High Season by Judy Blundell
High Season by Judy Blundell
" Every Memorial Day weekend (or 4th of July, or Labor Day) needs a book just like this one. Forty-something Ruthie lives with her teenage daughter and soon-to-be ex-husband in a beautiful house on Long Islands North Fork... but every summer they're forced to rent it out to mega-rich Manhattan-ites, and during one particular summer, the arrangement causes Ruthie's life to spiral out of control. This is a fabulous beach read, but it's also a wonderfully-written story of what happens when change is thrust upon you. Such a fun book! " - Recommended by Erika
No matter what the world throws her way, at least Ruthie Beamish has the house. Lovingly renovated, located by the sea in a quiet Long Island village, the house is her nest egg--the retirement account shared with her ex-husband, Mike, and the college fund for their teenage daughter, Jem. The catch? To afford the house, Ruthie must let it go during the best part of the year.
It's Memorial Day weekend and Ruthie has packed up their belongings for what Jem calls "the summer bummer" the family's annual exodus to make way for renters. This year, the Hamptons set has arrived. The widow of a blue-chip artist, Adeline Clay is elegant, connected, and accompanied by a "gorgeous satellite" stepson. But soon Adeline demonstrates an uncanny ability to help herself to Ruthie's life--her house, her friends, even her husband (okay, ex-husband, but still). And after her job as the director of a local museum is threatened, Ruthie finally decides to fight back.
Meanwhile, away from the watchful eyes of her parents, Jem is tasting independence at her first summer job, but soon finds herself growing up too fast. One of Ruthie's employees, a master of self-invention named Doe, infiltrates the inner circle of an eccentric billionaire and his wayward daughter. With a coterie of social climbers and Ruthie's old flame thrown into the mix, the entire town finds itself on the verge of tumultuous change. By the end of one unhinged, unforgettable summer, nothing will be the same.