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Jenny Jackson, author of The Shampoo Effect

When Caroline Lash arrives in Greenhead, Massachusetts, she falls head-over-heels for Van Whittaker. Born and raised in this picturesque coastal village, Van runs with the same crowd he did as a kid: his ex-girlfriend, Bailey; Augusta, who is old money, horsey and snobbish; and Fran, who is 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 and spending long afternoons sunbathing with their children. 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. What she does next exposes long-held secrets and works the entire town of Greenhead into a lather. 

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The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson

July 2026

I loved Jenny Jackson's debut, PINEAPPLE STREET, so I was excited to read her new novel, THE SHAMPOO EFFECT. This time the setting is seaside Massachusetts in a town called Greenhead, which is inspired by Ipswich, where Jenny grew up. Caroline is there for a writing fellowship and plans to get a long work of fiction done. Her mother is a bestselling thriller author, and Caroline has worked at a publishing house. But now she wants to be on the other side of it, as an author in her own right.

On the ferry ride over, Caroline encounters a young man, Van Whittaker, who she later learns has lived in Greenhead his entire life. Their whole “meet-cute” scene leads to another casual meeting and then some dates. Van has a close-knit group of friends who also are lifers in town. Through him, she comes to know them and is treated like an outsider right from the very start.

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