Book & Film Globe | May 17, 2022

Women take center stage in these juicy beach reads about the strayed bonds of friendship.

Friendship triangles can be far deeper than love triangles, Texas novelists Amanda Eyre Ward and May Cobb show us in their newest novels.

The lengths women will go to also command center stage in Cobb’s My Summer Darlings, an undeniably steamy romp of a thriller.

Cobb’s three women live in small-town East Texas. There’s newly divorced Jen, arty Cynthia and flirty Kittie. They too share a bond fortified by boozy nights, and they’ve got plenty to dish about once hot, vaguely European stranger Will moves there.

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Paste Magazine | May 17, 2022

Many readers likely discovered author May Cobb thanks to her novel The Hunting Wives, a 2021 Book of the Month club selection that followed the story of a women’s-only shooting club in East Texas. (Spoiler alert: It’s very fun, and this is absolutely how yours truly discovered Cobb’s work.) Her follow-up novel, titled My Summer Darlings and featuring a similar bubblegum bright and sultry cover, is the same sort of summertime popcorn thriller: Propulsive, full of unexpected twists, with more than a little spicy sexiness thrown on top to make it fun. The sort of story you accidentally find yourself devouring in an afternoon, simply because it’s so easy to promise yourself you’re only going to read one more chapter. (And then immediately break that promise in order to read one more.)

My Summer Darlings is essentially a book that’s been created in a lab to be read poolside with a Black Cherry White Claw close at hand—and I mean that in the best of all possible ways—while you gasp your way through several hundred pages of the bad choices and messed up relationship decisions that only ever seem to get made by well-off suburbanite women with little to lose. It is a book that is the definition of a guilty pleasure, and there is absolutely no shame in that. It is summer, there is a reason thrillers of all stripes are so popular this time of the year, and Cobb taps into the indulgent, escapist vibe of it all perfectly.

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Goodreads | May 16, 2022

Summer reading time has arrived, and for the serious reader that means it’s time to enact a game plan. There are just too many good books, that’s the pleasant problem. If you want to get a lot of reading done, sequencing is critical.

Mystery and thriller fans, this one is for you. Below are the most anticipated mysteries and thrillers of the summer. Lots of delicious creepiness on tap: Jazz Age murder, circa 1924. A killer on the loose at 26,781 feet above sea level. Death by yoga, maybe. Also watch for new books from genre professionals, including Ruth Ware, Riley Sager, and Rachel Howzell Hall.

My Summer Darlings by May Cobb is featured.

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CrimeReads | May 12, 2022

If you are not reading something good right now you are not paying attention. These are outstanding times for readers—put the boring book down and pick up any of these.

May Cobb, My Summer Darlings (Berkley)

It’s not the most original thought but if you liked May Cobb’s first book, The Hunting Wives, you will definitely like My Summer Darlings. Three lifelong friends (why is it always three?) are staring at 40 and assessing their lives so far. Yes, in a few years, they will be ready for The Change, but right now they are bored and frustrated and living in a small town in East Texas. It gets spicy when a handsome stranger buys the biggest house in the neighborhood. Will Harding is charming, mysterious and hot, and our heroines are hooked. But of course, Will is not what he seems, and now their lives of afternoon wine drinking and gossip are threatened by this compelling stranger.

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Bank Street College of Education | May 12, 2022

CAN’T STOP WON’T STOP (YA Edition) - selected for the 2022 edition of the Best Children's Books of the Year published by the Children’s Book Committee of Bank Street College of Education

Each year members of the Children’s Book Committee review thousands of titles for accuracy, literary quality, diversity, emotional impact, and social relevance and organize them according to age, topic, and genre. The Committee is composed of volunteers with an established expertise in the field of children’s literature, including librarians, authors, teachers, psychologists, and booksellers. 

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The Dallas Morning News | May 11, 2022

After the success of her last novel, The Hunting Wives, May Cobb returns with another novel set in her native East Texas.

My Summer Darlings, which comes out May 17, features three lifelong friends, Jen Hansen, Kittie Spears and Cynthia Nichols. In the middle of a scorching summer, their lives are upended when a mysterious, handsome man moves to their neighborhood.

We talked to Cobb about her hard-drinking heroines, their midlife crises and her unique perspective on Texas.

How did you develop the idea for My Summer Darlings, a twist on the “handsome stranger comes to town” concept?

My friend, the thriller author Riley Sager, usually has a film in mind for inspiration when he sets out to write a new book, and I thought for this one, I’d try that same approach. And the movie that sprang to mind was The Witches of Eastwick, which, as you know, is very much centered on the concept of the “handsome stranger moving to town.”

So I wanted to explore that set-up, minus the paranormal stuff in the film, and deeply dig into the minds of my main characters, Kittie, Jen and Cynthia, to see how far their obsession with Will, the handsome stranger, could take them.

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Paste Magazine | May 11, 2022

Summer is the most deliciously slow season, from beach (or pool) days stretching long to balmy outdoor drinks past sunset. That’s why it pairs so well with thrillers and mysteries—they go at such a fast clip, and you often have more time to read, that it’s like a summer reading wormhole.

That’s why we’ve spaced out these propulsive, engrossing summer reads; some are out now, while others will be waiting for you as the season unfolds. And the thrills vary, from serial killers to child stars and fake handbag rings to art heists (all the capers!) and secret affairs to mistaken-identity rideshares. Some (Portrait of a Thief and Counterfeit) already have TV deals in the works, but these books are so cinematic on their own that you don’t want to miss out.

My Summer Darlings by May Cobb

May Cobb follows up her dark debut The Hunting Wives with another scintillating tale of neighborhood intrigue in a northeast Texas town, this time by way of a trio of female friends and a shared obsession. Jen is back in her adolescent neighborhood following a nasty divorce; Cynthia is flailing in her seemingly perfect marriage; and Kitty is too busy with her own secrets to be there for the others. But when hunky Will Harding moves into the neighborhood’s most legendary home belonging to an old widower, the young bachelor ignites desire among the three soon-to-be forty-year-old wives and mothers.

But while each of the women would no doubt toast one another for a midlife crisis affair, when all three want the same man it’s more a cause for manipulation than celebration, as plenty of secrets start to find their way to the service.

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Medium | May 9, 2022

40 new novels for your summer TBR, with new releases from Sloane Crosley, Candice Carty-Williams, Andrew Sean Greer, and more

THE FORCE OF SUCH BEAUTY, Barbara Bourland.
July 19. A former Olympian and high school dropout marries the prince of a small European kingdom, but her new life forces her to reconsider the true value of her body and what it’s capable of. I loved Bourland’s previous art thriller novel, the Edgar Award nominated Fake Like Me, and am utterly thrilled for her strange and wonderful-sounding new book. “An immersive depiction of the glittering surface and rotten core of royal living, painted in sumptuous and chilling detail,” writes Kirkus. Amazon, Bookshop, Libro.fm.

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Library Journal | May 1, 2022

Gorgeously written opening lines belie the calamitous earthquake that they portend in this powerful novel from MacCracken Fellow Momplaisir (My Mother’s House). Power couple Genevieve, a psychiatrist, and Bright, a lawyer, split before their second son is born. They share the fear of all Black parents for their boys’ safety but argue over how to assure it. So, when teenage Miles has his first close call with police, Genevieve determines to get him out of Manhattan, against Bright’s wishes. She believes that a trip to Haiti, her ancestral home, will help Miles understand his privilege and deepen the bond between them. They will stay with Ateya, a cousin who is both grateful for and resentful of the largesse she receives from her relatives in the United States. Ateya visits her frustrations upon her nine-year-old daughter, whom Genevieve dreams of rescuing from the deprivations of Haiti and her mother’s scant affection. Momplaisir’s luminous prose evokes the heat, smells, colors, and sounds of Port au Prince, lulling readers into believing that all will be well. Then the earth convulses.

VERDICT Superlative in her ability to portray the interior lives of mothers and their 24/7 litany of self-recrimination, Momplaisir also tackles themes of racism, immigration, and the lasting effects of colonialism. A notable achievement.

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Amazon | May 1, 2022

My Summer Darlings is an Amazon Best Book of the Month pick in the Mystery, Thriller, & Suspense category.

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Kirkus | April 20, 2022

The life of a princess is even worse than it looks.

“All fairy tales serve the same purpose. One woman’s story, told to warn the others. Here is how I lost my feet; here is how I lost my voice; here is how I lost my children....Fairy tales are not about sparkling shoes or white cats. They are about the ribbons that adorn, then sever, your neck.” After dark, edgy takes on the worlds of fashion and art, Bourland takes on world-class running and royal living. Her heroine, a young South African athlete named Caroline Muller, is the fastest woman in the world, having set a record for the marathon at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Eighteen months later she has a career-ending fall that results in massive anatomical and facial reconstruction. She comes out the other side with ongoing limitations and brutal chronic pain—but on the plus side, her new face is drop-dead gorgeous. While recovering at a fancy American medical facility, she meets Prince Ferdinand II, Finn to his friends, scion of Lucomo, a fictional European principality known for its world-class gambling casino. Caro and Finn cross paths a few more times before their cat-and-mouse game of attraction (“I thought with my skin,” she confesses) leads to Christmas Eve nuptials before an “ocean of strangers.” By then Caroline's undergone a rudely abrupt pelvic exam, dozens of hours of invasive interviews, and a jarring initiation into a life pinned into place by an army of dressers, servants, minders, bodyguards, and paparazzi plus wall-to-wall surveillance technology. As Bourland explains in an afterword, Caroline's nightmarish experiences are inspired by the story of Charlene Wittstock, the current Princess Consort of Monaco, a Zimbabwe-born Olympic swimmer who “allegedly made at least two failed escape attempts before her wedding to Prince Albert” and “spent the lavish ceremony sobbing openly.”

An immersive depiction of the glittering surface and rotten core of royal living, painted in sumptuous and chilling detail.

Publishers Weekly | April 11, 2022

Jen Hansen has many admirable qualities—she’s a devoted mother and dedicated yogi—but astute judge of character doesn’t appear to be among them, as the freshly divorced homemaker discovers, at her peril, in this breezy romantic thriller from Cobb (The Hunting Wives). After an acrimonious split from her philandering husband, the financially strapped 39-year-old and her teenage son relocate from Austin to her East Texas hometown, where she’s gobsmacked to meet a golden-haired Greek god of a man moving into the neighborhood. Not only does this charming if somewhat mysterious newcomer, Will Harding, seem taken with Jen but, as she breathlessly reports to the two childhood BFFs with whom she has reconnected, Kittie Spears and Cynthia Nichols, he’s single.

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Crime by the Book | April 7, 2022

Is it just me, or have the first few months of 2022 flown by?! I can’t believe it’s already April—but here we are, and it’s time to talk about the incredible crop of new crime fiction that Spring 2022 has in store for us!! 2022 is already shaping up to be an outstanding year for new crime fiction (then again, when is it not a great year for new crime books!), and in today’s blog post, I’m shining a spotlight on my most-anticipated new crime books publishing in April and May 2022! Whether you’re in the market for a new detective novel, a twisty psychological thriller, a spine-tingling supernatural suspense novel, or just about anything in between, you’ll find it in this blog post. April and May 2022 will see the return of fan-favorite thriller writers including Sarah Pinborough, Tessa Wegert, and May Cobb, and they might just introduce you to some new-to-you voices, too! I’ve been lucky enough to read advance copies of many of the books on this list, and others are on my to-read list as soon as they publish. It’s going to be an incredible spring for new crime fiction, and I hope you’ll find a book (or two, or three!) to add to your to-read list in this blog post!

MY SUMMER DARLINGS by May Cobb • Available May 17, 2022

Looking for a spicy, sexy suspense novel to add to your TBR list this summer? I’d be willing to bet that May Cobb’s MY SUMMER DARLINGS will be your perfect read! I haven’t read this one yet, but based on how much I loved Cobb’s previous release THE HUNTING WIVES, it’s a safe bet that I’m going to devour MY SUMMER DARLINGS, too. Cobb has a knack for writing the kinds of characters I love best: “unlikeable” women, whose complexities, messiness, and inner darkness are explored in her writing to utterly riveting—and highly entertaining—end. I devoured Cobb’s novel THE HUNTING WIVES last summer and absolutely loved the juicy, dramatic, wildly-entertaining world she crafted in its pages, and I can’t wait to experience MY SUMMER DARLINGS! Now I just need to plan a vacation and clear my calendar—I have a feeling this is the kind of book I’ll want to experience poolside, with a cocktail in hand.

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Booklist | April 1, 2022

Broke and recently divorced, Jen has returned to her hometown of Cedartown, Texas, in part to reconnect with childhood friends Cynthia and Kittie, who seemingly lead perfect lives with their husbands, children, and great wealth. However, when handsome, mysterious Will Harding rolls into town in his vintage truck, all three women are attracted to him to the point of obsession. He identifies each one’s weak point and begins different types of relationships with each, manipulating while mesmerizing them and eventually leading his prey to betray one another and their families. After a shocking opening set in the present, the story unfolds in short chapters set in the recent past and alternating between the women’s points of view. Suspicion, jealousy, and anger erupt among the three friends as Will toys with their feelings in this dark tale of psychological suspense that will keep readers involved until it ends with a final twist and a violent confrontation.

ABC News | February 22, 2022

Chef Alexander Smalls shares his oxtail fried rice recipe.

Watch the video here.

The Southern Bookseller Review | February 17, 2022

The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance is pleased to announce the winners of the 2022 Southern Book Prize (SBP). The Prize, representing Southern bookseller favorites from 2021, is awarded to “the best Southern book of the year” as nominated by Southern indie booksellers and voted on by their customers. Winners were chosen by popular vote from a ballot of finalists in fiction, nonfiction, and children’s literature. Approximately 1500 ballots were cast making each Southern Book Prize winner a true Southern reader favorite.

This year’s winners are When Ghosts Come Home by Wiley Cash in Fiction, Graceland, At Last by Margaret Renkl in Nonfiction, and Keep Your Head Up by Aliya King Neil and Charly Palmer (illus.) in Children’s. Winners receive a donation in their name to the charity or nonprofit of their choice.

“After twenty-years as a writer and author," said Aliya King Neil, "I published my first children’s book! What has made this process especially special is that it’s based on the true story of one of my students during my time as a teacher. When Denene Millner, Editorial Director of Denene Millner Books, chose to usher this book to life, I could not have felt more lucky. Children’s books have been a part of my life since the age of four and libraries and bookstores were always a constant treat. I hope Keep Your Head Up continues to inspire children like young D for many years to come.” She asked that her prize be donated to Conscious Kid in San Diego.

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Yes! Magazine | February 16, 2022

Patrisse Cullors’ new book offers guidance for personal, as well as systemic, change. Breaking the cycle of harm starts with us.

In her new book, An Abolitionist’s Handbook: 12 Steps to Changing Yourself and the World, Patrisse Cullors starts with courageous conversations. She says, “We have courageous conversations because our goal is to live inside of a healthy community that values the dignity of every single human being.” These conversations typically arise out of our lived experiences. They are conversations we have because we care. They are conversations that first start with us.

Like Cullors, I had one of my most formative courageous conversations with my mother. I wanted to know why child support was the reason my dad was in jail. I wanted to know what role each parent played in the process. I wanted to know what we could do to make things better. Unbeknownst to me, my mother had already decided that the costs of this punitive process far outweighed the benefits. She told the court she didn’t want court-ordered child support if this would be the outcome every time my father could not pay the full amount to my mother and my half-sister’s mother. Eventually, she told the court she didn’t want it at all. 

Through Cullors’ own story, she demonstrates how hard courageous conversations can be, especially with family, friends, other organizers, or elders in our communities. She points out that “Many of us, including myself, were taught in homes, places of worship, schools and many other institutions to hold back our words, not necessarily because someone explicitly told us to be secretive but rather because we witnessed all the adults around us who lacked the courage to be honest with themselves and others. This is not a judgment; it is an observation.” 

We replicate the behaviors around us. Challenging the status quo, even in conversation, even with our mothers, is hard and requires courage. To question deeply entrenched beliefs and values about each other and ourselves and to dismantle massive, violent systems requires tenacity and the readiness to understand the difference between responding to the world and reacting.

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Variety | February 13, 2022

Black History Month has always been about abolition for me.

I may not have known the word abolition as a young girl, but I understood abolition in my spirit. At my core, I witnessed a community ravaged and decimated by police and prisons, and I wanted more for us. I would stay up for hours in my bed, imagining a world where all of my loved ones were treated well and loved on. When I read books or watched television shows and films, I rarely saw Black communities surrounded with care, dignity and love.

The last twenty years of my work have focused on changing the material conditions for communities most impacted by a system that did not value our lives. And now, the next twenty years of my work will be about implementing and supporting life-affirming abolitionist storytelling and institutions that can help shape a new world. I believe abolition can chart a new vision and a new reality for all industries.

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