The small town of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin is an unlikely location for a Playboy Resort, and nineteen-year old Sherri Taylor is an unlikely bunny. Growing up in neighboring East Troy, Sherri plays the organ at the local church and has never felt comfortable in her own skin. But when her parents die in quick succession, she leaves the only home she’s ever known for the chance to be part of a glamorous slice of history. In the winter of 1981, in a costume two sizes too small, her toes pinched by stilettos, Sherri joins the daughters of dairy farmers and factory workers for the defining experience of her life.

Living in the “bunny hutch”—Playboy’s version of a college dorm—Sherri gets her education in the joys of sisterhood, the thrill of financial independence, the magic of first love, and the heady effects of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. But as spring gives way to summer, Sherri finds herself caught in a romantic triangle—and the tragedy that ensues will haunt her for the next forty years.

From the Midwestern prairie to the California desert, from Wisconsin lakes to the Pacific Ocean, this is a story of what happens when small town life is sprinkled with stardust, and what we lose—and gain—when we leave home. With a heroine to root for and a narrative to get lost in, Shoulder Season is a sexy, evocative tale, drenched in longing and desire, that captures a fleeting moment in American history with nostalgia and heart.

One of Zibby Owens’ 2021 Books She’s Most Excited About

“Shoulder Season is a triumph of heart, of courage, and of resilience — and a message that the tragedies that spark our journeys don’t decide their endings. I loved it.”

J Ryan Stradal, bestselling author of The Lager Queen of Minnesota and Kitchens of the Great Midwest

"I adored the story of Sherri, an unlikely Playboy Bunny, and her wild and poignant adventures inside the Lake Geneva Playboy Resort. Both a tender coming of age novel and a sun-drenched ride through the 1980's poolside and in Hugh Hefner's glamorous suite, SHOULDER SEASON is an absolute pleasure."

Amanda Eyre Ward, bestselling author of The Jetsetters, a Reese's Book Club and Hello Sunshine pick

“Shoulder Season shines a bright light on a neglected moment in history and tells a coming-of-age story I've truly never read before. In Sherri, Christina Clancy rescues the Playboy Bunny from ridicule and illuminates her inner life with all of the richness and complexity she deserves.”

Lauren Fox, author of Send for Me and Days of Awe

“Christi Clancy’s Shoulder Season is a delight. Briskly plotted, the book moves like a river through time, sweeping the reader along for a unexpected, humorous, and surprising journey of friendship, exploration, and discovery.”

Nickolas Butler, author of Shotgun Love Songs

“Expertly researched and flawlessly executed, Shoulder Season has a bit of everything: adventure and excess; love and heartbreak; shocking tragedy. You’ll start reading for the wild ride of the Playboy Resort but stay for Sherri, the complex protagonist at the heart of this exquisite novel. Clancy is a master of place, rendering Wisconsin so vividly that I’m homesick for somewhere I’ve never been. Shoulder Season tore me apart then pieced me back together in ways I wasn’t expecting. I’ll be thinking about this novel for a long time.”

Amy Meyerson, The Bookshop of Yesterdays and The Imperfects

“I tore through this vibrant coming-of-age tale of small-town girls seduced by a new life of sex and glitter just miles from their quiet Wisconsin towns. Clancy's vulnerable characters come roaring to life in full eighties glamour -- the hair is big, the music is loud and the living is fast -- before spiraling toward a central tragedy that will define their adult lives and the very definition of home.”

Steven Rowley, author of Gunkle, the Editor and Lily and the Octopus

“A Playboy Resort in Wisconsin? Who knew? Shoulder Season is a beautifully-written, thrilling, heartbreaking story of a bumpy coming of age. A page-turner full of twists and surprises, Bunnies and bad boyfriends, and lasting sisterhood found in unexpected places. I loved it!”

Julia Claiborne Johnson, author of Better Luck Next Time and Be Frank with Me