's mother, Poppy, who is the Grande dame of the local country club, and wealthy mom, Julia, who welcomes and befriends Katie. How do you find your way in a place where ultra rich meets middle class? Where exactly do you fit? Can you be happy here when George doesn't seem to be around very much? Can the sun and sand find a way to her soul that soothes her and makes her call this place home? I wondered how Peterson was able to draw such spot-on characterizations. How did she know the entitled so well and where was her understanding of the feelings of the middle class full time residents drawn from? I discovered the answer when I read her "Acknowldgments". "The details of how the old money stalwarts, the new money arrivals, and the rooted local community swirl around the Hamptons are as accurrate as I know how to present them. No matter how out-of-this-world the scenes may appear to you the reader, I've seen pretty much all of them with my own eyes." A wonderful story that had some real surprises as layers of character's personalities were peeled away and exposed. A beach read that I truly enjoyed without the benefit of a beach, although I did get the bottom of the book wet while reading it in the pool! Nothing can take away from a well put together plot, however, and I encourage you to add yourself under one of the Seabrook Country Clubs' faded yellow beach umbrellas with a Pink Lady in your hand. It's after 3 o'clock after all.

Katie moved to the Hamptons to try out a new life and a new relationship with George Potter. George lives in Manhattan during the week and comes out to see her when he's off. But he barely visits. But that's ok her and her son Huck could use a break. But while there She also catches the eye of Luke, an instructor at the beach during the summer for the Rich People’s children. She too finds herself drawn to him. Beside the love story, there are the secrets, dirt and scandal of the rich. I enjoyed this book.

A single mother follows a new love across country to settle in the Hamptons during the summer season to test the waters of life on the East Coast in the new environment. She quickly finds herself tossed between various social sets --summer people vs. locals, rich vs. working class, etc. As shore tries to find the right place for herself and her son, general chaos ensues among all groups. Good beach read with little depth beyond the ocean water, but a lot of fun too.

This book had me dreaming of the Hamptons! I really enjoyed this book and it was a super quick read. The book does have a few moments that catch you off guard, but once I thought back to previous chapters, everything made sense. Peterson is so vivid with her word choices, I felt like I was in the Hamptons with Katie and Luke and Bucky. A definite beach/summer read.

This one started out really slow and confusing for me. I didn't like how it kept changing point of view at the beginning and I couldn't get a good feel for the characters. As I got about half way through the book it started staying more focused on the main characters and I did enjoy their story. In my opinion, the 2nd half of the book was much better than the first.

I got this for just a few bucks at a discount store and decided to read it over the long weekend.It was a kind of slow start but the. It ramped up and I had trouble putting it down for the last 3rd or so. At first I felt like there were too many characters but it was really good and I am glad I stuck it out.

A curious read . I was expecting a light hearted beach read , but the book had a little more depth and less humor. There is still a little romance , but built around loss , family secrets and age old social commentary of true class and character v money ...

This isn't generally my sort of book but it pulled me in page after page after page......and the end really blew me away. I really did enjoy the book and would recommend it to others. This is an Uncorrected Proof that I won but I can't remember from where.

Enjoyable read. About what I would imagine the Hampton’s to be lots of spoiled rich families who feel entitled and drink too much. Modern day class system and some lose morals set against a beautiful beach with endearing locals.

This was a very interesting look at the dichotomy of Hamptons living and vacationing. At the same time, it was a novel of self discovery and finding yourself, even when you're a long way from home. This was interesting and intriguing.