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Our Deadly Summer: The bitingly funny holiday read for 2026 and No. 1 Irish Times bestseller
They said they’d never let a man get in the way of their friendship...
Laura and Dee haven’t spoken since the day they buried a body together.
It was supposed to be the best summer of their lives. A break from university, from parents, from wasting their time on Irish boys with farmer’s tans.
They’d imagined flirting with Ryan Phillippe on a New York rooftop. Instead, with summer jobs waitressing at a country club on Long Island, pickings are slim.
Mikey is a bully. Marco is off limits. Jose is angry. Mr Haight is a sleaze. Josh is too keen. And Other Josh… he’s something else entirely.
It’s a miracle only one of them ends up dead.
Dee is pretty sure she didn’t mean to kill him. Laura, to her credit, never asked.
Not until she sends an email, out of the blue, more than twenty years later. It’s finally time to mend the biggest heartbreak of that summer; Laura wants her best friend back.
A hilarious and heartfelt story about friendship, young women and bad men. Sarah Breen and Emer McLysaght bring their trademark Aisling humour in this completely new direction. Noughties nostalgia and a dead body, it’s the novel you didn’t know you needed.
Laura and Dee haven’t spoken since the day they buried a body together.
It was supposed to be the best summer of their lives. A break from university, from parents, from wasting their time on Irish boys with farmer’s tans.
They’d imagined flirting with Ryan Phillippe on a New York rooftop. Instead, with summer jobs waitressing at a country club on Long Island, pickings are slim.
Mikey is a bully. Marco is off limits. Jose is angry. Mr Haight is a sleaze. Josh is too keen. And Other Josh… he’s something else entirely.
It’s a miracle only one of them ends up dead.
Dee is pretty sure she didn’t mean to kill him. Laura, to her credit, never asked.
Not until she sends an email, out of the blue, more than twenty years later. It’s finally time to mend the biggest heartbreak of that summer; Laura wants her best friend back.
A hilarious and heartfelt story about friendship, young women and bad men. Sarah Breen and Emer McLysaght bring their trademark Aisling humour in this completely new direction. Noughties nostalgia and a dead body, it’s the novel you didn’t know you needed.
Audible Audio
Published May 21, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
April 30, 2026
Emer, Sarah, my sisters in Christ WHO was drinking espresso martinis in 2001???
Look I'm a big Aisling fan. Love those books dearly, have returned to them more than once. They are all very real characters living in very real BGB as far as I'm concerned. So this just draws some probably unfair comparisons from me! But I didn't quite like this as much.
In the summer of 2001 Laura and Dee decide to go on a J1 to New York. Well, New York adjacent. They end up at a country club in the arse-end of Long Island. Despite that they have a great time. Sort of. It's up and down. It very much ends on a down with the two of them deciding what to do with a dead body on their last day.
I really enjoyed modern day Laura and Dee. They were so interesting to me! The reflections over that summer and their friendship versus who they are now was great. I think I just find people in their early 20s much less interesting to read about than older people so the fact that much of it was centred on their younger versions was unfortunate for me. I found the pacing a bit off too, it felt like a slog in the middle. Also if you cop the year it's set... well.
This is going to be such a hit this summer. And I will be glad to see it! Two authors that I will read everything from forever.
*read via Netgalley
Look I'm a big Aisling fan. Love those books dearly, have returned to them more than once. They are all very real characters living in very real BGB as far as I'm concerned. So this just draws some probably unfair comparisons from me! But I didn't quite like this as much.
In the summer of 2001 Laura and Dee decide to go on a J1 to New York. Well, New York adjacent. They end up at a country club in the arse-end of Long Island. Despite that they have a great time. Sort of. It's up and down. It very much ends on a down with the two of them deciding what to do with a dead body on their last day.
I really enjoyed modern day Laura and Dee. They were so interesting to me! The reflections over that summer and their friendship versus who they are now was great. I think I just find people in their early 20s much less interesting to read about than older people so the fact that much of it was centred on their younger versions was unfortunate for me. I found the pacing a bit off too, it felt like a slog in the middle. Also if you cop the year it's set... well.
This is going to be such a hit this summer. And I will be glad to see it! Two authors that I will read everything from forever.
*read via Netgalley
April 1, 2026
The Aislings are back and on top form! this was hilarious and an ode to friendship, v v much enjoyed it
May 27, 2026
I enjoyed listening to this - the narration is excellent - but it did leave me feeling a little like something was missing. It was a shame the present day characters weren't developed more - it would have rounded out more of the story. The final twist felt very under-developed too, despite the murder being in the opening pages.
June 8, 2026
4 Stars for being easy, fun, exciting, nostalgic. Minus 1 star for a random direction taken at the end and would have liked more of a balance between past and current times.
Not as good as Aislings but still worth the read IMHO.
Not as good as Aislings but still worth the read IMHO.
January 19, 2026
4.5 ⭐️ we love drama and the noughties
June 18, 2026
Absolute beach read... Pretty much what I expected from this
June 21, 2026
Oh wow what an amazing read!!!!! I devoured this!!! It was soooo...... Irish... in the naughties. Even though I was only 10 and I've never gone on a J1 to America I felt totally immersed in the world and the time of this novel. So funny, tense, heartwarming. It gave me all the feels. 12/10. 5 whopping stars.
May 9, 2026
Laura and Dee haven’t spoken since the day they buried a body together in 2001. It was supposed to be the best summer of their lives. A break from university, from parents, from wasting their time on Irish boys with farmer’s tans. They’d imagined flirting with Ryan Phillippe on a New York rooftop but instead, with summer jobs waitressing at a country club on Long Island, pickings are slim. Mikey is a bully. Marco is off limits. Jose is angry. Mr Haight is a sleaze. Josh is too keen. And Other Josh… he’s something else entirely. It’s a miracle only one of them ends up dead.
This was such a fun read, packed full with nostalgia & humour, and I was engrossed from the beginning.
I loved how the story is perfectly intertwined, the present day merging with memories of the past, seamlessly flowing into one another, the reader being taken on this memory-provoking journey with Laura & Dee. There are laughs, there are tears, the friendship between these two best friends evident, despite everything that happens over their summer in 2001.
It gives a pure sense of reality throughout, the girls dreams of a perfect summer in New York not quite living up to expectations, balanced alongside the events that shape the future of the girls overall. I really liked the alternating character POV’s throughout, the two girls not quite having the same outlook of certain situations, giving the reader the feeling of embracing each moment with them. I would say this is definitely a book more about friendships than murder though!
I’m a big fan of Irish fiction writing and I am delighted to have discovered these two authors that I will definitely read more by. I have a feeling I will be having to check out the Aisling series written by these two authors, based on this I think it’s safe to say I will love! The perfect summer read, highly recommend!
This was such a fun read, packed full with nostalgia & humour, and I was engrossed from the beginning.
I loved how the story is perfectly intertwined, the present day merging with memories of the past, seamlessly flowing into one another, the reader being taken on this memory-provoking journey with Laura & Dee. There are laughs, there are tears, the friendship between these two best friends evident, despite everything that happens over their summer in 2001.
It gives a pure sense of reality throughout, the girls dreams of a perfect summer in New York not quite living up to expectations, balanced alongside the events that shape the future of the girls overall. I really liked the alternating character POV’s throughout, the two girls not quite having the same outlook of certain situations, giving the reader the feeling of embracing each moment with them. I would say this is definitely a book more about friendships than murder though!
I’m a big fan of Irish fiction writing and I am delighted to have discovered these two authors that I will definitely read more by. I have a feeling I will be having to check out the Aisling series written by these two authors, based on this I think it’s safe to say I will love! The perfect summer read, highly recommend!
March 7, 2026
Our Deadly Summer – Emer McLysaght & Sarah Breen
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
Thank you to Rachel Quinn and Bloomsbury for my ARC copy.
This was such a fun, nostalgic, and darkly funny read. Our Deadly Summer perfectly captures that chaotic early-twenties energy - when friendships feel like the most important thing in the world and bad decisions somehow seem like good ideas at the time.
Laura and Dee’s story unfolds between the summer everything went wrong and the present day, and I loved slowly piecing together what actually happened. The premise alone is brilliant - two best friends who haven’t spoken in twenty years because they buried a body together - but the emotional core of the story is really about friendship, loyalty, and the complicated ways people grow apart.
Even though much of the story takes place in New York, it felt so wonderfully Irish. The humour, the voices, the observations about people - it all felt incredibly familiar in the best way. The cast of questionable men they encounter during that summer is both hilarious and infuriating, and the writing balances comedy with genuine heart.
And that final plot twist? My jaw was genuinely on the floor. I absolutely did not see it coming.
Sharp, nostalgic, and full of personality, this is a brilliant blend of friendship drama, dark humour, and noughties throwback vibes.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
Thank you to Rachel Quinn and Bloomsbury for my ARC copy.
This was such a fun, nostalgic, and darkly funny read. Our Deadly Summer perfectly captures that chaotic early-twenties energy - when friendships feel like the most important thing in the world and bad decisions somehow seem like good ideas at the time.
Laura and Dee’s story unfolds between the summer everything went wrong and the present day, and I loved slowly piecing together what actually happened. The premise alone is brilliant - two best friends who haven’t spoken in twenty years because they buried a body together - but the emotional core of the story is really about friendship, loyalty, and the complicated ways people grow apart.
Even though much of the story takes place in New York, it felt so wonderfully Irish. The humour, the voices, the observations about people - it all felt incredibly familiar in the best way. The cast of questionable men they encounter during that summer is both hilarious and infuriating, and the writing balances comedy with genuine heart.
And that final plot twist? My jaw was genuinely on the floor. I absolutely did not see it coming.
Sharp, nostalgic, and full of personality, this is a brilliant blend of friendship drama, dark humour, and noughties throwback vibes.
June 26, 2026
Our Deadly Summer / Emer McLysaght, & Sarah Breen
⭐️⭐️⭐️
~ They really were in it together, for the good times and the bad… ~
This book is just like it’s title, it was a deadly summer and would make for a great beach read. I appreciated what was trying to be done here. For anyone reading thinking this will be just like the Aisling series, you will be sorely mistaken!!
The story of Dee and Laura is one of friendship, of young women at work, and nostalgia at the core of it all. It was really being transported back to 2001.
The story as much as I enjoyed it just didn’t gel with me. Too many characters to keep track of, and going from past to future to past in a sentence just had to get my head around. The middle went a bit too long, because the two ending scenes made the book for me. I guess I wanted more on the mystery of what happened rather than the bantz!!
I’m glad I read it, ODS came during the heatwave and a mix of sick leave so it was good distraction. The humour always solid. I’ll always read anything by these two girls.
TBR Pile: Graig
Bought: Duffy’s Bookshop, Westport
* Read: 24/06/26 - 25/06/26
* Release Date: 21/05/26
* ISBN: 9781526692177
⭐️⭐️⭐️
~ They really were in it together, for the good times and the bad… ~
This book is just like it’s title, it was a deadly summer and would make for a great beach read. I appreciated what was trying to be done here. For anyone reading thinking this will be just like the Aisling series, you will be sorely mistaken!!
The story of Dee and Laura is one of friendship, of young women at work, and nostalgia at the core of it all. It was really being transported back to 2001.
The story as much as I enjoyed it just didn’t gel with me. Too many characters to keep track of, and going from past to future to past in a sentence just had to get my head around. The middle went a bit too long, because the two ending scenes made the book for me. I guess I wanted more on the mystery of what happened rather than the bantz!!
I’m glad I read it, ODS came during the heatwave and a mix of sick leave so it was good distraction. The humour always solid. I’ll always read anything by these two girls.
TBR Pile: Graig
Bought: Duffy’s Bookshop, Westport
* Read: 24/06/26 - 25/06/26
* Release Date: 21/05/26
* ISBN: 9781526692177
June 6, 2026
This book is nothing like the Oh My God What a Complete Aisling series, so if you are a fan of these authors, just know that going in. It’s not funny or breezy - it’s a book about young working women and sexual assault. It could have used a really big edit in the middle, but the ending is worth getting to.
May 26, 2026
4.5⭐️
Nostalgia is pouring out of this book.
Nostalgia is pouring out of this book.
July 6, 2026
Very easy holiday read, nice story and very Irish ☘️
July 9, 2026
I actually enjoyed the second half of the book. The Irish humour does nothing for me but the plot got a lot more interesting towards the end.
July 10, 2026
Made me wish I went on a J1, a bit of 20s nostalgia. a bit different to the aisling series but overall enjoyed it, a nice summer read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 15, 2026
Failed to connect with this book at all. Lack of mystery and suspense and filled with tedious details about the J1 experience. Felt the nostalgic references were too much.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Our Deadly Summer* by Sarah Breen and Emer McLysaght is the long awaited, much anticipated, new novel from the duo that brought us the beloved OMGWACA series. Story-wise, this is a complete departure from the ‘Aisling’ universe but there are a lot of similarities in humour, tone and style that many readers will enjoy.
Deirdre is from a small town, raised by loving yet overbearing parents, and has a healthy respect for money. Laura is a wealthy petrol station heiress, largely invisible to her family, but an apartment on Townsend Street and an unlimited allowance help soften the blow. Despite their differences, the girls are joined at the hip and off they pop in summer 2001 to New York City on a J1, determined to make loads of money (Deirdre) and shag loads of boys (Laura).
Working at a country club for the season, the girls spend their days serving high society and their nights drinking at the local dive bar. A series of men punctuate their summer, from grumpy groundskeeper José and abhorrent club member Mr Haight, to sexy Josh and his handsy pal Other Josh. But one run in with one particularly bad man sees the girls burying a dead body and never speaking to each other again. Now, 24 years later, they reconnect and are forced to confront some long buried secrets.
I can't say that I felt the same sort of magic from the J1 girls as I did with the ‘Aisling’ cast of characters. While I am conscious that the books are absolutely separate entities, I found it hard not to draw comparisons because Our Deadly Summer’s voice felt so very Aisling at times. With a May release, this book is going to do numbers as a summertime read and I anticipate it sitting top of the charts for many weeks. Out 21/5/26
Deirdre is from a small town, raised by loving yet overbearing parents, and has a healthy respect for money. Laura is a wealthy petrol station heiress, largely invisible to her family, but an apartment on Townsend Street and an unlimited allowance help soften the blow. Despite their differences, the girls are joined at the hip and off they pop in summer 2001 to New York City on a J1, determined to make loads of money (Deirdre) and shag loads of boys (Laura).
Working at a country club for the season, the girls spend their days serving high society and their nights drinking at the local dive bar. A series of men punctuate their summer, from grumpy groundskeeper José and abhorrent club member Mr Haight, to sexy Josh and his handsy pal Other Josh. But one run in with one particularly bad man sees the girls burying a dead body and never speaking to each other again. Now, 24 years later, they reconnect and are forced to confront some long buried secrets.
I can't say that I felt the same sort of magic from the J1 girls as I did with the ‘Aisling’ cast of characters. While I am conscious that the books are absolutely separate entities, I found it hard not to draw comparisons because Our Deadly Summer’s voice felt so very Aisling at times. With a May release, this book is going to do numbers as a summertime read and I anticipate it sitting top of the charts for many weeks. Out 21/5/26
June 30, 2026
With thanks to @netgalley for the book ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I saved this for a long haul flight and was not disappointed. As a fan of the Aisling series I was curious to see how Sarah and Emer would tackle a thriller. Our Deadly Summer manages to strikes a satisfying balance between their trademark humour and a suspenseful drama.
The book opens with Laura and Dee faced with the task of concealing a dead body. Not the ending of their J1 they had expected. We are given no further details to the who and why. From there, the timeline swaps between present day Laura and Dee, who are mysteriously no longer speaking, and the beginnings of their J1.
Witty, intriguing and with a steady pace, you’ll be pulled in by the suspense of the dead body but stay for the characters and their dynamics.
I saved this for a long haul flight and was not disappointed. As a fan of the Aisling series I was curious to see how Sarah and Emer would tackle a thriller. Our Deadly Summer manages to strikes a satisfying balance between their trademark humour and a suspenseful drama.
The book opens with Laura and Dee faced with the task of concealing a dead body. Not the ending of their J1 they had expected. We are given no further details to the who and why. From there, the timeline swaps between present day Laura and Dee, who are mysteriously no longer speaking, and the beginnings of their J1.
Witty, intriguing and with a steady pace, you’ll be pulled in by the suspense of the dead body but stay for the characters and their dynamics.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Before writing this review, I wanted to check the premise of the book again because I felt like it promised me a book I didn’t get. Reading it again, I still feel a little like that but not as much as before. So it’s partly my fault too. But I have to say the title is pretty misleading as well.
When I saw this title, I expected this book to be more about the mystery. But after reading it, I find it fits more with general fiction than with mystery/thriller as a genre. There is a mystery, sure. But the book is about young women learning about the world they live in. It’s about nostalgia too which I’m not opposed to, I’m a millennial after all. However, the lack of emphasis on the mystery part, which was what caught my attention, impacted how I felt reading this book.
It started off well, to be fair. But the thing is that I expected it to be more about the present timeline and maybe the consequences of what had happened 20 years prior to this present time. And the book is mostly about the summer the girls spent in the US and everything they went through while they were there. So if that’s the book someone wants to read, this is a brilliant choice. I wanted a mystery and something a bit darker, maybe. I was looking forward to the Irish humour and their charm, which I did get. But sometimes it made me wish the book was more Irish, less the Irish girls are in the US and they’re fascinated by it. I’ve lived abroad so I get how it feels to do that but since it’s the US they went to, it felt less exciting for me personally.
The book is a lot about friendship but not just any friendship. The friendship of younger women, which is a genre on its own. I feel it was explored well here. Most of it felt very realistic and many of us can remember similar things we’ve been through at that time. The characters are a little bit older than I am but a lot of the pop culture stuff they mention is very familiar to me too, so that nostalgia factor was very well done as well.
At times, I felt it tries to make some commentary through the way the characters behaved in the past timelines but seen through who they are now. I can appreciate that but I felt it was a bit surface level. All the topics brought up felt a bit like that in a way. However, there was good commentary about all the girls and their different relationships with their parents and how that really affected how they behaved around other people. I did like that.
So when it comes to the mystery… it was very lackluster. I could guess what had happened pretty easily, even if there were some red herrings that were there to try and confuse the readers. I felt it was pretty obvious and I really feel that could have been expanded more in the present time when the characters talk about that person. There was just a comment and that was it. I don’t know, I felt I was constantly wanting more from the book but I never got it. And the ending was not satisfying at all.
Still, if what someone looks for in their next read is a book about that time period and about the complexities of female friendships, this is good for that. I wanted a mystery thriller so…we can share the blame for this one.
Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
When I saw this title, I expected this book to be more about the mystery. But after reading it, I find it fits more with general fiction than with mystery/thriller as a genre. There is a mystery, sure. But the book is about young women learning about the world they live in. It’s about nostalgia too which I’m not opposed to, I’m a millennial after all. However, the lack of emphasis on the mystery part, which was what caught my attention, impacted how I felt reading this book.
It started off well, to be fair. But the thing is that I expected it to be more about the present timeline and maybe the consequences of what had happened 20 years prior to this present time. And the book is mostly about the summer the girls spent in the US and everything they went through while they were there. So if that’s the book someone wants to read, this is a brilliant choice. I wanted a mystery and something a bit darker, maybe. I was looking forward to the Irish humour and their charm, which I did get. But sometimes it made me wish the book was more Irish, less the Irish girls are in the US and they’re fascinated by it. I’ve lived abroad so I get how it feels to do that but since it’s the US they went to, it felt less exciting for me personally.
The book is a lot about friendship but not just any friendship. The friendship of younger women, which is a genre on its own. I feel it was explored well here. Most of it felt very realistic and many of us can remember similar things we’ve been through at that time. The characters are a little bit older than I am but a lot of the pop culture stuff they mention is very familiar to me too, so that nostalgia factor was very well done as well.
At times, I felt it tries to make some commentary through the way the characters behaved in the past timelines but seen through who they are now. I can appreciate that but I felt it was a bit surface level. All the topics brought up felt a bit like that in a way. However, there was good commentary about all the girls and their different relationships with their parents and how that really affected how they behaved around other people. I did like that.
So when it comes to the mystery… it was very lackluster. I could guess what had happened pretty easily, even if there were some red herrings that were there to try and confuse the readers. I felt it was pretty obvious and I really feel that could have been expanded more in the present time when the characters talk about that person. There was just a comment and that was it. I don’t know, I felt I was constantly wanting more from the book but I never got it. And the ending was not satisfying at all.
Still, if what someone looks for in their next read is a book about that time period and about the complexities of female friendships, this is good for that. I wanted a mystery thriller so…we can share the blame for this one.
Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy
Pre-ordered this book last year so was I only delighted when Easons it shipped out this weekend just slightly ahead of its publication date.
In spite of it's grizzly premise, Our Deadly Summer is a witty and easy read that is filled with very early 2000s nostalgia (depending how much of a millenial you are, this could go either way) and a deep look at the complexity of young relationships - both romantic and platonic.
While the main plot of the book focuses on one terrible night in summer 2001 on a J1 and a dead body, perhaps the strongest themes in the pages are the ones the focus in on the the all-encompassing friendship that belongs to Dee and Laura in their early 20s. It is said that we never feel the same intensity in out later relationships than we did during out first love and the same goes for our early friendships. The characters of Dee and Laura gold up a mirror to young women and their first few years of earlt adulthood. They meet in college and instantly click, finally both happy to have a friend who understands them. They're besties and life out of each other's pockets during the time in college. This is a reality for most women at the same age when they have freedom from their families for the first time and their female friendships become the most important thing in the world.
But the authors are, as ever, true to reality, and don't shy away from the messy complexity that lives in the underbelly of many female friendships. Dee and Laura can be resentful, jealous and even downright cruel to each other throughout their summer in Long Island when one nabs herself a boyfriend and finds herself to distracted on what is meant to be 'the best summer of their lives'.
Woven in around this dynamic is the dead body at the first start of the page. This is a mystery with twists and turns that keeps you guessing until the very end.
More than anything, Our Deadly Summer is an ode to friendship, and the ones who would do anything for you. It is an ode to a time before your life changed and everything seemed so simple. It is an ode to a world we once knew that no longer exists.
In spite of it's grizzly premise, Our Deadly Summer is a witty and easy read that is filled with very early 2000s nostalgia (depending how much of a millenial you are, this could go either way) and a deep look at the complexity of young relationships - both romantic and platonic.
While the main plot of the book focuses on one terrible night in summer 2001 on a J1 and a dead body, perhaps the strongest themes in the pages are the ones the focus in on the the all-encompassing friendship that belongs to Dee and Laura in their early 20s. It is said that we never feel the same intensity in out later relationships than we did during out first love and the same goes for our early friendships. The characters of Dee and Laura gold up a mirror to young women and their first few years of earlt adulthood. They meet in college and instantly click, finally both happy to have a friend who understands them. They're besties and life out of each other's pockets during the time in college. This is a reality for most women at the same age when they have freedom from their families for the first time and their female friendships become the most important thing in the world.
But the authors are, as ever, true to reality, and don't shy away from the messy complexity that lives in the underbelly of many female friendships. Dee and Laura can be resentful, jealous and even downright cruel to each other throughout their summer in Long Island when one nabs herself a boyfriend and finds herself to distracted on what is meant to be 'the best summer of their lives'.
Woven in around this dynamic is the dead body at the first start of the page. This is a mystery with twists and turns that keeps you guessing until the very end.
More than anything, Our Deadly Summer is an ode to friendship, and the ones who would do anything for you. It is an ode to a time before your life changed and everything seemed so simple. It is an ode to a world we once knew that no longer exists.
May 4, 2026
Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for an early copy to review!
I’m only really giving four stars because this book was a little slow paced and I struggled to fully sink into it the way I usually do. But even so, I do think it was the right pace for the book and the story, even if it wasn’t quite for me.
TRIGGER WARNING: this book contains SA and violence, so if that’s not for you then feel free to avoid. It’s a big plot point so I’d avoid the whole book if this is a dealbreaker for you.
An odd thing seemed to happen while I was reading this book about two Irish girls and their summer abroad in the US as waitresses… I saw Irish women and things everywhere! Derry girls stars on tv quiz shows, Irish accents on drama shows I watch, just comments on Ireland coming up when i rarely hear much about it usually, very odd. It’s like the universe went on a theme matching mission for the week I was reading this.
So I felt a little closer to Dee and Laura this week. And they’re already lovely, flawed characters so this was quite nice actually.
Dee is a girl who is close to her family and worried about a lot of things; whether her family is proud of her, if she’s managing to save enough money, if she’s doing okay as a waitress, and how much she actually likes boys. Very easy to identify with, as someone who was a young woman who didn’t know she was gay and was a ball of anxiety.
Laura is less like me, but the insecurities of girls in their early twenties are universally identifiable. She’s the girl I thought I should be when I was younger, and I probably would have ended up just as unhappy as her if I’d been better at it.
Seeing them young and then how they ended up twenty-four years later was very sweet and emotional. Even ignoring the major event they go through together, it brought up feelings of inadequacy and worry about having made the right choices in life, a little tough but this book was just so REAL.
It’s an intense book, but in a good way. Give it a shot if that sounds like something you’d enjoy.
I’m only really giving four stars because this book was a little slow paced and I struggled to fully sink into it the way I usually do. But even so, I do think it was the right pace for the book and the story, even if it wasn’t quite for me.
TRIGGER WARNING: this book contains SA and violence, so if that’s not for you then feel free to avoid. It’s a big plot point so I’d avoid the whole book if this is a dealbreaker for you.
An odd thing seemed to happen while I was reading this book about two Irish girls and their summer abroad in the US as waitresses… I saw Irish women and things everywhere! Derry girls stars on tv quiz shows, Irish accents on drama shows I watch, just comments on Ireland coming up when i rarely hear much about it usually, very odd. It’s like the universe went on a theme matching mission for the week I was reading this.
So I felt a little closer to Dee and Laura this week. And they’re already lovely, flawed characters so this was quite nice actually.
Dee is a girl who is close to her family and worried about a lot of things; whether her family is proud of her, if she’s managing to save enough money, if she’s doing okay as a waitress, and how much she actually likes boys. Very easy to identify with, as someone who was a young woman who didn’t know she was gay and was a ball of anxiety.
Laura is less like me, but the insecurities of girls in their early twenties are universally identifiable. She’s the girl I thought I should be when I was younger, and I probably would have ended up just as unhappy as her if I’d been better at it.
Seeing them young and then how they ended up twenty-four years later was very sweet and emotional. Even ignoring the major event they go through together, it brought up feelings of inadequacy and worry about having made the right choices in life, a little tough but this book was just so REAL.
It’s an intense book, but in a good way. Give it a shot if that sounds like something you’d enjoy.
May 24, 2026
Our Deadly Summer is an incredible blend of dark comedy, nostalgia, suspense and heartbreak and the kind of novel that hooks you immediately. The authors have created a story that feels entertaining on the surface while quietly delivering something much deeper underneath.
Set between a chaotic summer in New York in 2001 and the present day, the novel follows former best friends Laura and Dee, whose lives were permanently altered by one terrible secret. The pacing is super: every chapter peels back another layer of what happened that summer, balancing genuine tension with razor-sharp humour and painfully accurate observations about friendship, ambition and growing older.
The friendship between Laura and Dee captures the intensity of youthful female friendships perfectly: the kind that can feel all-consuming, transformative and, occasionally even destructive.
McLysaght and Breen also evoke early-2000s nostalgia absolutely brilliantly. The New York sections are vivid and electric, full of freedom, recklessness and the illusion of invincibility that defines your early twenties. Yet beneath the glamour and humour is a constant undercurrent of dread that builds masterfully toward the final revelations. (My eyes were 👀👀 for THAT bit!)
The dialogue sparkles throughout, delivering laugh-out-loud moments without ever undermining the emotional weight of the story. I personally think that balance of funny and dark, warm and unsettling, is incredibly difficult to achieve, but this novel pulls it off effortlessly.
By the end, Our Deadly Summer becomes much more than a thriller. It’s a story about guilt, memory, reinvention, and the people who shape us long after we’ve tried to leave the past behind.
Sharp, addictive and surprisingly emotional, this is one of the most enjoyable contemporary Irish novels I’ve read in a long time. Perfect for fans of character-driven thrillers with wit, heart and a killer sense of atmosphere.
This was my first visit to the world of these authors and I read it in less than 24 hours - I just couldn't put it down.
Set between a chaotic summer in New York in 2001 and the present day, the novel follows former best friends Laura and Dee, whose lives were permanently altered by one terrible secret. The pacing is super: every chapter peels back another layer of what happened that summer, balancing genuine tension with razor-sharp humour and painfully accurate observations about friendship, ambition and growing older.
The friendship between Laura and Dee captures the intensity of youthful female friendships perfectly: the kind that can feel all-consuming, transformative and, occasionally even destructive.
McLysaght and Breen also evoke early-2000s nostalgia absolutely brilliantly. The New York sections are vivid and electric, full of freedom, recklessness and the illusion of invincibility that defines your early twenties. Yet beneath the glamour and humour is a constant undercurrent of dread that builds masterfully toward the final revelations. (My eyes were 👀👀 for THAT bit!)
The dialogue sparkles throughout, delivering laugh-out-loud moments without ever undermining the emotional weight of the story. I personally think that balance of funny and dark, warm and unsettling, is incredibly difficult to achieve, but this novel pulls it off effortlessly.
By the end, Our Deadly Summer becomes much more than a thriller. It’s a story about guilt, memory, reinvention, and the people who shape us long after we’ve tried to leave the past behind.
Sharp, addictive and surprisingly emotional, this is one of the most enjoyable contemporary Irish novels I’ve read in a long time. Perfect for fans of character-driven thrillers with wit, heart and a killer sense of atmosphere.
This was my first visit to the world of these authors and I read it in less than 24 hours - I just couldn't put it down.
June 10, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Our Deadly Summer by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen
When I first got wind of this book, I went and pre-ordered it straight away, months before it was due to be published, because I adored the Aisling series. So I was so delighted when it arrived with its sprayed edges and signed by the authors.
The book opens in Long Island, New York, on the last day of summer 2001. Dee and Laura have just spent the last three months working in a country club, waitressing and earning money to bring back home to Ireland. They had some great experiences and made lifelong friends. But now, as they are about to return home the next day, they find themselves sitting in front of a dead body, wondering how to get rid of it.
Twenty-four years later, after not speaking since that summer, agreeing it would be best to cut all contact, Dee receives an email from Laura. Why is she making contact after their promise? Has someone found out their secret? As Dee ponders the reason behind the email, she reminisces about what was supposed to be the best summer ever; instead, it turns out to be a deadly summer and a time in her life she wishes she could forget.
There were parts of this book that I enjoyed, like the banter and humour among the girls. However, I found it dragged on, and the book played on Irishness just a bit too much. I felt there was too much emphasis on the club and waitressing, which I didn’t find very interesting. People like P. Diddy, R. Kelly and even Harvey Weinstein were mentioned, and I couldn’t understand why these terrible people were receiving any airtime.
I liked the girls, but enjoyed their characters as older women much more than their younger selves, who became quite annoying with all the whining and drinking. My favourite character was the motherly Dolly. She is definitely the type of person you want to meet when you are far away from your family for the first time.
I wanted to love this book as I love the authors and their previous books, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t a hit for me.
When I first got wind of this book, I went and pre-ordered it straight away, months before it was due to be published, because I adored the Aisling series. So I was so delighted when it arrived with its sprayed edges and signed by the authors.
The book opens in Long Island, New York, on the last day of summer 2001. Dee and Laura have just spent the last three months working in a country club, waitressing and earning money to bring back home to Ireland. They had some great experiences and made lifelong friends. But now, as they are about to return home the next day, they find themselves sitting in front of a dead body, wondering how to get rid of it.
Twenty-four years later, after not speaking since that summer, agreeing it would be best to cut all contact, Dee receives an email from Laura. Why is she making contact after their promise? Has someone found out their secret? As Dee ponders the reason behind the email, she reminisces about what was supposed to be the best summer ever; instead, it turns out to be a deadly summer and a time in her life she wishes she could forget.
There were parts of this book that I enjoyed, like the banter and humour among the girls. However, I found it dragged on, and the book played on Irishness just a bit too much. I felt there was too much emphasis on the club and waitressing, which I didn’t find very interesting. People like P. Diddy, R. Kelly and even Harvey Weinstein were mentioned, and I couldn’t understand why these terrible people were receiving any airtime.
I liked the girls, but enjoyed their characters as older women much more than their younger selves, who became quite annoying with all the whining and drinking. My favourite character was the motherly Dolly. She is definitely the type of person you want to meet when you are far away from your family for the first time.
I wanted to love this book as I love the authors and their previous books, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t a hit for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Irish best friends Laura and Dee haven't spoken since an ill-fated summer working abroad during a college holiday, which ended with a dead body in their cabin. 25 years later and now in their mid forties, the death of their mentor for that summer gets them talking again and remembering their time waitressing at a country club in Long Island. The girls were best friends having bonded over the fact that neither fit in at such a posh university, and they were determined to have an amazing summer making money, meeting boys and generally having a deadly (great) time. But a country club before the Me Too movement was full of bad men with few morals and very little penalty for their actions. One of them was bound to wind up dead eventually. Dee didn't mean to kill him, but Laura will help her clear up the mess as that's what best friends do.
I started this book expecting a murder mystery but quite quickly realised it's far more of a coming-of-age story which happens to feature a covered-up death. We relive the summer of 2001 through Laura and Dee's eyes, with all the ups and downs that 20 year olds go through from falling out over boyfriends to boozy nights out and the perils of sharing a house with strangers. There were so many men in this story who were potentially going to end up dead because of their behaviour, and yet none of them felt like people I hadn't encountered at that age and around that era. Laura and Dee are a modern Thelma and Louise, even referencing it themselves at one point. When we move back to them reuniting in the present, it's lovely to see that they still haven't drifted apart emotionally despite years of radio silence. It's a realistic friendship and the whole story is so reminiscent of what early noughties life was like too. Oh and there's also a bad man who definitely deserved to be punished.
I started this book expecting a murder mystery but quite quickly realised it's far more of a coming-of-age story which happens to feature a covered-up death. We relive the summer of 2001 through Laura and Dee's eyes, with all the ups and downs that 20 year olds go through from falling out over boyfriends to boozy nights out and the perils of sharing a house with strangers. There were so many men in this story who were potentially going to end up dead because of their behaviour, and yet none of them felt like people I hadn't encountered at that age and around that era. Laura and Dee are a modern Thelma and Louise, even referencing it themselves at one point. When we move back to them reuniting in the present, it's lovely to see that they still haven't drifted apart emotionally despite years of radio silence. It's a realistic friendship and the whole story is so reminiscent of what early noughties life was like too. Oh and there's also a bad man who definitely deserved to be punished.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Like so many readers across Ireland, I completely fell in love with the Aisling series. Naturally, when I saw that Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen were branching out into a brand new standalone novel, it automatically became a highly anticipated read for me. Unfortunately, while it was an interesting shift in tone, it didn't quite live up to the high standards set by their previous work.
In my view, a thriller or mystery that opens with a dead body is always off to an excellent start. The premise, centered around a chaotic noughties Long Island J1 summer and a long hidden secret, instantly hooked me. However, after that sharp opening, the plot really started to drag. We don't find out the true identity of the victim until very late in the novel, and while the authors dangle a few different possibilities throughout the pages, the middle section simply felt much longer than it needed to be.
Because the narrative felt like it was treading water, it was hard to maintain attention throughout. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely a few witty lines scattered throughout that showcase the authors' trademark humor, and it isn't a bad book by any stretch of the imagination. It just failed to capture my heart or my suspense radar the way I hoped it would. The real momentum didn't kick back in until about the 85% mark, which made the final payoff feel a bit too distant.
If you are looking for a nostalgic, bittersweet look at female friendship with a side of mystery, this might hit the mark for you. But for readers expecting the relentless tension of a standard crime novel or the sheer, undeniable charm of Aisling, this one sits at a solid 3 stars. I was simply expecting a bit more given their incredible track record.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.
In my view, a thriller or mystery that opens with a dead body is always off to an excellent start. The premise, centered around a chaotic noughties Long Island J1 summer and a long hidden secret, instantly hooked me. However, after that sharp opening, the plot really started to drag. We don't find out the true identity of the victim until very late in the novel, and while the authors dangle a few different possibilities throughout the pages, the middle section simply felt much longer than it needed to be.
Because the narrative felt like it was treading water, it was hard to maintain attention throughout. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely a few witty lines scattered throughout that showcase the authors' trademark humor, and it isn't a bad book by any stretch of the imagination. It just failed to capture my heart or my suspense radar the way I hoped it would. The real momentum didn't kick back in until about the 85% mark, which made the final payoff feel a bit too distant.
If you are looking for a nostalgic, bittersweet look at female friendship with a side of mystery, this might hit the mark for you. But for readers expecting the relentless tension of a standard crime novel or the sheer, undeniable charm of Aisling, this one sits at a solid 3 stars. I was simply expecting a bit more given their incredible track record.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This will 100% be the book of the summer.
Our Deadly Summer by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen isn't what I expected. I knew the premise; friends find themselves in a harrowing situation where they have to bury a body, an inconvenience on their J1 to long island. I knew it would be funny, but I expected more grit and misery, considering the subject matter. What I got instead was a strangely warm and beautifully nostalgic tale of soul friendship, centred around a seemingly accidental death. And I loved it!
Less of a whodunnit and more of who-carked-it, the book opens with Laura and Dee figuring out how to deal with the body lying on the floor of their country club cottage. As the story unfolds, it's quickly transparent that this isn't necessarily a book about what happened that night. It's a book about what it is like to be in the body and mind of a woman in her early 20s. It's about how our young adulthood years can form so much of who we become, for better or worse. It's about the ways in which we learn to protect ourselves, especially as women. Mostly though, it's a book about friendship, and McLysaght and Breen write the friendship between Laura and Dee so beautifully. They do such a brilliant job of showing that, although we might think we know everything about those closest to us, we all have our insecurities and our secrets.
I was so immersed in the peaks and troughs of their bond, and was rooting for them so deeply that figuring out who it was lying on the cottage floor was secondary to how their friendship would end up.
I couldn't put this book down. The last few chapters are so compelling and at times pretty hilarious. This will be clutched in the hands of every pool side lounger this summer, I can tell.
Thanks to @bloomsburypublishing for approving me to read an ARC on Netgalley. I so enjoyed it.
@emerthescreamer and @sarahjaybee make such a great team. But sure we knew that already!
#irishbookstagram
#irishbooks
#readirishwomen
Our Deadly Summer by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen isn't what I expected. I knew the premise; friends find themselves in a harrowing situation where they have to bury a body, an inconvenience on their J1 to long island. I knew it would be funny, but I expected more grit and misery, considering the subject matter. What I got instead was a strangely warm and beautifully nostalgic tale of soul friendship, centred around a seemingly accidental death. And I loved it!
Less of a whodunnit and more of who-carked-it, the book opens with Laura and Dee figuring out how to deal with the body lying on the floor of their country club cottage. As the story unfolds, it's quickly transparent that this isn't necessarily a book about what happened that night. It's a book about what it is like to be in the body and mind of a woman in her early 20s. It's about how our young adulthood years can form so much of who we become, for better or worse. It's about the ways in which we learn to protect ourselves, especially as women. Mostly though, it's a book about friendship, and McLysaght and Breen write the friendship between Laura and Dee so beautifully. They do such a brilliant job of showing that, although we might think we know everything about those closest to us, we all have our insecurities and our secrets.
I was so immersed in the peaks and troughs of their bond, and was rooting for them so deeply that figuring out who it was lying on the cottage floor was secondary to how their friendship would end up.
I couldn't put this book down. The last few chapters are so compelling and at times pretty hilarious. This will be clutched in the hands of every pool side lounger this summer, I can tell.
Thanks to @bloomsburypublishing for approving me to read an ARC on Netgalley. I so enjoyed it.
@emerthescreamer and @sarahjaybee make such a great team. But sure we knew that already!
#irishbookstagram
#irishbooks
#readirishwomen
May 13, 2026
‘You’ve always told me you’d help me bury a body, no questions asked, and …’ ‘I always said I’d be your alibi,’Dee finished.She was so relieved she managed a weak smile.‘I just never thought it would be the other way around.’
Dee and Laura haven’t spoken in almost 24 years, not since that fateful last day of summer. Once inseparable best friends, they’ve been no contact since they buried a body together. That is until an out of the blue email from Laura gives them a chance at reconciliation. What really happened that summer and can they be friends again?
Our Deadly Summer follows multiple timelines - following their summer in the states when they were 20, the last day of summer and the present day 24 years later. We see the highs of their summer and the lows. From nights out with their housemates, to finding love and falling out. Their summer is messy - but they were 20 and in a different country, so it’s obviously going to be. There’s going to be young love, drunken nights out and plenty of shenanigans.
I enjoyed how the book slowly pieced together the timeline of that last day of summer. I thought I knew where it was going but it took a turn I didn’t expect.
“It’s almost painful, the longing to go back and change things. The regrets. She finds herself sometimes drowning in memories of the time before, chasing the nostalgia like an addict. Imagining how things might have turned out.”
Despite the murder, this book was so funny and had a nostalgic vibe. Especially with the comparisons of modern day to them in their 20s. And I really enjoyed it! At its core it’s about female friendship, and I loved Dee and Lauras. This is a book I’d recommend.
ARC copy provided by Bloomsbury & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Dee and Laura haven’t spoken in almost 24 years, not since that fateful last day of summer. Once inseparable best friends, they’ve been no contact since they buried a body together. That is until an out of the blue email from Laura gives them a chance at reconciliation. What really happened that summer and can they be friends again?
Our Deadly Summer follows multiple timelines - following their summer in the states when they were 20, the last day of summer and the present day 24 years later. We see the highs of their summer and the lows. From nights out with their housemates, to finding love and falling out. Their summer is messy - but they were 20 and in a different country, so it’s obviously going to be. There’s going to be young love, drunken nights out and plenty of shenanigans.
I enjoyed how the book slowly pieced together the timeline of that last day of summer. I thought I knew where it was going but it took a turn I didn’t expect.
“It’s almost painful, the longing to go back and change things. The regrets. She finds herself sometimes drowning in memories of the time before, chasing the nostalgia like an addict. Imagining how things might have turned out.”
Despite the murder, this book was so funny and had a nostalgic vibe. Especially with the comparisons of modern day to them in their 20s. And I really enjoyed it! At its core it’s about female friendship, and I loved Dee and Lauras. This is a book I’d recommend.
ARC copy provided by Bloomsbury & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
June 9, 2026
I'm so glad Emer & Sarah decided to do another book together as I absolutely adored this book! It's laugh out loud funny and I couldn't put it down! I only recently finished the Aisling series which I loved by them but Our Deadly Summer is definitely a break away from that series and the characters but it's just as brilliant and I would go as far to say I preferred this book!
Our Deadly Summer tells the story of two best friends Laura and Dee, who were inseparable in collage and embarked on a J1 to Long Island back in 2001. They haven't spoken since that summer and the day they buried the body. It was supposed to be the best summer, a break from parents and Irish boys. They imagined a wild summer in New York but ended up in a country club in Long Island instead. The picking of men are slim, Mikey is a bully, Marco is off limits, Jose is angry, Mr Haight is a sleaze and Josh is to keen. It's a miracle one of them ends up dead. More than 20 years later when Dee opens an email from Laura it sets them both back to that summer and their friendship.
The main theme of the book is the friendship between Laura and Dee more so than the murder mystery. The chapters are also told in their perspectives which I loved! It details the highs and lows of female friendship as your trying to find your way in life. I loved the friendship between them and the other girls they lived with on the J1, it definitely showed the true nature of friendships and the silly fights you have when your young. It definitely will make you reminisce on your J1 if you went on one! The story definitely made me think of those times.
The story is also mainly told through flashbacks of the summer more than the present time. The authors definitely keep you guessing right until the end who ended up dead which I loved! Overall, a fantastic book that I would definitely recommend picking up!
Our Deadly Summer tells the story of two best friends Laura and Dee, who were inseparable in collage and embarked on a J1 to Long Island back in 2001. They haven't spoken since that summer and the day they buried the body. It was supposed to be the best summer, a break from parents and Irish boys. They imagined a wild summer in New York but ended up in a country club in Long Island instead. The picking of men are slim, Mikey is a bully, Marco is off limits, Jose is angry, Mr Haight is a sleaze and Josh is to keen. It's a miracle one of them ends up dead. More than 20 years later when Dee opens an email from Laura it sets them both back to that summer and their friendship.
The main theme of the book is the friendship between Laura and Dee more so than the murder mystery. The chapters are also told in their perspectives which I loved! It details the highs and lows of female friendship as your trying to find your way in life. I loved the friendship between them and the other girls they lived with on the J1, it definitely showed the true nature of friendships and the silly fights you have when your young. It definitely will make you reminisce on your J1 if you went on one! The story definitely made me think of those times.
The story is also mainly told through flashbacks of the summer more than the present time. The authors definitely keep you guessing right until the end who ended up dead which I loved! Overall, a fantastic book that I would definitely recommend picking up!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Our Deadly Summer is a sharply funny, bittersweet, and wonderfully chaotic dive into the intensity of female friendship, the perils of bad men, and the kind of summer you spend the rest of your life trying to forget. Sarah Breen and Emer McLysaght take their trademark humour in a darker, twistier direction, and it works beautifully.
Laura and Dee’s story unfolds with the irresistible pull of nostalgia — sunburnt days, questionable choices, and the kind of friendship that feels like a lifeline. Their Long Island summer job is meant to be a glamorous escape, but instead they find themselves surrounded by a cast of men who are variously sleazy, cruel, off‑limits, or simply disappointing. The authors capture that early‑twenties mix of bravado and vulnerability with pitch‑perfect clarity.
The novel’s opening line — that the two haven’t spoken since they buried a body — sets the tone for a story that balances humour with genuine emotional weight. The mystery of what really happened that summer is threaded through with tenderness and sharp observation, and the final twist lands with a gasp. But the heart of the book lies in the complicated, fiercely loyal bond between Laura and Dee, and the ache of a friendship that once felt unbreakable.
Breen and McLysaght deliver a story that’s riotously funny, unexpectedly moving, and steeped in noughties nostalgia. It’s a clever, heartfelt look at the women we were, the women we became, and the friendships that shape us long after the summer ends.
With thanks to Emer McLysaght, Sarah Breen, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
Laura and Dee’s story unfolds with the irresistible pull of nostalgia — sunburnt days, questionable choices, and the kind of friendship that feels like a lifeline. Their Long Island summer job is meant to be a glamorous escape, but instead they find themselves surrounded by a cast of men who are variously sleazy, cruel, off‑limits, or simply disappointing. The authors capture that early‑twenties mix of bravado and vulnerability with pitch‑perfect clarity.
The novel’s opening line — that the two haven’t spoken since they buried a body — sets the tone for a story that balances humour with genuine emotional weight. The mystery of what really happened that summer is threaded through with tenderness and sharp observation, and the final twist lands with a gasp. But the heart of the book lies in the complicated, fiercely loyal bond between Laura and Dee, and the ache of a friendship that once felt unbreakable.
Breen and McLysaght deliver a story that’s riotously funny, unexpectedly moving, and steeped in noughties nostalgia. It’s a clever, heartfelt look at the women we were, the women we became, and the friendships that shape us long after the summer ends.
With thanks to Emer McLysaght, Sarah Breen, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
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