What a wonderful story! Love, loss, and starting over on the beautiful island of
Nantucket . I loved everything about this book! The characters were all wonderfully developed and each had their own small story. The perfect summer read.

This is a beautiful, poignant story that touched my heart from the very beginning. The more I read, the faster I turned the pages, and until the last page was turned, it was nearly impossible to put down.
Eddie, whose name is actually Edna, has not taken time off from work for over two years. She is a personal assistant to Dinah Lavender, a famous romance writer. Eddie lives in Dinah’s upscale Park Avenue apartment, travels the world with her, wears designer clothes and makes a six- figure salary. She misses home and feels it is time for a trip to Nantucket to see her dad and sister, Barrett. Dinah is not happy about her being gone but agrees to a couple of weeks.
Upon her parents’ divorce, their dad bought an old farm house in Nantucket, resigned from his professorship at Williams College and both his daughters decided to move with him to help him get settled. Their mother left with another man and moved out of the country.
The house is over-run with their dad’s books, and the first project Eddie takes on is to clear them out, suggesting they open a used bookstore in the barn. Eddie’s former boyfriend, Jeff, agrees to build some shelves for the books. While Eddie is busy hauling books out to the barn, Barrett is embarking on her long-time dream of owning her own gift shop. She finally saved enough money to make that dream come true. She is busy preparing for the grand opening. William, their dad keeps himself closed off in his office where he has been writing the same book for many years.
A beloved childhood friend, Tara arrives with her three-year old son, Bobby. She confides she is terminally ill and wants to stay there until the end. She also asks that Bobby be adopted into their family.
Dinah is frequently in touch with Eddie, begging her to come back, claiming she is being stocked by an unknown man, and is afraid. Eddie is not ready to leave Nantucket so suggests Dinah could come there. The very next day, Dinah moves right in.
This book has a multitude of moving parts. Fascinating and unforgettable characters grabbed my heart from the beginning. There are numerous unexpected situations, however, Nancy Thayer brings it all together into a beautiful, cohesive, heartfelt story. When I got to the end, I do not ever recall being so disappointed that a book ended. I wanted to keep reading about these unforgettable characters that by now, felt like friends.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.

Ohhh my heart! I didn’t know I could love a book and its inhabitants so very much! What I would give to have a sisterhood like Barrett and Eddie! This story was so beautiful, so heartfelt, and so deep with feeling that I felt myself transported there with every turn of the page. When the romances and relationship issues were thrown in, I found myself rooting for some and hoping some were cast aside and I was so happy with how things turned out.
As a bereaved mother myself, I found myself particularly drawn to William and Eddie as they used reading to help them through their grief.
The ending had me in tears and also in smiles. It was all so beautiful and bittersweet!

I love all Nancy Thayer books. Eddie goes to Nantucket to help her sister open her gift shop, Really great story.

Such a good book. I love Nancy Thayer and Nantucket. This novel is about family falling apart and getting back together.

What a beautiful story to read during these dark winter days. The Nantucket setting was beautiful. As someone with a close relationship with her sister, I really enjoyed this story.

This was exactly the book that I needed to read to get me out of the dark days of winter because it so vividly captured the sun and magic of summer in Nantucket. Told through the perspective of two sisters, this book seems like a deeper level of a beach read with great love but also loss and heartache. Definitelt add to your TBR pile this summer! The ending left me yearning to hear more of Eddie and Barrett's story! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

Such a good book! Ms Thayer brings back together members of a family who were mostly dysfunctional and separate. There are many good parts to this book and a few sad parts. Ms Thayer describes the beautiful scenery so well and she makes the characters very likable. I consider this to be Ms Thayer‘s best book yet and she’s written some good ones. Don’t miss this book! I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If I could give this book 10 stars I would, hands down. I cherished each character, the setting, the storyline each character was going through, and just was so overtaken with each emotion in this book. Go to your Amazon cart and preorder this book for April 23.

Insert extremely loud shriek/scream when I received the email I was going to have the honor to read Nancy Thayers novel early. Like a legit scream that my husband Ben ran upstairs to make sure I was okay. When I told him, he beamed and said , “Babe, you love her books!” Anyone who knows me (and my love for reading) knows Nancy Thayer is one of my top authors! Highly, highly recommend all of her books. I have each one, and count down until her new release comes out each year. They take you to another place- Nantucket, the most magical beach island (literally the most charming place I’ve ever been) and are always filled with such touching stories carrying all the feels. So to be able to read this book ahead was a dream come true for this bookworm girl!

Review:
Two sisters have been through it all- losing their brother, their friend, their nephew, and their mother deserting them. Their father is in a slump, so they help pick him up with all the pieces scattered (and his collection of books). They start over by buying an old farmhouse on Nantucket Island. A sweet horse named Duchess included. Their father hides away writing his novel after leaving his profession as a professor at a college. The two sisters try to help each other navigate through their situation. One takes off to New York City for a dream job working as an assistant for a well known author, and one saves up for her dream to open a store in Nantucket. To support the grand opening of Nantucket Blues, the sister comes home to Nantucket to help take care of her father who still is in the slumps. But the love for the island, slow pace, and old romance are all resurfaced for her. Whereas the other sister has two men, completely different types, sharing their feelings for her. So many sweet moments of finding themselves, and their hope for their life after so much hurt from their past. In the mix, their father finds a connection as well and begins to resurface. A message from their old friend, and nephews mom, catches them completely off guard and they will be able to finally meet their three year old nephew. While trying to help declutter their fathers book collection that’s turned borderline hoarding, they open a Book Barn in the old barn on the property. So much sweetness, love, emotional rollers coasters, plot changes, drama, and hope is filled in these pages. Absolutely adored The Summer We Started Over. Nancy Thayer knows how to capture each character, their situation, and the scenery with such talent.

Unique family drama situations that take place on idyllic Nantucket...sign me up! Nancy Thayer doesn't disappoint. This would be a perfect beach read, or in this case for me, a perfect getaway from cold winter days while I spent my time reading about the Grant family during their summer on Nantucket.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group- Ballentine and NetGalley for providing my ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Nancy Thayer is one of my favorite feel-good authors. Synopsis unread, I was touched by the store of a family that relocated to Nantucket after unimaginable life changes. While the story line went in the direction I expected it to go, there was several unexpected twists that were heart wrenching and heartwarming all at once. Like binging a great series, this book is unputdownable.

When Eddie decided to go home to Nantucket for the summer to help her sister Barrett open a new store, she didn’t plan on running into her old beau as soon as she stepped off the ferry. The two sisters must deal with many new changes in their lives including getting their reclusive father back to his old self. Nancy Thayer writes great hometown family stories. This is just another one of them! I received an Arc from NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my honest review.

The Summer We Started Over is another engrossing novel about family life set on Nantucket, which Nancy Thayer knows well having lived there for 40 years. This particular family includes a widower with two daughters, a younger one, Barrett, who is starting her own business, a lovely shop called Nantucket Blues downtown after working hard for three years to earn the money to do it , and a slightly older sister, Eddie, who has moved home briefly to help with their dad while Barrett opens the business.

Dad is a retired professor who hasn’t quite gotten over the divorce from his wife or the tragic death of his son,Stearns, and has been writing a book for years which he’ll probably never finish.

In addition, Stearns was married with a wife and baby, Dove and Bobby, who went out west to Dove’s parents and they never see or hear from them.

Barrett has been cooking and cleaning for him and now Eddie will take over. She is on her first vacation in two years having been working in New York as the executive assistant to a famous author, Dinah Lavender.

Eddie is hoping not to run into Jeff who she’d fallen in love with two years ago but refused to marry because she didn’t think she’d be a good mother. But of course as soon as she got off the ferry there was Jeff. And she realized she still loved him.

There’s some cute construction workers, a clever dog and a horse with a distinct personality too.

As well as the beauty and uniqueness of Nantucket.

These are the elements that go in the the fascinating story that Thayer weaves that will surprise as well as both sadden and delight you along the way. It’s a book you will want to pick up right away!

This story is truly heartfelt, warm and very romantic. As a bonus, it is set on the beautiful island of Nantucket, where a grieving father has moved his family after divorce and a tragic death. Together again for the first time in many years, they navigate the many ways and opportunities to start a new life. There are a lot of bumps in the road, and some sad things, but like all of Nancy Thayer's books, there is an uplifting, satisfying ending. I truly look forward to recommending this book, particularly to readers who enjoy books by Mary Alice Monroe, Robyn Carr, and Elin Hilderbrand.

The Grant sisters are moving forward with their lives after their brother's death and mothers' abandonment. Eddie (Edna) is working as an executive assistant in NYC make a six-figure income while Barrett, saved for years to open her shop. She implores Eddie to come home to support the launching of Nantucket Blues..

Their father, a retired professor is hoarding books whose towers threaten to topple around the house. While facing her boss' shenanigans, father's reclusiveness, sister's new business and a former flame that refuses to extinguish its spark, will Eddie be able to keep her head above water or are the embers of young love still flickering?

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #TheSummerWeStartedOver in exchange for an honest review. I was hooked from the first chapter and finished the book in a single sitting. Fans of Debbie Macomber, Brenda Novak, Pamela Kelley and Sheila Roberts will enjoy this fast-paced novel about the value of friendship, love and sisterhood.

I enjoy Nancy Thayer's books as another writer of books set on Nantucket. Her subject matter and plots are always rich and filled with great characters- this one is no exception. My only issue is with her dialogue. It seems very elementary and over the top a lot of the time. The exclamations, and flow of the conversations don't fit within the context of the story a lot of the time, and were quite repetitive. While a minor annoyance, it doesn't prevent me from wanting to finish the books, because I want to know what happens with these characters- I just wish *I* could write the dialogue, haha.
It would be 4 stars for plot, setting, and story.. but ultimately I gave it 3 stars because dialogue is a major part of a story, and it just kept distracting me.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced read, and for allowing me to provide my review.

Thanks for giving me an advanced copy of this book! I found it very family oriented, and some parts were hilarious. I liked that it took place in Nantucket, which sounds like a beautiful place. All in all, a great read!

Thayer's latest is a beautiful story that will keep you reading from start to finish! Set on Nantucket Island, two sisters, Barrett and Eddie, have to navigate their present in order to build futures for themselves. However, past issues must be resolved before they can achieve their dreams. Amidst opening new businesses, assisting their father, and trting to build relationships with the men in their life, a childhood friends returns with news that impacts everything. Thankfully they have a strong family bond, and strong romantic partners to support them along the way.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Love Nancy Thayer‼️ Another great Nantucket book about family dynamics, sisters & old & new loves. Do overs, second chances and new beginnings. I will always look to get one of her new releases. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nancy Thayer is a must read author for me and The Summer We Started Over is one of her best. After her brother dies and her mother leaves, Eddie’s father relocates from Williams College to Nantucket. Eddie moves to NYC and is the assistant for Dinah, a romance writer. Eddie lives a luxurious life but when her sister Barrett asks for help with her dad, Eddie returns to Nantucket for a month. She helps with her book hoarding, depressed dad so Barrett can open Nantucket Blues, her new shop. Eddie reunites with an old flame and Dinah comes to Nantucket because she’s fearful of living in NYC while being pursued by a stalker. Thayer explores a number of family issues in this quick, light read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.