Another great Summer Read by Nancy Thayer! She is always on the top of my list of must read summer books! I read this book in the middle of winter and it gave me all of those happy summer feelings! I loved all of the characters in this book, the story had mostly happy moments, but it definitely had a few tearful parts. . Thayer's books always make me want to visit Nantucket, maybe it will happen someday! Can you imagine reading a book by Nancy Thayer on the beach in Nantucket? #TheSummerWeStartedOver #NetGalley

Beautiful book, 4.5 stars! I absolutely loved all of the various love stories happening at the same time, and Dinah was such a fun character! I don’t know why I felt like William (Dad) came across as unlikeable, even though there was no reason to not like him. Years were shed, smiles were smiled, overall a really great book.

Great summer read! I enjoy any book that has a Nantucket Island story line. I thought this book had great characters and the reader was able to get to know them and find they were all likeable. Whereas the plot was a tad predictable, this was a quick read and one that readers will enjoy.

What a refreshing, pleasant, summer read!! The characters were spot on, quirky and good hearted. The two sisters got along beautifully (I loved their interactions with each other) and their dad had a major transformation. The partners each one chose were storybook perfect. The ending was happy and exactly what you could've hoped for. Everyone got their new fresh start. I will keep reading anything Nancy Thayer writes and recommend this book to my bookclub and friends. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC of The Summer We Started Over by Nancy Thayer.

*I am incredibly grateful to have received this book ahead of schedule from NetGalley and the publisher in return for my unbiased review.*

I have looked at other reviews and I am honestly surprised by the number of 5 star reviews this book got. I am clearly in the minority but I do feel that when receiving these ARC books, that it is my duty to give an honest review based on my experience with the book.*

I loved the cover of this book. It was beautiful and transported me straight to the beach. I also loved the Nantucket beach setting. I have never been to Nantucket and the descriptions make me want to visit. But…my love for this book ends there. I've read other books by Thayer and I liked them. They have that beachy, romantic feel that always puts me in a good mood. I was very disappointed with this one because it felt like it was written by an amateur instead of a veteran.

The plot is shallow. I feel like absolutely nothing happened in this book until about 75% of the way through and even then it was nothing to excite you. I kept thinking, where's the climax, the plot twist, anything exciting? It's just the hum-drum daily life of people on Nantucket in the summer. There's no tension, no anticipation, no angst. I don't need smut or spice to draw me to a romance but I do need chemistry. I felt no chemistry between the characters. ZERO! This book was almost G rated, it was so bland. The dialogue felt superficial. They spoke words but nothing that mattered. Barrett is caught between Paul and Drew but other than the fact that you have three people in a relationship there was nothing to indicate this was a love triangle. There was so much repetition…words to add to a word count but not words that added to the value of the story. It took way too long to connect characters you are told about in the beginning. I kept asking what the point of Dove’s story was. Eventually, you get a connection but by the time you get it, it feels too late.

I felt no connection to these characters. They were bland. They lacked depth. They felt older than their years. They are supposed to be in their late 20's but felt more like late 50's or 60's. Their dialogue, interactions, and even the descriptions of their behavior did not feel like that of a 20-something young woman. It felt unrealistic, juvenile and immature. I feel like the story could have been better if it would have focused on characters later in life. I felt a disconnect between the characters age and the author's age. Twenty-something year olds in 2024 do not talk, behaver or interact like these ones did.

I feel bad saying this because Nancy Thayer has been a very successful novelist for most of her life and I am nothing more than a reader. But…I could not connect with this story or the characters. Maybe it's time to put the cover on the typewriter and just enjoy some retirement days.

cute and fun gorgeous romance that's super well done. tyssm for the arc, and the two sisters were really fun!

This was such a wonderful read. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and all of its characters. My only regret is that I didn't read it in the summer. I will say it is a wonderful weekend book to read in front of a fire with a glass of wine. The characters are endearing and the plot just rolls along as you become engaged with all of the characters. Definitely worth reading!!

Another solid summer read from Nancy Thayer- three and a half stars!

*I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

When I pick up a new Nancy Thayer book, I know exactly what I am going to get - a book set on Nantucket that I am not going to want to put down, and one that I don’t want to end. This one doesn’t disappoint, and I know it is going to stay as one of my favorites of 2024. The Summer We Started Over is such an appropriate title. Eddie and Barrett (and their father, William) have all been “existing” since their mother left the family, and their brother died in a tragic accident. Eddie is working as an assistant to a romance author when her sister asks for her to come home, for the opening of her store, and to help with their eccentric father. They are all forced to deal with people and things from their past, and figure out how to move forward.

I loved the characters, their relationships and interactions - the characters seemed like people I would want to be friends with, and I didn’t want to say goodbye at the end. A definite 5 stars from me!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley; all opinions are my own.

This was so darn good! My favorite from this author who has such a gift of beautiful descriptions of people and places. Eddie is my favorite kind of character - strong but a bit broken. Lovely sister and father relationships. Book clubs across the world are going to love this sweet story! Well done!

I absolutely ADORED this book! The characters were well developed and I found myself not wanting to put it down. This book centered around family, courage, and resiliency. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this amazing book! I will definitely be sharing it with all of my fellow book lovers!

What a great summer read! Family tragedy strikes and the family moves to Nantucket to start over without their mother who took off, or their brother who was killed in a motorcycle accident. Eddie and Barrett are sisters bound in this sadness. Their father left his professorship to write a novel. He keeps himself in his study. After the first summer, Eddie moves to Manhattan working in the literary world. Most recently as assistant to Dinah Lavender, a very successful romance writer. While Eddie has been traveling the world, Barrett has been working and saving to be able to fulfill her dream and open a shop. It’s been two summers since Eddie came back, but the shop is set to open, and she wants to be there for her sister. The summer brings love, heartache, and friends from the past. But this is the summer that everyone heals. Truly enjoyed this book. Great summer read!

What a great summer read full of family, love, and relatabiliity. I look forward to Nancy Thayer as I know she's always going to have a hit summer book, and this was no exception. Loved the bond between the sisters and the owning a bookstore element!

This story hooked me from the very beginning! An emotional and heartwarming story about a family trying to reconnect after time seperates them.

The book was solidly middle-of-the-road. I stopped at 6%. Easy three to four stars for readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

Another good book by Nancy Thayer...might want to include a trigger warning for hoarding. As a daughter of a hoarder some of this was hard to read. As in most books, it was resolved way easier that it is resolved in real life. I liked the stories of the sisters and how they both resolved their issues.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6235823572

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting access to this wonderful book in exchange for my honest review.

Name: The Summer We Started Over

Author: Nancy Thayer

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Rating: 5 star

Brief Summary: Follows a family living on Nantucket over the course of a life-changing summer

What I Enjoyed: The characters were very well developed. The story was similar to an Elin Hildebrand novel or a Debbie Macomber novel. I felt like I was in the story.

What I Disliked: Some of the chapters were a little long




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Nancy Thayer is always a must-read author for me but unfortunately The Summer we Started Over fell a little flat for me.

Eddie moves back to Nantucket to help her sister Barrett care for her father William. She left her fancy job in New York as an assistant to an author Dinah Lavender. The family’s history is filled with heart break and tragedy but it is nice how the characters grow together to overcome these tragedies.

I love how Nancy transports the reader to the summer beaches of Nantucket - it’s like a comfortable hug. But this book just wasn’t a home run for me.

I always look forward to Nancy Thayer's books- summer unofficially starts for me when I read them (even though I'm reading this in February). The Grant family- dad and two daughters- moves to Nantucket to start over after their brother dies. Loved reading this multi-generational story even though I knew how it would end, it was a satisfying read. Fans of Thayer will enjoy this one.

Publication date: April 23rd 2024
Review date February 3, 2024

This is a cute, heartwarming story but just not my favorite Nancy Thayer book. The writing and the story felt almost “immature” and left me feeling like I was reading a young adult romance novel.
It was an OK read for me but I know many will really enjoy it. 3 solid stars from me.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and the author for a copy of free ARC in exchange for my honest review.