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Summer Breeze
New York Times bestselling author Nancy Thayer never fails to imbue her novels with warmth and wisdom. In Summer Breeze, the author of Beachcombers and Heat Wave tells the wonderfully moving story of three women who forge a unique bond one sun-drenched summer on New England’s Dragonfly Lake.
Morgan O’Keefe feels trapped in a gilded cage. True, the thirty-year-old mother agreed to put her science career on hold to raise her young son while her husband pursued his high-powered job. But though Morgan loves many things about staying home with her child, she misses the thrill of working with her colleagues in the lab. She’s restless and in dire need of a change.
Fed up with New York City’s hectic pace, Natalie Reynolds takes up her aunt’s offer to move to the Berkshires and house-sit her fabulous lakeside house for a year. Passionate about applying brush to canvas, Natalie is poised to become the artist she has forever longed to be. But life on Dragonfly Lake is never without surprises, and for a novice swimmer like Natalie, the most welcome surprise proves to be the arms of a handsome neighbor pulling her up from the water for a gulp of air.
When her mother breaks her leg, Bella Barnaby quits her job in Austin and returns home to help out her large, boisterous family. Among her new duties: manning the counter at the family business, Barnaby’s Barn, an outdated shop sorely in need of a makeover. While attractive architect Aaron has designs on her, Bella harbors long held secret dreams of her own.
Summer on Dragonfly Lake is ripe for romance, temptation, and self-discovery as the lives of these three women unexpectedly intertwine. Summer Breeze illustrates how the best of friends can offer comfort, infuriate, or even—sometimes—open one’s eyes to the astonishing possibilities of life lived in a different way. This captivating novel displays a prestigiously gifted writer at the height of her storytelling powers.
Morgan O’Keefe feels trapped in a gilded cage. True, the thirty-year-old mother agreed to put her science career on hold to raise her young son while her husband pursued his high-powered job. But though Morgan loves many things about staying home with her child, she misses the thrill of working with her colleagues in the lab. She’s restless and in dire need of a change.
Fed up with New York City’s hectic pace, Natalie Reynolds takes up her aunt’s offer to move to the Berkshires and house-sit her fabulous lakeside house for a year. Passionate about applying brush to canvas, Natalie is poised to become the artist she has forever longed to be. But life on Dragonfly Lake is never without surprises, and for a novice swimmer like Natalie, the most welcome surprise proves to be the arms of a handsome neighbor pulling her up from the water for a gulp of air.
When her mother breaks her leg, Bella Barnaby quits her job in Austin and returns home to help out her large, boisterous family. Among her new duties: manning the counter at the family business, Barnaby’s Barn, an outdated shop sorely in need of a makeover. While attractive architect Aaron has designs on her, Bella harbors long held secret dreams of her own.
Summer on Dragonfly Lake is ripe for romance, temptation, and self-discovery as the lives of these three women unexpectedly intertwine. Summer Breeze illustrates how the best of friends can offer comfort, infuriate, or even—sometimes—open one’s eyes to the astonishing possibilities of life lived in a different way. This captivating novel displays a prestigiously gifted writer at the height of her storytelling powers.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
1232 people are currently reading
5492 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Thayer
51 books4,046 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 696 reviews
June 18, 2018
This was a nice little summer read. Something light and airy! A nice breeze (lol forgive the pun). Natalie, Bella, and Morgan- three women who happen to live next to one another on Dragonfly Lake will find out friendship is what they really need to help with their lives. Each woman is searching for meaning in their life and what they want to do with their lives and through friendship and one another they find that. Would recommend!
August 14, 2012
I keep trying to read nancy Thayer, mostly because I live where most of her stories are set. I need to stop trying because, well, at 44, I am easily a decade too young for her style of writing. She writes middle aged fiction, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. BUT, my big issue with her is that she writes middle aged fiction with young characters who speak and act like middle aged women. No young person says "gosh." And yet, her characters say "gosh" every five minutes. This book also had quite a bit of bordering on harlequin romance cheese: "She was the maid, he was the master; she was the peasant selling flowers, he was the soldiers. He was the pirate. She was his plunder." I almost stopped reading right there and I didn't know whether to laugh at the cheese or cry at the I am a helpless woman vibe.
Like other people have said, there was absolutely nothing to this story, and that was disappointing because I usually power through all of the gosh golly gee whiz my only goal in life is to be taken by a man and make babies nonsense because her storiy lines are decent. Not this time.
I feel bad about being snarky (ok, no I don't).
Bottom line, I like my fiction a lot less old fashioned.
Like other people have said, there was absolutely nothing to this story, and that was disappointing because I usually power through all of the gosh golly gee whiz my only goal in life is to be taken by a man and make babies nonsense because her storiy lines are decent. Not this time.
I feel bad about being snarky (ok, no I don't).
Bottom line, I like my fiction a lot less old fashioned.
January 22, 2013
Part of my ongoing quest for cheerful, fluffy reading...
I enjoyed most of this book, despite the dippy characters. But at the end, it really fell apart. All of the conflicts that caused there to be a story at all... just suddenly were no problem any more. Poof! Everything is fine! After spending the whole book dying to start her own shop and give it a try, as soon as she does try it and it starts to work, suddenly Bella would rather move to San Francisco and be with Aaron. One jerk comes into the shop and questions her credentials, and suddenly she needs to go study and become an expert on art history and antiques before she's qualified to run the shop, which hello? Has already made about $60,000 in sales during the first week!
Meanwhile, Aaron, who has spent the entire book not caring about Bella's dream, suddenly cares enough that it's ok for her to scuttle it for him. And even though she's spent the entire book far more attracted to Slade, who actually cares what she wants to do, suddenly that's all silliness and Aaron is the man for her. Meanwhile, Slade, who spent the whole book seeming genuinely interested in Bella and having dead eyes whenever she chooses Aaron over him, makes a remarkable recovery and within a few days has a new furniture aficionado and love interest. While all this is going on, Ben, who has clearly demonstrated he's just not that into Natalie, suddenly realize he is that into her after all, and they sleep together and get engaged and live happily ever after, no problem.
Really, the only story line with a convincing resolution was Morgan and Josh--he seems like a philandering dick the whole time, but it turns out he's writing a novel, not banging someone else or covering up some evil environment-ruining plot, which is what I thought he was up to all that time. So they decide that Morgan will go back to work, which she's been pining for all this time anyway, and Josh will stay home and watch the kid while working on his novel. (Good luck with that! But otherwise a good solution.)
The book is really heavy on the idea that our passion for our work is what makes people themselves/interesting/worthy. For Ben, it's chemical engineering; for Aaron, it's architecture; for Slade, it's furniture; for Natalie, it's art; for Josh, it's writing; for Morgan, it's safety (seriously?!). Long passages on how these people couldn't live without their passion, even when that passion seems to be explicitly chosen to be wretchedly boring-sounding.
I don't know why the author felt compelled to bang this particular gong so hard. It's especially sad for Bella, who gets cold feet and basically runs away as soon as she starts to figure out what her passion might be, although the book doesn't seem to see it that way.
Overall, an ok read that just didn't come together.
I enjoyed most of this book, despite the dippy characters. But at the end, it really fell apart. All of the conflicts that caused there to be a story at all... just suddenly were no problem any more. Poof! Everything is fine! After spending the whole book dying to start her own shop and give it a try, as soon as she does try it and it starts to work, suddenly Bella would rather move to San Francisco and be with Aaron. One jerk comes into the shop and questions her credentials, and suddenly she needs to go study and become an expert on art history and antiques before she's qualified to run the shop, which hello? Has already made about $60,000 in sales during the first week!
Meanwhile, Aaron, who has spent the entire book not caring about Bella's dream, suddenly cares enough that it's ok for her to scuttle it for him. And even though she's spent the entire book far more attracted to Slade, who actually cares what she wants to do, suddenly that's all silliness and Aaron is the man for her. Meanwhile, Slade, who spent the whole book seeming genuinely interested in Bella and having dead eyes whenever she chooses Aaron over him, makes a remarkable recovery and within a few days has a new furniture aficionado and love interest. While all this is going on, Ben, who has clearly demonstrated he's just not that into Natalie, suddenly realize he is that into her after all, and they sleep together and get engaged and live happily ever after, no problem.
Really, the only story line with a convincing resolution was Morgan and Josh--he seems like a philandering dick the whole time, but it turns out he's writing a novel, not banging someone else or covering up some evil environment-ruining plot, which is what I thought he was up to all that time. So they decide that Morgan will go back to work, which she's been pining for all this time anyway, and Josh will stay home and watch the kid while working on his novel. (Good luck with that! But otherwise a good solution.)
The book is really heavy on the idea that our passion for our work is what makes people themselves/interesting/worthy. For Ben, it's chemical engineering; for Aaron, it's architecture; for Slade, it's furniture; for Natalie, it's art; for Josh, it's writing; for Morgan, it's safety (seriously?!). Long passages on how these people couldn't live without their passion, even when that passion seems to be explicitly chosen to be wretchedly boring-sounding.
I don't know why the author felt compelled to bang this particular gong so hard. It's especially sad for Bella, who gets cold feet and basically runs away as soon as she starts to figure out what her passion might be, although the book doesn't seem to see it that way.
Overall, an ok read that just didn't come together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2012
Looking for an entertaining, grabbing beach read? Keep looking. This one won't be it.
Nancy Thayer has many other books, such as Beachcombers, Summer House, any of them really. This one missed the mark, greatly.
I felt a total disconnect immediately. Such a rush cast of characters at the beginning, with absolutely NO depth whatsoever. When the 3 become friends so quickly after one evening of drinks, I said what. What is that! The conversations are terrible. I detested every character. I can't tell you which one I hated worse of the girls, and the guys, Slade and Ben. Bleck!
Morgan and Josh's marriage? Double bleck.
Do yourself a favor, save yourself time, and pick up one of her older ones!
Nancy Thayer has many other books, such as Beachcombers, Summer House, any of them really. This one missed the mark, greatly.
I felt a total disconnect immediately. Such a rush cast of characters at the beginning, with absolutely NO depth whatsoever. When the 3 become friends so quickly after one evening of drinks, I said what. What is that! The conversations are terrible. I detested every character. I can't tell you which one I hated worse of the girls, and the guys, Slade and Ben. Bleck!
Morgan and Josh's marriage? Double bleck.
Do yourself a favor, save yourself time, and pick up one of her older ones!
December 29, 2024
I didn't dislike "Summer Breeze" as much as many other reviewers did, but it was not up to par for Nancy Thayer. Thayer has been around a very long time. I was reading her richly woven novels in the early 1980's, and some had been written long before then. She seems to be "dumbing herself down" of late. Perhaps she is trying to appeal to a different audience, one that is looking for a quick read, a good story, without any literary worth. Having said that, I enjoyed the STORY in this book about 3 women, all around 30, who become wonderful friends one summer when they all lived in neighboring homes on a lake in Massachusetts. One is an aspiring artist with great talent but no love life, another is a married mother of a toddler, with a husband who is never around, and the 3rd is a member of a larger family, living with her parents temporarily, running her mother's gift shop in an old barn, but attempting to turn it into a chic, arsty shop, while managing to maintain her relationship with her boyfriend who is hoping to move to San Francisco for a new job. She has a sexy older brother who gets involved with the artist. The artist has a sexy brother who gets involved with the other 2 women to some degree, but he is not to be trusted. Lots of good female chit chat, cook outs, huge decisions to be made, love to conquer....but it all falls a bit short this time.
Nancy, go back to writing novels like "Nell," "Three Women at Water's Edge," "Stepping," and many others up until the last few. Even "The Hot Flash Club" was done better than your last few.
I wasn't bored, but I was able to predict every single outcome of the story. I didn't like all the modern and strange phrases, used over and over again, such as, "she keyed open the door of her car." What does THAT mean? Don't we all use a key to open our car doors? Why not just say, "she opened her car door!" I found things very odd in this one. Not horrible, just not A+ caliber for a writer who used to earn that for every book back in the day...!
Nancy, go back to writing novels like "Nell," "Three Women at Water's Edge," "Stepping," and many others up until the last few. Even "The Hot Flash Club" was done better than your last few.
I wasn't bored, but I was able to predict every single outcome of the story. I didn't like all the modern and strange phrases, used over and over again, such as, "she keyed open the door of her car." What does THAT mean? Don't we all use a key to open our car doors? Why not just say, "she opened her car door!" I found things very odd in this one. Not horrible, just not A+ caliber for a writer who used to earn that for every book back in the day...!
June 12, 2012
I'm a big Nancy Thayer fan and was anxiously awaiting her latest novel. I'm sorry to say I was disappointed with "Summer Breeze". I think part of the problem was that she tried to give a voice to too many characters, instead of focusing on them one at a time. I didn't buy the instant friendship the girls found and the instant romances. I agree with another reviewer that it lacked excitement. I was also disappointed that the novel wasn't set in Nantucket as I've come to enjoy her descriptions of Nantucket so much. With that said, I'll remain a Nancy fan and hope I connect better to her next book.
June 25, 2013
Oh please. I guess I'm just not used to this genre, mainly because I tend to stay away from it, and reading this one just makes me want to say why did I bother in the first place? Like shooting myself in the foot. I'm sorry, I just don't enjoy books where everyone is ravishing, everyone's body is perfection, their deep blue eyes this and their shiny perfect hair that, and every droplet of water from an oar is like a gemstone glistening in the ...... gag me.
Call me a realist? Maybe? But life just doesn't exist like that, and the trite little "issues" that actually do come up in books such as these are so contrived. Never once does someone's air conditioning actually break, rather, they always return home to the quiet coolness of their huge mansion by the lake. Nowhere does anyone actually burn a hot dog on their $1000 grill, and OF COURSE! Of course he gets the job in San Francisco!! Of course he does!! Did we ever have a doubt that he wouldn't? And what wife wouldn't confront her husband who works 18 hours a day with no explanation? Sorry. You can't be two things at once. You can't be an aggressive, desperate to end the stint as a SAHM so you can re-enter the workplace you're so passionate about and at the same time be such a complete mouse around your husband.
YUCK. Hated this one. Hate this genre. Insults my intelligence, what little there is of that. Not one good thing to say.
Call me a realist? Maybe? But life just doesn't exist like that, and the trite little "issues" that actually do come up in books such as these are so contrived. Never once does someone's air conditioning actually break, rather, they always return home to the quiet coolness of their huge mansion by the lake. Nowhere does anyone actually burn a hot dog on their $1000 grill, and OF COURSE! Of course he gets the job in San Francisco!! Of course he does!! Did we ever have a doubt that he wouldn't? And what wife wouldn't confront her husband who works 18 hours a day with no explanation? Sorry. You can't be two things at once. You can't be an aggressive, desperate to end the stint as a SAHM so you can re-enter the workplace you're so passionate about and at the same time be such a complete mouse around your husband.
YUCK. Hated this one. Hate this genre. Insults my intelligence, what little there is of that. Not one good thing to say.
July 6, 2012
When I set aside time out of MY life to get involved in a book, it's because I know the characters are going to involve me in thrilling suspense, or scary horror, or laugh-out-loud comedy, or my personal favorite- triumph over tragedy. So when I started reading "Summer Breeze" and met all the characters, I couldn't WAIT to dig in! There was Morgan and Josh, who decided they would begin their new life with Morgan going back to work and Josh being a stay-at-home Dad. And Dennis and Louise, selling their home to start their traveling adventures. Whiny Bella, who was selling her shop to move to the exciting city of San Francisco with Aaron, who was starting a new job. Ben and Natalie, who were getting married and buying Ben's childhood home. And perhaps the most intriguing character- Slade, a real womanizer until he brought someone new home for the family to meet... would this girl be the one to tame him? Ahhhh, the stage was set for a great story, right!!? Nope. That's it. That's the entire book in a nutshell. Really. It felt like a prequel. I couldn't believe it when I was more than halfway through and realized this was all there was going to be. But I decided to finish because otherwise I would have had to get to my ironing. But by the end of this snoozefest I was thinking, dang it, I could have been ironing!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2014
What a total disappointment from an author I've enjoyed before. Thayer used the same adjectives over and over...I swear if I read "lush" one more time I would have gagged. So many little details that added nothing to the story as well. I really don't care who showered and who sat next to whom. I found myself rolling my eyes over all the biohazard info. I mean really...no one talks like these characters do. Especially about biohazard and chemical engineering. The plot was way too trite, the characters unreal. Waste of time...
May 9, 2016
I was so excited to find a Nancy Thayer book I had not read. Unfortunately - it was not good. If I had to read one more thing about science, scientists, waste management, I would have screamed. Who walks around in everyday life spouting off about that stuff? I don't hang out with my friends and keep telling them how smart I am! Very disappointed. I don't know if I dislike the women or the men more.
Read
August 6, 2021I just didn't fall in love with these characters. It was a nice read. Read it in two days.
July 23, 2025
got this as a gift from someone who isn't acquainted with my reading taste at all (my boss lol) and i can definitely say it was the worst book i've ever read. how this got picked up by a publisher is beyond me. things happened so randomly (marriage proposal after barely knowing each other) and all the conflicts that caused there to be a story at all just suddenly were no problem anymore (bella opened a whole shop in her hometown, refusing to follow her boyfriend's dream of working in san francisco, and announced she would be abandoning said shop to go with him on the LAST page out of nowhere). the author somehow managed to make all the characters flat and absolutely horrible at the same time (cheaters). how is telling a secret to a nanny, who is your friend by the way, a bigger infidelity than almost having sex with another guy??? also, grown adults not knowing how to communicate? not to mention this being a literal quote in the book: "I'm not ready for my daughter to be having sex yet. Her father will die. His perfect princess." finished it only because the stupidity made it a bit entertaining and easy to read.
Want to read
August 8, 2020My copy of this story can be found in this anthology: Summer Beach Reads 5-Book Bundle: Beachcombers, Heat Wave, Moon Shell Beach, Summer House, Summer Breeze
April 14, 2024
Dragonfly Lake in New England is the backdrop for 3 women who have recently become neighbors. Characters are interesting and explore life changing decisions . Pace of story is great.
June 6, 2012
This was a First Reads Giveaway Win
At first I thought this was going to be your typical contemporary romance / summer read/ chic lit book. The deeper into the story I got the more I found in Summer Breeze that exceeded my expectations. While the book focuses on these three different women, all new friends at different points in their lives, we also read about the women who raised them. While you definitely get the feel that Natalie, Bella and Morgan are fast and lasting friends, I loved how real the relationships were. Thayer lays bare the insecurities, petty (or not so petty) arguments, the way they evaluate themselves and each other, the little jealousies and the admiration that these three feel. It's real and honest and doesn't come across catty or superficial.
The romantic relationships aren't as straight-forward as I expected either. A few triangles and unexpected turns kept me on my toes and interested.
All in all, I'm really impressed in the way that Thayer created these characters that were so relatable and at the same time kept the story interesting. I look forward to reading more from her.
At first I thought this was going to be your typical contemporary romance / summer read/ chic lit book. The deeper into the story I got the more I found in Summer Breeze that exceeded my expectations. While the book focuses on these three different women, all new friends at different points in their lives, we also read about the women who raised them. While you definitely get the feel that Natalie, Bella and Morgan are fast and lasting friends, I loved how real the relationships were. Thayer lays bare the insecurities, petty (or not so petty) arguments, the way they evaluate themselves and each other, the little jealousies and the admiration that these three feel. It's real and honest and doesn't come across catty or superficial.
The romantic relationships aren't as straight-forward as I expected either. A few triangles and unexpected turns kept me on my toes and interested.
All in all, I'm really impressed in the way that Thayer created these characters that were so relatable and at the same time kept the story interesting. I look forward to reading more from her.
May 30, 2012
This is probably classified as a beach read. The story reminds me of Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews. Both books are fluff, and contain detailed setting and characters. The title, Summer Breeze, is aptly chosen, as the three women in the story breeze through life without very little interruption. The outcome of the story ended uneventful with most of the women sacrificing for the man. This is a book that did not enlighten me on any topic, just a quickly read and forgotten beach read.
April 18, 2020
"Summer Breeze" tells the story of three women whose lives intersect at Dragonfly Lake. They become fast friends, more quickly than seemed believable to me given how differently they are portrayed. This novel would be classified as a beach read but I didn't find it juicy enough to be the type of beach read that would hold my interest. The only character I somewhat enjoyed reading about was Natalie and her journey both as an aspiring artist and in finding love.
May 3, 2023
Ugh. I usually love Nancy Thayer's books but these characters were really annoying and so was the way things just wrapped up "just like that" despite them going a complete other way through most of the book! I get that people change their minds, but ALL of them? The ending felt rushed and not well thought out. Quite disappointed since her descriptions of the beach and setting are always beautiful.
July 1, 2012
Easy summer read.
June 24, 2018
I love the cover. I liked the lake setting. I didn't like the characters. They were bland. The story was boring, and the ending was disappointing. I was hoping for something completely different.
January 20, 2024
I love a beach read at any time of the year and I was very happy to listen to this charming book by Nancy Thayer.
Taking place on Dragonfly Lake just outside of Amherst, Summer Breeze introduces us to the Barnaby, O’Keefe, and Reynolds families. Bella Barnaby has come home from Austin to help her parents out with their kitsch knickknack shop, Barnabys’ Barn. Morgan O’Keefe has moved to Dragonfly Lake with her husband, Josh, and their one year old son, Petey, for Josh’s new high paying job. Natalie Reynolds is a struggling artist from NYC who has agreed to house sit her aunt’s house. While the three women have seemingly nothing in common they forge a friendship that will hopefully last longer than the summer.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved all of the relationships from parents and children, to siblings, spouses, and friends. I loved watching how everyone interacted with each other and found the dynamics fascinating.
The descriptions were fantastic! The way Ms. Thayer wrote the scenes where Natalie was drawing were so realistic and her descriptions of the lake made me feel like I was there.
I was so sad when I was finished and found myself going through Ms. Thayer’s other books in hopes of finding a sequel. Unfortunately, I did not, but I’m excited to read the other books Ms. Thayer has written.
Taking place on Dragonfly Lake just outside of Amherst, Summer Breeze introduces us to the Barnaby, O’Keefe, and Reynolds families. Bella Barnaby has come home from Austin to help her parents out with their kitsch knickknack shop, Barnabys’ Barn. Morgan O’Keefe has moved to Dragonfly Lake with her husband, Josh, and their one year old son, Petey, for Josh’s new high paying job. Natalie Reynolds is a struggling artist from NYC who has agreed to house sit her aunt’s house. While the three women have seemingly nothing in common they forge a friendship that will hopefully last longer than the summer.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved all of the relationships from parents and children, to siblings, spouses, and friends. I loved watching how everyone interacted with each other and found the dynamics fascinating.
The descriptions were fantastic! The way Ms. Thayer wrote the scenes where Natalie was drawing were so realistic and her descriptions of the lake made me feel like I was there.
I was so sad when I was finished and found myself going through Ms. Thayer’s other books in hopes of finding a sequel. Unfortunately, I did not, but I’m excited to read the other books Ms. Thayer has written.
Read
June 15, 2017Blah... Boring. DNF.
August 27, 2018
2.5 stars
March 28, 2019
A fun read perfect for curling up and escaping.
September 25, 2020
It’s really hard for me to give a book 3 stars (usually 4 or 5) While I really liked the characters, this book was suuuuuuuuuper cheesy. And like I said- if I think it’s cheesy, that’s saying something.
May 12, 2021
Entertaining! A lot of “who’s going to end up with who” going on. Likable characters, fast read.
July 26, 2021
good summer vacay read
August 2, 2017
and they all lived happily ever after!!!ugh
January 16, 2016
Welcome to Summer at Dragonfly Lake.
Bella Barnaby has come home to help her mom out. She has broken her leg and needs Bella's help to run her little store Barnaby's Barn. While there she starts to imagine a different course for both the store and her life.
Natalie Reynolds has dreams of becoming a successful artist but can't succeed in New York working as a waitress and taking classes only when she has the money. She decides to take her aunt up on her offer to house sit at her lakeside home. More than her creative dreams start to come true at the lake.
Morgan O’Keefe sets her career aside to follow her husband as he takes a very high powered job. She thinks being a stay at home mom for her son will make will occupy all her time but she soon is missing her job and thrill her work brought to her life. She really needs a change.
These women quickly become friends and life on Dragonfly Lakes fills with love, temptation, discovery and change. As friends they are there for each other as they see all their lives turn to take very different paths.
Dollycas's Thoughts
The setting for this book sounds absolutely gorgeous. The characters are good and developed. The plot was the real problem for me. The friendships were strong but everything just happened so fast. In the course of just one summer everyone in the book made life changing decisions and in the end everything was tied up with a nice big bow.
I don't want to give too much away and spoil the story but it was all too unbelievable.
This is the first book by this author that really fell flat for me. It just didn't have that thing that her other books have that grab you and make you interested in the characters. Maybe my expectations for her work are just too high. It is well written but just doesn't have that "pop" that is should have.
A light summer beach read but very predictable. Definitely not one of Nancy Thayer's best efforts.
Bella Barnaby has come home to help her mom out. She has broken her leg and needs Bella's help to run her little store Barnaby's Barn. While there she starts to imagine a different course for both the store and her life.
Natalie Reynolds has dreams of becoming a successful artist but can't succeed in New York working as a waitress and taking classes only when she has the money. She decides to take her aunt up on her offer to house sit at her lakeside home. More than her creative dreams start to come true at the lake.
Morgan O’Keefe sets her career aside to follow her husband as he takes a very high powered job. She thinks being a stay at home mom for her son will make will occupy all her time but she soon is missing her job and thrill her work brought to her life. She really needs a change.
These women quickly become friends and life on Dragonfly Lakes fills with love, temptation, discovery and change. As friends they are there for each other as they see all their lives turn to take very different paths.
Dollycas's Thoughts
The setting for this book sounds absolutely gorgeous. The characters are good and developed. The plot was the real problem for me. The friendships were strong but everything just happened so fast. In the course of just one summer everyone in the book made life changing decisions and in the end everything was tied up with a nice big bow.
I don't want to give too much away and spoil the story but it was all too unbelievable.
This is the first book by this author that really fell flat for me. It just didn't have that thing that her other books have that grab you and make you interested in the characters. Maybe my expectations for her work are just too high. It is well written but just doesn't have that "pop" that is should have.
A light summer beach read but very predictable. Definitely not one of Nancy Thayer's best efforts.
August 15, 2012
I absolutely loved Nancy Thayer's 2008 novel Moon Shell Beach and the next year's offering Summer House. I expected to be similarly enamoured in 2010 with the release of Beachcombers but the magic seemed to be fading. Same thing with 2011's Heat Wave. After that one I was discussing this distrubing trend with one of my colleagues at the library where I worked. She pointed out that many times authors who are popular are expected to step up production, sometimes leading to a decline in the quality of their writing. Looking back at Ms. Thayer's bibliography that certainly makes sense. The stories sound really appealing on the dust jacket synopsis but they fail to live up to their premises. I decided to give it another try with Summer Breeze but this was the most disappointing yet. I liked the characters in the beginning but as the story wore on they lost their charm. It wasn't an exciting plot turn that made any one character evolve differently than I expected; rather they just all became really, really annoying. The storyline downshifted itself into "blah" by the end the happily-ever-after fairy got way too liberal with her magic wand. I know what Ms. Thayer is capable of and I am sure I will be there for her next novel, hoping she can do it again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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