The Shampoo Effect - a young writer falls for a man whose friends come with the relationship.

Caroline Nash, the 28-year-old daughter of a celebrated author, has been working in New York City in publishing. After receiving an 18-month fellowship in Greenhead, Mass., she decides to give her own writing a chance. While traveling there by train, she meets Van Whittaker, an environmentalist and local resident. They reconnect again, and he seems to be everything she's been looking for. However, Van comes with baggage. He has a group of lifelong friends who don't welcome her with open arms, especially after it is revealed that Bailey, Van's beautiful ex-girlfriend, is pregnant after one of their hook-ups before he met Caroline. Van reassures her that he and Bailey are just great friends and she plans to raise the child on her own. Among the other friends, two couples in their thirties with children, lots of drama is taking place behind closed doors. As an outsider, Caroline, brings disruption to the group, causing the "shampoo effect," where old tensions bubble to the surface. 

The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson, set in a small coastal town, is a good blend of drama and humor, making it an ideal summer read. This tale about relationships, filled with lots of angst, had me laughing out loud at times. It's a messy story that felt very real. It's no wonder that it's such a buzzy book. If you haven't read it yet, it is well worth checking out.

Rated 4.25 out of 5 stars.

Contemporary Fiction. 

Publication Date: June 30, 2026.

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