Family Reunion is a magnificent book about family, greed, and forgiveness. Nancy Thayer uses her writing to take you into a moment in time so you can see all sides of it. Her characters are richly vulnerable and compassionate. When we get old how will our families handle what they think we can no longer handle?

I was given an ebook by Netgalley and this is my voluntary, honest review.

I loved this story, as I have every book I’ve ever read by Nancy Thayer. The story line is great and the characters are fabulous. I felt like I was right there with them through the good and bad. These folks were dealing with real life and that’s how it felt to me. Come join the Sunderland’s and friends as they figure out life. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

Eleanor Sunderland is a recently widowed mom of two children, Cliff and Alicia. She lives on the beautiful island of Nantucket. As she approaches her 70th birthday, her children feel she should sell her house that has been in her family for generations. Eleanor is not keen on the idea and is rather troubled by the greed of her children especially her daughter, Alicia.

During the summer her granddaughter Ari comes to live with her after graduation. She recently broke it off with her fiance and wants to get a job on the island to help pay for graduate school to earn her Masters in early childhood education. Eleanor and Ari have a connection during the summer as events occur that bring them closer than ever. Many discoveries are made and big decisions arise.

This was a remarkable story that made me feel like I was right there with them. I loved the writing, the descriptions of the island and all the character except for Alicia. This was my first Nancy Thayer book and I was very happy I had the chance to read it. I will definitely be looking forward to reading her future books.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received an ARC from Random House Publishing Group Ballantine Books through NetGalley. Times are changing for Eleanor Sunderland who lives in Nantucket in a cliffside home that has been in her family for generations. Her children want her to sell it because a company is willing to pay $15 million. The family reunites and when the weekend is over, Eleanor's granddaughter decides to stay for the summer.
Throughout the summer a lot happens to this family. Decisions will be made and life will go on and Nancy Thayer takes us through their journey. We learn a lot about their character, their values, how they eventually end up where they are after the summer. I enjoyed reading about all the things this family went through, who they became, and how life can change the plans you had for yourself.

I feel like summer can truly start when I have Nancy Thayer's latest beach read in my hands. Even though the official start of the summer season is a few weeks away, I happily read this summer's release Family Reunion while a summery thunderstorm shook the house.

You never know quite what the story will be when you pick up one of Nancy Thayer's books. Will it be about young women just entering adulthood, a wife and mother trying to remember who is as a woman, a middle-aged woman whose life has taken a sharp turn... So I wasn't shocked when Family Reunion started out with a widow in her 70s alone in the large home that has been in her family for generations.

Though she is the age of my own mother, I immediately connected with Eleanor. Partly I saw what would be a similar life for me and partly I saw what I hoped my life would look like at her age. As much as I loved Eleanor from the start, I instantly disliked her daughter Alicia and to a slightly less degree her son Cliff. I do believe that is the intent. But I can't remember disliking, okay hating, a character more. Usually, I can see some redeeming quality or understanding of their behavior, but that wasn't the case for Alicia. She reminded me of the parable in the Bible of the prodigal son - she was demanding her inheritance while her mother still lived. And I felt enraged on Eleanor's behalf.

Alicia and Cliff only have small appearances as the story is focused on Eleanor and her granddaughter Ari who is staying the summer with her on Nantucket. One of the things I love most about Thayer's books is the Nantucket setting (I will visit there one day) and I loved seeing the island and summer season through the eyes of two women on different ends of the adult spectrum.

I enjoyed the secondary characters of Silas and Beck. I would have liked a little more of Cleo and Poppy as they seemed like fun characters - maybe they will get their own book one day.

Besides the over-the-top selfishness of Alicia, the only other thing I didn't was a storyline involving Ari. It just seemed like a too easy (or maybe overused) source of conflict. I rolled my eyes when I read it - I won't spoil it for you though.

Overall, it was a great read that has me anxiously waiting for summer to really get here. It also made me want to visit Nantucket more than ever. So whether you need a book for your beach bag or just want to go on a fictional vacation, this is the perfect book.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Tuesday, May 4 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2021/05/family-reunion-by-nancy-thayer-review.html

Thayer's books always feel like a comfort read to me. She takes you to Nantucket with her expert details and has you enjoying island life and meeting a new family. Her books are like a kickstart to summer and Family Reunion is the perfect beach and summer read. We read about a family living in Nantucket and their trials and tribulations. Let's be honest- she has a reading formula but it works.

Nancy Thayer is master storyteller, especially about family dilemmas set on the beautiful island of Nantucket. The family will gather for their annual reunion on June 3rd to celebrate Eleanor’s seventieth birthday. As with any family, there will be characters we like, a few we love, and one or two we’ll actually dislike. That’s okay, it makes the story fun when we have an unpopular character.

We start out on a high cliff on Nantucket overlooking the ocean in a home, built decades ago, that has passed through several generations to Eleanor Sunderland. Eleanor loves this house and its location and has been living here year-round since her husband died three years ago. She feels safe and secure here with a busy life and good friends.

Her adult children, daughter Alicia, and son Cliff, feel otherwise. They want their mother to sell the house and move into a retirement home, so they won’t have to worry about her. Don’t believe that for a second, they want the money her house and premium location will bring. Eleanor is a smart and independent woman who wants to live her golden years on her terms. Neither of her children actually need money since they both live comfortably with successful lives.

Her daughter Alicia, the eldest, is married to Philip, a surgeon, with one child, Arianna (Ari), twenty-two years-old who just graduated from college. Ari and Eleanor have a wonderful relationship, better than either of them has with Alicia. When she was young, Alicia’s father indulged her with whatever she wanted to relieve his guilt of not having spent time with her. Alicia is now an adult brat wanting everything and more, be prepared to dislike her, it’s expected.

Cliff, younger than his sister, wasn’t so much as indulged by his father, as he was ignored. He was well-cared for, of course, but never really sure if his father liked him or not. He’s a decent guy, working as a real-estate salesman in the premium markets of Boston. He’s still single, which is fine with him, but seems to annoy everyone else. He’d like his mother to sell her home as well, only because he knows how valuable her property is and feels it would be a smart business decision. In fact, he’s had an offer from a developer to buy her house and land on the cliff for fifteen million dollars.

Finally, we have Ari, Eleanor’s only grandchild, who wants to spend the summer with her for several reasons. She’ll be going to graduate school in the fall, so she wants to earn money working a summer job on the island, which usually pay well. She also broke her engagement to her longtime, college boyfriend, who she realized she doesn’t want to marry and doesn’t love. A summer with her grandmother and working on Nantucket would be ideal.

Naturally, there are other characters you’ll meet that play interesting and supporting roles that affect the outcome of the story. An old friend of Eleanor’s and her husband, Silas Stover, reconnects after his wife passes away. You’ll really like Silas. Ari will meet a new guy while also finding out life-changing news, that could impact her future. And, of course, the big decision of selling the house continues to loom over the family until they’re forced to decide.

The ending is my personal favorite, it makes smile just thinking about it. It’s not all neat and tidy, but it’s good and right for Eleanor, who you’ll grow to love.

I very highly recommend this book.

Thank you Netgalley, Random House – Ballantine, and Nancy Thayer

This was a really cute beach read. The setting was gorgeous, and kind of felt like a character of its own. I really liked Eleanor and Ari, and I enjoyed reading about the challenges they faced in life, and what they wanted the next phase of their life to look like. I didn’t really like the rest of the characters in this book though. All in all, it was a nice light book, and a great fast read for the beach. I received an ARC from netgalley, and this is my honest review.

Eleanor adores her Nantucket beach front home, but her money-hungry children have begun to pressure her to sell. She embraces the opportunity to have her twenty-two-year-old granddaughter, Ari, live with her for the summer, and both women experience a summer they will never forget.

While I myself have unfortunately never been, the Nantucket setting is one of my favorite book settings! Nancy Thayer always does an incredible job capturing the Nantucket scene perfectly, and her detailed, descriptive writing makes you feel fully immersed in the setting. I enjoyed both Eleanor’s and Ari’s stories, and this feel-good book is sure to warm your heart. This novel was a quick read, and it would be the perfect book to binge on a sunny beach day!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing my with an advance copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This was a departure from my usual psychological thriller books and I must admit it was a nice change. I love the author and she didn’t disappoint. Her characters are well-delineated and the dramas very real. Great read!

I have mixed emotions about this book. Although I liked the storyline, I didn’t like most of the characters. Eleanor, the matriarch, had her moments. The only really likable characters was Ari, her granddaughter. It is a fun, summer read and I read it in one day. Thank you to Nancy Thayer, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

Coming of Age for Three Generations
What a wonderful tale this is about an entire family going through catharsis at the same time. The story is centered around a seventy-year-old widow on her own in the family home on Nantucket. Over the course of the summer life changes for her, her adult children, and her adult granddaughter. It is a beautiful tale of how all of the assorted personalities deal with issues, become stronger and help the family become stronger. This is a fine story that I will enjoy reading again. I have enjoyed this author's work and this piece did not disappoint. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Family Reunion by Nancy Thayer
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine
Genre: Women's Fiction
Publication Date: May 4, 2021

Family Reunion by Nancy Thayer is a beautiful family drama that brought me home to New England. This is the first book I've read by the author and I'm sure it won't be the last!

I really enjoyed this book and could not put it down! I thought the story was beautiful and I enjoyed the characters. It made me sit back and feel gratitude toward my family and the time we've had together. I liked that this book felt light and airy, even though big topics were discussed.

This was sweet and heartwarming and I really enjoyed reading it. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a beach read!

I'm so grateful to Nancy Thayer, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

I have been a fan of Nancy Thayer for yrs now & her books always delight me!!!!!! This story is amazing and so charming. Reading a Nancy Thayer book is like sinking into a comfortable cloud for hours. It's comfortable, charming, funny, and a delight to read. I fell in love with her characters in this book and will remember this book for a long time. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

My first time reading this author and I really enjoyed her descriptive writing. This is a summer of chaos and drama involving a disconnected family. I really liked the relationship between Eleanor and her granddaughter. Loved that the granddaughter wanted to spend her summer with her grandmother and they each let the other have their own space and time while also doing things together. The ending is perfect and befits the title. This is a character driven novel, which I like. I also like when I love some characters and dislike others and that fits these characters perfectly. I would love to spend a summer with Eleanor but I would not get along with her daughter at all. A perfect summer read and I will be picking up some more books by this author.
Reviewed by Comfy Chair Books/Lisa Reigel (April 29, 2021)
ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley
I also bought a copy via the Brenda Novak Book Club Box Subscription

Eleanor wishes she was closer to her children- the mercenary Alicia and the distant Cliff. She's been living in the family summer home on Nantucket full time since her husband died and she's made a good life out there. Now, though, Alicia and Cliff would like her to sell the house (it's worth $15 million!). Her granddaughter Ari who has just broken her engagement is spending the summer with her, working at a day camp while she determines her next move, which will be complicated by....no spoilers. And Eleanor has developed a nice relationship with Cal, a widower. This is a classic Thayer summer novel. If you know her writing, you know that there will be lists, that it's sometimes a bit stilted, and that there will be more going on with each character (including Alicia) than it appears at first. It's a beach book, a fantasy of a privileged family. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Thayer's fans will be happy with this year's novel.

A light yet enjoyable read for anyone who wants to detach for a bit and set foot into another world unlike their own. Nancy Thayer sets a comforting scene.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Nancy Thayer for sharing this arc copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Pros:
The cover is just stunning.

cons:
This was the first Nancy Thayer book I've ever read and It will be my last Nancy Thayer book.. Here's why I really didn't care for this book, I assume that Nancy Thayer is a beach read book author.. How many beach reads does one need? I think Mary Kay Andrews and Elin Hilderbrand do beach reads much better..
The Story follows Eleanor Sunderland is about to celebrate her 70th birthday on June 3 and looking forward to being with her family and friends, My Problem with the book is the charcters, All of them were so whiny and so unlikable.
Here's an example : Eleanor's best friend can't make her birthday party because she will be on a cruise with her husband and Eleanor who is almost 7o throws a temper Tantrum.. It was laughable and just really badly written..
Another example was when Eleanor was complaining how much a bitch her daughter, Alicia is.. In the story Eleanor gives Alicia a check for 1 grand and Alicia who is 46 by the way, says UGH, This isn't enough for a birkin bag, than berates her mother into selling her family home and suggesting Eleanor takes a Reverse mortgage on her home...

at this point, I was like How does Nancy Thayer has any fans? Seriously.. her Characters are so unlikable and just down right repugnant...

Eleanor is my kind of woman.

Jeez, Alicia. Whose mom gives her a thousand bucks just like that?

She's seventy, not senile!

I would love her attic.

Cal needs to chill.

Such a twat.

Aw, Silas is cute. But jeez, poor Mountain.

That movie still freaks me out when I see crows.

Ugh, Alicia.

Holy crap, Cliff!

I wish she hadn't sold the house.

Family Reunion
Nancy Thayer
May 04, 2021

Spring is shining its last hurrah. Eleanor Sunderland is looking forward to celebrating her 70th birthday in June. It’s time to plan a gathering of her small family. She knows that it will be wonderful to see them but despite her love for her children Cliff and Alicia, now adults, she knows the overwhelming interruption to her blessed peaceful existence in her home on the Atlantic shore. Cliff lives in Florida selling homes to the rich and famous. He will fly in and rent a cute little sports car. Alicia and her husband Phillip are at home in Boston. He is a surgeon while Alicia spends her time lunching with friends, hosting hospital parties and shopping. Their only daughter, Arianna will be graduating from Bucknell University soon. She plans to attend graduate school studying early education.
As Eleanor contemplates her plans for the summer she finishes her coffee and readies herself for the daily walk. Thinking back through the memories as she walks the beach knowing that one of the topics of conversation will be her staying at her beautiful cottage in Nantucket. When her husband, Mortimer passed she sold the house in Boston and moved to the island permanently. That was 3 year ago. All of her friends are there. Despite the need for upkeep and time spent alone most of the winter, Eleanor has no plans to leave. It was her place, her refuge. No matter the argument she was there to stay.
This wonderful book by Nancy Thayer brought many a conversation of my mom and family after my father had passed. It seemed that all had ideas of what would be best for her but no one could look past their own proposal. It seemed to always lead back to what is best for themselves. This read brought in concerns that will remind the reader of any family gathering. It is well written and flows easily from one event to the next.
Family Reunion by Nancy Thayer will be published on May 04, 2021 by Ballantine Books of Random House. I appreciate their allowing me to read and review this ARC of Family Reunion. It is a superb story that I was receptive to from page one. It is my first by Thayer and will not be my last. I laughed, shed a few tears and was up reading far too late. This book is not to be missed. Truly, enjoy!