Nancy Thayer is definitely well known for her beach reads but unfortunately, Surfside Sisters is not one of her better books. It's okay, but that's all it is. Okay.

Nancy Thayer never disappoints. Surfside Sisters is a Nancy Thayer novel, that takes places predominately on the beautiful island of Nantucket, MA. Ms Thayer brings you to her beloved Nantucket Island through the eyes of Keely Green and Isabelle Maxwell, childhood friends who grow up and apart on the island. Surfside Sisters artfully takes you through Keely Greens life full of envy, guilt and forgiveness. Throw in a little romance and heartbreak and you have the recipe for yet again another Nancy Thayer summer hit.

I found this story of best friends reconnecting to be a lighter summer type read. Keely and Isabelle grew up wanting to be writers, had a solid friendship until college when things fell apart between them. I would've liked to have more depth in this story and these characters. I felt like Keely behaved like a doormat and I never connected to either one of them. Maybe if the author gave us Isabelle's perspective it would've helped balance the story and provided a greater depth of characterization. I did enjoy the setting which was Nantucket. If you're in the mood for light and fluffy you might like this better than I did

I loved this book! One of her best summer reads. I liked the characters and the friendship between the girls when they were young and also how their relationship changed and developed as teenagers and young women. I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting. A perfect light read for summer or winter on an island somewhere!

I am a fan of Nancy Thayer and enjoy her books. This book was not my favorite.

The main characters are Keely and her best friend, Isabelle. Growing up they were inseparable. Nothing could come between them—except, of course a boy. Keely gets a novel published and moves to New York while Isabelle settles down and has a baby.

Keely’s mother falls into a deep depression, Keely knows what she must do, even though she is reluctant to face her estranged friend . In one incredible summer, Keely must confront the mistakes of the past if she has any chance of finding true happiness in the place she will always call home.

The main characters both seemed very self absorbed and juvenile to me. I had a hard time connecting with either one. The story itself was well done but I found the main characters a little annoying.

This was a very fun summer book! Keely and Isabelle's bond started as two young girls with big dreams from different worlds. It was great to see how they both achieved their dreams. They grew apart but came back together. This is reality for so many girls. These characters would be great for a sequel!

A coming of story of friendship written by the always dependable Nancy Thayer. The writing is good but I didn’t really connect with the characters. Both seemed juvenile even as adults. I think this would have been best as a YA novel.

First up is this year's offering by Nancy Thayer, Surfside Sisters. Isabelle and Keely have been best friends since grade school. Their families come from two very different backgrounds, but that didn't stop them from doing everything together throughout the school year. With the arrival of summer and the Nantucket tourism, Isabelle and her family would go off on global adventures, leaving Keely to go through summer alone. The girls grew up tagging along after Isabelle's brother, Sebastian, making it natural for Keely to develop an unrequited crush on Sebastian. Or was it?

As the girls grow up and make plans for their futures, their trajectories aren't that different. They both want to be writers. But it was Keely that had to drop out of college after her father died. It was Keely who returned to Nantucket first, and it was Keely that got published first. Will these Surfside Sisters be able to survive the ups and downs that come with true lifelong friendship?

As always, I loved Nancy Thayer's Nantucket world. However, I struggled with the petty jealousy that was prevalent in the friendship between Keely and Isabelle. At times Isabelle was completely unbearable. And for Keely to go out with her best friend's ex-boyfriend is a recipe for disaster. I guess wisdom comes with age and at nearly 44, I wanted to shake them both silly several times. Of course, everything ended up like a fairy tale, but I don't think the author ever fully resolved a major source of conflict. I really do wonder if my irritation at that "situation" is because I am older than the characters. And really, it doesn't matter how irritating I find the characters, I am always going to read a Nancy Thayer novel to the end.

Bottom Line - Surfside Sisters is a novel about all of the ups and downs that go along with a lifelong friendship. The Nantucket setting makes it the perfect summer read!

Details:
Surfside Sisters by Nancy Thayer
On Instagram
Pages: 320
Publisher: Random House Publishing
Publication Date: July 2, 2019
Buy it Here!
Thank you to Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for a review.

Not my favorite.......While Keely grew as a person over the course of the book, Isabelle seems to stay as a spoiled little child. Maybe if the book had chapters from her point of view, I wouldn't have detested her as much but with only seeing events unfold from Keely's POV, Isabelle was not cast in a favorable light...

Nancy Thayer does it again. This book took me to New England, a place that I love. Wonderful beach read! I have read al of her books and have not been disappointed yet.

I really liked this book! The protagonist, Keely, was such a good person, always trying to do the right thing. I didn't really like anyone in the Maxwell family even though they were a big part of the story.
This book deals with so many different topics, friendship, love, family, illness and through it all Keely is the person who you keep routing for!! And her mom Eloise too!

Surfside Sisters by Nancy Thayer is a terrific women's fiction book that I really enjoyed. Keely Green and Isabelle grew up together and were best friends. Isabelle is rich and Keely comes from a middle class home. This book follows Keely and Isabelle from the time they are little girls to present. This book has a well developed plot and characters. I could not put this book down, I had to know what happened. If you enjoy women's fiction, that takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions. I strongly recommend this book.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine. Thank you.

It is not summer without reading a Nancy Thayer book. She always writes a very pleasant story that has a little bit of teeth to it.

This story centers around two friends Isabelle and Keely. They grow up together on Nantucket and have always dreamed of both becoming writers. This book has some typical tropes going on and nothing was that surprising. But what I loved about this is the career choices. It had this side story about writing books which I loved.

Solid beach read for me, I am not sure I would want to read this one much later than I am reading now. Thayer writes enjoyable stories and this one did not disappoint.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballentine Books for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

1969 family saga with all the troubles family face...good read. Nancy Thayer writes about friendship well. Love her books

Surfside Sisters is a light read set in beautiful Nantucket. The characters are in their 20s and the story covers their relationships from the time they are children. More for a younger reader but an enjoyable summer read.

I received a copy of "Surfside Sisters" from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley! I was very excited to receive this as I always love Nancy Thayer books. This one did not disappoint! This was a perfect summer read for me. I loved the different dynamics of all of the relationships in this story and I always love the descriptions of the homes and towns in her books. I highly recommend this one!

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. This book had me from the very beginning. I love that it kept me engaged the entire time. I couldn't wait to see how it ended. I would highly recommend to all my fellow readers. Thank you for the chance to review this book!

I am trying to wrap up all my summer themed books before Labor Day. Next up on my list was The Surfside Sisters by Nancy Thayer. I really enjoyed this one!! It reads a little more YA and new adult but that didn’t bother me any. The Surfside Sisters is that story of two best friends, Keely and Isabelle, growing up as children and then moving into adulthood. Keely and Isabelle are close but they also have a bit of a rivalry that splits them apart as they grow older. Keely becomes a famous writer while Isabelle settles down in Nantucket and gets married. This book really focused on their bond and covered a relatively long span of time. I found it to be an engaging read, perfect for a Saturday afternoon!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book

I am a huge fan of Nancy Thayer books, but this was a struggle. I just couldn't get into the story. The main character was not really relate able nor all that like able. She seemed immature and I just couldn't get past my feeling of just not caring enough to spend more time with this book. I thank Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I am still a fan of Nancy Thayer for sure!

Summer is the perfect time for a Nancy Thayer book! Surfside Sisters is a story about two lifelong friends, Keely and Isabelle. As children they were inseparable but as they enter adulthood their friendship begins to develop cracks.
I found myself relating to Keely the most. As the only child of two loving parents she was a very down to earth and empathetic character. I found Isabelle to be self centered and selfish. It bothered me that she seemed to always put her own needs and wishes above Keely and she did not seem to willing to give Keely the benefit of the doubt when they had conflicts. For this reason I was glad that the book centered more around Keely and her journey into adulthood. With a sprinkle of romance and lots of mentions of beautiful Nantucket this makes for a wonderful late summer/early fall read!