Books: “Bad Summer People” by Emma Rosenblum

The leitmotif of this summer seems to be tennis. First we have Carlos Alcaraz, the 20-year-old Wimbledon prodigy who ground Djokovic into the dust last Sunday. And now there’s Emma Rosenblum’s “Bad Summer People,” a breezy summer novel featuring a good-looking tennis player who shakes up a community on Fire Island.

The action takes place in Balcombe, a pseudonym for Saltaire. Robert, the tennis pro, gives lessons to the nouveau-riche Upper East Side residents who’ve summered there forever. He also gives sexual healing to Lauren, an unhappily married blonde who reminds him of an old girlfriend and who has a killer backhand.

Seems that none of these summer people, despite their wealth, is very happy with their marriage. If they’re not sleeping with the pro, they’re having dalliances with each other’s spouses (then gossiping about it) while their kids are enjoying summer camp.

And for those who like a bit of substance with their summer reading, there’s also a murder mystery to be solved. (No spoilers here. Sorry/not sorry.)

Let’s face it, the heat and humidity are bad enough in New York City without having to wade through “War and Peace.” “Bad Summer People” is cotton candy for Summer, 2023. A couple of big gulps and you’re smiling and very satisfied.