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Heat Wave
Lyrical, emotional, dramatic, and packed with Nancy Thayer’s trademark warmth and wisdom, Heat Wave tells the moving story of a woman who, after her seemingly perfect life unravels, must find the strength to live and love again.
After her husband’s sudden death, Carley Winsted is determined to keep her two daughters in their beloved home on Nantucket. To ease the family’s financial strain, she decides to transform their grand, historic house into a bed-and-breakfast. Not everyone, however, thinks this plan prudent or quite respectable—especially not Carley’s mother-in-law. Further complicating a myriad of challenges, a friend forces Carley to keep a secret that, if revealed, will undo families and friendships. And her late husband’s former law partner is making Carley confront an array of mixed feelings. Then, during a late-summer heat wave, the lives of Carley and her friends and family will be forever changed in entirely unexpected ways.
After her husband’s sudden death, Carley Winsted is determined to keep her two daughters in their beloved home on Nantucket. To ease the family’s financial strain, she decides to transform their grand, historic house into a bed-and-breakfast. Not everyone, however, thinks this plan prudent or quite respectable—especially not Carley’s mother-in-law. Further complicating a myriad of challenges, a friend forces Carley to keep a secret that, if revealed, will undo families and friendships. And her late husband’s former law partner is making Carley confront an array of mixed feelings. Then, during a late-summer heat wave, the lives of Carley and her friends and family will be forever changed in entirely unexpected ways.
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First published June 21, 2011
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About the author
Nancy Thayer
53 books4,061 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 804 reviews
July 15, 2011
This is not the worst book I've cracked this year, but it's far from the best. I picked it up at the library (thank God I didn't spend any money on it) for some very light summer reading...you know the kind...it keeps you turning the pages but doesn't tax the intellect at all.
Well, it filled the bill on the intellect part, but boy, did I want to stop turning the pages.
It's not that every book I open should be "Crime and Punishment", but really...there's a fine line between light and flaky like a biscuit, and downright insulting. This was dangerously close to insulting.
My question is, as it far too often is, "Who edits this shit?" I'm afraid the answer is "Nobody edits this shit", or worse yet, "Somebody who doesn't care about the reader and only wants to get the book out there to make a buck and/or fulfill the author's contract". That's who.
Here are a few of my complaints. This does not represent a complete list and is not arranged in order of degree of annoyance.
1. For the love of GOD, would people PLEASE learn the difference between "to lie" and "to lay" in the present tense? I don't have the space or time to give a grammar lesson here, but really -- "She lay her head on his shoulder", meant in the past tense, always makes me want to respond "Do she, now?" You can't use "lay" in this role. You have to use "laid". I don't care if it sounds fancy enough, "laid" is right. F---ing learn some grammar. You're a writer -- or an editor -- for Christ's sake.
2. Enough with the food porn. If I have to read one more description of some woman's own homemade luscious cranberry-almond-orange peel muffins, I'm going to projectile vomit and throw the book across the room. The main character in this book eventually runs a B&B on Nantucket, so there's way too much of this crap (masquerading as rich detail for the plot). Plus, she worries about her dancer daughter becoming "anorectic", and then says she herself will get fat if she keeps eating cookie batter. And she drinks enough hot chocolate to float a battleship. Make up your mind. And we've had enough of women-as-nurturer metaphors expressed through food. This is what made us all neurotic in the first place.
3. PLEASE be accurate in your word choice. Example: "Lanky" is not a bad body type for a potential ballet dancer. It does not necessarily rule out shoulders too broad for a serious dancer, either. If you want to set up that state of affairs, perhaps "rangy" would be a better option. Say what you mean, and mean what you say.
4. PLEASE use accurate information. Example: A girl does not get her period before her breasts begin to grow. I know this because our pediatrician just informed me of the order of puberty operations a month ago.
5. PLEASE don't beat me over the head with things. Example: She wanted to kiss him, she couldn't wait to get her clothes off, he looked so sexy she wanted to throw him on the kitchen table and have sex with him right there. If you state this subtly, and effectively, you won't have to belabor the point. He's hot as hell and she wants to do him. There, I said it once, succinctly. Now I can stop saying it.
There's plenty more where that came from (shoddy character development, minor characters who show up to make one point and then vanish, etc.), but it boils down to this: STOP INSULTING YOUR READERS. We can tell a well-crafted story from one that hews to a well-worn trope. This is the latter.
Somebody needs to hire me to do this full-time. I may not be able to analyze literature like a professor, but I can sure find the holes in plots and the mistakes in writing and bring them to light. Just call me Diogenes, with my lantern, searching in vain for a solid, well-edited book.
Well, it filled the bill on the intellect part, but boy, did I want to stop turning the pages.
It's not that every book I open should be "Crime and Punishment", but really...there's a fine line between light and flaky like a biscuit, and downright insulting. This was dangerously close to insulting.
My question is, as it far too often is, "Who edits this shit?" I'm afraid the answer is "Nobody edits this shit", or worse yet, "Somebody who doesn't care about the reader and only wants to get the book out there to make a buck and/or fulfill the author's contract". That's who.
Here are a few of my complaints. This does not represent a complete list and is not arranged in order of degree of annoyance.
1. For the love of GOD, would people PLEASE learn the difference between "to lie" and "to lay" in the present tense? I don't have the space or time to give a grammar lesson here, but really -- "She lay her head on his shoulder", meant in the past tense, always makes me want to respond "Do she, now?" You can't use "lay" in this role. You have to use "laid". I don't care if it sounds fancy enough, "laid" is right. F---ing learn some grammar. You're a writer -- or an editor -- for Christ's sake.
2. Enough with the food porn. If I have to read one more description of some woman's own homemade luscious cranberry-almond-orange peel muffins, I'm going to projectile vomit and throw the book across the room. The main character in this book eventually runs a B&B on Nantucket, so there's way too much of this crap (masquerading as rich detail for the plot). Plus, she worries about her dancer daughter becoming "anorectic", and then says she herself will get fat if she keeps eating cookie batter. And she drinks enough hot chocolate to float a battleship. Make up your mind. And we've had enough of women-as-nurturer metaphors expressed through food. This is what made us all neurotic in the first place.
3. PLEASE be accurate in your word choice. Example: "Lanky" is not a bad body type for a potential ballet dancer. It does not necessarily rule out shoulders too broad for a serious dancer, either. If you want to set up that state of affairs, perhaps "rangy" would be a better option. Say what you mean, and mean what you say.
4. PLEASE use accurate information. Example: A girl does not get her period before her breasts begin to grow. I know this because our pediatrician just informed me of the order of puberty operations a month ago.
5. PLEASE don't beat me over the head with things. Example: She wanted to kiss him, she couldn't wait to get her clothes off, he looked so sexy she wanted to throw him on the kitchen table and have sex with him right there. If you state this subtly, and effectively, you won't have to belabor the point. He's hot as hell and she wants to do him. There, I said it once, succinctly. Now I can stop saying it.
There's plenty more where that came from (shoddy character development, minor characters who show up to make one point and then vanish, etc.), but it boils down to this: STOP INSULTING YOUR READERS. We can tell a well-crafted story from one that hews to a well-worn trope. This is the latter.
Somebody needs to hire me to do this full-time. I may not be able to analyze literature like a professor, but I can sure find the holes in plots and the mistakes in writing and bring them to light. Just call me Diogenes, with my lantern, searching in vain for a solid, well-edited book.
July 21, 2011
I'm actually surprised I made it to the end of the book. What a snore fest. I really tried to like it and kept hoping that it would improve but unfortunately, no luck.
The story takes place on Nantucket. Carley has just lost her husband, Gus, who in turn left her with two young daughters to raise and no money, only their family home. Stressed about finances and wanting to stay home to raise her girls, she decides to open a B&B as she loves to entertain and bake, etc. Also, her husband's best friend, Wyatt, is in love with her. All I can say is that it's a typical story. A story that could have been more interesting if the characters were fully developed and likeable. I found them to be very boring and having no likeable qualities. For a beach read, it read more like a soap opera, a long, boring soap opera. The story is overloaded with so many needless and senseless trivial matters dealing with her daughters, baking, cleaning, decorating, and doing tons of laundry, etc. And the love story between Carley and Wyatt - so non-existent. They basically looked at each other and jumped into bed. No passion whatsoever.
There was so much about the book that just didn't make sense. They're all pretty much well-off on the island, yet it's too expensive to put in air-conditioning even though they constantly whine about the heat? You have a B&B and no a/c in the house except for the rooms rented out? Yeah, that's a place I really want to go to. Not to mention one over-run with children everywhere (and I like kids). Without giving the story away, I couldn't understand how Carley and her best friend, Vanessa, could still be friends with Maud. Everything about their relationship towards the end was ridiculous. As for the ending itself, too predictable. I mean, you know how it's going to end a third way in.
If you're looking for something light and fluffy to take to the beach that won't use up a lot of brain cells, this is one that falls into that category.
The story takes place on Nantucket. Carley has just lost her husband, Gus, who in turn left her with two young daughters to raise and no money, only their family home. Stressed about finances and wanting to stay home to raise her girls, she decides to open a B&B as she loves to entertain and bake, etc. Also, her husband's best friend, Wyatt, is in love with her. All I can say is that it's a typical story. A story that could have been more interesting if the characters were fully developed and likeable. I found them to be very boring and having no likeable qualities. For a beach read, it read more like a soap opera, a long, boring soap opera. The story is overloaded with so many needless and senseless trivial matters dealing with her daughters, baking, cleaning, decorating, and doing tons of laundry, etc. And the love story between Carley and Wyatt - so non-existent. They basically looked at each other and jumped into bed. No passion whatsoever.
There was so much about the book that just didn't make sense. They're all pretty much well-off on the island, yet it's too expensive to put in air-conditioning even though they constantly whine about the heat? You have a B&B and no a/c in the house except for the rooms rented out? Yeah, that's a place I really want to go to. Not to mention one over-run with children everywhere (and I like kids). Without giving the story away, I couldn't understand how Carley and her best friend, Vanessa, could still be friends with Maud. Everything about their relationship towards the end was ridiculous. As for the ending itself, too predictable. I mean, you know how it's going to end a third way in.
If you're looking for something light and fluffy to take to the beach that won't use up a lot of brain cells, this is one that falls into that category.
October 11, 2011
Where to start when reviewing Heat Wave, by Nancy Thayer...? First of all, the title doesn't really work, because I think more of the action of the book takes place during the winter in Nantucket, and there is very little time spent during the summer. Also, whose legs are on the cover? Now that I've finished the book, the cover is a little cryptic because there aren't any scenes of people sitting on a pier with their feet dangling over the ocean--or anything remotely like that--despite the beachy setting.
If I'm going to complain about the story, it would be primarily directed at the uneven pace of the book. For example, there is a mention of Cisco (the older daughter of the main character) taking horseback riding lessons to take her mind off the fact that she's built too large to be a dancer. As much as it seems like a huge hope for Carley that this will work out for her daughter, the next paragraph skips to weeks (months?) down the road, when she's already made progress with the horses. At other times, there are three or four chapters detailing one day's minutiae. While not paying strict attention to detail, I'm not entirely convinced that the timing of the book is even possible. Nearly the entire story takes place within the first year of Carley losing her husband (which is repeated constantly by all the main characters), but in that time marriages break up, babies are conceived and birthed, and people take countless vacations. It's all a little confusing and scattered.
While I'm on the subject of poor writing, what's up with these characterizations? Carley gets mad when her best friend makes a terrible decision, and then she spends the rest of the book intermittently understanding and being unable to forgive her. Carley was never madly in love with her husband, yet she feels guilty toward him when she falls for his best friend. A little self-awareness might be somewhat helpful. The supporting cast is even worse. Cisco flits from one thing to the next, with no apparent reason why. It's like Thayer lacks insight into the mind of a teen, so she's unable to write coherently about it. Maud is unapologetically sleeping with her best friend's husband, but seems to justify it by saying she really loves him--and there is no judgment at all (other than Carley's already mentioned halfhearted attempts at holding a grudge). Newly-single Vanessa gets knocked up by one of two guys she met, and nobody should question her actions because a) she's happy, and b) she says not to judge her. Perhaps I'm the only one completely irritated by a book without any moral center, but it's not very often I feel inclined to yell at the characters as I read about them.
If I'm going to complain about the story, it would be primarily directed at the uneven pace of the book. For example, there is a mention of Cisco (the older daughter of the main character) taking horseback riding lessons to take her mind off the fact that she's built too large to be a dancer. As much as it seems like a huge hope for Carley that this will work out for her daughter, the next paragraph skips to weeks (months?) down the road, when she's already made progress with the horses. At other times, there are three or four chapters detailing one day's minutiae. While not paying strict attention to detail, I'm not entirely convinced that the timing of the book is even possible. Nearly the entire story takes place within the first year of Carley losing her husband (which is repeated constantly by all the main characters), but in that time marriages break up, babies are conceived and birthed, and people take countless vacations. It's all a little confusing and scattered.
While I'm on the subject of poor writing, what's up with these characterizations? Carley gets mad when her best friend makes a terrible decision, and then she spends the rest of the book intermittently understanding and being unable to forgive her. Carley was never madly in love with her husband, yet she feels guilty toward him when she falls for his best friend. A little self-awareness might be somewhat helpful. The supporting cast is even worse. Cisco flits from one thing to the next, with no apparent reason why. It's like Thayer lacks insight into the mind of a teen, so she's unable to write coherently about it. Maud is unapologetically sleeping with her best friend's husband, but seems to justify it by saying she really loves him--and there is no judgment at all (other than Carley's already mentioned halfhearted attempts at holding a grudge). Newly-single Vanessa gets knocked up by one of two guys she met, and nobody should question her actions because a) she's happy, and b) she says not to judge her. Perhaps I'm the only one completely irritated by a book without any moral center, but it's not very often I feel inclined to yell at the characters as I read about them.
December 26, 2012
Awful! This is the novel version of a Lifetime movie, complete with unbelievable characters who have soap opera names. The most laughable dialogue takes place among these characters along the improbable storyline. Carley's every whim of an idea comes off without a hitch. A tag sale? Every item is snatched up as soon as the unwanted junk is displayed, including used electric nose hair clippers! A bed and breakfast? Up and oh so successfully running within months, including house renovations, permits, etc. A cookbook? Ready for the printers within a couple months, including bookstore signings. In the midst of all these phenomenal accomplishments, she is supposedly dealing with the death of her husband, raising two daughters on her own, financial distress, one best friend stealing the other best friend's husband, demanding and disapproving in laws, a fantastic new relationship with dead husband's best friend, unexpectedly adopting a new baby, and so on. What a world!! I've seen soap operas with more realistic plots. Prepare to suspend ALL disbelief, or better yet, skip this book!
July 11, 2011
I usually enjoy Nancy Thayer's writing for her relatable characters, interesting settings, humor, and insight. However, I found this recent book to be lacking her usual flare. The setting - an old house in Nantucket - was picturesque, but even it was not mined as deeply as it could have been. The story centers on the young widow Carley and her efforts to keep the house and generate an income for her and her daughters after her dead husband's financial affairs are found to be in ruins. It is also a story about her relationship with her two best friends and how a love affair comes between them. Carley, too, has a chance at new love, but seems unready for commitment. This book read more like chick lit without the humor or a genre romance. The title is a poor choice and makes it sound like an erotic romance, and, while part of the story takes place in an unusually warm summer, the climatic action occurs in the winter. Definitely not one of Thayer's best efforts.
February 14, 2012
Heat Wave by Nancy Thayer is a book I chose, like most books from the library, at random and from mostly aesthetic expressions. I don't think I even read the inside flap. You know the old saying, don't judge a book by its cover. Well I have found that the more experienced a reader, the better you can judge books by a glance. That doesn't mean you don't have a few flops every once and a while. When I first started reading Heat Wave I thought it would be one of those flops. The writing had the characteristics of someone without much experience, although the author has 4 other titles accredited to her, and although the plot was believable, a lot of the places didn't have much explanation, and as the writer is a Nantucket native, that is to be expected. And although I would have liked to see a little more trial and error and struggle on the main characters part, the plot did take a totally unexpected turn at the end, redeeming the book slightly in my eyes. So I'd recommend it as a totally light fluffy beach read because its incredibly easy to get absorbed in. I stayed up until one in the morning finishing it. But I would not give it as a gift nor buy it because lets be honest there are far better books worth owning. So if you wish to read Heat Wave by Nancy Thayer, get it at the library.
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September 14, 2024
2.5⭐️-This one started out strong and then really fell off for me. I was hoping to get some Elin Hilderbrand vibes from this one, as people have told me she is similar, it takes place in Nantucket, and she is quoted on the front cover. But it just didn’t do it for me. The premise was good and made sense but the direction it went was not my favorite. The main character, Carley, started to get on my nerves as I got further into the story. The friend drama/storyline took a turn at the end that I was not expecting and am not sure that I liked. And my biggest complaint is that all of these characters were in their 30s and they were written like men and women in their 50s. As a 30 year old myself, I found them very unrelatable and old fashioned.
May 16, 2011
I am absolutely positive that I am incapable of writing a summer novel. I am also absolutely positive that Nancy Thayer can. And…she does it with skill, knowledge and just the right amount of juicy bits.
Heat Wave is this summer’s Nancy Thayer novel. I was able to get a copy from Amazon Vine. The true start of summer for me is accumulating great summer books from authors like Nancy Thayer and Claire Cook and Jane Green.
I eat them up like candy. Give me a Nantucket or Maine or Cape Cod setting and some families with issues and I am glued to my book. Add a B & B setting and some friends and some rigid in-laws and an itty bitty bit of infidelity…this says winner to me.
Oh…and you can’t forget the tea and muffins…people in this book are forever baking and munching. But…they live in Nantucket and walk everywhere so the calories never hurt anyone as far as I could tell…
In a nutshell…Carley and Maud and Vanessa are three great friends who live on the island. Their families are close, their lives are intertwined and everyone is happy. Then a husband dies suddenly, an affair is made known and the three friends are no longer close.
The rest of the book is about recovery and growth and pain and love. All of this is in a luscious Nantucket setting.
I sort of could not put it down. I love Nancy Thayer’s knowledge of Nantucket and I love that she writes about real places there. I googled them.
This was a lovely fun book. It was never slow for me. I felt the issues that Carley and Maud and Vanessa faced were real ones. The juicy bits were not even graphic…you could almost rate this book G.
Sort of.
If you just want to read about real friends that could be yours or mine…this summer book is a great one.
Heat Wave is this summer’s Nancy Thayer novel. I was able to get a copy from Amazon Vine. The true start of summer for me is accumulating great summer books from authors like Nancy Thayer and Claire Cook and Jane Green.
I eat them up like candy. Give me a Nantucket or Maine or Cape Cod setting and some families with issues and I am glued to my book. Add a B & B setting and some friends and some rigid in-laws and an itty bitty bit of infidelity…this says winner to me.
Oh…and you can’t forget the tea and muffins…people in this book are forever baking and munching. But…they live in Nantucket and walk everywhere so the calories never hurt anyone as far as I could tell…
In a nutshell…Carley and Maud and Vanessa are three great friends who live on the island. Their families are close, their lives are intertwined and everyone is happy. Then a husband dies suddenly, an affair is made known and the three friends are no longer close.
The rest of the book is about recovery and growth and pain and love. All of this is in a luscious Nantucket setting.
I sort of could not put it down. I love Nancy Thayer’s knowledge of Nantucket and I love that she writes about real places there. I googled them.
This was a lovely fun book. It was never slow for me. I felt the issues that Carley and Maud and Vanessa faced were real ones. The juicy bits were not even graphic…you could almost rate this book G.
Sort of.
If you just want to read about real friends that could be yours or mine…this summer book is a great one.
April 12, 2012
For chick-lit readers who long to recapture those angst-filled teenage years but are now older with kids, this is the novel for you. Now, instead of wondering if that special guy is going to ask you or your best friend to the prom, you can wonder if your hunky doctor husband is seducing your best friend while treating her kids’ cough. Yes, now you can have all the sappy, whiny emotions but with grownup problems. In reality, the gist of the novel – a widow whose husband leaves her with two kids, a big house, and not much more when he drops dead, a friend with an unfaithful husband (Goodness, that divorcee DOES miss her best friend!), her bossy in-laws and crabby teenager, and her late husband’s best friend as a love interest – could be made into an interesting tale. Unfortunately for this audio book, it is trite and predictable, superficial and wordy, and spends too little time developing the plot and too much time on the sexual interludes. And just when you think it couldn’t possibly be any more angsty, the author pulls out all the stops. So get out your hankies, if you relish this sort of novel and can make it through to the end. While the audio reader is an accomplished actress, in this audio edition she seems to rely on the breathy and whiny sound of her vowels as she tries to voice the several characters. It’s such a pity that this is a shallow tale without substance when it had the potential to be so much more.
August 5, 2019
I thought it would be a drama, it's rather a fairy-tale for adults. The heroine is a very young widow who suddenly needs to work because her husband not only died but did it after very bad financial moves he didn't tell her about. And then her friend trio is endangered because one of them has a dirty secret. And there are her inlaws who don't let her do anything.
But then everything turns just perfectly for almost everyone: she gets the perfect job which she does perfectly from the start and she even finds the money she needs to begin, her girls are happy months after their father's death (even the teen one), she finds the perfect boyfriend who will turn into the perfect husband even though he has always been a wild guy who loves girls and travel, she gets back her two friends, she even gets a "free" baby and then her inlaws just stop controling her life before completely disappearing. I kept waiting for something to happen, but even when something finally happens at the end (Vanessa), it seems to not matter that much and everyone keep being perfectly happy. Call me a negative one but I didn't buy it.
But then everything turns just perfectly for almost everyone: she gets the perfect job which she does perfectly from the start and she even finds the money she needs to begin, her girls are happy months after their father's death (even the teen one), she finds the perfect boyfriend who will turn into the perfect husband even though he has always been a wild guy who loves girls and travel, she gets back her two friends, she even gets a "free" baby and then her inlaws just stop controling her life before completely disappearing. I kept waiting for something to happen, but even when something finally happens at the end (Vanessa), it seems to not matter that much and everyone keep being perfectly happy. Call me a negative one but I didn't buy it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2011
I'm surprised that I made it to the end because I was on the verge of DNF'ing several times. It's not a horrible book, it was just dull. Our heroine, Carley marries young after getting pregnant. Her husband dies unexpectedly at age 37, leaving this 32 year-old widow with two daughters and no financial support. Challenges arise, and go away. Again, and again. Everything neat and pat. It's really more about building a life on Nantucket in some ways. There were many characters, but most were quite one-dimensional. If you're looking for a vivid description of a life on Nantucket where everything resolves itself, read this book. If you're looking for depth or something to happen, move along.
One thing that did drive me crazy was the relationship between two of Carley's best friends, Vanessa and Maud. They developed a deep, sister-like friendship. Vanessa's husband hits on Maud. Rather than saying "Woa, Dude, you're married to my best friend" she sleeps with him. And never seems to get how wrong that was. I found that hard to believe/stomach.
I will admit at times I though the character's made odd word choices. Carly, early in the book, used descriptive words that did not seem to fit her character - such as describing Perrier as "sublime"
At other times - two characters made statements in the same paragraph. Ack!
One thing that did drive me crazy was the relationship between two of Carley's best friends, Vanessa and Maud. They developed a deep, sister-like friendship. Vanessa's husband hits on Maud. Rather than saying "Woa, Dude, you're married to my best friend" she sleeps with him. And never seems to get how wrong that was. I found that hard to believe/stomach.
I will admit at times I though the character's made odd word choices. Carly, early in the book, used descriptive words that did not seem to fit her character - such as describing Perrier as "sublime"
At other times - two characters made statements in the same paragraph. Ack!
September 21, 2012
I had a very hard time feeling connected to the heroine and most of the other characters. The author's style of writing made me feel like Carley was very detached and dispassionate about things she should have been emotional and attached to, such as her husband's death and her new love's love. Even her relationships with her two best friends seemed distant and at the end when Vanessa died, I didn't feel much of anything towards her death, or her baby being motherless.. I had such little connection to the character or her pregnancy and/or what she meant to Carley.
The only thing Carley did seem passionate about was her weakness in dealing with the inlaws and her weakness in keeping the fact of one best friends' cheating ways from another best friend! While tantalized by the plot, I was disappointed with the book overall, although if you are looking for an easy read while doing laundry or just something to keep your eyes busy, I guess this would be good.
The only thing Carley did seem passionate about was her weakness in dealing with the inlaws and her weakness in keeping the fact of one best friends' cheating ways from another best friend! While tantalized by the plot, I was disappointed with the book overall, although if you are looking for an easy read while doing laundry or just something to keep your eyes busy, I guess this would be good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2018
If atmosphere was all that I was rating this book on it would be 5/5! Its set in Nantucket during off season (it actually spans a whole year but the majority is not during summer) and the main character runs a B&B. This book was docked a star though because all the romantic relationships suck and are immoral and a little unbelievable.
This book is told from the perspective of Carley and its about her life after the unexpected death of her husband. He dies in his early 30's of a genetic heart condition that resulted in a heart attack. They have 2 girls (one who is 12 and the other who is maybe 6?) and understandably their world is rocked. His family is from Nantucket and old money so they have lived in a huge house they inherited and seem to be pretty well off, but when he dies she discovers he made some bad investments and they have no money. Her in laws want her and the girls to come live with them, but Carley does not want that. She decides that she's going to do whatever it takes to live on her own and make money, so she decides to open up the house as a bed and breakfast. There are plenty of spare rooms and she loves to cook and entertain, so it seems like a perfect solution! However, her in laws greatly disapprove and say that is not the way for a Winstead to act. Throughout the story, Carley is dealing with her moody older daughter who is going through puberty, her in laws who don't approve of her plans, and a healing heart. However, she falls in love with Wyatt- her late husband's best friend and the only single guy in the group. They sleep together pretty quickly and then it turns into love from there. I thought this was a little crazy. They'd been friends for a long time and her husband had been dead less than a year and out of everyone in the world she chooses him to fall in love with? There had never been feelings before; it seems like she was in love with her husband-- so would this really happen in less than a year? I have a hard time believing it. Especially because her husband's death was so out of the blue and shocking. I thought Wyatt was just ok. He had a reputation for bringing around super pretty girls and being the ridiculously handsome single friend of the group, but then he turns around and falls in love and commits to his dead best friend's wife? Theres never any mention of a hesitation due to the husband or the fact that she has 2 kids. The kids are also into it and its a really smooth transition. With the moodiness of the tween- I HIGHLY doubt there wouldn't be a good amount of resistance.
Also going on are the stories of her 2 best friends- Maude and Vanessa.
Maude is petite and beautiful and married to a teacher. One day her husband leaves her with their 2 rambunctious boys and she finds herself single and ready to mingle apparently. She tells the friends she has started going to yoga and has Carley watch her kids every week or whatever so she can go, but it turns out she's actually sleeping with Vanessa's pediatrician husband- Toby. When Carley finds out shes in a rough position- do you tell Vanessa or not? Maude said it was just a fling and Vanessa would never find out, so Carley decided not to tell. Of course the truth comes out and then Vanessa is even more hurt and betrayed, but that's no surprise. Carley and Maude also stayed friends, which is something I would have a hard time with. Especially because Toby decides to leave Vanessa for Maude. Ouch. I would expect that to rock the 3some irreparably, but it doesn't. Again, Maude is freshly divorced and ready to date already (there's very little talk of the divorce so I guess the marriage didn't mean much?) and she chooses one of the only guys who is off limits? How did she even find herself in that position in the first place and what in the world motivated her to act on it? What a terrible friend! From that point on I hated her and did not have any empathy or care for her.
Vanessa is voluptuous and sultry, but humble and not at all showy. She's a naturally curvy, beautiful woman. Her and her husband, Toby cannot get pregnant so they have no kids. When he leaves her for Maude, she decides to leave the island for awhile and go live with a friend in Boston. She comes back eventually, forgives Carley, and reveals that she is pregnant! She had 2 one night stands and she doesn't know which resulted in the pregnancy, but she is so happy and ready to do it alone regardless. One night while 7 months pregnant, she falls and hurts her wrist and ankle. Her only choice is to call Maude because Carley and the girls are away for the holidays. Maude helps her and Vanessa is grateful but still doesn't forgive her yet. As soon as Carley gets home, Vanessa goes to live with her so Carley can take care of her. At that point, Carley and Maude are working on a B&B cookbook, so the 3 start spending time together again and things are okay.
The book ends when Vanessa is going to give birth to her son. She calls Carley while in labor and Carley goes with her. She has her baby and is working to deliver the placenta and SURPRISE she bleeds out and dies. Everyone is devastated and its about a year after Carley's husband's death. This story has been done before- everything resolves and is happy as can be then one "surprisingly" dies. It just lacks a little emotional punch when you've read the same thing before. Carley takes over raising her son (as Vanessa ordered) and she and Wyatt get married and pregnant with their own baby too. Toby and Maude get married and he's awesome with her boys. Vanessa "lives on" through Maude's kids books and it ends as happily as it can with 2 tragic deaths among these early 30 somethings.
I loved the setting of this book, liked Carley as a character, and overall enjoyed the story. However there were definite flaws that make this a 3.5-4 star. I would recommend!
This book is told from the perspective of Carley and its about her life after the unexpected death of her husband. He dies in his early 30's of a genetic heart condition that resulted in a heart attack. They have 2 girls (one who is 12 and the other who is maybe 6?) and understandably their world is rocked. His family is from Nantucket and old money so they have lived in a huge house they inherited and seem to be pretty well off, but when he dies she discovers he made some bad investments and they have no money. Her in laws want her and the girls to come live with them, but Carley does not want that. She decides that she's going to do whatever it takes to live on her own and make money, so she decides to open up the house as a bed and breakfast. There are plenty of spare rooms and she loves to cook and entertain, so it seems like a perfect solution! However, her in laws greatly disapprove and say that is not the way for a Winstead to act. Throughout the story, Carley is dealing with her moody older daughter who is going through puberty, her in laws who don't approve of her plans, and a healing heart. However, she falls in love with Wyatt- her late husband's best friend and the only single guy in the group. They sleep together pretty quickly and then it turns into love from there. I thought this was a little crazy. They'd been friends for a long time and her husband had been dead less than a year and out of everyone in the world she chooses him to fall in love with? There had never been feelings before; it seems like she was in love with her husband-- so would this really happen in less than a year? I have a hard time believing it. Especially because her husband's death was so out of the blue and shocking. I thought Wyatt was just ok. He had a reputation for bringing around super pretty girls and being the ridiculously handsome single friend of the group, but then he turns around and falls in love and commits to his dead best friend's wife? Theres never any mention of a hesitation due to the husband or the fact that she has 2 kids. The kids are also into it and its a really smooth transition. With the moodiness of the tween- I HIGHLY doubt there wouldn't be a good amount of resistance.
Also going on are the stories of her 2 best friends- Maude and Vanessa.
Maude is petite and beautiful and married to a teacher. One day her husband leaves her with their 2 rambunctious boys and she finds herself single and ready to mingle apparently. She tells the friends she has started going to yoga and has Carley watch her kids every week or whatever so she can go, but it turns out she's actually sleeping with Vanessa's pediatrician husband- Toby. When Carley finds out shes in a rough position- do you tell Vanessa or not? Maude said it was just a fling and Vanessa would never find out, so Carley decided not to tell. Of course the truth comes out and then Vanessa is even more hurt and betrayed, but that's no surprise. Carley and Maude also stayed friends, which is something I would have a hard time with. Especially because Toby decides to leave Vanessa for Maude. Ouch. I would expect that to rock the 3some irreparably, but it doesn't. Again, Maude is freshly divorced and ready to date already (there's very little talk of the divorce so I guess the marriage didn't mean much?) and she chooses one of the only guys who is off limits? How did she even find herself in that position in the first place and what in the world motivated her to act on it? What a terrible friend! From that point on I hated her and did not have any empathy or care for her.
Vanessa is voluptuous and sultry, but humble and not at all showy. She's a naturally curvy, beautiful woman. Her and her husband, Toby cannot get pregnant so they have no kids. When he leaves her for Maude, she decides to leave the island for awhile and go live with a friend in Boston. She comes back eventually, forgives Carley, and reveals that she is pregnant! She had 2 one night stands and she doesn't know which resulted in the pregnancy, but she is so happy and ready to do it alone regardless. One night while 7 months pregnant, she falls and hurts her wrist and ankle. Her only choice is to call Maude because Carley and the girls are away for the holidays. Maude helps her and Vanessa is grateful but still doesn't forgive her yet. As soon as Carley gets home, Vanessa goes to live with her so Carley can take care of her. At that point, Carley and Maude are working on a B&B cookbook, so the 3 start spending time together again and things are okay.
The book ends when Vanessa is going to give birth to her son. She calls Carley while in labor and Carley goes with her. She has her baby and is working to deliver the placenta and SURPRISE she bleeds out and dies. Everyone is devastated and its about a year after Carley's husband's death. This story has been done before- everything resolves and is happy as can be then one "surprisingly" dies. It just lacks a little emotional punch when you've read the same thing before. Carley takes over raising her son (as Vanessa ordered) and she and Wyatt get married and pregnant with their own baby too. Toby and Maude get married and he's awesome with her boys. Vanessa "lives on" through Maude's kids books and it ends as happily as it can with 2 tragic deaths among these early 30 somethings.
I loved the setting of this book, liked Carley as a character, and overall enjoyed the story. However there were definite flaws that make this a 3.5-4 star. I would recommend!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2013
Finally, in her most recent books Thayer has strayed away from the female character who has a crisis in her life but is able to move beyond it thanks to the wealth that she has allowing her to start over, redo a house on Nantucket etc.
In Heat Wave, we find Carley working on Nantucket. She attends a party one night and when she least expects it, finds the man of her dreams and marries him. She settles into the community on Nantucket and finds two wonderful friends, Maud and Vanessa. Unexpectedly, Carley's husband dies but she feels blessed to have her friends and in-laws surrounding her in her time of need.
Relationships are never simple and lives can be spun around and twisted upside down in a short time period. As unexpected as Gus' death was, Carly finds other equally unsettling things happening around her. Can Las Tres Enchiladas ride the crashing waves of friendship without drowning?
Well, this book was given to me and I took it with me on vacation thinking that it was Thayer's newest book. As I read it I kept feeling as though I knew the book and could write the rest of it. Well, for good reason. I had read the book in August 2011 and here I was reading it again in 2013! So, my memory seems to be failing me because this is the second time this year that I have done this. I guess I am playing the song "Oops, I've Done It Again" once more!
In Heat Wave, we find Carley working on Nantucket. She attends a party one night and when she least expects it, finds the man of her dreams and marries him. She settles into the community on Nantucket and finds two wonderful friends, Maud and Vanessa. Unexpectedly, Carley's husband dies but she feels blessed to have her friends and in-laws surrounding her in her time of need.
Relationships are never simple and lives can be spun around and twisted upside down in a short time period. As unexpected as Gus' death was, Carly finds other equally unsettling things happening around her. Can Las Tres Enchiladas ride the crashing waves of friendship without drowning?
Well, this book was given to me and I took it with me on vacation thinking that it was Thayer's newest book. As I read it I kept feeling as though I knew the book and could write the rest of it. Well, for good reason. I had read the book in August 2011 and here I was reading it again in 2013! So, my memory seems to be failing me because this is the second time this year that I have done this. I guess I am playing the song "Oops, I've Done It Again" once more!
April 30, 2015
On Nantucket Island, thirty-two year old Carley Winsted is unprepared to suddenly become the single mom of her daughters (five years old Margaret and twelve years old Cisco), but has no choice when her spouse Gus dies from an undetected heart defect. However, besides having to take care of their devastated children, Carley is shocked to learn what a financial disaster Gus left her in spite of his being a lawyer.
Gus' parents (Annabel and Russell) push their daughter-in-law to leave the expensive historical home and move in with them. Though she respects them, Carley prefers for her and the kids to remain in their present residence as a move on top of their father's death would cause more harm than good for the children and she knows for her self-esteem. Over the objection of Annabel who feels she demeans her family home though Carley owns it, she decides to convert the historical house into a bed-and-breakfast with the help of friends like Gus' partner Wyatt.
This is an entertaining family drama that focuses on moving on after an unexpected death of a loved one. The cast is fully developed including Carley's close friends Maud and Vanessa, but the well-written character-driven storyline never veers off a cause straighter than the Bonneville Salt Flats even with a further death and a newborn.
Gus' parents (Annabel and Russell) push their daughter-in-law to leave the expensive historical home and move in with them. Though she respects them, Carley prefers for her and the kids to remain in their present residence as a move on top of their father's death would cause more harm than good for the children and she knows for her self-esteem. Over the objection of Annabel who feels she demeans her family home though Carley owns it, she decides to convert the historical house into a bed-and-breakfast with the help of friends like Gus' partner Wyatt.
This is an entertaining family drama that focuses on moving on after an unexpected death of a loved one. The cast is fully developed including Carley's close friends Maud and Vanessa, but the well-written character-driven storyline never veers off a cause straighter than the Bonneville Salt Flats even with a further death and a newborn.
July 3, 2014
This book was so good! Full of life's ups and downs and a few surprises along the way! I can't wait to get my hands on more of this author's books. Easy read as well as being well written. Perfect beach read!!
January 16, 2016
Carley and Gus have been married 13 years, she stays home with their two girls in their huge Nantucket home that was Gus's mother's family home. Gus is a partner in his father's law firm. Life is good. Until one night Gus doesn't come home from the office. Carley contacts her in-laws and her father-in-law goes back to the office to find his only child dead at his desk.
This sets up a whole mass of events for Carley from dealing with her children, her in-laws and her friends, plus the financial burden she now has to manage. She moves forward for herself and her daughters in ways that are hard for Gus's parents to understand at times. She tries hard to do what she believe Gus would want her to do. Always putting her family first.
This story has so many layers, relationships, and drama. The relationship Carley has with her daughters rings true as they all come to grips with Gus's death. Add the oldest daughter becoming a teenager and all the very real things mother and daughters face are brought to the forefront.
The relationship with Gus's parents is difficult at best. At times his mother tries to undermine Carley with her girls but Carley handles it and even stands up to them both unleashing the strong character within.
The relationship with her friends troubled me at times, some of the situations seemed almost too much for the character of Carley to bear. One so extraordinary that most of us never would be able to handle and I think the author let it happen too easily.
I don't want to reveal too much but one of Carley's relationships moved too slowly, the stopping and starting, the taking in and pushing away felt overdone. I realized that by the end of the story what the author was setting up but the time taken should have been in one place instead of the other.
All this being said, Nancy Thayer is a wonderful author who writes of Nantucket in almost a poetic way. You know she loves her setting and she knows her audience. This is a fine summer read that all her fans will enjoy. Did I love it? No, but I did enjoy it. Is this her finest novel? No, but it is very good. It's all about the relationships. The story is full of flawed characters with lots of waves, the heat was there and then it was gone and everything tied up in the end in a neat little package. Just a little bit too neat.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
This sets up a whole mass of events for Carley from dealing with her children, her in-laws and her friends, plus the financial burden she now has to manage. She moves forward for herself and her daughters in ways that are hard for Gus's parents to understand at times. She tries hard to do what she believe Gus would want her to do. Always putting her family first.
This story has so many layers, relationships, and drama. The relationship Carley has with her daughters rings true as they all come to grips with Gus's death. Add the oldest daughter becoming a teenager and all the very real things mother and daughters face are brought to the forefront.
The relationship with Gus's parents is difficult at best. At times his mother tries to undermine Carley with her girls but Carley handles it and even stands up to them both unleashing the strong character within.
The relationship with her friends troubled me at times, some of the situations seemed almost too much for the character of Carley to bear. One so extraordinary that most of us never would be able to handle and I think the author let it happen too easily.
I don't want to reveal too much but one of Carley's relationships moved too slowly, the stopping and starting, the taking in and pushing away felt overdone. I realized that by the end of the story what the author was setting up but the time taken should have been in one place instead of the other.
All this being said, Nancy Thayer is a wonderful author who writes of Nantucket in almost a poetic way. You know she loves her setting and she knows her audience. This is a fine summer read that all her fans will enjoy. Did I love it? No, but I did enjoy it. Is this her finest novel? No, but it is very good. It's all about the relationships. The story is full of flawed characters with lots of waves, the heat was there and then it was gone and everything tied up in the end in a neat little package. Just a little bit too neat.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
June 26, 2011
This was not a bad book by any stretch, it was just predictable and the word usage drove me crazy. "She swooped up Paul and stashed him in the high chair." Well, really? Who swoops up a baby and stashes them anywhere? "She swooped down upon the buffet table and inhaled the delicacies." Seriously? That wasn't the characters personality, she wouldn't have swooped and inhaled. I know these are nit picks, but obviously the story wasn't engaging me so intensely that I ignored weird word usage! I have read most of her other books and was even thinking that one character in this book sounded really familiar, then realized oh, she was the main character in Moon Shell Beach. Beach reads. That is what they are, and they have their place!
September 10, 2017
I won this as a Goodreads giveaway.
This was a quick, enjoyable read despite it being light and easy on the thought process. I wish I would have taken this to the beach so that I could have been enjoyed it with the sand and surf. I usually reach for more taxing and thought provoking novels, but it was a pleasing way to spend the free weekend time.
Thayer does not weave many surprises into the novel, leaving it a bit predictable for my taste.
There was an element of charm and romance with Nantucket that piqued my curiosity and made me pine for a vacation getaway on the island.
This was a quick, enjoyable read despite it being light and easy on the thought process. I wish I would have taken this to the beach so that I could have been enjoyed it with the sand and surf. I usually reach for more taxing and thought provoking novels, but it was a pleasing way to spend the free weekend time.
Thayer does not weave many surprises into the novel, leaving it a bit predictable for my taste.
There was an element of charm and romance with Nantucket that piqued my curiosity and made me pine for a vacation getaway on the island.
August 17, 2017
DNF. The book started out promising but after a few chapters went downhill fast. I found it to be quite scattered, jumping from one character line to another and none very interesting. I tried to hang in but only made it half way through. Character development was poor and the thinking/actions of the characters seemed unrealistic. It lacked depth and emotion and as a result was difficult to get into the story.
August 25, 2018
This book has some serious 😳 moments. I really enjoyed it. Several things morally wrong. BUT, what I loved most was the dynamics of friendship and how she wrote them. Marriage is hard, friendship is hard. Parenting is hard. All of these things take work, communication and care and I felt like the author wrote that well.
December 7, 2020
This was a perfect, happy, beach book, for a stay-at-home Pandemic! The audio was perfect, because I could move around and get things done, while listening to a relatively happy story. Main plus, a happy ending!
Note: I’ve been relistening or rereading my favorite authors of happy beach reads to lift my mood. Try it out. 😊😍 Stay healthy! Cheers 🥂
Note: I’ve been relistening or rereading my favorite authors of happy beach reads to lift my mood. Try it out. 😊😍 Stay healthy! Cheers 🥂
March 20, 2012
um..boring and predictable. Also stupid drivel comes to mind. LOL
June 28, 2015
An interesting, predicable ( one surprise ) summer beach read. 3.5 stars
June 19, 2017
Cute book but not great.
July 15, 2017
a little too neat and perfect but an enjoyable read
March 14, 2018
Absolutely Delightful !! I loved the last few chapters.
July 13, 2017
This was a fun, easy, mostly predictable novel. It would be perfect as a beach read, since you can put it down, nap, etc, pick it up again without losing a beat.
It does a good job of telling a story of a young widow and all her conflicting feelings. Teenage angst is covered well too. Something was off with the writing about her in laws, as they aren't mentioned after their sojourn. Their feelings and thoughts were well documented earlier, so I think the author was remiss in leaving them out. I really wanted to know what they thought of the "situation"!
There are many great moments and a huge surprise in the story, and I'd recommend it to those needing an escape.
It does a good job of telling a story of a young widow and all her conflicting feelings. Teenage angst is covered well too. Something was off with the writing about her in laws, as they aren't mentioned after their sojourn. Their feelings and thoughts were well documented earlier, so I think the author was remiss in leaving them out. I really wanted to know what they thought of the "situation"!
There are many great moments and a huge surprise in the story, and I'd recommend it to those needing an escape.
August 22, 2022
This was an easy Nantucket based read, which is why I enjoy authors like Nancy Thayer. I definitely enjoyed it, but the timeline of the book and the events that happened felt so rushed that it felt far from realistic and made it difficult to really develop all the characters to a place that the reader would be fighting for them. I’d recommend other beach/Nantucket reads over this one.
July 1, 2018
Not for me. Romance and tragedies. Was fine for poolside reading.
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