Summer Love - by Nancy Thayer (Paperback)

About the Book

"When four strangers rent bargain-basement rooms in an old hotel near the beach, they embark on the summer of their lives. First there's Ariel Spencer, who has big dreams of becoming a writer and is looking for inspiration in Nantucket's high society. Her new friend Sheila Murphy is a good Catholic girl from Ohio whose desire for adventure is often shadowed by her apprehension. Then there's small-town Missourian Wyatt Smith-who's immediately taken with Ariel. The last of the four, Nick Volkov, is looking to make a name for himself and have a blast along the way. Despite their differences, the four bond over Wednesday night dinners, trips to the beach, and all that Nantucket has to offer. But venturing out on their own for the first time, with all its adventure and risks, could change the course of their future ... Twenty-six years after that amazing summer, Ariel, Sheila, Wyatt, and Nick come together again at the hotel where they first met. Now it's called The Lighthouse and Nick owns the entire operation with his wife and daughter. Ariel and Wyatt, married for decades, arrive with their son, and Sheila's back too, with her daughter by her side. Life hasn't exactly worked out the way they had all hoped. Ariel's dreams have since faded and been pushed aside, but she's determined to rediscover the passion she once had. Nick has the money and reputation of a successful businessman, but is it everything he had hoped for? And Sheila has never been able to shake the secret she's kept since that summer. Being back together again at last will mean confronting the past and finding themselves again. Meanwhile, the next generation discovers Nantucket, exploring the island together, experiencing love and heartbreak, and forging lifelong bonds just as their parents did all those years ago. It's sure to be one unforgettable reunion."--Page 4 of cover.

Book Synopsis

NATIONAL BESTSELLER - Old secrets come to light when four friends gather on Nantucket for a life-changing reunion in this heartwarming novel of love and self-discovery by New York Times bestselling author Nancy Thayer.

"The next generation discovers the magic of the island in this big-hearted book so vivid you'll almost be able to smell the ocean air as you turn each page."--E! News

When four strangers rent bargain-basement rooms in an old hotel near the beach, they embark on the summer of their lives. First there's Ariel Spencer, who has big dreams of becoming a writer and is looking for inspiration in Nantucket's high society. Her new friend Sheila Murphy is a good Catholic girl from Ohio whose desire for adventure is often shadowed by her apprehension. Then there's small-town Missourian Wyatt Smith, who's immediately taken with Ariel. The last of the four, Nick Volkov, is looking to make a name for himself and have a blast along the way. Despite their differences, the four bond over trips to the beach, Wednesday-night dinners, and everything that Nantucket has to offer. But venturing out on their own for the first time, with all its adventure and risks, could change the course of their lives.

Twenty-six years after that amazing summer, Ariel, Sheila, Wyatt, and Nick reunite at the hotel where they first met. Now it's called The Lighthouse and Nick owns the entire operation with his wife and daughter. Ariel and Wyatt, married for decades, arrive with their son, and Sheila's back too, with her daughter by her side. Life hasn't exactly worked out the way they had all hoped. Ariel's dreams have since faded and been pushed aside, but she's determined to rediscover the passion she once had. Nick has the money and reputation of a successful businessman, but is it everything he had hoped for? And Sheila has never been able to shake the secret she's kept since that summer. Being back together again will mean confronting the past and finding themselves. Meanwhile, the next generation discovers Nantucket: Their children explore the island together, experiencing love and heartbreak and forging lifelong bonds, just as their parents did all those years ago. It's sure to be one unforgettable reunion.

This delightful novel from beloved storyteller Nancy Thayer explores the potential of dreams and the beauty of friendship.

Review Quotes

Praise for Summer Love

"Smell[s] of suntan lotion, the ocean breeze and that sweet summer spirit."--N Magazine

"The next generation discovers the magic of the island in this big-hearted book so vivid you'll almost be able to smell the ocean air as you turn each page."--E! News

Praise for the novels of Nancy Thayer

Family Reunion

"Nancy Thayer's Family Reunion is a wonderful slice of life. Featuring true-to-life characters facing interesting--and challenging--family dynamics, as well as an incredible sense of place, this book is the ideal take-me-away beach read!"--New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak

"Readers come to Nancy Thayer novels for the idyllic Nantucket beaches and lifestyle, but they stay for the characters. No one knows families like Nancy Thayer!"--New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Munroe

Girls of Summer

"Wholesome and hopelessly romantic."--Kirkus Reviews

Surfside Sisters

"Readers who appreciate a busy, uplifting tale of friendship and romance will enjoy spending time on Thayer's Nantucket."--Publishers Weekly

"An engaging tale about how childhood expectations can be transformed on the journey through adulthood."--Kirkus Reviews

A Nantucket Wedding

"A delightful beach-town tale about family relationships and second chances."--Kirkus Reviews

"Thayer's latest Nantucket confection does not disappoint. . . . A Nantucket Wedding is a Nancy Meyers film in book form and should be recommended accordingly."--Booklist

Secrets in Summer

"Infused with warmth and heartfelt, tender moments . . . Authentic, endearing characters will keep readers turning the pages."--RT Book Reviews

"This breezy tale is at once nostalgic and hopeful . . . filled with sweet moments of unlikely female connections."--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Nancy Thayer is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty novels, including Summer Love, Family Reunion, Girls of Summer, Let It Snow, Surfside Sisters, A Nantucket Wedding, Secrets in Summer, The Island House, The Guest Cottage, An Island Christmas, Nantucket Sisters, and Island Girls. Born in Kansas, Thayer has been a resident of Nantucket for thirty-five years, where she currently lives with her husband, Charley, and a precocious rescue cat named Callie.