The Shampoo Effect
Will be published approx. on 2. July 2026
Book
Hardback
352 pages
978-1-5291-5522-8 (ISBN)
Description
'I devoured THE SHAMPOO EFFECT . . . it's funny, drama-fuelled, and full of Jackson's breezy wit.' Coco Mellors, Sunday Times bestselling author of BLUE SISTERS
'So breezily readable and laugh-out-loud funny while excavating the deepest truths about motherhood, family, and forgiveness.' CATHERINE NEWMAN, author of WE ALL WANT IMPOSSIBLE THINGS
'An absolute DELIGHT . . . a must, must, must for your summer reading list' Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author of THE PERFECT COUPLE
'Funny, sharp and charming' Rebecca Serle, New York Times bestselling author of IN FIVE YEARS
OVER ONE LONG SUMMER, WHO KNOWS WHAT MIGHT COME OUT IN THE WASH?
When writer Caroline Lash arrives in Greenhead, she falls immediately for its scenic beaches and New England charm - and even harder for Van Whittaker, a gorgeous, fleece-wearing, litter-collecting, kayak enthusiast.
She meets his friends: Augusta, old money and uptight; Fran, drowning in everyone else's problems whilst keeping two kids (and an inebriated husband) afloat; and Bailey, who is sexy, confident... and inconveniently pregnant with Van's child.
Determined nothing will dull the shine of her new romance, Caroline joins the friends as they run wild through Greenhead, drinking on houseboats, gossiping on beaches while their children paddle, and playing risky games.
It seems the fun will last forever - until it doesn't. As decades-old friendships and marriages begin to fracture, Caroline's place in their world is called into question. And with all the group's most tightly held secrets at stake, who knows what might come out?
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, and old friends finally growing up - despite all their best efforts.
'So breezily readable and laugh-out-loud funny while excavating the deepest truths about motherhood, family, and forgiveness.' CATHERINE NEWMAN, author of WE ALL WANT IMPOSSIBLE THINGS
'An absolute DELIGHT . . . a must, must, must for your summer reading list' Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author of THE PERFECT COUPLE
'Funny, sharp and charming' Rebecca Serle, New York Times bestselling author of IN FIVE YEARS
OVER ONE LONG SUMMER, WHO KNOWS WHAT MIGHT COME OUT IN THE WASH?
When writer Caroline Lash arrives in Greenhead, she falls immediately for its scenic beaches and New England charm - and even harder for Van Whittaker, a gorgeous, fleece-wearing, litter-collecting, kayak enthusiast.
She meets his friends: Augusta, old money and uptight; Fran, drowning in everyone else's problems whilst keeping two kids (and an inebriated husband) afloat; and Bailey, who is sexy, confident... and inconveniently pregnant with Van's child.
Determined nothing will dull the shine of her new romance, Caroline joins the friends as they run wild through Greenhead, drinking on houseboats, gossiping on beaches while their children paddle, and playing risky games.
It seems the fun will last forever - until it doesn't. As decades-old friendships and marriages begin to fracture, Caroline's place in their world is called into question. And with all the group's most tightly held secrets at stake, who knows what might come out?
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, and old friends finally growing up - despite all their best efforts.
Reviews / Votes
I devoured The Shampoo Effect. Jackson has a rare knack for capturing the intensity of old friendships and the way love, jealousy, money, and history combust until everyone is behaving (deliciously) badly. It's funny, drama-fueled, and full of Jackson's breezy wit, but what stayed with me most was how honestly and insightfully it captures the grit beneath the gloss of these characters. A brilliant story of marriage, motherhood, and the difficult work of breaking old patterns to become someone new -- Coco Mellors, New York Times bestselling author of BLUE SISTERS I binged The Shampoo Effect and am now bereft and also jealous. Jenny Jackson has written a book that's so breezily readable and laugh-out-loud funny while excavating the deepest truths about motherhood, family, and forgiveness. What an unforgettable cast of characters. What an accomplishment. -- CATHERINE NEWMAN, author of WE ALL WANT IMPOSSIBLE THINGS An absolute DELIGHT. This book has everything I love in a beach read: a coastal setting, multiple points of view, compelling storylines, and a delicious specificity to the writing that makes every single sentence feel fresh and alive. Jenny Jackson's The Shampoo Effect is a must, must, must for your summer reading list. -- Elin Hilderbrand, #1 New York Times bestselling author of SWAN SONG Funny, sharp, and charming -- Rebecca Serle, New York Times bestselling author of ONE ITALIAN SUMMER The Shampoo Effect is a delicious, unputdownable portrait of a group of friends navigating love, marriage, and young parenthood. Jackson's characters are fully drawn, complex and flawed, each traveling a true arc of growth, arriving in the final pages at a deeper understanding of the ties that bind them to one another. I loved it -- Belle Burden, #1 New York Times bestselling author of STRANGERS One of the smartest, funniest, and most astute novels I've ever read . . . presented by Jenny Jackson with a combination of great humour and profound wistfulness. I loved this novel. You will, too. -- Chris Bohjalian, author of THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT and THE AMATEUR Warm, witty, sharp and clever - it's the perfect smart summer book. Absolutely delicious! * Daisy Buchanan, author of CAREERING * Smart, funny, and perceptive, Jenny Jackson captures the messiness of modern relationships with rare precision. THE SHAMPOO EFFECT is an addictive, beautifully observed read. -- Louise O'Neill, author of ASKING FOR ITMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Cornerstone
Dimensions
Height: 226 mm
Width: 147 mm
Thickness: 32 mm
Weight
466 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5291-5522-8 (9781529155228)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Jenny Jackson
The Shampoo Effect
A witty and irresistible new novel for fans of The Wedding People and Blue Sisters
E-Book
approx. 07/2026
Penguin (Cornerstone)
€12.99
Not yet available
Person
Jenny Jackson is a Vice President and Executive Editor at Alfred A. Knopf. A graduate of Williams College and the Columbia Publishing Course, Jenny lives in Brooklyn Heights with her family. Her first novel, Pineapple Street, was a New York Times bestseller. The Shampoo Effect is her second novel.