Fall into summertime bliss on Nantucket with Eddie, Barrett, Dinah and the rest of the fabulous people in their lives! You can feel the warmth of the sun, the sound of the sea, and the pleasure of shopping at Nantucket Blues while reading this gem. This is the perfect summertime beach read, and I was swept away to the point that I almost felt like I was there. How I wish I were! Nancy Thayer has a way of writing about the place she lives in such a way that you know it is genuine. I can just picture her people watching and coming up with characters and scenes as she watches everyone around her. You’ll want to pick this book up and add it to your beach bag!

#thesummerwestartedover #netgalley #bookreview

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing group for an advanced reader copy of The Summer We Started Over.

Always a pleasure to read Nancy Thayer's novels which are just good, wholesome, lazy summertime stories.

And this one definitely makes me want to shop at Nantucket Blues for sure!

Another winner from Nancy Thayer! I loved this book and will definitely be purchasing it for our library.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy. This was my second book by Nancy Thayer and I was not disappointed. Nancy Thayer is great at making it seem as if you are actually on Nantucket. The Summer We Started Over follows Eddie and Barrett, two sisters, as they navigate a time of change. Some other characters are William, Dinah Lavender, and Jeff. This is a great book to get into the summer spirit.

Enjoyable book. Well developed characters and good storylines throughout. Love Nancy Thayer’s Nantucket descriptions with each book expanding on the different parts of the island. This is a feel-good book

I want to thank Ballantine Books for sending me this ARC! The Summer We Started Over was a perfect beach read. Nancy Thayer does a great job of really making you feel like you are in Nantucket. Eddie is navigating the loss of her brother while her mom has also left the family to run off and start a new life. Eddie is currently working for Dinah an author, and lives with her as her personal assistant essentially. Eddie's sister Barrett is opening a store, and she wants to help her dad out with getting his spirits up, so she decides to come back to Nantucket when she immediately see's her ex Jeff when arriving.

Overall the story was good, there were points I was left off with wanting more, I wish some parts went deeper, but not a bad book by any means. This is my first Nancy Thayer book, I cannot wait to read more.

I requested and received a digital ARC from NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine Books. I was on the fence about reading it because I hadn't been too impressed with the last couple of books by this author but this was a very good book. I could relate to the family. Even though they lived on a beautiful island where the wealthy "summered," they were not part of the wealthy enclave. The family was broken. The mother never wanted to be a mom and when trauma strikes the family, she leaves. The father falls into a depression but is able to keep it together long enough to move to the island so fresh memories can be made by him and his remaining children. The author is able to bring the family to life for me. The story also had its share of sadness, just as we see in real families. For me the book was true to family life. While I give it five stars, I do have one criticism: Bobby watches too much TV! LOL. This review is my truth and in my own words.

“I know you’re afraid. I’m afraid. We’re all taking chances. It’s the only way life can be lived.”

“The Boston Red Sox were losing to the Yankees, which was infuriating.” ‼️ #IYKYK

I was so excited to be transported to the beautiful island of Nantucket in @namcythayers latest novel. This is my first beachy read of the season and now I am READY to stick my toes in the sand and have that salt air in my lungs…even if it’s still a bit brisk yet.

I loved the quirky characters, the family dynamics, and the Hallmark-esque saccharin sweet love stories. The characters don’t have a lot of depth but I’m not reading this looking for a period drama. I want easy. I want sun and sand. I want sweet with just a hint of sass. And this book delivered!

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House, and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After a family loss, the members of Edie’s family go their separate ways. Her sister, Barrett, and father, William, share a home on Nantucket. Edie headed to New York City where she became the assistant to best-selling author, Dinah Lavendar. When Barrett decides to open a boutique, Edie returns home.

When Edie arrives on Nantucket, her family must come to terms with emotions that were tucked away and Edie has personal decisions to make, too. Should she return to NYC, remain on the island and pursue her dream of writing and should she open her heart to love?

The Summer We Started Over is Nancy Thayer at her best. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group – Ballentine and NetGalley for the ARC.

#NetGalley #TheSummerWeStartedOver

Happy Pub Day to Nancy Thayer's 2024 release - The Summer We Started Over! Thanks to Ballantine Books for my advanced copy via @netgalley.

Nancy Two Thayer's books are a great trip to Nantucket. In this book two sisters reconnect and pursue their dreams on the beautiful island of Nantucket, overcoming life’s challenges and finding new love.

I liked that Eddie was an assistant to a writer (as quirky as Dinah is) and seeing Barrett get her dream shop on Nantucket set up. I liked the two sisters and seeing them grow closer. I didn't really love the love triangle with Barrett.

This is a classic Nancy Thayer book - I enjoyed it and it's a perfect beach read. And makes me want to go to Nantucket.

Nancy Thayer is a favorite author of mine. The Summer We Started Over is a great beach read. Eddie is an assistant to a famous author, Dinah. Barrett is Eddie's sister and is opening a unique gift shop on Nantucket. After her mother dies, Eddie and Barret's father, William, buys an old farm on Nantucket (who knew there were farms on Nantucket?). Eddie joins her father and sister. This is a heartwarming story about families and relationships. William is seemingly lost without his wife, Eddie and Barrett have been at odds, and Eddie feels the need to fix them all. Dinah is lost without her assistant and shows up on the island and stays. I felt the cast of characters was rather large and all the relationships sometimes got muddled. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book and I look forward to Nancy Thayer's next book.

Thank you to the publisher, Net Galley and the author for the availability of the ARC for review. My review opinions are my own. I enjoyed this return to Nantucket with the wonderful atmosperic setting the author creates for the reader. The coastal beauty you feel you can experience through the author's writing. I enjoy the rich characters and the family drama involved. Two sisters reconnecting for the opening of the younger sisters clothing and gift shop amid their families death of their only Brother and a Mother who left the family. Their Father buried his grief into books and does not emerge from his grieving. Books are his comfort and how he prefers to spend his days. We readers can relate to his love of books and joy in finding new titles to research.
The promise of a rekindled lost love for one sister is heartfelt and romantic. This book sweeps the reader into the story and to the coastal beauty surrounding Nantucket. I enjoyed the strong characters and the pleasing ending. Well done to the author. A most enjoyable early summer read that is the perfect beach read for the summer. .

The Summer We Started Over by Nancy Thayer is a women’s fiction title with of course romance involved in the story. Set in beautiful Nantucket which the author is known for the story in The Summer We Started Over does change the point of view between the main characters.

Eddie Grant left home years before and has enjoyed her life away from Nantucket but knows now if the time she needs to return to her family. Eddie has been working as a personal assistant to Dinah Lavender, a famous romance author, for the last few years without a vacation so when her younger sister, Barrett, says she needs her she let’s Dinah know she’ll be heading home to Nantucket.

Barrett chose to stay in Nantucket with her father but has always wanted something of her own to help keep her there. Now is finally the time Barrett is taking that step and opening up her own shop in town and with their father’s increasing eccentricities Barrett hopes that the visit from Eddie will also do him some good while she is busy with her new store but before they know it Dinah Lavender is also inviting herself along to Nantucket for the summer.

While I haven’t read every novel from author Nancy Thayer I have read quite a few and have never been disappointed in the excursions to Nantucket. The story in The Summer We Started Over is what it sounds to be, sisters starting over and finding themselves and their relationship once again. With a beautiful setting and interesting characters I couldn’t help but become engaged in this story right away and of course enjoyed the entire ride. Definitely an author I’d recommend reading and will return to myself in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I've read a few books by Nancy Thayer, and I've always enjoyed them.

This was a nice summer novel, following Eddie Grant as she travels back to her family home in Nantucket to help her sister out with the house and their father while her sister opens her dream shop. The family definitely has their quirks but they are understandable as they maneuver through life, trying to deal with the struggles life has dealt them.
The descriptions of Nantucket make me wish it was deep in summer and I could go and take a walk on the beach and watch the sunset over the bay.

For anyone looking for a nice beach read, I recommend this book.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and I'm glad I read it.

What an absolute joy it was to read this book. if you want a cute, summer, small town beach read, this book is it! It's got all the family dynamics with a little bit of romance. Plus it's Nantucket and who doesn't love Nantucket! This book is also CLEAN, which I loved. I loved all the characters. The favourite though was their dad, William. He grew so much and I really grew to love him, especially at the end. I am so glad I was approved by the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have a few books by this author on my bookshelf but have yet to read them. Will definitely be reading those soon.

I was overjoyed to receive The Summer We Started Over by Nancy Thayer!
I just adore her writing and she once again proved why she is a big time favorite of mine!
Set along the Nantucket shore, this was the perfect summer read.
This is a terrific women's fiction book that I absolutely loved and devoured!
I couldn’t stop reading Grant sisters story. It was compelling and so beautifully written.
A masterful and intriguing story as we saw their stories unfold.
Inspiring story of family, courage, and the resiliency of young women.

Thank You NetGalley and Random House & Ballantine for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

The Summer We Started Over by Nancy Thayer.

This moving story tells about the homecoming of Eddie Grant to Nantucket to reunite with her sister, Barrett and her father. Eddie has been living a glamorous life in Manhattan as a personal assistant to a famous romance novelist. But she finds herself increasingly unfulfilled as an observer to others' success. She returns to Nantucket to help her younger sister Barrett open a gift shop, presenting the perfect excuse for a family visit and fresh perspective.

However, going home dredges up painful memories from the Grant family's past. Years ago, they were shattered by the death of Eddie and Barrett's brother, which caused their mother to abandon them and their eccentric father. Eddie could only handle staying on the family's book-cluttered farm for a year before fleeing to New York to escape the grief.
Now she must confront all she left behind - her father's worsening hoarding tendencies, the resentment of her sister who remained, and complicated romantic feelings for an old flame that still linger unresolved. The Grant sisters prove their grit by opening a used bookstore in their father's barn to tackle his hoarding issue. Also, an old friend returns with a family secret that may change them forever.
In her signature heartwarming style, Nancy Thayer has crafted a poignant tale of sisters forging ahead despite life's painful curveballs. The Summer We Started Over showcases the healing power of family, following one's dreams, and continually starting over. This uplifting novel is a treat for readers longing for a redemptive story about the resiliency of the human spirit against all odds.


Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my impartial review.

I write this sheepishly, The Summer We Started Over, is my first read by Nancy Thayer. . . . and she has written over 30 novels. Cringe. She gained a new fan and I can’t wait to read more of her books. Her writing is euphoric, placate, and comforting with a Hallmark vibe.
I’m not going to write a repeat of the synopsis. I will say that Thayer has the ability and power to write about the Grant sisters. She presents their family’s dramas, life styles, father’s hoarding, hopes and dreams with such charisma that I was feeling their emotions. They do eat desserts often. A great summer read with challenges, changes, loyalty, family, courage, dreams, unconditional love, romance, and Nantucket. Thank you! Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for ARC read in exchange for my review.

The Summer We Started Over is Nancy Thayer’s 38th book, many of which are set on Nantucket where the author now lives. Having experienced a tumultuous few years, including her mother’s abandonment, her brother’s death, and escaping a love of her own, Eddie Grant is set to return to her father’s home on Nantucket to help her sister as she opens her store, Nantucket Blues.

Eddie left Nantucket two years ago when she got the opportunity to work as personal assistant for very successful author Dinah Lavender. Now she is taking her first vacation to go home, although Dinah is none too happy about it. But Eddie’s sister Barrett has shouldered the load of helping her father since he lost himself after losing his son and his wife and Eddie is determined to be in Nantucket to help her sister this summer.

This is a beautifully written story of family, attaining one’s goals, and finding one’s true purpose. The characters are richly crafted and the story takes unexpected turns as the reader spends a summer reading respite on the lovely island of Nantucket. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

Oh, what a wonderful few days I spent in Nantucket, thanks to Nancy Thayer’s newest book, The Summer We Started Over—a visit to Straight Wharf and Brant Point, real places that I’ll probably never visit in person, but the author’s descriptions gave me the whole experience: the sights, the sounds, and the smells of this unique New England attraction. Sisters Eddie and Barrett have not had the easiest life. Their mother abandoned them, their brother was killed in an accident, and dad seems to be walking under a cloud of grief. But this hope-filled story is anything but sad.
There is so much to love in this book, especially for a bibliophile. Eddie is the personal assistant to Dinah Lavender, a successful and famous romance author. William, the father, is a retired professor and a writer, too. There are quaint coffee shops, boutique gift shops, and even a barn that is renovated into a bookstore. And there is romance, too.
At the end, I could only sigh, for this is a story that gives us the chance to relax, to release our troubles, and to remember happier days from our pasts. Most of all, it’s a truly beautiful and touching narrative about a family’s strength and how their loyalty and their love carry them through even the worst of life’s storms.