A perfect beach read! A story of family, loss, and learning to move forward after life has thrown you for a loop. I always enjoy Nancy Thayer's writing style, the characters always feel like old friends that I'm catching up with.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for the ARC!

Eddie moves home to Nantucket for the summer to help her sister Barrett care for their father while Barrett opens her new shop. She plans to work remotely and then return to NYC after the summer. But then her boss Dinah comes to Nantucket as well. And she reconnects with a past love connection. Will she return to New York or will she find all she needs to make a life on Nantucket? Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

3.5 Rounded up.
It’s an enjoyable, mostly light, easy read. I loved the characters but felt their storylines were a bit choppy or underdeveloped. I think I’d liked the characters so much that I wanted more from each plot.

Thank you NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for sending this book for review consideration.

Eddie Grant just may be the biggest enabler ever. Her relationship with her employer, an author, is at a junction where her own life and desires will be in jeopardy. Maybe meant to be comical but actually is rather frightening. Eddie’s family, her father and sister, need her.

Sister Barrett is opening a Nantucket shop filled with blue items. Barrett is content staying on the island. And after holding down lots of odd jobs she has saved enough to go after her dream of owning the shop. Always risky in a small town that depends on seasonal visitors.

Dad William has been ruminating over the loss of his son and his divorce. Barrett and her dad have made a good life for themselves. Comfortable in their living arrangements in the family house. The island life and pace seem to fit them pretty well. Eddie has been successful off the island but returns to support the opening of Nantucket Blue. These three, a remarkably close bunch, seemed to coalesce after the separation and loss.

None of them have actually moved ahead with their personal lives. Keeping busy with stuff. But now that they are all together for Eddie’s extended stay at home it is obvious that there is a small part of them that would love to have someone.

The Grant family also has a new project that is growing exponentially daily. With the help of Dinah the very accomplished author and Eddie’s boss the idea of a used bookstore gains speed. All hands are on deck for this task. What is so entertaining and heartwarming is the care and love these characters have for each other. Their shared respect and devotion. In THE SUMMER WE STARTED OVER it is obvious that so many of the folks are seeing themselves through new eyes. Nancy Thayer created some lovely characters and through their interaction we are all part of the growth and discovery of their potential. One quote I will insert from this lovely book is all books are self-help books. Reading is more than just fundamental it’s a rewarding tool. Voracious readers like me have great reverence for the written tomb. Nancy Thayer includes her own homage to books and authors and the memories of gracious moments reading their works of literary art.

Through her dialog and characters Nancy Thayer reminds us why we love to read. We are all romantics in our souls and there is no better way to spend a day than with a romantic novel, based in ancient times or the present day. Hard to choose a favorite character in THE SUMMER WE STARTED OVER as there are so many to choose from. But I think most will agree that flamboyant Dinah and reclusive William, Eddie and Barrett’s father will carve out a place in your heart. Nancy Thayer designed this book to include several restarts. It will definitely win her even more fans.

"The Summer We Started Over" by Nancy Thayer delivers a beautiful tale of sisterhood, resilience, and love amidst the scenic backdrop of Nantucket. With compelling characters and engaging dialogue, Thayer weaves a heartwarming narrative that captivates from beginning to end.

Reading Nancy Thayer is a bit like comfort food. She has mastered her craft and you know what you are getting. The stories are familiar. You want to either become friends with or better yet, family, with the characters. You’d like to live in the places she’s created, and you know the ending, if not happy, will be satisfying. Many years ago, when I was a young stepmother, one of her books deeply resonated and helped me maneuver better in my new role. While I don't remember the title, i do remember its impact.

I had a similar feeling with this book. Although it wasn’t all light and happy (a backstory of grief and loss is strongly felt), it gave me a lift. Nothing better than time spent in Nantucket in February!

William, Eddie and Barrett's father, retired from his job as English professor at Williams College and bought a farmhouse in Nantucket. He is reeling from the accidental death of his son, Stearns, and his own wife’s desertion. A cloud hangs over the whole family. After their brother’s death, his wife took their baby out west and they have never met him.

Barrett moved with William. It was her intention to open a shop and make a life on the island. The other sister, Eddie, is the personal assistant to a famously flamboyant romance novelist, Dinah Lavender. She lives a fast paced, exciting life in New York and is happy in her work. But Eddie knows she must go spend some time in Nantucket to help her sister with her father. He has become reclusive, is writing a book going nowhere, but mostly has made the house unlivable since he became a book hoarder.

Dreamy boyfriends enter the picture. Barrett opens her store to great immediate success. Dinah comes to Nantucket and adds color to their lives. They find something positive to do with the books. Love is thwarted and then works out. Overall, it is a book that is brimming with characters of strong moral compass.

Recommend.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House for providing me with an ARC to review.

This book warmed my heart. Sister's come together to try and help their depressed Dad. They realize that what they are trying to do doesn't quite work. However in the process one opens a successful shop, they clean out the books in the house to create a book barn to give the old books new lives and the oldest sister decides to remain in town to raise her nephew and follow her heart. I liked the light heartedness thrown in by the Author one daughter works for that ended up coming and living with them and in the end helped change the story.
All in all a sweet book with a wonderful ending.

As always, Nancy Thayer delivers a book that’s fun to read, feel good and you can’t put down from beginning to end. Loved this sweet story, loved the setting and loved the characters.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange of an honest review.

This story is set in Nantucket and revolves around a family rebuilding their lives. Nantucket is easy to imagine by the authors description. The story is enjoyable and has an interesting cast of characters. The book is predictable but still a fun read. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

This is just a light, feel good beach read with a Nantucket summer setting.

Was it predictable? Yes, very.
Did everything work out in the end? Of course.
Was it an enjoyable read? Absolutely!

Sometimes you just need a book with very little stress, conflict or anxiety to read on vacation or before bed at night…this is one of them. I’m happy the Grants all found some peace & happiness after all the sadness and loss they experienced.

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Publishing-Ballantine for an advanced digital copy of this book.

I love Nancy Thayer books. Such quick feel good books. Loved these characters and how they grew together. Really felt like I was in the book and lived in Nantucket.

4.5 Stars rounded up to 5

I have been an enthusiastic reader of Nancy Thayer’s novels for years. The Summer We Started Over is one of her best. The story is full of interesting characters and kept me engaged from start to finish. My only criticism is that several of the relationships moved from friendship to romance to commitment too quickly to be realistic, but it did not detract from my enjoyment of the book. As is characteristic of her novels, Nantucket Island and its beauty is highlighted.

Following the dissolution of the family through divorce and the tragic death of a beloved brother/son, Willam Grant gives up his professorship and moves to a Nantucket farm with his two adult daughters, Eddie and Barrett. Each is dealing with the grieving process in their own way and yet there are striking similarities. Each has a dream and funnels all their emotional energy into fulfilling it – Eddie heads to New York to work for a celebrity romance novelist; Barrett works multiple jobs to save enough money to open her own specialty store; and William buries himself in writing an academic tome that may never be published. The story focuses on Eddie’s return to Nantucket to support her sister and father, which reflects the title of “starting over” on multiple levels.

With two exceptions, all the characters are likeable and drew me into their respective storylines. This is an easy, satisfying read with a feel-good ending. It does address some significant emotional issues, which the author manages with sensitivity and compassion.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

Book Title: The Summer We Started Over
Author: Nancy Thayer
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Ballantine Books
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Pub Date: April 23, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pages: 320

Story starts when twenty-nine year old Eddie Grant, her sister younger Barrett and their dad William who resigned his position as Professor of Poetry at prestigious Williams College and move from Western Massachusetts to Nantucket. Dad has been despondent since his wife left and son Stearns died a year ago in a motorcycle accident. He states he is going to write a book.
BTW: Stearns was named after Thomas-Sterns Elliot Eddie was named for Edna St. Vincent Millay and her sister Barrett for Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Eddie got a job at Mitchell’s bookstore where she meets Jeremiah Jefferson “Jeff’ also twenty-nine an avid reader. Things work out for then and not long after dating he asked her to marry him. She knows he would make a wonderful father but she doesn’t want children. Since she cannot give him what he wants she decides it best to leave and move to Manhattan. She gets a job as a personal assistant to romance writer Dinah Lavender. Dinah stipulates Eddie live at her place as writers often work night and day. Eddie has a beautiful room and life it good.

Barret wants to launch her dream shop “Nantucket Blue” on Memorial Day to be ready for the tourist season. She asks if Eddie could please come and help with their father as he has become weaker with sorrow. Eddie hasn’t taken a vacation so knows Dinah would be willing to give her time to help both her sister as well as her dad.

And thus it begins!
I love this story and the characters including Duke the dog and Duchess the horse. . True there were a couple villains but they were actually needed to balance this fairytale story – we know nasty people do invade our lives.

When this ended I said
I just LOVE Nancy Thayer!!
Her writing totally took me to Nantucket.
I felt like a fly on the wall observing their lives.

This is my sixteenth novel by Nancy Thayer and she has written over 35 so I have got more great reading ahead of me!
I have never been to Nantucket but between Nancy and Elin Hilderbrand it is on my bucket list!!
Nancy has lived on Nantucket Island year-round for 38 years with her husband Charley Walters. They have two children and five grandchildren.

Want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books for granting me this uncorrected early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for April 23, 2024.

Well written story set in Nantucket.. A family recovering from loss of loved ones and rebuilding their lives as a family and as individuals. Characters were well developed and Nantucket was described so well I could picture it. Sisters-Eddie and Barret rekindle their sister bond and both begin the path to reaching their goals. Barret opens her dream store-“Nantucket Blues” and Eddie begins to realize she can write a book as she’s always wanted.

It's always weird for me to read a book that I know has great reviews and be disappointed. Unfortunately, this happened with this book.

I love the idea of the book and the potential for he characters. However, nothing came of it. I just kept waiting for something to happen, or be resolved, or to continue in a natural way. The story didn't seem to flow at all, and there were so many jumps that made me question what I'd just read.

Bummer to say that I would not recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Once I started this book, I couldn’t stop reading! I received an advance copy of this book to read and review, and I am SO glad I did!

This book follows a family through their lives in western MA and Nantucket, following a series of tragedies and events. The characters are real and lovable, and honestly made me wish I was a member of the family, too.

This is a perfect read for during the summer while on vacation, or during the dreary days of winter when you need to be reminded of the summer to come. The author does a fantastic job of not making this story predictable— there are lots of happy twists and turns to keep you excited while you read.

Definitely one of my top books of 2024!

This one was fantastic! A book I expect will be in the hands of everyone at the pool this summer, Nancy Thayer knocked it out of the park.

Eddie Grant has the perfect job. Working as the personal assistant for eccentric romance writer Dinah Lavender, she's treated to the best. Dinah gives me mad Danielle Steel vibes. After nearly two years with no vacation Eddie heads home to Nantucket to help her sister Barrett open her store, and to help her father clean out and clean up his life.

Life takes a turn and a blast from the past shows up, Dinah moves in, and both girls experience a summer romance, how the group manages to pull together to create a newfound family makes my heart melt. Each character had something I loved; how they treated each other in times of crisis, how they found themselves again, and how new memories were made was heartwarming. What a great read!

Wow! Another great read by Nancy Thayer. This book is all about returning home and all of life’s problems and drama. The characters are all people that you will love and be rooting for. The book is so good and you will not want to put it down until the end and then you will be sad that it ended.

Another lovely summer story of family and beautiful Nantucket. Once again Nancy Thayer transports you with the scents and sounds of island living. You’ll meet the Grants who work hard and love hard. Thank you for the ARC Net Galley!

This book emphasizes the fact that while you may start over in certain ways, you never start over what truly belongs to you. That is the case with Eddie and Jeff whose love never faded despite extenuating circumstances. Yes, Dinah provided Eddie a world full of excitement with wonderful dinners and trips. But the best memories made are often the most simple such as her and Jeff visiting the beach and drinking lemonade near the barn. Nantucket may be filled with wealth as evidenced by the large homes but that truly doesn't matter if love cannot be found within the walls. That is why Bennett and Paul work as they find beauty in what they see around them which comes out in his wooden sculptures and the way she selected her wares at Nantucket Blues. It is unfortunate how Bobby came to the island with Dove but it serves a reminder of how fragile life and not to shut yourself out of it such as William did with his books. This novel ended on a wonderful note as each character found true love and what they deserved to have. Love is always worth fighting for.