The Shampoo Effect

Brought to you by Penguin.

When writer Caroline Lash arrives in Greenhead from New York City, 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.

Van has always run with the same crowd: Augusta, old money and uptight; Fran, drowning in everyone else’s problems whilst keeping two kids (and a perpetually stoned 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 as their children play, and initiating risky games with one another, both physical and emotional.

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 will come out in the wash?

A dazzling novel as juicy as it is incisive, THE SHAMPOO EFFECT is a hilarious, emotionally generous look at friendship, sexuality and relationships today.

© Jenny Jackson 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

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

About Jenny Jackson

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. Pineapple Street is her first novel.
Details
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • ISBN: 9781804957608
  • Price: £14.00
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