Still searching for your end-of-summer beach read? Look no further! Here at KDHamptons, we love author Nora Zelevansky, and we are so excited to check out her newly published novel, Competitive Grieving. This dark comedy—and unlikely love story—about loss and the chaotic aftermath of death makes for an incredible smart girls’ summer read! Even sweeter, Entertainment Weekly just picked it as must-read for the summer!

Nora Zelevansky explains why she loves the Hamptons: “As a NYC native, I’ve been escaping to the The Hamptons since I was a kid. It has always been a welcome change of scenery and pace from my everyday, a break from honking cabs speeding up Broadway and the unforgiving heat of urban summers. I guess that’s why, even as a teenager — when I most regularly stayed at a good friend’s parents’ house in Bridgehampton — my friends and I tended to eschew the sceney parties we frequented in the city for barefoot evenings spent on porches or at the beach with good music, food and drinks…”

“…Now that I spend a portion of every summer on sleepy Shelter Island that sense of slowing down and unplugging is even more pronounced. I spend hours just looking at shells on the shore with my daughter. And, of course, as many authors before me have felt about laying low in this part of the world, there is nothing more conducive to writing. I think what I love most about The Hamptons area is that everything feels at once accessible and pristine, but also relaxed. You want for nothing — downtime included…”

“…Since I was a NYC teenager, I’ve been lucky enough to spend warm summer stretches in the Hamptons—all different parts. Maybe that’s why the minute those beautiful shingled houses come into view and the scent of honeysuckle permeates, I feel like my shoulders drop by inches. During the pandemic, I missed my summer stint out there, both literally and figuratively…”

“…This year, I’m so excited to return—to my Shelter Island farmer’s market and Marie Eiffel breakfast runs. To days spent wandering town in Sag Harbor and searching out lobster rolls; to evenings filled with quiet walks and BBQs with family and friends. I can’t wait!”

To purchase her new book, click here!

— Emmy Sammons