Ok, maybe I am a little biased when it comes to books set in Nantucket. I simply fell in love with the Hawley family. Lisa and her children Juliet and Theo quickly grabbed a part of my heart. The story encapsulates a family that has undergone heartache but along the way learns to overcome life’s obstacles and find happiness. Believing in oneself and pursuing interests that ultimately fulfill you. I have been a Nancy Thayer fan for years.#GirlsOfSummer #Netgalley

Unfortunately, between the super predictable story line and the constant feeling that I was in a Greenpeace convention, I was not able to finish this book. Its a first for me reading Nancy Thayer - I normally love and devour all of her Nantucket reads but the past few seems different.

Lisa went to Nantucket high school. Lisa majored in business in college. Lisa falls for Erich and gets engaged. Lisa decides she wants children. She has a daughter Juliet. I like the name Juliet. Then a son Theo is born. Lisa and Erich get a divorce. I was hooked from the beginning. I liked Lisa

This is definitely a summer beach read. It is light and easy to read, but felt more like a YA book. A little too much romance and new relationships developing easily! I am not a romance fan, but had enjoyed previous books by Nancy Thayer and had hopes for this one. I was looking for something light and hoped this would appeal to me.

I did not feel like the story developed fast enough and it just left me wanting more. But if you are a Hallmark movie fan, you will probably enjoy this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I loved this new book by Nancy Thayer! It's such feel good book. Makes me believe that family really home.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. Unfortunately I found I didn’t connect with the characters in this book. I ended up putting it down for now because it wasn’t working for me.

Nancy Thayer and her Nantucket novels never disappoint. ‘Girls of Summer’, is a must read for your summer reading list. Single mom, Lisa Hawley and her two grown children Juliette and Theo each find love on the beautiful island of Nantucket. Ms. Thayer’s description of the island makes you feel like you are right there on Nantucket, with the ever changing and unexpected weather patterns the islanders have come to expect. ‘Girls of Summer’ is an upbeat and romantic novels that shows us love comes in all shapes, sizes and at any age. I highly recommend picking up a copy of Nancy Thayer’s newest book, you won’t be disappointed.

Girls of Summer was heartwarming and feel good women’s fiction that revolved around Lisa Hawley. It was about family, love, complicated relationship, unpleasant past, loneliness, companionship, hopes, dreams, and marine environment issues.

Writing was phenomenal and gripping. It was multiple third person narrative from Lisa, Juliet, Theo, and Beth’s perspective that made it easy to know them better, their life at Nantucket island, and what they each think about their feelings and situation.

Plot was simple and yet interesting. It was character driven story. Girls of Summer was, like title says, three women’s life and love story but men played equally important role. All characters were realistic and relatable, and they each had gone through a lot, were still scarred from the past but as story progressed, they developed gradually and learned to embrace life and love.

Lisa was 58 years old, mother of two adult children-Theo and Juliet- and successful business woman. But her journey was not pleasant. First few chapters were her backstory– her relationship with her parents, her childhood and friends at Nantucket, how she met her pathetic, pretentious husband, her suffocating married life and how that husband cheated on her and left her and children. It was biggest blow to her heart, soul and confidence, left her not wanting to date any man for life. Thank to her friend Rachel who pushed her back on her feet and now she was successful woman but when it came to her love life and body she still doubted herself. Ghost of her husband’s barbed words still haunted her until Mac came in her life. But there was age difference issue and she wasn’t ready for another heart break. I’m glad how she eventually she gave it chance, stood for herself, and bloomed in this lovely relationship.

Mac was 48 years old who lost his wife when his daughter was just 3 years old. He was handsome restoration carpenter who dated only few times but didn’t find someone special until he met Lisa and started working in her house. I loved his love for island and his work, how he loved to preserve the history of island by being in restoration rather than working for big company that demolished old historical buildings and built modern big houses. I admired him for being serious and upfront and how he made Lisa feel what she deserved- love, admiration and respect.

Mac and Lisa’s relationship wasn’t that easy. Small town community gossiped about their age difference and their children too worried about it. Moreover, their past life made it more complicated. Romance between them was slow and we don’t know if they are going to make it official or not until climax.

Natalie had job in tech company. She was brilliant at building websites and life was good until she too tasted bitterness of betrayal that made her want to spend summer with her mom at Nantucket where she met Ryder Hastings, environmental scientist working on his new organization Ocean Matters and was starting a branch on island. Spark between them was instant but Natalie was not sure if she can trust a man who was like her father- rich with old money and travelled a lot because of work- moreover, he was 10 years older. Her confidence and self-worth was wounded because of absent father and betrayal. She feared she wouldn’t be enough for him. It was interesting to find out what she would do and if Ryder really loved her and we don’t know about it until climax.

Theo was 2 years younger than Natalie. He wasn’t smart like Natalie and absence of father figure affected him more than he let on. Suicide of his best friend, Atticus, was biggest blow in life that sent him away from home. He was surfer. He didn’t trust himself with any job except surfing but after accident he didn’t want to get back to surfing. When he arrived back to Nantucket he acted like a teen expecting his mother to do all chores but then he started helping Mac’s crew and enjoyed the work. When it came to his mother’s relationship, he was more mature than Natalie and Beth. He supported Lisa most even though he knew what would it mean for him and Beth.

Beth was Mac’s daughter and she loved Theo from the beginning, even when she was dating his best friend. Now all her decisions were bit weird. She thought Theo was out of her league and wouldn’t want to be with her so she date Atticus. Her reasons sounded bit silly, I mean why wouldn’t you just talk to the guy and then Atticus’s suicide sent her to guilt trip. When she knew Theo was back, her buried feelings rushed back. But when she knew her father was dating Lisa, she acted childishly, was being cold to Lisa, and thought it was end to hers and Theo’s chance of dating. She was working for Ocean Matters and moved to Ryder’s garage house after raw with her father. You see where this was going. She was not my favourite character.

I wasn’t expecting of environmental issues when I started this book. It was unique and well written. Climax was interesting with all characters at different places during storm, helping each other and islanders with tension between relationships and uncertainty of outcome. I liked how their decision strengthened after fighting the storm. End was perfect.

Why 4 stars-

I didn’t like the way Lisa and Mac’s children switched from dislikes and disagreement to understanding and ‘it doesn’t matter’ attitude. One minute they didn’t want their parents together, act selfishly and next all of sudden they support parents’ relationship and didn’t mind if they have relationship to possible step-brother/sister!

Overall, Girls of Summer was feel good and enjoyable summer read with interesting character and setting. I recommend this to fans of women’s fiction.

What a charming read! Delightful beach reading. Loved this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

While I really enjoy most books by Nancy Thayer, this one was one that took a while to get in to. It was basically about a mother, Lisa, who had married someone she believed to be her "Prince Charming." In reality, he was less than a prince. After divorcing her husband, Lisa and her two children, move back to where she grew up.

Fast forward about 20 years and we see Lisa is a 50 something mother of two grown children. She owns a clothing shop where she lives and does well. She falls for a man who is 10 years younger than her (which I have no problem with). Her son and his daughter once had crushes on each other. Her daughter falls for a boss and that ends like most inter-office romances do.

The book covered 3 different relationships, which at times, had me wondering whose story I was actually reading.
It was a good concept if Thayer had concentrated on just one at a time and not flip flopped between the 3 relationships.

This is the perfect summer escape from the news . The author deftly sweeps the reader away to the delightful coastal area of Nantucket . You can practically hear the waves through her atmospheric descriptions of this beautiful coastal area. The story is uplifting,, heartwarming and a delight. I loved this book . Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley. My review opinion is my own. This is feel good story with wonderful charcters that you enjoy spending time with. Very well done to the author. One of my favorite summer reads.

Lisa was unceremoniously dumped by her husband who gas lighted her into not believing in herself and her abilities over two years ago. Even though she runs a successful boutique on Nantucket she still has not recovered from his mental abuse and lives a quiet insular life with a lack of confidence. Her grown children have left home and are on their own. She has a old cottage on the island that is seriously in need of repair so she hires a contractor who is a widow to work on her cottage. They develop a working relationship even though Lisa is not quite comfortable to have him in her home. As they talk they learn they both have suffered losses and have a lot in common. As their relationship begins to develop her grown children come home for the summer and discourage their Mom from being involved with him..

The story is sweet, heartwarming and refreshing . I loved how their relationship evolves slowly and how he helps Lisa discover her self confidence again. They are a perfect fit. I highly recommend this book for your summer reading enjoyment.

I had to abandon this book after just the first chapter because I could feel a physical depression descend upon me. Those first few pages described a relationship from the first meeting until a bitter divorce many years later and it felt like Thayer was throwing tons of information at you to build a back story that I'm not even sure was needed, from reading the description of the book. I hated that the husband was such a jerk, expecting a woman to "let him do what he wants," and that the wife's best friend encouraged her to resign to the fact that this was how her relationship was going to be, so she'd better stop complaining. There were no redeeming qualities to this first chapter that would have made me want to continue on and read any portion that followed. *Advance copy provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
(Abandoned with no star rating, but NetGalley requires at least one star when posting a review)

I really wanted to like this, but I didn’t. I figured it would be a nice summer read, but it was too cliche for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy of this book.

Review will be posted on 7/30/20

Lisa Hawley thought she married her Prince Charming until their marriage fell apart and she found herself raising her children, Juliet and Theo, on her own on the gorgeous island of Nantucket. She slowly built her life back up and opened her own boutique on the island. For years, she focused on her children, her parents, and her shop, but now that her kids have moved out and are grown, she is finding time to get back to what makes her happy. Except there's some issues. Aren't there always? Her historic home is falling apart. Literally. Part of her ceiling fell down, so she needs a carpenter stat. There's where Mack comes in. He is known for repairing historic homes on the island and while they know of each other, because their kids were friends, she hasn't really gotten to know him mostly because he is ten years younger. What could they possibly have in common? Once they start to hangout, they realize that there's some undeniable chemistry between the two of them despite the age difference. Just when things start heating up between the two, Lisa's daughter, Juliet, comes home and has plans to stay there for awhile. Naturally Juliet wants her mom to date, but she is worried she will get her heart broken by the much younger Mack. Plus, Juliet is escaping her own problems and hopes some time at home will fix them. Then there's Theo, who also returns home after injuring his shoulder surfing in California. Both of Lisa's children find love this summer on the island of Nantucket and quite possibly Lisa herself if she allows it. Girls of Summer by Nancy Thayer is pure summer escapism.

I could connect with Lisa at once in Girls of Summer. She always put her children first and her work first; so, she has put her needs and her historic home's needs on the back burner for years. She promises to finally work on her old house and in doing so, she meets someone who knocks her socks off. Once she gets past the age gap, she starts to allow herself to be happy; however, things get a bit bumpy when both of her children return home for the summer. Juliet brings major problems of her own, not to mention a broken heart, and Theo is a bit of a lost puppy. Not only does has a major shoulder injury, he is also without a job. He is trying to find his way and his old high school crush, Beth, catches his eye. Beth is Mack's son, so cue the drama. Juliet also has an opportunity for love this summer if she can allow herself to open up after her broken heart. Each chapter is told from a different character's perspective and I loved that aspect of the story. It was a great way to delve deeper into the character's thoughts and feelings all while moving the story along.

The setting of Nantucket is well done in Girls of Summer. I loved the descriptions of the quaint town, the shops, the restaurants, the historic homes, and the beautiful landscapes. Juliet's love interest, Cooper, is on the island for environmental purposes regarding his work, so this was a nice touch as well as readers learn more details about the island and its wildlife.

Girls of Summer is a dreamy sort of beach read and one that is a bit predictable. You go into it knowing everyone is going to be happy by the end and things always work out. It seemed too good to be true and too many coincidences, but that's what I love about Thayer's novels. They are overly saccharine and a great summer escape to get your mind off things. I don't know about you, but that is just what I needed. You can count on Thayer to insert you into a world of rainbows, true love, and a never-ending summer night. So, if you don't like insta-love in your beach reads and a bit more angst, look further; otherwise, this is beach read gold right here.

"Girls of Summer" by Nancy Thayer is a cute little beach read. Close you eyes, pretend you are in Nantucket, and let this book carry you away.

I like all of Nancy Thayer's books, and this was no exception. Light, easy read. Perfect for summer

Such an easy story to read! Love, romance, fear, change. All the things people face on a daily basis were wrapped into this story.

I always look forward to Nancy Thayer’s books, but this one fell a little flat for me. I love the settings and locations in her books; she obviously knows and loves the locations in her stories. This particular story felt a little dated to me and I think that’s why I struggled with it a bit.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Absolutely loved this book and didn’t want to put it down once. Julie and Cassie are sisters who haven’t talked in years coming together to spend a month at their grandmother’s home in Montauk to hopefully rekindle their relationship. While a little predictable at the end, but overall such a good book. Excited for the next book in this series!

I received a copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Nancy Thayer is one of my absolute favorite authors so I was so excited to be given the chance to read and review this book. As always she knocks it out of the park and makes me want to vacation ASAP on Nantucket. This is a great summer beach read that I highly recommend.