Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Eleanor loves her home in Nantucket that has been in her family for years. Ari can't wait to spend the summer at her grandmother's after ending her engagement and graduating from college. Ari mother wants Eleanor to sell the house, which Eleanor has no desire to do. This book was both enjoyable and well written.

This delightful book is an easy read and filled with lots of family dynamics. Nancy Thayer has not disappointed. It’s refreshing to find a the main character is a 70 year old widow, living in the family home on Nantucket. Her greedy adult children want her to sell the home and split the money between them and relegate her to assisted living. She clearly is not going to grant their wishes. Her granddaughter is also a lovable character who is doing her best to figure out where she is going in life after her college graduation. It was fun to read how this family worked through their dysfunction and everyone was happier. I recommend this book to someone who is looking for a light hearted story.

I’m a big fan of Nancy Thayer and always look forward to reading her latest book, so I’m sorry to say I didn’t care for this book at all. Living on the cape for me this book is a perfect example of Nantucket and Boston suburb greed, and the enough is never enough syndrome. I found most of the main characters completely shallow along with their petty problems, especially her daughter Amelia, who despite all the wealth she has can’t be happy without a Birkin bag! I couldn’t seem to care about any of the characters including Ari and her grandmother Eleanor, who begrudges her best friend because she’s going on a cruise for the summer, and how could she leave Eleanor alone for the season! In the end the kids get what they want, their mother sells the house for a huge amount, and how dare she not do anything but split the money with them, and the ending is sweetly tied up with a bow on it. Even Eleanor doing something good with part of her money couldn’t save this book for me.
I’m never usually this negative about a book, but Thayer’s books are usually filled with more substance in plot and characters, and I truly missed that in Family Reunion.

Nancy Thayer never disappoints. Family Reunion was so delicious I read it in one sitting. While I loved reading about Eleanor and her family I am so happy not to be part of that family - which, to me, shows what a terrific writer Ms. Thayer is. She brings her characters completely to life. Eleanor is a woman I loved and a woman I would like to have as a friend.

***Family Reunion has a good story buried within it’s ponderous wordiness. Centered on grandmother, Eleanor, her two children, Alicia and Cliff, and her granddaughter, Ari, the story focuses on the summer Eleanor turns 70. This reader disliked being told something over and over as foreshadowing before being told again in dialogue. Eleanor’s family, with the exception of the granddaughter, are not particularly likable...especially the daughter. I usually love books by Nancy Thayer, but this was a book that was easy to put down and difficult to pick back up. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book from NetGalley.

This book was sent to me by Netgalley for free Kindle review. There are several characters and only one who is redeemable. The Mom/Grandma. The others seem to do what they want and when despite repercussions. This story is about money and what it can buy...the granddaughter is somewhat likeable but her parents not so much. Try this one but I was not in love with the story. Perhaps if the Mom has better kids the story would have been heartwarming . The theme greed mostly.

How many times can you say cripes, well that isn’t exactly the word that came out of my mouth but you get the idea.
FAMILY REUNION centers on a family that you sure wouldn’t want for your own. No they are not serial killers but some certainly appear cold blooded. Their reaction to each, their relationship is candidly chilling. But let’s not judge these folks on first impression. That would not be prudent. Nancy Thayer obviously has a plan for this family and you would be remiss in second guessing this talented author. You could say that the old expression of not judging a book by its cover works for the Sunderland family who are front and center in Nancy Thayer's FAMILY REUNION.
The matriarch Eleanor lives in a rambling house on prime real estate on Nantucket Island. This house has been in her family for generations. Eleanor is going to be seventy this year and invites her family to celebrate. Yeah they will be coming but not to celebrate. Her horrid daughter Alicia, I know you shouldn’t judge people harshly but wait until you meet her. Can you envision a selfish, self absorbed person? Then you are looking at Alicia.
Arianna who goes by Ari is Alicia and her husband Peters child. Eleanor has two adult children Alicia and Cliff who do not favor their mother. So Eleanor invested much love in Ari who miraculously developed into a caring person despite her parents.
All Alicia sees when she visits Eleanor in Nantucket is dollar signs. Alicia goes through money like a sieve and isn’t ashamed of taking more and more from her mother. Gifts are met with caustic remarks like is that it. Well do you get my cripes now.
So the story follows Eleanor as she tries to accommodate her offspring. Evidently to the detriment of the home itself. Eleanor doesn’t see herself moving out of the family home but is aware of its isolation especially in winter months. Alicia and Cliff are working in tandem to convince Eleanor to sell this valuable property and of course split the profits.
Ari returned for the summer to Nantucket to figure out her future. Ari’s career choice is working with children. Her summer job at a camp for disadvantage kids is fulfilling. Her social life not so. You see Ari realizes that she is pregnant after leaving her groom to be practically at the altar.
Alicia is busy being Alicia an unhappy woman with an insatiable appetite for stuff. Peter is keeping himself busy with anything that takes him out of Alicia’s sights.
There is so much sadness and chaos in this family that you can’t figure out how they could ever find themselves again.
Nancy Thayer obviously has a plan in mind. She definitely has her work cut out for her. But watching this drama unfold is kind of mesmerizing. Definition of a messy family in too many ways to enumerate in this review. You have to see it yourself.

Eleanor is a widow who lives on Nantucket in a beautiful family home overlooking the ocean. Her two adult children are greedy in nature and are pushing their mother to sell the home and share the millions in profit with them. This creates awkward and tense family gatherings and conversations. Eleanor's granddaughter Ari has just completed her time at college, broken off an engagement, and is trying to figure out her direction in life. A summer with her grandmother is a great place to start.

This is a light Nantucket beach read where the characters face typical family issues and struggles. I didn't feel like there was as much as a "warm & fuzzy" connection with the characters in this book, but the overall story is pleasant.

Nantucket....the beach....the ocean....what could be better. We follow the life of Eleanor and her children and granddaughter. Families have obstacles they must overcome and this one is no different. Infidelity, pregnancy, broken hearts, and demanding relatives are all mixed in there. We get a look at the young, the old and the in-between.

A loving story, this ARC was a delightful read. I related a lot to the family squabbles and the closeness of members. My favorite was the relationship of Ari and her grandmother, Eleanor. In these chaotic times of the pandemic, it was a great feeling to get lost in a book about a family reunion. #fivestars #Netgalley #ARC due to be released May 4, 2021

A sweet read, much as one would expect from Thayer who does this genre so well. Escaping to Nantucket with her is always a pleasure and the array of characters make the book. The ending is a little unexpected, which is a nice twist.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy. I have always liked Nancy Thayer’s book and this one did not disappoint! It’s a perfect beach read - even after 16” of snow in CT!
All of her stories paint such descriptive settings.....some characters are a little less likable, but I loves Eleanor and Ari. Thanks , Nancy for such an enjoyable read!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this summer's Nancy Thayer release. I really enjoyed it and finished it in 2 sittings. There were quite a few inconsistencies that needed to be edited before the final printing, but these didn't detracted from the reading too much. Highly recommend if you'd like a light getaway to nantucket this year 😊

There is good reason why Nancy Thayer is heralded as a doyenne of Women's Fiction (which really just means damn good writing that women are smart enough to recognize). Thayer's books provide the opportunity to reflect on one's own life while reading about the characters in her novels. In FAMILY REUNION, Thayer introduces us to two women at very different stages of life. There's Eleanor, an active 70-year-old living a lovely life in her grand house in Nantucket, and her granddaughter Ari, just graduated from college and trying to figure out her future. When Ari comes to live with Eleanor for a summer, the two women provide each other with the strength and insight to see their way forward in each walk of life. I loved both of them dearly and was sorry to leave them at the end of the book.

This novel will delight older women. Eleanor is 70, living alone in her huge family home on Nantucket, until her granddaughter Ari comes to stay and becomes a catalyst for major changes Eleanor and Ari are extremely likable characters and as a teacher and an older widow, I identified with both of them.

The sailing is not all smooth as Eleanor has to deal with her adult children and Ari finds herself in a difficult situation as she falls in love with someone on the island. I love the fact that Eleanor is depicted as a woman going through massive life changes, not ready to enter her dotage quietly and obediently.

I found this novel absolutely inspirational for older women. It’s both a beautiful read and a wonderful story that all my book groups will love. I highly recommend this to women’s reading groups who will enjoy the. Story and ensuing discussions.

Thank you Netgalley for this very engaging and inspiring book.

I received an advance copy of, Family Reunion, by Nancy Thayer. This is an ok book, if a little boring. It would be an ok book for the beach.

I really enjoyed this book, I finished it in less than a day. I recently started reading books by Nancy Thayer, and I love them. I love the relationship that Ari has with her grandmother. It makes me wish I had a close relationship with mine when she was alive, but she passed away when I was young. I love Eleanor in this book, she was active, funny, and cared about her family. I am grateful that netgalley let me read this in exchange for an honest review.