Cover Image: Family Reunion

Family Reunion

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

A family that seemingly has been divided learns their way back to one another and reminds themselves about the importance of family.

Was this review helpful?

I loved the plot of this book, I enjoyed the characters, I just didn't care for the story. That probably doesn't make sense, I know. How do you like a plot but not the story? I just didn't like the way it was told, I guess. It was just a miss.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed, are mine and mine alone.

Was this review helpful?

Oh Nancy, I love the Nantucket you share with us! This is a multigenerational story of a grandmother, her two children, and her grandchild. I really enjoyed the bond between the grandmother and granddaughter. This is another great summer read!

Was this review helpful?

Nancy Thayer is a long time favorite of mine and this book is no exception. Nancy's books always make me want to visit Nantucket, especially in the summer. Her books have all the feels.

In this book Eleanor isn't sure whether or not she wants to continue living in her big family home anymore, alone. It is simply too big for one person. Her granddaughter, Ari who has just broken up with her fiance has moved in for the summer. Of course, the rest of the money hungry kid want her mom to sell, they want the money, but what is more important?

I love all of Nancy's books and this was not a disappointment!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Netgalley & Nancy Thayer for my copy of Family Reunion for an honest review. I have read a few books by Thayer and they seem to follow an easy going formula.. Family Reunion, tells the story of Eleanor Sunderland, who lives in a large house on Nantucket. It was her family home and as she got older she was called back to the house and the island more and more. This year though she feels alone on the island and disconnected for her family. Her husband has passed and her friends are traveling and she contemplates what has to give to settle her life. Just when she is feeling her lowest, her grand daughter comes to stay with her. She enjoys the company and is so glad she will be there for the summer. Her children are visiting more often too but for different reasons. They believe the house is to much for her to keep up and it is time to live off the island. Can Eleanor help her grand daughter? Can she keep her children at bay to make the right decision? Could she possibly be able to still date? Can she become closer with her grown children? This was an enjoyable read for me. I liked the characters of Eleanor and her grand daughter Ari. I thought the setting and the story were good too. There were some far fetched parts but I didn’t take it to seriously.. because that is what a summer read should have, some whimsy.. This was a four star read for me. I hope you enjoy it too!!

Was this review helpful?

Sweetly thrilling and emotional journey filled with engaging charters, witty dialog, heart racing twists, memorable moments and exciting turns. Highly entertaining and engaging adventure from beginning to end.

Was this review helpful?

This novel is an emotional read and fast-paced story. Three sisters reunite at their mother's beach house each with a hidden agenda. While the sisters bond in their desire to sell the summer home, Ari, her precocious grand-daughter, moves in with her Nana in order to block the sale.

The lovely beach environment will entreat readers to visit Nantucket for a summer stay. Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #FamilyReunion in exchange for an honest review. .Set your sails on Nantucket for the summer for a good read.

Was this review helpful?

this is a Nancy Thayer classic. A must-read! if you have enjoyed her previous books, this will follow the same trend for a comforting read that is sure to be a book you reach for again and again.

Was this review helpful?

A fun book! I enjoyed it!

Description
A longtime Nantucket resident is trying to make the best of a lonely summer. Her spirited granddaughter is learning what she wants out of life. Unforgettable surprises await them both in this magical, multigenerational novel from New York Times bestselling author Nancy Thayer.

“Readers come to Nancy Thayer novels for the idyllic Nantucket beaches and lifestyle, but they stay for the characters.”—Mary Alice Monroe

Eleanor Sunderland loves living on Nantucket in a gorgeous cliffside home that has been in her family for decades. Yet this year she can’t help but feel a bit isolated, even as the island comes alive with summer travelers. Her best friend has skipped town, leaving Eleanor lonely and feeling nostalgic about her family’s weekend trips to the island, made less frequently in the years since her husband’s passing. Now her money-driven children complain and beg her to sell her beloved home for a steep payout. Hoping to kick the season off on a good note, Eleanor decides her seventieth birthday may be the perfect occasion for a much-needed reunion.

Fresh from her college graduation, Eleanor’s granddaughter, Ari, has just ended an engagement. She longs for a change of scenery and to escape from her parents’ snobbish expectations. Taking advantage of her newfound freedom, she heads to Nantucket to clear her head before graduate school, moving in with her grandmother and taking a job at the local beach camp. As she watches Eleanor begin to form a bond with an old acquaintance, Ari herself becomes smitten with a friend’s charming older brother. But just as grandmother and granddaughter fall into a carefree routine, a few shocking discoveries throw them off course.

Eleanor and Ari learn to lean on each other through every new challenge they face in life and love, in this tale filled with Nancy Thayer’s signature Nantucket magic.

“Nancy Thayer’s Family Reunion is a wonderful slice of life.”—New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak

Was this review helpful?

I loved this story of Eleanor and her granddaughter Ari. The setting on Nantucket was wonderful. It was wonderful seeing all the different relationships and how they changed. I just loved this book.

Was this review helpful?

Great book. Highly recommend and will most defiantly read more by this author and suggest to others!

Was this review helpful?

This a Women's Fiction book. I love the cover of this book. It took me awhile to get into this story, and there was times I had to make myself pick this book up. I did not love the beginning of this book. I did find the middle more enjoyable, and I liked the middle. The ending I just found ok. I enjoyed some of the characters, but I hated other of the characters. I just overall wanted a little more from this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Ballantine Books) or author (Nancy Thayer) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Was this review helpful?

I read Family Reunion for book club this month and it was my first time reading Nancy Thayer. This was a hard story for me to decide how to rate it. I loved the setting, some of the family drama, and Eleanor. There were a few characters I really, really didn't like - and at least one that I didn't feel was redeemed by the end of the story, so I still don't like her. Eleanor was fantastic - she was witty and smart. I admired her. The setting of Nantucket was a character in itself and I loved learning about it. I definitely want to read more books by Nancy - and I'm hoping to find some more books set on Nantucket as well.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest opinion. I requested this book because I have read other books by this author and really liked them...and I am happy to say I was not disappointed. I loved that the main characters were of different ages but both starting over in different ways. You have Eleanor who is the matriarch...she is getting up their in age and is living alone in her big rambling house, which has been in her family for decades and you have her granddaughter Ari who has recently broken up with her fiance and wants to live with Eleanor for the summer. To me, those were the main characters, although other parts of the family were involved too. I just didn't really care for them :) Ari's parents have their own issues and I never did learn to like her mother...I guess not enough growth for me. Eleanor and Ari both find new loves at the same time and I just loved reading about how they got to talk to each other about their lives and what was happening. There was SO much growth for these two that I didn't want to put it down towards the end. Not to mention that the description of the city had me googling Nantucket and adding it to my list of places I want to go. :)

Was this review helpful?

Eleanor Sunderland is a widow who owns a large old house in Nantucket . Her greedy daughter Alicia and her son Cliff want her to sell her house. After breaking up with her fiancé her granddaughter Ari moves in with her and gets a job at a summer camp for kids. Ari meets Brent and falls in love. Her dad Phillip cheats on Alicia with a co worker and Ari sees them together. She and Eleanor inform Alicia that her husband is cheating on her.. Eleanor falls in love with an old friend , Silas.
This is the first book I've read by Nancy Thayer. I enjoyed reading it and I'll be reading her other books.

Was this review helpful?

I do love a good beach read and enjoy reading about Nantucket - a place I've never visited, but think I would like to. Nancy Thayer always delivers on her stories, and I enjoyed the perspectives of this one.

Aging matriarch Eleanor is trying to hold on to the home that has been in her family for generations, much to the chagrin of her children who are pressuring her to sell for millions and put them all on easy street. Eleanor's granddaughter Ari comes to stay with her grandmother for the summer and is struggling with not living up to the expectations of her mother, Eleanor's daughter. Ari ended her engagement to the "perfect match" who would ensure her a life of luxury and is determined to follow her career dream of being an early childhood teacher, even though it means a meager salary. Both Ari and Eleanor learn a lot about themselves through the summer: Eleanor - about when to let go and move on, and Ari - when to embrace the here and now and live life her way, even when unexpected events and circumstances are thrown her way.

Great beach read, great book to help slide the lens of life back into perspective.
Readers Advisory recommendation for those who also love Elin Hildebrand and Dorothy Benton Frank.

Was this review helpful?

Enjoy this new book by Nancy Thayer, Family Reunion. It is an easy to read beach book that I hight recommend. A three generational story that takes place on the beautiful island of Nantucket. The book has all the elements, romance, betrayal, family drama and forgiveness. Happy Reading!

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher. This is my honest and personal review.

Was this review helpful?

I was very disappointed in this book. I was prepared for a little conflict but this book has too many unlikeable characters and too many problems to overcome for a beach read. Loved the cover though.

Was this review helpful?

I usually read and review anything Nancy Thayer writes as soon as it comes out on the other platforms. As always I forgot to leave my review here. I really loved the book.

Was this review helpful?

Family drama on Nantucket Island. This book follows three generations of Sunderland women. As much as I wanted to love this book it was not my favorite Thayer book. I found myself forcing myself to read it a few times. I found the story predictable and some characters are hard to like. I love the cover of the book and as a always I love “spending” my summer in Nantucket.

Was this review helpful?