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Beachcombers
Beautifully written, powerfully felt, full of both abundant joy and heart-wrenching sorrow, Beachcombers is an extraordinary novel that centers on the bittersweet reunion of three captivating, very different sisters on Nantucket over one gorgeous, exhilarating summer.
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First published June 22, 2010
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About the author
Nancy Thayer
54 books4,065 followersNancy Thayer has published 35 novels, including Family Reunion and Secrets in Summer. She has lived on Nantucket Island year-round for 38 years with her husband Charley Walters. They have two children and five grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,043 reviews
March 15, 2012
This book was okay....I found the 3 sisters to be completely contradictory from chapter to chapter. In one chapter, a sister is depressed to the point of not getting out of bed for days, then suddenly, to advance the story, she is up and out and about and socializing and working. Another sister is completely levelheaded, the voice of reason of the family, and within one day of meeting her new boss's husband, she is sleeping with him and madly in love with him. The last sister changed from chapter to chapter, from a bratty, spoiled bitch who you would love to smack, to a sad, lonely misunderstood waif who you wanted to hug. Then suddenly, back to bitchy!
The plots were pretty far fetched. In one summer we are to believe that five adults, three of whom have had the absolute tragedy of a lifetime happen to them, all go from desperate, lonely people, struggling just to hang on, to happily ever after, one big happy family, a match made in heaven for each one of them. Dreams coming true! Riding into the sunset! All in one tiny summer!
Yeah, it was pretty lame, now that I think about it. I thought I was getting into a good novel but instead felt like I was reading a harlequin romance.
The plots were pretty far fetched. In one summer we are to believe that five adults, three of whom have had the absolute tragedy of a lifetime happen to them, all go from desperate, lonely people, struggling just to hang on, to happily ever after, one big happy family, a match made in heaven for each one of them. Dreams coming true! Riding into the sunset! All in one tiny summer!
Yeah, it was pretty lame, now that I think about it. I thought I was getting into a good novel but instead felt like I was reading a harlequin romance.
July 14, 2010
Here is my recipe for the perfect summer book.
Ingredients…
At least one husband having an affair with his wife’s best friend
A wife running off to a guest cottage in Nantucket because of her husband’s infidelity
A dysfunctional trio of sisters who all have their own issues…including falling in love with a married man, getting dumped by a fiancée and losing a job and being the youngest in the family with no concern at all for other family members
An island widower still trying to recover from his own issues and the death of his wife
Directions…
Now toss all of these characters together, add some odd island old society characters, lots of angst and self doubt, a small theft or two, some blue fish, beach swims, bicycle rides and boat trips and you have a yummy novel that you will not be able to put down.
Nancy Thayer does a lovely job of keeping all of these many characters moving throughout the course of one summer. The book is charming and a total delight to read. And helped me to arrive at my decision to head to Nantucket in the Fall.
July 20, 2011
Promoting the gospel of personal happiness at all costs, this story had it's moments of sweetness. However, in order to bring about the requisite "happy ending", Thayer follows the party line that divorce is ok when people are unhappy and the children will be better off with happier parents and true love happens before you get to know someone. While Abbie does consider the possibility that breaking up a marriage is bad, she succumbs to the current ideology that all will be well if we get what we want. I also had a hard time with the specifics of Marina and Jim's relationship--obviously becoming a stepmother to adult children would be problematic. Her ex-husband's return with the baby (and Garfield--really?!) did nothing for me in terms of moving the story along. Lilly was a caricature in many ways. All in all, not worth the time to listen to it.
July 17, 2019
A delightful piece of chick lit that is perfect for the beach. The plot is fairly predictable but it was fun reading about these women and their love lives. The story takes place on Nantucket, which was the ideal setting for mending broken hearts and starting new relationships. Although this isn’t going to win any literary awards, it was a decent book that kept my attention.
August 14, 2010
A captivating story & I liked the history of Nantucket. But, the characters annoyed the crap out of me.
April 6, 2020
Beachcombers was a fun getaway to Nantucket while staying safe at home.
The three Fox sisters reunite on Nantucket where they grew up. The youngest sister, Lily, is the only one who never left the island. When the middle sister Emma recently returned after losing her job and fiance, Lily summons the oldest Fox sister, Abbie, to come home too because Lily is also worried about their widower father who seems to be unaware of the advances of Marina, the woman renting their cabin for the summer.
Over the course of the summer, these young women come to terms with themselves, each other, their mother's untimely death when they were young, and new relationships for all of them including their father.
While there are some tricky moments between these sisters and family relationships are strained, Beachcombers is ultimately a happily-ever-after beach read.
The three Fox sisters reunite on Nantucket where they grew up. The youngest sister, Lily, is the only one who never left the island. When the middle sister Emma recently returned after losing her job and fiance, Lily summons the oldest Fox sister, Abbie, to come home too because Lily is also worried about their widower father who seems to be unaware of the advances of Marina, the woman renting their cabin for the summer.
Over the course of the summer, these young women come to terms with themselves, each other, their mother's untimely death when they were young, and new relationships for all of them including their father.
While there are some tricky moments between these sisters and family relationships are strained, Beachcombers is ultimately a happily-ever-after beach read.
June 23, 2022
If you can believe that four members of one family (all good-looking/slim/handsome/gorgeous - delete as appropriate) can all find love in Nantucket in one summer, then this is most definitely the book for you. If, like me, you can't, then I wouldn't bother! Imagine that you have the quandary of believing that the daughter-in-law of the lovely elderly lady for whom you read is stealing her possesssions. Would you A) Report this suspicion to a trusted family member/the police or B) Break into said old lady's house to confirm your suspicion? In this book the correct answer is B)! Now imagine that you have fallen in love with your wife's best friend, impregnated her, divorced your wfe and married her best friend. Tragically, your new wife dies of an infection after childbirth so your response is to hasten to your ex-wife's new home and demand that she remarry you and care for your baby by her ex-best friend. This will give you an idea of how this book unfolds. Only you can decide if it is a book for you.
January 7, 2013
I liked parts of this book and parts of the cast. Maybe I would have liked it better in the summer than in the cold of January? I doubt it. I liked Mirena and Emma who came to back to Nantucket to rediscover and reinvent themselves. Both characters took their time healing and both found other interests to distract themselves - instead of just jumping into the next relationship. I also liked learning about Nantucket Lightship baskets.
Now for what I didn't like: the men in this book. Seriously? All of them declare I love you - and propose!!! - within in a month of meeting the Fox daughters. Right. So far fetched. Even Marina's ex comes crawling back.
Lily was an obnoxious, self-centered, immature brat who thinks she is so grown up at 22. She works for the local magazine covering events and parties. However, since she's 22, she thinks she's actually INVITED to these parties as a guest. She complains that her wardrobe isn't glamorous enough and that all the party goers don't kiss up to her because she's pretty. She complains about her old junky car - that her father bought and pays the insurance on. She doesn't want to date the local guy who is a contractor and bartends in the summer for extra cash because "he'll never be rich enough to be her husband." Ugh. Never mind what she does to Emma.
Abby, somehow just up and quits her job because of Lily's begging. She doesn't just take a week's vacation and head back to London. She just quits. Then she finds another nanny gig and falls for the husband. So cliche. I really thought the author could have done a better job with this. Let the husband string her along when they move back home to NY. Let her realize that just because SHE thinks Sydney is a witch doesn't give her the right to take her place. She sure hopped right up and slept with the father the first chance she got - with the kid sleeping in the next room!!!! Wish he caught them so they'd have to explain why they were playing horsey to the horse-loving preschooler.
If you like fairy tales that end up happy no matter what, this is the book for you. I found it really unrealistic.
Now for what I didn't like: the men in this book. Seriously? All of them declare I love you - and propose!!! - within in a month of meeting the Fox daughters. Right. So far fetched. Even Marina's ex comes crawling back.
Lily was an obnoxious, self-centered, immature brat who thinks she is so grown up at 22. She works for the local magazine covering events and parties. However, since she's 22, she thinks she's actually INVITED to these parties as a guest. She complains that her wardrobe isn't glamorous enough and that all the party goers don't kiss up to her because she's pretty. She complains about her old junky car - that her father bought and pays the insurance on. She doesn't want to date the local guy who is a contractor and bartends in the summer for extra cash because "he'll never be rich enough to be her husband." Ugh. Never mind what she does to Emma.
Abby, somehow just up and quits her job because of Lily's begging. She doesn't just take a week's vacation and head back to London. She just quits. Then she finds another nanny gig and falls for the husband. So cliche. I really thought the author could have done a better job with this. Let the husband string her along when they move back home to NY. Let her realize that just because SHE thinks Sydney is a witch doesn't give her the right to take her place. She sure hopped right up and slept with the father the first chance she got - with the kid sleeping in the next room!!!! Wish he caught them so they'd have to explain why they were playing horsey to the horse-loving preschooler.
If you like fairy tales that end up happy no matter what, this is the book for you. I found it really unrealistic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2015
If it were possible I would give this book negative stars. The premise started out great, four women on the verge of major life changes (well, three because the youngest sister wasn't on the verge of anything)thrown together for the summer.
Then it all goes down the drain. One sister in love and having an affair with the married father of the boy she nannies. But don't worry, as we are assured repeatedly by several characters, the wife is a "bitch" and he's not in love with her.
Second sister having been dumped and fired is back home unable to get out of bed until hired to be a companion to an older lady with poor eyesight, a hottie grandson and witch of a daughter-in-law. Two words: bungled burglary. No kidding, rather than have a conversation with the hottie, Sister #2 decides sneaking into the old lady's house removing some treasured possessions to be authenticated, all in the dark of night so as not to alarm anyone.
And the third sister!? A more vapid self-involved character I've yet to meet.
The best most well thought-out storyline goes to Marina, the boarder who falls in love with the sisters' father. Right up until the end when her ex comes to her with a baby ready to be a family again because the woman he had the baby with (Marina's former best friend) suddenly dies. I was waiting for the ex husband to fall down an elevator shaft and leave the baby to Marina, that's how preposterous this story is.
I could go on...
Seriously, folks don't bother with this one.
Then it all goes down the drain. One sister in love and having an affair with the married father of the boy she nannies. But don't worry, as we are assured repeatedly by several characters, the wife is a "bitch" and he's not in love with her.
Second sister having been dumped and fired is back home unable to get out of bed until hired to be a companion to an older lady with poor eyesight, a hottie grandson and witch of a daughter-in-law. Two words: bungled burglary. No kidding, rather than have a conversation with the hottie, Sister #2 decides sneaking into the old lady's house removing some treasured possessions to be authenticated, all in the dark of night so as not to alarm anyone.
And the third sister!? A more vapid self-involved character I've yet to meet.
The best most well thought-out storyline goes to Marina, the boarder who falls in love with the sisters' father. Right up until the end when her ex comes to her with a baby ready to be a family again because the woman he had the baby with (Marina's former best friend) suddenly dies. I was waiting for the ex husband to fall down an elevator shaft and leave the baby to Marina, that's how preposterous this story is.
I could go on...
Seriously, folks don't bother with this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2018
I love books set on Nantucket. Even though I have never been there, I feel like I would know my way around the island by the beautiful descriptions that Thayer gives in all of her books. Beachcombers was no different. This was a tale of 3 sisters who have returned home to the island to help Emma, the middle sister, who has lost her high powered job in Boston and has been dumped by her fiancé. Emma is in a deep depression and the other sisters are worried for her because their own mother had severe depression and ended up taking her life when Lily, the youngest, was 7. Abbie, the oldest sister took on the role as mother and raised her 2 sisters at the expense of her own advanced education and life beyond high school.
This novel is a story of women and their strengths, sadness, loss, love, grief, and reclaiming happiness. I loved each sister and Marina, the houseguest renting out the guest cottage. They each have individual problems and struggles. Each woman deals with the problems in their own unique ways. Each has flaws but are likable.
Thayer is one of my go to women's literature writers because she does it so well. There is always substance to her stories and not just fluff. This is another great read that I highly recommend! 4 stars!
This novel is a story of women and their strengths, sadness, loss, love, grief, and reclaiming happiness. I loved each sister and Marina, the houseguest renting out the guest cottage. They each have individual problems and struggles. Each woman deals with the problems in their own unique ways. Each has flaws but are likable.
Thayer is one of my go to women's literature writers because she does it so well. There is always substance to her stories and not just fluff. This is another great read that I highly recommend! 4 stars!
April 12, 2018
This was not good. It was really poorly written, even for fluff. It was way too long while also being way too underdeveloped. I couldn't have cared less about the characters or their lives because they weren't real at all.
The dialog and interactions were so unbelievable, it was like listening to toddlers argue with each other. "You two leave me out of everything!" "No we don't!" "Yes you do!" "Well maybe if you weren't such a brat and bought some groceries we'd like you!" *huffs off*
Also, talk about insta-love! That's a complaint about YA books in general but this is the worst I've ever seen. Especially for a chick-lit/romance?! Breaking up marriages left and right because the characters have known each other for all but 10 minutes and they know they're soulmates... Ok.
I think what kept me reading was Thayer's descriptions of the island and houses. Those were quite charming, but setting alone isn't enough to carry a 350 page story.
Skip it.
The dialog and interactions were so unbelievable, it was like listening to toddlers argue with each other. "You two leave me out of everything!" "No we don't!" "Yes you do!" "Well maybe if you weren't such a brat and bought some groceries we'd like you!" *huffs off*
Also, talk about insta-love! That's a complaint about YA books in general but this is the worst I've ever seen. Especially for a chick-lit/romance?! Breaking up marriages left and right because the characters have known each other for all but 10 minutes and they know they're soulmates... Ok.
I think what kept me reading was Thayer's descriptions of the island and houses. Those were quite charming, but setting alone isn't enough to carry a 350 page story.
Skip it.
January 17, 2017
This book was terrible from start to finish. Character development was horrible, confusing & very cliché. Completely predictable story line where you could see around every turn. Many of the storylines were SO unrealistic, like she was trying really hard to add drama & failed miserably. It just left me rolling my eyes a lot & shouting at the girls to have a spine. The worst part for me was the ending where she tried to tie it up with a pretty little bow by having all of the girls find a man & that seemed to "fix" all of the problems. Barf. Barf. Barf.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2022
Emma and Marina are the only people in this book who aren't complete trash humans. Lilly is such a spoiled, entitled, crappy person, and Abby sleeping with a married man is just gross. Jim fox not having an opinion on Lilly literally having Emma and Marina arrested out of spite and 'staying out of it', but getting annoyed at Marina and Emma for not confiding in Lilly, excuse me? He doesn't stick up for Marina and tells Marina she can't be friends with Emma and his girlfriend. What? Are you a 3rd grader Jim? He's insecure, rude, distant, and has enabled Lilly to be a complete jerk to everyone.
And, are we supposed to believe that all the men in the book are just up and ready to marry after only dating these women for 3 months or so? Reality is lacking.
And, are we supposed to believe that all the men in the book are just up and ready to marry after only dating these women for 3 months or so? Reality is lacking.
August 14, 2020
I had never picked up a Nancy Thayer book before but was hoping she was similar to Dorothy Benton Frank with her detailed stories of seaside beauty and the Nantucket way of life. Whom I love by the way! I was hoping I would enjoy her writing just as much. And I found I really did. She brings her characters to life in beautiful rich detail that makes you think of the people next door.
Abbie, Emma and Lily, are 3 20 something year old who are also the MC’s of the story, them and Marina.
They all left home except for the younger sister Lily who stays with their dad on Nantucket Island year round. Their mom passed when Lily was just 7 years old and Abby had stepped up and raised both her sisters.
As adults now Emma and Abbie both come home for the summer after Emma loses her job and fiancé all at once.
Each girl is going through her own personal struggles with what to do with the rest of their lives, men problems and whether they are OK with the new renter of their old playhouse (turned cottage), Marina a very attractive divorcee. Whom their Dad has taken an instant liking to.
The story itself was slow and steady but held my interest throughout the book. I think the multiple subplots kept it fresh and the fact that the sisters had 3 completely different personalities, and it is told alternately through theirs and Marinas perspectives.
Abbie is the level headed caretaker but I felt her interest in her employer contradicted what the author had laid out about her personality already.
Emma is the one that seems to have the depressive gene passed down from their mother. She comes home after losing her job and fiancé and won’t get out of bed for days, before finally bouncing back, kind of amazingly all at once I have to say.
Lily is the baby but has had to grow up a lot since her sisters had left her to handle the household for 2 years on her own. But when they come back she reverts back to her irresponsible, spoiled ways, along with being a super bitch I might add. I wanted to shake her sometimes.
There was one section in particular that stood out, where the girls are talking about how their mother had battled with depression. I really appreciated her take on that. I thought she wrote about that so deftly, tying it in to the story beautifully while also giving readers informative information.
Overall I found Beachcombers to be an engrossing and sentimental tale that would allure most readers with the descriptions of the beauty of Nantucket and the inner workings of the good and the bad of family life and other social situations.
I think I may have found another favorite author of Women’s Fiction to add to my reading list.
Abbie, Emma and Lily, are 3 20 something year old who are also the MC’s of the story, them and Marina.
They all left home except for the younger sister Lily who stays with their dad on Nantucket Island year round. Their mom passed when Lily was just 7 years old and Abby had stepped up and raised both her sisters.
As adults now Emma and Abbie both come home for the summer after Emma loses her job and fiancé all at once.
Each girl is going through her own personal struggles with what to do with the rest of their lives, men problems and whether they are OK with the new renter of their old playhouse (turned cottage), Marina a very attractive divorcee. Whom their Dad has taken an instant liking to.
The story itself was slow and steady but held my interest throughout the book. I think the multiple subplots kept it fresh and the fact that the sisters had 3 completely different personalities, and it is told alternately through theirs and Marinas perspectives.
Abbie is the level headed caretaker but I felt her interest in her employer contradicted what the author had laid out about her personality already.
Emma is the one that seems to have the depressive gene passed down from their mother. She comes home after losing her job and fiancé and won’t get out of bed for days, before finally bouncing back, kind of amazingly all at once I have to say.
Lily is the baby but has had to grow up a lot since her sisters had left her to handle the household for 2 years on her own. But when they come back she reverts back to her irresponsible, spoiled ways, along with being a super bitch I might add. I wanted to shake her sometimes.
There was one section in particular that stood out, where the girls are talking about how their mother had battled with depression. I really appreciated her take on that. I thought she wrote about that so deftly, tying it in to the story beautifully while also giving readers informative information.
Overall I found Beachcombers to be an engrossing and sentimental tale that would allure most readers with the descriptions of the beauty of Nantucket and the inner workings of the good and the bad of family life and other social situations.
I think I may have found another favorite author of Women’s Fiction to add to my reading list.
July 11, 2019
cute summer beach read! enjoyed the characters and setting of the story
June 6, 2021
Beachcombers by Nancy Thayer is an unrealistic and painfully far-fetched book. It reminded me of a fairytale for adults where little things get blown out of proportion and semi-bad things happen, but by the end, everything is okay and all is good. Each chapter is either told by one of the Fox daughters, Abbie, Emma, and Lily, or by Marina, the woman renting their cabin for the summer.
Abbie is the oldest Fox daughter and has been living in London until Lily begs her to come home. She, with the help of her sisters, start a business called Nantucket Mermaids, taking odd jobs all over the island. One of Abbie's gigs is being a nanny for a little boy named Harry. Soon she finds herself falling for Harry's dad Howell. Howell is very unhappy in his marriage and soon falls for Abbie too.
Jim Fox's middle daughter is Emma. She finds herself jobless and heartbroken after losing her job and fiancé all in a matter of days. Falling into a deep depression, she locks herself in her room at her dad's house. With the arrival of Abbie and starting Nantucket Mermaids, Emma takes a job reading to Millicent Bracebridge, one of Nantucket's founding family members. After being introduced to Millicent's grandson, Spencer, she finds herself having feelings for him. However, Emma soon realizes that someone is stealing from Millicent and the prime suspect is Sandra, Millicent's daughter-in-law / Spencer's mother.
Lily, the youngest Fox daughter, works for a local magazine covering events and parties. During an event, she begins talking to Eartha Yardley, a very wealthy divorcee, and soon she finds herself becoming Eartha's assistant. Lily strives to be accepted by high society and envies the glamorous life and becoming Eartha's assistant is the first step to reaching her goal. Meanwhile, she begins dating Jason, a local guy who is a contractor/bartender, and while she cares for him, she knows that he will never be rich enough to live up to her expectations.
Marina is picking up the pieces of her life after her husband Gerry cheats on her with Marina's friend Dara. Gerry and Dara have fallen in love and are expecting a child soon. Marina is heartbroken by the news and soon finds herself giving up the life she has built with Gerry. To escape the reality of her life back home, Marina ends up in Nantucket renting the Fox's cabin for the summer. Soon she finds herself interested in Jim Fox and begins a relationship with him.
Overall, I found major flaws with each character, mostly surrounding their relationship with men. Abbie's relationship with Howell was beyond ridiculous. Emma's relationship with Spencer went from barely talking to sleeping with each other overnight. Marina and Jim's relationship was a roller coaster of drama. One minute they are lovey-dovey and the next Jim is freaking out about Marina trying to build a relationship with Jim's daughters. And then there is Lily...Lily is a self-centered, obnoxious brat! She is so focused on wanting to become a socialite and being accepted by high society, that Jason's simple life isn't good enough for her. What killed me the most is that within the short span of summer each character somehow falls in love and ends up either engaged or married.
As I mentioned before, this book is unrealistic and painfully far-fetched. Multiple times throughout this book I found myself either rolling my eyes or wanting to throw the book across the room. I would not recommend this book to others, there are way better beach-themed chick-lits out there.
Abbie is the oldest Fox daughter and has been living in London until Lily begs her to come home. She, with the help of her sisters, start a business called Nantucket Mermaids, taking odd jobs all over the island. One of Abbie's gigs is being a nanny for a little boy named Harry. Soon she finds herself falling for Harry's dad Howell. Howell is very unhappy in his marriage and soon falls for Abbie too.
Jim Fox's middle daughter is Emma. She finds herself jobless and heartbroken after losing her job and fiancé all in a matter of days. Falling into a deep depression, she locks herself in her room at her dad's house. With the arrival of Abbie and starting Nantucket Mermaids, Emma takes a job reading to Millicent Bracebridge, one of Nantucket's founding family members. After being introduced to Millicent's grandson, Spencer, she finds herself having feelings for him. However, Emma soon realizes that someone is stealing from Millicent and the prime suspect is Sandra, Millicent's daughter-in-law / Spencer's mother.
Lily, the youngest Fox daughter, works for a local magazine covering events and parties. During an event, she begins talking to Eartha Yardley, a very wealthy divorcee, and soon she finds herself becoming Eartha's assistant. Lily strives to be accepted by high society and envies the glamorous life and becoming Eartha's assistant is the first step to reaching her goal. Meanwhile, she begins dating Jason, a local guy who is a contractor/bartender, and while she cares for him, she knows that he will never be rich enough to live up to her expectations.
Marina is picking up the pieces of her life after her husband Gerry cheats on her with Marina's friend Dara. Gerry and Dara have fallen in love and are expecting a child soon. Marina is heartbroken by the news and soon finds herself giving up the life she has built with Gerry. To escape the reality of her life back home, Marina ends up in Nantucket renting the Fox's cabin for the summer. Soon she finds herself interested in Jim Fox and begins a relationship with him.
Overall, I found major flaws with each character, mostly surrounding their relationship with men. Abbie's relationship with Howell was beyond ridiculous. Emma's relationship with Spencer went from barely talking to sleeping with each other overnight. Marina and Jim's relationship was a roller coaster of drama. One minute they are lovey-dovey and the next Jim is freaking out about Marina trying to build a relationship with Jim's daughters. And then there is Lily...Lily is a self-centered, obnoxious brat! She is so focused on wanting to become a socialite and being accepted by high society, that Jason's simple life isn't good enough for her. What killed me the most is that within the short span of summer each character somehow falls in love and ends up either engaged or married.
As I mentioned before, this book is unrealistic and painfully far-fetched. Multiple times throughout this book I found myself either rolling my eyes or wanting to throw the book across the room. I would not recommend this book to others, there are way better beach-themed chick-lits out there.
October 13, 2010
When I saw how good the reviews were for this book, I was excited to read it. Sadly, I was destined for disappointment. This turned out to be one of those books where I contemplated not finishing, but had already read enough that I was invested and felt like I had to complete. Overall, I thought the book was just kind of flat. I never felt like I knew any of the characters beyond a surface level. And, while I did want the girls to be happy, I don't know how I feel about each of them finding happiness with a man (can't someone be happy on their own, or through friendship, or sisterhood, or career? Maybe this is my feminist spirit shining through...). Also, I just didn't find it believable that out of the blue, three sisters would each meet a man on an island--where they've lived their whole life, mind you--all in one summer.
I wasn't a huge fan of Lily either. I realize she's young, but she was just very selfish/childish/petty. She never seemed to care about anyone but herself, and only about trivial/superficial things at that. I understand feeling left out when there are three sisters, but she didn't handle it well at all.
I think the sister I related most to was Emma (maybe because I'm a middle child as well). I thought her story seemed the most real, and I sympathized with her the most.
I wasn't a huge fan of Lily either. I realize she's young, but she was just very selfish/childish/petty. She never seemed to care about anyone but herself, and only about trivial/superficial things at that. I understand feeling left out when there are three sisters, but she didn't handle it well at all.
I think the sister I related most to was Emma (maybe because I'm a middle child as well). I thought her story seemed the most real, and I sympathized with her the most.
June 1, 2012
This is a good story about the Fox family, three sisters Abbie, Emma and Lilly along with their father Jim.
Abbie has been working overseas but Lilly sends an email asking Abbie to come home urgently as Emma has lost her job and her fiance and will not get out of bed and Lilly cannot handle it. Abbie decides to come home and at first Emma still does no want to get out of bed. To add to Lilly's problems her father has rented out their cottage to a woman he seems to be interested in, Lilly's jealous even though her mother has been dead for some year and Jim has been on his own for a number of years.
In the course of this busy summer on Nantucket, Abbie and Emma start a company where they hire themselves out to help families - babysitting, reading for older people, shopping and helping out as required. Lilly works for the local paper so finds herself invited to lots of parties where she meets a woman Ertha who asks her to come and work for her. From the jobs they take on both Abbie and Emma meet someone special and Lilly finds her special man too. Jim finds his worman - though there is a hiccup in each relationship.
To cut the story short, it was happy, it was said and I enjoyed it. The ending was happy which is what I want in my fiction reading.
Abbie has been working overseas but Lilly sends an email asking Abbie to come home urgently as Emma has lost her job and her fiance and will not get out of bed and Lilly cannot handle it. Abbie decides to come home and at first Emma still does no want to get out of bed. To add to Lilly's problems her father has rented out their cottage to a woman he seems to be interested in, Lilly's jealous even though her mother has been dead for some year and Jim has been on his own for a number of years.
In the course of this busy summer on Nantucket, Abbie and Emma start a company where they hire themselves out to help families - babysitting, reading for older people, shopping and helping out as required. Lilly works for the local paper so finds herself invited to lots of parties where she meets a woman Ertha who asks her to come and work for her. From the jobs they take on both Abbie and Emma meet someone special and Lilly finds her special man too. Jim finds his worman - though there is a hiccup in each relationship.
To cut the story short, it was happy, it was said and I enjoyed it. The ending was happy which is what I want in my fiction reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2014
This is a book that I was excited to finish, not because I wanted to find out what happened at the end, but because I was just ready for it to be over. The characters are flat, the plot is predictable, and it just wasn't that great at all. If I was looking for some redeeming quality in the book it was that the sentences actually did make sense; the words put together created something coherent, it just wasn't that good.
February 20, 2014
I think I read quite a bit of Nancy Thayer "back in the day," but either her style has slipped or my standards have risen, and I found this one flat, predictable, awkwardly written, and, ultimately, skimmable. Pretty cover, but doesn't live up to its cover's promise.
July 8, 2017
Beachcombers
This was one of the recommended books for the "beach reads" week in my library's summer-reading program. This is one of those books I probably wouldn't have chosen of my own volition, though I'm glad to have experienced it. Its setting in Nantucket was nice, because I honeymooned there in addition to having other special vacations there.
The book is set in the summer of 2009; many characters are having financial problems because of the economy. Fifteen years before, Danielle Fox drowned; whether the drowning was accidental or intentional, no one knows for sure. She left behind her husband Jim, a contractor, and three daughters--Abbie, who was 15 at the time; Emma, who was 13; and Lily, who was only seven. As the oldest daughter, Abbie, stepped up as caretaker to her younger sisters.
As the book opens on its present-tense narrative, Abbie rushes home at Lily's urging, after having spent two years in London working as an au pair. Lily's worried about Emma, whose fiance Duncan dumped her for another woman right around the time she lost her finance job in Boston. Emma returned to the family home and took to her bed. Lily's also worried about their father's business, as contracting jobs are becoming less plentiful. He has rented out the guest cottage, aka "the playhouse," to Marina--whom she characterizes in an email to Abbie as a sexy woman who is after their father. Six months earlier, Marina's husband Gerry and good friend Dara threw her a surprise party to celebrate her 40th birthday--only to reveal the next morning that they'd fallen in love and were expecting a baby. Gerry wanted a divorce so he could marry Dara. Gerry bought out Marina's half of their ad agency and their condo, in Kansas City, MO. Marina has rented out the cottage for a six-month term, to give herself the chance for a new start.
So there are multiple romances in this book, and I'm not usually a romance kind of girl. But there was enough other drama going on to make this generally a fun, frothy read for me. Sometimes, I became irritated with certain characters. Okay, mostly Lily. At times, she acted more like a toddler than a 22-year-old, but this was somewhat explained by her sisters having babied her--and she does go through a trajectory. There's some insta-love here, and I'm not generally a fan of that. But fortunately, things weren't 100% wrapped up with a neat bow. More like 85%.
This was one of the recommended books for the "beach reads" week in my library's summer-reading program. This is one of those books I probably wouldn't have chosen of my own volition, though I'm glad to have experienced it. Its setting in Nantucket was nice, because I honeymooned there in addition to having other special vacations there.
The book is set in the summer of 2009; many characters are having financial problems because of the economy. Fifteen years before, Danielle Fox drowned; whether the drowning was accidental or intentional, no one knows for sure. She left behind her husband Jim, a contractor, and three daughters--Abbie, who was 15 at the time; Emma, who was 13; and Lily, who was only seven. As the oldest daughter, Abbie, stepped up as caretaker to her younger sisters.
As the book opens on its present-tense narrative, Abbie rushes home at Lily's urging, after having spent two years in London working as an au pair. Lily's worried about Emma, whose fiance Duncan dumped her for another woman right around the time she lost her finance job in Boston. Emma returned to the family home and took to her bed. Lily's also worried about their father's business, as contracting jobs are becoming less plentiful. He has rented out the guest cottage, aka "the playhouse," to Marina--whom she characterizes in an email to Abbie as a sexy woman who is after their father. Six months earlier, Marina's husband Gerry and good friend Dara threw her a surprise party to celebrate her 40th birthday--only to reveal the next morning that they'd fallen in love and were expecting a baby. Gerry wanted a divorce so he could marry Dara. Gerry bought out Marina's half of their ad agency and their condo, in Kansas City, MO. Marina has rented out the cottage for a six-month term, to give herself the chance for a new start.
So there are multiple romances in this book, and I'm not usually a romance kind of girl. But there was enough other drama going on to make this generally a fun, frothy read for me. Sometimes, I became irritated with certain characters. Okay, mostly Lily. At times, she acted more like a toddler than a 22-year-old, but this was somewhat explained by her sisters having babied her--and she does go through a trajectory. There's some insta-love here, and I'm not generally a fan of that. But fortunately, things weren't 100% wrapped up with a neat bow. More like 85%.
March 29, 2021
Nice light romance!
December 14, 2020
I liked this book
November 15, 2011
I've decided that reading novels set in New England satisfies my dismay about winter's approach. Nancy Thayer's novels, set in Nantucket, are meeting that need quite nicely. Descriptions about the beauty of this small island off my coast as the seasons change is quite peaceful.
Set against this background is the story of three sisters, living together in their father's home for the first time in several years, and a woman who is renting a small cottage on their property. Each is bright and capable, and each is deeply wounded. They heal slowly, developing unexpected relationships along the way, some making terrible decisions (No..no..don't sleep with him! He's married with a little boy!), good decisions (Yes, good idea...start up a "sisters' business"), finding themselves stronger and in a better place at novel's end. I was not as connected to Thayer's characters here, and it may have been their self-centeredness at the beginning of the novel (and my lack of empathy...sigh.)
Set against this background is the story of three sisters, living together in their father's home for the first time in several years, and a woman who is renting a small cottage on their property. Each is bright and capable, and each is deeply wounded. They heal slowly, developing unexpected relationships along the way, some making terrible decisions (No..no..don't sleep with him! He's married with a little boy!), good decisions (Yes, good idea...start up a "sisters' business"), finding themselves stronger and in a better place at novel's end. I was not as connected to Thayer's characters here, and it may have been their self-centeredness at the beginning of the novel (and my lack of empathy...sigh.)
December 10, 2021
I didn't like 90% of the characters in this story so it was difficult to enjoy it. The father is so bland I can't understand what Marina even sees in him; esp after he confesses he was cheating on his wife. Marina should have run very fast - not back to the slimy ex husband but away from this family.
Abbie is committing adultery with her boss and breaks up a marriage. I was really hoping she'd get dumped as it would be more what she deserved. Lily was just a spoiled brat who I couldn't stand from beginning to end. This brat literally called the police on her sister to get her arrested when she knew she wasn't doing anything criminal; how does anyone forgive her for her extreme selfishness?
Emma was the only tolerable character in the book and it wasn't enough to save the story for me. I was just glad the audiobook ended.
Abbie is committing adultery with her boss and breaks up a marriage. I was really hoping she'd get dumped as it would be more what she deserved. Lily was just a spoiled brat who I couldn't stand from beginning to end. This brat literally called the police on her sister to get her arrested when she knew she wasn't doing anything criminal; how does anyone forgive her for her extreme selfishness?
Emma was the only tolerable character in the book and it wasn't enough to save the story for me. I was just glad the audiobook ended.
September 12, 2014
No matter how long I stuck with it I never found myself enjoying this book. Frankly, none of the main characters are really likeable- even though they try to be. I didn't feel as though there was any substance to them, and no real development. I agree with the other viewer who said things happen too suddenly that it's not a likely story that you feel you can be in the midst of. From one chapter to the next the sisters are lonely and depressed, then all of them are deeply in love with someone they just met. The book jacket description sounded promising, but ultimately failed in engaging me.
August 26, 2011
I was looking for a nice beach read and was looking for something frivolous and fun. Since Nancy Thayer has come through for me in the past, I picked this book up thinking it would get my mind off some things.
This book, unfortunately, had such a serious lack of character development that I actually wanted to get my mind off the book and back onto my real-life issues.
I finished "Beachcombers" because I hate leaving things incomplete but I'm not sure I can pick up another Nancy Thayer book anytime soon!
This book, unfortunately, had such a serious lack of character development that I actually wanted to get my mind off the book and back onto my real-life issues.
I finished "Beachcombers" because I hate leaving things incomplete but I'm not sure I can pick up another Nancy Thayer book anytime soon!
April 1, 2016
It was an entertaining easy read. . . story lines were a little far fetched and the ending tied up all the loose ends in a nice neat little bow--a little too neatly. It was somewhat shallow and I took issue with one character having an affair with the dad of the child she was babysitting. Everything just worked out too easy for all the characters including the one having an affair with a married man. If you are looking for an entertaining and quick read then this is a good one but if you have others on your list, chose those first.
January 22, 2015
This book was very uneventful. Kinda dull and unrealistic. I am sucker for a happy ending, but this was just to convenient. Spoiler Alert: Sorry, all four of these women in one summer meet someone, get engaged after having one night with their men ...can't see this happening for everyone of them. It's not a horrible book...it had some good points but few and far between. I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone! :(
July 25, 2018
The many things that bothered me about this book took away from what was an interesting storyline. The four characters ability to literally sleep with men without any sort of established relationship was just plain stupid. If it was one or two of them it might have been better, but all 4 was just weird and kind of gross. The ways the characters personalities and moods flipped/flopped was also just not a realistic transition. This could have been a much better book in my opinion.
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