The Shampoo Effect

 

The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson

Fiction

2026

Narrated by Marin Ireland

Finished on August 27, 2026

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

An ambitious young woman insinuates herself into a tight-knit social set, shaking up friendships and marriages in a small seaside town. A frothy novel of love, money, sex, and friendship.

​​When Caroline Lash arrives in Greenhead, Massachusetts, she falls head-over-heels for Van Whittaker, a fleece-wearing, litter-collecting, kayak enthusiast with long, floppy hair and the personality of a Border collie. Born and raised in this picturesque coastal village, Van runs with the same crowd he did as a kid: His ex-girlfriend, Bailey, a beautiful girl who attracts men like moths to a flame; Augusta, old money, horsey, and snobbish; and Fran, surrounded by brothers and sons, too fed up with boys to ever consider marrying one.

Together, the group runs wild through the marshes, beaches, and bars of Greenhead, drinking on houseboats, spending long afternoons sunbathing with their children, and playing games the way they always have. But when Bailey discovers that she is pregnant with Van’s baby, the delicate balance of the group’s friendship is thrown off. Soon Caroline is cast out of the circle and what she does next—in a potent mix of fury and heartbreak—exposes long-held secrets and works the entire town of Greenhead into a lather. Dazzlingly funny, sexy, and as juicy as it is astute, The Shampoo Effect is a story of late-night parties, early mornings with small children, the dawn of midlife, and a group of old friends finally growing up despite all their best efforts to the contrary.

I seem to be reading a few "beach reads" this summer. Like Dolly All the Time, The Shampoo Effect was entertaining and very good on audio. Marin Ireland is a favorite narrator, so I was pretty sure I'd enjoy this audiobook. I wasn't disappointed! Told from four perspectives, it wasn't difficult to keep track of the main characters and their significant others. This is certainly not great literature, and most of the characters behave as if they're still partying in college (and are very cliquish), so I'm not sure why I enjoyed the book so much. I probably wouldn't have gotten very far had I read the print edition. I'd like to give Jackson's debut novel (Pineapple Street) a read and see how it compares.