Set in Nantucket, this is the story of four strangers, Ariel, Nick, Wyatt, and Sheila from different backgrounds who come together for one summer on Nantucket before starting their post college lives. They took up residence in the basement of a hotel under renovation, nicknamed the Sand Palace and formed a fast friendship as they navigated their summer adventure and respective futures. The novel then jumps to twenty-five years later, where the four friends once again reunite with their children for a reunion on Nantucket in the same hotel which is now owned by Nick.

This novel is told from alternating timelines, this summer and that summer and each chapter focuses on a different character and storyline. This approach keeps the reader engaged and interested in learning the fate of each of the characters both past and present.

The novel explores the relationship among the characters and true to its title, summer love. That said, the relationships fell a little flat for me as there was not much character development or evolution of the budding relationships to really convince the reader of the feelings. The characters seemed very one dimensional and the same storylines played out in both the past and present chapters. There was a major tragedy that occurred in the novel, yet it felt rather glossed over and underplayed. The author attempts to have the storyline come full circle but then as quickly as it came together it just ended.

The novel was a quick and easy read. It highlights themes of friendship and love. This novel would be a nice compliment to a day at the beach.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

4.5 stars! Two alternating timelines, one great book! This was one of my favorite Nancy Thayer novels, and an awesome "beach read" perfect for any time of the year. As I sit in snowy Ohio, it was so fun to transport myself to sunny summer days in Nantucket, thanks to this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing an advance copy of this book prior to publication.

Perfect summer read. Loved how story transitioned back and forth between 4 best friends younger days to present day reunion now including their children.

Four strangers rent rooms in the basement of an old hotel on Nantucket for the summer. Ariel, Sheila, Wyatt and Nick spend a summer of friendship, growing up and enjoying the adventure. Twenty six years they reunite with their families in the renovated hotel that Nick owns. As they reminisce about the past their children explore and forge friendships with each other and fall in love with Nantucket the same way their parents did! Loved this book of friendships and love!


Thanks to Nancy Thayer and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine Books

What a sweet, coming of age book told between past and present.
Twenty five years ago four teens met on the island of Nantucket. Each had come to the island for a summer job, and were renting rooms in a run down basement of a hotel. While each of the four was vastly different, with very different dreams, they became summer friends. Twenty five years later, Nick, on of the four, invites everyone and their families back to the island to stay at his hotel. They reconnect in a way that none of them saw coming. With their children finding their own summer adventures on the island, the "Oldies" find their way back to the friendship they once shared.
Great characters, with real life issues, and a plot that flowed smoothly between then and now. Wonderful read.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Nick, Sheila, Arial, and Wyatt are each coming to Nantucket to work and save money for the summer. They're the four chosen inhabitants of whats left of Rockers Hotel, or as they refer to it The Sand Palace. Coming from different locations and uobringings, they come together after each searching out cheap accommodations on the island.

A lovely story about 4 young people who come to Nantucket to work for a summer and become great friends! That summer changed their lives, and now they’ve come back for a reunion. This was a sweet story! I loved all of the characters!

I am a huge Nancy Thayer fan and have read all of her books. Every time I finish one of her books, I tell myself that her next book will not be able to top the one I've just finished. Well, her next book always manages to do so. I loved, loved, loved this book. I loved the characters, storyline, setting and the cover. Well done!

Nancy Thayer has always been one of my go-to authors for a fun and relaxing beach read. I’ve yet to be disappointed. This book is fresh, invigorating, and fun. Every other chapter format was a little disorienting at first, but I came to understand that it was the best way to present the story and it added depth to the story.

The characters were real, relatable, colorful, and well developed. They were your next-door neighbor, your boss, your best friend. They had hopes and dreams, insecurities, and doubts. They were just like you and me.

This book alternates between a time when the original four characters had just graduated from college and were spending their summer working in Nantucket. It’s a coming of age into the real world.

The alternate chapters are 25 years into the future when the fateful four are again meeting in Nantucket for a reunion. Joining them are one spouse, and three of their children. Ironically, their children had just graduated from college and were about to set foot into the real world. I often had to remind myself ‘which set of kids’ I was reading about at that moment as the two generations closely mirrored each other.

Overall, the book was an enjoyable fun read. But more than that, it took me back to my life at both junctures. In many ways, I was right there with the book’s characters: falling in love, marriage, children, and careers.

I have no doubt that this novel will be an immense success, and I look forward to reading Nancy’s future novels.

I received this advanced reader’s copy free from Author Nancy Thayer, Ballantine Books, and Net
Galley. This is a voluntary review, a

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing. Nancy Thayer brings summer romance and Nantucket alive.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of Summer Love from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and opinion. Nancy Thayer is one of my absolute authors and I look forward to the release of her beach read every spring. This book was wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This book alternates between the past and present and kept you engaged through out. I highly recommend everyone read this!

Once again, Nancy Thayer weaves the magic of her beloved Nantucket Island into an entertaining story, perfect for the beach or just a relaxing read anywhere/anytime.

Four recent college graduates secure summer jobs on the island and meet in the rather primitive dwellings of a hotel about to undergo major reconstruction. As these strangers become friends, they explore the island and share their dreams. Nick Volkov aspires to own hotels and amass wealth. Ariel Spencer envisions herself writing a novel. Wyatt Smith is primed to enter academia following in his father’s footsteps as a research scientist. Lastly, Sheila Murphy craves experiencing an adventure before getting married and starting a family back in the Midwest. As expected from the title, summer romance plays an important part in the storyline.

Twenty-five years later, Nick arranges a reunion at his luxury hotel – the very one where their friendships began. As they reestablish their connection, they share memories and reflect on what they have accomplished over the two and one half decades. Were their dreams fulfilled or did they fade in the face of other responsibilities and priorities? Accompanying the original “oldies” are their next generation children who are touched by the same magical qualities of Nantucket.

The story moves back and forth between the past and the present in chapters titled, “that” summer and “this” summer. The characters are believable and relatable and, of course, Nantucket Island is a featured “character” as well. The author provides vivid, detailed descriptions of beaches, shops, restaurants, and locations, making the island come alive in the reader’s imagination. The pace was a bit slow at times, but overall, this is an enjoyable, satisfying read.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

Summer love is a rather vague description for a phenomenon that happens all too often. Perhaps just a one-time experience, sort of experiment. A time out of time to spread your wings. A time to reflect on the possibilities. It is often not really love at all, more like a fleeting coupling with no future in sight or expected.

In SUMMER LOVE four young people are randomly put together for the summer, each working odd jobs on Nantucket. Kind of a bridge between schooling and careers. Even a time to dissect current relationships or dream about new ones.

Nancy Thayer sends us back and forth between then and now, this summer and that summer, actually some twenty years apart. Interest look at people to see how they have changed, if they have changed. Some had dreams that had come true, of course with hard work and tenacity. Others had drifted into a comfortable life, seemingly happy and content. But this is a Nancy Thayer novel, and nothing could be simple.

Summer on the island had given the four a chance to work and play. Wyatt knew what his future was to be, following in his father’s footsteps as a scientist. Nick had visions of being a successful owner of a vast hotel dynasty. Ariel’s vision was to become an author, writing a great novel. Sheila was just going to enjoy some fun before settling down with her fiancé Hank. At first glance these four are as different as can be, but they developed a great friendship and bond that lasted these last twenty years.

Interesting concept of how your past sometimes intrudes on your present and could impact the future. So as we travel from then to now, we see what the fours lives have become. We see their newly formed families. We meet their kids, at least some of them. And we watch their twenty-year-old relationship morph into new ones.

Lots of surprises and ah ha moments in SUMMER LOVE. I will let you enjoy and uncover these surprises. All and all, SUMMER LOVE is a delightful look into a summer of swimming, exploring and experiences. Both in the past and now. Well-developed characters abound in the latest book by Nancy Thayer. SUMMER LOVE will leave you exploring your own experiences and certainly bring a smile to your face. Young love can be so grand. Young love can break your heart. In SUMMER LOVE Nancy Thayer explores it all through this amazing cast of characters.

Nancy Thayer never disappoints with her must read, beach books that instantly have you wanting to book your first trip to Nantucket. It alternates with the past Sun Palace “four” and the present day where they are reunited at Nick’s hotel on Nantucket, joined by their families. Summer Love was predictable but still a quick and easy read that I would recommend to a friend to read poolside.

I got about 3/4 of the way through this book before completely giving up. I had high hopes because I’ve read other Nancy Thayer titles and enjoyed them.

The characters seemed disjointed and not real. Their dialogue, their mannerisms, and their personalities seemed like something you’d see in a Hallmark movie on steroids… Hallmark movies being more believable than this.

While the premise was interesting, I couldn’t get past how the kids acted. Teens and early twenty-something’s have nothing in common with the young adults portrayed in this book. It was jarring to read about these characters… they seemed like they belonged in the 1800s.

I think this novel could have been truly amazing because the plot was so interesting but it fell so flat I just couldn’t bring myself to finish the novel.

Giving two stars because I enjoyed the setting a lot and certain scenes reminded me a bit of my teen years.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC. Nancy Thayer is one of my favorite authors and this story did not disappoint. It follows 4 kids as they spend a summer on Nantucket and become life long friends. the story alternates from a reunion of the 4 with their kids to the summer they met, telling both stories easily. There was one twist I was anticipating, that never came to be. It is a great story, perfect for a beach read.

Thank you NetGalley for my free ebook, Summer Love, by Nancy Thayer. If you’re looking for a fun beach read, this book is for you. Typical upbeat Nancy Thayer writing. Four twenty somethings meet taking summer jobs on Nantucket and have a reunion twenty some odd years later with their children. The book alternates with summer then and summer now. I will be recommending this book for sure.

Perfect book for summer. This book feels like you are on the island with the characters as they navigate friendship and love. You meet 2 generations of characters as their lives intertwine as they explore who they really are and what is important in life.

Alternating between past/present summers, this book tells the story of 4 friends who meet and then reunite on Nantucket 25 years later. A little predictable, but a fun, quick read. The author transports you to summer on Nantucket - a great read for your beach bag!

The summer that Sheila, Nik, Ariel, and Wyatt met on Nantucket was magical for them. Twenty-five years later, Nik invites them all back for a reunion. Their past summer is compared to their adult kids’ present summer-the struggle for independence, the burgeoning of love, the insecurities, and the development of friendship.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.