Palm Beach becomes increasingly difficult to put down as the life of heroine Rebecca turns down a twisty path that challenges her rigid morals and forces her to reconsider her priorities ... Mary Adkins writes a strong female lead ... Palm Beach invites you to cringe both at and with Rebecca ... equal parts beautiful and uncomfortable. It is saturated with in-between-ness, calling into question what defines 'us' and 'them.' Lines blur and expectations aren’t met, keeping readers on their toes. Adkins’ blunt, heavy-handed style makes for a surprisingly fast-paced Palm Beach.
There are several colorful characters here ... Readers may also find that they have an equal amount of ambivalence towards Rebecca as she has towards her new employers. Not only is she judgmental about the wealthy men and women whom she meets through the Stones, she is also rigid about her own virtue ... What saves Palm Beach, and Rebecca, from being insufferable is an unexpected storyline that evolves into an intriguing debate about what really matters—and what price you would pay to get it.
... a unique twist on a fish-out-of-water story ... Fans of Jojo Moyes and Sally Rooney will appreciate Adkins’ talent in weaving subtle events together to create complex characters whose persuasions evolve throughout.
... fluffy ... While a subplot involving an insider-trading scam feels contrived, Adkins’s characters are reliably quirky ... Though it’s not particularly memorable, it’ll keep readers turning the pages.
