Really disliked this book. Ridiculous, childish, whining characters who never grew. ( )

I enjoy Nancy Thayer's stories - they are light, escapist, beach reads. This one should have had all the right notes - a wonderfully depicted Nantucket setting, a successful protagonist going home to mend fences and take care of her mom, a story about forgiveness. It was fine, but honestly, by the end I couldn't figure out WHY Keely wanted to patch things up with Isabelle because she wasn't really a likable character.

I don't feel like the supporting characters were as fleshed out as I'd like them to be, either, and maybe if I knew a little more about Isabelle's thinking I could have sympathy for her, but part of me was rooting for Keely to say "bye, bish."

HOWEVER - Thayer did keep me turning the pages, and it was a nice escape, so for that, I'll give the book 3-1/2 stars. (rounding to 4 for review purposes) ( )

Surfside Sisters: A Novel by Nancy Thayer

July 2, 2019
Ballantine Books
Fiction, romance, beach read
Rating: 4/5

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and Ballantine Books in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is a touching story of two friends from different backgrounds who shared a dream of becoming writers. The story explores how relationships can change over time. Some grow closer while others grow apart. In the end, everyone experiences life with happiness and hardships.

Keely Green and Isabelle Maxwell we’re best friends growing up on Nantucket. The two were inseparable with Keely feeling like part of the Maxwell family. Keely was raised in a modest home with a father who worked as a mechanic and a mother who worked as a nurse. Isabelle and her brother Sebastian grew up in a grand home afforded by Al Maxwell who was a well-known lawyer.

As the years pass, the friends begin to grow apart and Keely moves to New York when she eventually publishes her first book. She is disappointed when her best friend doesn’t share her enthusiasm. Things always seemed to come easy for Isabelle and didn’t seem to appreciate the effort it took for Keely. Some resentment arises between the two which almost seems insurmountable.

Aside from working on their writing, Isabelle becomes distracted when she develops a relationship with a high school crush. Keely is both jealous and disappointed to “lose” her friend. She focuses on her writing career and immerses herself in her NYC life. Although she is living the life she dreamed, she still feels a pull back to Nantucket, the inspiration for her writing. After returning home for visit, Keely is confronted with unresolved issues from the past including Isabelle. Can they resolve the hurt feelings and misunderstandings? Will they be able to untangle the emotional bagage?

https://www.bookbub.com/books/surfside-sisters-by-nancy-thayer



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Keely and her best friend Isabella come from "opposite sides of the track." Both want to be writers someday. Oh, and Keely is "in love" with Isabella's older brother. Their lives take different paths, they feud and end their friendship, but in true chick lit fashion all is well at the end of the novel. Great summer read. Pretty well developed characters. ( )

This was my first Nancy Thayer read, and I really enjoyed it. I will say I feel the title is a little off as this was not as much of a story of friendship as much as the story of women and her life. It does all wrap back around the friendship, but it was not the main focus. It was more in the distance, but wraps back around to them later in life.

I thought this was going to be a whole story around the friendship between Isabelle and Keely. However; it really only follows the story of Keely. Isabelle was never a great friend to Keely and we only get limited details as we follow Keely from high school to adulthood. I actually really loved the story and was not a fan of Isabelle, so it all worked for me.

Not much actually happens within the story, but I was still hooked nonetheless. I was just invested into Keeley and wanted to see how everything unfolded for her. This was a slow moving story, but I think you would love it if love a good chic lit read.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and look forward to picking up more from the author. ( )