The Summer months are busy but there is always a bit of time to relax, unwind and enjoy a bit of good reading!

Secrets in Summer was the perfect Summer reading for me this past month. Romance, intrigue, Nantucket Summers, tangled emotions and sweet moments. The stuff that makes for an excellent romance read ~ any time of year!

I received this book for free. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own. Thank you to Ms. Thayer,  Random House LLC and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Darcy Cotterill is content with her life. She loves her Nantucket Island house, which she inherited from her paternal grandmother, and her job as assistant director of the children’s library of the Nantucket Atheneum. Her social life is busy and satisfying. She has a best friend in Jordan Morris and a place in Jordan and her husband Lyle’s circle of young married couples and singles. For the past several months, one of that group, Nash Forrester, has pleasantly filled Darcy’s thoughts and many of her nights. She even looks forward to the changes the influx of summer visitors will bring to the island. But Darcy has no idea of the changes one summer will bring to her life.

The first indication that this summer will be different comes with the recognition that the family renting the house behind Darcy’s is not unknown to her. Her former husband, Boston real estate mogul Boyz Szweda, his wife Autumn (the woman with whom Boyz had an affair while he was married to Darcy), and Autumn’s fourteen-year-old daughter, Willow, are Darcy’s summer neighbors.  Darcy’s typical relationship with her summer neighbors is usually friendly but distant, but she soon finds herself involved not only with Willow, who is facing the temptations of a teen with too little parental supervision, but also with her summer neighbors on either side: Mimi Rush, an elderly woman with an indomitable spirit who reminds Darcy of her grandmother, and Susan Brueckner, the overwhelmed mother of three energetic young sons. The four create a circle of friendship that bridges the differences of age, experiences, and lifestyles. The power of these friendships pushes Darcy's off-season life into the background.   


Darcy’s relationship with Nash is more turbulent. Darcy longs for more of a commitment than Nash seems willing to offer, but at the same time she cannot deny the attraction she feels for Mimi’s grandson, handsome, interested, and available. Only when Nash seems lost to her does she realize how much he means, but even a second chance does not resolve all their conflicts. Will Darcy have to choose between the man she loves and the house that has been her sanctuary for most of her life?

Secrets in Summer is a women’s fiction novel that provides an entertaining look at one season in Nantucket. Thayer creates a strong sense of this particular place, and the unusual company of female friends offers the book’s best moments. Nash is an interesting character, but romance readers may be disappointed in the slightness of the romantic thread. I also suspect that, despite the general sweetness of Darcy and Nash’s relationship, many romance readers will be put off by the commonness of infidelity in marriages ranging from that of Darcy’s parents to her own to those of her summer neighbors. Perhaps the story targets an audience more sophisticated than I am.

If you are a fan of popular “beach reads,” you may find a few hours in this summer world worth your investment of time and dollars.

Darcy and Boyz divorced due to his infidelity but they were never really compatible to begin with.  Boyz was a uber-successful real estate agent and Darcy is a bookish librarian.  After her divorce and the death of the grandmother who raised her, Darcy moves into her grandmother's old home on Nantucket and begins a peaceful life there as a children's librarian.  She has a new love interest, Nash, and a great group of friends.  The community is smaller during the off-season but now it is summer and the crowds have come to enjoy the great weather.  One of her neighbors happens to be Boyz and the woman he cheated on Darcy with and the other is an older woman with a handsome grandson that might be competition for Nash.

After reading the emotionally charged Human Acts by Han Kang, I wanted something a little lighter to read.  Secrets in Summer did just that.  What a great beach book!  I loved the descriptions of Nantucket and found myself envying the characters for their breezy island lifestyle.  The characters were very interesting.  I love that Darcy is a librarian and enjoys her life with books so much.  If I had one criticism of her it would be that she was a little bit too willing to sacrifice her own wants and needs for those of other people, especially those of the men in her life.  That being said, she was still a wonderful character.  Mimi was vivacious and so funny!  She uses the wisdom that she has gleaned from her older age to help the younger women realize what is really important in life.  I enjoyed the friendship between Darcy, Susan, Mimi and Willow more than I enjoyed the back and forth between Darcy and Boyz but the story itself was very interesting and kept me reading.  This is a great book when you want to read something that is not taxing and won't make you think too much.  It is just enjoyable and fun to read and felt to right for the summer.

"Secrets in Summer" is a wonderful summer, beach read. There are many endearing characters in the story that make it real. Darcy Cotterill is a year round resident of Nantucket. She works in the library in the children's area. She returned to Nantucket three years earlier when she became divorced and her grandmother died leaving her the house. She has been dating handsome carpenter Nash for the past three months and is quite happy in her life. The summer residents have begun to make and appearance and this summer they will change her life. To Darcy's surprise her neighbor behind her is none other that her ex-husband, Boyz and his new wife, Autumn, who also happens to be the woman Darcy caught him fooling around with, and his stepdaughter, Willow. On either side of Darcy there is a woman with her three rambunctious sons and on the other is an 89 year old woman with her handsome divorced grandson, Clive. As the story progresses we learn about Darcy's past as well as that of Nash. She becomes involved with Willow, and both her neighbours. To her surprise, she likes them and they become great friends. Of course they are not without problems. With drugs, sex, adultery, illness, bullying, unfulfulled lives and more, Darcy gets more than she bargained for. When her relationship with Nash goes off the rails, she needs to decide what she wants out of life.

I enjoyed getting to know Darcy and seeing what life was like on Nantucket in the summer. The main characters were likable and I found myself rooting for them. I read this is one sitting, I did not want to stop. Can Darcy finally make a commitment to the man she loves? Read this one to find out whether love will overcome and if summer friendships are meant to last.

I have mixed feelings about this book. The author does a great job of describing what summer is like in Nantucket, so much so that it makes you want to move there. I loved the fact that the main character is a librarian and many of the characters are book lovers. So refreshing and unusual! However, the story itself is rather bland at first and yet overly sappy in the end. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it but just wish it flowed better and wasn't so far fetched in parts.

Even though I thoroughly enjoyed the last two books I have read by this author,  this was not for me.  I was so disappointed with this book, basically it is a boring daily play by play of Darcy's summer (each and every day) and she should reconsider Nash because he is quite harsh and overly rude! Just did not enjoy this one.

First Nancy Thayer for me, and I loved it! Such a great feel good beach read!! 

I always love when a book has so much to do with a love for books, too!!

Title:  Secrets in Summer
Author:  Nancy Thayer
Publisher:  Ballantine Books
Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:

"Secrets in Summer" by Nancy Thayer 

My Thoughts...

"Secrets in Summer" really gives you quite a read where the reader will be pulled into many different directions.  We find Darcy Cotterill a librarian is in her Nantucket home where she has inherited it from her grandmother. Oh, let me just say she is dating Nash being newly divorced. But what all was up with that?   Now it is the beginning of Memorial Day and people are showing up. But to Darcy's surprise her neighbor behind her is none other that her ex [Boyz] and his new wife [Autumn] and stepdaughter[Willow]. Some other neighbors.were one with three boys and a elderly woman who was staying with her grandson [Clive] who happens to be thirty. We now get the start of the story as the it will go into their life's.  Now, this is where this story will get most interesting as the story isn't only about the neighbors but of 'adultery, drugs, senior citizen issues, secrets and then it seems like this ex doesn't know what the word no really means.' Really what in the world was that about?  Didn't Boyz leave his wife [Darcy] for this new one?  I am only left to say that Darcy really had her hands full because it seems like she was just too involved with everyone life which did get a little over the top to me. You will definitely have to pick up this good read to see how it will all come out for Darcy.   I will say this is a good summer entertaining read that will keep your attention to see what will happen next in this story.  In the end will Darcy be able to get out of her past and finally find a permanency in her life that she will enjoy?  It will be a interesting to read and see how this story does unfold.

I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

5.0 out of 5 stars Summer must read, June 14, 2017
By Maggie
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This review is from: Secrets in Summer: A Novel (Kindle Edition)
I very much enjoy Nancy Thayer's books, and "Secrets in Summer" is no exception. Beach-worthy plot, strong female characters and relationships, a bit of angst for teen and adult protagonists and a happy ending all make for a summer must read.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the use of a time-limited e-galley, with no obligations

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this book, it's a great summer read!

Received an ARC from Net Galley for an honest review. I have been a long time fan of Nancy Thayer's books and I have to say that this book was the best one she has ever written. I loved the story of Darcy and how she found clarity in her life after a summer of new friendships and romance. The conflicts she faced felt very real. I loved all the characters especially Mimi and Willow. A definite beach read...deeper women's fiction then light chick lit.

Ballantine Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Secrets in Summer.  This is my honest opinion of the book.

Local librarian and year-round resident Darcy Cotterill usually looks forward to meeting the vacationers that flock to Nantucket each summer.  Mimi and her grandson, as well as Susan, her husband, and three boys are exactly the type of people that Darcy likes to see - full of life and certainly not dull.  When her ex-husband, his wife, and stepdaughter move in next door, however, that is when life gets complicated.  Between Darcy's boyfriend Nash, Mimi's grandson, and her ex-husband breathing down her neck, will she quickly long for the peace and quiet that fall will bring?

Secrets in Summer is a good example of a beach read, with its snapshot into life on Nantucket in summer.  The story revolves around Darcy Cotterill, with the complications of ordinary life being compounded by an influx of visitors to the island she calls home.  Nothing about this book really stood out for me and, in the end, I found it to be an average read but a good way to pass the time.

Great "hammock" read...interesting intertwining of characters.  First time reading this author but will read more of her work.

It's a good beach read, light and easy reading. No real depth to the book or the characters.

Nantucket becomes a tourist's heaven every summer. Beginning on Memorial Day they begin to show up. Darcy Cotterill calls Nantucket home. She loves the house she inherited and she even enjoys meeting the new neighbors. However, this year the new neighbors consist of her ex, Boyz, and his wife and stepdaughter. She is also looking at her own relationship with Nash Forester, and with Clive rush. Her life is pulled in many directions this summer. By the end of summer she has to make decisions whether to stay to to move on. 

This book, along with many of Nancy Thayer's other books, make a great summer read. It is nice to slip into the book and place yourself in Nantucket. 

Thayer has such a nice, easy writing style which makes her books very enjoyable. In this one, she created characters that are easy to relate to. I enjoyed this book.

I was given this book by NetGalley and Ballantine Books in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good Nantucket romance. This one was good if you are in the mood to suspend disbelief for an extended period of time. I understand that this genre does require the reader to just go with the flow and accept that sometimes weird things happen for the sake of plot flow. The problem was that the flow seemed a little forced. 

There have been quite a few extremely positive responses to this book. I find myself in the middle of the road. Nantucket has a special place in my heart, but I could only bring myself to give the plot and characters of this book about a 2.5 star review. I rounded up to 3 because the main character is a librarian. I also have a special place in my heart for librarians.

This is the perfect beach/summer read - even in the winter time. It makes you want to take a trip to Nantucket yourself so you can experience that sweet life style. I, myself loved finding a story that the maincharcter was a Librarian and exposed her love of books throughout the story.  You can't pass this great live story full of twists and turns. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this book! I wish it went on and on for a very long time. Nancy Thayer is one of my favorite authors, so I was sure I would like it, but I think this is her finest work. Thank you, Nancy! The characters were so vivid and so real...I felt true emotional attachments. Nancy Thayer has a gift in that she can describe a location with such beautiful detail, you can almost smell the ocean, feel the beautiful sunshine on your face...and I love Muffler! I loved it when he showed up.

While the covers of these summer-y reads are always similar, what's inside will differ quite a bit. I liked how Thayer set the story of how Darcy becomes an islander, not just a summer person. With a job at the local library, in charge of children's programs, Darcy's life post-divorce is moving right along, complete with a budding romance with Nash. The drama, flirting and secrets begin as the summer people begin to inhabit nearby homes. While I did think it was a bit strange for Darcy to friend her ex-husband's step-daughter so quickly, I enjoyed how they wound up being neighbors. A boisterous family with three boys (and a beleaguered mom), and an elderly woman staying with her handsome grandson finish out the neighborhood for the season. This was a fun way to kick off the beginning of summer, lots of different storylines coming together nicely at the end.

Didn't finish this one -- it's just not my cup of tea.