This book is the perfect summer read - if only we could go to the beach and enjoy the salty air. In spite of being homebound due to COVID, I could pretend. The book allowed me to escape my months at home at travel to another world with #GirlsofSummer. I loved this book. In fact, once I started it, I had a hard time putting it down. I loved the complications with family - and how as much as we love our children, once we have an empty nest, it's hard to give it up. Falling in love is complicated enough, but when you bring in a couple's history, the possibility of becoming step-families, life becomes very complicated. Of course, for a reader, it becomes very entertaining. If you are looking for something fun to read, that won't raise your anxiety level and will let you feel joy for a while, this is your book!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Lisa Hudson has raised her kids, Theo and Juliet on Nantucket while running a successful clothing store on the island. Romance and drama ensue when she catches the eye of Mack Whitney, her carpenter and the father of Theo's high school crush, Beth. Juliet, fed up with Boston life comes home and meets Ryder Hastings, on island to create a new non-profit. Romance and questions about work and age persist.

I could have done without the constant mention of Lisa being ten years older than Mack - it's a fact, not plot point as well as the constant "but people will talk" trope given that the book revolves around 6 people who are mostly related. Overall, a light beach read and the "will they or won't they" plot kept me guessing.

Nancy Thayer has created a space on Nantucket Island where islanders and others can find summer romantic dreams that may become life-changing relationships. Girls of Summer is a wonderful story of family, love, relationships, trust, and independence. I really enjoyed this read and highly recommend it!

The Girls of Summer is a wonderful beach read. Lisa Hawley lives on Nantucket. Her two adult children Julia and Theo return to the island. Julia to seek solace after a breakup. Theo comes home with a broken arm from surfing. Mack Whitney is a contractor who has a daughter Beth. Beth has returned to the island with her Masters degree. Mack is hired to fix Lisa’s home. The family dynamics and romance make it a great read. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for providing me with the ARC. This is my own opinion.

I have read a lot of good books so far this summer! Girls of Summer is one of them. Nancy Thayer always gets me involved in the story and characters immediately! I just fall in!

In this book, Lisa lives in a large home in Nantucket. Both her children are grown and gone. She owns a successful boutique clothing store but doesn't have much of a social life. Before she knows it, her life changes dramatically! She gets more attention than she bargained for (in a good way)!

The book also spotlights the issues of environmental issues of the oceans as part of the story, but not in a way that bombards the reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Family, drama, starting over, new love, single mother, teenager daughters and the beautiful setting of Nantucket. This book packs it all. Add in the theme of finding your way back home and falling for a man ten years your junior and you have a book with lots of themes and issues. Great for book clubs and of course, a great summer read.

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and to NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest review. What a quick, light hearted summer read. This is my 3rd Nancy Thayer book and she does not disappoint. If you're looking for a very fast paced light summer book look no further. This book easily could have been read in one sitting. Nancy Thayer brings alive the magic and beauty of Nantucket, especially for those that have never been there. The only reason I am giving this book 4 stars is I feel like the happy ever afters for everyone was a little too rushed and perfect at the end. But I did thoroughly enjoy this book and will definitely recommend to everyone.

This was an easy breezy read. Overall I enjoyed the lightness but I found the characters to be very one dimensional and somewhat cliched. I have enjoyed other books by this author but this one fell flat for me somehow. I truly enjoyed the descriptions of Nantucket island. I have never been there but whenever I read about the island I want to go immediately and see the placed so vividly described in the books I have read. The author's love for the island truly shines in this book. I would call this book a great appetizer for the bounty of summer reading ahead of me. I can't say I loved it but it was entertaining and kept me engaged - so I guess it succeeded in its goal. I thought the theme of a women who has devoted her life to her kids and is now trying to find real lasting loving after putting her life and desires on hold to be one that many women can relate to.

I will definitely be reading more books by this author. They are comfortable enjoyable reads- not earth shattering but enjoyable nonetheless.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

Very soothing women's fiction book about midlife issues near a beach. Easy pool read/ comfort read/ cheap vacation during a pandemic.

Nancy Thayer is an experienced writer of women's fiction.  Her books give those who pick them up immersive and relaxing reads.  This title  is no exception. 


As is often the case for this author, the story is set on Nantucket.  Over the course of the novel, main characters Lisa, Mack, Juliet, Theo, Beth and Ryder are looking to find happiness as each is impacted by both their past and present.  As storm clouds, both metaphorical and physical, build up, will these characters find their happiness?  Trust Ms. Thayer for a page turning time as you wait to find out.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

Girls of Summer by Nancy Thayer is sure to be a summer beach read hit! Thayer creates complex characters that you will fall in love with, that you will root for!
This passage is from early on in the book and it struck me...
"So maybe they didn't get where they intended to go but, they got where they were meant to be"
This was so true for the characters in the book but I feel like it can be so true for so many of us as well.
I loved the unique storyline and situations for the characters in this book. I enjoyed their journey!
Some books have you speed reading to see what happens next. This book is meant to be savored. It builds slow, sexy slow. Giving the reader hints, a little taste here and there of what we might expect just around the corner, in the next chapter, keeping us coming back for more. I was a little sad to reach the end. Another classic Nancy Thayer Nantucket book 😊

What a fun summer beach read. Lisa was married young and has two grown children. The marriage didn't last but she got her house in Nantucket and Juliet and Theo's college education from her ex. Now she is older and running a successful boutique. The children are home for the summer and she's dating a younger man. This is a good story with three romances with some different attitudes from the two generations. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I am a longtime fan and reader of Nancy Thayer's books and look forward to the newest one every summer.

This summer's book is Girls of Summer. The bulk of the novel takes place over one summer but there is some backstory of how they all got to this place from various POVs of the characters involved.

As always Nantucket comes to life under Nancy Thayer's pen. I've been to the magical island and can easily imagine everything she's describing as it takes place.

Unfortunately for me it fell a bit flat with the characters on this novel. It was really hard to buy how fast one of the relationships developed, much less all of them.

Beyond that it was a great escape from reality for a while and I can't wait to read the next novel of hers!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books/Random House for an eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars

I love Nancy Thayer books so I was thrilled when I got a chance to read this one. Our protagonist is Lisa Holly. She met her husband in college and married him straight after graduation. Her husband comes from a well-off family and expects a perfect little wife. They live a well-off life with his mother carefully coaching Lisa along the way. Her husband gets bored with her and decides to leave her, he craves more excitement. Lisa decides to take her children Theo and Juliet and move back to her home of Nantucket, to make a life for herself and her children by opening her own Boutique. Of course the one thing missing in her life is love,that is until she runs into one of her son's classmate's fathers, Mack, one of the contractors on the island. Sparks begin to fly and a relationship begins. Things begin to fizzle a bit when Lisa's children come home from college. Mix that with Mack's children and there are just little fires to put out everywhere. The ending felt kind of clipped, and made me feeling like I wanted more. I'm hoping there's a sequel!

I would like to thank Nancy Thayer, Random House Publishing Group Ballantine and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is a fun light-hearted read by Nancy Thayer. I love the setting of Nantucket and her vivid descriptions. of the island The story centers around a family drama with a little romance. Not a deep book, but definitely a perfect summer read to transport you during the hot days of summer. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I have been a long time fan of Ms Thayers books and this one did not disappoint. Real life family issues intertwined with the beauty of Nantucket make this a “must” beach read for our troubled times. Her way with words let me escape to a place I hope to one day visit!

Girls of Summer is the latest book by author of over 30 novels Nancy Thayer. Set in Nantucket, this story examines the life of Lisa Hawley in the first few chapters from her childhood to college, young adulthood, marriage, divorce, life as a single parent, and a boutique owner. Once the stage is set, the story tells of a period of a few months beginning in the spring when the dining room ceiling of her old home begins falling on her.

With the advice of Rachel, her best friend since childhood, Lisa contacts restoration contractor Mack Whitney. Mack’s wife passed away when his daughter Beth, now 26, was only 3 and Mack has been single since regardless of the efforts of single women on the island. His focus has been his daughter and his business. But that may be changing with his attraction to Lisa. However, even though the attraction is mutual, Lisa resists because of their age difference; she is 10 years his senior.

To complicate matters more, Lisa’s daughter, 28 year old Juliet, son, 26 year old Theo, and Mack’s daughter all pick this time to return to the island, each for reasons of their own. As Theo and Beth kindle an attraction of their own and Juliet and wealthy homeowner and environmentalist Ryder Hastings also see sparks, the story unfolds in ways unexpected.

This is a very interesting book with a theme seldom explored in women’s fiction. We often see the older man-younger woman dynamic, but the opposite is almost treated as taboo. Even slang terms for these relationships, silver fox vs. cougar, are deriding. Ms. Thayer treats the topic with such care and understanding that the reader is routing for Lisa and Mack.

The underlying theme, however, of oceanic environmental issues, particularly plastics and micro plastics, cannot be explored enough and to have main characters in this story championing this cause is refreshing. They are intelligent, capable, and bring additional dimension to a multifaceted story.

This is a very good book by a veteran storyteller. I enjoyed the many voices used to tell the story and the twists the story took in its telling. I do recommend this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this ARC. I have never read anything by Nancy Thayer but after reading Girls of Summer I am going to read everything else that she has written. I love reading about the coast-whether that is the low country of SC or Nantucket. This is a perfect not too fluffy of a beach read. Perfect, I think for right now, during a pandemic. This will give you joy and entertainment in a great package.

Excellent. A mix of romance mixed with tense moments and the chaos that comes from within a family Nancy Thayer has written a winner of a book. You will cheer and yes at moments you will wince. At times you may want to choke the ever loving life out of one of them but I can guarantee you that you won't put this book down. Happy reading!

Good book. It started a little bit slow for me, as the book follows Lisa from her twenties to her forties rather quickly. She married young to an ambitious man who saw her more as an accessory to his plans rather than a partner. I was irritated at the way she let Erich and his mother push her into what they thought she should be. The only time she stood up for what she wanted was when she wanted children. That was the beginning of the end of her marriage, as Erich wasn't interested in being a father. He spent all of his time traveling, leaving her to raise Juliet and Theo on her own. She finally moved herself and the kids back to Nantucket to be near her parents and where she could be happy. Eventually, Erich asked for a divorce, because his mistress was more what he needed than Lisa was.

Lisa took her talent for fashion and got a job at a local boutique, where she soon made a name for herself. When the owner wanted to sell, Lisa bought the store, renamed it, and made it her own. Over the next years, she devoted her time to her children and the store. She had no time or inclination to date. Juliet and Theo grew up and moved out, making their own lives. Juliet was in Boston, where she could visit Lisa now and then, but Theo moved to the west coast and rarely came home. Then a piece of her dining room ceiling fell on Lisa's head and began a chain of events that changed her life.

This is where the book began to pick up the pace and my interest. Lisa realized that she had let the house go and that it needed some major work done. Her friend recommends local contractor Mack Whitney, so she calls him. She remembers Mack from when his daughter Beth was one of Theo's friends. Lisa is surprised by the attraction she feels for Mack and stunned to discover the interest is reciprocated. But Mack is ten years younger than she is, and Lisa is reluctant to believe that he is genuinely interested in her. Her ex did a number on her confidence in her appeal. I loved Mack. He was a single dad with a successful business. He is honest and upfront about his attraction to Lisa. The difference in their ages makes no difference to the way he feels. I liked how he made his interest known, overcame Lisa's objections, and had the patience to wait out her fears. There were some sweet scenes of their early interactions. Things were heating up between them when family issues threw up some stumbling blocks.

Lisa's daughter Juliet, a web designer in Boston, fled to Nantucket after a bad breakup. She wants to spend some time with her mom and get her life back on an even keel. The timing of her arrival was a bit awkward, as she nearly caught Lisa and Mack making out like a couple of teenagers. Juliet is suspicious of Mack and worries that he'll either break her mom's heart or rob her blind. She's a little distracted by the man she met on the ferry to the island. Ryder is on Nantucket to open a branch of his environmental group. The sparks between Juliet and Ryder are immediate and strong.

Meanwhile, Theo barely finished college in California. His time now is spent bartending and surfing, and playing the field with the girls. When he is injured while surfing, it serves as a wake-up call for him. Theo realizes that he's drifting through life, and that isn't what he wants. He packs his bags and heads home to Nantucket, hoping to find some answers. He also wonders if he'll see the girl he crushed on in high school. I liked the way he got involved in the repairs to Lisa's house and the change it made in his life and his attitude.

At the same time, Mack's daughter Beth returns to Nantucket. After earning her master's degree, she is looking for a job. A chance encounter ends up with Beth offered a job with the new environmental group that is run by Ryder. She is young and enthusiastic and seems to be tailor-made for the job. Beth is surprised to find her dad at the beginning of a relationship since it was just the two of them for so long, and she isn't sure she likes it.

With everyone converging on Nantucket for the summer, lives get a bit complicated. With their kids underfoot, finding alone time becomes a challenge for Mack and Lisa. I liked Mack's patience as he gave Lisa the time she needed to get used to the idea of being with him. He is always kind and supportive, as well as determined. I liked seeing Lisa rediscover her inner strength and gain the confidence to go after what she wanted. I enjoyed seeing Juliet and Beth become friends thanks to their work together at Oceans Matter. The time on the island gave Juliet a new direction for her life, and I liked the way that she grabbed it. I appreciated her caution in her relationship with Ryder. I loved seeing Theo and Beth reconnect. I ached for them and what had kept them apart in high school, but the wait was good for both of them. I wanted to shake Beth a few times over her fears about being with Theo at the same time their parents are seeing each other. She made it more complicated than it needed to be.

I liked the ending as a big storm hit the island and created some intense situations for each of the couples. Each pair had something different to face, and I enjoyed seeing how they met their challenges and overcame them. Seeing them all together after the storm was over gave a good picture of the changes each experienced over the summer, as did the epilogue.