How Tinx Went from Hamptons Hater to Devotee

For her debut novel Hotter in the Hamptons, TikTok personality Christina “Tinx“ Najjar didn’t have to look far for inspiration. “I’ve always been obsessed with Rich Mom locations,” she said in an interview with South O’ the Highway. “And the Hamptons is shrouded in mystery – it’s luxurious, glamorous and just exudes summer.”

But her relationship with the East End wasn’t always so dreamy. “I used to hate the Hamptons,” she admits. “I didn’t get why people drove all that way for unpredictable weather and restaurants you can’t get into.” That changed when she rented a house of her own and filled it with close friends. “That’s when I understood how magical it can be.”

Now a devoted East Hampton regular – “People joke that’s where all the Los Angeles people stay, so I guess it fits” – Tinx has spent the past three summers soaking in the scene that would become the backdrop of her novel. Favorite haunts include East Hampton Grill (“very strict, but I love it”), The Crow’s Nest in Montauk (“the lobster pasta is incredible”), and her go-to lunch spot, Lobster Roll, also known as LUNCH. “They have the best sauce collection in the game. I love their hotdog.”

Though she’s made her name on social media with more than 2 million combined followers across Instagram and TikTok alone, Tinx says fiction offered a surprisingly intimate outlet. “When I started writing this book, I wanted to do something creative that was really separate from me since my whole job is sharing myself with the world. It turns out that writing fiction is one of the most personal things you can do!”

Drawing inspiration from questions her followers asked over the years, she turned their curiosity about Hamptons life into a juicy summer read that’s just as fun and chaotic as a share house over Fourth of July weekend. And she’s not stopping with one book. “I see this as the first in a big series,” Tinx says. “There’s just so much to explore.”

The 34-year-old’s Hotter in the Hamptons, published by Penguin Books, hit shelves on May 6. And stay tuned – the novel has already been picked up by Erin and Sara Foster’s Fatigue Sisters Productions to develop it into a comedy series.