Review: "Saltwater" by Katy Hays

Saltwater by Katy Hays
Published March 2025 via Ballantine Books
★★★★

Three decades ago, Sarah Wingate fell to her death in Capri. Since then, the family has moved on—continued to build their empire and image and cultivate status. They do not let a little thing like death stop them. This year, Sarah's daughter Helen is back in Capri with her father and uncle. But this year, things will be change.

It's clear early on that this will not be a pretty story. The family has brought their employee Lorna along—officially as a vacation for her too, but it is clear as day to Lorna that in this family, she will never not be working, never be able to relax—and Lorna clocks the things that the wealthy don't: the secrets simmering under the surface, how little the family cares about people who are not in their circle, in their family. My family always liked that he had a secret of his own, a weakness. It gave him something to lose. (loc. 1236*)

Those secrets will come to a saltwater boil this summer. Lorna is sure of it.

But no one knows girls[...] like me. We are an afterimage, a shadow, a disposable body. Girls like us, we are all the same. We are substitutes. (loc. 4905)

I don't want to say too much here, because layer upon layer is exposed as the book goes on, and that's part of the fun. It's a good summer read, and a meaty one. Don't pick this up when you're in the mood for a lighthearted beach romance; save it for a rainy afternoon when you want to dive in and not come up for air for a while.

Thanks to the author and publisher for inviting me to read a review copy through NetGalley.

*Quotes are from an ARC and may not be final.