The Summer We Started Over.

 

★★★★

Two sisters reconnect and pursue their dreams on the beautiful island of Nantucket, overcoming life’s challenges and finding new love, in this heartwarming and hopeful novel by New York Times bestselling author Nancy Thayer. 

Eddie Grant is happy with her life and her work as a personal assistant to Dinah Lavender, one of the most famous and renowned romance authors in the business. But being a spectator to notoriety and glamour isn’t as fulfilling as she once thought. Thankfully, Eddie has the perfect excuse for a vacation: Her hardworking younger sister, Barrett, is opening her gift shop on Memorial Day weekend, and could use all the help she can get. 

But going home to the beautiful island of Nantucket means facing the family’s difficult past. Shortly after the death of Eddie and Barrett’s brother, their mother left them and their father made the spontaneous decision to buy a small farm. Eddie stayed there for only a year before her family’s grief threatened to consume her as well, and had been living in Manhattan ever since. Now that she is back, Eddie must face all she left behind: her father’s increased eccentricities, which has led to a house bursting at the seams with books; her sister’s resentment over Eddie’s escape; and a past love connection, one that is still undeniable and complicated, all these years later. But the Grant sisters are nothing if not resilient and capable, opening a used bookstore in their father’s abandoned barn to manage his hoarding, and navigating the discovery of a long-buried family secret that will change all of them forever. 

 

 🌼

A delightful story about family. 

At first, I wasn't sure what to think of this book; it moved slowly. Several parts of the book were repeating themselves. I am glad I decided to give the book more of a chance. I have enjoyed reading books about friendships and family for as long as I can remember, perhaps because they brought back memories of my friends and family. I adored Eddie and Barrett's friendship; they were so close and always had each other's back no matter what happened. I don't have a sister, but it reminded me of my friends, who I consider my sisters. I loved how protective they were of their father and how much they tried to help him, however gently. He's fortunate to have daughters like Eddie and Barrett. 

I disagreed with how Barrett handled her relationships, particularly with Drew. I liked him when we were first introduced to him, but then I saw him for who he was. I didn't like how he treated Barrett; honestly, I didn't think he cared about him, but I just saw her as a summer fling, or so I assumed. Through the book, I hoped Barrett would know he wasn’t the guy she should be with. Although Dinah's "stalker" plotline was unexpected, I didn't enjoy how it developed; it didn't seem realistic. 

I loved that the story was set on Nantucket. I'd read books set on Nantucket before but by a different author. Now that I've read several books on Nantucket, I want to go there myself. Eddie's concern for everyone she cared about, including Dinah, touched me deeply. Eddie is the type of person I would like to have as a friend. The Summer We Started Over was the first novel I read by Nancy Thayer , and it won't be the last. After finishing her book, I look forward to reading more of her work.