Off Season

By: Jennifer Weiner

Narrated by: Rachel Dratch

Length: 1 hr and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

Number one New York Times best-selling author of Big Summer and Mrs. Everything channels Shirley Jackson and Stephen King to bring us a chilling tale of an author willing to do anything to revitalize her career.

Sarah Vernon has spent 20 years trying to make it as a novelist...and she’s never even come close. None of her novels has sold more than 5,000 copies, and she’s never earned enough money to make fiction her full-time job. After her last disappointing publication, Sarah’s agent dumped her, and it seems like her dream is dead. Sarah vows that she’ll do anything for one last shot at the best seller list.

Enter Will Presser. Nicknamed The Viper, Will is a literary agent whose career-making reputation precedes him. A business dinner ends with a nightcap at Will’s apartment - and a night Sarah can’t remember. When she wakes up the next morning, Will says he’s got a plan to make her new book a hit. He sends Sarah off to Elder Island, a summer playground for the rich and famous that empties out between September and May, for her own personal writer’s retreat. He’s left word that Sarah needs complete privacy in order to write, and Sarah’s too bewildered and flattered by Will’s attention to do anything but pack her bags and board the ferry.

Alone in an isolated mansion, Sarah’s writing has never come more easily. She spends hours each day lost in a trance, falling into the world of her story. She tries not to worry about the nightmares that plague her...or the mornings she wakes up with dirt on her feet and blood under her fingernails. ​

Everything Will Presser touches becomes a success, and, now, Will Presser has touched me, Sarah thinks.

But Elder Island isn’t the pretty summer playground it seems to be, and Sarah’s going to learn that success comes at a cost, and that, whenever you sign a deal, it’s always wise to read the fine print.

©2021 Jennifer Weiner (P)2021 Simon & Schuster Audio

Love the narrator but the story…

Not sure what I listened to but would love to have Rachel Dratch do more narration.

Don't do it

Don't do it, Jennifer. Don't ever write a book like this again. It is not your forte. Don't do it, reader. Don't waste your time, money or brain power. This is nothing short of.... well, everything. The book ended and I was left thinking, "wait, was a story even told?" Then I thought, "did I only buy the sample?" Rachel Dratch read well, so this book got a single star. How could the publisher even agree to move forward on this? Did Jennifer get so arrogant that she doesn't care anymore what the reader thinks? Awful book.

Just ok

Maybe Jennifer just needs to stick to what she's previously been writing and stay away from thrillers(?)
I won't go to the extreme of giving only one star like the other reviewer had done but I too was a bit disappointed.
While the narrator has a lovely voice, she just isn't right for narrating fiction. it was hard to follow.
I'm sorry this review is so negative.
While I wouldn't go so far as saying I don't recommend, I would say I'd approach with low expectations.

Waste of a credit

I love Jennifer Weiner, but hugely disappointed in this book and the fact I wasted a credit to listen to it.

Just no

What a waste of a credit! Do not bother! This is 1 hour of my life I can never get back .

Worst Book I've Ever Listened Too!

This story line was dreadful!!! The only positive thing I can say is that it wasn't very long! Very disappointed that this has Jennifer Weiner's name on it.

Short and not Sweet

I love Weiner. This one just fell way short (by time and depth) to capture me, sorry.

Disappointing

This just didn't live up to JW's other stories. It didn't make much sense at all.

Awful

I was so excited to find a book of hers I hadn’t read. So disappointed.

Can’t believe I wasted a credit.

I love Jennifer Weiner. But this book was awful. The premise was interesting i it could have been a good story, but I was left thinking what the heck did I just listen to??? I wish Audible would clearly state when it’s a short story too.