all the days of summer

by Nancy Thayer

Paper Book, 2023

Publication

Ballantine Books Random House

Collection

Highlands

Call number

Fiction T

Status

Missing

Call number

Fiction T

Description

Fiction. Literature. Romance. HTML:A woman�??s second act on the island of Nantucket delivers much more than she expected in this captivating novel by New York Times bestselling author Nancy Thayer. �??A beautiful, hope-filled, heartwarming story about new beginnings and second chances.�?��??RaeAnne Thayne, author of The Cafe at Beach End Heather Willette has a good life in Concord, Massachusetts. But when her marriage has fizzles out, Heather has to decide what sort of life to live next. Ready to seek out her own happiness and discover herself again, Heather decides to leave her husband and rent a cottage on Nantucket. And her plan is going perfectly�??until her son, Ross, announces he�??s moving to Nantucket to work at his girlfriend�??s family�??s construction business instead of going back home to work with his own father, like he'd promised. Worst of all for Heather, this means having to get along with her. Kailee Essex is thrilled that Ross is willing to move to her hometown. She has big hopes for their happily ever after, especially now that her parents are finally showing interest in her career. She�??s less thrilled, however, about his mother living nearby. Kailee has clashed with Heather since the day they met. But anything is possible in the summer sun and sea breezes of Nantucket�??even reconciliation. And when change comes sooner than either Heather or Kailee expect, they must learn to overcome their differences to fight for the future they want. With All the Days of Summer, beloved storyteller Nancy Thayer delivers a moving novel that explores the complexity of family and the unexpected wa… (more)

Genres

Fiction

Romance

General Fiction

User reviews

LibraryThing member Kris_Anderson

All the Days of Summer by Nancy Thayer transports readers to Nantucket. I enjoyed the author’s vivid word imagery of the island. I could imagine the ferry ride to the island, the beaches, the bumpy road to Heather’s summer oasis, the rundown condition of Heather’s summer rental, the charming

town, and the Essex’s gorgeous home. I also enjoyed the depictions of Heather’s beautiful Victorian home in Concord, Massachusetts. I want to live in that home (I love Victorian homes). Her marriage has fizzled out. Her husband goes to work at the hardware store he owns and then comes home to plop himself in front of the television. They have grown apart. The spark is gone along with the love. Now that Heather’s son is graduating from college, Heather wants to discover what she wants to do with the rest of her life. I am sure there are women can relate to Heather’s situation. Heather is forty-seven, but the way the character is written, she comes across as older (makes it seem she is ready for retirement at times). Other female characters around the same age are similar (they seemed older). It was always the families plan for Ross to return to Concord (Ross was on board with it before his senior year of college) to help his father run the hardware store. Now that he has a serious girlfriend, Heather figures he will bring the lady home with him. Heather rents a rundown home in Nantucket for three months (at $10,000 a month). Then she learns that Ross, her son, is not returning to Concord. Ross and his girlfriend, Kailee Essex are heading to Nantucket where they will work at her father’s business, Essex Construction. Heather is not a fan of Kailee and I do not blame her. Kailee is a spoiled lady. Her parents are rich, and they have always given Kailee what she wanted. Kailee made the story hard to read. She is spoiled, selfish, insecure, and immature. Kailee wants to keep Ross to herself (she reminds me of a child who does not want to share er favorite toy). She does not want to share Ross with his mother. The point of view switches between Kailee, Ross, and Heather. I would have preferred the story to be told in the third person. I did not enjoy the sections told from Kailee and Ross’s point of view (I ended up skimming to get through them). Ross is a good person, but love is blind. He does not see Kailee’s faults. I found the story to be predictable. I wish the author had let Heather become her own person without the added romance element. The story does have a feel-good ending. All the Days of Summer is a story to read while lounging by the pool or relaxing on the beach. All the Days of Summer is a beach read with a lonesome marriage, an unfriendly girlfriend, a ramshackle cottage, a discovered dog, beautiful beaches, and a blissful future.

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LibraryThing member BookConcierge

Book on CD narrated by Cassandra Campbell

A novel that explores what a woman’s “second act” might look like. Heather Willette has led a good life in Concord, Massachusetts: a husband, a son, a large Victorian house she inherited from her grandmother and has lovingly restored. But as her son is

about to graduate from college, she realizes her marriage has pretty much ended. She rents a cottage on Nantucket for the summer to have time to herself to think on what she wants for this next chapter in her life. And then her son announces that he is NOT going to be working with his dad in the family’s hardware store. Instead, he is moving to Nantucket to take a job with his girlfriend’s father.

I enjoy Thayer’s novels. They usually feature a woman in her middle years, finding new purpose as her children are leaving the nest. Heather keeps to her stated purpose of figuring out what SHE wants next; she walks the beach, adopts a stray dog, improves her rented cottage, joins a bridge club, takes on a part-time job, and begins to make friends. But, of course, there are bumps in the road – Kailee (the girlfriend) is a spoiled brat, self-centered and immature, and her mother, Evelyn, is practically Nantucket royalty (she certainly acts like it).

Will everything work out? Well, there are no pretty ribbons tied around a perfect ending here, another thing I like about Thayer’s books. But there is positive movement and hope for a splendid future.

It's a fast, fun, enjoyable read. Perfect for the beach, or anytime you want to just relax and enjoy the experience.

Cassandra Campbell does a fine job of narrating the audiobook. She sets a good pace and I like how she interprets these characters. 4**** for her narration.

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